What Does Manifest Mean? A Biblical Definition Of Manifest

What does the word manifest mean when used in the Bible? What is the biblical definition of the word manifest?

Manifest is…

When something is manifest it is evident, obvious, apparent, and plain for everyone to see. I remember the Communist Manifesto from years ago which revealed what the philosophy behind it was. This manifesto was a huge document that gave precise details that made it clear to those who read it what this agenda was all about so a manifest is something that is presented in either verbal or written form that provides evidence for something that is typically indisputable. Something that is manifest is something that is clear to see by all. The use of the word manifest in the Bible is not far removed from this same idea.

Holiness Manifested

Today there is little regard for God and His holiness. Someday that will change and for those who have believed in Jesus Christ, they now know about Jesus’ holiness as He is God as well. Ezekiel writes “As a pleasing aroma I will accept you, when I bring you out from the peoples and gather you out of the countries where you have been scattered. And I will manifest my holiness among you in the sight of the nations” (Ezk 20:41). Ezekiel is writing about Israel and the time that they are gathered again as a people before God. Further indication of this future gathering of Israel is found in Ezekiel 28:25 “Thus says the Lord God: When I gather the house of Israel from the peoples among whom they are scattered, and manifest my holiness in them in the sight of the nations, then they shall dwell in their own land that I gave to my servant Jacob.” Since God is holy, we should strive to live lives that are holy too as Peter writes “You shall be holy, for I am holy” (1st Pet 1:16) but this is not a new idea as it is mentioned in several places in the Old Testament like in Leviticus 11:45, 19:2, and in 20:7. Even Jesus manifested His glory at the wedding in Cana where He turned water into wine as the Apostle John writes, “This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him” (John 2:11).

Everything’s Manifest in His Sight

We might think that in the dark of night we are getting away with sin but truth be told, “nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest, nor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light” (Luke 8:17) and again it says of God “nothing is hidden except to be made manifest; nor is anything secret except to come to light” (Mark 4:22). Paul understood this to be true which is why he wrote that “each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done” (1st Cor 3:13). The law was also made manifest to us as Paul writes “But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it” (Rom 3:21).

The Manifested Love

Jesus was manifested to the hundreds of eyewitnesses in the first century and He is still being manifested to us today through the written Word of God, the Bible, since He is also the Word (John 1:1, 14). Paul wrote to Timothy that “Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness: He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory” (1st Tim 3:16). Even our salvation was obtained for “us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel” (2nd Tim 1:9b-10). As God “He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you” (1st Pet 1:20) and John writes that His “life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us” (1st John 1:2) and it is “In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him” (1st John 4:9).

Jesus Manifested in Us

Paul knew that to be Christ-like meant that we must manifest Him in our daily walk as we should be “always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies” (2nd Cor 4:10) “For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh” (2nd Cor 4:11). This should be manifest or be evident to everyone who knows us and be plainly seen. Paul again writes that to each one of us “is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good” (1st Cor 12:7) “So with yourselves, since you are eager for manifestations of the Spirit, strive to excel in building up the church” (1st Cor 14:12).

Conclusion

God is manifest in the creation “For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse” (Rom 1:19-20). I pray you acknowledge God today if you haven’t already done so because the Bible is clear that sooner or later “every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God” (Rom 14:11) for it will be “at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth” (Phil 2:10). You can either bend the knee today and be saved or bend the knee at His appearing, but you will bend the need; mark my word.

Article by Jack Wellman

Jack Wellman is Pastor of the Mulvane Brethren church in Mulvane Kansas. Jack is also the Senior Writer at What Christians Want To Know whose mission is to equip, encourage, and energize Christians and to address questions about the believer’s daily walk with God and the Bible. You can follow Jack on Google Plus or check out his book Blind Chance or Intelligent Design available on Amazon.