THE DIVINE REVELATION

What is the term for divine revelation?

“Revelation” (lat. revelatio) is a translation of the Greek word “apokalypsis”, which means the removal of
a veil so that something can be seen.

Revelation means to show us something we did not know or see before. In Christianity revelation
refers to the way in which God reveals himself.

Revelation does not only happen to saints or 'holy people'. You are responsible for listening to God's
word in order to see how God is revealing himself to you.

Why is it called revelation?

The Book of Revelation or Book of the Apocalypse is the final book of the New Testament (and
therefore the final book of the Christian Bible). Written in Koine Greek, its title is derived from the first
word of the text: “apokalypsis”, meaning 'unveiling' or 'revelation'.

Divine revelation is all about God unveiling Himself to us so that we can come into relationship with
Him and know, love, and serve Him so as to enter into eternal beatitude.

Divine revelation refers to the process by which God or a higher power communicates truths, insights,
or knowledge to humans, which they could not attain through natural reason alone. In many religious
traditions, divine revelation is seen as the way God reveals His will, teachings, or mysteries about
existence, humanity, and the universe.

In Christian theology, divine revelation is the process by which God reveals Himself and His will to
humanity.

How divine revelation is most fully realized?

Divine Revelation is a gift accomplished by the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit through the words and
deeds of salvation history. It is most fully realized in the Passion, death, Resurrection, and Ascension
of Jesus Christ.

How did God reveal His Will unto us?

God revealed His Will and Truths unto us through our first parents, the Patriarchs, the Prophets and
through the Apostles.

What are the two parts of divine revelation?

The two channels of revelation are Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition. Revelation is safeguarded
by the Magisterium (the teaching Church founded by Jesus Christ).

Stages Of Divine Revelation

How many are the Stages of Divine Revelation?

There are 4 Stages of Divine Revelation:

1. PRIMITIVE REVELATION
2. PATRIARCHAL REVELATION
3. MOSAIC REVELATION
4. CHRISTIAN REVELATION

 PRIMITIVE REVELATION (since the first parents)

Primitive Revelation was revealed by God through Adam and Eve. (My Catholic Faith by Bishop
Louise LaRavoire Morrow, S.T.D., p.23)

God revealed to them by saying: “Of every tree of paradise thou shalt eat: But of the tree of
knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat. For in what day so ever thou shalt eat of it, thou
shalt die the death.” (Gen.2:16-17)

 PATRIARCHAL REVELATION (during the time of the Patriarchs)

Patriarchal Revelation was given by God through Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. (My Catholic Faith
by Bishop Louise LaRavoire Morrow, S.T.D., p.23)

God revealed to them when He said to Abraham: “And my covenant shall be in your flesh for a
perpetual covenant.” (Gen.17:13)

 MOSAIC REVELATION (during the time of Moses and the Prophets)

Mosaic Revelation was given by God through Moses and the Prophets. (My Catholic Faith, p.23)

“Moses said to God: Lo, I shall go to the children of Israel, and say to them: The God of your
fathers hath sent me to you. If they should say to me: What is his name? what shall I say to
them? God said to Moses: I AM WHO AM. He said: Thus shalt thou say to the children of
Israel: HE WHO IS, hath sent me to you.

And God said again to Moses: Thus shalt thou say to the children of Israel: The Lord God of
your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me to
you: This is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations..” (Exo.3:13-15)

 CHRISTIAN REVELATION (Christ Himself, True God and True Man revealed Himself and
Divine Truths to His Apostles)

Christian Revelation was revealed by the Lord Jesus Christ, God Himself who taught the
people through His 12 Apostles. (My Catholic Faith, p.23)

“And he said to them: Go ye into the whole world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He
that believeth and is baptized, shall be saved: but he that believeth not shall be condemned.”
(Mk.16:15-16)
“And this Gospel of the kingdom, shall be preached in the whole world, for a testimony to all
nations, and then shall the consummation come.” (Mt.24:14)
NOTE:

Divine Revelation came down to us through our first parents (Adam and Eve), the Patriarchs
(Abraham, Isaac, Jacob), Moses and the Prophets and lastly through the Apostles who were the first
members of the Church founded by Our Lord Jesus Christ.

How did Our Lord Jesus Christ hand down the Christian Doctrine to the people until the
consummation of the world?

A. Before He began His public ministry, Jesus was baptized by St. John the Baptist in Jordan
River.
B. Then, Jesus fasted for forty days and forty nights in the wilderness.

