2/17/23 REVELATION 1:1a, PART 10

We’ll be moving from the late 1950’s into the early 1960’s today. Here’s the first quote:

“The title is contained in the first verse: ‘The Revelation of Jesus Christ.’ Although the communication professes to deal with ‘things’ (1:1), it is notwithstanding a disclosure of and from a person.”  [from INTERPRETING REVELATION, by Merrill C. Tenney, 1957]     

The statement “a disclosure of and from a person” really says it all. No proof is offered, which some would prefer and others would not.

Let’s go on to the next quote:

“This book is called sometimes the Revelation and sometimes the Apocalypse. It begins with the words ‘The revelation of Jesus Christ,’ which mean not the revelation about Jesus Christ but the revelation given by Jesus Christ. The Greek word for revelation is apokalupsis which is a word with a history.

“(i) Apokalupsis is composed of two parts. Apo means away from and kalupsis a veiling. Apokalupsis, therefore, means an unveiling, a revealing. It was not originally a specially religious word; it meant simply the disclosure of any fact. There is an interesting use of it in Plutarch (How to tell a Flatterer from a Friend, 32). Plutarch tells how once Pythagoras severely rebuked a devoted disciple of his in public and the young man went out and hanged himself. ‘From that time on Pythagoras never admonished anyone when anyone else was present. For error should be treated as a foul disease, and all admonition and disclosure (apokalupsis) should be in secret.’ But apokalupsis became specially a Christian word.

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2/9/23 REVELATION 1:1a, PART 9

Still in the 20th century: 

“The literary title of the book is ‘the Revelation of John, the theologian.’ He was used to transcribe the book, ‘borne along by the Holy Ghost,’ but the true moral title is that given in verse 1, ‘The Revelation of Jesus Christ.’ This is a further encouragement to readers; for clearly the book is not meant to conceal, but to reveal.[from THE VISIONS OF JOHN THE DIVINE, by William Hoste, 1932]

Nice quote: reveal, not conceal. Let’s keep going:

“The Revelation of Jesus Christ, — This expression evidently is a title for the entire book, being comprehensive enough to include all its contents. The Greek work Apocalypse — here rendered ‘Revelation’ — properly means the uncovering of anything; an unveiling, so that what is hid may be known. Spiritually it denotes the making known of divine truth that had not before been understood, as the following passages indicate: Rom. 16: 25; Gal. 1:12; Eph. 3:3. 

Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world began (Romans 16:25; NKJV)

For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ. (Galatians 1:12; NKJV)

how that by revelation He made known to me the mystery (as I have briefly written already, (Ephesians 3:3; NKJV)

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