In the Bible
vision denotes
an extraordinary scene;
it refers to a special kind of seeing
-a glorious, inward seeing-
and to the spiritual scenery
we see from God.
God’s visions
are His revelations,
which enable us to see
divine, spiritual, heavenly things.
In order to have a vision,
we need
revelation (unveiling), light, and sight.
Without light
we cannot see the vision,
even if the veil is taken away.
When the divine light shines
over the divine revelation in the Word,
the divine revelation
becomes the divine vision;
when we also have sight,
we can see the heavenly vision.
We need to pray
that the Lord will bring us all
up to a high mountain
and release every one of us
from ourselves,
bringing us
out of our own experiences, learning, and past attainments
and lifting us
up to a new realm, an elevated sphere,
that we have never reached before
so that we may have
a transcendent view of the glorious vision of God.
All the churches and all the saints
need to see the heavenly vision.
What we present to the children of God
should not be
mere teaching or doctrine or knowledge
gained from reading
but a vision
that we have seen in spirit
under the shining of the divine light.
Every minister of God’s word
should convey
spiritual, heavenly visions
to others.
The governing vision in the Bible
is the vision of God’s economy
-the vision of the Triune God
working Himself into His chosen and redeemed people
in order to saturate their entire being
with the Divine Trinity
for the producing and building up of the Body of Christ
consummating in the New Jerusalem :
The economy of God
is that God in Christ
became flesh, passed through human living,
died, resurrected,
and became the life-giving Spirit
to enter into us as life
and to dispense Himself into us
so that we may be transformed
for the producing of the church,
which is the Body of Christ, the house of God,
the kingdom of God, and the counterpart of Christ,
the ultimate consummation and aggregate of which
is the New Jerusalem.
The entire Bible was written
according to the principle
of the vision of the Triune God
wrought into His redeemed people.
If we see the heavenly vision
and it is wrought into our being,
this vision will have
a powerful and lasting effect on us :
When we see this glorious, heavenly vision,
we are revolutionized,
our entire being is changed
in its concept, attitude, conversation, and thought,
and we become thoroughly different;
the vision will cause us
to be beside ourselves,
and our lifestyle will be changed.
The heavenly vision
captures us, reconstitutes us, governs us, directs us,
restricts us, controls us, and preserves us:
In order for the heavenly vision
to govern and direct us,
it must be wrought into our being.
The heavenly vision restricts us
to the central line of the divine revelation
with its focus on God’s New Testament economy.
The heavenly vision
causes our life
to be full of meaning and purpose,
and it motivates us,
energizes us,
and gives us endurance.
Under the heavenly vision
we are directed toward God’s goal,
and our life is controlled
according to God’s economy.
The vision
we receive from the Lord
will cause us to move,
and we will move
according to the vision
we have seen;
in the book of Acts
the divine vision
mainly concerns God’s move.
Where there is a vision,
there is a way;
the glorious vision
always leads us onto the way
and gives us the boldness
to go on.
The heavenly vision
preserves us
in the genuine oneness
and brings us
into one accord.
If we are reconstituted with this vision,
we will automatically carry out God’s economy
and do one work, the work of the Body.
The heavenly vision
directs us
toward God’s goal
-the building up of the Body of Christ
to consummate the New Jerusalem.
We need to become
persons with a vision :
Everyone who serves the Lord
must be
a person with a vision;
the most important matter
for one who serves the Lord
is that he has a vision
and serves Him with a vision.
Visions come from God;
they do not depend on
anything of our self.
Not every believer receives a direct vision;
Paul received a direct vision,
but Timothy received a vision through Paul.
In seeing a vision,
we bear responsibility
related to our heart,
to our willingness
to let go of worthless things,
to wait on the Lord,
and to be open to the Lord.
We need to be centered on Christ
and bear witness of the things
in which we have seen Christ.
Like Paul,
we should not be disobedient
to the heavenly vision :
In order to see more vision,
we must obey the visions
that we have already seen.
