Revelation Knowledge - Although God reveals Himself to man in many different ways, He is most often revealed through His Word; when the Lord speaks and man hears and understands. When God speaks directly to a man’s spirit and that man understands what was said, that activity is what the Bible calls “revelation” knowledge.
In the Old Testament, before Christ’s sacrifice, man’s spirit was marginalized by the “law of sin and death”; man was restricted and severely limited in his ability to clearly hear and recognize the voice of God. Therefore, God primarily spoke to His people through an intermediary such as a priest, a prophet, or some uniquely anointed individual. Deuteronomy 18:18 tells us, “And the LORD said.... I will raise them up a prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee [referring to Moses], and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.” Prophets were God’s mouthpiece to a spiritually dead world; they merely passed on what God told them to speak.
But in the New covenant, the New Testament believer is afforded a more intimate and personal relationship with the LORD when his spirit is changed and “transformed” by the “washing of regeneration” (Titus 3:5). Faith in Jesus’ sacrifice restores man’s spirit to its pristine state and enables him to personally receive the “revelation knowledge” that the Holy Spirit is communicating.
According to the Encyclopedia of Judaism, the Talmud teaches that the process by which God communicates with man is called by the rabbis “nevu’ah ru’ah ha-kodesh” (lit. the prophecy of the Holy Spirit). The rabbis also assert that the prophecy of the Holy Spirit ceased at the destruction of the First Temple and that the ministry of the Holy Spirit departed from Israel with the deaths of the prophets Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi.
Many believe, even today, that only a few, uniquely anointed individuals are able to hear the voice of God.
But Jesus taught a different message in John 16:12-14. He said that the Holy Spirit is still operating in the earth and that He is still revealing God’s Truth to those who are willing to hear His voice. “I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear (#941 “bastazo” - to take up, to carry or sustain) them now. Howbeit when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth.... He shall glorify Me: for He shall receive of Mine, and shall shew it unto you.”
The Amplified Bible says, “But when He, the Spirit of Truth comes, He will guide you into all the Truth.... because He will take of (receive, draw upon) what is Mine and will reveal (declare, disclose, transmit) it to you.”
On the day of Pentecost, a new dimension of the Holy Spirit’s ministry was released in the earth to reveal, declare, disclose, and transmit God’s truth to the people who are still hungry for “revelation” knowledge.
Spirit to spirit -
The fundamental fact in all true “revelation” is that it originates with God and not by the will or mental processes of man. God is the initiator and man’s spirit is the receiver. In other words, man is the one being “moved”, and God is the “mover”.
Job 32:8 tells us that God moves upon man’s spirit to inspire and inform him, “But there is a spirit in man: and the inspiration [#5397 “neshamah” - breath] of the Almighty giveth them understanding.” Through the agency of “inspiration”, the Holy Spirit breathes on man’s spirit and causes him to receive discernment, insight, and understanding about Divine truth.
Like a radio that receives electromagnetic waves and converts them into sounds that humans can hear and understand, man’s spirit has been designed to tune in to the frequency that God communicates on and to communicate His message to man’s understanding.
Using a different analogy, Proverbs 20:27 tells us, “The spirit of man is the candle of the Lord, searching all the inward parts of the belly.” Man’s spirit is the part of his being that the Creator designed to receive illumination or “revelation” from the LORD. Located in the center of man’s being (“the inward parts of the belly”), when the LORD speaks, man’s spirit is illuminated and glows with the light of “revelation” from God.
Psalms 18:28 adds, “For thou wilt light [#215 “owr” - to be or become light, to shine, to be illuminated] my candle, the LORD my God will enlighten my darkness.” When the LORD shines His glorious light into your spirit, you experience the sensation of a “light” being turned on and dispelling the darkness that surrounds your understanding. This “aha” moment causes you to see things for what they really are; you become intuitively aware of spiritual things and possess a fresh understanding about your life and your relationship with God. You receive “revelation” knowledge.
Psalms 119:130 in the Amplified Bible says, “The entrance and unfolding of Your words give light (#215 “owr”); their unfolding gives understanding (discernment and comprehension) to the simple.”
If man does not train his spirit to receive the influence and inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the higher truths, the deep things of God, will forever remain outside his grasp and comprehension. Therefore, we need to be taught how to open ourselves to the ministry of the Holy Spirit and how to recognize the “revelation” knowledge that He is imparting to our spirits.
How we receive “revelation” knowledge -
Building on these truths, the Apostle Paul opened a dialogue about the experience of receiving “revelation” knowledge in I Corinthians 2:9-10. He began by writing that the faculties of human reason or human logic can never discover spiritual truth on there own; they are a gift from God. “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed [them] unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.”
The word “revealed” is translated from the Greek verb #601 “apokalupto” which means to uncover or lay open what has previously been veiled or covered up, to disclose what before was unknown. It is a compound word that is derived from the preposition #575 “apo” (off, away, separation) and the verb #2572 “kalupto” (to hide, cover up, or veil; to hinder the knowledge of a thing). To put it simply, “apokalupto” means to take the cover off of what was previously hidden, to remove the veil.
God has literally taken the cover off of the things He has prepared for you to receive, and He is revealing these truths to your spirit through the ministry of the Holy Spirit. For the New Testament believer, there is no longer any limit on the spiritual things that we can see and dream in our heart.
The NEB translation says, “...things beyond our seeing, things beyond our hearing, things beyond our imagining...”
There is a higher plane of truth that exists in the mind of God. Since it transcends human reason and is beyond the range of human experience and understanding, this “spiritual” knowledge can only be revealed to man through the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
In Jeremiah 33:3 God said, “Call unto Me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.”
The Hebrew word translated “shew” is #5046 “nagad” which means to bring to the light, to tell, declare or make known. In other words, God promises to answer our prayers by bringing to the light and revealing great and mighty things that we do not presently know.
The phrase “mighty things” is translated from the Hebrew #1219 “batsar” and means secrets, mysteries, and inaccessible things. Strong’s Concordance defines this word as things that are fenced off, isolated and, therefore, unattainable by ordinary means.
Thus, God promises to pull back the curtains and cause us to see Divine mysteries and heavenly truths that lie outside our purview and are, therefore, unknowable by our mental faculties. He promises to illuminate our spirit with supernatural ability that enables us to perceive and understand the hidden mysteries and the secrets of life.
The Basic English translation says, “Let your cry come to Me, and I will give you an answer, and let you see secret things of which you had no knowledge.” Knox says, “...great mysteries that lie beyond thy ken [your mental perception] I will make known to thee.”
Deuteronomy 29:29 tells us, “The secret things belong unto the Lord our God; but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.”
Because of Christ’s sacrifice, every child of God now has the right and the privilege to understand the secret things that God is presently revealing through the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
You can know the “things” of God -
I Corinthians 2:12 continues, “Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.” The Basic English translation says, “But God has given us the revelation of these things through His Spirit...” Montgomery says, “Yet God has unveiled them to us by His Spirit.”
