This is actually a really good question, Michael. Consider the following my two cent stab:
The two concepts, while closely connected, are also entirely distinct. Revelation refers to that act or moment in which something is
revealed to a person. Generally, a revelation cannot be discovered by natural means. This makes it different from illumination (that "eureka" moment). In illumination, something "clicks" and causes a person to see things differently. It is closely related to finding a deeper understanding of a subject.
Redemption is something of a technical word, meaning literally to buy back. In Christian Theology, mankind has to be redeemed on account of the Fall. It seems that the concept of redemption is fairly silly in a purely naturalistic world. It isn't even very applicable on a purely sociological level. We often speak of a person redeeming themselves after some less than honorable act, but all that really has to do with is someone doing something that causes us to change our minds about them. Thus, redemption becomes subjective.
It is immediately obvious that one of the great goals of God is to redeem Man. This required revelation. Therefore, as redemption goes, so goes revelation. In fact, we can say that the
act of redemption must always be followed by
process of revelation. Dealing specifically with revelation, we can easily see that God's self-revelation is Revelation in its strictest form. Man can know nothing about God except what God chooses to show about Himself. God is not physical, and thus, He cannot be studied. C. S. Lewis built a great argument for Theism in general in
Mere Christianity, but everywhere we see he depends on God's self-revelation, especially with regards to morality.
So God reveals Himself to Man, and He does this in several ways. His primary means for this, as alluded to above, is in His working of redemptive acts. Thus, when God called the Israelites from Egypt, He was showing something about Himself. When He sent prophets, He was explaining Himself. Of course, the supreme example of self-revelation was also the great Redemptive Act itself, namely the death and resurrection of Christ. We also have so called natural revelation, in which we learn something of God through His creation. But, in both of these cases, we see that God must explain Himself explicitly. This leads to a full understanding of redemption.
It is immediately obvious that, on Christian suppositions, God cannot expect a fallen creation to clearly understand His self revelation either in nature or in His redemptive acts. Thus, a special revelation is needed to explain these. Therefore, we see God's explanation of Himself in the beauty and order of the created world. But, more importantly, we see His explanation of His redemptive works. Thus, when the Israelites left Egypt, it wasn't left to them to see the significance of the event. Instead, God provided them an explanation and, in fact, a feast of remembrance. In just the same way, when Christ died and rose, it was not left for men to see the great value of this for themselves, but God sent apostles and preachers into the world to not merely proclaim the Good News but to explain it as well.
Redemption, then, is the basis of Revelation. Or, put another way, God reveals His redemptive plan that Mankind may benefit from it. Once a man understands the plan of God, it can then be put into effect.
As an aside, it is worth noting that revelation is not bound merely to redemption, or, at least, it has not always been. It should be obvious that redemption is only necessary for a fallen world. But, it is not so obvious that revelation is only necessary for a fallen world. For that statement to be true, it must be assumed that Man was created with the full knowledge of God, an idea that would be difficult, if not impossible to prove. Carried within this would be the idea that man actually lost the majority of his knowledge at the Fall. These points may be argued, but certainly not proved. Thus, it can be seen that revelation can, and probably does (in my view) exist in a redeemed world, for redemption alone does not yield a full understanding of God. What redemption actually does is remove the obstacles that make revelation difficult, so that God can be perceived
clearly. This is already partially true in the life of the Christian, for (s)he can see and understand things that once were merely foolishness. If this is true in the fallen body, how much more true will it be once we are glorified?
Hope this help
God bless