In this world, it is neither scarce nor surprising to hear the attacks against the word of God. Those who are deemed intelligent mock its principles, deny its miracles, and scorn its prophecies. Yet, in spite of all the attacks, its principles are true, its miracles occurred as recorded, and every prophecy regarding the first coming of our Lord Jesus Christ came to pass precisely as written. Though I desire for every reader to believe the Holy Scriptures, the scriptures do not need your belief in them to strengthen them. They are completely accurate, without anyone’s approval of them. The world mocks; yet the scripture stands.
Then, I come into the church. It is sad to say, but in many churches, the word of God takes a back seat. I have been to churches (some recently) where you will find someone who is always having a dream that “God gave him.” There are churches in which you’ll discover someone who is constantly seeing visions. God is always speaking to them in an audible voice. “God told me this,” they say. “God told me that,” they affirm.
Only an observation it may be, but here is what I have surveyed regarding many of those who are always seeing visions, dreaming dreams, and hearing voices: They are so spiritual that “God” is always speaking to them; yet, they do not know that salvation is by grace. They constantly see visions; but they cannot see that a person has the Holy Ghost living within them the instant they believe on Jesus Christ. They are always dreaming dreams, but quite frankly, they don’t know soup beans from apple butter regarding the word of God! Again, it should be noted that these observations are in reference to “many of those” who are always seeing visions, dreaming dreams and hearing voices.
Now, am I against a man having a dream that is from the Lord? No; for then I would be against the Joseph of the Old Testament, as well as the Joseph of the New. Am I against someone having a vision? In no wise. But if you are one of these people who often refer to “the last dream I had,” or “the last vision I had,” then I am talking to you.
Here is yet another observation regarding those who are always having dreams and seeing visions: they talk a lot. You may ask, “What do you mean?” In the Bible, when someone had real visions from the Lord, they didn’t talk about their visions. Whether the reader has seen a real vision from the Lord or not, I do not know. But I know for a fact that Paul the apostle had visions and revelations from the Lord, and look what he says about them:
II Corinthians 12:1 – “It is not expedient for me doubtless to glory. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord.”
Paul, in his discourse to the Corinthians, states here that he will at this time talk about visions and revelations of the Lord. Then, he proceeds to speak concerning those visions and revelations:
II Corinthians 12:4 – “How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.”
Paul goes on to tell about a man, perhaps himself, who was caught up into paradise. Then, Paul tells us something pertaining to what he saw – “…it is not lawful for a man to utter.” Paul said, “I’m not allowed to tell you what I saw.” No one reading this post will ever know what Paul saw in paradise – he didn’t blab it!
Yet, so many who claim to have visions today are very quick to reveal what they saw and heard. This makes me wonder about these vision-seeing individuals.
I do not know whether the reader has seen visions or heard voices from heaven or not, but I know for a fact that Mary, the mother of Jesus, heard the voice of an angel, because the Bible states it to be so. Yet, when the angel spoke to her, the Bible says in Luke 2:19 that “Mary pondered these things in her heart.” She neither told nor bragged about everything she heard from the angel. Yet, when someone has visions and dreams today, they quickly let the world know what they saw and heard! It makes me wonder!
A Message for Vision-Seeing Individuals and Dreamers
As for those who claim to have seen visions or had dreams from the Lord, I am not writing this post to convince you otherwise. But, each individual who constantly sees visions and has dreams from the Lord needs to read what I am writing.
Your visions and dreams are not very spiritual. There is no indication whatsoever that Pilate’s wife was a follower of Christ, yet she informs her husband in Matthew 27:19, “I have suffered many things in a dream because of [Christ].” The wise men who came to see the Christ child were warned of God in a dream in Matthew 2:12; yet there is nothing said as to whether or not they believed that Christ was anything more than “the king of the Jews.” The fact is this: you do not have to be spiritual at all to have visions or dreams. Actually, it is possible for a devil to be disguised as an angel of light, and approach someone in a vision.
II Corinthians 11:13, 14 – “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.”
Paul even warned us, that if an angel from HEAVEN came to us, and told us something different than what the Bible teaches, we are to let that angel be accursed; or let that angel go to hell!
Galatians 1:8, 9 – “But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.”
So, I do not care much about your dreams and visions. Every dream you’ve dreamed and every vision you’ve seen takes a back seat to the word of God! I have made the following statement in this blog before, but I make it again. If an angel came to me and said, “Bob, I came from heaven to give you two choices. You can either have dreams and visions every day, or you can learn something every day from the Bible, the word of God. It’s your choice.” My choice would be easy to make. I would rather learn more and more of God’s word than have dreams and visions. I would rather be skillful with the Bible and know to use it to convince people to be saved than to boast of dreams and visions!
Allow me to examine one more passage. Peter tells in II Peter of his experience on the mount of transfiguration. Peter was on the mountain with Christ when the Lord’s face shone brightly. He saw Moses and Elijah on that mountain! What a glorious experience this must have been:
II Peter 1:17, 18 – “For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount.”
In these verses, Peter tells of his great experience upon the mountain of transfiguration. Now, in the next verse, Peter says that you and I have something more sure than even the vision he had!
II Peter 1:19-21 – “We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.”
“We have a more sure word of prophecy!” A more sure word? What could be surer than a vision? He tells us what is more sure than a vision – the prophecy of the scripture! God’s written word – the Bible – is far surer than any dream or vision.
