"Come
hither, I will show thee..." (Revelation 21:9)
At times of
crisis in the Church's history there has always been one
factor which has been decisive; that is, the presence or
absence of God-given vision. Again and again, such vision
has been, by its absence, the cause of calamity and
disaster; or, by its presence, the turning point for good
or ill, according to the attitude taken to it. God has
many times reacted to either actual or threatening
tragedy by the presentation of a new vision: new, so far
as His people were concerned.
The need and importance of such vision is found in its
various features. In the first place:
IT
IS CONCRETE WITH GOD
Such vision
is something which has existed with God in clear-cut
definition in the eternal counsels from the beginning. It
is not something abstract or nebulous, something that is
what people term 'visionary' or mystical. It is quite
definite, clear and real in the mind and intention of
God. God-given vision is not something subsequent to
eventualities, an afterthought because of things having
arisen unexpectedly; a kind of alternative to what God
originally meant. It is not a substitute for His original
plan. It is not an emergency expedient because of a
situation unforeseen. God-given vision has its roots
outside of time and circumstance, eventualities,
contingencies or emergencies. All those things have been
already taken account of, and have - so to speak - been
swallowed up in the vision of God.
To be brought into such vision is to be brought on to a
ground of confidence and assurance when the sands seem to
be sinking and everything giving way. This, surely, is of
no little importance and value. Then again:
IT
IS COMPREHENSIVE
Things,
whether they be good or whether they be evil, are not
ends in themselves. They are either embodied in or
overcome by the vision. Under the sovereign government of
the Spirit of God all things are made to serve that
purpose which is the substance of God's vision. That is
just the significance of the words so familiar and so
often used about all things working together for good
(Romans 8:28). We so rarely see them in their setting,
and stop short of the full import. We just say: "All
things work together for good..." and stop there.
The context has two aspects. Lives wholly under the Holy
Spirit's government are in view, and "His
purpose" is governing. Unless these two things are
implicit, all things do not work together for
good! Given that being "called to his purpose"
we, in response, are lovers of God, then all things are
the sphere of His sovereignty which makes them work
together for good. Purpose governs all, and the purpose
is the substance of God-given vision. It therefore
requires a vision of God's purpose in greater fullness,
not in part. The purpose comprehends all parts. No phase
or part is an end in itself. One wheel of a machine has
no adequate meaning in itself. There lacks a real motive
if all the other parts are not in view. We must not be
too obsessed or taken up with the part or the phase. If
we are, the whole becomes bound up with that phase so far
as we are concerned, and we see no more. This may put us
completely out of commission if any one phase has served
God's purpose and He is now moving on. Sufficient motive
demands sufficient vision, and we must see much more than
that which is immediately before our eyes. Then, further
still:
IT
IS CONSTANTLY ENLARGING
It is very
important to remember that God-given vision is never
given in completeness at any one time. This is something
borne out by an abundance of Scriptural evidence and
instances. Such vision is always subject to enlargement.
It will always be developed and fulfilled through new
phases. This is a law in nature, and nature embodies
spiritual principles.
The means employed by God at one time may - and very
likely will - pass or be changed. In the sovereign order
of God one particular phase, method or means will pass
out, though greatly used and blessed so far. This does
not involve a change of vision (unless it is ours
and not God's) but an enlargement of vision. With God all
that He uses and blesses, however wonderfully, is only
relative and not final or ultimate. Therefore we must not
cling to what has been, and regard that as the form for
all time. So often this has been a most disastrous
attitude of mind, and has resulted in God having to go on
with His full purpose in other directions and by other
means, and leave that fixed thing behind to serve a much
lesser purpose than He wanted with it. Eventually it has spiritually
died, although perhaps carried on by human effort and
organisation. It just lives on its past and tradition.
Further:
IT
ALWAYS MOVES UPWARD
In its
first apprehension it seems to have such immediate,
temporal and earthly significance. The implications of
any movement of God are not always recognised at the
beginning, but if we go on with Him we shall find that
much that is done here and is of time is, and has to be,
left behind. The spiritual and the heavenly is pressing
for a larger place and becoming absolutely imperative to
the very life of the instrumentality and those concerned.
It is spontaneous, and just happens. We wake up to
realise that we have moved into a new realm or position,
and no amount of additional earthly resource can meet the
need. It is not only something more that is
demanded, but something different. This is a crisis, and
it will only be safely passed if there is vision of God's
ultimate object. This demands spiritual mindedness,
capacity for grasping heavenly things. Our world may be
tumbling to pieces, but the full and final outcome is
what matters. The great pity is that so many just cling
to the old framework or partial vision. God presents His
heavenly pattern in greater fullness and demands
adjustment. He does this with foreknowledge, knowing of a
day which is imminent when this vision alone will save.
