One of Peter Ruckman’s teachings which raise eyebrows is his insistence on the KJV containing advanced revelations which are not found in the Greek and Hebrew. This claim was unheard of before Ruckman; therefore it is a tenant of Ruckmanism designed to reinforce his view of an infallible KJV. Some believe that Ruckman’s advanced revelation concept was designed to provide a major loophole in cases of serious difficulties encountered in his position.
The following is a typical statement of what Ruckman claims in his peculiar style:
It is late at night, kiddies. Time for bye-bye. There are more than forty-five advanced revelations in a King James Bible that no Hebrew or Greek scholar was able to find in any set of Greek manuscripts, in any translation of any Hebrew text, for any version in any language, published by anyone who rejected the AV as the final and infallible authority. (Ruckman, Peter. Bible Believers’ Bulletin. Dec. 2005, p. 13)
The following is a small assortment of various statements of Ruckman regarding his belief in advanced revelations in the KJV:
…“coincidences” which have slipped through the AV 1611 committees, unawares to them, and which give advanced light and advanced revelation… (Manuscript Evidence. 1997, p. 140)
Moral: Mistakes in the AV 1611 are advanced revelation! (Manuscript Evidence. 1997, p. 139)
Advanced revelation given by the Holy Spirit in the English text of 1611… (Ruckman, Peter. The Book of Exodus. 1976, p. 186)
“There is no more revelation, no new light since 1611.” That’s the truth. (Ruckman, Peter. Bible Believers’ Bulletin. July 1997, p. 8)
The revelation was given in 1611. It was in advance of all qualified scholars in 1900, 1910… (Bible Believers’ Bulletin Oct. 2008, p. 13)
Ruckman at times credits the Holy Spirit with giving advanced revelations and even placing them in the text of the KJV:
In our last article we began a series of forty cases where the Holy Spirit placed advanced revelations into the Holy Bible, in 1611, that no Greek or Hebrew scholar (and we have listed 320 of them in The Christian Liar’s Library, 1997) could find in any Hebrew or Greek text between A.D. 90 and 2008. (Bible Believers’ Bulletin Oct. 2008, p. 1)
In order to destroy that advanced revelation by the Holy Spirit, made and preserved in the King James text…(Ruckman, Peter. The Books of Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther. 2004, p. ix)
The KJV is known for being a very precise translation. There are a few instances, however, where some translations therein were creative and were not as literal as possible. It is mainly from those cases that Ruckman claims an advanced revelation. The following is a typical example of a case that Ruckman considers to be an advanced revelation in the KJV:
The word “pictures” in Numbers 33:52 doesn’t appear as “pictures” in any work done by any Hebrew scholar since 1700. Not one new translation by Hymer’s buddies (or the men that taught him) could produce the word. The word reveals that “PICTURES” are one of the main threats to a called-out people who are in danger of picking up the customs and religions of the HEATHEN. (Ruckman, Peter. Bible Believers’ Bulletin Dec. 2005, p. 3)
In Numbers 33:52, you are warned about magazines, movies, newspapers, and television; but only in the Authorized Version and nowhere else. No Hebrew scholar, living or dead, was able to find that revelation…
(Ruckman, Peter. Bible Believers’ Bulletin May 2011, p. 11)
The KJV translators in the 16th century translated the exact same Hebrew word found in Num. 33:52 (along with an adjacent Hebrew word) as “image of stone” in Lev. 26:1. According to Strong’s Concordance the underlying Hebrew word means “a figure (carved on stone, the wall, or any object); figuratively imagination.” Before photography, “pictures” was synonymous with paintings (see Webster 1828 dictionary, for example). That is not the mental picture we have when we think of pictures today. What God ordered destroyed was a figure they apparently worshiped and bowed down to. Even though God’s people need to be warned about the wrong kind of pictures and TV programs, this is not the correct interpretation of Numbers 33:52. Ruckman demonstrated that the KJV reading facilitates a practical application for warning about pictures in the modern sense, but he did not demonstrate that is the primary interpretation nor a true advanced revelation.
