Revealing - ר
Revelation ר is what brings God and man together. It is the center of Israel ישראל connecting man ish יש and God el אל. Man does not discover God, but he MAY discover what God has revealed. The initiative is from God to man. [1]
There are several kinds of revelation mentioned in the alphabet.
- Vav ן separates things to differentiate them for better understanding.
- Dalet ד is a command which includes creation which was formed at his command.
- Lamed ל is teaching with a shared heart.
- Pe פ teaching through types, shadows, parables, mysteries, and prophetic riddle.
- Shin ש the indwelling Spirit giving life to the bride.
- Rosh ר a revelation where God makes himself known.
While there are many ways that God has taught, 'revelation' speaks particularly about making himself known. The Book of Revelation makes God known. What? Wait? We have been told that the Book of Revelation is the book of future events. But it is the revealing of Christ in the mystery from the beginning.
Consider closely the first verse:
- Re 1:1 ¶ The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified [it] by his angel unto his servant John:
Contents
The revelation of Jesus Christ
It is the revealing or uncovering or unveiling of Jesus Christ of whom all the scriptures speak in riddles and mystery. Jesus told his critics to search the scriptures. [2] Surely he taught his disciples how to. [3]
which God gave unto him
When would God have given a revelation to Jesus? Was it after he rose from the dead? Probably not. As soon as Jesus rose from the grave he was restored to his previous glory. He no longer had his eyes closed to his divinity. There was nothing that anyone could have given him since he is the God who possesses all. The only time God could have given him the revelation was while he was still the Son of Man, while he was not using his divine attributes.
Back to the foundation: No man has seen God, nor can see him. When God chose to become incarnate... to be made in the form of man, he had the same problem we do. Jesus could not see the Father while in the flesh. So before he took on flesh, he wrote himself notes in the mystery hidden from the beginning. From these notes, the boy and man Jesus learned who he was and what he was to do. This is the same mystery which we now read today hidden in the Old Testament. Anyone could have read it for themselves as Jesus did, but their hearts were hard, and so it was invisible to them.
The revelation given to Jesus was the contents of the mystery hidden from the beginning. In resurrection he could receive no revelation since he then knew beginning to end. But in the flesh, as he studied scripture with a pure heart like a little child, the Spirit guided him to understand the mystery.
to shew unto his servants
Jesus taught HIS servants (the disciples) how to read the mystery, but they forgot what he taught them, so he gave them the Holy Spirit to remind them what he had taught them before the cross. [4]
things which must shortly come to pass;
If Jesus received the revelation and taught the revelation before the cross, then the thing which must shortly come to pass IS the cross.
he sent and signified [it] by his angel
'Sent' and 'signified' are in aorist tense, meaning that they happened and continue to happen.
Sent: The revelation of Christ was sent to John and is continuing to be sent. His writing is a snapshot of his continued learning to see Christ in the Old Testament.
Signified: The revelation was made known, and is continuing to be made known to him. It was not a one-time event.
It is unfortunate that translators choose 'angel' over 'messenger'. Jesus said he would send the Holy Spirit to remind them of what he taught. [5]
Why would he send another messenger when he told them to search the scripture, taught them how, and gave them the Spirit to remind them of his teaching? John is acknowledging that he received the Spirit who has guided him, and continues to guide him in seeing Christ in the scriptures.
References
- ↑ Ro 3:11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.
- ↑ Joh 5:39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.
- ↑ Mt 16:21 ¶ From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.
- ↑ Joh 14:26 But the Comforter, [which is] the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
- ↑ Joh 14:26 But the Comforter, [which is] the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
