`The Primary Purpose Of Visions And Dreams

What does it mean to dream dreams and see visions? We continue our study.

 "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, and your young men shall see visions. Even on the male and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit. - Joel 2:28-29 ESV 

The prophet Joel wrote these words, later quoted by Peter on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:17). Joel wrote what the LORD revealed during the very dark days of Judah six centuries before Christ. Already the mighty Assyrians had ravaged the northern kingdom of Israel. Would the kingdom of Judah be next? Joel was called upon to speak words of comfort and hope. . . and warning. The people of Judah were also faithless. They too ignored God's Word and they too would meet His judgments. The LORD's army would soon come to destroy them unless they returned to the LORD. So Joel speaks for the LORD,

"Yet even now, return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts and not your garments." Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster. Who knows whether he will not turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind him, a grain offering and a drink offering for the LORD your God? - Joel 2:12-14 ESV

Then come the words of comfort and hope.

I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter, my great army, which I sent among you. "You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and praise the name of the LORD your God, who has dealt wondrously with you. And my people shall never again be put to shame. You shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the LORD your God and there is none else. And my people shall never again be put to shame. - Joe 2:25-27 ESV 

After this promise come the words quoted by Peter on Pentecost (Acts 2:17-28),

 "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, and your young men shall see visions. Even on the male and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit. - Joe 2:28-29 ESV 

Your old men shall dream dreams and your young men shall see visions. . . and even the servants will have the Spirit poured out upon them. Peter interpreted this vision, saying that the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ, followed by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, was the fulfillment of this and other prophecies of the Old Testament, such as those made by David in Psalm 16:10.

This then is the primary reason why the LORD grants His people visions or waking dreams and dreams while sleeping. He wants to comfort them with the Word of His mercy and forgiveness. He wants them to believe He has not forsaken them, but will or has come among them to take the ultimate punishment for their sins to Himself. And as they hear this Good News, this Gospel, the Spirit of God speaks comfort and hope to their hearts. So we listen with joy and hope to the way the visions and dreams were given and the promises they bring for us today. In other words Judah saw the fulfillment of Joel's prophecy when she returned to the land after 70 years of captivity and slavery. But that was not the ultimate fulfillment. There was more. There is more. It is to this that Peter speaks as he quotes Joel.

But what about today's visions and dreams? Does God still grant them? Here is one useful answer to that question: How Did God Use Dreams and Visions In The Bible? 

But more needs to be said. We'll continue next time.

Does The LORD Still Grant Visions And Dreams?

It has been a couple months since I posted anything to this blog. During that time my wife and I made a major move. We moved to a retirement village in south Texas. So now that we are settled in and comfortable I am able to move on with my next project.  I will now explore what the Bible has to say about visions and dreams. The question is whether the LORD still today speaks to His people through visions and dreams. Does He grant such visions only to a select few or can we anticipate that the LORD will and does speak to any one of us directly in our own visions and dreams?

In the past several months everything we studied in the book of the Revelation has been based upon John's vision. Listen again to what he says as his mysterious book begins:

I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet saying, "Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea." Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, - Rev 1:10-12 ESV

Notice the phrase "in the Spirit" and that he is told by "a loud voice like a trumpet" to write "what you see." When he turns "to see the voice that was speaking" he "saw" seven golden lamp stands. . .

Let's start with "in the Spirit." Exactly what John means by that phrase is not immediately clear. He uses the phrase several times:

I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet - Rev 1:10 ESV
At once I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne. - Rev 4:2 ESV
And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness, and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was full of blasphemous names, and it had seven heads and ten horns. - Rev 17:3 ESV
And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, - Rev 21:10 ESV

John is probably saying that he was meditating upon God's Word on the day the church remembers  and celebrates the resurrection of Jesus, the Lord's day, namely Sunday.  To speak of being "in" normally refers to a place with limits of space, such as being in Bethlehem (Matt. 2:1). It can also refer to the contents of a book or prophecy. So Paul writes about that portion of Scripture in  which Elijah is recorded as claiming that Israel has forsaken her God (Rom. 11:2). In turn, Paul writes about a believer being in the Spirit if in fact "the Spirit of God dwells in you" (Rom. 8:9). Consequently it is safe to say that the Spirit dwelling in John led him to hear and to see what the Spirit was uncovering about events that are to take place in the future.

