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==Critical reception==
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| rev1 = [[AllMusic]]
| rev1Score = {{Rating|2|5}}<ref name=allmusic/>
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Reviewing the album for the British music magazine ''[[New Musical Express]]'', the critic Richard Greene disparaged the album when compared to the Lovin' Spoonful's previous output. He concluded that the only valuable elements of the LP were the track "Only Yesterday" and "the nude lady on the cover".<ref name="NME">{{cite magazine|last=Greene|first=Richard|title=Lovin' Spoonful: Revelation: Revolution '69|date=June 7, 1969|magazine=[[New Musical Express]]|page=11|url=https://www.rocksbackpages.com/Library/Article/the-lovin-spoonful-irevelation-revolution-69i-kama-sutra|url-access=subscription|via=[[Rock's Backpages]]}}</ref> Don Heckman of ''[[Stereo Review]]'' praised the recording and sound quality, but panned the music for being unlike "the original Spoonful". He noted that, due to ego problems, rock groups often splinter after a year or two riding "the crest of popularity", with the Lovin' Spoonful being an example. He wrote that "Sebastian's departure, in particular, has diminished the group's performing skills and the quality of its material", and commented that Butler had failed to "put together a group that in any way approaches the light-hearted joie de vivre of the original Spoonful."<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Heckman |first1=Don |title=Entertainment |journal=Stereo Review |date=April 1969 |page=116 |url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Audio/Archive-HiFI-Stereo/60s/HiFi-Stereo-Review-1969-04.pdf |access-date=December 8, 2023}}</ref>
''[[Cash Box]]'' described the album as "a mixture of pop tunes and social comment", and believed that it "could see appreciable sales activity".<ref name="Cash Box" /> In their review, ''[[RPM Weekly]]'' said the album should bring the Lovin' Spoonful "back into prominence".<ref>{{cite journal |title=Album Review |journal=RPM Weekly |date=December 23, 1968 |page=27 |url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Archive-RPM-IDX/IDX/60s/RPM-1968-12-23-OCR-Page-0026.pdf#search=%22lovin%20spoonful%20revelation%20revolution%2069%22 |access-date=December 8, 2023}}</ref> ''[[Record World]]'' highlighted Butler for being the "nominal head of the group" since John Sebastian departed for a solo career. The magazine believed "War Games" to be one of the album's "main attractions".<ref name="Record World" /> ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' hailed it as one of their four-star albums, one of five popular music LPs to receive the rating that month.<ref name="Billboard">{{cite journal |title=Album Reviews Continued |journal=Billboard |date=December 14, 1968 |page=77 |url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/60s/1968/Billboard%201968-12-14.pdf |access-date=December 8, 2023}}</ref>
Retrospectively, Gary Mollica of [[AllMusic]] gave the album two out of five stars, saying "this flawed gem came [[out of left field]]," and praising the songs "Never Going Back" and, to a lesser extent, "Run With You" while strongly criticizing the tracks that Joe Butler wrote, especially "War Games."<ref name=allmusic/> ''[[Mojo (magazine)|Mojo]]'' contributor Dave DiMartino rote that ''Revelation: Revolution '69'' contained the Lovin' Spoonful's final two singles and "a memorable album sleeve depicting Butler and a woman, both naked, and a lion, running", but believed that Sebastian's absence was "notable".<ref>{{cite journal |last1=DiMartino |first1=Dave |title=The Lovin' Spoonful: End of the Rainbow |journal=Mojo |date=July 2002 |url=https://www.rocksbackpages.com/Library/Article/the-lovin-spoonful-end-of-the-rainbow |access-date=December 9, 2023}}</ref>
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