Revelation Ain’t Just the Last Book in the Bible
written by Rev. Dr. Scott Paczkowski
“And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.”
When we hear “Revelation,” our minds often think first of the Book of Revelation. Yet, all of Scripture is a form of revelation. In the original Greek, the word for revelation means “uncovering.” The Biblical writers are uncovering God’s intent for the world. Laws, poems, historical descriptions, parables, songs, and other literary forms help disclose or reveal God to the world.
Uncovering God is not an easy task because, according to John 1:18, “No one has ever seen God.” Yet, for people of faith, God is real. God is active. Proving the existence of God is overwhelming, while offering individual revelations helps us uncover tiny intuitive glimpses of God, providing hope and reassurance.
The Bible is a key means of looking and listening for God’s uncovering. We learn how God revealed Godself to others and experiment, using their experiences to see if they will speak to our hearts. For example, throughout Jesus’ short ministry, he regularly sought solitude to pray. We pray as we attempt to uncover God’s still small voice and find what God wants to reveal to us.
Today, grab a Bible and pick a reading. It can be one you’ve read a thousand times or one that is unfamiliar. Read it three times. Then, ponder its primary meaning. Finally, pray for God to uncover how the primary meaning reveals something new to you. If you feel unenlightened after your first attempt, do not get frustrated. Try it again a few hours later or the next day. Remember, God wants to reveal the divine to you. Your discipline and dedication to asking and seeking will uncover God’s presence and help affirm that God is in your midst.
