“Greek: ἀποκάλυψις” ...hey DogByte...you’re pretty close. Apocalypse is actually the combination of two Greek words” “apo” (”from” or “to separate”), and “καλÏπτω” (to hide or cover)....so the meaning in English is basically “to separate or unhide what is hidden.” The meaning with regards to the Book of Revelation in effect is a term used as a metaphor to describe curtains being pulled apart to reveal the theater/play which the audience (John), can now watch. At least that’s what my three years of Greek in seminary combined with the class I had with Dr. George R. Beasley-Murrey teaching through The Book of Revelation in the original Greek led me to believe.
BTW...though it’s all very interesting that Dec 21, 2012 completes the 13th Bakun of the Mayan long count calendar, I’m still planning on buying Christmas presents for the family starting on Black Friday next November. I’m also not too concerned about the Pre-Trib, Dispensationalists who get their eschatological “inputs” from the daily news, are right either believing that “the end is near.”