What are revelation gifts?
These are the gifts of the Holy Spirit that reveal something (1 Cor.
12:8-10). They include 1) Word of wisdom (Gen. 37:5-11; Acts 9:10-16; Acts 21:10-11), 2) Word of knowledge
(Acts 5:3, 9:11; 2 Kings 6:9; 1 Sam. 9:19-20; Acts 10:9-20; Rev. 2 & 3),
and 3) Discerning of spirits (Ex. 13:20-23; 1 Kings 14:5-6; 2 Kings
6:32-33, 6:8-17; Acts 16:16-18).
The Word of Wisdom is the first and the most
important revelation gift. It is not wisdom in the affairs of life. For
instance, in the beginning of Joshua’s ministry, God told him that the key to
success lies in meditating on the Word of God, and by so doing, he would obtain
wisdom to handle the affairs of life (Josh. 1:8).
Another translation puts Joshua 1:8 as follows, “…Thou shall make thy way prosperous and thou shall be
able to deal wisely in the affairs of life.”
There is a wisdom that is gained through the
knowledge of God’s Word, but that is not the supernatural manifestation of the
gift of the Word of Wisdom.
Again, Solomon’s wisdom was not a manifestation of
the Word of Wisdom. Solomon’s wisdom was given to him by God because he asked
God for it (1 Kings 3:9-13). God has promised in His Word that this general
wisdom to deal in the affairs of life is available to everyone who will ask for
it. God Himself will impart such wisdom to anyone that asks for it (Jam. 1:5).
But when God sees it fit to reveal His own mind, His
purpose and plan to man in a supernatural way, He does so by this supernatural
manifestation of the Word of Wisdom. This particular gift is not given to
everyone (1 Cor. 12:8).
What then is the Word of Wisdom? The Word of
Wisdom is therefore, a supernatural revelation by the Spirit of God
concerning the divine purpose of God in the mind and will of God. In this
way God reveals His plan and purpose for the FUTURE. It is a
revelation of the future given to us through the Holy Spirit of God.
God has all wisdom and all knowledge. He knows the
end from the beginning. He knows everything, but never reveals to anybody
everything He knows. He just gives to the one He decides to give a WORD of what
He knows. That is to say that God reveals to man only the WORD, or the part,
that He wants him to know.
How do revelation gifts come? Sometimes
the Word of Wisdom is conveyed through the vehicle of prophecy, but it isn’t
really prophecy in and of itself. There is no element of predicting or
foretelling in the simple gift of prophecy (1 Cor. 14:3). Therefore you can
confidently tell when an utterance is no longer a simple gift of prophecy in
operation because it will include some revelation in it.
Revelation gifts can also come through those who are
called into the fivefold ministry (Eph. 4:11-12), but will more frequently
manifest in the office of the prophet.
The Word of Wisdom can come through the vocal gift
of utterance - through prophecy or through tongues and interpretation.
The Word of Wisdom can come through a vision, or by
a dream. For instance, in the Old Testament Joseph received a Word of Wisdom
through a dream which revealed to him God’s plan and purpose for his future
(Gen. 37).
Moses received the revelation of the Law in an
audible Voice as God gave him the Law. The Law concerned God’s purpose for Israel.
Therefore, this was the Word of Wisdom in demonstration.
This is also true of the prophets of the Old
Testament prophesied many things concerning the future of Israel, the New
Testament, the coming Messiah, and even the events yet to be fulfilled. They
conveyed it through prophecy, but it was actually a Word of Wisdom they
manifested because it foretold future events.
The Word of Wisdom and the Word of Knowledge operate
together both in the Old Testament and in the New Testament. We can see how
both of them flow together as the prophets prophesied. The Old Testament
prophets often operated in these gifts along with the gift of prophecy.
The Old Testament prophets not only prophesied about
the present, which is the Word of Knowledge in operation, but they also
prophesied about things in the future, which is the Word of Wisdom in manifestation.
