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Apocalypse of Jesus Day 1
"The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place." (Revelation 1.1)
The Apocalypse
This last book in the Bible is sometimes called the "Revelation of Jesus Christ" and sometimes "The Apocalypse." It begins with the words, "The revelation of Jesus Christ," which means not "the revelation about Jesus Christ" but "the revelation given by Jesus Christ."
The Greek word for "revelation" is "apokalupsis." 1 "Apokalupsis" is made up of two other words. "Apo" means "away from" and "kalupsis" means "a veiling." "Revelation," therefore, is an "away from a veiling" or an "unveiling or a revealing." The Book of Revelation is "an unveiling" of truth about God given by Jesus Christ. "Revelation" was not originally a particularly religious word in the Second Century AD, it meant simply "the disclosure" of any fact, "the uncovering of secrets," or "the interpretation of dreams."
An "apocalypse" is also the technical name given to a particular type of literature, popular in John's day, unfolding details of the unseen spiritual realm and their impact on history. Today the term is often used to refer to the end of the world, which may be a shortening of the phrase "apokalupsis eschaton" which literally means "revelation at the end of the age."
Revealing of God's Will
The revealing of God's will to us is for our action. Paul explains that he travelled to Jerusalem by "apokalupsis." He went because God revealed to him that he wanted him to go there. Again, Paul received his gospel, not from human lips, but by "apokalupsis," by revelation from Jesus Christ. Similarly, the message of the preacher today is an "apokalupsis." God reveals to human beings his own mysteries, especially in the incarnation of Jesus Christ.
"Apokalupsis" is specially used in the Book of Revelation of the power and the holiness of God which is to come in the last days. For some, that will mean judgment, but for the Christian it will be an unveiling of praise and glory, grace and joy.
Meditation
1. Can you allow the vivid word pictures in Revelation to flow over you?
2. What vivid dream do you still recall from childhood days?
Prayer
"Yesterday, Today, Forever, Jesus is the same, All may change but Jesus never, Glory to his name"
Notes
1 Barclay's Daily Study Bible (NT)
The Revelation of Jesus Christ
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