Acts 2:16 But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; 17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: 18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: 19 And I will show wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke: 20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come: 21 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. (Joel 2:28-32) .
Surrounded by a nearly constant mush of visual stimuli, Christians face a real challenge in sorting through the jumbled fusion of worldly eye candies and spiritual eye sores. Moreover, the Church generation emerging out of the human development of technological advancements has acquired a consuming appetite to see and feel, above believe and trust. Consequently, there is often pressure upon ministries to use the most recent visual technology so that believers will "feel" entertained by the minister and the message. But do these man made visual treats produce lasting deep fruit and spiritual impact? That question is yet to be answered and seen.
I don't believe it is therefore merely coincidental that Peter's great Acts 2 sermon predicted that before the return of the Lord, signs and wonders would for the most part be visible, instead of audio. Even so, the Scriptures reveal that when sight and seeing became the basis for belief and decision, the results were almost always short lived. Seeing seldom produces lasting faith. On the other hand, perhaps one of the reasons God will go "visual" before the second coming is because the time element will be such that it will not be necessary for long term results. Consequently, these spiritual visual expressions must be understood so that we can differentiate between what is man made visual influence and what is sovereign, Divine visitation.
I have attended a variety of conferences and meetings over the course of the last 10 years and have listened to various spiritual leaders emphasize how God is now frequently visiting His people in visions. In those meetings, the pursuit of visitations, visions, trances and spiritual seeing were excessively and strongly endorsed while the foundations of the Bible seemed to be dismissed as non-essential. This has caused me great concern. I know God speaks in visions, dreams and other visual manifestations. However, the appetite for experience is dangerously pressing people to feel that if they see something in the Spirit, they don't need the Word. This unhealthy unbalanced drive will eventually end in serious error, spiritual confusion, emotional and mental problems. There needs to be great wisdom when approaching this matter.
I do not doubt that God will be manifesting Himself and His truth by the Spirit in the times to come. He's already doing that in amazing ways. However, the frequency I see exemplified in the Scriptures, is not nearly as often as what I hear being touted as what should, and, may be happening. In fact, the number of visions various individual ministers actually had in the Bible were rare, except in the case of those things related to the inward witness and revelations. So what should our posture be concerning this?
FIrst of all, just as a reminder, there are several different categories of vision/ visions identified in the Bible.
Review the list below.
Review the list below.
1. There is the type of vision that God’s Spirit inspires in truth that produces a goal, a dream, a purpose, a hope and direction for life. People who lack such become lawless and aimless. They are like wandering, lost little children in adult bodies.
2. The second type of vision is a revelation.
3. The third type of vision frequently described in Scripture is something theologians have termed as a “theophany”. A theophany is a spiritual sight of God, His beauty, His plans displayed in spiritual patterns and templates, His power, His glory and things of Heaven.. This manner of vision might come in a variety of forms. Those expressions are as follows.
A. Open visions are visions, although rare, are generally associated with both the apostolic and prophetic ministry and callings.
B. Trances are another type of vision related to theophanies.
B. Trances are another type of vision related to theophanies.
4. Finally there are numerous references and examples of false and ungodly vision warned of in the Bible. They are identified as vain visions, lying divinations, visions of their own heart, false visions of peace and seeing things in their own spirit.
I believe it would be extremely helpful to us to understand what the Bible says about how these visions will occur. How is God going to do this?
One of the greatest misnomers of spiritual revelation, and especially seeing open visions and trances, is that we can make it happen. Ugh. Let me say this once loud and clear. You cannot make a vision occur, especially those identified as open visions, trances and spiritual revelations. However, there are conditions that may on occasion foster an environment where God may speak.
GOD GRANTS VISION BY THE SPIRIT IN THE FOLLOWING WAYS
GOD GRANTS VISION BY THE SPIRIT IN THE FOLLOWING WAYS
GOD WILL OPEN
THEIR EYES
2Kgs. 6:14 Therefore sent he thither horses, and chariots,
and a great host: and they came by night, and compassed the city about. 15 And
when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an
host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said
unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do? 16 And he answered, Fear not: for
they that be with us are more than they that be with them. 17 And Elisha
prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the
LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain
was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha. 18 And when they
came down to him, Elisha prayed unto the LORD, and said, Smite this people, I
pray thee, with blindness. And he smote them with blindness according to the
word of Elisha.
Many years ago, as a child, I remember watching a late night summer Billy Graham meeting on our black and white television. His taught that God does not give His people fear and He wants them to believe in Him and not be afraid of anything. Dr. Graham shared that many times when we need to believe, we may be faced with great and visible adversaries that threaten our trust in God. He read an amazing account from 2 Kings 6:14-18. To this day those words are burned into my spirit. The events of that passage explain that the servant to the prophet Elisha was terrified because he could see the armies gathered, surrounding the city where they abode. He knew that these armies were sent to do the prophet harm. The man did not realize that God's armies were there as well protecting the prophet. Elisha simply said, "Don't be afraid. For they that are with us are more than they that be with them." This alone is an amazing statement. Elisha had prophetic eyes and knew there was no real danger. But his servant didn't have that same revelation. A marvelous, merciful act of God occurred as Elisha prayed for the distressed man and I love what happened because of of this prayer. "Lord, open his eyes!" Instantly, the servant saw the nearby mountains filled with Heaven's horses and chariots of fire! Imagine his shock and the relief! Yet, just a short while later, Elisha, who'd previously prayed for eyes to open, prayed that the enemy soldiers would be blinded and unable to find and harm him. Astounding!
