It’s probably one of the most common and commonly-missed errors Christians make when speaking about the Bible—they call the final book of the Bible “Revelations” instead of “Revelation.” The difference is subtle—a single “s.” Yet that little letter, in its own way, changes the very nature of the book. It matters.
It matters because it’s crucial to a proper reading of any document to get the first word right. If we go around thinking Abraham Lincoln began the Gettysburg Address with “Fore score and seven years ago…” we might miss the connection he makes to the signing of the Declaration of Independence 87 years prior. We can’t just pluralize the book of Genesis and make it “Genesises” if we want to capture the fact that it describes the beginning rather than beginnings. We’d do damage to Peter’s Pentecost sermon if we changed the opening “men” to “man.” “Man of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words…”
The book of Revelation takes its name from its opening word. That word is apokalypsis which is best translated as “revelation,” though it can also catch the senses of unveiling
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