When a man becomes “born-again”, his spirit is cleansed by the Holy Spirit through the “washing of regeneration” (Titus 3:5). This process restores man’s spirit to its original, pristine state, and enables him to once again commune freely with the Spirit of God.
Paul wrote about this experience in II Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold all things are become new.” Philipp's translation says, “For if a man is in Christ he becomes a new person altogether...” TCNT says, “...he is a new being...” The Basic translation reads, “...he is in a new world...”
When the old, sinful nature in our heart is replaced by the new, heavenly nature, our spirits are once again tuned to God’s frequency and we begin to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit speaking directly to our inner man. When we enter this “new world” of spiritual enlightenment, we must train ourselves to “know” or recognize the things that the Holy Spirit is speaking to us.
Paul wrote that we have received “... the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.”
There are several Greek words translated “know” in the KJV New Testament. One is the Greek #1097 “ginosko” which means to “know” through personal experience or physical contact, and implies an active relation between the one who “knows” and the person or thing “known”. Man gains worldly knowledge by coming into contact with some thing and then observing it and studying it.
However, in this verse, Paul used a different Greek word for “know”. It is #1492 “eido” which Thayer’s Dictionary defines as: to perceive, notice, discern, or discover. Vine’s Dictionary says it means to know by perception.
Whereas worldly knowledge is gained by intellectual activity, spiritual knowledge is obtained through the operation of the Holy Spirit moving upon our spirit to impart spiritual perception, spiritual discernment, and Spirit led intuition.
Intuition is defined as the act or faculty of knowing or sensing without the use of rational processes, and implies immediate cognition. Sometimes people call this activity a feeling, a hunch, or an impression. While man is fully capable of generating his own premonition, the “hunches” that man generates are not always reliable; sometimes they work out and sometimes they don’t. However, the knowledge that the Holy Spirit imparts is always true and everything He tells us will “always” work out just like He said it would.
I Corinthians 2:13 continues, “Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.”
The revelation that the Holy Ghost imparts is higher than the wisdom that man gains through logical, rational, and analytical thought. Because it is “spiritual” in nature, it supersedes man’s knowledge and must be discerned by man’s spirit.
The Amplified says, “And we are setting these truths forth in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Holy Spirit, combining and interpreting spiritual truths with spiritual language [to those who possess the Holy Spirit].”
Though “revelation” can come through visions and dreams, it most often occurs when the Holy Spirit communicates directly to man’s spirit the will, the purpose, and the thoughts of God. While we cannot initially understand or grasp the things God has prepared for us with our physical or mental capacities, these “things” have been and are continually being “revealed” to our spirit through the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
Paul wrote in I Corinthians 2:11, “For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? Even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.”
Your spirit contains all the spiritual desires and the true motives of your life. Likewise, the Holy Spirit contains all of the knowledge and the innermost desires in the heart of God. When the two spirits come together (in your spirit) all that you are and ever hope to be is communicated to the Lord, and all that the Lord desires and plans for your life is revealed to your understanding, little by little, revelation upon revelation.
The “natural” man vs. the “spiritual” man -
Throughout the rest of chapters two and three of First Corinthians, Paul speaks about the three aspects of man: the “carnal” man, the “natural” man, and the “spiritual” man. It is, therefore, important that you understand that man is a triune being, composed of a spirit, a soul, and a body (I Thessalonians 5:23).
The body is the “earth suit”, the part of our being that allows us to function in this physical world. The soul is the bridge between the spirit and the physical realm; it encompasses the mind with all of its faculties of reason, logic, and emotional feeling. The spirit is the part of our being that touches the realm of the spirit and carries within it the seed of life. James 2:26 states that the body without the spirit is dead.
I Corinthians 2:14 tells us the “revelation” knowledge that the Spirit offers must be spiritually discerned, because the “natural” or intellectual man cannot receive it. “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know [them], because they are spiritually discerned.”
In this verse, the word “natural” is translated from the Greek #5591 “psuchikos” which is derived from the Greek word for “soul” (#5590 “psuche”). Vine’s Dictionary says the “psuche” (the soul) is the seat of man’s will and purpose, that which forms man’s personality or the instrument by which man thinks, reflects, feels and desires. In fact, our English word “psychology” (which is the science that studies the mind, mental activities, and behavior) comes from this Greek word “psuche”.
Therefore, the “psuchikos” (natural) man refers to the intellectual man; one who tries to understand God with his mind, his intellect, and his personal feelings. The Apostle Paul taught that the intellectual side of man cannot initially receive or apprehend the things of the Spirit because the things of the Spirit seem like foolishness to him (which is the Greek #3472 “moria” and means moronic, silly, and absurd).
The Amplified Bible says it this way, “But the natural, non-spiritual man does not accept or welcome or admit into his heart the gifts and teachings and revelations of the Spirit of God, for they are folly (meaningless nonsense) to him; and he is incapable of knowing them [of progressively recognizing, understanding and becoming better acquainted with them] because they are spiritually discerned and estimated and appreciated.”
Spiritual truth must be spiritually discerned and received.
The word “spiritually” is translated from the Greek #4153 “pneumatikos” and it’s root #4152, which means of and belonging to the human spirit. Thayer’s Lexicon states that “pneumatikos” refers to that which relates to the human spirit, as the part of man which is akin to God and serves as His instrument or organ.
“Pneumatikos” never occurs in either the Septuagint (a Greek translation of the Old Testament) nor in the Gospels. It is an after “Pentecost” word. In other words, a new dimension of man’s being was unlocked and set free when the Holy Spirit filled man’s heart on the day of Pentecost. Today, every New Testament believer has the opportunity to commune directly with the Holy Spirit (something the Old Testament saints could never sufficiently accomplish with their unregenerate spirit), and to receive in their “born-again” spirit the words of “revelation” knowledge.
When Paul wrote that spiritual truth must be spiritually ‘discerned”, the word “discerned” is translated from the Greek verb #350 “anakrino” and means to examine, investigate, or judge. Carnal or intellectual judgment is of no use here. Vine’s Dictionary states: the natural mind cannot estimate the motives of the spiritual. Spiritual things must be spiritually discerned, appreciated, and understood.
Romans 8:7 says, “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.” The Amplified Bible says, “...the mind of the flesh [with its carnal thoughts and purposes] is hostile to God, for it does not submit itself to God’s law; indeed it cannot.”
The “carnal” mind has feelings of animus and antipathy towards the spiritual things of God. Trying to understand God through with carnal mind is a vain and fruitless enterprise that will only make you more confused and uncertain about God’s will for your life. Spiritual things must initially be received and understood by your spirit, and then they can be safely communicated or passed on to your mind.
Your body tells you how you feel. Your mind tells you what you think. But your spirit, once it has been illuminated by the Holy Spirit, tells you what God desires.
I Corinthians 2:15, “But he that is spiritual [“pneumatikos”] judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.”
The Amplified says, “But the spiritual man tries all things [he examines, investigates, inquires into, questions, and discerns all things], yet is himself to be put on trial and judged by no one [he can read the meaning of everything, but no one can properly discern or appraise or get an insight into him].
