Vision

Vision [EBD]

(Luke 1:22), a vivid apparition, not a dream (comp. Luke 24:23; Acts 26:19; 2 Cor. 12:1).

Vision [NAVE]

VISION, a mode of revelation, Num. 12:6; 1 Sam. 3:1; 2 Chr. 26:5; Psa. 89:19; Prov. 29:18; Jer. 14:14; 23:16; Dan. 1:17; Hos. 12:10; Joel 2:28; Obad. 1; Hab. 2:2; Acts 2:17.
Of Abraham, concerning his descendants, Gen. 15:1-17.
Of Jacob, of the ladder with ascending and descending angels, Gen. 28:12; at Beer-sheba, Gen. 46:2.
Of Joshua, of the captain of the Lord's host, Josh. 5:13-15.
Of Moses, of the burning bush, Ex. 3:2; of the glory of God, Ex. 24:9-11; 33:18-23.
Of the Israelites, of the manifestation of the glory of God, Ex. 24:10, 17; Heb. 12:18-21.
Of Balaam, in a trance, See: Balaam.
Of Elisha, at the translation of Elijah, 2 Kin. 2:11.
Of Elisha's servant, of the chariots of the Lord, 2 Kin. 6:17.
Of Micaiah, of the defeat of the Israelites; of the Lord on his throne; and of a lying spirit, 1 Kin. 22:17-23; 2 Chr. 18:16-22.
Of David, of the angel of the Lord by the threshing floor of Ornan, 1 Chr. 21:15-18.
Of Job, of a spirit, Job 4:12-16.
Of Isaiah, of the Lord and his glory in the temple, Isa. 6; of the valley of vision, Isa. 22.
Of Jeremiah, of an almond rod, Jer. 1:11; of the boiling pot, Jer. 1:13.
Of Ezekiel, of the glory of God, Ezek. 1:3, 12-14; 23; of the roll, Ezek. 2:9; of the man of fire, Ezek. 8; 9; of the coals of fire, Ezek. 10:1-7; of the dry bones, Ezek. 37:1-14; of the city and temple, Ezek. 40-48; of the waters, Ezek. 47:1-12.
Of Daniel, of the four beasts, Dan. 7; of the Ancient of days, Dan. 7:9-27; of the ram and the he goat, Dan. 8; of the angel, Dan. 10.
Of Amos, of grasshoppers, Amos 7:1, 2; of fire, Amos 7:4; of a plumb line, Amos 7:7, 8; of summer fruit, Amos 8:1, 2; of the temple, Amos 9:1.
Of Zechariah, of horses, Zech. 1:8-11; of horns and carpenters, Zech. 1:18-21; of the high priest, Zech. 3:1-5; of the golden lampstand, Zech. 4; of the flying roll, Zech. 5:1-4; of the mountains and chariots, Zech. 6:1-8.
Of Zacharias, in the temple, Luke 1:13-22.
Of John the Baptist, at the baptism of Jesus, Matt. 3:16; Mark 1:10; Luke 3:22; John 1:32-34.
Peter, James, and John, of the transfiguration of Jesus and the appearance of Moses and Elijah, Matt. 17:1-9; Luke 9:28-36.
Of the people, of the tongues of fire at Pentecost, Acts 2:2, 3.
Of Stephen, of Christ, Acts 7:55, 56.
Of Paul, of Christ, on the way to Damascus, Acts 9:3-6; 1 Cor. 9:1; of Ananias, Acts 9:12; of a man of Macedonia, saying, "Come over into Macedonia, and help us,'' Acts 16:9; in Corinth, Acts 18:9, 10; in a trance, Acts 22:17-21; of paradise, 2 Cor. 12:1-4.
Of Ananias, of Christ, Acts 9:10-12.
Of Cornelius, the centurion, of an angel, Acts 10:3.
Of Peter, of the sheet let down from heaven, Acts 10:9-18.
Of John on the Isle of Patmos, the Book of Revelation.
Of Christ and the golden lampstands, Rev. 1:10-20; the open door, Rev. 4:1; a rainbow and throne, Rev. 4:2, 3; twenty-four elders, Rev. 4:4; seven lamps, Rev. 4:5; sea of glass, Rev. 4:6; four living creatures, Rev. 4:6-8; book with seven seals, Rev. 5:1-5; golden bowls, Rev. 5:8; of the six seals, Rev. 6; four horses, Rev. 6:2-8; earthquake and celestial phenomena, Rev. 6:12-14; four angels, Rev. 7:1; sealing of the one hundred and forty-four thousand, Rev. 7:2-8; of the seventh seal and seven angels, Rev. 8-11; of the censer, Rev. 8:5; hail and fire, Rev. 8:7; mountain cast into the sea, Rev. 8:8, 9; falling star, Rev. 8:10, 11; 9:1; the third part of sun and moon and stars darkened, Rev. 8:12; bottomless pit, Rev. 9:2; locusts, Rev. 9:3-11; four angels loosed from the Euphrates, Rev. 9:14; army of horsemen, Rev. 9:16-19; angel having a book, Rev. 10:1-10; seven thunders, Rev. 10:3, 4; measurement of the temple, Rev. 11:1, 2; two witnesses, Rev. 11:3-12; court of the Gentiles, Rev. 11:2; two olive trees and two lampstands, Rev. 11:4; the beast out of the bottomless pit, Rev. 11:7; fall of the city, Rev. 11:13; second and third woes, Rev. 11:14; a woman clothed with the sun; birth of the male child, Rev. 12; a red dragon, Rev. 12:3-17; war in heaven, Rev. 12:7-9; the beast rising out of the sea, Rev. 13:1-10; the beast coming out of the earth, Rev. 13:11-18; the Lamb on Mount Zion, Rev. 14:1-5; the angel having the everlasting gospel, Rev. 14:6, 7; the angel proclaiming the fall of Babylon, Rev. 14:8-13; the Son of Man with a sickle, Rev. 14:14-16; angel reaping the harvest, Rev. 14:14-20; angel coming out of the temple, Rev. 14:17-19; an angel having power over fire, Rev. 14:18; the vine and the winepress, Rev. 14:18-20; angels with the seven last plagues, Rev. 15; sea of glass, Rev. 15:2; temple opened, Rev. 15:5; the plague upon the men who had the mark of the beast, Rev. 16:2; sea turned into blood, Rev. 16:3; the seven angels with the seven bowls of the wrath of God, Rev. 16; 17; destruction of Babylon, Rev. 18; of the multitude praising, Rev. 19:1-9; of him who is faithful and true riding a white horse, Rev. 19:11-16; angel in the sun, Rev. 19:17-21; Satan bound a thousand years, Rev. 20:1-3; thrones of judgment, and the resurrection, and the loosing of Satan, Rev. 20:1-10; great white throne, Rev. 20:11; opening of the book of life, Rev. 20:12; death and hell, Rev. 20:14; New Jerusalem, Rev. 21; river of life, Rev. 22:1; tree of life, Rev. 22:2.
See: Dream.