This then is the primary meaning of the visions given to Bible prophets. Led by the Holy Spirit they proclaim and write about what they have seen and heard about the future. So Isaiah starts his prophecy with these words:

The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. - Isa 1:1 ESV

The word for vision in the Hebrew language is chazown.  The word occurs 35 times in 34 verses of the Hebrew Bible. So way back in the days before King David, we read about the boy Samuel hearing the LORD speak to him. The writer says that "the word of the LORD was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision. Samuel did not know what to make of the voice he heard until Eli the priest instructed him to listen and obey. When he did that the LORD spoke to Samuel and said,

"Behold, I am about to do a thing in Israel at which the ears of everyone who hears it will tingle." 1 Sam 3:11 ESV

(Formerly in Israel, when a man went to inquire of God, he said, "Come, let us go to the seer," for today's "prophet" was formerly called a seer.) - 1Sa 9:9 ESV 

So Samuel is called a seer of visions. John's vision falls in line with the ancient prophets. He saw, he heard and then proclaimed in writing what the LORD had revealed.

In the next posts I want to explore with you what this means for the present and modern church. What does the New Testament say about prophets and prophesying and in what way does the office of the prophet continue?

Sorting Through Visions And Dreams

So Pastor Tim, picking up where I left off yesterday, I want to tell you a little story from my first parish. Upon graduation from the Seminary, I received a Divine Call from the Minnesota District of our denomination to start a new congregation in northwestern Ontario, Canada. Back in the '50s our church body did not have a separate organization in that part of Canada just north of Minnesota. I was to function as a missionary sent by that United States District of the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. With that in mind, Sylvia, my new bride, and I became landed immigrants of Canada and settled down to make a life for ourselves in what was then known as Port Arthur, Ontario.

We gathered a small congregation together and began worship services in a rented local school auditorium. The District already owned a piece of property on which we eventually built a small sanctuary, with a basement for fellowship and Bible classes. My small office was located on the first floor, just off the narthex.

One day a lady appeared at my office during a fall day some three years after we had arrived. She told me she had been sent by God to share a vision she had received. She was dressed simply in a cotton dress and wore a light coat. I'm not certain that she even told me her name. Looking back on the incident, I regret that I did not get both her name and address. I did not follow up with her after she left my office. I suppose it was because she struck me at the time as mentally disturbed and I frankly did not know what to do with her.

The Little Golden Carriage

Sitting before me, she said, "Pastor, I want to give you this little golden carriage." She proceeded to remove a tiny piece of costume jewelry, the kind one might hang on a chain to put around your neck. "Now I want you to know what this means," she continued. "The Lord spoke to me in a dream last night. He told me that you are one of His chosen. The day is approaching when you will sit on one of the twelve thrones of Israel, judging the tribes of men. This little carriage is a token that confirms what I am saying. Please keep it with you and wait, for the Lord Jesus will reveal to you what you are to do next."

All I can remember about that visit was that I felt helpless and confused. How does one respond to someone like that? Visions? Judgment Day? The twelve thrones? Where was she coming from? I was certain that she was mentally confused, but I did not know how to respond. I thanked her for sharing as she arose to leave. I held the tiny object in my hand for a long time after she was gone. I still have that little gold-colored carriage in my desk drawer. It is a reminder of my failure to respond to that troubled lady and a further reminder that I desperately needed training in the treatment of mental illness if I were ever to encounter others like her. Later in my ministry, as you know, I was able to go on to graduate school to receive training in pastoral counseling.

Yet I still puzzle about that little woman's vision to this day. How does one sort out the difference between a vision from the LORD God and the wild confusion of an unbalanced mind? The Biblical record has many accounts of dreams and visions in both Testaments. As the church moved out into the world in those early days she was often guided by visions and prophets. You are familiar with them. Here's Peter's vision to take the Gospel to the Gentiles, for instance.

The next day, as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the housetop about the sixth hour to pray. And he became hungry and wanted something to eat, but while they were preparing it, he fell into a trance and saw the heavens opened and something like a great sheet descending, being let down by its four corners upon the earth. In it were all kinds of animals and reptiles and birds of the air. And there came a voice to him: "Rise, Peter; kill and eat." But Peter said, "By no means, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean." And the voice came to him again a second time, "What God has made clean, do not call common." - Acts 10:9-15 ESV

And Paul's visions certainly influenced the direction of his ministry.

