full assurance and full comprehension of the will of God for any dispensation may be

beyond the attainment of the holiest here below, but most certainly in connexion with the

innermost shrine of Revelation, the acknowledgment of Christ as "all in all" brings us

near to the heart of the mystery.

It is therefore perfectly in harmony with this great revelation, that it should now be

revealed that Christ is our life. If He is our life, it necessarily follows that while He

awaits the day of manifestation, we cannot expect to be in full possession of life, the

realization of our hope must coincide with His appearing.

It is time therefore to turn to the third aspect of this truth indicated earlier, namely "the

appearing with Him in glory". The English words "appear" and "make manifest" are

used in the Authorized Version as synonymous, and there are doubtless good reasons for

the choice of first one and then the other word that we meet in the N.T. It will however

simplify our present study if we decide to use one or the other in this article, even though

the decision may be exceeding difficult for us to make, and should not be extended

beyond our present quest.

First let us note the different words that are translated "appear" and "manifest".

APPEAR phainomai and the derivatives anaphainomai, emphanizo, epiphaino,

phaneros and phaneroo. These all partake of the primitive meaning of

"shining by means of light", leading us via the word phao, to phos, the

ordinary word for "light".

Other words used in the N.T. and translated "appear" are erchomai "to come", and

optomai "to be seen".

MANIFEST phaneroo, emphanizo, emphanes and phanerosis. And delos and

ekdelos in the sense of being "evident", prodelos in the sense of being

evident beforehand.

It will be seen by reference to Col. 3: 4, that the only words that are our immediate

concern are phaino and its derivatives, and of these one only demands a more extended

examination namely the word phaneroo, which is translated in the A.V. "make manifest"

nineteen times, "manifest" nine times, "manifest forth" once, and "be manifest" twice (or

thirty-one times taken together) as over against "declare manifestly" once, "shew" three

times, and "shew oneself" twice (or six times taken together), and "appear" twelve times.

It will be seen that the choice lies between "manifest" and "appear" with the balance in

favour of "manifest". This word is placed over against the conception of being "hid"

either expressed or implied in Mark 4: 22; John 3: 20, 21; II Cor. 4: 2, 3; Col. 1: 26;

3: 3, 4.

Phaneroo occurs in Colossians itself as follows: In connexion with the distinctive

ministry of the Apostle Paul, as the steward of the dispensation of the Mystery. Up to the