Revelation

Prior to the twentieth century, it was usually assumed that revelation was received in two modes. "Special" revelation represented communication of knowledge about God through supernatural agency. "General" revelation consisted of what could be known of God through either abstract philosophy or reflection on the nature of the universe.

Twentieth-century challenges

In the twentieth century, however, there were strong challenges both to the concept of revelation as disclosure of propositional knowledge and to the validity of a "natural theology" based on general revelation. The work of the Swiss Protestant theologian Karl Barth (1886–1968), in particular, had led, by the middle of the century, to both a new emphasis on the centrality of special revelation for theological thinking and a perspective in which theological propositions represented no more than human reflection on God's historical acts. This emphasis on "revelation in history" had a major influence in making propositional understandings of revelation unfashionable.

This tendency was subsequently reinforced, for some, by instrumentalist understandings of religious language, such as those associated with existentialism, with "linguistic" understandings, and with more specifically postmodernist approaches. As a result, except in neo-orthodox circles, which still looked to Barth for inspiration, the focus for many shifted from historical revelation towards existential criteria and existing religious communities. Despite the ways in which this gap was bridged by the work of people like Yves Congar, on revelation, and of Janet Soskice, on religious language, these perspectives resulted in a widespread belief that theological reflection was essentially unaffected by scientific understanding.

Perspectives from science and religion

The dialogue of science and theology during the second half of the twentieth century was based, in large part, on a reaction to this "independence" thesis, as Ian Barbour called it. The simplistic separation of science and religion that had arisen from seeing the one as based purely on empirical problems, and the other as based purely on special revelation, was strongly challenged. Beginning with the work of Barbour himself, it was increasingly stressed that science itself was more complex in its rationality than was commonly understood, and that there were important parallels between the ways in which religious and scientific languages were employed.

Two factors were characteristic of this phase of the dialogue of science and theology. One was that the dialogue was often seen in apologetic terms, its goal being to vindicate the consonance of scientific and theological worldviews. This consonance was interpreted, however, largely in terms of the way in which both disciplines could be seen as using revisable models of reality. This owed much to Karl Popper's (1902–1994) analysis of the sciences, and manifested little recognition of broader, postfoundationalist perspectives. The other, and related, factor was that theological language was often approached from a perspective that stressed the more conservative aspects of the sort of "critical realism" that had become, among philosophers of science, the dominant understanding of scientific language.

Modifications that might have been made to this position, through an awareness of recent thinking about revelation, were conspicuous by their absence. At the level of epistemology, dissenting voices—such as that of Thomas Torrance—tended to look back to Barthian viewpoints. Only in the last decade of the century were there significant challenges based on new perspectives, which attempted either to modify the realist position in a major way (Christopher Knight), to dispute realism in favor of an emphasis on methodological parallels (Nancey Murphy), or to emphasize the importance of postfoundationalist insights ( J. Wentzel van Huyssteen). Despite these challenges, however, the older, quasi-propositional approach remained influential.

One of the more fruitful aspects of this approach was, even for some who were otherwise critical, the attempt to challenge the Barthian rejection of the concept of "natural theology." Few attempted to defend its historical forms—recognizing, for example, that neo-Darwinian understandings had rendered design arguments such as William Paley's (1743–1805) redundant. Nevertheless, although it was acknowledged that no "proof" of God's reality could now be provided, people like John Polkinghorne advocated a "revived and revised natural theology"—persuasive but not logically coercive—based on issues such as the anthropic cosmological principle. Similarly, people like Arthur Peacocke urged the relevance of the concept of inference to the best explanation.

The propositional understandings of revelation implicit in these approaches were, however, further undermined by another issue that took on new importance towards the end of the twentieth century. It was the question of whether, and how, religious faiths other than one's own can be seen as having arisen from God's revelation of himself within different cultures. Keith Ward, in particular, attempted to develop an understanding of revelation that took up the pluralist insights of earlier investigators into the relationship between different faiths.

One of the most comprehensive responses to this issue from within the science and religion debate was that of Christopher Knight, who advocated a pluralist understanding of revelation based on an essentially naturalist understanding of divine action. Using the experiences of the risen Christ as his prime example, Knight explored the psychological basis of revelatory experience to affirm what he called a psychological-referential model of revelatory experience. As Ward's own position indicated, however, Knight's type of naturalism was not the only approach through which a pluralist understanding could be affirmed. A more conservative understanding of divine action can also give rise to a pluralistic position.

It is perhaps in the context of postfoundationalist understandings of rationality that the concept of revelation will most markedly affect the dialogue of science and theology in the near future. J. Wentzel van Huyssteen's approach, for example, is one that assumes, in the views of some, too great a distinction between theological and scientific rationality. Nevertheless, his way of acknowledging crucial areas of overlap provides a challenge to the simplistic distinction between empirical problems and God's revelation, which is often still held to separate science and theology. This acknowledgement is likely to be of considerable influence in an era profoundly influenced by postmodernist perspectives. A more subtle understanding of revelation than is yet common can, arguably, allow the implications of his insights to be fully explored.

