The Word “apocalypse” in reference to the final book in the Lord’s Holy Scriptures (Bible/Truth/Gospel/will/covenant) is usually misunderstood among the few who read it.  Like the Apostle Paul’s writing, it is “hard to be understood” (2 Pet. 3:16).  Without the Holy Spirit, it is impossible.  Many who claim to understand it do not.  The Word “apocalypse” simply means “to reveal.”  The Book of Revelation/Apocalypse reveals things that will take place at the end of the age, the age in which we are now living.  What is revealed in the symbol-filled tome is what is prophesied to shortly to come to pass.  The Apocalypse warns truth seekers about what will take place in the final 3 1/2 years of the world as we have known it.  The two time segments that will make up those final years are Biblically identified as the Great Tribulation (2 1/2 years) and the Great and Terrible Day of the Lord (1 yr.).

The purpose of this posting is not to explore the Book of Revelation.  Rather, it is to understand how God reveals His secrets, to whom He reveals them and why.  Simply put, He reveals them by way of His Spirit to His ministers so that they can share them with His true saints in order to prepare them for what will inevitably take place.  In Luke 21:29-36 Jesus prophesied that the generation that sees the signs marking the latter days will experience first hand the final years of life as humanity has known it.  The Book of Revelation will be brought to life and manifested in all of its terror, horror, death and destruction.

Many living today are old enough to be part of the “generation” that has seen all of the signs leading up to the final 3 1/2 years of the age–except one.  With the Palestinians lobbing rockets into Israel on continuous basis, that sign, described in Luke 21:20, will soon be manifested.  When what is described in that verse is seen happening by the world’s people, those who truly know their God will understand that “… the desolation (of Jerusalem and the beginning of the Great Tribulation) is near.”  God’s true saints will be protected and provided for during World War III which the surrounding of Jerusalem will initiate.  Through revelation related to them by their ministers they will be ready to go to their place of safety known as “her (the true church’s) place” (Rev. 12:6,14) where God will protect and care for them as the world around them goes up in flames.  As I have stated, I believe the saint’s place of safety to be a mountainous area called Petra in the land of Jordan.  I have been there.  It is a perfect place to ride out a world war.

In Galatians 1:12 the Apostle Paul, who wrote much of the New Testament, proclaimed that he had not received his Gospel from man, but rather from Jesus Christ Himself “through revelation.”  Probably 99% of those preaching today preach what man has determined to be “the gospel of God.”  Such ministers have only a mental recognition of what God stated in His Holy Scriptures.  We must understand the difference between mental recognition and spiritual revelation.  Professing Christendom knows God’s “headlines” but refuses to explore the other 99% of His Word, whose true meaning can be understood only through revelation.  In Matthew 7:13,14Jesus said few would receive the revelation available only by entering His strait gate (true church) and walking His narrow path (obedience to His Law) leading to salvation.

The world has been blessed with the Word of God in print since the invention of the printing press many generations ago.  As a result of that wonderful machine, the Holy Bible has become the most purchased, most stolen, most read and least understood book in the history of printing.  By reading it even a child can gain a general understanding (mental recognition) of the way of God.  However, most church members never progress past the childhood.  As we will see, Paul had some harsh words for adult “babes” who never progress past His “headlines.”  Knowing God’s “headlines” without knowing His “fine print” is like giving a destitute man a safe filled with money, then withholding from him the combination.  The Lord gives Truth seekers the “combination” to His “safe” through revelation.

Revelation is reserved for those who “hunger and thirst for righteousness.”  The Almighty promises to “bless” such seekers by “filling” them with righteousness (Mat. 5:6).  Spiritually, hungering and thirsting reveal a true craving for God’s Truth and a determination to study His Truth (Word-Jn. 17:17), believe it and obey it when it is revealed.  Some ministers know His Truth but refuse to preach it due to the price they would have to pay–loss of ordination, loss of money, loss of reputation, etc.  Catholics and Protestants will not tolerate God’s Truth.

The type of Bible study needed to bring about revelation from on high is recorded in Isaiah 28:9-13 where the prophet asks: Whom can He (God) teach (spiritual) knowledge? and whom can He give understanding” of His doctrine?  His answer: the mature believer who has grown up in the Lord and is no longer satisfied with the “milk” of the Word.  More on Isaiah 28 later.