Ruckman often states or implies that the advanced revelations he finds are not in the Greek or Hebrew, and were not found in any translation before 1611:
As with the seven before, these revelations can only be found in the English Authorized Version of the Protestant Reformation (Rev. 3:7–8). (Bible Believers’ Bulletin. Dec. 2008, p. 1)
You must resort to the infallible AV (1611) text for an advanced revelation found in NO Greek manuscript. (The Book of Acts. 1974, 1984, p. 438)
A cursory examination of a few select readings he claims as advanced revelations from the 1611 text actually existed prior to the KJV. A case in point is his claim that the KJV Isa. 9:7 reading of “increase” (“of the increase of his government …”) is an advanced revelation in the KJV because “It didn’t say the length or duration of His government.” (Bible Believers’ Bulletin. Jan. 2009, p. 3) However, Coverdale, Bishops, Geneva and the Great Bible –all before 1611– had “encrease” here.
Although Ruckman says God revealed these “advanced revelations” through the King James Bible, since he dates it “after 1900,” he is obviously giving himself credit for their subsequent discovery long after 1611:
We call these truths “advanced revelations” because the Lord God revealed them through the King James Bible long after 1900. (Bible Believers’ Bulletin. Aug. 2008, p. 3)
No doubt some modern translations have readings that may allow for a more practical application compared to how the original languages are worded. But that would not constitute advanced revelation for modern translations. If the same thing can be done with other versions besides the KJV, it would be further evidence that Ruckman’s advanced revelation claim for the KJV is bogus.
In order for there to have been genuine advanced revelations in the KJV the Holy Spirit would have had to inspire the KJV translators in a similar fashion as when the originals were given. Ruckman implies just that when he writes “The Holy Spirit has thrust Himself into the AV committee of 1611 and said, ‘WRITE…!’” (Ruckman, Peter. The Book of Acts. 1974, [1984 reprint], p. 356). Ruckman’s claim that revelations of the Holy Spirit took place in 1611 is not historic Baptist doctrine. Ruckman’s view would mean that revelation did not cease with the close of the New Testament canon.
I am not aware of any case of Ruckman encouraging other believers to find their own advanced revelations in the KJV to share with him or others. Ruckman does not mention anyone else finding advanced revelations in the KJV in the period between 1611 and the 1960’s (or early 1970’s?) before he began claiming them. If God was behind it, through an invisible hand on the KJV committee, how odd that no one else could find these advanced revelations and point them out for hundreds of years! They obviously originated with Ruckman and not the Holy Spirit.
Advanced revelation means adding new revelation, which is a second or double inspiration. Advanced revelation is not preservation, because something new or extra is being added. Ruckman contends that nothing new is being added, but rather new truths are being revealed from the canonical Scriptures.
Ruckman is essentially teaching that God adds advanced revelations to the Scriptures after the closing of the canon, and has done so in English in 1611, violating his own commandment in Revelation 22:18.
This article is disrespectful and done by “scholars” {Malachi 2:12!} who know nothing about Truth and refuse to ask the LORD to show them the Truth. While “advanced revelations” is not really the best phrase, there are Truths found in the King James 1611 Bible that cannot be explained away, such as Revelation where it talks about “in” meaning “inside the forehead”. Until 1986, this was laughed at. Then, IBM developed a microchip that was not attacked by antibodies. “The advanced revelations” are worthy of deep study. The niv, etc “editors” – pseudo-intellectuals made there destructive changes in ivory towers. The King James 1611 was written in blood, as 4 translators were murdered by Jesuits. The roman church did not want this Bible to get out. Now, they are using a different tactic to get rid of the King James Bible.
Could these advanced revelation premonitions be divined from any other version faithfully translated from the Traditional Text or do they depend on English, a language where grammar & syntax were unsettled in the days of the Hampton Court?
