ding!

A bright idea. Epiphany, in as many words, inasmuch as it's used by the average english-speaker. Really means something is revealed; these uses meet in a "the wool has been pulled away from over my eyes" sense.

Also a book of the Bible, and a really nifty one at that. All too often erroneously dubbed "Revelations", when in fact, the name of the book is not plural. What too many Christians don't seem to understand is that Revelation is not meant to be taken entirely literally. It is a detailed account of a revelation given to John by God, and as such, is very figurative in nature.

Revelation
by Robert Frost (1913)

We make ourselves a place apart
Behind light words that tease and flout,
But oh, the agitated hear
Till someone really find us out.

'Tis pity if the case require
(Or so we say) that in the end
We speak the literal to inspire
The understanding of a friend.

But so with all, from babes that play
At hid-and-seek to God afar,
So all who hide too well away
Must speak and tell us where they are.

The Bible's book of Revelation uses imagery at times. This is not to say that its meaning is vague or non-specific. The key to decoding the imagery is in Revelation 17. Also see Daniel 9. There's an excellent book entitled "Understanding End Times Prophecy: A Comprehensive Approach" by Paul N. Benware; check it out if you're curious in the least. It's not just for scholars and nutzos anymore: Bible prophecy _can_ be understood. Actually, you'll find that Bible prophecy is more specific and more statistically proven than any other religious or so-called prophetic book. Beats the crapola out of Nostrildamoose. For starters, check out "The Signature of God, the Handwriting of God" by Grant R. Jeffrey.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
Book: Revelation
Chapters: 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · 7 · 8 · 9 · 10 · 11 · 12 · 13 · 14 · 15 · 16 ·

The Book of the Revelation of St. John consists of two
principal divisions. 1. Relates to "the things which are," that
is, the then present state of the Church, and contains the
epistle of John to the Seven churches, and his account of the
appearance of the Lord Jesus, and his direction to the Apostle
to write what he beheld, ch. 1:9-20. Also the addresses or
Epistles to Seven churches of Asia. These, doubtless, had
reference to the state of the respective churches, as they then
existed, but contain excellent precepts and exhortations,
commendations and reproofs, promises and threatenings, suitable
to instruct the Christian Church at all times. 2. Contains a
Prophecy of "the things which shall be hereafter," and describes
the future state of the Church, from the time when the Apostle
beheld the visions here recorded. It is intended for our
spiritual improvement; to warn the careless sinner, point out
the way of Salvation to the awakened inquirer, build up the weak
believer, comfort the afflicted and tempted Christian, and, we
may especially add, to strengthen the Martyr of Christ, under
the cruel persecutions and sufferings inflicted By Satan and his
followers.
Revelation is also the name of a nifty little program that reveals any text hidden by ****** in password fields. The software is intended to minimise the grief caused by Windows applications "remembering" passwords much more reliably than our poor saturated brains can, but refusing to cough up the truth when we really need it.

A crosshair is dragged over the field in question and the password is displayed in the Revelation window.

The software is written by Snadboy and may be downloaded at www.snadboy.com.

The Arabic term 'Wahy' means revelation, and within Islam Wahy specifically refers to the revelation of the Holy Qur'an to the Prophet Muhammad. In the year 611 (using the Christian calendar) AD in the grotto of Hira, the angel Jibra'il appeared to Muhammad during the month of Ramadan. That night is known as Lailat-al-Qadr, or "The Night of Destiny." The rest of the words of Allah then followed over a period of 23 years.

What Karl Barth says about revelation “Revelation is God’s self-offering and self-manifestation.” - - - from line 5, page 36 of Karl Barth, “The Revelation of God as the Abolition of Religion,” in John Hick & Brian Hebblethwaite, eds., CHRISTIANITY AND OTHER RELIGIONS, Philadelphia: Fortress, 1980.

In this sentence, Barth is trying to give us a deeper meaning for a word that, for Christians, is typically used interchangeably with the word ‘Scripture.’ Revelation is construed as being the Bible, and Barth, far from denying this, rather wants to give a stronger definition, a definition that tells more about what this thing is. In calling Revelation God’s self-offering and self-manifestation, Barth is describing not only the Bible, but rather God’s action also in orienting us towards himself, through scripture, but also through manifest action in our lives. Barth uses the example of getting hit in the head with a stone to describe this action. In using this example, Barth wishes to say that God’s action in this manner is shocking, surprising. God, in a manner of speaking, can thrust His way into our lives, and demand that we take notice. This is an action of grace. That is to say, humans are totally dependent on God for knowledge of God. There is no way for humans to obtain any real knowledge of God through their own devices, and God’s self-offering to humanity, His self-manifestation through events of history, through scripture, and particularly through Jesus Christ, is the only conduit for information, communication between God and humanity. God gives Himself to humanity because it is the only way for humanity to be reconciled to Him.

Human religion, Barth says, is a series of systematized attempts to draw ourselves closer to God, or to draw God closer to us, or perhaps even to get God to do what we want. These attempts do nothing of the kind, however, and are merely useless artifices that in fact stand opposed to God’s self-offering. These constructs exist to perform an unperformable task, and thereby stand opposed to God’s action because implicit in that action is the idea that humanity is helpless to reach God without God’s complete intervention. Religion, however, implicitly asserts an ability on humanity’s part to reach God through correct practice. The clash here tells us, Barth says, that religion, in conflict with revelation, can only be untrue. There is no such thing as ‘true religion,’ if one talks of any religion as having any kind of truth innate to itself. Rather a religion can only become true in the same way a sinner can be justified. This is from the outside, by God’s self-offering. It is through the deed God has done, the reconciling of humanity to himself, that religion receives truth. Religion is called to new life and sanctified by this self-offering. It is judged, condemned, pardoned and conformed to revelation as a sinner is to Christ. Revelation transforms religion into something new. It conforms religion to its truth.

Could be used to refer to the feeling one gets when they are filled with the holy spirit.
It is a temporary complete loss of doubt and fear combined with the feeling that one is soaringly high on life. So high that they may cause panic in others with their seemingly manic and irrational behavior, such as hanging their head out of the window and yelling "woohoo!" or telling people that "God is Love!"

Revelation is often characterized by ecstatic dancing and speaking in tongues.
The St. Vincent Shakers of St. Vincent Island, not to be confused with the Shakers of English origin, are such a people who believe themselves to experience divine revelations brought to them by the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ.

Rev`e*la"tion (?), n. [F. r'ev'elation, L. revelatio. See Reveal.]

1.

The act of revealing, disclosing, or discovering to others what was before unknown to them.

2.

That which is revealed.

3. Theol. (a)

The act of revealing divine truth.

(b)

That which is revealed by God to man; esp., the Bible.

By revelation he made known unto me the mystery, as I wrote afore in few words. Eph. iii. 3.

4.

Specifically, the last book of the sacred canon, containing the prophecies of St. John; the Apocalypse.

 

© Webster 1913.

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