See also Anthropic Principle; Critical Realism; Divine Action; Epistemology; Language; Natural Theology; Postfoundationalism; Postmodernism

Bibliography

barr, james. biblical faith and natural theology: the gifford lectures for 1991. oxford: clarendon press, 1993.

brook, john hedley. science and religion: some historical perspectives. cambridge, uk: cambridge university press, 1991.

congar, yves. the revelation of god, trans. a. manson and l. c. sheppard. new york: herder and herder, 1968.

henn, william. the hierarchy of truths according to yves congar, o.p. analecta gregoriana 246. rome: editrice pontificia università gregoriana, 1987.

knight, christopher c. wrestling with the divine: religion, science and revelation. minneapolis, minn.: fortress press, 2001.

peacocke, arthur r. intimations of reality: critical realism in science and religion. notre dame, ind.: university of notre dame press, 1984.

polkinghorne, john. faith, science and understanding. london: spck, 2000.

soskice, janet martin. metaphor and religious language. oxford: clarendon press, 1985.

torrance, thomas f. reality and scientific theology. edinburgh, uk: scottish academic press, 1985.

van huyssteen, j.wentzel. "postfoundationalism in theology and science." in rethinking theology and science: six models for the current dialogue, eds. niels h. gregersen and j. wentzel van huyssteen. grand rapids, mich.: eerdmans, 1998.

ward, keith. religion and revelation: a theology of revelation in the world's religions. oxford: clarendon press, 1994.

christopher c. knight

Revelation, book of (the Revelation to John) Also known as the Apocalypse (Greek = ‘revelation’), a similar kind of writing to the OT book of Daniel. From early in the 2nd cent. it was ascribed to John the Apostle, thought also to be the author of the fourth gospel, but most modern scholars cannot reconcile the barbaric Greek of Rev. with the fluent prose of the gospel and regard Revelation as the work of a recognized prophet in the Church, writing for his contemporaries about the year 95 CE.

The book has often been an embarrassment to the Church. Its bizarre imagery has been incomprehensible or misunderstood and it is certainly unintelligible without recognition of its frequent allusions to the OT. Apocalyptic sects have used it as a handbook to predict the future. Many Christians have found the apparent gloating over the defeat of the Church's enemies to be morally repulsive (Rev. 18: 6–7).

An important principle of interpretation is to see what messages Rev. was giving out to the Churches for whom it was written. References to Rome are clear: the ‘seven hills’ of 17: 9; and ‘Babylon’ of 16: 19 stand for Rome (as in 1 Pet. 5: 13), the power which destroyed the Jerusalem Temple in 70 CE as did the Babylonians in 586 BCE. The seer writes to encourage Christians under the threat, or experience, of persecution, which is usually thought to be an escalation by the emperor Domitian (81–96 CE) of the sporadic outbursts of persecution, such as that by Nero, whose persecution in 64 CE seems to be remembered in Rev. 13 and 17. The book is thus more hostile to the empire and the surrounding culture than was Paul (Rom. 13: 1, 7). It condemns idolatry (‘fornication’, Rev. 17: 2) and the abuse of power in this world, and looks forward in hope to the coming of the Kingdom with a new heaven and a new earth. At the time of writing the power of evil represented by Rome is symbolized in Rev. by the traditional images of beasts, and those forces of chaos are in rebellion against the Creator. The readers are summoned to an uncompromising witness against the social and economic idolatry in which they are surrounded, but he will preserve his faithful people in their adversity. The visions of Rev. consist of five series and they have a common pattern of persecution of the faithful (as 6: 9–11), followed by the judgement on the nations (6: 12–17) and then the victory of the Lamb (Christ) and the salvation of his followers (7: 9–17). This present life for Christians is therefore one of struggle, suffering, and death but with the hope of ultimate joy and peace where evil is subdued and ‘there is no more sea’ (Rev. 21: 1). The theme of the book is sustained by formidable symbolisms: twelve months, twelve signs of the zodiac (a mistake for the correct number of thirteen), twelve tribes and apostles; there are seven planets, days of the week, colours of the rainbow—all numbers signifying completeness. But the number of the antichrist is six (one short) and Satan is a treble six (666), and the name Nero Caesar if written in Hebrew letters would make 666. There was a terrifying rumour that Nero, who committed suicide in 68 CE, would return from the dead (Rev. 13: 3).

