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“‘…Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and

Jesus standing at the right hand of God. “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of

Man standing at the right hand of God.'” -Acts 7:57

Vision

Do you want to see heaven?  Most people would probably say yes.  That’s because heaven is a place of peace and hope and light.  According to the Bible it’s where Jesus and Father God are seated on their thrones.  It’s where we will be judged and if we have placed our faith in Jesus, we’ll enter into paradise.  When we die, I think most of us would agree, we want to see heaven.  We want to be with God.

However, I’m not just talking about seeing heaven when we die.  I want to propose the thought, “We can see heaven while we are alive.”  But how is that possible?

One word: vision.

Have you ever had a vision?  I don’t mean a dream, although they are similar (A dream is like a vision during sleep).  A vision is where you see God or something that God is showing you (could be in the form of a picture or word), while you are awake.  So does God talk about visions in the Bible?

Stephen

Let’s start with a man named Stephen.  He was a follower of Jesus and loved Jesus with all his heart.  He preached, healed, performed miracles and did other mighty things for the kingdom of God.  The Holy Spirit was his guide and he was on a mission, the Great Commission, to tell the world about Jesus.  

I See Heaven reminds me of when Stephen was about to be stoned to death for declaring Jesus as Lord.  The Sanhedrin, the very same Jewish religious leaders that had accused and killed Jesus, were now targeting Stephen.  Amazingly, without fear, Stephen proclaimed the crucified and risen Savior and accused the Sanhedrin of not obeying the Holy Spirit.  Stephen looked up into the sky and the heavens opened up.  He saw Jesus and Father God in a vision and said the following:  “Look…I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God” (Acts 7:56).  Immediately, the Jewish leaders began to stone him, infuriated by what they thought was blasphemy.  We know it was not blasphemy; it was the glorious sight of Jesus and Father God welcoming Stephen into heaven!

Prophecy

According to the Scriptures, Stephen saw heaven by the Holy Spirit.  Many great prophets of the Bible had visions as well.  From the Old Testament to the New, there are examples of people who saw supernatural, heavenly things.  Abraham, Moses, David, Jeremiah, Miriam, Esther, Isaiah, Ezekiel, Elisha, Elijah, Deborah, Daniel, John, Paul, and Jesus to name a few.  What did all of these mighty prophets and prophetess have in common?  

Prophecy.

Prophecy is a gift of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 14:1) and when someone has a prophecy, they have a word or message from God.  Many times it’s a foretelling, while other times it’s a specific word from God’s heart that gives encouragement and strength in that moment to the person receiving it.  A prophet is a messenger from God and literally receives messages through visions.  In other words, a vision is a revealing.  

Here’s what the Lord told Moses, Aaron and Miriam, through a pillar of cloud:  “When a prophet of the Lord is among you, I reveal myself to him in visions, I speak to him in dreams” (Numbers 12:6).  God is saying clearly that prophets hear from the Lord through visions and dreams.  It’s a revealing; a supernatural exchange, because God is speaking his heart to them.  

God is Pouring Out

God revealed himself in visions in Biblical times and today also reveals himself through visions.  Joel said of God, “I will pour out my Spirit on all people.  Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.  Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days” (Joel 2:28-29).  I believe we are living in those days, today.  Ever since Jesus left the earth to ascend to the right hand of God, the Holy Spirit has been present among us.  Not all people receive this gift, but he is available to us today.  We can be filled with the power of God.  We can be filled with the Holy Spirit to be effective witnesses for His kingdom (Acts 1:8).  God wants to pour out his Spirit on us, his sons and daughters; he longs for us to prophesy, dream, and see visions.  All we have to do is ask (Luke 11:13).  Like Stephen, we can be bold witnesses through the power of the Holy Spirit.  And God is pouring out his Spirit.  Will we receive Him?  Can we say with confidence I See Heaven?