«　WEEK 3　DAY 5　»

　　Rom. 8:28-30 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. Because those whom He foreknew, He also predestinated to be conformed to the image of His Son;…these He also glorified.

　　[The Bible] conveys a heavenly vision, a vision that should direct our steps, control our living, and bring us into God’s consummation. This vision is able to keep us in God’s economy so that we may live the church life with the goal of reaching the millennium and the New Jerusalem.

　　Such a vision from God will always direct our steps and control our living. This was true even in the Old Testament, where we are told that without vision the people will perish (Prov. 29:18a). Under the heavenly vision we are directed toward God’s destination, and our life is controlled according to God’s economy. Because we have seen [this vision], we can press on in spite of suffering, defamation, and all kinds of trouble.

　　This vision has become the principle that directs our steps and that governs our way….We take this way because we have been caught by the vision of God’s economy. Because we have seen this vision, throughout the years heavenly light has been flooding into the Lord's recovery. The reason for this light is that we are under this vision. Whenever we come to the Word of God, the light shines because we are in this directing, controlling, governing vision. (Life-study of Mark, pp. 452-453)

　　We in the Lord’s recovery must have a clear vision of God’s economy. Then we need to be governed, controlled, and directed by this vision. Because I have seen this vision and am directed by it, I have never changed my tone throughout the years. I know what I have seen, I know what I am teaching, and I know what I am ministering to the Lord’s people. If we have the vision of God’s economy, we shall automatically have only one choice, preference, taste, and ministry. We shall care only for the all-inclusive and all-extensive Christ and for the genuine and proper church life. Today we in the Lord’s recovery must be strong and unshakable in the vision of God’s economy, God’s eternal will. Because Paul had seen this vision and was faithful to it, he could be very strong. We all need to be strong and steadfast in this way. (Life-study of 1 Corinthians, p. 138)

　　Through our coordination and cooperation, God will consummate His eternal intention to make Christ preeminent through the rule of the heavens. Apparently, the destiny of Israel is in the hands of the human government, the power of the nations. Actually, the destiny of Israel is in the economy of the God who has chosen them and who rules over all the human government with the heavenly authority. The human government began with Babylon, represented by Nebuchadnezzar, and will end also with Babylon, represented by Antichrist.

　　Christ is the centrality and universality of God’s move in the divine economy. Christ was crucified to terminate the old creation and germinate through His resurrection the new creation. He is the excellent and precious One in the appreciation and expectation of God’s chosen people. He will receive the eternal kingdom from God and appear to end and smash all the human government from its toes to its head and become the enlarged kingdom of God throughout the whole earth.

　　In His divine economy God will perfect Israel to be His priests, and He will prepare His created and restored (not regenerated) nations to be His people. In addition to this result of the manifested part of His economy, in the hidden part of His divine economy God will complete the building up of the church as the Body of Christ to be God’s royal family to rule as kings in the new heaven and new earth. Eventually, in eternity in His eternal kingdom God will have His kings, His priests, and His people forever. (Life-study of Daniel, pp. 78, 113- 114)

　　Further Reading: Life-study of Daniel, msgs. 9, 12-13, 17