VISION (חָזﯴן, H2606, a dream, revelation, an oracle, a vision; מַרְאֶה, H5260, a view, an appearance, a shape, comeliness, a vision; חִזָּיﯴן, H2612, a revelation, (esp. by a dream), vision; מַחֲזֶה, H4690, a vision; Gr. ὅραμα, G3969, something gazed at, a spectacle (esp. supernatural), sight, vision; ὀπτασία, G3965, visuality, an apparition, a vision; ὅρασις, G3970, an aspect, an inspired appearance, sight, vision.) The Eng. word “vision,” while including within its meanings that of physical vision or ocular perception, places the emphasis and primacy on those dimensions which are extra-physical—something seen otherwise than by ordinary sight, something beheld as in a dream or ecstasy, or revealed as to a prophet; a visual image without corporeal presence, an object of imaginative contemplation; power or activity of the imagination; unusual discernment or foresight; actual sight, ocular perception; a lovely or charming sight, delightful; the sense by which light and color are perceived.

The word receives rather frequent use in the Scriptures; occurring eighty-six times in the OT (in the sing. form sixty-four times; the pl. form, twenty-two) and fifteen times in the NT. Over one-third of its occurences in the OT are contained within the Book of Daniel, being used twenty-two times. This consideration coupled with a general knowledge of the nature of the Book of Daniel may furnish insight into the peculiar and suggestive connotations of the word.

The use of “vision” in the OT seems consistent with the manifest nature of God. Throughout the Scriptures, God is declared as revealing Himself and making His ways known through chosen men. The patriarchs commonly reported that God chose to make His messages known through a vision. “After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision...” (Gen 15:1). “And he said, ‘Hear my words: If there is a prophet among you, I the Lord make myself known to him in a vision, I speak with him in a dream’” (Num 12:6).

In the OT the most frequent use is made of חָזﯴן, H2606; used more than twice as often as any other Heb. word: “there was no frequent vision” (1 Sam 3:1); “in accordance with all this vision, Nathan spoke to David” (1 Chron 17:15); “they seek a vision from the prophet” (Ezek 7:26). Also used some fourteen times is מַרְאֶה, H5260; “I the Lord make myself known to him in a vision” (Num 12:6); “And Samuel was afraid to tell the vision to Eli” (1 Sam 3:15); “And I, Daniel, alone saw the vision” (Dan 10:7). Used six times is חִזָּיﯴן, H2612; “he will be chased away like a vision of the night” (Job 20:8); “The oracle concerning the valley of vision” (Isa 22:1); “On that day every prophet will be ashamed of his vision when he prophesies” (Zech 13:4). Used four times is מַחֲזֶה, H4690, maḥ az eh’: “After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision” (Gen 15:1). Used also in Numbers 24:4, 16 and Ezekiel 13:7.

In the NT the word tr. “vision” in the ASV is principally drawn from the Gr. word ὅραμα, G3969, being the case in twelve of the fifteen occurrences in the NT, and eleven of those occurring in the Book of Acts (Matt 17:9; Acts 9:10, 12; 10:3, 17, 19; 11:5; 12:9; 16:9, 10; 18:9; 26:19). Luke alone makes use of ὀπτασία, G3965, (Luke 1:22; 24:23). A sing. use is made of ὅρασις, G3970, in Revelation 9:17.

The theory of Malebranche (1638-1715) that sense perceptions are not really organic, but are made possible by the connection of the soul with God, and of God with the soul, may be more than suggestive even when vision is limited to the sense of sight or ocular perception. “We have cognizance of things, as well as objective realities, as subjective thoughts and feelings, through the idea which resides in our souls; but this idea is in God, so that we perceive everything in God as the primal cause of all existence and things.”

The simplest factor in visual space is extension. Every visual sensation comes to consciousness as an extended sensation. It is also to be noted that “perception” is an event in the person, primarily controlled by the excitation of sensory receptors, yet also influenced by other factors of a kind that can be shown to have originated in the life history of the person. See also Dream, Trance.