The Kingdom Vision Project

I want to tell you about an exciting project that we have underway about personal visions of the Kingdom.

It’s times like these… we need a vision of the Kingdom

Aren’t things in such turmoil and uncertainty in the world at the moment! The Covid-19 pandemic rages relentlessly around the world bringing fear, restrictive lifestyles, job losses, possible financial collapse, uncertainty of circumstances: uncertainty of life. It doesn’t help, either, when arrogant and heartless leaders and nations act in self-interest with blatant disregard for life, morals, justice, decency, and care—it must surely call into question the staunchest humanist’s trust in human ability to solve its own problems. The nations are raging, the sea and waves roaring, and iron and clay are verifying that they don’t adhere to each other. And the future—for years to come—doesn’t look good at all. And what about us? This all causes us to “look up” and hope that “our redemption draws nigh”.

As for the ecclesias, reports from around the world have been amazing; how brothers and sisters, young people, and ecclesias have rallied. Even brothers and sisters that have been on the periphery for years, and some who have left, are attending Zoom Bible classes, talks, seminars, and even Memorial Meetings. This is heartening. Crises make people stop and think, but in this case, it has caused people to stop, which has given them time to think. And this is good.

Is our Lord near? Will it be this year? What’s happening looks to be the finger of God. Look what a little virus can do—not merely to a person’s health, but to hospitals, institutions, businesses, economies, to governments, to nations. Oh yes, this is the hand of God. And what’s coming next?

And yet, what if it all dies down? I can tell you what happens. Here in New Zealand, apart from the ability to travel overseas, and increasing job losses, life has turned relatively back to normal. Being a small nation, and our government “working with the scientists”, they have contained the virus so that there is no community transmission (at least, at the moment). I can’t speak for all ecclesias, but I know in several that the renewed interest in ecclesial activities (whether Zoom or actual classes), has returned to pre-lockdown levels. That quickly! That’s very disheartening, and short-sighted!

But, then, that’s human nature, and “where there is no vision, the people perish” (Prov. 29:18).

Why is having a vision of the Kingdom important?

Why is it so important to have a vision of the Kingdom of God?

Actually, we need more than just a bit of a picture of the Kingdom, because the vision has to be living ever before us. Otherwise, we are liable to slip, like the psalmist who was blinded by the success of the wicked who flaunt their worldliness and successes, even thumbing their noses at God—until the psalmist went into the sanctuary of God (Psalm 73:1–17).

What did he see in the sanctuary? He saw a vision. Not a miraculous one, but in something that was there in front of him. He saw in symbol what God said He would do, and it was so clear that the psalmist said categorically,

“…then understood I their end. Surely thou didst set them in slippery places: thou castedst them down into destruction. How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment! they are utterly consumed with terrors. As a dream when one awaketh; so, O Lord, when thou awakest, thou shalt despise their image” (verses 17–20).

He saw the entire picture of what will happen to the wicked when God arises to judge. He saw all that in the sanctuary, by contemplating its symbology. It came to him in stark reality, so much so that his own foolishness grieved him (verse 21–22). Visions can be powerful. They can correct us, but also affect our focus in life, our lifestyle, our demeanour.

A vision of the Kingdom should not be our goal, it’s our hope

A vision of the Kingdom should not be to us like striving for a goal. Dangling a carrot before the donkey may work for some for a while, but research shows it’s not that successful. It can do the opposite—it can discourage a person. Besides, we will not get into the Kingdom on merit. No, it’s not a goal, an incentive, or an enticement: it’s our hope.

“For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.” (Rom. 8:25).

Paul says that this hope is built on faith:

“Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God” (Rom 5:1–2).

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Heb. 11:1).

Hope, then, is built upon a faith in things that are going to happen, that make it worthwhile going through the life we are subjected to today.

We must see the reality of the Kingdom

When Paul says in Romans 8:25 above that we don’t see the hope, he means that we haven’t yet received that which we hope for. It’s necessary, however, that we see what we are looking for in our mind’s eye to endure our trials because he says:

“For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. (2 Cor. 4:17–18).

We must clothe the future with reality.

Living with the Kingdom in mind

In fact, we should live our lives today because of what they will be in the Kingdom.

That’s the point that Christ makes in the “Beatitudes” (Matthew 5:3–12). Keep in mind that the background to each of the listed characteristics in these verses is trial, as the exhortation of Christ in verses 11–12 shows. While the Word develops these characteristics in his disciples, trial both tests and enhances them. But what gets them through the trials?

Look at the second beatitude (verse 4):

“Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.”

While we may mourn today, we are blessed! Why? Because sometime soon we shall know a comfort that makes the mourning of today all worthwhile. We endure today because of what we shall receive in the Kingdom. But it’s more than that: we will be comforted then because of what we endure today. Therefore, our current mourning is a blessing.

Look at the next beatitude:

“Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth” (verse 5).

The meek may be despised and have to endure much today, but they have a blessing today in all those circumstances because that meekness means they shall inherit everything! We go through all these things today because of what we shall receive in the Kingdom. They are inextricably linked like cause and effect—both ways.

This has to be comforting. But see the point? We endure trial for the developing of our characters today because of and so that we can have what’s been promised us tomorrow in the Kingdom. We are truly “blessed”!

Now, look at how Christ presents the first and last beatitudes and encloses all the others:

“Blessed are the poor because theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (verse 3).

“Blessed are they that are persecuted for righteousness sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (verse 10).

Theirs is the kingdom of heaven. It’s theirs today. How? By faith. They believe in what has been promised and are prepared to suffer today in order to receive that kingdom tomorrow, but that kingdom is so strong in their hearts by faith that it’s their blessing today. That’s a mindset—a way of thinking.