John 20:29 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.
God wants you to KNOW that He is UNDENIABLY, INEXORABLY, ABSOLUTELY real! That kind of knowledge is born in lots of ways, mostly though, because of a healthy, dynamic intimate prayer life. Moreover, like the prophet's servant, this generation does not widely possess a revelation of the manifest present working of God's power. They need a radical introduction to the reality of the God of the Bible. That's why visual manifestations through the Spirit of truth are critical for this time. Truthfully, He would much rather that you believe the truth of His word, than pursue a visual event. In actuality, faith is much greater when it's a product of the revelation of the Scriptures. Nonetheless, He does not scorn the need for evidence, when it's truly required. It just takes a miraculous intervention for it to occur.
John 20:29 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.
God wants you to KNOW that He is UNDENIABLY, INEXORABLY, ABSOLUTELY real! That kind of knowledge is born in lots of ways, mostly though, because of a healthy, dynamic intimate prayer life. Moreover, like the prophet's servant, this generation does not widely possess a revelation of the manifest present working of God's power. They need a radical introduction to the reality of the God of the Bible. That's why visual manifestations through the Spirit of truth are critical for this time. Truthfully, He would much rather that you believe the truth of His word, than pursue a visual event. In actuality, faith is much greater when it's a product of the revelation of the Scriptures. Nonetheless, He does not scorn the need for evidence, when it's truly required. It just takes a miraculous intervention for it to occur.
HE’S THE ONE WHO OPENS THE EYES OF THE HEART!
Prov. 20:12 The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, the LORD hath made even both of them.
A great deal could be written about this subject and I've addressed the matter in several previous posts. But we must accept this fact! He is the one who makes and gives the hearing ear and the seeing eye! The question is: How does He do it?UNDERSTANDING HIS WAYS!
EYE OPENERS
Acts 26:17 Delivering thee from
the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee, 18 To open their
eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto
God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them
which are sanctified by faith that is in me. KJV
KEYED IN WITH THE APOSTOLIC AND PROPHETIC MINISTRY
Paul the apostle, preacher and teacher was an amazing man. His gift and calling were unusual in that he was sent by God to open the eyes of the people! God may use individuals, anointed and capable of opening spiritual eyes. There are a variety of ways he was used to do so that cannot be replicated or imitated without the accompanying grace gifts from God. His preaching, teaching, lifestyle, ministry expression and miraculous works were not just testimonies of God's power. They were keys; keys that would unlock blind eyes to see truth!
Similarly, the prophet Elisha prayed a prophetic prayer and the eyes of his servant were opened in the passage we've already ready. (2 Kings 6:14-18)
THE POWER OF ENCOURAGEMENT
Isa. 35:1 The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose. 2 It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the LORD, and the excellency of our God. 3 Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees. 4 Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompense; he will come and save you. 5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. 6 Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.
Fearful, discouraged people seldom see life clearly. But when God strengthens and encourages toward faith, and the promises of His word announce hope to the human spirit, the spiritual eyes are opened and vision may come. You have no idea how much difference you can make by being encouraging in the right way.
THE SOVEREIGN VISITATION OF THE SPIRIT
Ex 3:1 Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb. 2 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed 3 And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt 4 And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I. 5 And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.
6 Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.
KJV
Moses was out in the wilderness taking care of sheep, minding his own business when God showed up. Throughout the Bible that is simply how God did it. He gave vision in His time, way and uniqueness. The sovereign visitation and vision of the Lord, especially in the case of a theophany, generally occurs when you least expect it. It's not convenient and it's up to Him, not you. The question is: Will you turn to see what He is doing when He does it?
THE POWER OF TRUTH FROM THE SCRIPTURES
Obviously, the truth of the Scriptures can open the spiritual eyes so that vision may be seen. In fact, you could say that biblical truth is a spiritual trigger.
THE GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT- WORD OF KNOWLEDGE, WORD OF WISDOM, DISCERNMENT OF SPIRITS, AND PROPHECY
On occasion, various gifts of the Spirit enable an opening of the eyes so that the individual may receive a vision. The discernment of spirits, for example, includes the discernment, sight and perception of both spiritual realms. So we should not be surprised that visions may occur when these gifts manifest.