But because it seems revolutionary or unlike what God has
blessed in the past, it is rejected and put aside. Then
the foreseen day comes and all sorts of expedients have
to be resorted to in an attempt to preserve any values
for God.
Abraham had a vision of "the city which hath
foundations" and he looked for it, but he never
found it on earth. He found it at last in heaven, but
only as the climax of a walk which was ever upward.
Ezekiel was another man of vision. In his "visions
of God" he saw the glory lifting from the earthly
scene and moving up and on, finally culminating in a
spiritual house and river which find their counterpart in
the final revelation given to John. It was heavenly,
spiritual, universal. What a significant phrase that is
about the house seen by Ezekiel - "there was an
enlargement upward" (Ezekiel 41:7). God-given vision
is always heavenly and always moves away from the merely
temporal and earthly. To understand this is to be found
in ways of vital fruitfulness.
God never works for reduction or limitation, even though
at times He may seem to be doing so. When we are able to
see as He sees we find that what looks like trimming and
reduction is really His way of leading to more spiritual
and heavenly enlargement. It was "the God of
glory" who appeared to Abraham (Acts 7:2). It was
"the pattern in the heavenlies" that was shown
to Moses (Hebrews 8:5). It was "... above the
firmament... a throne... and upon the throne... a man
above upon it" that Ezekiel saw (Ezekiel 1:26). It
was that "the heavens do rule" that Daniel
apprehended (Daniel 4:26). These are not only sovereign
factors in government, but heavenly conceptions in the
nature of things.
These two things proceed as one. God in sovereignty will
run the risk of shattering, or allowing the shattering of
much that He has used of scaffolding or framework, in
order to realise His fuller purpose. It is not that what
went before was wrong, but only that He now desires
something more. We thank God that ever He took Paul away
from his ministry of travelling evangelism and let him be
shut up in prison, for it was then that the full glorious
vision and revelation of the "heavenlies" and
the "eternal" was given. This seemed to eclipse
all the earthly and temporal. It was worth it. What might
have seemed a tragedy was not one after all. Satan may
have had a lot to do with Paul's imprisonment and with
John's banishment to Patmos, but from these troubles the
Church has gained very much in heavenly values. The Holy
Spirit is the custodian of the full purpose of God and
under His government the Church and the individual
believer will move ever on and up. Once again:
IT
IS THE GROUND OF OUR TRAINING
When God
does give vision it is that which becomes the occasion
and basis of our testing, our education and our
discipline. This is far more important to God than easy
fulfilment and realisation; than that kind of
facilitation which is made possible by God's overruling.
Look at the prophets! They were men of vision. They stood
in the gap between threatening disaster and the survival
of God's people. But what discipline they endured because
of their vision! It was their vision which brought all
the inward as well as the outward suffering upon them.
Look again at Habakkuk. How he cried to God about the
situation and then took his position in relation to the
vision. It is faith and patience which are the virtues to
be perfected, so he realised that "the just shall
live by faith" (Habakkuk 2:4). Similarly John, the
man of the Patmos visions, described himself as the
brother "in... the patience of Jesus"
(Revelation 1:9).
So we may find that although things may be taking a new
and different shape, the purpose of God has not changed.
We may be presented with His vision in new and more
advanced aspects, but it is only what God originally
purposed. Can we adjust? Can we leave the things that are
behind? Without raising questions as to the right or
wrong of what has been in the past, can we go on and grow
up as we move towards God's end? Finally:
IT
MAKES MEN OF PRAYER
This is
almost too obvious when we remember the men of the Bible.
It was vision which got them away from the trivial and
petty. It required vision to get prayer on to the major
lines and to make it a matter of real travail. What a
bound and range those prophets had in prayer! But what
immense issues were precipitated. It is not our vision
for God, but His vision in us that will be dynamic, and
that will determine lasting values.
I cannot conclude without pointing out that what could
have been voluntary with a minimum of loss has often had
to be made compulsory with gains that are less than they
could have been. This is because we do not from time to
time stand back and in detachment wait upon God so that
He can adjust and enlarge our vision. Many a work which
has mightily served the Lord and been a great spiritual
testimony has lost much of its glory and impact by
becoming an organised routine which has made no provision
for the further light from God which could have come from
periods of retreat and waiting upon Him. Perhaps the Lord
would send more prophetic vision which would lead into
fuller spiritual values if we were not too busy to
receive it. Without renewed vision there can so easily be
a leakage of spiritual power.
From
"Toward The Mark" May-June 1978, Vol. 7-3.