We obey the vision
by taking Christ as our life,
not allowing ourselves to be distracted
but maintaining contact with the Lord.
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7 replies on “The Governing and Controlling Vision—the Vision of God’s Economy”
Prophecy note, 24 August 2014
All the churches and all the saints
need to see
heavenly visions.
Therefore, what we present
to the children of God
should not be
mere teaching or doctrine or knowledge
gained from reading
but a vision
we have seen in spirit
under the open heavens
through our contact with God.
This will cause God’s people
to be recovered from their captivity,
and it will lead
to the building up of God’s churches.
A blessed blindness
comes upon those
who are met by the heavenly vision.
After this blindness comes upon us,
there will be
the inner anointing
and the inner shining, the inner enlightening.
The inner vision
will increase more and more
and will revolutionize the way
we serve the Lord.
Acts 26:16 indicates
that Paul did not receive
the revelation of things
without seeing Christ.
Instead, he received the things
in which he saw Christ.
In other words,
Christ did not reveal things to Paul
without Himself
as the content of those things.
In all the visions Paul saw
he saw Christ.
If we only see visions and revelations
and do not see the Lord,
then what we see
is vanity.
Therefore, what Paul saw
was not merely the things themselves
but Christ
as the One
appearing in all these things.
In the supposed light,
vision, or revelation,
have you seen Christ like Paul?
In any light we receive of the Lord
we must see Christ.
Christ must appear to us
in whatever we see
in the way of enlightenment,
vision, or revelation.
If we study the Bible
and gain knowledge of the Scriptures
without seeing Christ,
that knowledge is vanity.
We all need to learn
to see Christ in the things
that are revealed to us.
When Paul later spoke of the incident
on the way to Damascus,
he referred to it
as “the heavenly vision”.
A voice from heaven
spoke to him.
That speaking
became a vision.
This caused him
to fall to the ground.
In principle,
we also should have Paul’s experience.
We may be engaged
with a certain matter
and occupied by it,
but at the appointed time
the Lord will come
to meet us.
Perhaps when our business fails
and we despair of living,
we will meet the Lord.
Our meeting with the Lord
is our experience
on the road to Damascus.
How far-reaching was the vision
Paul was granted
in answer to his question,
“Who are You, Lord?”
The revelation that came to him
filled his writings;
through them,
under the heavenly enlightening,
the same vision
can be ours.
This Jesus of Nazareth
embodies the fullness of the Father.
The church, the embodiment of the Son,
takes in His riches
and thus becomes His fullness.
Christ Himself must be wrought into us
and become our life.
We obey this vision
by taking Him as our life,
not allowing ourselves
to be distracted by doctrines
nor striving after good behavior.
All day long,
throughout all our activities,
we must maintain contact with this Christ.
As we constantly talk to Him in prayer,
we shall be spontaneously taking Him
as our person
and thus
we shall be living
according to the heavenly vision.
Day 6
Acts 26:16 indicates
that Paul did not receive the revelation of things
without seeing Christ.
Instead, he received the things
in which he saw Christ.
In other words,
Christ did not reveal things to Paul
without Himself
as the content of those things.
This is the reason
that Paul would be a witness of the things
in which he had seen the Lord.
In all the visions Paul saw
he saw Christ.
Furthermore, he would be a witness of the things
in which the Lord was yet to appear to him.
Here the Lord seemed to be saying to Paul,
“In all the visions and revelations
you will receive,
I shall appear to you.”
This indicates
that if we only see visions and revelations
and do not see the Lord,
then what we see
is vanity.
As Paul was on the way to Damascus,
Christ revealed certain things to him,
and in those things
Paul saw Christ.
The Lord indicated
that He would reveal more things to Paul,
and in those things
the Lord Himself would appear to him.
Therefore, what Paul saw
was not merely the things themselves
but Christ
as the One
appearing in all these things.
In your experience
you may claim
to receive light from the Lord
or to see a vision or revelation.
However, you need to consider
if Christ has appeared to you
in that light, vision, or revelation.
In the supposed light, vision, or revelation,
have you seen Christ?