The faithful of old lived their lives because of a vision of things to come

Can you see why having a vision — not just a picture, but the reality of the Kingdom planted by faith in our hearts, is so important? It’s this kind of mindset that helped so many people in ages past. Consider a few examples:

Abraham rejoiced to see Christ’s day and was glad (John 8:56).
Joseph had dreams that inspired him through his trials, but he knew they would have their ultimate fulfilment in the Kingdom (Gen.37:5–10).
Moses “esteemed the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt, for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward” (Heb. 11:26).
David endured much humiliation and suffering because of his sin with Bathsheba, for the rest of his life, but he clung on to the promise of seeing his and God’s son on the throne, in the Kingdom (2 Sam. 23:5; Isa 55: 3; Psa. 23:6 etc).
Christ took encouragement from seeing his brethren in the kingdom with him because of his sacrifice (Heb. 12:2; Matt. 25:21; Isa. 53:11).

What vision do you have of the Kingdom?

What are the things that inspire you today, that you look forward to seeing happen in the Kingdom?

Is it:

Seeing Israel, no longer with the veil of the Law blinding them to God and His Son and the true path to salvation, at the head of all nations? An entire nation righteous! What a wonder!
Seeing the whole world respect God?
Seeing all nations—thousands upon thousands—come from year to year unto Mount Zion to worship Yahweh Elohim of Israel?
Seeing and talking again with a relative or beloved brother or sister who has fallen asleep in Christ?
Seeing and talking with faithful biblical people?
Seeing and talking with Christ?

Won’t it be wonderful to see:

Arrogant tyrants brought to account and unable to further their self-centred schemes.
Righteous judgement, not like in the court systems of today.
Equity among all peoples, fair distribution of food, and people’s needs met.
Life centred again around the simple things that matter, not materialism or technologies that distract, addict, and consume.
Societies living in harmony, unified by one religion, one law, one righteous government.
Societies learning righteousness, and genuine care for others.
God’s earth itself being treated with respect and its resultant abundance of fruitfulness.

And won’t it be such a joy to have:

Eternal redemption—immortality.
Bodies free from sin.
No more tears, pain, and sorrow.
Power to overcome evil with good.
Opportunity to bring about change in a troubled world.
Roles and work that will be effective.
Such a close and harmonious relationship with God, His Son, and all the saints.
The prospect of genuinely being able to honour and praise God for eternity.

The Bible furnishes us with so much information about that coming time. It comes in types, symbols, dreams, visions, promises, and simple description. It’s not just prophecy that gives us this information about the kingdom. Doctrine, covenants, and even the Law of Moses provide glimpses and outright declarations. And we have so much detail, from a description—even measurements—of the future temple, the division of the Land, and who will occupy what parts. We have details of huge topographical changes in the Land of Israel. We have described to us roles, laws, worship, practices, health, and wealth distribution. We are told the nature and hierarchical structure of the kingdom, and details about the effects upon the nations and the natural environment. We are told how long, and even events that will take place during its existence.

We have so much to help inspire us to clothe the future with reality. And we can help each other with this, too.

Inspiring others and being inspired by others

Like many others, I have always been inspired by the imaginative vision of the Kingdom by brother Roberts called The Final Consolation. While brother Roberts has some rather quaint notions about such things as the role of electricity in the Kingdom, (electricity had only just started being used for general use in society), and the dialogue between characters is not how we would naturally speak today, his descriptions and ideas, allow the imagination to take over and inspire us to do the same with our own understandings of the Kingdom.

Another inspiration to me in my earlier years was a project conducted by brother H. P. Mansfield. He showed us how he would have projects he would use for the Daily Readings. That year, he wrote in a notebook every verse he could find in each reading that had to do with the Kingdom. He kindly allowed one of us to borrow his notes, which we duly photocopied. It had been a mammoth undertaking as he had everything categorised under various headings, and ran to many pages, as you can imagine. I still have my copy. While I can use this as a resource, imagine how such an exercise would affect a person’s mind, not only over the course of a year, but for a lifetime!

The Kingdom Vision Project 2020

So, we come to the Kingdom Vision Project for 2020.

Some years ago, my daughter mentioned how she would love to get brothers and sisters of all walks of life, ages, stages, and circumstances to write what they are looking forward to most about the Kingdom and then share them with the community. From that day, I had the idea in mind for Wilderness Voice to do this. Some years later, our ecclesia held a family night run by brother Josh and sister Josie Smith. They got everyone to do exactly that exercise. They had an excellent prompt sheet they had devised to help people get beyond the inevitable blank page syndrome, otherwise known as “writer’s block”. Some were brave enough to read their visions out. The results were inspiring and surprising. It’s this effort that has inspired the current project.

The project

What we would like is for brothers and sisters from around the world to provide their own vision of the Kingdom to share with others. These visions can be in any form including a written piece, an illustration, or in mixed media. We have also included a section for children and young people to contribute by providing their vision in some form of artwork.

Once we have received them, we have two particular methods of sharing these visions with all those that have contributed and the rest of the Brotherhood. God willing, we hope to provide them in:

A BOOK — Initially, as an e-book, but we will also look at publishing it in a printed format.

ONLINE — We will publish visions from time to time here on The Voice blog.

Are you keen to find out more?

Check out our Kingdom Vision Project page for more details, and download the information you need, including some prompt sheets.

And, please spread the word!

We hope that this project, which has already taken on a life of its own, will receive the Father’s blessing, and be a help to brothers and sisters in Christ and their families during these uncertain times. More than anything, we hope that our visions will soon be a reality.

The Kingdom of God