Understanding “apokalypsis” – unveiling vs. concealing

The Greek word that opens the final book of the New Testament, Apokalypsis, immediately establishes the work’s nature as one of disclosure, fundamentally opposing popular misconceptions that view it as mysterious or concealing. The very title introduces this fact.

The term apokalypsis and its corresponding verb apokalyptō carry the essential sense of “an uncovering,” “an unveiling,” or “a disclosure.” In its use throughout the New Testament, it consistently denotes the act of making visible something or someone that was formerly hidden. This idea of unveiling stands in sharp contrast to the common view of the book as an impenetrable enigma. Many approach it as a riddle shrouded in mystery because of its vivid symbolism and striking imagery. However, its purpose is precisely the opposite—it is written to reveal truth, not to obscure it. The author, far from concealing meaning, provides a detailed and transparent record of the culmination of God’s redemptive story.

Etymological and Historical Usage

In classical Greek, apokalypsis simply meant “uncovering” or “unveiling.” Within early Christian thought, the word took on a deep spiritual and eschatological force, expressing the act of making hidden realities known. It referred to divine disclosure, the unveiling of spiritual truth, and the manifestation of what had previously been unseen.

Although the term itself does not appear frequently in ancient Hebrew writings, the idea of revelation—of divine mysteries once hidden now made known—is deeply rooted in prophetic tradition. The book expands and illuminates truths that were only partially foreshadowed elsewhere, bringing into view the final phase of God’s plan for history.

Setting the Tone as Disclosure

The choice of apokalypsis at the very opening sets the tone for the entire work, framing it as a disclosure rather than a code. It unveils truth about Jesus Christ and clarifies prophetic realities. The essential nature of the book is defined by this single term: far from being incomprehensible, its goal is to reveal the majesty and glory of the Lord.

This theme of openness reaches its climax near the end of the book, where the author is explicitly instructed not to seal up the words of the prophecy. This command contrasts with earlier prophetic writings that were to be sealed until a future time. Here, the message is the opposite—the time for full disclosure has arrived, and the words must be proclaimed immediately. If the plain meaning were hidden or symbolic beyond comprehension, the command not to seal them would lose all sense. Thus, the very title Apokalypsis signifies that the book is meant to uncover the hidden reality of God’s sovereign direction over the future, offering a profound well of divine truth to all who receive it.

The challenge of visionary experience and language

The profound challenge faced by religious visionaries stems from the inherent inadequacy of finite, human language to fully capture and communicate the infinite realities disclosed in transcendent experiences. This struggle often manifests in mandated silence, physical incapacitation, or, most commonly, the necessary adoption of rich symbolic and metaphoric language.

The Limits of Human Expression

When human beings are transported into the supernatural realm, their normal faculties are insufficient to comprehend or report the truth beheld. John’s own vision transcended the bounds of normal human understanding.

1. Silence and the Inexpressible:

The Apostle Paul’s experience of being raptured to the “third heaven” provides a primary example of communication being actively forbidden due to its sacred or overwhelming nature. Paul explicitly stated that he “heard things that cannot be told,” specifically “inexpressible words, which a man is not permitted to speak”. This silence demonstrates the absolute limit of human language when faced with the divine.

2. Physical and Mental Overload:

Earlier biblical prophets often reacted to divine epiphanies with visceral, debilitating fear. Figures were so alarmed by their thoughts and visions that their “color changed”. The typical response to seeing the Deity or powerful angelic messengers was falling down paralyzed, “as dead”. Moses was similarly warned that “You cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live”. Even John, in the presence of the exalted Christ, fell at His feet “as though dead”. Such reactions underscore the human frailty and the incompetence of the finite physical sphere to process infinite reality.

John’s Mandate to Symbolize

Unlike Paul, who was forbidden to speak of what he saw, John was commanded to write his vision. However, because the vision dealt with realities that lay beyond finite language, John’s communication necessarily employed symbolic language.

The Greek verb esēmanen (often translated as “made known” or “signified”) strongly suggests “communicate by symbols” or signs. This term, used in prophetic or oracular contexts, connotes that the meaning of the prophecy is not entirely clear and requires informed interpretation. Esēmanen was intentionally chosen by John over a more general term for “make known” to emphasize that the message was a symbolic communication.