The Holy Spirit will teach you how to shift your thinking from the “natural” man (psuchikos) to the “spiritual” man (“pneumatikos”). He will show you how to move from the realm of mental prejudice and logic, to the realm of spiritual intuition and spiritual consciousness.
Paul’s prayer for “revelation” knowledge -
The Apostle Paul prayed in Colossians 1:9-10, “...that ye might be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual (#4152 “pneumatikos”) understanding; That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God.”
Your capacity to walk “worthy” of the Lord, to bear spiritual fruit, and to please Him in everything you do, is directly linked to your ability to receive and absorb the “spiritual” understanding and the “revelation” knowledge that God imparts. Your success in God depends upon it.
In both places, the word “knowledge” is translated from the Greek noun #1922 “epignosis” which means a precise, thorough, correct, and exact knowledge, discernment, or recognition. It’s root, the Greek #1921 “epiginosko”, means to become so thoroughly acquainted with something that you recognize it for what it really is, you observe and perceive its true meaning.
In this verse, “epignosis” does not refer to the carnal or mental knowledge that is acquired through natural means; instead, it refers to an inner, spiritual knowledge that is acquired through the “pneumatikos” man. It’s root, “epiginosko”, is used in Mark 2:8 to describe an inner knowing, “...when Jesus perceived in His spirit...”; and in Mark 5:30, “And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself...”
It is also used to describe the disciple’s revelation of Jesus in Luke 24:31, “And their eyes were opened, and they knew Him...” Obviously, the disciples’ physical eyes were already open and they saw Christ’s physical body standing before them; but they were not aware of who He was. Then, when their spiritual eyes were opened, they perceived or understood the true meaning of that encounter: they became aware that they were talking to the resurrected Jesus Christ.
In Colossians 1:9-10, Paul prayed that the disciples inner, spiritual eyes would be opened and that they would receive “revelation” knowledge of God’s will through spiritual wisdom and spiritual understanding. The Amplified translation says, “...that you may be filled with the full (deep and clear) knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom [in comprehensive insight into the ways and purposes of God] and in understanding and discernment of spiritual things.”
God desires for every one of His children to comprehend and to fully understand spiritual truth. And He uses the vehicle of “revelation” knowledge to impart this higher, supernatural wisdom and discernment to them.
Paul prayed a similar prayer in Ephesians 1:17-18, “That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation (“apokalupsis”) in the knowledge (“epignosis”) of Him.” (So that) “The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of His calling, and what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints.”
The Amplified translation says it this way, “...that He may grant you a spirit of wisdom and revelation [of insight into mysteries and secrets] in the [deep and intimate] knowledge of Him, By having the eyes of your heart flooded with light...”
When the eyes of your spirit man (the candle of the LORD) are flooded with God’s light, you will gain insight and comprehension of the mysteries and the secrets of God. You will know precisely God’s will and purpose for your life.
For this reason, I encourage you to memorize and then pray the prayers in Colossians and Ephesians for yourself. You should daily ask God to enlighten the eyes of “your” understanding and to flood your inner man with “revelation” knowledge.
Paul’s revelation -
Unlike Jesus’ twelve disciples, the apostle Paul did not have a personal relationship with Christ before His resurrection. The message he preached was totally based upon the “revelation” knowledge that Paul received directly from the Holy Spirit.
Paul wrote in Galatians 1:11-12, “But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by revelation (#602 “apokalupsis”) of Jesus Christ.”
For this reason, the epistles Paul wrote are teeming with “revelation” knowledge about spiritual truth that is unsurpassed by the other New Testament authors in both depth and insight. Paul possessed a comprehension of spiritual wisdom that was far ahead of his contemporaries.
Trench’s Lexicon says that revelation (#602 “apokalupsis”) means an uncovering, a laying bare, a disclosure of truth, instruction, concerning Divine things before unknown. It includes not merely the thing shown and seen, but the interpretation or unveiling of the same, given by God Himself through the operation of the Holy Spirit.
These “spiritual” truths were available to each of the Lord’s disciples; but Paul was the one who paid the price to receive them. The book of Galatians tells us that Paul separated himself from people for several years (Galatians 1:16-24), and sought the Lord through prayer and through intense study of God’s Word.
Because Paul had not personally witnessed the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ, he was not encumbered with sense knowledge reasoning and mental logic when he interpreted their meaning. The “revelation” knowledge that He received directly from the Lord was, therefore, pure and not restricted by mental prejudice. He wrote what the Lord revealed to him. He believed what God told him.
The Apostle Peter said that some of the things Paul wrote were hard to understand by the carnal and religious mind; but, nevertheless, they were reliable and just as trustworthy as the rest of scripture. II Peter 3:15-16, “...our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you. As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.”
Paul also believed that every believer, irrespective of his previous education or past life, has the same potential that he had to receive “revelation” knowledge directly from the mouth of God.
Paul wrote I Timothy 2:4 that fully describes God’s intent for all mankind, “Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge (“epignosis”) of the truth.” The Amplified Bible says that God, “...wishes all men to be saved and [increasingly] to perceive and recognize and discern and know precisely and correctly the [Divine] Truth.”
It is God’s will for every man and every woman of faith to receive and to comprehend “revelation” knowledge.
The Revelation of God’s Word -
The Scriptures are not merely the “record” of revelation given to other men in the past, they are the “revelation” itself in written form. The inspiration and the anointing that the Word was sent to convey to one individual, can now be transferred into your life through the ministry of the Holy Spirit when you study God’s Word.
In John 6:63, Jesus said, “It is the spirit that quickeneth (#2227 “zoopoieo” - to make alive, to produce life); the flesh profiteth nothing: the words [#4487 “rhema”] that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” God’s Word is filled with the life of God; and that “life” can never be extinguished or quenched. When we read and meditate on the words that Jesus spoke, “revelation” knowledge is imparted into our spirit and the “zoe” (the life of God) is released in our inner man. We become inspired and empowered by the “life” that still resides in His spoken Word.
This is why the Bible is called a “living” book. The words that radically changed the lives of those that heard our Lord speak so long ago, still have an impact in the lives of those that read it, today.
Isaiah 55:10-11 describes the eternal, creative power that is contained in the Word of God, “For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall My word be that goeth forth out of My mouth: it shall not return unto Me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.”
Like rain falling to the earth, watering the ground and causing it to bring forth and bud, God sends His Word to water man’s heart and to release the seeds of “revelation” knowledge that empowers him with Divinely inspired action.
When God sends a specific “word” or “revelation” to the earth, the man that first hears it uses that “revelation” as a seed to be sown in other people’s lives. When he preaches his “revelation” to the people around him, “revelation” knowledge is imparted, which inspires faith in their heart and leads to the acts of obedience that changes mens lives.
But the life that exists in each Word from God does not cease to exist the first time it is received; it continues to live. Later on, God’s seed produces bread that is eaten by another man, then another, and another. Each time some man (or woman) reads the Word that was spoken long ago, they become inspired and anointed with “revelation” knowledge and begin to share its meaning with others; and on and on. Today, I can preach a message that was originally given to some man, thousands of years ago, and still expect it to have the same results. The Word of God is alive and still producing in the earth exactly what God intended it to produce.