And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing there, urging him and saying, "Come over to Macedonia and help us." And when Paul had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them. - Acts 16:9-10 ESV

At this point my counsel is one of caution and love when dealing with those who offer visions and dreams. Pastors must judge all such by the rest of Scripture and the rule or analogy of faith. The Scriptures remain the final and ultimate authority and the central teaching is ever the Gospel. The LORD will never contradict Himself. The church has ever been guided by Paul's words:

But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. And as for all who walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God. - Gal 6:14-16 ESV

To See Jesus Is To See The Heavenly Father

A couple days ago I had a long phone conversation with Rick Richter, a dear friend of mine who has a very deep heart for Muslims. He is a retired Lutheran minister who has written a book comparing the teachings of the Bible with the Qur'an,
Comparing the Qur'an and the Bible: What They Really Say about Jesus, Jihad, and More

I highly recommend that you purchase the book, especially if you have friends or acquaintances who are Muslim and who are searching for the truth.

In our conversation my friend mentioned that there are thousands of Muslims around the world who having visions of Jesus in these days. He is convinced that these are real. As a result of this many are turning in faith to Jesus. Here's a link to a YouTube video in which a young Christian man, a former Muslim, testifies to his and others' experience of just that:

Thousands of Muslims See Jesus In Dreams and Visions and Are SAVED! 

In this video you will also learn about another reason why Jesus is God the Father's Son. He is born of a Virgin. He alone has the blood of his heavenly Father.

Decide for yourself what that means, but in doing so check out what Peter said to the crowds on the day of Pentecost, as recorded in the Book of Acts about visions and dreams in these last days.

 But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel: "'And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy. - Act 2:16-18 ESV

According to what we see and hear Jesus is appearing in visions and dreams to Muslims and Jews who are searching for the truth about God. Here's another YouTube video: 

Ex-Hezbollah Iranian Muslim Saw Jesus

During the Passover meal before his crucifixion Jesus spoke with his disciples about seeing him. By seeing he meant more than simply seeing with ones eyes. He was speaking about seeing with your heart and putting your faith and trust in him. This is what he refers to when he says, 

"I am the way, and the truth, and the life." And again, "No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him." 

Then Philip said to him, "Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us." 

Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves. - John 14:6-11 ESV

As you seek to share what you know and believe in your heart about Jesus, as you share the Jesus you have seen in your heart, pray also for your relatives, your children, your friends that they too may see Jesus ! And in seeing Him be brought to faith by the power of the Holy Spirit.  

Dreams In The Light Of God's External Word

We're looking at the Bible's peculiar worldview (at least to the modern world). To do that I'm focusing on the fact that we all dream and consequently ask what the dreams mean. Psychological answers vary.  Freud thought they are symbolical representations of unconscious desires and thoughts. Others say that dreams are one's interpretation of signals generated by one's brain. Out of this come many creative ideas. Still others say that dreaming is the brain's computer-like process of cleaning up the previous day's clutter. And so it goes. There's no modern single, unifying understanding of why we dream or what our dreams mean.

To assist us in interpreting our dreams you can find whole dictionaries of dream symbols and terms such as "An A to Z Dream Dictionary." Others offer dream interpretation, based upon years of experience. Still others, claiming to be Christians, tell us they can teach us not merely to study about God, but how to have direct experiences of Him speaking to us in our dreams. It all sounds most enticing. But is that what the written, objective Word of God as contained in Holy Scripture teaches? Recall Dr. Luther's comment about enthusiasm quoted in my earlier post: 

"We should and must insist that God does not want to deal with us human beings, except by means of his external Word and sacrament. Everything that boasts of being from the Spirit apart from such a Word and sacrament is of the devil."

What does Luther mean by God's external Word? He means simply and emphatically the Scriptures. The very words of Scriptures are God's words, all of them. The Holy Spirit always blesses and brings salvation in Christ through the Word. No preached or taught word not based upon the Scriptures is the Word of God. The Holy Spirit comes and reveals God and His will in the Word of the Lord Christ. Anyone, therefore, who distorts or blasphemes the written Word will be judged by God. This was Luther's sola Scriptura principle. This claim is further founded on the total truthfulness, reliability and
consistency of Scripture. One text of Scripture does not contradict another, regardless of how ridiculous it may seem at first. To that end I quote again what Paul wrote to Timothy:

But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work. - 2Ti 3:14-17 ESV

 With that in mind, return with me to Joseph's dream experience as recorded by Matthew (Matt. 1:18-25). Joseph was of royal lineage, as Matthew emphasizes in the opening verses of his Gospel (Matt. 1:1-17). He traced that lineage all the way back to David and through David to Abraham himself. He knew of the promises recorded in the written Scriptures about the coming of the Messiah. He knew about the promised virgin birth of the One named Immanuel. A few examples:

