Revelation
“Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophetic utterances. Test everything; retain what is good” (1 Thess. 5:19–21).
“11 Now I want to make it quite clear to you, brothers, about the gospel that was preached by me, that it was no human message. 12 It was not from any human being that I received it, and I was not taught it, but it came to me through a revelation of Jesus Christ. “New Jerusalem Bible (Galations Chapter 1)http://www.catholic.org/bible/book.php?id=48Definition
Revelation- act/process/description of something which is revealed.
Devine revelation- That which is revealed to man by God.
The purpose of revelation
Revalation is purposed for the edification and cementing of our consistent salvation, and for our benefit, and the benefit of our relations with others and God. Revealed facts are those things that we can only see with the aid of Grace. These include the mysteries of faith.
“10 This salvation was the subject of the search and investigation of the prophets who spoke of the grace you were to receive,11 searching out the time and circumstances for which the Spirit of Christ, bearing witness in them, was revealing the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow them.12 It was revealed to them that it was for your sake and not their own that they were acting as servants delivering the message which has now been announced to you by those who preached to you the gospel through the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even the angels long to catch a glimpse of these things.
13 Your minds, then, must be sober and ready for action; put all your hope in the grace brought to you by the revelation of Jesus Christ. “(I Peter 1- New Jerusalem Bible) (emboldment added)http://www.catholic.org/bible/book.php?id=58
Public Revelation
All information needed for salvation- was completely in form by the death of the last apostle. The revelation of the bible, and Apostles- was public revelation- and given to all persons who where to come to knowing/normal salvation. There is no longer need for further Public revelation, as God has revealed all that was necessary for the general salvation.
Private Revelation
“Public revelation is binding on all Christians, but private revelation is binding only on those who receive it. The Catholic Church teaches that public revelation was completed, and therefore was concluded, with the death of the last apostle (Vatican II, Dei Verbum 4), but private revelation has continued.“ http://www.catholic.com/library/Private_Revelation.asp
All remaining revelation is known as private revelation. This allows for deeper understanding of faith- and aid salvation- especially as st.Paul said – “Should I or an angel preach to you a different gospel- he should be condemned”, and again it is said- “Hold to the faith you originally heard” and that we should not be blown by every wind of teaching, or by plausable lies- for the new covenant was “once and for all handeddown to” us, and cannot alter nor change, it must be constant and consistent and existent since the days of Jesus, and privately in the heart of God before such. The revelation of God, like the church- can never, since it went out- change in its substance (”my word will not fade away”).
“67 Throughout the ages, there have been so-called “private” revelations, some of which have been recognized by the authority of the Church. They do not belong, however, to the deposit of faith. It is not their role to improve or complete Christ’s definitive Revelation, but to help live more fully by it in a certain period of history. Guided by the Magisterium of the Church, the sensus fidelium knows how to discern and welcome in these revelations whatever constitutes an authentic call of Christ or his saints to the Church. Christian faith cannot accept “revelations” that claim to surpass or correct the Revelation of which Christ is the fulfillment, as is the case in certain non-Christian religions and also in certain recent sects which base themselves on such “revelations”.” Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC)
