In one of the most penetrating
and directive prayers of Scripture, the apostle Paul prayed: “The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that
ye may know what is the hope of His calling, and what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,” Ephesians
1:18. Our Lord is seeking a people who will lay ahold of this prayer and come
to a place of apprehending His purposes for the day.
We have not exhausted the
revelation of the Word of God. John in the Book of Revelation speaks of “hidden
manna” – truth not yet revealed, but reserved for those who have certain overcoming qualities in their lives. Isaiah 1:19, in prophetic vision tell us, “If ye be willing and obedient, ye
shall eat the good of the land.” There are those in our day who are willing
to pay the price of pressing on into His full inheritance for the saints and are praying that the eyes of their understanding
will be opened that they might enter in.
Many theorize about the program
of God for the End Time, but few walk with Him in present revelation of the Word. Through
the illumination of the Holy Spirit, the written Word will become a vibrant, living word for our day and time. This is the real miracle of the Bible, written thousands of years ago, but having revelation for the very
situations we are in today.
To bring a greater understanding
of Himself and of the unfolding of His purposes, the Lord has progressively brought forth greater revelation of His Word to
His servants.
In Luke 22:14-16, Jesus spoke
of a certain hour that was to come: “...And He said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this Passover with
you before I suffer: For I say unto you, I will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the Kingdom of God.” He projected their vision to a future day. In
Acts 1:6, His disciples asked: “Lord, wilt Thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?” Not understanding His Word of a greater fulfillment of the kingdom of God in the future, they looked back
to the kingdom of natural Israel. After His crucifixion, two disciples were walking
along the road toward Emmaus. Despite all He had told them, their vision was
set upon the past. Note Luke 24:14: “And they talked together of all these
things which had happened.” They did not consider or have faith to believe
all that He had shown them of a new age that was to be ushered in. In this frame
of mind, they could not recognize Him, nor discern His presence as He walked with them.
They heard the anointed Word of God from the Lord Himself (Luke 24:27), but did not understand. It was only when He passed through the gate (representing the age to come) and broke bread, that they remembered
the promise He had given them: “I will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God,”
Luke 22:16. Immediately, their vision turned from the past toward the kingdom,
and they recognized and saw the King.
Many Christians today are
as these disciples were – looking back at the past and not able to go on with the Lord.
Until our perspective and vision is right, we will not discern His presence as Lord in our midst, nor His presentation
of the age to come. Let us again pray with the apostle Paul: “The eyes
of our understanding being enlightened; that we may know what is the hope of His calling.”
And once we know, let us ask
for grace to go beyond the old that we may enter the new day which is at hand.
