"'Call to Me' and I will answer you, and show you, things fenced in and hidden, which you do not distinguish and recognize, have knowledge of and understand."
Jeremiah 33: 3
"Keep asking and it will be given you;
Keep seeking and you will find;
Keep knocking and it shall be opened to you."
Matthew 7:7
"...Behold I have put before you an open door..."
Revelation 3:8
Hidden things? A Mystery?
"...attaining to all the wealth of the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true understanding of God's mystery, Christ Himself, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge."
Colossians 2:2, 3
"Write what you see... in a book..."
A similar instruction was given to John on the island called Patmos.
"I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, like the sound of a trumpet, saying, 'Write in a book what you see, and send it...'"
But as I begin, 'I see,' that in light of John's writing, my spiritual sight (and insight) is limited!
John "...bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that He saw."
Revelation 1:2, 11
At this present moment I must even ask, "What does it mean 'to see'?"
To Look?
Notice, observe, heed, give thought, study, be occupied with, open-eyed...
To Behold?
Look beyond, perceive, rivet one's eyes on, witness, distinguish, recognize, have knowledge of, understand...
But I have noticed and given some thought to the following: The Word of God lists prerequisites, qualifications "for" and obstacles "to" seeing.
(1) Prerequisites (Beginnings)
(2) Qualifications
(3) Obstacles
(1) Prerequisites
Opened Eyes:
"But arise, and stand on your feet; for this purpose I have appeared to you, to appoint you a minister and a witness not only to the things which you have seen, but also to the things in which I will appear to you... I am sending you, to 'open their eyes' so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, in order that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me."
Acts 26:16-18
A New Birth:
"...truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."
John 3:3
A Special Grant:
"And the disciples came and said to Him, 'Why do You speak to them in parables?' And He answered and said to them, 'To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted.
For whoever has, to him shall more be given, and he shall have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away.'"
Matthew 13:10-12
Blessed Eyes:
"But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. For truly I say to you, that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it and hear what you hear and did not hear it."
Matthew 13:16, 17
(2) Qualifications
A Pure Heart:
"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."
Matthew 5:8
"Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord?
And who may stand in His holy place?
He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
Who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood,
And has not sworn deceitfully.
He shall receive a blessing from the Lord
And righteousness from the God of his salvation.
This is the generation of those who seek Him,
Who seek His face..."
Psalm 24:3-6
"Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we shall be. We know that, when He appears we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him just as He is. And anyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure."
1 John 3:2, 3
"Pursue... sanctification, without which, no one shall see the Lord."
Hebrews 12:14
(3) Obstacles
Dull Hearts, Closed Eyes:
Again:
"...I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. And in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled which says;
'You will keep on hearing;
But will not understand;
And you will keep on seeing;
But will not perceive;
For the heart of this people has become dull,
And with their ears they scarcely hear,
And they have closed their eyes
Lest they should see with their eyes,
And hear with their ears,
And understand with their heart and return,
And I should heal them.'"
Matthew 13:10, 13-15
Unbelief (hardened hearts):
"Take care... lest there should be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart, in falling away from the living God."
Hebrews 3:12
"But though He had performed so many attesting miracles before them they were not believing in Him; that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled... 'He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart...' These things Isaiah said, because He saw His glory (Is. 6:1) and he spoke of Him."
John 12:37, 38, 40, 41
Disobedience:
"Why do you call Me 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say?"
Luke 6:46
"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.'"
Matthew 7:21-23
Rebellion:
"Son of man, you live in the midst of a rebellious house, who have eyes to see but do not see, ears to hear but do not, for they are a rebellious house."
Ezekiel 12:2
"And you being dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the age of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience."
Ephesians 2:1, 2
Message to the Organized Visible Church
Handbook 2: Article 27
Spiritual Immaturity:
"For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For every one who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food is for the mature..."
Hebrews 5:12-14
But I am "...convinced of better things..." for those of us who are calling to Him!
Hebrews 6:9
May we be "...the generation of those who seek Him, who seek His face..."
Psalm 24:6
"...fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of the faith."
Hebrews 12:2
And may these blessings be ours:
"To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven... blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear..."
Matthew 13: 11, 16