VISION [ISBE]

VISION - vizh'-un (chazon, chizzayon, mar'ah; horama, optasia): Psychologists find that man is prevailingly and persistently "eye-minded." That is, in his waking life he is likely to think, imagine and remember in terms of vision. Naturally then, his dreaming is predominantly visual; so strongly visual, we are told, that it is not rare to find dreams defined as "trains of fantastic images." Whether man was made this way in order that God might communicate with him through dreams and visions is hardly worth debating; if the records of human life, in the Bible and out of it, are to be trusted at all, there is nothing better certified than that God has communicated with man in this way (Ps 89:19; Prov 29:18; compare Am 8:11,12; Hos 12:10). If one is disposed to regard the method as suited only to primitive peoples and superstitious natures, it still remains true that the experience is one associated with lives and characters of the most saintly and exalted kind (1 Sam 3:1; Jer 1:11; Ezek 1:1; Dan 2:19; Acts 9:10; 10:3; 16:9).

The vision may come in one's waking moments (Dan 10:7; Acts 9:7); by day (Cornelius, Acts 10:3; Peter, Acts 10:9 ff; compare Nu 24:4,16) or night (Jacob, Gen 46:2); but commonly under conditions of dreaming (Nu 12:6; Job 4:13; Dan 4:9). The objects of vision, diverse and in some instances strange as they are, have usually their points of contact with experiences of the daily life. Thus Isaiah's vision of the seraphim (Isa 6:2) was doubtless suggested by familiar figures used in the decoration of the temple at Jerusalem; Paul's "man of Macedonia" (Acts 16:9) had its origin in some poor helot whom Paul had seen on the streets of Troas and who embodied for him the pitiful misery of the regions across the sea; and "Jacob's ladder" (Gen 28:12) was but a fanciful development of the terraced land which he saw sun-glorified before him as he went to sleep. Among the recurring objects of vision are natural objects--rivers, mountains, trees, animals--with which man has daily and hourly association.

The character of the revelation through vision has a double aspect in the Biblical narrative. In one aspect it proposes a revelation for immediate direction, as in the ease of Abram (Gen 15:2 and frequently); Lot (Gen 19:15); Balaam (Nu 22:22), and Peter (Acts 12:7). In another aspect it deals with the development of the Kingdom of God as conditioned by the moral ideals of the people; such are the prophetic visions of Isaiah, Ezekiel, Hosea, and Micah, and the apoealypses of Daniel and John. The revelation for immediate direction has many correspondences in the life of the devout in all ages; the prophetic vision, dealing in a penetrating way with the sources of national growth and decay, has its nearest approach in the deliverances of publicists and statesmen who are persuaded that the laws of God, as expressed in self-control, truth, justice, and brotherly love, are supreme, and that the nations which disregard them are marked for ultimate and speedy extinction.

From the nature of the vision as an instrument of divine communication, the seeing of visions is naturally associated with revivals of religion (Ezek 12:21-25; Joel 2:28; compare Acts 2:17), and the absence of visions with spiritual decline (Isa 29:11,12; Lam 2:9; Ezek 7:26; Mic 3:6).

One may see visions without being visionary in the bad sense of that word. The outstanding characters to whom visions were vouchsafed in the history of Israel--Abraham, Moses, Jacob, David, Isaiah, Jesus and Paul--were all men of action as well as sentiment, and it is manifest from any fair reading of their lives that their work was helped and not hindered by this aspect of their fellowship with God. For always the vision emphasizes the play of a spiritual world; the response of a man's spirit to the appeal of that world; and the ordering of both worlds by an "intelligent and compelling Power able to communicate Himself to man and apparently supremely interested in the welfare of man.

Charles M. Stuart