ἀποκάλυψις (apokalupsis)
apokalupsis
revelation
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 17 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The noun apokalupsis literally means an uncovering or laying bare. In Scripture it refers to a revelation, specifically the disclosure of divine truth that was previously hidden. This term appears seventeen times in the New Testament, with significant usage in Romans, 1 Corinthians, and 1 Peter.
It describes God making known things that were once withdrawn from view. For example, Paul speaks of this revelation as a mystery kept secret for long ages but now made manifest (Romans 16:25). In 1 Peter, believers are encouraged to rejoice when this revelation occurs at the return of Christ (1 Peter 1:7, 13).
The word comes from the verb apokalyptō, meaning to remove a cover. It emphasizes clarity and visibility rather than just information transfer. Translators often render it as "revelation," capturing the sense of something being unveiled for all to see.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word apokalupsis carries the simple image of lifting a veil. It is not merely receiving new data, but seeing something that was always there, hidden from view until God decides to show it. This shifts our focus from trying to figure out the unknown to trusting the One who reveals Himself. In your daily walk, this means you do not need to strain to find God’s truth; He makes it known.
Paul reminds us in Ephesians 1:17 that we can ask for a spirit of wisdom and revelation. This is an invitation to pray for clarity rather than just more information. When life feels confusing, we can look to the Lord Jesus Christ as the ultimate unveiling of God’s character. His life and work show us exactly who God is.
Even in suffering, this truth offers hope. 1 Peter 1:7 encourages believers to rejoice because their faith will result in praise at the revelation of Jesus Christ. The present struggles are temporary, but the coming clarity is eternal. We wait with eager expectation, knowing that what is hidden now will one day be fully visible.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 17 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- revelation9×
- a revelation3×
- [the] revelation2×
- revelations.1×
- revelations1×
- [The] revelation1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- ἀποκάλυψιν6×
- ἀποκαλύψει5×
- ἀποκαλύψεως3×
- Ἀποκάλυψις1×
- ἀποκαλύψεων.¶1×
- ἀποκαλύψεις1×
Key Verses
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Luke 2:32
a light for revelation to the nations, and the glory of your people Israel.”
This verse identifies Jesus Himself as the light of revelation, showing that God’s truth is personal and embodied rather than abstract.
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Ephesians 1:17
that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him,
Paul prays specifically for believers to receive this revelation in their knowledge of God, linking divine disclosure directly to personal wisdom.
-
Romans 8:19
For the creation waits with eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed.
Here the term describes creation’s eager waiting for the unveiling of God’s children, extending the concept beyond just doctrinal truth to identity and destiny.
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Revelation of John 1:1
This is the Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things which must happen soon, which he sent and made known by his angel to his servant, John,
The book’s title uses this noun to frame the entire text as a divine unveiling of Jesus Christ intended for His servants.