Vision

God’s vision

God views all life on earth

2 Ch 16:9; Ps 11:4

See also Ge 6:11; Ex 3:9; Ps 31:22; Ps 34:15; Ps 139:16; Zec 4:10

God sees the hearts and thoughts of people

Genesis 6:5 KJV 1900

And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

See also 1 Sa 2:3; Ps 139:1–4; Ps 139:23–24; Pr 15:11; Je 20:12; Mt 6:8; Mt 6:18; Lk 16:15; Heb 4:13; 1 Jn 3:20

The physical vision of human beings

It is given and can be taken by God

Ex 4:11; Ps 146:8

See also Le 26:16; Pr 29:13; Ac 9:8–9

Jesus Christ restores the sight of the blind

Luke 4:18 KJV 1900

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,

See also Mt 9:30; Jn 9:7; Ac 9:17–18

Physical sight diminishes with age

Ge 27:1; Ge 48:10; 1 Sa 3:2; 1 Sa 4:15; 1 Ki 14:4; Ec 12:3 Ecc 12:2-5 is an allegory on ageing. It gives a graphic description of a person’s progressive deterioration.

Physical vision has its dangers

It can create fear

Job 41:9; Joe 2:6; Mt 28:3–4; Re 1:17

It gives rise to temptation

1 John 2:16 KJV 1900

For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

See also Ge 3:6; Jos 7:21; 2 Sa 11:2–4; Job 31:1; Ps 119:37; Mt 5:28–29

Christians are to live by faith rather than by sight

Hebrews 11:1 KJV 1900

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

See also Ro 8:24; 2 Co 4:18; 2 Co 5:7; Heb 11:27

Visions of God

Examples of those who saw God

Ge 32:30; Ex 33:18–23; Job 42:5; Is 6:1; Is 6:5; Re 1:12–18

God’s people will see him

Mt 5:8; 1 Jn 3:2

See also Ps 17:15; Jn 17:24; 1 Co 13:12; Re 22:4

Spiritual vision

Seeing used metaphorically for spiritual insight

2 Kings 6:17 KJV 1900

And Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.

See also Pr 29:18; Is 22:1 Jerusalem was called “the Valley of Vision”, possibly ironically, for although God spoke through his prophets and dwelt there, its inhabitants lacked insight; Is 29:10; Mk 8:17–21; Lk 24:31; Jn 9:39; Ac 26:17–18

Spiritual insight given in dreams or visions

Acts 2:17 KJV 1900

And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:

See also Joe 2:28; Ge 15:1; Nu 12:6; Da 1:17; Da 2:19; Da 4:5; Da 7:1 Daniel’s dream of four beasts; Da 8:1; Da 10:7–8 Daniel’s vision of a man; Ac 9:12; Ac 10:9–17 Peter’s vision; Ac 16:9–10 Paul’s vision of the man of Macedonia; Ac 26:19; 2 Co 12:1

The OT prophets had visions from God

1 Sa 3:15; Is 1:1; Je 24:1; Eze 1:1; Eze 8:3–4; Eze 11:24; Eze 40:2–3; Ho 12:10; Ob 1; Na 1:1

False prophets in the OT lacked true vision

Je 14:14; Je 23:16; La 2:14; Eze 7:26; Eze 13:1–12