Symbolic language was required for several reasons inherent to the apocalyptic genre:

Interpreting the Present:

The symbols link the readers’ immediate socio-political reality of tribulation to a cosmic struggle. Symbols and metaphors, like a prism refracting meaning in multiple ways, are necessary to offer a view of reality that takes precedence over the current, temporary situation and encourages believers to persevere.

Transcendent Reality:

John’s visions described spiritual realities that unaided human eyes could never see. The finite language of the earthly sphere is incompetent to define and depict the infinite realities John saw. The symbols refer to a divine transcendent reality that cannot be fully expressed by merely logical, propositional language.

Literary Vision:

John’s vision “is impossible to pictorialize or draw” because its images and symbols function more like words and sentences in a narrative composition than literal descriptions. The use of symbols allows John to construct rhetorical paragraphs and sections with images derived from tradition rather than abstract concepts.

Rhetorical and Emotional Impact:

Symbolic language possesses intrinsic evocative power. By operating on both the cognitive and emotive levels, metaphorical communication has more potential to jar people out of spiritual complacency than mere abstract explanation. The symbols were designed to evoke emotions, feelings, and convictions that should not be reduced to logical, propositional language.

John’s attempt to convey the ineffable

John the seer employs an elaborate tapestry of Old Testament imagery and allusions to communicate his transcendent vision to his first-century audience. Although Revelation is estimated to contain more references or allusions to the Old Testament (OT) than any other New Testament book, John never quotes Scripture verbatim. Instead, he consciously and deliberately weaves hundreds of allusions throughout the book. This anthological and allusive style is crucial to understanding Revelation’s message.

The Function and Ubiquity of Old Testament Allusions

Of Revelation’s 404 verses, 278 allude to the Old Testament Scriptures. This profound density means that virtually every point made in Revelation comes in some way via an OT allusion. For readers familiar with the Jewish Bible, this extensive use of traditional language was integral to decoding the prophetic message.

The primary functions of this allusive technique include:

Establishing Prophetic Authority and Continuity:

John presents his work as the climax of prophetic revelation, gathering up the prophetic meaning of the OT scriptures and disclosing how they are being, and are to be, fulfilled. By adopting the language and commission style of earlier prophetic figures, John underscored his own prophetic authority and the continuity of his message with the earlier prophets. He appeals to the OT to underscore his absolute authority as a prophet.

Providing Familiar Imagery for Indescribable Reality:

Because John’s visions depicted supernatural realities that transcended “normal human understanding,” he was forced to use figurative, symbolic language. The simplest way to describe these complex visions was with the language already used by the OT prophets to describe similar visions. For instance, John chose natural and familiar analogies to describe the supernatural demon horde. He drew on prophetic themes to describe everything from the appearance of the exalted Christ to the appearance of world empires, using familiar imagery like wild animals to symbolize empires and their leaders.

Interpreting Present Conflict through Typology:

John used familiar OT stories and figures as literary prototypes or analogies to interpret the contemporary struggle of Christians in Asia Minor. The use of plague imagery, for example, is modeled after the plagues inflicted on Egypt, suggesting to hearers that their current hardships would be resolved, just as the Israelites’ slavery was resolved. Likewise, John identifies the oppressive city of Rome symbolically with “Babylon”, a traditional symbol derived from the previous destroyer of Jerusalem and the Temple. This typological approach presents the current time of trouble as reliving and fulfilling the prophecies of the OT.

The Purpose of Allusion over Direct Quotation

John’s deliberate choice to rely on allusions rather than formal quotations distinguishes his book from others in the New Testament. Several factors account for this decision:

Anthological and Creative Style:

John’s procedure is described as an “allusive, ‘anthological’ style,” where words, images, phrases, and patterns from the Bible become raw material for a new literary creation and prophetic proclamation. This blending, or amalgamation, is intentional; John sometimes merges four, five, or more different OT references into one visionary picture.

Emotive and Evocative Power:

John used allusions for their evocative and emotive power, aiming to call forth a response of “overwhelming and annihilating wonder” in the readers. His complex imagery appeals to the emotions and imagination more profoundly than mere logical, propositional statements. If John had used clear, logical quotations, he might have robbed the symbols of their persuasive power and emotional impact.

