The Revelation Gifts of the Holy Spirit

In the last study, we began a study of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. We established that God is the giver of these gifts. God demands purity before power. We also learnt that there are three categories of the gifts; revelation gifts, inspiration gifts, the power gifts. In this study, we will look in details at the revelation gifts (Word of Wisdom, Word of Knowledge and Discerning of Spirits).

Main Text: 1 Corinthians 12:1-14

The Gifts of the Word of Knowledge

The word of knowledge is the supernatural revelation by the Spirit of certain facts in the mind of God. God has a storehouse of knowledge from eternity past to eternity future. He knows everything, but He doesn’t reveal everything He knows to man. He gives him a word or part of what He knows. The word of knowledge is, therefore, a fragment of God’s knowledge revealed to one of His children. It is a peep into the Divine’s mind. The word of knowledge can be manifested through:

  • The audible voice
  • Visions (Acts 9:10-12, Acts 10:9-20)
  • Inward revelation (John 4:16-18)

God Never Does Anything Without a Purpose

Since our God never does anything without a purpose, there are several reasons why God gives the gift of the word of knowledge. Some of the reasons are:

  • To enlighten a discouraged servant – 1 Kings 19:2-4, 1 Kings 19:14, and 1 Kings 19:18
  • To give us an edge over the enemy – 2 Kings 6:9-12.
  • To expose the hypocrite – 2 Kings 5:25-26
  • To discover man in hiding – 1 Samuel 10:11-23

The Gifts of the Word of Wisdom

The word of wisdom is a supernatural revelation by the Spirit of God concerning the divine purpose in the mind and will of God. To understand the term “Word of Wisdom”, we need to note that God has all wisdom and in His divine wisdom, He knows all about the future. He gives only a bit of it at a time of need (Acts 8:26-29). The word of wisdom and word of knowledge often operate together (Act 9:10-16).

The Purpose of the Word of Wisdom

Depending on the circumstances, there are various reasons why God may manifest the gifts of the word of wisdom in His body. Some of the reasons could be:

  • To solve human problems
  • To confuse the enemy
  • To turn a fool into a learned person thereby demonstrating the superiority of God’s wisdom over man’s
  • To give direction and protection (Acts 27:10, Acts 27:23-24)
  • To set apart for ministry (Acts 9:15).

The Manifestation of the Word of Wisdom

The gift of the word of wisdom could be manifested through:

  • Audible voice Ex 20:1-26
  • Vision or dream – Acts 9:10-12, Acts 10:9-20, Daniel 2:19-23
  • Prophecy or through tongues and interpretation of tongues
  • Reading scriptures
  • Inward revelation – John 4:17-19

The Gifts of Discerning of Spirits

To discern means to see, that is, seeing into the spiritual realm. All visions are the manifestation of discerning of spirits. A vision might bring with it a word of wisdom or knowledge but the vision itself is the gift of discerning of spirits. The discerning of spirits gives us insight into the spirit world. This gift is not for discerning of devils nor discerning of evil spirits only, it is the insight into the realm of spirits of both good and bad. Following this line of reasoning, if the gift of discerning of spirits is in operation, we can also discern likeness of God, angelic beings, Satan and his legions. Also, we can discern human spirit with its good or evil tendencies.

Biblical examples:

  • Discerning the similitude of God- Exodus 33:20-23, Isaiah 6:1
  • Discerning the Holy Spirit – Rev 5:6
  • Discerning spirits – Acts 16:16-18

How to Obtain the Revelation Gifts

The revelation gifts are usually given to covenant men and people whose sole aim is to serve the Lord with all they have. If you want the gift, you must be prepared to pay the cost. Galatians 3:5, Philippians. 3:7-10.