In any light we receive of the Lord
we must see Christ.
Christ must appear to us
in whatever we see
in the way of enlightenment, vision, or revelation.
If we study the Bible
and gain knowledge of the Scriptures
without seeing Christ,
that knowledge is vanity.
We all need to learn
to see Christ in the things
that are revealed to us.
When Paul later spoke of the incident
on the way to Damascus,
he referred to it
as “the heavenly vision”.
At that time
a great light from heaven
shined around Paul,
and immediately he fell to the ground.
Then a voice from heaven
spoke to him.
That speaking
became a vision.
Paul not only heard the gospel,
but he also saw the heavenly vision.
This caused him
to fall to the ground.
In principle,
we also should have Paul’s experience.
We may be engaged with a certain matter
and occupied by it,
but at the appointed time
the Lord will come
to meet us.
Perhaps, as we are pursuing an education
and are about to obtain a degree,
the Lord will come
to meet us.
Or perhaps when our business fails
and we despair of living,
we will meet the Lord.
Our meeting with the Lord
is our experience
on the road to Damascus.
Every serving one
has to see a vision
at least once
and allow that vision
to direct his entire life.
How far-reaching was the vision
Paul was granted
in answer to his question,
“Who are You, Lord?”
The revelation that came to him
filled his writings;
through them,
under the heavenly enlightening,
the same vision
can be ours.
This Jesus of Nazareth
embodies the fullness of the Father.
The church, the embodiment of the Son,
takes in His riches
and thus becomes His fullness.
Christ Himself must be wrought into us
and become our life.
We obey this vision
by taking Him as our life,
not allowing ourselves to be distracted by doctrines
nor striving after good behavior.
All day long,
throughout all our activities,
we must maintain contact with this Christ.
As we constantly talk to Him in prayer,
we shall be spontaneously taking Him
as our person
and thus living
according to the heavenly vision.
Day 5
We must have vision and revelation
in order to serve God.
The way to serve God
comes from the vision,
and the life to serve God
comes from revelation.
Nothing human
should be brought into the service to God,
that is,
nothing from our past,
nothing that is Chinese,
nothing that is foreign,
nothing that is old,
and even nothing that is new.
The heavenly vision
stops the earthly practices and methods
of God’s serving ones.
The heavenly vision
adjusts us.
The vision of Christ and the church
is related not only to our personal growth in life
but also to the building up of the church on earth.
When we experience Christ as life,
we can then have the growth in life.
When we live the church life,
the church can then be built up.
Hence, each of us
who serves the Lord
must see the vision of Christ and the church.
We need to see and live
in such a vision.
This vision should also become
the goal of our service.
It should be like a brightly shining lamp,
and we should walk in its light.
If we are serving the children in the church,
we must help them
to know Christ in their youth
and to become materials
for the building of the church,
so that one day
they too will be built up together.
If we have seen the vision of Christ and the church,
the goal of all of our service
will be to help others
receive Christ as life,
so that they may become proper materials
who are built up in the church.
In all of our services,
we should exercise all wisdom
to help people
to gain Christ as life,
so that they may become materials
for the building
and be built up
as the spiritual house of God.
Brothers and sisters,
this is our vision.
Instead of serving without a vision,
Paul served with a vision.
He served with a vision
not only in big things
but even in small things.
If we have a desire to serve,
we must have a vision.
We must ask the Lord
to grant us a vision.
Furthermore, I hope
that we do not just receive trivial visions
that are peripheral.
Rather, we need to see
the most central vision, the most fundamental vision,
in God’s purpose
so that we may have
a real understanding and seeing
of the most basic and central matters
concerning God’s intention.
How can we see a vision?
What is the way
to receive a revelation?
Although the circumstances
related to seeing a vision and receiving a revelation
are not the same for every person,
the principles are the same.
Visions come from God;
they do not depend upon anything of our self.
If God wants us to see,
we will see;
if God does not let us see,
we cannot see.