And their prophecies foretold of events in the near future as well as events in
the distant future. Let’s look at some examples:
a) In Revelations 2 and 3 we find the Word of Wisdom
and the Word of Knowledge operating together. The present spiritual condition
of the churches in Asia Minor was revealed to
John through a Word of Knowledge in a vision. Then the Lord went on to give
Apostle John a Word of Wisdom by telling each one of the seven churches what to
do in the future, according to His plan and purpose for them.
b) Also in Acts 9:10 -16 we also find the Word of
Wisdom and the Word of Knowledge operating together. The Word of Wisdom revealed to Ananias the
plan and purpose of God, and the Word of Knowledge revealed specific facts to
Ananias. It was God’s plan for Ananias to go inquire about Saul. But the Word
of Knowledge revealed exact facts as to where to go, even the name of the
street to go to, the very house to go to, and the person in the house to whom
he was to speak to (Acts 9:11). The Lord even told Ananias what Saul was doing
right then – he was praying: “…for, behold, he [Saul] prayeth…” (Acts
9:11). This was all knowledge of present-tense facts.
It was also revealed to Ananias that Saul “…had seen in a vision a man named Ananias
coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight”
(Acts 9:12). That was a revelation given to Ananias concerning present facts
about Saul. Therefore, it was still the Word of Knowledge in manifestation.
But in response to the statement of Ananias in Acts
9:13-14, the Lord spoke to Ananias again in a vision and gave him further
revelation. This second revelation was the Word of Wisdom because it revealed
God’s plan and purpose for the future (Acts 9:15). It was a revelation of what
Paul was eventually going to do for the Lord. It was a Word of Wisdom because
it foretold the future, revealing the plans and purposes of God.
You see, God planned to use Paul in the future “to bear His name before the Gentiles, the
kings, and the children of Israel”
(Acts 9:15). God said, “…he is a
chosen vessel unto Me…” (Acts 9:15). That is a revelation of the
future, foretelling the plan and purpose of God for Paul in the future. We call
that a Word of Wisdom.
In Acts 9:16 God still spoke a further Word of
Wisdom to Ananias, that Paul was going to suffer much persecution and hardship
in his circumstances and surroundings. And he did (Acts 14:19; 2 Cor.
11:23-33). That was a Word of Wisdom.
c) In Acts 8, we see the gifts of the Word of Wisdom
and Word of Knowledge operating together again through a layman, Phillip.
Phillip was a deacon; he had been appointed to serve tables (Acts 6:2-3). But
later God moved him into the office of an Evangelist (Acts 21:8).
In the case of Phillip in Acts 8:26-29, the Word of
Wisdom came through a message by an angel. The angel gave instructions
regarding God’s plan for Phillip’s immediate future. The angel said, “Go down to the desert” (v 26). This was
just a fragment or a “word” of the plan of God for Phillip’s life - a Word of
Wisdom for something that was to transpire in the near future.
Philip obeyed and went to the desert where he saw
the Ethiopian eunuch. Then a Word of Knowledge was given to Philip by the voice
of the Holy Spirit: “…Go near, and join
thyself to this chariot” (v. 29). God was giving Philip a present-tense
instruction, to join the eunuch’s chariot. This instruction was only a fragment
or a “Word” of Knowledge from the mind of God to Philip at that time.
Through the manifestation of two of the revelation
gifts, God gave Philip instructions about what to do. God gives instructions to
each of us as believers, as He guides and leads us by the inward witness.
But here Philip received instructions by spiritual gifts in operation through
the manifestation of the Word of Wisdom and the Word of Knowledge.
Let’s look at some examples of how the gift of the
Word of Wisdom was manifested in the Scripture.
a) Noah received a Word of Wisdom. The gift of the
Word of Wisdom was used to warm people concerning future judgment or danger.
For instance Noah received a Word of Wisdom concerning danger and future
judgment on the world through flood, and he built the ark to save his household
(Gen. 6:13-18).
The same was true for Lot and his family who were
saved when God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen 19:29).
b) Abraham received a Word of Wisdom (Gen. 18:9-14).
c) In Genesis 37:5–11 Joseph received a Word of
Wisdom through a dream. This revealed God’s plan and purpose for him for the
future.
