the act of seeing; but, in Scripture, it generally signifies a
supernatural appearance, either by dream or in reality, by which God
made known his will and pleasure to those to whom it was vouchsafed,
Acts ix, 10, 12; xvi, 9, xxvi, 13; 2 Cor. xii, 1. Thus, in the earliest
times, to patriarchs, prophets, and holy men God sent angels, he
appeared to them himself by night in dreams, he illuminated their minds,
he made his voice to be heard by them, he sent them ecstasies, and
transported them beyond themselves, and made them hear things that eye
had not seen, ear had not heard, and which had not entered into the
heart of man. The Lord showed himself to Moses, and spoke to him when he
was at the mouth of the cave. Jesus Christ manifested himself to his
Apostles, in his transfiguration upon the mount, and on several other
occasions after his resurrection. God appeared to Abraham under the form
of three travellers; he showed himself to Isaiah and Ezekiel, in the
splendour of his glory. Vision is also used for the prophecies written
by the prophets. The _beatific vision_ denotes the act of angels and
glorified spirits beholding in heaven the unveiled splendours of the
Lord Yahweh, and privileged to contemplate his perfections and plans in
and by himself.
supernatural appearance, either by dream or in reality, by which God
made known his will and pleasure to those to whom it was vouchsafed,
Acts ix, 10, 12; xvi, 9, xxvi, 13; 2 Cor. xii, 1. Thus, in the earliest
times, to patriarchs, prophets, and holy men God sent angels, he
appeared to them himself by night in dreams, he illuminated their minds,
he made his voice to be heard by them, he sent them ecstasies, and
transported them beyond themselves, and made them hear things that eye
had not seen, ear had not heard, and which had not entered into the
heart of man. The Lord showed himself to Moses, and spoke to him when he
was at the mouth of the cave. Jesus Christ manifested himself to his
Apostles, in his transfiguration upon the mount, and on several other
occasions after his resurrection. God appeared to Abraham under the form
of three travellers; he showed himself to Isaiah and Ezekiel, in the
splendour of his glory. Vision is also used for the prophecies written
by the prophets. The _beatific vision_ denotes the act of angels and
glorified spirits beholding in heaven the unveiled splendours of the
Lord Yahweh, and privileged to contemplate his perfections and plans in
and by himself.