Jesus was tempted by Satan but Jesus said to him: Be gone, Satan: for it is written, The Lord thy
God shalt thou adore, and him only shalt thou serve. Then the devil left him; and behold angels
came and ministered to him.” (Mt.4:1-11)

C. After Fasting in the Wilderness, Jesus chose His first 12 Disciples He called “Apostles”. They
were the first members of the Church. They were:

1. St. Simon Peter (Mt.4:18, Mk.1:16, Lk.5:10, Jn.1:40-42)

2. St. Andrew (ibid.)
3. St. James the great (Mt. 4:21-22)
4. St. John (ibid.)
5. St. Philip
6. St. Bartholomew
7. St. Thomas
8. St. Matthew (Mt.9:9, Mk.2:14, Lk.5:27-28)
9. St. James the less (Son of Alpheus)
10. St. Judas Thaddeus
11. St. Simon (the patriot) and
12. Judas Iscariot (the traitor of Jesus). (Jn.6:70)

D. Jesus commanded His Apostles to preach the Gospel to all mankind of the whole world
(Mt.28:19-20). He ordered them to make disciples of all nations and baptize them IN THE
NAME OF THE FATHER, AND OF THE SON AND OF THE HOLY GHOST (Mt.28:19-20).

E. Jesus chose the 12 Apostles and added more disciples to His Flock especially during the
Pentecost. Thus, from a smaller number of 12, Christians multiplied rapidly at the Birth of the
Church (i.e. Pentecost).

F. Church membership increased in number from Jerusalem (Lk.24:47, Jn.6:70, Jn.1:12-13,

Mt.23:37-39, Mt.21:43) to Rome (Acts.23:11) where the Faith was “spoken of in the whole
world” (Rm.1:7-8) (in Greek KATTA angeletai in HOLO to cosmo), Rm.1:7-8.
G. In short KATTA HOLO or KATH’OLIS, Lk.4:14. From the words KATTA HOLO and
KATHOLIS, the Latin word “Catholico” was derived.) St. Paul himself had gone to Rome
(Rm.15:24,28). The Gospel is not just for the people of Jerusalem but for everyone (Acts.1:8).
H. Christians taught what they had received from the Disciples ahead of them. (1 Cor.15:3). They
were forbidden to preach another Gospel.

“But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach a gospel to you besides that which we have
preached to you, let him be anathema.” (Gal.1:8).
The key aspects of divine revelation in Christianity are encapsulated in two main categories:

1. General Revelation (Natural Revelation): This refers to the knowledge of God or the divine that
is available to all people through nature, reason, and the observation of the world. For example,
many believe that the beauty, order, and complexity of the natural world point to the existence of a
Creator.

General revelation refers to the ways God reveals Himself to all people, at all times, through
nature, reason, and human experience. This is not specific to Christianity but is a broader
theological principle that points to the idea that God's existence and attributes can be perceived
in the natural world.

General revelation is revelation of God given to everybody. It tells us that God exists, what kind
of God he is, and his moral standards. In revealing God’s standards, it shows us that we have not
measured up to them. Paul says of general revelation that it reveals God’s wrath on sinners
(Rom. 1:18). General revelation comes to us through the natural world (what is called natural
revelation) and through our own nature. For we ourselves are revelation, the image of God
according to Genesis 1:26–27.

Key biblical support for this includes:

 Psalm 19:1: "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands."
 Romans 1:20: "For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power
and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that
people are without excuse."

Theologians like Thomas Aquinas expanded on general revelation in his philosophical arguments,
particularly the Five Ways, which were meant to show how human reason could lead to an
understanding of God's existence.

2. Special Revelation: This is more direct and specific communication from God, often conveyed
through prophets, sacred texts, dreams, visions, or other supernatural means. Examples include
the Bible in Christianity, the Qur'an in Islam, or the Torah in Judaism. These texts are often
considered the primary sources of special revelation within their respective faiths.

On the other hand, special revelation is revelation God gives to selected messengers, charging
them to bring the message to others. Those messengers may be angels, prophets, or apostles. The
message may be presented orally or may be consigned to writing, as when the apostles wrote
authoritative letters to the churches (see 1 Cor. 14:37–38).

