Of the Sons of God. In his letter to the Romans, the apostle Paul identified God’s “sons” as those having received a spirit of adoption. Being joint heirs with Christ, these sons of God will be glorified. (Ro 8:14-18) The Lord Jesus Christ will refashion their humiliated body to conform to his glorious body (Php 3:20, 21), and they will reign with him as kings. (2Ti 2:12) So “the revealing of the sons of God” points to the time when it will become evident that they have indeed been glorified and are reigning with Christ Jesus. The glory that will be revealed in them will be so grand that it will make all their former suffering on earth seem like nothing. (Ro 8:18, 19) This revealing is attended by grand blessings, for the apostle Paul writes: “The creation itself also will be set free from enslavement to corruption and have the glorious freedom of the children of God.”​—Ro 8:21.

The Bible also speaks of “the revealing of God’s righteous judgment” (Ro 2:5), “the revealing of the sons of God” (Ro 8:19), and “the revelation of Jesus Christ” and “of his glory.” (1Pe 1:13; 4:13) A consideration of the context and related texts aids in determining when such revealings, or revelations, occur. In each case, the revealing, or revelation, is a time for causing righteous persons to enter into particular rewards and blessings or for bringing destruction upon wicked ones.