The clearest sections of Rev. are the first three chapters, with messages to seven Churches in Asia Minor. Their situations are well known to the writer, and the seer's exhortations are designed to fit each Church's current position. Where they have stood firm, praise is given (to Smyrna and Philadelphia); where they are failing, they are rebuked—especially Laodicea. Modern readers of Rev. may not be able to take literally what is prophesied, though there exist today fundamentalist and conservative Christians, as there have often been in the past, who believe the book to be a prediction of the end of the world in this generation. Some have even anticipated the battle of Armageddon (Rev. 16: 12–16) to be fought with the mass destruction by nuclear weapons. There is certainly in the seer's words the faith that the salvation of Jesus, the Word of God (19: 13), can be available to every generation. Every Christian can follow Jesus and through suffering like his win through to victory (2: 7, 17, 26). We shall all be judged by our deeds (20: 12–13). And there is a role for the Church—that of mediating God's forgiveness and urging repentance (3: 7–9). In this way the Lord comes on his day (1: 10)

year in, year out, in preaching and in Eucharist, and the New Jerusalem descends from God not at the end of all time but whenever a martyr wins a crown (3: 12; 21: 2, 10).

Revelation (Lat., revelare, ‘to unveil’). The disclosure or communication of truths which would not otherwise be known, at least in the same way. A distinction is often made between, on the one hand, ‘natural revelation’ or ‘general revelation’, whereby such truths are discerned within the natural order (either by reason or by conviction that absolute value, especially beauty, has invaded a contingent moment or object or circumstance); and on the other hand, special or supernatural revelation, which comes from a source other than that of the human recipient, usually God. The method of supernatural revelation is variously understood, ranging from direct dictation (in which the limitations of a human author are overridden) to concursive activity (in which the source is God, or the Holy Spirit, working with the human author—a view which, in the Jewish and Christian case, recognizes the contingency of the words produced, but raises difficulties for traditional claims of inerrancy in revealed words).

Muslims hold a strong doctrine of revelation, believing that ‘the mother of the book’ (umm al-Kitāb) is with God in heaven. The Qurʾān, therefore, is sent down to prophets as they and their circumstances can bear it—and consummately so through Muḥammad, whose recipient community preserved it without corruption or loss. The major terms for ‘revelation’ are tanzīl and waḥy.

Whereas in W. religions revelation is usually related to particular persons and occasions, in Hinduism the concept is more subtle and diffused. The Veda is believed to have no human author, and in some sense is revealed—the exact sense is not agreed. Śabda (sound) is a source of knowledge with many different aspects. Within the context of sound, anubhūti (direct experience of Brahman) arises from meditation on texts from the Upaniṣads as they are heard—not simply as they are read in silence. But this experience is possible only because the Upaniṣads themselves arise from the Vedas which are the constant (or in some views eternal) revelation of the truth about dharma and Brahman. In Vedānta, the Vedas are no more real than anything else (māyā), but they serve to point beyond themselves to what is real, much as a picture points to that which it endeavours to portray.

Revelation or Apocalypse , the last book of the New Testament. It was written c.AD 95 on Patmos Island off the coast of Asia Minor by an exile named John, in the wake of local persecution by the Emperor Domitian (AD 81-96). Tradition has identified John with the disciple St. John , but many scholars deny such authorship. They also disagree as to whether this book has common authorship with the Gospel or with First, Second, and Third John. The book is an apocalypse, comprising visions of victory over evil and persecution and of the triumph of God and the martyrs. Its structure is deliberate, depending heavily on patterns of sevens. It consists of letters counseling and warning seven churches in Asia Minor; the opening of the seven seals on the scroll in the hand of God, four revealing the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse; the blowing of seven trumpets by angels before God's throne; the seven visions, including a seven-headed dragon (Satan) and the rising from the sea of the Beast, related to the Emperor Nero (persecutor of Christians in Rome after the great fire of AD 64), whose name is numerically equivalent to 666; the seven plagues; the seven-headed harlot named Babylon, representing the Roman Empire; and visions of heaven, the defeat of Satan, the judgment, the millennial reign of Christ, and the New Jerusalem. Constant allusion occurs to earlier scriptural prophecies, such as Ezekiel, Daniel, and Isaiah. One immediate goal of Revelation was to encourage persecuted Christians; absolute assurance of interpretation stops there. Every period of Christian history has produced variant explanations of the book's mysteries. See apocalypse .

Bibliography: See studies by G. E. Ladd (1972), D. H. Lawrence (1972), G. B. Caird (1980), L. Morris (1987), A. Y. Collins (1988), J. P. M. Sweet (1990), R. Wall (1991), and J. Kirsch (2006).

Revelation, Book of. The last Book of the NT and the only one that is an Apocalypse. Apart from the letters to the Seven Churches of Asia Minor, the Book consists of a series of visions.