Nevertheless, we still bear some responsibility
related to our heart,
to our willingness
to let go of worthless things,
to wait on the Lord,
to be pure in heart,
and to be open to the Lord.
Not everyone
who serves God in the same age
sees a vision directly.
The Bible shows
that Paul received a direct vision,
but Timothy’s vision
was received through Paul.
There is no record in the Bible of Timothy
receiving a direct vision himself.
Everything that Timothy saw
came through Paul.
Hence Paul says,
“Continue in the things
which you have learned
and have been assured of,
knowing from which ones
you have learned them
and that from a babe
you have known the sacred writings”
(2 Tim. 3:14-15).
This means
that Timothy received a vision
from Paul
and through the Bible.
Hence, not everyone
who serves God in this age
will receive a direct vision.
In any case,
we all must see the same vision
and receive it
according to the same principles.
Day 4
If you have seen the vision,
whether there is a cold front or a warm front,
you will not be affected.
We have to realize
that we have the outreach in the villages
because we have seen an inward vision.
This glorious vision
controls us
and gives us the boldness
to go on.
At present,
we very much encourage the brothers and sisters
to prophesy in the district meetings on the Lord’s Day.
This is to speak for God.
However, there is a basic qualification
to speak for God
which is
that we must first see God.
We also must deeply realize
that our outreach
is not a kind of work.
Rather, it is
a going out in ecstasy.
If we are not ecstatic,
the gospel outreach
will not be effective.
If we see the vision,
our going out for the work
will be different.
One day while Paul was serving God,
he was on the way to Damascus.
Suddenly, a heavenly vision came to him.
This vision
turned him,
changed him,
revolutionized him.
This vision turned him
from the old way of service.
After he saw this vision,
he became
blind and very weak, even impotent.
Before this vision came to him,
Paul was clear,
full of sight,
and he was also potent,
able to do many things.
But suddenly
a heavenly vision came to him,
and Paul was changed.
He became
blind,
unable to see anything,
and impotent,
unable to do anything.
Before the vision came to him,
he took the lead
to do things,
but after the vision came,
he needed others
to guide him.
A blessed blindness
comes upon those
who are met by the heavenly vision.
After this blindness comes upon us,
there will be
the inner anointing
and the inner shining, the inner enlightening.
The inner vision
will increase more and more
and will revolutionize the way
we serve the Lord.
After he got saved,
in every aspect,
Paul’s service now
was opposite to the way
he had served before.
Second Peter 1:3 says
that God “has called us
by His own glory and virtue.”
In the New Testament,
every saved person
should be one
who has received
God’s glorious calling.
We have all seen His glory,
have been attracted by Him,
and are under His influence.
We can no longer be
the same as we were,
common worldly persons.
We are a special people,
because the Lord has called us.
We do not care about
heaven or earth.
This glory
that we have seen
is the meaning of our life.
It has also become
our goal, our commission, and our burden.
We do not care
what the circumstance is
nor what others think of us.
There is something within us
which we cannot deny or disobey.
It is the glorious vision.
We have to serve God
according to this vision
throughout our whole life.
Day 3
Paul was governed and controlled
by the vision of God’s economy
in all his work and actions.
We should be governed and controlled also.
What is the Bible?
You need to learn to say
that the Bible has two sections:
The first section
is the types and prophecies,
and the second section
is the fulfillment and accomplishment.
All the things referred to in the Bible
are for the fulfillment and accomplishment
of the economy of God.
The economy of God
is that God became flesh,
passed through human living,
died, resurrected,
and became the Spirit
to enter into us as life
and dispense God into us
that we may be transformed
for the producing of the church,
which is
the Body of Christ, the house of God,
the kingdom of God, and the counterpart of Christ,
the ultimate aggregate of which
is the New Jerusalem.
This is the Bible,
and this is the vision
that governs and controls us.
The governing vision
is that the Triune God
is working Himself into His chosen and redeemed people
to be their life and life supply,
to saturate their entire being
with the Divine Trinity,
that is,
with the Father as the fountain,
the Son as the fatness,
and the Spirit as the river.
