1:1. ‘Revelation’

As Light:

Greek #5316, phainō, (akin to #5457), light, light given, used only of light of stars or reflected light.  #5319, phanĕrŏō,  #2015, ĕpiphanĕia, all from same root, ‘to make light, let shine, throw light upon, to appear, to make manifest, make apparent, show forth, to shine forth, display, come into light, to be manifested, to make or give light, to come to light or into sight, the appearance, manifestation, or the shining upon.

Greek #5457 phōs (and derivatives) ‘light,’ as that which makes things manifest, (Eph. 5:13); that is, ‘causes things to appear, or be revealed’.  The following are instances of phōs or forms of this word:

Matt. 4:16; 6:23; 10:27;

Luke 2:32; 11:36; 12:2-3;

John 1:4-5; 3:19; 5:35; 8:12; 9:5; 12:35-36;

Acts 9:3; 12:7; 13;47;

Rom. 13:12;

1 Cor. 4:5;       

 2 Cor. 4:4-6; 11:14;

Eph. 5:8;

Colossians 1:12;

1 Thess. 5:5;

1 Tim. 6:16;

            2 Tim. 1:10;

            James 1:17;

            1 John 1:5; 2:8-10;

            Revelation 21:11.

            Matt. 24:30; #5316;

            Luke 19:11; #5316

            2 Cor. 5:10; #5319

            Colossians 3:4; #5319

            1 Tim. 6:14; #2015

            2 Tim. 4:1, 8; #2015

            Titus 2:11, 13; 3:4; #2015

            Heb. 9:24, 26; #2015, #5319

            1 Peter 1:7; 5:4; #5319

            1 John 2:28; 3:2; #5319

            Mark 4:22;

            Luke 8:17;

            John 1:31; 2:11; 3:21; 14:21-22; 17:6;

            Rom. 1:19; 3:21; 10:20; 16:26;

            1 Cor. 3:13; 14:25;

            2 Cor. 4:10-11;

            Gal. 5:19;

            Eph. 5:13;

            Phil. 1:13;

            Colossians 1:26;

            1 Tim. 3:16; 5:25;

            Titus 1:3;

            Heb. 9:8;

            1 Peter 1:20;

            1 John 1:2; 3:5-8; 4:9

            Hebrew #0224 urim, ‘stones kept in a pouch on the high-priest’s breastplate, used in determining God’s decision in certain questions and issues’.

            #08550 thummîym, ‘perfection’, ‘stones provided for the means of achieving a sacred lot’, 1a) used with the Urim, the will of God was revealed

Hebrew #05414 nâthan, usually translated ‘to give,’ but in the instances involving urim ve thummim translated ‘to put’ or ‘put in’.  It is translated ‘to give’ 1078 times, but in the case of the urim ve thummim, it is translated ‘to put’ 191 times.  I insist that the Urim ve Thummim was ‘given’, nathan, not ‘put in’.

            Note: The lexicon definitions of Urim ve Thummim do not coincide at all with the root word.  They usually describe it as some kind of dice! (See Strong’s definition above.)  It seems rather idolatrous to think that this most sacred and consequential practice should be done with dice, like a common gambler!

Hebrew #224 and #8550 Urim ve Thummim taken together in this usage denote ‘Perfection of Light‘.  The phrase “Urim ve Thummim” is translated by Harrelson as ‘manifestation and truth’ (OAA p. 11, note ‘n’).  Following are occurrences of Urim ve Thummim:

Neh. 7:65; (=Ezra 2:62-63)

Christ is seen as the “Perfection of Light” also in Luke 2:32 and John 1:4-9

Hebrew # 857 ʼâthâh, ‘to come’ is used in the passage in Daniel 7:13: “There came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him,” (RSV).  #225 is the contracted form ʼûwth, spelled with the Hebrew letters aleph, ve, and tau, corresponding to the Greek alpha and omega.  This ties the Hebrew word with the Urim ve Thummim of the title word ‘revelation’.  The title, then would also suggest that the book is about Christ‘s ‘coming’.

1:1. ‘Revelation’

As Appearance or Unveiling:

Greek #602 apŏcalupsis, translated ‘manifestation’, (Rom. 8:19); ‘coming’ (1 Cor. 1:7); ‘appearing’, (1 Peter 1:7).

            Translation synonyms are: #2015 ĕpiphanĕia ‘manifestation’; #2064 ĕrchŏmai ‘coming’; #3952 parŏusia ‘coming’; and #5319 phanĕrŏō ‘appear,’ ‘(make) manifest,’ ‘manifest (forth),’ ‘shew;’ akin to #5316 and 5457 ‘to shine’ or ‘make manifest’ by rays, ‘luminousness’.

            Bullinger: apocalupsis “An uncovering, an unveiling; disclosure, revelation.  When used of a person it always denotes the appearance of the person.” (Lexicon s.v., 644-5 and 930).

Hebrew words translated apokalupto in the Septuagint: (Morrish, Concordance s.v.)

Exod. 20:26, (nakedness exposed), ‘discovered’;

Lev. 18: 6-19; 20:11-21; ‘uncover’

Num. 22:31; 24:4, 16, (eyes uncovered) ‘opened eyes’;

Deut. 22:30, 27:20, (uncover a woman) ‘discover’;

Ruth 3:4, 7, (uncover his feet) ‘uncover’;

Ruth 4:3, (tell of it) ‘advertise’;

1 Sam. 2:27; 3:7, 21; 9:15; 20:2, 13; 22:8, 17; ‘appear’ ‘show’

2 Sam. 6:20, 7:27, (to reveal oneself, or disclose [something] ‘reveal’, ‘uncover’, ‘told’;

2 Sam. 22:16, (laid bare)’discovered’;

Job 12:22, (uncovers), ‘discover’;

Psalm 98:2, (made known) ‘shewed’;

Prov. 11:13, (reveal secrets) ‘revealeth’;

Prov. 27:5, (open [rebuke]) ‘open’;

Isaiah 53:1, (arm revealed);

Isaiah 56:1, (deliverance revealed);

Jeremiah 11:20, (committed my cause) ‘revealed’;

Lamentation 2:14; 4:22, (uncover sin or iniquity) ‘discovered’;

Ezek. 13:14, (foundation laid bare) ‘discovered’;

Ezek. 16:36, 37, 57; 21:24; 22:10; 23:10, 18; 23:29, (to uncover sin, wickedness, nakedness, harlotries);

Dan.11:35, (“to try” them?);

Dan.2:19, 22, 28, 29, 30, 47, (mystery revealed);

Dan.10:1, (a word revealed);

Hosea 2:10; 7:1, (uncover corruption or lewdness)’discover’;

Amos 3:7, (“reveal to His servants”) ‘reveal’;

Mic. 1:6, (uncover foundations) ‘discover’;

Nah. 2:7, (mistress is stripped) ‘led away captive’;

Nah. 3:5, (lift up the skirts of) ‘discover’;

châsaph    Isaiah 52:10, (laid bare His arm);

Jeremiah 13:26, (lift up the skirts of);

nâgad     Joshua 2:20, (tell this business);

pâraʻ Num. 5:18, (unbind the hair of a woman).

ʻervath   1 Sam. 20:30, (nakedness);

ʻârâh     Isaiah 3:17, (lay bare…..);

tsammâh    Canticles 4:1; Isaiah 47:2, (veil);