The author is identified as ‘John’ in the title and at 1: 9, and called ‘the theologian’ (‘the divine’) in later MSS of the title. In the W. he was from an early date held to be St John the Apostle, but it is unlikely that he is this John. There are a few verbal points of contact with St John's Gospel and the Johannine Epistles; such features could suggest a common theological background for the authors of Rev. and Jn., but common authorship is precluded by wide differences in eschatology, tone, and language.

Its hostile attitude to Rome indicates that the Book cannot be earlier than the persecution under Nero in 64. It more probably dates from a later persecution, perhaps that of Domitian (81–96). Many of the pictures and images doutbless have a historical reference, but the aim of the Book is to give assurance about God's power and purpose, rather than information about events to come. Its political passion on behalf of the oppressed has attracted some modern readers, but its importance and potentially dangerous impact stem from its futuristic eschatology and the use made of it by millenarians of all periods, and especially by fundamentalist Protestants today.

rev·e·la·tion / ˌrevəˈlāshən/ • n. 1. a surprising and previously unknown fact, esp. one that is made known in a dramatic way: revelations about his personal life. ∎  the making known of something that was previously secret or unknown: the revelation of an alleged plot to assassinate the king. ∎  used to emphasize the surprising or remarkable quality of someone or something: seeing them play at international level was a revelation. 2. the divine or supernatural disclosure to humans of something relating to human existence or the world: an attempt to reconcile Darwinian theories with biblical revelation | a divine revelation. ∎  (Revelation or inf. Revelations) (in full the Revelation of St. John the Divine) the last book of the New Testament, recounting a divine revelation of the future to St. John. DERIVATIVES: rev·e·la·tion·al / -shənl/ adj.

revelation. In Christian theology the word is used both of the body of truth about Himself which God discloses and of the process by which His communication of it takes place. Since it is commonly held that some truths about God can be learnt through man's natural endowments (e.g. His existence, which philosophers outside the Christian tradition have claimed they could establish), while others, e.g. the doctrine of the Holy Trinity, are not knowable except by faith, Christian philosophers have distinguished between ‘truths of reason’ and ‘truths of revelation’. Traditionally Protestants have held that all revelation is sufficiently contained in the Bible, Catholics that part is also to be found in the unwritten traditions of the Church, but in recent times RC theologians have drawn a less sharp distinction between tradition and Scripture and stressed their ultimate unity.

rev·el / ˈrevəl/ • v. (rev·eled , rev·el·ing ; chiefly Brit. rev·elled, rev·el·ling) [intr.] engage in lively and noisy festivities, esp. those which involve drinking and dancing: [as n.] (reveling) a night of drunken reveling. ∎  (revel in) get great pleasure from (a situation or experience): Bill said he was secretly reveling in his new-found fame. • n. (revels) lively and noisy festivities, esp. those which involve drinking and dancing. DERIVATIVES: rev·el·er or rev·el·ler n. ORIGIN: late Middle English: from Old French reveler ‘rise up in rebellion,’ from Latin rebellare ‘to rebel.’

Revelation, Book of. The last book and the only apocalypse in the New Testament. The book is a series of visions, prefaced (chs. 1–3) by letters to seven churches in Asia Minor. The hostile attitude to Rome suggests a date during Nero's persecution, c.64, or later under Domitian (81–96). In Christian history the book has become important in times of persecution and in the context of millenarian movements.

revelation New knowledge imparted without the deductive reasoning of the recipient. As such, it is a divine gift (Matt. 16: 17) but it could be passed on to others (Gal. 1: 15–17). The mode by which it is conveyed might be in visions (Jer. 1: 11–13) or through an understanding of events in history (Ps. 111: 6).

Revelation (Apocalypse) Last book of the New Testament. It was written perhaps as late as ad 95 by St John the Divine. In highly allegorical and prophetic terms, it concentrates on depicting the end of Creation, the war between good and evil, the Day of Judgment, and the ultimate triumph of good.

revel vb. XIV. — OF. reveler (refl.) rebel, rejoice noisily:- L. rebellāre REBEL.
So sb. XIV.

Revelation, Book of, see Apocalypse.

revel •Ethel • lethal • brothel • betrothal •Cavell, cavil, gavel, gravel, ravel, travel •Havel, larval, marvel, Marvell, rondavel •bedevil, bevel, devil, dishevel, kevel, level, revel, split-level •daredevil • she-devil • eye level •naval, navel •coeval, evil, Khedival, medieval, primeval, retrieval, shrieval, upheaval •civil, drivel, shrivel, snivel, swivel •carnival • Percival • perspectival •festival • aestival (US estival) •adjectival, arrival, deprival, genitival, imperatival, infinitival, outrival, relatival, revival, rival, substantival, survival •archival •grovel, hovel, novel •oval •approval, removal •Lovell, shovel •interval • serval • narwhal •coequal, equal, prequel, sequel •bilingual, lingual, monolingual, multilingual •rorqual • Hywel •Daniel, spaniel