What is the difference between revelation, prophecy, and vision?

by Ester yusufu | 9 February 2021 08:46 am02

1. Revelation

Revelation is God’s act of making Himself or His will known to humanity. It often involves unveiling truths that were previously hidden or unknown. In Christian theology, God reveals Himself through Scripture, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit (John 16:13).

Example & Bible Reference:
In the New Testament, many people misunderstood who Jesus was. When Jesus asked His disciples who they thought He was, Peter answered by divine revelation:

“Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church…”
(Matthew 16:17-18)

Peter’s knowledge was a direct revelation from God the Father, not from human reasoning. This highlights that true spiritual understanding comes by God’s initiative through the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:10-12).

2. Vision

A vision is a spiritual experience where God communicates visually, often symbolically, to convey His message. Visions are a common biblical means of divine communication used by prophets and believers (Numbers 12:6; Joel 2:28).

Example & Bible Reference:
Cornelius, a devout God-fearing man, received a clear vision where an angel instructed him:

“One day at about three in the afternoon he had a vision. He distinctly saw an angel of God, who came to him and said, ‘Cornelius!’ … ‘Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God.’”
(Acts 10:3-4)

Visions can occur while awake or in dreams, and they often communicate God’s will or upcoming events (Daniel 7:1-2).

3. Prophecy

Prophecy is a divinely inspired message that often predicts future events or calls people to repentance and obedience. It is a gift of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:10), functioning both in foretelling and forth telling God’s will. Prophecy may be conscious or unconscious, direct or symbolic.

Examples & Bible References:

The high priest Caiaphas prophesied unknowingly about Jesus’ sacrificial death:

“He did not say this on his own, but as high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the Jewish nation.”
(John 11:51)
Prophecy can be a public declaration from God, as shown in Revelation:

“And I will appoint my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days…”
(Revelation 11:3)
Prophecy may also come through visions, as with Enoch:

“Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about them: ‘See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones.’”
(Jude 1:14)

The entire book of Revelation is prophetic, containing visions of future events given to John. It concludes with this promise:

“Look, I am coming soon! Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy in this scroll.”
(Revelation 22:7)

May God richly bless your understanding as you seek His truth!.

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