The Amplified says that the “rhema” (the spoken Word of God), “...shall not return to Me void [without producing any effect, useless], but it shall accomplish that which I please and purpose...”
The seed of God’s “Word” contains within its kernel a sufficient supply of Divine power and Divine life so that it causes “itself” to come to pass. In other words, the “nevu’ah ru’ah ha-kodesh” (the prophecy of the Holy Spirit) is a self-sustaining word. The Holy Ghost, who originally inspired the “Word”, is able to continually manifest the seeds of “revelation” knowledge that are contained in the Word to anyone who will sincerely hear it and open their heart to receive it.
Every “Word” that God spoke is still alive and carries the life of God within it’s kernel, which causes it to be manifested in your world.
The Jerusalem translations says God’s Word “...does not return to me empty, without carrying out My Will and succeeding in what it was sent to do.”
Young’s translation says the Word “...turneth not back unto Me empty, but hath done that which I desired - and prosperously effected that for which I sent it.”
The ABPS translation says, “... it shall not return unto Me void, without having performed that which I please, and accomplished the thing whereto I sent it.” The NAB says, “...it shall do My Will, achieving the end for which I sent it.” Moffatt’s translation says, “...it works out what I will and carries out my purpose.”
In other words, the Word of God “cannot” return empty or unfulfilled in its purpose. It stays on the earth until it accomplishes everything God designed it to accomplish.
One example of the self-fulfilling power of God’s Word is found in Psalms 107:20. When the children of Israel were in trouble, they cried out to the Lord and, “He sent His word and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.” God spoke, the people received, and the healing power that was contained in God’s Word was released in their lives.
Another example is found in the immaculate conception of Jesus Christ, when the angel Gabriel was sent to announce the impregnation of the virgin Mary with the Son of God. Mary asked “How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?” (Luke 1:34). The angel responded in verse thirty-five, “...The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee...” Then he finished by saying, “For with God nothing shall be impossible.” (Luke 1:37).
The word “nothing” is translated from three Greek words: #3756 “ou” - no; #3956 “pas” - individual, every one; and #4487 “rhema” - a spoken word. In other words, no individual, spoken word that comes from the mouth of God is “impossible” (#101 “adunateo” - void of power, strength, or ability; cannot be done or brought to pass). It is impossible for God to speak a “word” that is without power. Every spoken “word” that comes from God has enough power within it to cause itself to manifest in the life of every person that hears it.
The ASV says, “For no word of God shall be void of power...” The NEB says, “for God’s promises can never fail...” The ABUV says, “Because no word of God shall be without power...”
After hearing this statement, Mary responded in verse thirty-eight, “Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to they word (“rhema”). And the angel departed from her.” Goodspeed’s translation says, “...I am the Lord’s slave. Let it be as you say.”
When Mary accepted or received the living “Word” that was spoken to her, the Holy Spirit brought it to pass and the child, Jesus, was manifested in her womb.
Like Mary, you and I can be impregnated with the living Word of God.
Paul wrote in I Thessalonians 2:13, “...when ye received the Word of God, which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the Word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.”
The Word of God “effectually worketh” in those that believe. That phrase is translated from the Greek verb #1754 “energeo” which means to be operative, energized, to put forth power, to work. The Amplified translation says that the Word of God “...is effectually at work in you who believe [exercising its superhuman power in those who adhere to and trust in and rely on it].”
When you receive a word that God has spoken, whether it is a recent word or something He said thousands of years ago, “revelation” knowledge is imparted and the “life” that is contained in God’s “seed” will produce the effect that God desires in your life.
Through the “knowledge” of Him -
The Apostle Peter wrote about the value and the power that “revelation” knowledge can have in our lives. II Peter 1:2, “Grace and peace be multiplied [#4129 “plethuno” - to increase] unto you through the knowledge [“epignosis”] of God, and of Jesus our Lord.”
While each child of God has a measure of God’s grace and peace flowing in their life, sometimes, we need more grace and more peace to overcome the circumstances that life throws at us. For this reason, God has designed a system whereby the Divine flow of grace and peace can be infinitely increased through the power of “revelation” knowledge. The more you learn about God’s nature and God’s ways, the more His grace and peace will flow in your life.
The word “knowledge” is translated from the Greek noun #1922 “epignosis”, which we have already defined as a precise, thorough, and exact knowledge that comes through spiritual discernment and spiritual enlightenment. As we continually allow the Holy Spirit to illuminate our inner man with “revelation” knowledge, an unlimited amount of God’s grace and God’s peace will be manifested in our life.
The Amplified Bible says it this way, “May grace (God’s favor) and peace (which is perfect well-being, all necessary good, all spiritual prosperity, and freedom from fears and agitating passions and moral conflicts) be multiplied to you in [the full, personal, precise, and correct] knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.”
II Peter 1:3 continues, “According as His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge (#1922 “epignosis”) of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue.”
Everything you need to live a full, abundant, and godly life is supplied through the “revelation” knowledge of God.
The Amplified says, “For His divine power has bestowed upon us all things that [are requisite and suited] to life and godliness, through the [full, personal] knowledge of Him Who called us by and to His own glory and excellence (virtue).”
Living a happy and fulfilled spiritual life is directly linked to your ability to receive “revelation” knowledge.
Because of this truth, II Peter 1:4 continues, “Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature....” The LORD has given man “precious” promises (i.e., the Word of God), so that man can enter into a place of communing with the Divine Nature.
The word “partakers” is translated from the Greek noun #2844 “koinonos” which means a partner, a companion, a partaker, i.e. to share things in common. It’s feminine conjugation, #2842 “koinonia”, refers to intimate fellowship, communion, and intercourse. Hence, “revelation” knowledge affords man the vehicle to enter into a communion, a place of intimacy with the Divine nature.
We commune with God on many different levels. Some of the most intimate fellowship that we can have with our Heavenly Father is through “revelation” knowledge.
Jesus said something similar in John 15:7-8, “If ye abide in me, and my words (#4487 “rhema”) abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit.” The import of these words suggest that God’s children can be so changed by the “revelation” knowledge of God’s Word, that they will only desire what God desires, they will only ask what is pleasing to the Lord. Their minds and hearts will be so transformed by the “revelation” knowledge of His word, that they become one with the Father and one with His Son.
David Guzik writes: “We are willing to try almost anything except the knowledge of Him. We will trust in the schemes and plans of men instead of the knowledge of Him. We will try knowing ourselves instead of the knowledge of Him. We need to come to the same place the Apostle Paul did, when he said, “...that I may know Him...” (Philippians 3:10).
Colossians 3:10 tells us that we must, “...put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge (#1922 “epignosis”) after the image of Him that created him.” The Amplified says, “And have clothed yourselves with the new [spiritual self], which is [ever in the process of being] renewed and remolded into [fuller and more perfect knowledge upon] knowledge after the image (the likeness) of Him Who created it.”
We clothe ourselves with the nature of God by continually growing in “revelation” knowledge.
