Revelation, inspiration, and illumination

Before proceeding, we need to clarify some terms. While the distinction between inspiration and revelation is not clear-cut, the word revelation refers primarily to God’s disclosure of truth through words, acts, or any other means, but most fully in the person ofJesus Christ. It refers primarily to the content of truth—the subject matter that is communicated to the prophet. For example, in Daniel 7, the revelation is what Daniel saw.GP 50.1

The term inspiration , on the other hand, describes primarily the way God communicates His truth—the method of communication between God and human beings. At times, God used visions and dreams (see Numbers 12:6). At other times, He spoke face to face (see verses 7, 8) or simply guided the writers in some way through the Holy Spirit so that what they wrote was in harmony with His will. Thus the apostle Peter declared, “Prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:21). The word moved (Gr. phero ) is used in Acts 2:2 for the “rushing [phero ] mighty wind” that descended on the believers at Pentecost. Acts 27:15 refers to a ship that was driven (phero ) along by the wind, making the sailors unable to steer or control it. So, in 2 Peter 1:21, the use of the word phero implies that the biblical writers were borne along by the Spirit as a ship is borne along by the wind. They were under His control.GP 50.2

The third word that needs a brief explanation is the word illumination. Illumination is the enlightenment the Holy Spirit provides to help us understand God’s Word. While revelation and inspiration affect the biblical authors, illumination affects us as readers. Paul wrote, “The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:14, NIV). In other words, the reader and interpreter of the Scriptures must be led by the same Spirit that inspired the Scriptures. Without the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit, we cannot interpret the Bible correctly, for He alone enables the believer to understand and apply the Scripture. So, any study of the Word of God should begin with a prayer for the Holy Spirit’s guidance and illumination.GP 50.3