vision, and is so linked with this conception of sight, that Dr. Young, in the

Index-Lexicon of his Analytical Concordance, gives two cross references.  We

look at oida, and we are referred to eidon, we consult eidon and we are referred

to horao, and we find it is translated `see' eighty-six times, and `behold,

look, appear', etc. every rendering being referable to vision or sight.

We should not, perhaps, be quite correct to translate Ephesians 1:18 `that

ye may see what is the hope', but we should, we feel, be nearer the truth if we

rendered the passage `that ye may perceive'.  Vision rather than knowledge is in

the apostle's mind.  This too would harmonize with the enlightenment of the eyes

of the heart, and even find an echo in the original meaning of revelation,

namely `unveiling'.  We have already referred to the relation of eyes and heart

in the prophecy of Isaiah which speaks of Israel's terrible failure, and just as

the wilful closing of their eyes resulted in the hardness of their hearts, so

judicial blindness came as an awful sequel `If thou hadst known, even thou, at

least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are

hid from thine eyes' (Luke 19:42).  The apostle who knew only too well the

relation of eyes, heart and rejection (Acts 28), would pray the prayer for the

Ephesian saints with an intensity of meaning and a reality of concern.

Let us examine ourselves afresh and see how we stand in relation to the

great necessity of `acknowledging' Him, knowing full well that vision will fail

and perception will be dim if that great clarifying attitude be not willingly

and readily maintained.  If the Proverb says:

`In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct (rightly divide LXX)

thy paths',

the epistle in effect says:

`In all thy ways acknowledge Him

And He will give you vision and perception'.

The first petition of the threefold prayer offered by the apostle for

these Ephesian believers is concerning `hope', but not hope in general, it is

`the hope of His calling'.  Apart from a few occasions where the word hope is

used in a secondary sense, such as the reference to ploughing in hope (1 Cor.

9:10), and `hope of gain' in Acts 16:19, some fifty other occurrences have to do

with resurrection, the Second Coming, one's calling and related themes.  Here

the prayer is specific, `the hope of His calling'.  While the threefold petition

of the prayer does not rigidly follow the threefold subdivision of the preceding

section (The Charter of the Church, Eph. 1:3-14), the Will of the Father (Eph.

1:3-6) is most certainly closely connected with a `calling', even as the second

petition, which speaks of an inheritance in the saints, picks up the theme of

Ephesians 1:11.

Paul had written seven epistles, before he wrote Ephesians, and the

subject of `hope' is given a fairly comprehensive survey.  There is a great

passage in 1 Thessalonians 4, the equally great passages in 1 Corinthians 15,

Romans 15:12,13 and Hebrews 11.  When all that is revealed in these portions is

assembled, a fairly comprehensive picture of the hope of the church of that

period is obtained.  There we find such references as `the voice of the

archangel'; `the last trump'; the rise (of Christ) as the root of Jesse to

`reign over the Gentiles', and `the heavenly Jerusalem' to give colour and