One of the distinctive features of the Vineyard movement, founded by John Wimber, is the theology of the kingdom of God. Wimber taught that the kingdom of God is both present and future, both already and not yet. He believed that God’s reign has been inaugurated by Jesus, but not yet fully consummated. This means that we can experience some aspects of God’s kingdom now, such as healing, deliverance, and miracles, but not all aspects, such as not or even most are healed, and sin, death, and evil still exist.
This tension between the now and the not yet creates a dynamic and challenging environment for Christians to live in. We are called to pray and work for God’s kingdom to come on earth as it is in heaven, but we also have to acknowledge that we live in a fallen world that resists God’s will and purposes. We have to live by faith and hope, not by sight and certainty.
One of the ways that God helps us to navigate this tension is by giving us spiritual gifts. These gifts are manifestations of the Holy Spirit that enable us to serve God and others in various ways. Among these is the seer gift, which is the ability to see into the spiritual realm and discern spiritual realities.
The seer gift is not a new phenomenon. It has been present throughout biblical history and church history. Many prophets, apostles, saints, and mystics had visions and revelations of truths in the spiritual realm.
When seers see the Kingdom as breaking in from the future, they may see God, angels, heaven, and the powers of evil pushed back; they may see blessings and gifts, and spiritual healing, weapons of the nemy disappearing and grace dripping like honey from heaven.
However the Kingdom is still future. The world is still covered in darkness, so most seers see demons, powers, principalities, Watchers, and other wicked spiritual forces; they see curses, and spiritual pollution, they see spiritual destruction waged by the forces of darkness with real, awful physical effects. This constant exposure to spiritual and intelligent evil is challenging.
The seer gift poses other challenges. Seers often face misunderstanding, rejection, persecution, and deception from others, including their Christian leaders, and from themselves. Seers need to test their visions and revelations against Scripture and the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
Seeing others’ sin and demonic assignment, which some can see, can lead to a position of haughty power over others. Seers need to be humble, loving, teachable, accountable, and obedient to God’s will that their visions are used to draw others into relationship with him.
Seers are not meant to be isolated or independent, but part of a community of faith that supports them and benefits from their gift.
The seer gift is also not without purpose. Seers are not just passive observers or curious spectators of the spiritual realm. They are active participants and co-workers with God in his kingdom mission. Seers have a role to play in advancing God’s kingdom on earth by:
- Worshipping God. Seers may see God’s glory, beauty, majesty, and holiness in ways that others may not. They can respond with awe, reverence, gratitude, and love to God’s presence and activity in their lives and in the world. They can also inspire and lead others into experiencing God’s presence through worship, and stewarding that presence well.
- Interceding for others. Seers may see the needs, struggles, pains, and hopes of others in the spiritual realm. They can pray with insight, compassion, authority, and faith for God’s intervention and provision for others. They can also mobilize others to pray with them by informing them of what they see in ways that protect privacy, while demonstrating honor and love.
- Resisting evil. Seers may see the schemes, attacks, lies, and temptations of the enemy in the spiritual realm. They can resist evil with courage, wisdom, power, and truth by using their spiritual weapons such as prayer and the full armor of God rooted in faith in submitting to Jesus. They can also equip others to resist evil with them by exposing the enemy’s strategies and tactics.
- Proclaiming good news. Seers may see God’s promises, plans, purposes, and invitations in the spiritual realm. They can proclaim good news with boldness. They may see the inbreaking of God’s kingdom into the presence and can guide others into cooperating with what the Holy Spirit is doing.
- Demonstrating God’s power. Seers may see God’s miracles, signs, wonders, and gifts in the spiritual realm. They can demonstrate God’s power with confidence, humility, compassion, and joy by cooperating with the Holy Spirit and following his guidance. They can also encourage others to demonstrate God’s power with them by testifying of what they see and do.
The seer gift is a precious and powerful gift that God has given to some of his children for the sake of his kingdom. It is not a gift to be ignored, neglected, or abused, but to be cherished, cultivated, and used for God’s glory and the common good. The seer gift is a gift that connects us to the now and the not yet of God’s kingdom. It helps us to see what God is doing and what he wants to do in our lives and in the world. It also challenges us to align ourselves with God’s will and join him in his mission.
If you have the seer gift, or if you know someone who does, I encourage you to seek God’s guidance and wisdom on how to steward this gift well.
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