English was at it's finest in 1611! Everyone knows this. If you don't believe the King James Bible has any "inspiration", then I guess this will do for now. No other reading or language out there has this revelation. God himself will be the lamb! Do you want to know why we know this "lamb" is Jesus Christ? Because a "ram" shows up for the sacrifice! (Gen 22:13) The Lamb showed up over 1,000 years later when John the Baptist said "Behold the Lamb of God, whicht taketh away the sin of the world" (John 1:29)
And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together. (Genesis 22:8 KJV)
Refuted. This man tries to debunk Ruckman's argument about "Pictures" In the book of Numbers by claiming the Hebrew doesn't mean pictures, but "figures". I speak german and in Martin Luther's translation it has the word "pictures" (Bilder) as well. Because that's what it is! Furthermore, The KJV was translated by 54 men with outstanding knowledge on Greek, Hebrew and Aramaic and you have this man trying to tell you what it says as if he knows more than the translators.That's what you call having a stuffed-up overinflated ego.
You actually helped to make my point. Martin Luther also did his translation before TV’s and photographs, so that could not be what he had in mind either. I did not accuse the KJV of being wrong in the passage, I simply pointed out that what they had in mind would more naturally be explained by the literal meaning of the Hebrew word involved. Ruckman alleges that the advanced revelations he found only existed in English. With what you pointed out about the German Bible serves to demonstrate that often you cannot trust what Ruckman says, as in the following:
“As with the seven before, these revelations can only be found in the English Authorized Version of the Protestant Reformation (Rev. 3:7–8).” (Ruckman, Peter. Bible Believers’ Bulletin Dec. 2008, p. 1)
From what I've read about James Strong, the author of Strong's Exhaustive Concordance was that he was biased against the KJV, so I would be suspicious regarding his definition of the word "pictures" in Numbers 33:52. That's the problem with many scholars and their scholarism…we tend to rely and trust in them to define Hebrew and Greek for us thereby supplanting the excellence of our own English language. There is a reason that English has become the dominant language in our so-called modern age. It seems a lot of that is due to the light and clarity and yes, the advanced illumination of the Authorized English Bible.
So James Strong is biased against the KJV, therefore he intentionally manipulates the meaning of Greek and Hebrew words just to ensure they do not match the KJV? Do all Hebrew and Greek scholars do this? You do not have to prove them wrong at any point, you just have to state that they are biased against the KJV and that proves them wrong, correct?
So was the KJV biased against itself when it translated the exact same Hebrew word found in Num. 33:52 (along with an adjacent Hebrew word) as “image of stone” in Lev. 26:1?
Before photography, “pictures” was synonymous with paintings (see Webster 1828, for example).
To say that “pictures” in the KJV is advanced revelation for magazines and televisions is as absurd as saying that KJV’s advanced revelation reveals that Rebekah smoked Camel cigarettes based on Gen. 24:64! “And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she lighted off the camel.”
God is the steward of his word, not man. God used man to produce his perfect word. God did not drop the ball after the original writings. He was not only responsible for producing his words in human language, he also promised to "preserve" his words as noted in Psalms 12:6,7. Where are the original writings? They're gone, turned to dust…yet God's promise of preservation is still valid regardless of what man does in his best efforts to destroy the word of God. The preface of the translators for the KJV states that the KJV was "translated out of the original tongues AND with the former translations diligently compared and revised…" Even the KJV translators admitted that this version was not a word for word translation of the original tongues ONLY. Based on their own writings, they agonized iover every word. They even fasted and prayed to ensure God's stewardship in producing their work and they suffered great persecution for it unlike the producers of modern versions. It is therefore the Holy Ghost who decides to bring clarity and advanced revelation in the English language, not man. The Authorized English Bible is not a "word for word" translation from the original languages. The great wickedness of man in this modern age is superseded by the brighter light of God's word into a volume that exceeds any other so-called English version as a testimony against the great evil of this age.