– Acts 26:19
  1. The Beginning and Ending of the Bible


    1. The harmony between Gen. 1 & 2 and Rev. 21 & 22
      2. 1. Heaven and earth created – Gen. 1:1 1. New heaven & new earth - Rev. 21:1
      2. Sun and moon created – Gen. 1:16 2. Sun and moon eliminated - Rev. 21:23, 25; 22:5
      3. Tree of Life in the garden – Gen. 2:10-14 3. Tree of Life in the city - Rev. 22:2, 14, 19
      4. River out of Eden – Gen. 2:10-14 4. River out of the throne - Rev. 22:1-2, 17; 21:6
      5. Gold on the ground – Gen. 2:11-12 5. Gold in the city - Rev. 21:18, 21
      6. Pearl (Bdellium) – Gen. 2:12 6. Pearl - Rev. 21:21
      7. Precious stones – Gen. 2:12 7. Precious stones - Rev. 21:11, 18-20
      8. Adam has a bride – Gen. 2:18-24 8. The Lamb has a bride - Rev. 21:9b-10, 2
      9. The beginning of death, sorrow, pain and curse – Gen. 2:17; 3:16-19 9. The end of death, sorrow, pain, and curse - Rev. 21:4; 22:3
      10. God plants a garden – Gen. 2:8 10. God prepares a city - Rev. 21:2
      11. Man created in God’s image – Gen. 1:26-27 11. Man expresses God's image - Rev. 21:7; 22:4
      12. Man given God’s purpose of dominion – Gen. 1:26, 28 12. Man fulfills God's purpose of dominion - Rev. 22:5
      13. The seas formed – Gen. 1:9-10 13. The sea eliminated - Rev 21:1
      14. Physical light – Gen. 1:3-5, 14-1 14. Spiritual light - Rev 21:11, 23-24; 22:5
      15. The beginning of night & darkness – Gen. 1:2, 4-5 15. The end of night and darkness - Rev. 21:25; 22:5
      16. The first stars – Gen. 1:16 16. The Morning Star - Rev. 22:16
      17. The river flows to the nations – Gen. 2:10-14 17. The river with the Tree of Life heals the nations - Rev. 22:2
      18. The Spirit of God begins work – Gen. 1:2 18. The Spirit of God consummates - Rev. 22:17
      19. Man serves in the garden – Gen. 2:15 19. Man serves in the city - Rev. 22:3
      20. Man created to contain God – Gen. 2:7 20. Man containing God - Rev. 21:3
      21. God finishes the old creation – Gen. 2:1-3 21. God finishes the new creation - Rev. 21:1, 5-6; 22:13
    2. The harmony between Gen. 3 and Rev. 20


      3. 1. The serpent creeps in – Gen. 3:1-5 1. The serpent bound & cast out – Rev. 20:1-3, 10f
      2. The serpent deceives Eve – Gen. 3:13 2. The serpent deceives the nations – Rev. 20:7-8, 10
      3. The serpent is cursed – Gen. 3:14-15 3. The serpent imprisoned & tormented – Rev. 20:1-3, 7, 10


  2. The Content of the Governing Vision
    3.

    1. The focus of the governing vision
      1. The Land – Gen. 13:12-18; Psa. 16:5-6; 105:6-12; Col. 1:12-13; Acts 26:18
      2. The Place – Deut. 12:5-8; 16:15-17; John 4:20-24; Eph. 2:21-22; Rev. 22:16-17
      3. The Ark – Exo. 25:8-10, 16-22; Psa. 132:1-10; Heb. 9:4-5; Rom. 3:23-26; 1 John 2:2; 4:10
      4. The Building – Exo. 25:8-9; 1 Chron. 28:6-12; Ezra 1:2-5; Ezek. 43:5-12; 47:1-5; 48:35; Matt. 16:13-19; 1 Cor. 3:10-15; 1 Pet. 2:2-5; Rev. 21:9-11
      5. Summary verses of the revelation – 1 Kings 8:16-21, 44-48; 2 Chron. 6:4-11


  3. What the Governing Vision Does
    4.

    1. It is the way God becomes our source – 1 Cor. 2:6-16
    2. It makes us co-workers with God – 1 Cor. 3:9
    3. It links us with God’s one building
      1. One building in the Old Testament – Heb. 11:10, 13-16, 39-40
      2. The same building in the New Testament – Eph. 2:19-22; Heb. 13:14
      3. We also are being builded – Eph. 2:21-22; 3:6
      4. It makes our local assembling part of the universal assembly–Heb. 10:25; 12:22-24
      5. The consummation of the one building – Rev. 21:12, 14, 18-21
    4. It ushers in a life of faith and obedience – Acts 26:19; Rom. 16:25-26; Hab. 2:2-4
    5. It gives us our calling – Eph. 4:1; 2 Tim. 1:9
    6. It is the unique purifying factor of our motives – 1 Chron. 28:9-12; 29:16-19
    7. It divides soul and spirit – Heb. 4:1-2, 12-13
    8. It brings in discernment – Phil. 1:9-10; 1 Tim. 1:3-6
    9. It produces consecration – “Here I am” – Gen. 22:1, 11; 46:2; Exo. 3:4; Isa. 6:1-8; Acts 9:3-5, 10
    10. What happens without the governing vision
      1. There is nothing to restrain us – Prov. 29:18
      2. Every man does that which is right in his own eyes – Judges 17:6; 21:25
      3. Our work will suffer loss – 1 Cor. 3:10-15
      4. We are subject to historical sin – 1 Kings 12:28-33; 15:25-26; 2 Kings 17:1-2, 20-23; Mark 7:8-9, 13
      5. We are susceptible to being carried off and defrauded – Col. 2:8-9, 18-19


  4. The Burden of the Governing Vision
    5.

    1. The beginning and God’s building – Gen. 2:8-15 anticipates Rev. 21:10-21; 22:1-2
    2. Noah’s ark and God’s building – Heb. 11:7
    3. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph & God’s building – Heb. 11:8-10, 13-22 anticipates Rev. 21 & 22
    4. Moses’ tabernacle and God’s building – Exo. 25:8-9 anticipates Rev. 21:2-3
    5. David’s vision of God’s building – 1 Chron. 28:2-12, 19-20; 2 Sam. 7:4-17
    6. Solomon’s Temple and God’s building – 2 Chron. 6:1-11 anticipates Rev. 21:22
    7. The recovered Temple and God’s building – Ezra 3:8-13 anticipates Rev. 21:22
    8. The vision of Ezekiel’s Temple and God’s building – Ezek. 40 –– 47 anticipates Rev. 21:2, 22
    9. The prophets’ vision and God’s building – Isa. 65:17-19 anticipates Rev. 21:1-2, 4
    10. Paul’s vision of God’s building – Gal. 4:26; Heb. 12:22; 13:14 anticipates Rev. 21 & 22 – 1 Cor. 3:9-13 anticipates Rev. 21 & 22 – Eph. 2:19-20 anticipates Rev. 21:14, 18-20
    11. Peter’s vision of God’s building – 2 Pet. 3:13-14 anticipates Rev. 21:14, 18-20
    12. James’ vision of God’s building – James 1:1 anticipates Rev. 21:12
    13. John’s vision of God’s building – Rev. 1—3 anticipates Rev. 21 & 22 – John 14:1-6 anticipates Rev. 21 & 22
    14. The overcomers’ vision of God’s building – Rev. 3:12 anticipates Rev. 21 & 22
    15. The consummation of God’s building – Rev. 21:6; 22:13-14, 18-19

    – Bill Freeman, 2008