The Problem of Precision:

Since John relied on memory (which may not always have been accurate) or deliberately altered the wording for the desired rhetorical effect, precise quotation was not his goal. The informal and allusive manner suggests that the intent was not primarily to teach or argue from the OT (like a commentary) but to incorporate its language and meaning into his vision.

Contextual Fidelity (Thematic, not Verbal):

Although John shows a high degree of liberty and creativity in how he uses the OT, recent scholarship emphasizes that he was still disciplined and sought to recall the OT context. His goal was often to adapt and transform the broader contextual meaning of the OT texts—especially concerning themes like judgment, persecution, and restoration—and apply it to the new reality inaugurated by Christ. For example, John takes OT prophecies limited to Israel and universalizes them to the world’s redemption based on faith in Christ.

John even employed unusual grammatical constructions (solecisms or “syntactical dissonance”) to deliberately signal the presence of an Old Testament allusion, causing the reader/hearer to pause and reflect on the scriptural background of the phrase. This demonstrates that his use of the OT was meticulously intentional and purposeful.

The Jewish apocalyptic tradition

The Book of Revelation is widely recognized as belonging to the apocalyptic genre, a form of revelatory literature that flourished in Judaism between approximately 200 B.C. and A.D. 100. Works like Daniel, 1 Enoch, and 4 Ezra are prime examples of Jewish apocalyptic literature. Understanding the core characteristics of this genre illuminates how Revelation is structured and how it delivers its message of crisis and hope, yet Revelation possesses unique features that firmly establish it as a Christian apocalypse.

Characteristics of Jewish Apocalyptic Literature

The genre “apocalypse” is defined as a form of revelatory literature presented within a narrative framework, where a revelation is conveyed by an otherworldly being to a human recipient. This disclosure unveils a transcendent reality that is both temporal (envisaging eschatological salvation) and spatial (involving a supernatural world).

Key characteristics common to classical Jewish apocalypses (Daniel, 1 Enoch, 4 Ezra) include:

Characteristic	Description/Example
Pessimism and Dualism	Apocalyptic literature is inherently dualistic and pessimistic toward the present world, viewing it as temporal, evil, and under the control of Satan. They assert that this age will end catastrophically through divine intervention.
Pseudonymity	Authors often write under the guise of a great figure from the past, such as Enoch or Ezra, which allows them to present past history as an accurate prediction of future events (vaticinia ex eventu).
Visions and Symbolic Language	Revelation is imparted primarily through dreams or elaborate visions, often requiring an angelic interpreter (angelus interpres) to disclose the meaning of the bizarre, esoteric symbols and allegories.
Historical Review	Apocalypses typically contain detailed historical reviews of the world, often covering time from Creation up to the author’s present day (presented as prophecy), demonstrating God’s deterministic plan for history. Daniel is the archetype of this historical focus.
Crisis Literature	This literature is frequently evoked by a crisis or grave hardship, aiming to encourage perseverance by offering transcendent knowledge that the current crisis is a temporary illusion preceding God’s final restoration.

Revelation’s Fit within the Apocalyptic Genre

Revelation fits the basic definition of an apocalypse well. It utilizes the form of visions set in a narrative framework and features otherworldly journeys and an angelic mediator who guides the seer. Revelation’s focus is dualistic and eschatological, concentrating on the close of this age and the dramatic inauguration of the age to come. Furthermore, John relies extensively on the Old Testament, a feature common to apocalyptic works which draw upon earlier prophecy.