God spoke to Joseph in dreams concerning his future
(Gen. 37-50). Joseph knew about his calling and God’s plan and purpose for his
life through the Word of Wisdom.
In Genesis 45:5-7 Joseph said to his brothers, “Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with
yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve
life. 6 For these two years hath the famine been in the land: and yet there are
five years, in the which there shall neither be earing nor harvest. 7 And
God sent me before you to preserve you posterity in the earth, and to save your
lives by a great deliverance.”
d) Prophet Elisha received a Word of Wisdom. In 2
Kings 7:1 Elisha said, “Hear ye the Word of
the LORD; Thus saith the LORD, To morrow about this time shall a measure of
fine flour be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, in
the gate of Samaria.”
e) Prophet Micaiah received a Word of Wisdom. In 1
Kings 22:14; 17; 28 Micaiah said, “As
the LORD liveth, what the LORD saith unto me, that will I speak….17 And he
said, I saw all Israel scattered upon the hills, as sheep that have not a
shepherd: and the LORD said, These have no master: let them return every man to
his house in peace….28 And Micaiah said, If thou return at all in peace, the
LORD hath not spoken by me. And he said, Hearken, O people, every one of you.”
f) In Acts 11:27-30 prophet Agabus prophesied and foretold
a great famine throughout all the world. He predicted by the Spirit that
a great famine was coming upon the entire Roman world. As a prophet of God, Agabus had the gift of
predicting the future.
Acts 11:27-30 says, “And in these days prophets came from Jerusalem
to Antioch. 28 Then
one of them, named Agabus, stood up and showed by the Spirit that there was
going to be a great famine throughout all the world, which also happened in the
days of Claudius Caesar. 29 Then the disciples, each according to his
ability, determined to send relief to the brethren dwelling in Judea. 30 This they also did, and sent it to the elders
by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.”
g) In Acts 21:10-11 prophet Agabus received another
Word of Wisdom. He foretold what would happen to Apostle Paul in Jerusalem and it certainly
did come to pass. The Scriptures say, “And as we stayed many days, a certain prophet named
Agabus came down from Judea. 11 When he had
come to us, he took Paul's belt, bound his own hands and feet, and said,
"THUS SAYS THE HOLY SPIRIT, 'So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind
the man who owns this belt, and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.' "
Notice the word “so
shall….” in verse 11. “Shall”
refers to the future. The Word of Wisdom tells of something that is going to
happen in the future.
When any revelation
is given by the unction of the Holy Spirit, it is always a Word of Wisdom, a
Word of Knowledge, or the discerning of spirits because these are the only
three gifts of revelation.
h) Paul also received a Word of Wisdom. The Word of
Wisdom is also given to assure of coming deliverance in time of calamity.
On his way to Rome in a ship to appeal to Caesar, a
violent storm arose. He had a Word of Wisdom for those on board the ship before
they ever set sail. He said, “…I
perceive that the voyage will be with hurt and much damage….” (Acts
27:10). At the time Paul said this there was no sign of any danger, so they
ignored what he said and still set sail.
If those in the ship had listened to what God was
saying through Apostle Paul, they would not have lost their ship and goods.
Failing to heed his warning they eventually had to loose everything. All hope
that they would be saved was gone. But in the midst of such a hopeless
situation, Paul stood his ground because he has heard from Heaven (Acts
27:23-26).
This wisdom concerning the future which Paul had was
by supernatural revelation. God revealed it to Paul and Paul in turn revealed
what was going to happen to those who were with him in the ship.
i) The Book of Revelation is a Word of Wisdom.
Therefore the Word of Wisdom is a revelation concerning the FUTURE. This
piece of information is given to us through the Holy Spirit of God.
Conclusion: As we learn to yield to God, His plans
and His purposes will be revealed to us through the Word of Wisdom as His
Spirit wills.
Watch out for the next edition of Good News from the Pulpit!
- Your friend: I. I. MADUBUNYI (Senior Pastor) 29.07. 2018
Scripture for the week: This week, “The LORD will undo all that afflict you and give you
fame instead of shame” (Zeph. 3:19-20). “He will perfect
all that concerneth you” (Ps. 138:8).
This is awesome Sir.
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