We must realize
that the Bible was written
under this governing principle.
When we pick up this key,
we can open up
every part of the Bible.
This principle helps us
to interpret
“the fountain of life”
and “in Your light
we see light”.
Every book of the Bible
confirms your understanding
of this Scripture passage [Psa. 36:8-9]
because the entire Bible was written
according to the principle of the Triune God
wrought into His redeemed people
as their enjoyment, their drink,
and their fountain of life and light.
The application of this principle
in interpreting any portion of the New Testament
is endless.
After we have this glorious seeing,
our entire being
will be changed
in its concept, attitude, conversation, and thought.
We will be
thoroughly different.
Although we still eat, drink, rest, and work,
our whole person
will be changed.
Whenever we see a vision
we have a response.
The vision that you see
will make you beside yourself.
Your concepts
will be changed,
and your walk and living
will become uncommon.
Sooner or later,
the appearing of God and our spiritual vision
will make us different from others.
The world can never explain this.
They cannot understand it,
because they have never seen anything like it.
After seeing such a vision,
our whole life-style
is changed.
Our whole being
has had an inward turn.
From that day on,
for us
the world changed its color.
It was
a genuine change.
This world has become
absolutely tasteless to us.
Our life becomes
full of meaning, glory, and purpose
because of the Lord.
This proves
that we have seen the glorious vision.
When this God of glory
unveils Himself to us,
our lives are changed.
This can neither be imitated
nor denied.
I hope
that every one
who is going to participate in the gospel outreach
is a man of vision.
It must not be
that some others are persuading you
to join the gospel outreach.
Persuasion will work for only three days.
I am afraid that after three days,
it will become useless.
It has to be something
that touches you within,
which is the God of glory
unveiling Himself to you and enlightening you,
who will give you
unspeakable strength
for you to go on
in serving the Lord
step by step.
Day 2
We need to learn
to come to the Bible every day
by coming to God.
We should confess our sins
to make a clear situation
so that we can have
fellowship with God in the Spirit.
Then we should read His word
by pray-reading.
Every day
we will receive revelation;
the Spirit will also shine over the revelation,
and we will receive a vision.
There is a progression
from the word to revelation
and from revelation to vision.
In Ephesians 1:17
Paul asked the Lord
to grant us a spirit of wisdom and revelation.
When the Spirit shines over the revelation,
the vision is here.
Without the light,
we cannot receive the vision,
even if the veil is taken away.
The veil should be gone;
and the light should come.
Furthermore, we need the sight.
If we are blind,
we will not be able to see anything,
even if the veil is removed
and the light is here.
We need
the revelation,
the light,
the vision through the light,
and the sight.
Then the veil is gone,
the vision is here,
and we have the light with the sight.
We also have the understanding of the vision
through the Spirit’s wisdom.
I have
a deep expectation
that you would be carried away
to a high place, far above all,
to have a far-reaching view
of God’s vision.
In Revelation
when the apostle John
saw the vision of Babylon, the corrupted city,
he was in the wilderness, a place of desolation.
However, in order to see
the New Jerusalem, the glorious, holy city,
he was brought by an angel
to a high mountain.
This was
because the view from the plain
was not adequate.
He needed to be brought
to a mountain, a high place, a transcendent realm,
that he might have
a sufficiently far-reaching and great view.
Therefore, I earnestly look to the Lord
in His presence
that He would bring us all
up to a high mountain, a high place,
and release every one of us
from ourselves,
bringing us
out of our own experiences, learning, and past attainments
and lifting us
up to a new realm, an elevated sphere,
that we have never reached before
so that we would have a transcendent view
of the glorious vision of God.
How I wish
that every brother and sister
would have such an attitude and desire
and that we would tell the Lord,
“I want to be released and carried away from myself.
I want to be freed
not only from my wicked sins
but also from my good, spiritual experiences.
Although I have had many attainments already,
I want to see a vision
that is
higher, greater, deeper, richer,
and more far-reaching and transcendent.”
