“ … the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God” (Eze 1:1, KJV)
Within the wider theme that we are currently exploring, we are looking at the various ways in which God speaks to man. We have already looked at two of these instances – God speaking to the heart of man through the voice of the Holy Spirit, as well as through His Word, the Bible. Now we will direct our attention to an enigmatic and somewhat contentious aspect of communication between man and God – dreams and visions.
Job 33:14-18 underscores the importance of this mode of communication: “For God may speak in one way, or in another, yet man does not perceive it. In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls upon men, while slumbering on their beds, then He opens the ears of men, and seals their instruction. In order to turn man from his deed, and conceal pride from man, He keeps back his soul from the Pit, and his life from perishing by the sword.” Thus it is clear that dreams are of great significance, and God uses them as warnings to protect man from dangerous pitfalls, wrong decisions and even death.
From Num 12:6 it is clear that God often chose dreams as a way of speaking to his Old Testament prophets: “Then He said, ‘Hear now my words: If there is a prophet among you, I, the Lord, make Myself known to him in a vision; I speak to him in a dream.’” This is echoed in Hos 12:10: “I have spoken by the prophets, and have multiplied visions; I have given symbols through the witness of the prophets.”
Already in the Old Testament God promises that with the New Covenant this faculty of Godly communication will be extended to all of mankind. Joel 2:28 affirms this: “And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions.” On the day of Pentecost, when Peter preaches on the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, he refers back to that promise – “But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel” – thereby establishing that the new dispensation has dawned.
From the beginning of man’s history there are already manifold examples of how God used dreams and visions to guide the heroes of our faith, as in the case of Abram: “After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, ‘Do not be afraid, Abram, I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.’” (Gen 15:1). Throughout the Old Covenant God speaks to his children through dreams and visions – Ezekiel, David, Amos and many others. God even entrusted the life of his son Jesus to something as flimsy as a dream (Mat 1:20). The book of Acts features a number of further examples, specifically Acts 10:3 and 11:5.
Writers of the New Testament throughout linked their teaching and revelation to dreams and visions. Paul defends this correlation in 2 Cor 12:1: “But I will now talk about visions and revelations given me by the Lord.” This marks the point where the New Testament believer finds himself.
- Sela: Try to establish your attitude concerning dreams and visions you may have had.
- Read: 1 Sam 21; Ps 143; Luke 18
- Memorise: Luke 18:27
- Going deeper: Read Ira Milligan’s Understanding the dreams you dream.
