REVELATION LIGHT
Pure Oil is Needed for Revelation Light
I was recently reading from The Passion Translation of the Bible (TPT). In Luke chapter 8:17, TPT uses the words “Revelation-Light” for “light, etc.” (other translations): “Every secret of the kingdom will be unveiled and out in the open, made known by the Revelation Light.” The immediate question was, “What exactly is “Revelation Light?” It was something different. It was a different way to see a bible truth.
The various footnotes led to a trip through the Scriptures and various websites. And, subsequently, I found the answer to my question, “What exactly is Revelation Light?”.
As a side-note, it was a reminder to be thankful for different Bible translations that allow us to see the Scriptures from differing angles. It has been said and quoted by many scholars that “there is no translation without interpretation” (author unknown). That is why different translations give different ideas on possible meanings of the translated Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic words.
These verses in the book of Exodus are where the search for an answer to the question led.
Exodus 27:20-21 KJ21
20 “And thou shalt command the children of Israel that they bring thee pure oil of beaten olives for the light to cause the lamp to burn always.
“21 the tabernacle of the congregation outside the veil, which is before the Testimony, Aaron and his sons shall tend it from evening to morning before the LORD. It shall be a statute for ever unto their generations on the behalf of the children of Israel.”
Pure Oil, Beaten & Extracted One Drop at a Time
In the gospel of Luke chapter 8, we find this account, “Massive crowds gathered from many towns to hear Jesus, and he taught them using metaphors and parables, such as this: ’A farmer went out to sow seed for a harvest.’”
Later, Jesus’ disciples came to him privately to ask him what the parable means. This is what He said in verse10a:
“[Jesus] said, ‘You have been given a teachable heart to perceive the secret, hidden mysteries of God’s kingdom realm.’”
The Oil That Gives Revelation Light
“16 No one lights a lamp and then hides it, covering it over or putting it where no one sees its light. No, he places the lamp on a lampstand so others benefit from its brightness.
“17 Because this revelation lamp now shines within you, nothing will be hidden from you—it will all be revealed. Every secret of the kingdom will be unveiled and out in the open, made known by the revelation-light.
18a So pay careful attention to your hearts as you listen to my teaching, for to those who have open hearts, even more revelation will be given to them until it overflows.” TPT 2020.
Therefore Jesus is showing his disciples that they need open and teachable hearts.
Teachable Hearts
How woud those of Israel be in a position to receive a teachable heart, a heart that is open to Jesus’ words and can receive revelation light from God?
The requirement for having a teachable heart is by being PURE, BEATEN, LIKE THE OLIVES FOR THE TEMPLE LAMP, BEATEN WITH PATIENCE AND LOVE, – REVELATION LIGHT. It is a careful and unhurried process that yields ONE DROP AT A TIME.
Please go to HEBREW WORD STUDY-THE BEATEN OIL and read an excellent web article that references Exodus 27:20 and the temple lamp.
God Needed Israel to be Revelation Light
The Lord brought to my mind, through the study, the lamp in the temple that was to burn continually. And so, like the beaten oil of the temple lamp, we are reminded of the “revelation-light” in Luke 8, TPT. The oil in the lamp was to be “pure oil of beaten olives” so that it could burn continually to lighten the darkness in the temple, giving revelation light.
Pure oil did not come from a mill where a large stone pressed the olives. The grinding of the mill stones together left a residue in the oil. Oil with a residue was not considered pure. To extract the oil from the olive, it was crushed with a mortal and pestle and formed one drop at a time—with patience and love.
If we compare this to God’s work in Israel, we can understand that God develops pure faith in believers. He uses the experiences (mortar) in life (pestle) which produce purity, one drop at a time with patience and love. It cannot be mass produced. It can only be produced by God’s work in individual lives.
What Does Olive Oil Symbolize?
It is generally believed that olive oil is representative of the Holy Spirit in the Scriptures. Take a moment to patiently look through a concordance for scripture on the Holy Spirit and you will be able to see this truth.
The Holy Spirit gives revelation light. He is the spirit of the Lord and He is the vehicle that God uses to give revelation through the Word of God. (Please see John 16:13-14 and John 14:16.) “Because this revelation lamp now shines within you, nothing will be hidden from you—all will be revealed.”
“…the children of Israel that they bring thee pure oil…for the light…”. The pure oil was for the sake of the light, the revelation light of God. It was not for Israel. God used the pure oil so that He could enlighten them and use them for His glory: “No one lights a lamp and then hides it…”.
What About the Body of Christ?
WE ARE INDWELT BY THE SPIRIT OF GOD–CHRIST–REVELATION LIGHT! Therefore we are in a position to receive a teachable heart, a heart that can receive revelation light from God. The answer for us is the same as it was for Israel!
Remember that the Temple Lamp was to burn continually in the hours of darkness so that those who minister could see what was around them. And so those who live in this evil world live in darkness. They are blinded to the revelation light by that darkness. 2 Corinthians 4:4.
Therefore, God desires to use His children here, as we walk in the midst of the darkness of this present evil world. We have been commanded in Philippians 2:14-16 to manifest the light of Christ within us to the world.
But What Does This Look Like?
Our light can be hidden by many things. Our lives, in Christ, must be pure so that the light can shine forth into the darkness. Because those living in the darkness desparately need the light of Christ to shine unto them–THROUGH US!
Our loving God patiently works in us so that we can share His Revelation Light. It will take a lifetime but oh so glorious is the journey. God works in us through experiences (mortar) in life (pestle) which produce purity so that the life of Christ can shine through us. It is for His sake and for His glory.
Oil That Is Not Pure – Mass Produced
Therefore, we must not hide what we’ve been given, like Israel did. Pure light. We have been given teachable hearts, as in verse 10.
Luke 8:10B “But to those without a listening heart, my words are merely stories. Even though they have eyes, they are blind to the true meaning of what I say, and even though they listen, they won’t receive full revelation.”
Luke 8:18b “And for those who do not listen with open hearts, what little light they imagine themselves to have will be taken away.”
These are like the virgins with no oil in their lamps. Perhaps they are like the people invited to the wedding and would not come. Maybe they are like the one who came to the wedding but was not dressed properly. Or perhaps they are like those at the judgment whose works are equal to wood, hay, and stubble. They lost the blessings that God had for them and their faith was not produced through the work of God but through their carnal works.
“So pay careful attention to your hearts as you listen to my teaching, for to those who have open hearts, even more revelation will be given to them until it overflows.” Luke 8:18a
In Conclusion
The following quote from the Chaim Bentorah Website sums it up nicely.
“Exodus 27:20 really gives us a dual illustration. The first is to picture the Messiah. The second is to picture ourselves. God wants to extract that which is pure, the life of Jesus Christ, from us. However, sometimes we are like that old log that will not catch fire. We just cannot catch the fire of Jesus. So God has to put us through the type of difficulties that have the potential of crushing us, but He will not allow us to be crushed, instead what He will do is to strip us of all our trust in ourselves so that the world can see that our trust is in God and God alone. The world will be able to see that which is pure, Jesus Christ, the first fruit that lives inside our earthen vessels.”