The prophet wrote in Isaiah 50:4-5, “...He wakeneth morning by morning, He wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned. The Lord GOD hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back.”
In the Old Testament, before Christ’s sacrifice, man’s spirit was marginalized by the “law of sin and death”; man was restricted and severely limited in his ability to clearly hear and recognize the voice of God. Therefore, God primarily spoke to His people through an intermediary such as a priest, a prophet, or some uniquely anointed individual. Deuteronomy 18:18 tells us, “And the LORD said.... I will raise them up a prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee [referring to Moses], and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.” Prophets were God’s mouthpiece to a spiritually dead world; they merely passed on what God told them to speak.
But in the New covenant, the New Testament believer is afforded a more intimate and personal relationship with the LORD when his spirit is changed and “transformed” by the “washing of regeneration” (Titus 3:5). Faith in Jesus’ sacrifice restores man’s spirit to its pristine state and enables him to personally receive the “revelation knowledge” that the Holy Spirit is communicating.
According to the Encyclopedia of Judaism, the Talmud teaches that the process by which God communicates with man is called by the rabbis “nevu’ah ru’ah ha-kodesh” (lit. the prophecy of the Holy Spirit). The rabbis also assert that the prophecy of the Holy Spirit ceased at the destruction of the First Temple and that the ministry of the Holy Spirit departed from Israel with the deaths of the prophets Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi.
Many believe, even today, that only a few, uniquely anointed individuals are able to hear the voice of God.
But Jesus taught a different message in John 16:12-14. He said that the Holy Spirit is still operating in the earth and that He is still revealing God’s Truth to those who are willing to hear His voice. “I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear (#941 “bastazo” - to take up, to carry or sustain) them now. Howbeit when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth.... He shall glorify Me: for He shall receive of Mine, and shall shew it unto you.”
The Amplified Bible says, “But when He, the Spirit of Truth comes, He will guide you into all the Truth.... because He will take of (receive, draw upon) what is Mine and will reveal (declare, disclose, transmit) it to you.”
On the day of Pentecost, a new dimension of the Holy Spirit’s ministry was released in the earth to reveal, declare, disclose, and transmit God’s truth to the people who are still hungry for “revelation” knowledge.
Spirit to spirit -
The fundamental fact in all true “revelation” is that it originates with God and not by the will or mental processes of man. God is the initiator and man’s spirit is the receiver. In other words, man is the one being “moved”, and God is the “mover”.
Job 32:8 tells us that God moves upon man’s spirit to inspire and inform him, “But there is a spirit in man: and the inspiration [#5397 “neshamah” - breath] of the Almighty giveth them understanding.” Through the agency of “inspiration”, the Holy Spirit breathes on man’s spirit and causes him to receive discernment, insight, and understanding about Divine truth.
Like a radio that receives electromagnetic waves and converts them into sounds that humans can hear and understand, man’s spirit has been designed to tune in to the frequency that God communicates on and to communicate His message to man’s understanding.
Using a different analogy, Proverbs 20:27 tells us, “The spirit of man is the candle of the Lord, searching all the inward parts of the belly.” Man’s spirit is the part of his being that the Creator designed to receive illumination or “revelation” from the LORD. Located in the center of man’s being (“the inward parts of the belly”), when the LORD speaks, man’s spirit is illuminated and glows with the light of “revelation” from God.
Psalms 18:28 adds, “For thou wilt light [#215 “owr” - to be or become light, to shine, to be illuminated] my candle, the LORD my God will enlighten my darkness.” When the LORD shines His glorious light into your spirit, you experience the sensation of a “light” being turned on and dispelling the darkness that surrounds your understanding. This “aha” moment causes you to see things for what they really are; you become intuitively aware of spiritual things and possess a fresh understanding about your life and your relationship with God. You receive “revelation” knowledge.
Psalms 119:130 in the Amplified Bible says, “The entrance and unfolding of Your words give light (#215 “owr”); their unfolding gives understanding (discernment and comprehension) to the simple.”
If man does not train his spirit to receive the influence and inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the higher truths, the deep things of God, will forever remain outside his grasp and comprehension. Therefore, we need to be taught how to open ourselves to the ministry of the Holy Spirit and how to recognize the “revelation” knowledge that He is imparting to our spirits.
How we receive “revelation” knowledge -
Building on these truths, the Apostle Paul opened a dialogue about the experience of receiving “revelation” knowledge in I Corinthians 2:9-10. He began by writing that the faculties of human reason or human logic can never discover spiritual truth on there own; they are a gift from God. “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed [them] unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.”
The word “revealed” is translated from the Greek verb #601 “apokalupto” which means to uncover or lay open what has previously been veiled or covered up, to disclose what before was unknown. It is a compound word that is derived from the preposition #575 “apo” (off, away, separation) and the verb #2572 “kalupto” (to hide, cover up, or veil; to hinder the knowledge of a thing). To put it simply, “apokalupto” means to take the cover off of what was previously hidden, to remove the veil.
God has literally taken the cover off of the things He has prepared for you to receive, and He is revealing these truths to your spirit through the ministry of the Holy Spirit. For the New Testament believer, there is no longer any limit on the spiritual things that we can see and dream in our heart.
The NEB translation says, “...things beyond our seeing, things beyond our hearing, things beyond our imagining...”
There is a higher plane of truth that exists in the mind of God. Since it transcends human reason and is beyond the range of human experience and understanding, this “spiritual” knowledge can only be revealed to man through the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
In Jeremiah 33:3 God said, “Call unto Me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.”
The Hebrew word translated “shew” is #5046 “nagad” which means to bring to the light, to tell, declare or make known. In other words, God promises to answer our prayers by bringing to the light and revealing great and mighty things that we do not presently know.
The phrase “mighty things” is translated from the Hebrew #1219 “batsar” and means secrets, mysteries, and inaccessible things. Strong’s Concordance defines this word as things that are fenced off, isolated and, therefore, unattainable by ordinary means.
Thus, God promises to pull back the curtains and cause us to see Divine mysteries and heavenly truths that lie outside our purview and are, therefore, unknowable by our mental faculties. He promises to illuminate our spirit with supernatural ability that enables us to perceive and understand the hidden mysteries and the secrets of life.
The Basic English translation says, “Let your cry come to Me, and I will give you an answer, and let you see secret things of which you had no knowledge.” Knox says, “...great mysteries that lie beyond thy ken [your mental perception] I will make known to thee.”
Deuteronomy 29:29 tells us, “The secret things belong unto the Lord our God; but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.”
Because of Christ’s sacrifice, every child of God now has the right and the privilege to understand the secret things that God is presently revealing through the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
You can know the “things” of God -
I Corinthians 2:12 continues, “Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.” The Basic English translation says, “But God has given us the revelation of these things through His Spirit...” Montgomery says, “Yet God has unveiled them to us by His Spirit.”
When a man becomes “born-again”, his spirit is cleansed by the Holy Spirit through the “washing of regeneration” (Titus 3:5). This process restores man’s spirit to its original, pristine state, and enables him to once again commune freely with the Spirit of God.