BEING IN THE SPIRIT (FULL OF THE SPIRIT)
Isa 6:1 In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple KJV
Ezek 1:1 Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I was among the captives by the river of Chebar, that the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God. KJV
Acts 7: 55 But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, KJV
Revelation 1:10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, KJV
The concepts of being in the Spirit and full of the Spirit are key to how God speaks in vision. The Apostle John, while on the Isle of Patmos, saw the vision of Revelation because he was in the Spirit. Being in the Spirit, or full of the Spirit, should not be compared to a feeling or an emotional hype. It is the state of cooperating with the truths of God, the submission of one's feelings and thoughts to God's word, and a love for God that overlooks any circumstance and condition. The Isle of Patmos is virtually nothing more than a rugged remote pile of volcanic rock. There were no natural reasons for John to be in the Spirit. He had, however, learned how to live above his circumstances and conditions. This was an amazing man. The Roman emperor, Domitian sentenced John to be boiled in oil in the site of a massive crowd in the Colosseum. Miraculously he was not harmed, and did not suffer from the unusual tortuous punishment. Tradition states that the entire audience converted to Christianity after witnessing the miracle! So the dismal environment of Patmos was insignificant to him. He was in the Spirit and saw the Revelation.
PAIN CAN BE A TRIGGER
The young deacon, evangelist, Stephen saw a vision of heaven while being stoned to death for his faith. Throughout history accounts are described where people facing painful situations saw a vision of the Lord, Heaven or spiritual things in the midst of their pain.
The young deacon, evangelist, Stephen saw a vision of heaven while being stoned to death for his faith. Throughout history accounts are described where people facing painful situations saw a vision of the Lord, Heaven or spiritual things in the midst of their pain.
PRAYER AND NATURAL HUNGER COMBINED CAN BE A REASON A VISION OCCURS
Peter the evangelist apostle was hungry. He also had a significant issue. He didn't think that the Gentiles could be saved without adhering to the Jewish standards for faith. So, while waiting to eat one day, he was praying up on the roof of the house, when in a moment he wasn't suspecting, he fell into a trance and saw a vision. Now, I'm not referring to the New age, occultic kind of trance. The Bible refers to trances on a variety of occasions, generally in reference to the prophetic ministry. Furthermore, a trance involved being more aware of the spiritual realm than the physical, as the physical senses are essentially suspended. This is what happened to Peter. But there may be a third factor involved in why he saw. Cornelius, the Roman soldier had prayed to God. Visions may occur in your life not because of anything you have done, but simply because someone else is praying and God wants you included in the drama. Don't ever underestimate the prayers of others.
WHEN????
At this point I think it bears mention that visions generally occur when you least expect them. People who purposely try to set the stage for a heavenly visitation by being in "sacred place", or being with the right people, or something else, miss it entirely. God makes Himself known on His terms and in His timing. We don't tend to think this way. So stop trying to force His hand.
Number one. He does not open the eyes of those who seek for signs! He opens the eyes of those who simply want Him involved in every aspect of life! We'll delve into this more in the next article.
Number two. He opens the eyes of those who want and need God to prove his reality to them. Thomas needed proof, as does this current generation. God's going to grant that as the times for the Second coming get closer.
Number three. He opens the eyes of those who have quit trying to see in their own strength and run away imaginations. He looks for people who want to simply believe and don't feel they need a vision to accomplish that. Your eyes will generally not be opened until all you
want is Jesus. Chasing after visions only produces run away imaginations and eventual disappointment. If your faith is dependent on a vision, then your faith is bound to be shallow and temporary. Let go and let him be God.
THE GENERATION
WHO HAS PUT GOD ON TRIAL
John 20:19 Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you; 20 And when he had so said, he showed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord. 21 Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. :22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: 23 Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained. 24 But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe. 26 And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. 27 Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. 28 And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. 29 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. 30 And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book:31 But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.
Has this generation put God on trial? Is it demanding that He prove Himself without believing His word? Is this generation arrogant, thinking it can command God to do what it wants? Very possibly, YES!
In many ways, our current generation of Church, and the world, have become like doubting Thomas. Without a sign, and seeing what it thinks it needs, it won't believe. Even so, Jesus met Thomas where he was at. Furthermore, if God did it once, He will possibly do it again.
The next article in this series on the Spirit speaking truth through vision will consider and address the generation like Thomas and the dangers it will face. But until then, endeavor to walk and be in the Spirit. Make yourself available to Him to do what He desires when He wants to do so. Who knows what you will see when you wait upon Him?
John 20:19 Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you; 20 And when he had so said, he showed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord. 21 Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. :22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: 23 Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained. 24 But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe. 26 And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. 27 Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. 28 And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. 29 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. 30 And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book:31 But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.
Has this generation put God on trial? Is it demanding that He prove Himself without believing His word? Is this generation arrogant, thinking it can command God to do what it wants? Very possibly, YES!
In many ways, our current generation of Church, and the world, have become like doubting Thomas. Without a sign, and seeing what it thinks it needs, it won't believe. Even so, Jesus met Thomas where he was at. Furthermore, if God did it once, He will possibly do it again.
The next article in this series on the Spirit speaking truth through vision will consider and address the generation like Thomas and the dangers it will face. But until then, endeavor to walk and be in the Spirit. Make yourself available to Him to do what He desires when He wants to do so. Who knows what you will see when you wait upon Him?
