WITH BETTER VISION

WHAT IS VISION?

Vision is a message that is revealed by a heavenly messenger, whose purpose is to point out the things that must take place soon. Visions occur frequently in the Bible as instruments of supernatural revelation. They are audiovisual means of communication between a heavenly being and earthly recipient. When God wanted to reveal something about the present or the future, He frequently used dreams and visions. God appeared in a vision to Abraham, Jacob, Samuel, and many of the prophets as well as New Testament saints.  But occasionally God’s people were warned against false prophets who pretended to have had dreams and visions from the Lord (Deut. 13:1-4),”If there arise among you a prophet or a dreamer of dreams, and he gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or the wonder comes to pass, of which he spoke to you,saying ’Let us go after other gods- which you have not known- and let us serve them,’ you shall not listen to the word of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams, for the Lord your God is testing you to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. You shall walk after the Lord your God and fear Him, and keep His commandments and obey His voice; you shall serve Him and hold fast to Him”. In the age of Messianic fulfillment, with the pouring out of the Spirit of God, the avenue is open for all of God’s people to become channels of His revelation. The complaints of Miriam and Aaron Against their brother made God came down to meet the three of them and differentiated  what value Moses had among the three of them and that he was the greatest of them all whom God went beyond talking to him face to face. (Num. 12:6-8a, 8b). “Then the Lord said,” Hear now My words: If there is a prophet among you, I, the Lord make myself known to him in a vision; I speak to him in a dream. Not so with My servant Moses; He is faithful in all My house. I speak with him face to face, even plainly, and not in dark sayings; And he sees the form of the Lord."

THE LORD’S PROMISE OF HIS SPIRIT OR THE REVELATION OF GOD IN THE MESSAINIC AGE (Joel 2: 28-31)

The vision of the Lord that came to Prophet Joel the son of Pethuel saying. “And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions. And also on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit on those days. And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth; Blood and fire and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord.”  Joel’s prophesy that God would someday pour out His Spirit on all people foreshadows Pentecost. Peter in his sermon on Pentecost Sunday, quoted Joel’s prophesy as being fulfilled (Acts 2:14-21).  And John’s revelation in the Book of Revelation states, “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants things that must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His Angel to His servant John, who bow witness to the word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, to all things that he saw. “Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands one like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and guarded about the chest with a golden band. His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire; His feet were like fine bras, as it refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters. He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like sun shining in its strength." John’s message to the churches in Asia Minor is preferred by a vision of the one who had instructed Him to write to the believers. The scene is one of awesome majesty, revealing Christ in all His power as He begins to address the seven churches symbolized by seven golden lampstands. The central figure is described by the phrase “Son of Man” and is spectacularly clad in a royal white robe, signifying purity. To John His white hair might have suggested timeless ages and wisdom; His feet stability; His voice power; and the sword in His mouth, judgment. His face depicted the divine light that dispelled the darkness of sin, while the seven stars He was holding were the ministering angels of the seven churches. “Son of Man" describes Christ as Representative Man, and is used to consistently of His earthly mission and resurrection. Old Testament prophecies regarding the Son of Man are fulfilled in Christ.

GOD’S REVELATION IN VISIONS TO ABRAHAM

God’s prophesy to Abraham about his son from his own body and that his descendants would be strangers in a foreign country for four hundred years was fulfilled when Jacob and His sons moved with their families to Egypt (Gen. 46:1-27) and stayed there until the time of Moses and the Exodus, approximately four hundred years later but they exceeded by thirty years because they were in their comfort zone (Exod. 12:40). “After these things the word of the Lord came to Abraham in a vision, saying, “Do not be afraid, Abram, I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.”(Gen. 15:1-20).  Beloved, here I will be combining the vision of Abraham with the merit of his faith as they go together in this passage; The object of Abraham’s faith is God, who made a solemn promise with respect to a land and a nation. Almost ten years had passed since the original promises were given. But neither Lot his nephew nor Eliezer his steward could fulfill the promise. Who then would be his heir if I may ask? As questions abound, God graciously reveals Himself as the Lord of the covenant- He is a shield and a very great reward. Now the promise of a descendant was made more explicit- the heir would be his very own son who was yet to be born. Furthermore his descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the heavens, God who had revealed Himself in word, and who had faithfully protected him and sustained him, had again pledged His word of promise, this time binding it with self- valedictory oath. Abraham believed. His faith was accounted to him as righteousness, that is, a God righteousness not work- righteousness. As true as it was for Abraham. So it would be for Apostle Paul, who considered it the heart of the gospel (Rom. 4:3; Gal. 3:6). The only response accepted to God is faith in Christ and in His word.  Paul’s word, For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness”

GOD’S REVEALATION IN VISION TO ISAIAH CONCERNING ISRAEL

The prophet’s land was continually threatened by the Assyrian army.  In his days that army came and wiped out Israel to the north, raided Judah, and besieged Jerusalem. But in prophetic vision Isaiah saw a time of great contrast to this.  Instead of a worried, threatened king, he saw a King dwelling in majesty and beauty. Instead of a besieged city, he beheld a land whose boundaries are unlimited. He rose above his sight of a defeated king, subject to a foreign power, and envisioned a King with the joy of victory in an unfettered land. The prophet was enabled by God to blend thoughts of the present salvation with the time of consummation of that salvation. The salvation of God’s people is assured at all times. In the mind of the believer, the trails of the present fades into insignificance if he only contemplates  that glorious time when he will dwell in the presence of his King, of the Majesty resplendent in supreme beauty and glory.(Isa. 33:7-24).” Here in this passage, Prophet Isaiah both beheld the disgraced and fearful Israel and their king v7-i4 while from v 15: 24 talks about the transformed people and their King. v 15 talks about those who are qualified to dwell with the Majesty King on high are; “He who walks righteously and speaks uprightly, he who despises the gain of oppressions, who gestures with his hands, refusing bribes, who stops his ears from hearing of bloodshed, and shuts his eyes from seeing evil: He will dwell on high; his place of defense will be the fortress of rocks; bread will be given him and his water will be sure. “Your eyes will see the King in His beauty; they will see the land that is very far." I would love to encourage someone that, uncertainties has not begun today; my brethren it has been there in the ancient time (v 8 “The highways lie waste, the traveling man ceases. He has broken the covenant, He has despised the cities, He regards no man. The earth mourns and languishes.” it is here during our time in this seasons and it will continue to be experienced in the future if we will not humble ourselves to God, pray and seek His face and turn from our wicked ways.

My beloved brethren, Prophet Jeremiah and I Grace Favor urge you to hope and wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. It is the only way and no shortcut whatsoever. (Lam. 3:26). And the Psalmist adds; “Where there is no revelation , the people cast off restraint; But happy is he who keeps the law."(Ps. 29:18).

“Grace to you and Favor from God and our Father Jesus Christ be with you all, Amen, and Amen, and Amen.”