The Bible as a whole is a special revelation of God in written form (2 Tim. 3:15–17). The messages
of special revelation typically contain one or both of two different kinds of contents as follows:

o Threats of judgment and promises of grace.

o The gospel is a special revelation of grace, a message of supremely good news:

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish
but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
 Special revelation refers to the direct, specific disclosure of God's truth to humanity through
supernatural means. Christians believe that God has revealed Himself and His plan for salvation
through:

 The Scriptures (The Bible): The Bible is considered the written word of God, inspired by
the Holy Spirit, and containing God’s revelation about His nature, human sin, redemption,
and moral guidance.
 Jesus Christ: The incarnation of Jesus is viewed as the ultimate and final revelation of God
to humanity. According to Christian belief, in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, God
disclosed His will and offered salvation.

As the Gospel of John 1:14 puts it: "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.
We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and
truth."

In Christianity, divine revelation is often understood as being completed in the person of Jesus
Christ, who is considered the ultimate revelation of God. In other traditions, divine revelation may
continue through ongoing spiritual experiences, prophetic messages, or sacred encounters.

Progressive Revelation

In Christianity, revelation is seen as progressive—God’s disclosure of Himself unfolds over time. For
example:

 The Old Testament is often viewed as preparatory revelation, with prophecies and types that
point to the coming of the Messiah.
 The New Testament is considered the fulfillment of that revelation, where Jesus, the incarnate
Word of God, brings the final and complete revelation of God’s plan for humanity.

The Holy Spirit is also seen as continuing the work of revelation by guiding believers into truth (John
16:13), helping them to understand scripture and God’s will in their lives.

Revelation and Tradition

For certain branches of Christianity, especially Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy, divine revelation
also comes through Tradition—the teachings and practices passed down through the Church, alongside
the Bible. In Catholic theology, revelation is transmitted both through Sacred Scripture and Sacred
Tradition, which are seen as complementary sources of God’s self-disclosure.

The Catholic Church teaches that public revelation ended with the death of the last apostle , but there
can still be private revelations, which may include mystical experiences or apparitions. While private
revelations are not considered part of the deposit of faith, some (such as the apparitions of the Virgin Mary)
are recognized and venerated.

Philosophical Implications

Philosophically, divine revelation poses interesting questions about the relationship between faith and
reason:
  Aquinas (influenced by Aristotle) emphasized that while natural reason can demonstrate the
existence of God, truths such as the Trinity and Incarnation must be accepted by faith, as they
surpass human understanding.
 Søren Kierkegaard, a Danish existentialist theologian, took a more radical approach, emphasizing
the paradox of faith and the “leap” one must make to believe in a God who reveals Himself in
the absurd, such as God becoming human in Jesus.

This tension between faith and reason is a central theme in Christian philosophy, as divine revelation
often requires belief in things that cannot be fully grasped through rational thought alone.

In Christianity, divine revelation is seen as the way God communicates His will and truth to
humanity, culminating in the person of Jesus Christ. This revelation is understood as unfolding
progressively, through both general and special means, and involves not just intellectual knowledge, but
also personal relationship and faith. The interaction between reason and revelation continues to be a rich
area of philosophical and theological exploration.

IN BRIEF

 By love, God has revealed himself and given himself to man. He has thus provided the definitive,
superabundant answer to the questions that man asks himself about the meaning and purpose of his
life.
 God has revealed himself to man by gradually communicating his own mystery in deeds and in
words.
 Beyond the witness to himself that God gives in created things, he manifested himself to our first
parents, spoke to them and, after the fall, promised them salvation (cf. Gen 3:15) and offered
them his covenant.
 God made an everlasting covenant with Noah and with all living beings (cf. Gen 9:16). It will
remain in force as long as the world lasts.
 God chose Abraham and made a covenant with him and his descendants. By the covenant God
formed his people and revealed his law to them through Moses. Through the prophets, he
prepared them to accept the salvation destined for all humanity.
 God has revealed himself fully by sending his own Son, in whom he has established his covenant
forever. The Son is his Father's definitive Word; so there will be no further Revelation after
him.

Revelation Can Be Found In Several Contexts

 God, who creates and conserves all things by his Word provided men with constant evidence of
himself in created realities.
 Jesus Christ, sent as a man among men, spoke the words of God and accomplished the saving
work which the Father gave him to do.
 Christ the Lord, in whom the entire Revelation of the Most High God is summed up,
commanded the apostles to preach the Gospel. In preaching the Gospel they communicated the
gifts of God to all men.
 The apostles and other men associated with them, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit,
committed the message of salvation to writing.
 The full deposit of what was revealed is guarded and expounded faithfully through the Church’s
MAGISTERIUM.