The Apostle Paul addresses the necessity for spiritual maturity in his letter to Hebrew converts in chapters five and six.  In 5:9 through 6:6 he chastises the Israelite Christians for being immature, for remaining “on the breast” (seeking “headlines”) and refusing to spiritually consume the “strong meat” of God’s Word (His “fine print).”  Hebrews 5:9 Paul states the necessity for obedience as well as faith.  As the rest of the passage makes clear, this means to obey ALL OF GOD’S WORD–the entire Bible–including the “fine print.”  Paul stated that he preached “ALL OF THE COUNSEL (WORD) OF GOD” (Acts 20:27) and that ONLY THOSE WHO OBEY HIS WORD CAN BE SAVED (Heb. 5:9).

Paul truly was speaking to the modern church also when he told the Hebrews that he needed to teach them the meat of the Word, but that they were too immature to receive it.  He was saying that he wanted to share with them what God had spoken to him through revelation.  However, they were content with milk.  As one woman said to me, “I know all I need to know” relative to salvation.  She was a pillar in the church in which I grew up.  She was also my dear aunt.  She believed the “headlines” put forth by her denomination, but refused to hear any “fine print” coming from God through me.  She was of the “all faith and no works,” “the Law was nailed to the cross,” “only believe” theological bent that is accepted as “Bible truth” by the whole of professing Christendom that has been deceived by Satan (Rev. 12:9).  I was part of that ilk early on in my religious life.  I thank God that He introduced me to His “strong meat” and called me to preach and live it.  Strong meat comes only through revelation from the Lord by way of His Holy Spirit.

Without the power of the Holy Spirit one cannot receive revelation from God.  Without revelation one is “ever learning but never coming to the knowledge of the Truth” (2 Tim. 3:7).  Here Paul was warning Timothy the evangelist about those in the church who were content with Biblical milk.  In Hebrews 6:1,2 he speaks to such church members, telling them that they must “leave the (elementary) principles of the doctrine of Christ and go on to PERFECTION, not hearing repeated messages about the foundational principles such as repentance, baptism, the resurrection and eternal judgment.”  This is the level of “milk” the church was repeatedly hearing then and is still hears today.  What was missing in what they were hearing was revelation, which the people refused to hear because they were “dull of hearing” (5:11).  They refused to hear God’s “strong meat” which comes only through revelation.  Mere Bible reading will not result in revelation from heaven.  To receive revelation one must STUDY God’s Word through the power of the Holy Spirit.  Let us see how revelation takes place.

In Matthew 16:16 we find that Jesus has asked the disciples whom they believed Him to be.  Peter answered: “You are the Christ (anointed One), the Son of the living God.”  Hear what Jesus told him: “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, FOR FLESH AND BLOOD HAS NOT REVEALED THIS TO YOU, RATHER MY FATHER IN HEAVEN ” (had revealed it to him).  Peter alone “heard” God’s “voice,” then spoke it.  It is by way of His silent “voice” that God reveals hidden Truths about His Word.  The question then arises: what prompts God to speak to a believer using His “silent voice?”  Now we return to Isaiah 28:9-13.

In this passage Isaiah askes who can God teach revelationary (hidden) knowledge that is known only to Him?  His answer: “they who are WEANED FROM THE MILK AND REMOVED FROM THE BREASTS.  For (revelation) comes only from studying His Word, “precept upon (added to) precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little.”  Only those who hunger and thirst for righteousness will delved that deep into the Holy Scriptures, learn, believe and obey them.  To such seekers God will either tell them His secret things (revelations) or have them learn if from a true minister.  Like my aunt, most professing Christians “know all they need to know.”  God cannot teach His deep, salvation-producing Truths to those will here only milk.  We are to study, learn, believe and obey His strong meat (fine print) and thereby grow in righteousness and holiness.  This process must continue until we “come to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ” (Eph. 4:13), then walk that walk “until the end” (of the age when Christ will return) at which time we will be saved (Mat. 10:22/ Rom. 5:20; 6:21).  Consumption of Scriptural milk alone will not result in such maturity and godliness.

Just a baby will die physically if it is fed only milk, a convert will die spiritually if he refuses to dine on God’s strong meat.  In that milk is all one receives in church, the church is populated by spiritually dead people who “know all they need to know.”  Nevertheless, I will continue to present God’s strong meat to those who will read and hear it.  History has proven that the vast majority will refuse it.  However, I trust that there are some hungry and thirsty souls out there who will dine on His soul saving delicacies.  L.J.