Paul wrote about this experience in II Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold all things are become new.” Philipp's translation says, “For if a man is in Christ he becomes a new person altogether...” TCNT says, “...he is a new being...” The Basic translation reads, “...he is in a new world...”
When the old, sinful nature in our heart is replaced by the new, heavenly nature, our spirits are once again tuned to God’s frequency and we begin to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit speaking directly to our inner man. When we enter this “new world” of spiritual enlightenment, we must train ourselves to “know” or recognize the things that the Holy Spirit is speaking to us.
Paul wrote that we have received “... the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.”
There are several Greek words translated “know” in the KJV New Testament. One is the Greek #1097 “ginosko” which means to “know” through personal experience or physical contact, and implies an active relation between the one who “knows” and the person or thing “known”. Man gains worldly knowledge by coming into contact with some thing and then observing it and studying it.
However, in this verse, Paul used a different Greek word for “know”. It is #1492 “eido” which Thayer’s Dictionary defines as: to perceive, notice, discern, or discover. Vine’s Dictionary says it means to know by perception.
Whereas worldly knowledge is gained by intellectual activity, spiritual knowledge is obtained through the operation of the Holy Spirit moving upon our spirit to impart spiritual perception, spiritual discernment, and Spirit led intuition.
Intuition is defined as the act or faculty of knowing or sensing without the use of rational processes, and implies immediate cognition. Sometimes people call this activity a feeling, a hunch, or an impression. While man is fully capable of generating his own premonition, the “hunches” that man generates are not always reliable; sometimes they work out and sometimes they don’t. However, the knowledge that the Holy Spirit imparts is always true and everything He tells us will “always” work out just like He said it would.
I Corinthians 2:13 continues, “Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.”
The revelation that the Holy Ghost imparts is higher than the wisdom that man gains through logical, rational, and analytical thought. Because it is “spiritual” in nature, it supersedes man’s knowledge and must be discerned by man’s spirit.
The Amplified says, “And we are setting these truths forth in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Holy Spirit, combining and interpreting spiritual truths with spiritual language [to those who possess the Holy Spirit].”
Though “revelation” can come through visions and dreams, it most often occurs when the Holy Spirit communicates directly to man’s spirit the will, the purpose, and the thoughts of God. While we cannot initially understand or grasp the things God has prepared for us with our physical or mental capacities, these “things” have been and are continually being “revealed” to our spirit through the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
Paul wrote in I Corinthians 2:11, “For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? Even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.”
Your spirit contains all the spiritual desires and the true motives of your life. Likewise, the Holy Spirit contains all of the knowledge and the innermost desires in the heart of God. When the two spirits come together (in your spirit) all that you are and ever hope to be is communicated to the Lord, and all that the Lord desires and plans for your life is revealed to your understanding, little by little, revelation upon revelation.
The “natural” man vs. the “spiritual” man -
Throughout the rest of chapters two and three of First Corinthians, Paul speaks about the three aspects of man: the “carnal” man, the “natural” man, and the “spiritual” man. It is, therefore, important that you understand that man is a triune being, composed of a spirit, a soul, and a body (I Thessalonians 5:23).
The body is the “earth suit”, the part of our being that allows us to function in this physical world. The soul is the bridge between the spirit and the physical realm; it encompasses the mind with all of its faculties of reason, logic, and emotional feeling. The spirit is the part of our being that touches the realm of the spirit and carries within it the seed of life. James 2:26 states that the body without the spirit is dead.
I Corinthians 2:14 tells us the “revelation” knowledge that the Spirit offers must be spiritually discerned, because the “natural” or intellectual man cannot receive it. “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know [them], because they are spiritually discerned.”
In this verse, the word “natural” is translated from the Greek #5591 “psuchikos” which is derived from the Greek word for “soul” (#5590 “psuche”). Vine’s Dictionary says the “psuche” (the soul) is the seat of man’s will and purpose, that which forms man’s personality or the instrument by which man thinks, reflects, feels and desires. In fact, our English word “psychology” (which is the science that studies the mind, mental activities, and behavior) comes from this Greek word “psuche”.
Therefore, the “psuchikos” (natural) man refers to the intellectual man; one who tries to understand God with his mind, his intellect, and his personal feelings. The Apostle Paul taught that the intellectual side of man cannot initially receive or apprehend the things of the Spirit because the things of the Spirit seem like foolishness to him (which is the Greek #3472 “moria” and means moronic, silly, and absurd).
The Amplified Bible says it this way, “But the natural, non-spiritual man does not accept or welcome or admit into his heart the gifts and teachings and revelations of the Spirit of God, for they are folly (meaningless nonsense) to him; and he is incapable of knowing them [of progressively recognizing, understanding and becoming better acquainted with them] because they are spiritually discerned and estimated and appreciated.”
Spiritual truth must be spiritually discerned and received.
The word “spiritually” is translated from the Greek #4153 “pneumatikos” and it’s root #4152, which means of and belonging to the human spirit. Thayer’s Lexicon states that “pneumatikos” refers to that which relates to the human spirit, as the part of man which is akin to God and serves as His instrument or organ.
“Pneumatikos” never occurs in either the Septuagint (a Greek translation of the Old Testament) nor in the Gospels. It is an after “Pentecost” word. In other words, a new dimension of man’s being was unlocked and set free when the Holy Spirit filled man’s heart on the day of Pentecost. Today, every New Testament believer has the opportunity to commune directly with the Holy Spirit (something the Old Testament saints could never sufficiently accomplish with their unregenerate spirit), and to receive in their “born-again” spirit the words of “revelation” knowledge.
When Paul wrote that spiritual truth must be spiritually ‘discerned”, the word “discerned” is translated from the Greek verb #350 “anakrino” and means to examine, investigate, or judge. Carnal or intellectual judgment is of no use here. Vine’s Dictionary states: the natural mind cannot estimate the motives of the spiritual. Spiritual things must be spiritually discerned, appreciated, and understood.
Romans 8:7 says, “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.” The Amplified Bible says, “...the mind of the flesh [with its carnal thoughts and purposes] is hostile to God, for it does not submit itself to God’s law; indeed it cannot.”
The “carnal” mind has feelings of animus and antipathy towards the spiritual things of God. Trying to understand God through with carnal mind is a vain and fruitless enterprise that will only make you more confused and uncertain about God’s will for your life. Spiritual things must initially be received and understood by your spirit, and then they can be safely communicated or passed on to your mind.
Your body tells you how you feel. Your mind tells you what you think. But your spirit, once it has been illuminated by the Holy Spirit, tells you what God desires.
I Corinthians 2:15, “But he that is spiritual [“pneumatikos”] judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.”
The Amplified says, “But the spiritual man tries all things [he examines, investigates, inquires into, questions, and discerns all things], yet is himself to be put on trial and judged by no one [he can read the meaning of everything, but no one can properly discern or appraise or get an insight into him].
The Holy Spirit will teach you how to shift your thinking from the “natural” man (psuchikos) to the “spiritual” man (“pneumatikos”). He will show you how to move from the realm of mental prejudice and logic, to the realm of spiritual intuition and spiritual consciousness.