However, Revelation is deliberately a Christian and Prophetic variation of the genre, diverging significantly from Jewish apocalyptic on several crucial counts:

Distinctly Christian/Prophetic Characteristics	Jewish Apocalyptic Contrast
Prophetic Self-Identification (Not Pseudonymous)	John identifies himself four times by name and claims his work is prophecy. This is critical; Jewish apocalypses were typically pseudonymous and often lacked prophetic self-consciousness.
Centrality of Jesus Christ	The book’s central theme is the “Revelation of Jesus Christ”, who is the exalted Lamb and the Word of God. The fulfillment of prophecies is centered on the past sacrifice of Jesus Christ and His two comings.
Open Revelation (Not Sealed)	The book is commanded not to be sealed up, signaling that the time for full disclosure has arrived. Jewish apocalypses like Daniel and 4 Ezra often contained esoteric knowledge that was to remain concealed and sealed until the end.
Prophetic Exhortation	Revelation functions as a prophetic-apocalyptic work, framed as a letter and containing moral urgency (calls to repentance and perseverance in the seven letters). Jewish apocalypses often emphasized deterministic instruction rather than such explicit, immediate exhortation.

Ultimately, John’s work synthesizes literary forms associated with both prophetic and apocalyptic traditions. It is best characterized as a prophetic-apocalyptic text, utilizing the rich symbolism and transcendent vision of the apocalyptic genre to communicate a message anchored in the redemptive work of Christ and intended for the immediate instruction and exhortation of his churches.

How imagery functions in prophetic literature

The language of prophetic texts, particularly in the Book of Revelation, functions fundamentally through symbolic imagery rather than as a literal code designed for decryption. This symbolic mode allows images to be evocative pictures that convey multiple layers of meaning simultaneously. The complexity of Revelation’s visions is such that reducing them to a simple, single, referential meaning amounts to a serious misreading.

The very term used in Revelation 1:1, esēmanen (translated as “made known” or “signified”), strongly connotes “communicate by symbols” or signs. This confirms that the book’s contents are predominantly revelatory symbolism.

The Nature of Symbolic Communication

Prophetic imagery serves multiple functions that prohibit a purely literal or “code-breaking” approach:

Transcendent Reality and Inadequate Language:

Symbolic language is necessary because the experiences described transcend the bounds of normal human understanding. Finite language is deemed incompetent to define and depict the infinite realities John saw. The symbols refer to a divine transcendent reality that cannot be fully expressed by logical, propositional language.

Evocative and Emotive Power:

Symbols and metaphors operate on both the cognitive and emotive levels. This metaphorical communication has more potential to jar people out of spiritual complacency than abstract explanation. The emotional impact is necessary to persuade hearers toward resistance and faithful endurance.

Multiple Layers of Meaning (Multivalence):

Revelation’s symbolic texture is described “like an onion or rose with layers of meaning,” or like a prism refracting meaning in multiple ways, but not in limitless ways. The interpreter must identify multiple points of comparison for a single metaphor without resorting to allegorical interpretation. These symbols possess polyvalent or tensive qualities, evoking rather than defining meanings. For example, the name Babylon/Rome (symbolized as a harlot) can simultaneously refer to the city, the oppressive political system, and the apostate religious system.

Examples from Revelation 1

The inaugural vision of the glorified Christ in Revelation 1:12–16 serves as a perfect illustration of how symbolic imagery works as an evocative picture. John uses a mosaic of imagery drawn from the Old Testament, particularly Daniel and Ezekiel, not to provide a literal photograph of Jesus, but to portray His power and glory.

Symbolic Image	Evocative Meaning(s)
“One like a son of man” (1:13)	Exalted status, dignity.
White Head and Hair (1:14)	Eternal wisdom and respect due to His person; stresses unity with God.
Eyes like a Flame of Fire (1:14)	Piercing perception and judgment; omniscience and fiery judgment.
Feet like Burnished Bronze (1:15)	Glorified and omnipotent, authority.
Sharp Two-Edged Sword from Mouth (1:16)	The piercing and authoritative word of God.

The accumulation of these images is not meant to be assembled literally into a single, bizarre figure. Instead, the images create a dynamic picture whose purpose is to set “the echoes of memory and association ringing” in the reader’s mind. The cumulative effect conveys the seriousness of the issues addressed and calls the reader to awesome worship.

Furthermore, the key symbols in the vision are explicitly interpreted in Revelation 1:20: the seven golden lampstands are the seven churches, and the seven stars are the angels/messengers of the seven churches. This interpretation demonstrates that John deliberately links symbolic images to concrete, yet mysterious, realities concerning Christ and the church. The symbolism here is immediate, serving as a framework for the exhortations that follow.