Fall 1973
Write the Vision and Make It Plain
E.A. Heeley

“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works” (II Timothy 3:16-17).

“My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into divers temptations; knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing” (James 1:2-4).

“And He gave some apostles; some prophets; and some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers: for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Til we all come in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:11-13).

It is expedient in the light of these scriptures and many others that God’s purpose is to have a perfect Church. In order to have perfect Church, it will be necessary to have some perfect individuals. Yes, God wants you to be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

When God created Adam every provision was made to fully satisfy him. He was perfect but not tested. Genesis 1:26, “And God said, let us make man in our image, after our likeness.” God made provision for everything they would ever need and when He finished, He saw it was good. We know the story –Adam sold out and lost all this for the human race. God made several attempts to bring man back into this state and at last He sent His Son Jesus to redeem us. Romans 8:32 says, “He that spared not His own son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him fully give us all things.” All things are available for us. What things? Everything that was lost in the fall—and more. Everything we shall ever need for spirit, soul and body.

The Apostle Paul saw by revelation the truth and was pressing toward it (to become perfect or to the fullness of the stature of Christ, which is perfect). “Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:12). We notice that Paul had not attained to that state yet, but he saw the provision that was made for him and was pressing in that direction.

In every dispensation there have been men and women who have seen God’s provision for them and done all in their power to enter in and yet have not attained. It may cause us to wonder if it is worth while to press in. If they could not attain why should we hope to obtain? Have we any more chance of entering than they? Hebrews 12:2 says, “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the same, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” He did, so we can. He is the Author and Finisher. You and I can confess that He is the Author or He has begun a good work—and if He is that . . . He is also the Finisher.

Looking over the eleventh chapter of Hebrews, we find a list of overcomers believing God that they could come to perfection and they all died one way and another without arriving or obtaining this perfection they were looking for. “And these all having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect” (Hebrews 11:39-40). So when we come into this fully redeemed state, our Old Testament overcomers will come into what they died in faith believing, the full salvation or perfection which is our full inheritance in Christ Jesus.

It seems evident that no one has received this inheritance yet. The Old Testament overcomers are waiting God’s appointed time, and they, with the New Testament overcomers will be the first to enter in and receive.

Revelation 21:7 says, “He that overcometh shall inherit all things, and I will be his God, and He shall be my son.” Some of the “all things” are in Revelation 21:3-4. “God will dwell with them and God Himself shall be with them and be their God. He will wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death.” This isn’t speaking of heaven because no one dies in heaven, but to those who overcome here on hearth, God says no more death, no sorrow, nor crying, no more pain. God says, “Behold I make all things new.”

God says “IT IS DONE.” Looking at things from God’s viewpoint—it is done. If we put what God says into the far off future in the sky somewhere, we are not really believing what He says. Faith is always now. Faith IS the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. (Not seen with the natural eye but seen with the eye of faith.) It is done so let us begin to look at things as God sees them. This of course takes a spirit of revelation which if we don’t have, we should pray for. The Father wants to talk it over with His sons that we, of a truth, be joint heirs and co-workers together with Him.

In Psalm 23:1 David, by the inspiration of the spirit, declared his position. The Lord is my shepherd—I shall not want. And anyone else who dare declare they are fully and completely following the Lamb will also be able to say “I shall not want” because you will have everything that is needful and necessary in the Lord. Jesus said, My sheep hear My voice and follow Me—so if we are following Him, He makes this carnal nature lie down. Hebrews 4:1 and 10 says, “Let us therefore fear lest a promise being left us of entering into His rest (ceasing from our own works) any of you should seem to come short of it. For he that is entered into his rest he has also ceased from his own works, as God did from His.” About the last word Jesus gave to His disciples before ascending into heaven was that they should not depart from Jerusalem but wait for the promise of the Father. “And ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you and ye shall be witnesses unto me,’ or in other words, You will have the divine ability to lay down your lives, to cease from your own works and allow the Holy Spirit to do the work through you.

In Ephesians 1:13-14 it says that “…after that ye believed, ye were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise. Which is the earnest of our inheritance, until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of His glory.” “Who hath also sealed us, and given us the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts” (II Corinthians 1:22). “Now He that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given us the earnest of the Spirit” (II Corinthians 5:5). “For now we see through a glass darkly, but then face to face” (II Corinthians 13:12). It is evident in the light of these and other scriptures that God has something for us which we have not received as yet.

The general teaching is that we shall receive this full inheritance when we die and go to heaven. But He is wanting a perfect church without spot or wrinkle or any such thing here on the earth. So the question arises when and where and how will this take place? We look to the scriptures again for the answer. God has a time and a place for everything. There are some things we can have now, but some things we can only have by divine intervention or when God is ushering in a new dispensation. For instance, when it was God’s appointed time to fulfill scripture, a virgin was to conceive and bring forth a son and call His name Jesus. This was God’s appointed time. There was not a prophet in the land to bring the word that was necessary so God intervened by sending an angel and ushered in a new age. God used intervention to Zacharias, something beyond all human ability, to let him know that he should have son and his name should be called John and that he would prepare the way for the Son of God. Yet, it was another thirty years before this supernatural ministry came on the scene.

In John2:4, Mary said to Jesus, “They have no wine,” but Jesus said unto her, “Woman, what have I to do with thee, mine hour has not yet come.” Mary, I am sure, in her spirit was feeling it was God’s time for this new ministry to come forth. But God has a time and Jesus would not move. This ministry had been prophesied thirty years before but there is a time.

Moses was in the backside of a desert minding a few sheep. When he was born, his parents recognized the hand of God on him for a purpose and God intervened when all the baby boys were being killed, and Moses landed in the king’s palace. Forty years later, after trying to meet the needs of his people with his own ability, he had to flee to save his life. Then when God’s time arrived to deliver the children of Israel out of bondage, there was a supernatural visitation of the presence of God in the burning bush. God spoke and put His purposes in motion. So here we are at the end of an age and the day of the Lord cometh, it is nigh at hand. The day when He takes over through a people who have yielded themselves and walk in submission to Him.

I am sure that we are well aware that we are at the end of an age. A new age is about to be ushered in. If you have caught a glimpse of the great things that lie ahead, the best thing to be doing is to hold steady, submit to the dealings of God; and keep available to meet the needs of those you come in contact with using what you have been given thus far. “Who then is a faithful and wise servant whom his Lord hath made ruler over his household to give them meat in due season. Blessed is that servant when his Lord cometh that shall find him so doing. Verily I say unto you that he shall make him ruler over all his goods” (Matthew 24:45-47). This is not in heaven. This servant is ministering and using what he has. He may very well feel his limitations and see by the scriptures that there is more but he is faithful with what God has given him.

To them that look for Him shall He “appear the second time—not carrying any burden of sin nor to deal with sin, but to bring to full salvation, those who are eagerly, constantly and patiently waiting for Him and expecting Him” (Hebrews 9:28, Amplified). We have the earnest of our inheritance now but it will soon be time to receive our full inheritance and those who have this hope are preparing for it. “To an inheritance, incorruptible, and undefiled, that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept BY THE POWER OF GOD THROUGH FAITH unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (I Peter 1:4-5).

“And the Lord answered me and said, WRITE THE VISION AND MAKE IT PLAIN UPON THE TABLES, THAT HE MAY RUN THAT READETH IT. FOR THE VISION IS FOR AN APPOINTED TIME, but at the end it shall speak and not lie, THOUGH IT TARRY, WAIT FOR IT BECAUSE IT WILL SURELY COME, IT WILL NOT TARRY.” Habakkuk 2:2-3