Paul’s prayer for “revelation” knowledge -
The Apostle Paul prayed in Colossians 1:9-10, “...that ye might be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual (#4152 “pneumatikos”) understanding; That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God.”
Your capacity to walk “worthy” of the Lord, to bear spiritual fruit, and to please Him in everything you do, is directly linked to your ability to receive and absorb the “spiritual” understanding and the “revelation” knowledge that God imparts. Your success in God depends upon it.
In both places, the word “knowledge” is translated from the Greek noun #1922 “epignosis” which means a precise, thorough, correct, and exact knowledge, discernment, or recognition. It’s root, the Greek #1921 “epiginosko”, means to become so thoroughly acquainted with something that you recognize it for what it really is, you observe and perceive its true meaning.
In this verse, “epignosis” does not refer to the carnal or mental knowledge that is acquired through natural means; instead, it refers to an inner, spiritual knowledge that is acquired through the “pneumatikos” man. It’s root, “epiginosko”, is used in Mark 2:8 to describe an inner knowing, “...when Jesus perceived in His spirit...”; and in Mark 5:30, “And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself...”
It is also used to describe the disciple’s revelation of Jesus in Luke 24:31, “And their eyes were opened, and they knew Him...” Obviously, the disciples’ physical eyes were already open and they saw Christ’s physical body standing before them; but they were not aware of who He was. Then, when their spiritual eyes were opened, they perceived or understood the true meaning of that encounter: they became aware that they were talking to the resurrected Jesus Christ.
In Colossians 1:9-10, Paul prayed that the disciples inner, spiritual eyes would be opened and that they would receive “revelation” knowledge of God’s will through spiritual wisdom and spiritual understanding. The Amplified translation says, “...that you may be filled with the full (deep and clear) knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom [in comprehensive insight into the ways and purposes of God] and in understanding and discernment of spiritual things.”
God desires for every one of His children to comprehend and to fully understand spiritual truth. And He uses the vehicle of “revelation” knowledge to impart this higher, supernatural wisdom and discernment to them.
Paul prayed a similar prayer in Ephesians 1:17-18, “That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation (“apokalupsis”) in the knowledge (“epignosis”) of Him.” (So that) “The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of His calling, and what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints.”
The Amplified translation says it this way, “...that He may grant you a spirit of wisdom and revelation [of insight into mysteries and secrets] in the [deep and intimate] knowledge of Him, By having the eyes of your heart flooded with light...”
When the eyes of your spirit man (the candle of the LORD) are flooded with God’s light, you will gain insight and comprehension of the mysteries and the secrets of God. You will know precisely God’s will and purpose for your life.
For this reason, I encourage you to memorize and then pray the prayers in Colossians and Ephesians for yourself. You should daily ask God to enlighten the eyes of “your” understanding and to flood your inner man with “revelation” knowledge.
Paul’s revelation -
Unlike Jesus’ twelve disciples, the apostle Paul did not have a personal relationship with Christ before His resurrection. The message he preached was totally based upon the “revelation” knowledge that Paul received directly from the Holy Spirit.
Paul wrote in Galatians 1:11-12, “But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by revelation (#602 “apokalupsis”) of Jesus Christ.”
For this reason, the epistles Paul wrote are teeming with “revelation” knowledge about spiritual truth that is unsurpassed by the other New Testament authors in both depth and insight. Paul possessed a comprehension of spiritual wisdom that was far ahead of his contemporaries.
Trench’s Lexicon says that revelation (#602 “apokalupsis”) means an uncovering, a laying bare, a disclosure of truth, instruction, concerning Divine things before unknown. It includes not merely the thing shown and seen, but the interpretation or unveiling of the same, given by God Himself through the operation of the Holy Spirit.
These “spiritual” truths were available to each of the Lord’s disciples; but Paul was the one who paid the price to receive them. The book of Galatians tells us that Paul separated himself from people for several years (Galatians 1:16-24), and sought the Lord through prayer and through intense study of God’s Word.
Because Paul had not personally witnessed the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ, he was not encumbered with sense knowledge reasoning and mental logic when he interpreted their meaning. The “revelation” knowledge that He received directly from the Lord was, therefore, pure and not restricted by mental prejudice. He wrote what the Lord revealed to him. He believed what God told him.
The Apostle Peter said that some of the things Paul wrote were hard to understand by the carnal and religious mind; but, nevertheless, they were reliable and just as trustworthy as the rest of scripture. II Peter 3:15-16, “...our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you. As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.”
Paul also believed that every believer, irrespective of his previous education or past life, has the same potential that he had to receive “revelation” knowledge directly from the mouth of God.
Paul wrote I Timothy 2:4 that fully describes God’s intent for all mankind, “Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge (“epignosis”) of the truth.” The Amplified Bible says that God, “...wishes all men to be saved and [increasingly] to perceive and recognize and discern and know precisely and correctly the [Divine] Truth.”
It is God’s will for every man and every woman of faith to receive and to comprehend “revelation” knowledge.
The Revelation of God’s Word -
The Scriptures are not merely the “record” of revelation given to other men in the past, they are the “revelation” itself in written form. The inspiration and the anointing that the Word was sent to convey to one individual, can now be transferred into your life through the ministry of the Holy Spirit when you study God’s Word.
In John 6:63, Jesus said, “It is the spirit that quickeneth (#2227 “zoopoieo” - to make alive, to produce life); the flesh profiteth nothing: the words [#4487 “rhema”] that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” God’s Word is filled with the life of God; and that “life” can never be extinguished or quenched. When we read and meditate on the words that Jesus spoke, “revelation” knowledge is imparted into our spirit and the “zoe” (the life of God) is released in our inner man. We become inspired and empowered by the “life” that still resides in His spoken Word.
This is why the Bible is called a “living” book. The words that radically changed the lives of those that heard our Lord speak so long ago, still have an impact in the lives of those that read it, today.
Isaiah 55:10-11 describes the eternal, creative power that is contained in the Word of God, “For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall My word be that goeth forth out of My mouth: it shall not return unto Me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.”
Like rain falling to the earth, watering the ground and causing it to bring forth and bud, God sends His Word to water man’s heart and to release the seeds of “revelation” knowledge that empowers him with Divinely inspired action.
When God sends a specific “word” or “revelation” to the earth, the man that first hears it uses that “revelation” as a seed to be sown in other people’s lives. When he preaches his “revelation” to the people around him, “revelation” knowledge is imparted, which inspires faith in their heart and leads to the acts of obedience that changes mens lives.
But the life that exists in each Word from God does not cease to exist the first time it is received; it continues to live. Later on, God’s seed produces bread that is eaten by another man, then another, and another. Each time some man (or woman) reads the Word that was spoken long ago, they become inspired and anointed with “revelation” knowledge and begin to share its meaning with others; and on and on. Today, I can preach a message that was originally given to some man, thousands of years ago, and still expect it to have the same results. The Word of God is alive and still producing in the earth exactly what God intended it to produce.
