Ephesians 1:17-20 (Kjv)
Ephesians 1:17 “that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him”
Ephesians 1:18 “the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints”,
Ephesians 1:19 “and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power”
Ephesians 1:20 “which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places”
The word “wisdom” is an old Greek word “sophias” which is use to describe insight or wisdom not naturally attained.
The word “revelation” is an old Greek word “Apokalypsis” which means unveiling a thing. Other bible verse that talks about revelation are Luke 2:32, 1 Cor 1:7 and so on.
Paul urges Christians to recognize and appreciate the wealth they have in Christ Jesus; believers must continue to grow in their understanding of God. The Holy Spirit exposes the truth and empowers us to comprehend it. Apostle Paul asked for two things in this bible verse: the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation. The truths are concealed until God chooses to disclose them to us. The Ephesian church need wisdom beyond their own human comprehension, so Paul prayed to God to provide them with what they required: extraordinary insight not obtained naturally. Then Paul used the word “revelation” to clarify what he meant.
King Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines, the wives were described as foreign princesses, including pharaoh’s daughter and the women of Moab, Ammon, Edom, Sidon and of the Hittites. He was only able to live long wit the kind of life he lived because he had wisdom. You can only become wise when you know God and move closer to him, Prov. 9:10 says “The fear of the lord is the beginning of wisdom and the Knowledge of the Holy One is understanding”. God will give you wisdom that is not naturally attained and by revelation you will see what you could never have seen by yourself.
Wisdom and revelation go hand in hand; if you think you can be wise or brave, you’ve got a lot to lose. Paul stressed that the kind of wisdom they’d have would only come to them through revelation, which only God can supply. “Knowledge of him”—the Creator who has shown Himself in Christ Jesus the Lord—is the objective of wisdom and revelation. The Apostle Paul prayed for a spirit of insight and revelation to be given to the Ephesian believers, primarily for the purpose of knowing God in a new and expanded way. Our spiritual sight (heart’s eyes) must learn to see the spiritual reality that the material world cannot see.
Paul desired that believer grow in their appreciation and appropriation of the extravagant grace made available to them through the resurrection. They required more than just instruction; they required a personal revelation of what this incredible display of power meant for their own lives. Our purpose on earth is serving God, now serving God and knowing our purposes at the same time will widen our eyes to the riches of the glory of His inheritance. By the time you know your purpose, you begin to see and enjoy the power of God Luke 10:19 “Behold I give unto you power to trend on serpent and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy and nothing shall b any means hurt you”.
The same power that raised Jesus Christ on the third day shall abide with you. 1 Cor. 6:14 “and God raised the lord and will also raise us up by his power”. As Christians, we are carried away by circumstances that try to sap our hope and courage. God will enlighten our understanding to the hope of our calling once he has given us the spirit of wisdom and revelation. If as a Christian we can know our purpose and calling in life then we have solved part of our problems. Hope is a confidence in God’s ability to do absolutely anything
Finally, when we have a revelation of His power working in us we will know that there is nothing that can oppose the unfolding purpose of heaven in our life. Always remember that irrepressible hope is rooted in Jesus Christ’s resurrection; the “spirit of wisdom and revelation” does not refer to a specific blessing obtained after conversion, but rather to the Spirit’s work in helping all God’s people grasp the things of God.