From J. C. Philpot's Daily Portions
July 23 "That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of
glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the
knowledge of him." Ephesians 1:17 Revelation means literally an uncovering or unveiling of
a concealed or covered-up object. It is used, therefore, sometimes in the
sense of manifesting, making known, or bringing to light, what had before
been hidden in darkness and obscurity. This revelation is, therefore, either
outward in the word, or inward in the soul, and the two strictly correspond
to and are counterparts of each other. Immediately when, by the power of
divine grace, a poor Gentile sinner turns to the Lord, the Spirit of
revelation removes the veil off the Scriptures, and off his heart. Have we
not found it so? What a sealed book was the word of God once to us! How we
read or heard it without one real ray of light to illuminate the dark page;
and what a thick veil was there of ignorance, unbelief, prejudice,
self-righteousness, and impenitence on our heart. But the gracious Spirit of
revelation took this double veil away, and by giving us the light of life,
made the word of God a new book, and gave us a new heart; and ever since the
day when the entrance of his word gave us light, God's word has been a lamp
unto our feet, and a light unto our path. But the Spirit of revelation is chiefly given to lead us
into a spiritual, experimental, and saving knowledge of Christ. Without this
blessed Spirit of revelation Christ cannot be effectually or savingly known.
When, therefore, Peter made that noble confession of his faith in Christ as
"the Son of the living God," our Lord said to him--"Blessed are you, Simon
son of Jonah; for flesh and blood has not revealed it unto you, but my
Father who is in heaven."