The Amplified says that the “rhema” (the spoken Word of God), “...shall not return to Me void [without producing any effect, useless], but it shall accomplish that which I please and purpose...”
The seed of God’s “Word” contains within its kernel a sufficient supply of Divine power and Divine life so that it causes “itself” to come to pass. In other words, the “nevu’ah ru’ah ha-kodesh” (the prophecy of the Holy Spirit) is a self-sustaining word. The Holy Ghost, who originally inspired the “Word”, is able to continually manifest the seeds of “revelation” knowledge that are contained in the Word to anyone who will sincerely hear it and open their heart to receive it.
Every “Word” that God spoke is still alive and carries the life of God within it’s kernel, which causes it to be manifested in your world.
The Jerusalem translations says God’s Word “...does not return to me empty, without carrying out My Will and succeeding in what it was sent to do.”
Young’s translation says the Word “...turneth not back unto Me empty, but hath done that which I desired - and prosperously effected that for which I sent it.”
The ABPS translation says, “... it shall not return unto Me void, without having performed that which I please, and accomplished the thing whereto I sent it.” The NAB says, “...it shall do My Will, achieving the end for which I sent it.” Moffatt’s translation says, “...it works out what I will and carries out my purpose.”
In other words, the Word of God “cannot” return empty or unfulfilled in its purpose. It stays on the earth until it accomplishes everything God designed it to accomplish.
One example of the self-fulfilling power of God’s Word is found in Psalms 107:20. When the children of Israel were in trouble, they cried out to the Lord and, “He sent His word and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.” God spoke, the people received, and the healing power that was contained in God’s Word was released in their lives.
Another example is found in the immaculate conception of Jesus Christ, when the angel Gabriel was sent to announce the impregnation of the virgin Mary with the Son of God. Mary asked “How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?” (Luke 1:34). The angel responded in verse thirty-five, “...The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee...” Then he finished by saying, “For with God nothing shall be impossible.” (Luke 1:37).
The word “nothing” is translated from three Greek words: #3756 “ou” - no; #3956 “pas” - individual, every one; and #4487 “rhema” - a spoken word. In other words, no individual, spoken word that comes from the mouth of God is “impossible” (#101 “adunateo” - void of power, strength, or ability; cannot be done or brought to pass). It is impossible for God to speak a “word” that is without power. Every spoken “word” that comes from God has enough power within it to cause itself to manifest in the life of every person that hears it.
The ASV says, “For no word of God shall be void of power...” The NEB says, “for God’s promises can never fail...” The ABUV says, “Because no word of God shall be without power...”
After hearing this statement, Mary responded in verse thirty-eight, “Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to they word (“rhema”). And the angel departed from her.” Goodspeed’s translation says, “...I am the Lord’s slave. Let it be as you say.”
When Mary accepted or received the living “Word” that was spoken to her, the Holy Spirit brought it to pass and the child, Jesus, was manifested in her womb.
Like Mary, you and I can be impregnated with the living Word of God.
Paul wrote in I Thessalonians 2:13, “...when ye received the Word of God, which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the Word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.”
The Word of God “effectually worketh” in those that believe. That phrase is translated from the Greek verb #1754 “energeo” which means to be operative, energized, to put forth power, to work. The Amplified translation says that the Word of God “...is effectually at work in you who believe [exercising its superhuman power in those who adhere to and trust in and rely on it].”
When you receive a word that God has spoken, whether it is a recent word or something He said thousands of years ago, “revelation” knowledge is imparted and the “life” that is contained in God’s “seed” will produce the effect that God desires in your life.
Through the “knowledge” of Him -
The Apostle Peter wrote about the value and the power that “revelation” knowledge can have in our lives. II Peter 1:2, “Grace and peace be multiplied [#4129 “plethuno” - to increase] unto you through the knowledge [“epignosis”] of God, and of Jesus our Lord.”
While each child of God has a measure of God’s grace and peace flowing in their life, sometimes, we need more grace and more peace to overcome the circumstances that life throws at us. For this reason, God has designed a system whereby the Divine flow of grace and peace can be infinitely increased through the power of “revelation” knowledge. The more you learn about God’s nature and God’s ways, the more His grace and peace will flow in your life.
The word “knowledge” is translated from the Greek noun #1922 “epignosis”, which we have already defined as a precise, thorough, and exact knowledge that comes through spiritual discernment and spiritual enlightenment. As we continually allow the Holy Spirit to illuminate our inner man with “revelation” knowledge, an unlimited amount of God’s grace and God’s peace will be manifested in our life.
The Amplified Bible says it this way, “May grace (God’s favor) and peace (which is perfect well-being, all necessary good, all spiritual prosperity, and freedom from fears and agitating passions and moral conflicts) be multiplied to you in [the full, personal, precise, and correct] knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.”
II Peter 1:3 continues, “According as His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge (#1922 “epignosis”) of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue.”
Everything you need to live a full, abundant, and godly life is supplied through the “revelation” knowledge of God.
The Amplified says, “For His divine power has bestowed upon us all things that [are requisite and suited] to life and godliness, through the [full, personal] knowledge of Him Who called us by and to His own glory and excellence (virtue).”
Living a happy and fulfilled spiritual life is directly linked to your ability to receive “revelation” knowledge.
Because of this truth, II Peter 1:4 continues, “Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature....” The LORD has given man “precious” promises (i.e., the Word of God), so that man can enter into a place of communing with the Divine Nature.
The word “partakers” is translated from the Greek noun #2844 “koinonos” which means a partner, a companion, a partaker, i.e. to share things in common. It’s feminine conjugation, #2842 “koinonia”, refers to intimate fellowship, communion, and intercourse. Hence, “revelation” knowledge affords man the vehicle to enter into a communion, a place of intimacy with the Divine nature.
We commune with God on many different levels. Some of the most intimate fellowship that we can have with our Heavenly Father is through “revelation” knowledge.
Jesus said something similar in John 15:7-8, “If ye abide in me, and my words (#4487 “rhema”) abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit.” The import of these words suggest that God’s children can be so changed by the “revelation” knowledge of God’s Word, that they will only desire what God desires, they will only ask what is pleasing to the Lord. Their minds and hearts will be so transformed by the “revelation” knowledge of His word, that they become one with the Father and one with His Son.
David Guzik writes: “We are willing to try almost anything except the knowledge of Him. We will trust in the schemes and plans of men instead of the knowledge of Him. We will try knowing ourselves instead of the knowledge of Him. We need to come to the same place the Apostle Paul did, when he said, “...that I may know Him...” (Philippians 3:10).
Colossians 3:10 tells us that we must, “...put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge (#1922 “epignosis”) after the image of Him that created him.” The Amplified says, “And have clothed yourselves with the new [spiritual self], which is [ever in the process of being] renewed and remolded into [fuller and more perfect knowledge upon] knowledge after the image (the likeness) of Him Who created it.”
We clothe ourselves with the nature of God by continually growing in “revelation” knowledge.
The prophet wrote in Isaiah 50:4-5, “...He wakeneth morning by morning, He wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned. The Lord GOD hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back.”
No comments:
Post a Comment