Direct Revelation

Definition and Meaning

Direct revelation denotes revelation said to be received through immediate, unmediated communication with God. Revelation refers to God's act of disclosing Himself and His will to human beings. The term "direct revelation" describes cases in which a person claims to have received, directly through dreams, visions, voices, or prophecies, new instructions or truths not found in the Bible.

In Korean Protestant churches, where the expression (jiktong gyesi) is in wide use, it is less a formal term of theological textbooks than a common phrase. It is usually employed critically, as in "he claims to have received direct revelation." Experiences such as gaining insight during prayer or being deeply moved by a passage of Scripture are ordinarily described as the illumination of the Holy Spirit (the Spirit's help in understanding Scripture) or as the Spirit's guidance, and they are distinguished from direct revelation.

Biblical and Historical Background

Scripture contains many accounts of God speaking to the prophets through dreams and visions. Hebrews 1:1–2 states that God spoke in time past in divers manners and has in these last days spoken by His Son. The New Testament recognizes prophecy as a spiritual gift, yet it also directs others to weigh and discern such prophecies (1 Corinthians 14:29; 1 Thessalonians 5:20–21).

In the second century, Montanism put forward new prophecies and was rejected by the church. During the Reformation, Martin Luther criticized the so-called enthusiasts, who placed direct revelation from the Spirit above Scripture. Chapter 1 of the Westminster Confession of Faith confesses that God's former ways of revealing His will have now ceased. It further states that nothing may be added to Scripture, not even by "new revelations of the Spirit."

Practice in Korean Churches

Among Korean Protestants, Presbyterian churches in the Reformed tradition hold that because the canon is closed, there is no new revelation that adds to Scripture, and they regard a claim of direct revelation as an important warning sign of possible heresy. Methodist and Holiness churches generally share the position that personal experience must be discerned under the authority of Scripture.

Full Gospel churches of the Pentecostal and charismatic traditions hold that gifts of the Spirit such as prophecy and speaking in tongues continue today. They maintain, however, that such gifts are not revelation carrying the same authority as Scripture and that they must be tested by Scripture. This difference is bound up with the cessationism and continuationism debate.

In Korean church history, the general assemblies of various denominations are reported to have treated a founder's or leader's claims of direct revelation as a principal ground for declaring a group heretical. More recently, the term has also figured in controversies over the prophetic ministries of the New Apostolic Reformation. Similar controversies have arisen over practices of "hearing God's voice" and trance experiences at some prayer retreat centers and revival meetings.