May God have mercy
on every one of us
that we would be rescued and carried away
from ourselves
to a transcendent position
that we may have
a transcendent view, a far-reaching sight,
to see through all things
so that we may see the glorious vision of God.
Ezekiel saw
four living creatures and God’s glorious throne.
Because of what he saw,
he was burdened
to convey these visions to others.
What he spoke
was not a teaching or something imaginary
but a heavenly vision
which he had seen in spirit.
Every minister of God’s word
should convey
spiritual, heavenly visions
to others.
I am not ministering
a theory, a concept, a doctrine,
or anything of systematized theology.
but a vision
from the open heavens.
All the churches and all the saints
need to see
heavenly visions.
Therefore, what we present
to the children of God
should not be
mere teaching or doctrine or knowledge
gained from reading
but a vision
we have seen in spirit
under the open heavens
through our contact with God.
This will cause God’s people
to be recovered from their captivity,
and it will lead
to the building up of God’s churches.
Day 1
What is vision?
Literally, the Chinese expression i-hsiang
means an “uncommon, special scene.”
Hence, vision denotes
an extraordinary scene.
For example,
someone may have a house
with exquisite decorations.
Once you enter in and take a look,
you immediately sense
something uncommon.
To you
that is an uncommon scene;
that is a vision.
In the Bible
vision refers to the scenery
we see from God.
Through His Word
God has opened the veil,
but we must see the scenes
contained in the Word.
Whatever we see
through God’s revelation
is a vision.
God continues to need a people
who can cause His heavens
to be opened.
Today the earth
is still occupied by Satan;
the people on earth
are still in Satan’s hands;
and most of God’s people
are still in captivity.
Thus, there is
an urgent need for some, like Ezekiel,
who will seek God,
contact God,
and be God’s priests
ministering before God.
If God has such Ezekiels today,
the heavens
will be opened,
the people on earth
will be able to see heavenly visions,
and the heavenly things
will be fulfilled on earth.
In these days
may we all seek God and contact Him,
and may the heavens be opened to us!
Not only were the heavens opened to Ezekiel,
but the visions came,
and something was revealed, unveiled, to him.
God said to Ezekiel,
“Look with your eyes,
and hear with your ears,
and set your heart on all
that I show you”
(Ezek. 40:4).
The heavens were opened
for the purpose of allowing Ezekiel
to see visions of God.
God’s visions
are His revelations,
which enable us
to see divine, spiritual, heavenly things.
Those for whom the heavens are not open
cannot see God’s heavenly things.
Revelation is
like the lifting of a curtain,
the opening of a veil.
Yet once the veil is opened,
there are two other requirements
—light and sight.
Even when the veil is lifted,
if there is no light,
we will not see.
If there is light,
but we do not have the sight,
we still will not be able to see.
In the New Testament age
the revelation is already here,
but the strangest thing
is that many people
still do not have the light or the vision
in their reading of the Bible.
Why is this?
First, it is
because they do not have light.
Second, it is
because they do not have the sight
—their eyes are not opened.
Before the veil is lifted,
we surely will not see anything.
But even after the veil is lifted,
if there is no light,
we still will not see anything.
If our eyes are blind,
even though there is light,
we still will not see.
But if our eyes are opened,
we will be able to see the vision
spoken of in the Scriptures.
What is a vision?
A vision is a scene,
not an ordinary one,
but a particular scene
that we see from God.
Today when we come to the New Testament,
all that is contained in the Bible
has already been revealed.
Yet when reading the Bible,
if our eyes are not opened
we will not be able to see the vision of God
even though the word of God
is right in front of us.
But if our eyes are opened
when we pray and read God’s word,
we will immediately see the vision.
At that time
the revelation will become our vision.
When the divine light shines
over the divine revelation,
the divine revelation
becomes the divine vision.
A vision is a view
whereby we may see something.
If a person’s eyes are covered by a thick veil,
there may be some wonderful scenery in front of him,
but he is not able to see it.
He cannot see
because he has no vision,
but when the veil is taken away
he can see.