"At that very time He [Jesus] rejoiced greatly in the Holy Spirit, and said, 'I praise You, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants. Yes, Father, for this way was well-pleasing in Your sight.'" (Luke 10:21)There is knowledge and information that God has hidden from the minds of men. By His own design, He has chosen to hide knowledge from those who would seek after it by their own reasoning and understanding, and He has chosen to reveal it to whomever He pleases. "All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him." (Matthew 11:27) There is knowledge that is beyond our intellect, wisdom, and imagination. This knowledge can only be obtained through revelation.
One of our greatest sources of revelation is the Father. The Father wants to reveal Himself to us and is waiting for willing vessels in which to pour His revelation into. Here are three things that the scriptures teach us about revelation from God.
First, God wants us to live a life of revelation. In praying for the church at Ephesus, Paul prayed, "that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe." (Ephesians 1:17-19) Paul prayed that, not only would they receive revelation, but that they would have a "spirit of revelation". Revelation was suppose to be a lifestyle, a regular part of their life; part of what defined them in their spirit. Revelation was not meant for a select few, but was to be a common aspect of a normal Christian life.
Second, a revelation of the Jesus is to be the foundation of our life in Christ. Consider the revelation that Peter received. "He [Jesus] said to them, 'But who do you say that I am ?' Simon Peter answered, 'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.' And Jesus said to him, 'Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.'" (Matthew 16:15-18) I believe that the "rock" that Jesus was referring to, upon which He was going to build His church, was the revelation that Peter had as to who Jesus was. It was to be upon this revelation that Jesus would build His church. Revelation is foundational and it should form the foundation of our relationship with God. It is one thing to have knowledge of God, but it is another to have revelation of God.
Third, the agent of revelation is the Holy Spirit. Paul reminds us that there are those, "Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, and which have not entered the heart of man, all that God has prepared for those who love Him."(1 Corinthians 2:9) Yet he also goes on to encourage us that, "to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God." (1 Corinthians 2:10) The things that are hidden are revealed to us through the agency of the Holy Spirit. Jesus told us, "But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine; therefore I said that He takes of Mine and will disclose it to you." (John 16:13-15) The Father has revealed Himself to the Son, and the Son reveals the Father and Himself to us through the Spirit. The key to receiving revelation from God is in having a relationship with the Spirit. Apart from the Spirit, we cannot know God. We must draw near to Him and listen and receive His revelation.
David Robison
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