To Abraham — "And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed." - Gen 12:2-3 ESV 

And again to Abraham —"I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies, and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice." - Gen 22:17-18 ESV 

To Isaac — "I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and will give to your offspring all these lands. And in your offspring all the nations of the earth shall be blessed" - Gen 26:4 ESV 

About the promised Messiah —"There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD. And his delight shall be in the fear of the LORD. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide disputes by what his ears hear, but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist, and faithfulness the belt of his loins." - Isa 11:1-5 ESV

To Ahaz, one of Judah's anointed kings — "And he said, "Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary men, that you weary my God also? Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel." - Isa 7:13-14 ESV

There are numerous other passages of Scripture. Joseph knew them. He was a righteous and just man who sought ever to conduct his life according to the plans and will of God. He believed in the promises of the Messiah as recorded in Scripture. Therefore it was not at all impossible for him to accept what the angel said to him in his dream about Mary's pregnancy and the promised coming of the Messiah. His dream was a confirmation of God's external Word and in no way contrary to it.

The best counsel to any dreamer is based upon this record of Joseph's dreams as well as other dreams in Scripture. If you believe God has sent His messenger to speak to you, then test it carefully against the written Word. Ask especially how what you have seen and heard in your dream relates to God's will and plan to lead men to salvation and eternal life in Christ. Remember as well that we are all members one of another. No one of us owns nor can he control the Spirit. Invite other members of Christ's body to ponder with you your dream in the light of God's revelation in Scripture. Seek confirmation from other members of Christ's body. And at the same time be very conscious or the fact that demonic powers are also at work to lead us away from Christ and distort God's Word.

Bottom line: There's more indeed to this world than what we can see, taste, touch, smell and feel. There's more than we can measure with our scientific instruments and theorize about with our mathematics. Scripture teaches that men have contact with that other world in dreams and visions. But—and this is critical—our first, primary and most significant contact with the Spirit of God is in the written Word of Holy Scripture. As Jesus emphasized in his criticism of the Jews of His day,

And the Father who sent me has himself borne witness about me. His voice you have never heard, his form you have never seen, and you do not have his word abiding in you, for you do not believe the one whom he has sent. You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life. - Jhn 5:37-40 ESV

Dreams, Visions And Enthusiasm

Although haphazard, I do have somewhat of a journal of my dreams. As I look back at them I am often confused. What do those symbols and stories mean? And how important are my dreams? Seldom, if ever, have I considered the possibility that they are messages from God. Yet I read many stories in the Bible about various believers receiving visions and dreams with messages and directions from God. Here's the Apostle Peter's vision just prior to a visit from men sent by the Roman centurion Cornelius, a devout man who believed in and prayed to God.

The next day, as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the housetop about the sixth hour to pray. And he became hungry and wanted something to eat, but while they were preparing it, he fell into a trance and saw the heavens opened and something like a great sheet descending, being let down by its four corners upon the earth. In it were all kinds of animals and reptiles and birds of the air. 

And there came a voice to him: "Rise, Peter; kill and eat." 

But Peter said, "By no means, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean." 

And the voice came to him again a second time, "What God has made clean, do not call common." 

This happened three times, and the thing was taken up at once to heaven. 

Now while Peter was inwardly perplexed as to what the vision that he had seen might mean, behold, the men who were sent by Cornelius, having made inquiry for Simon's house, stood at the gate and called out to ask whether Simon who was called Peter was lodging there. And while Peter was pondering the vision, the Spirit said to him, "Behold, three men are looking for you. Rise and go down and accompany them without hesitation, for I have sent them." - Act 10:9-20 ESV (see also Acts 11:4-18)

My, but do I have a ton of questions when I read this account—not about Peter, but about why the Spirit has given this tale to us and what I personally am to make of it. Yes, I know that the story tells us that the Gospel is not to be confined to the Jews. It is for all men. But that's not what I'm getting at. What I want to know is whether you and I are being told to expect similar dreams or visions from God giving directions and messages?

The usual answer to these questions is No! The time for that ceased once God's revelation about Christ and His salvation was given and recorded by the Apostles. The Spirit does continue to speak to us, but always and only through the objective written Word of God. The Spirit does not speak through our own personal, subjective visions and dreams. In this context one may quote Paul's  instructions to young Pastor Timothy,

But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work. - 2Ti 3:14-17 ESV

The apostle seems to be saying that the God-breathed or inspired Scripture, both the Old and the New Testaments, is all the man of God needs to be competent and completely furnished to do his work. Teach the Scripture. You do not need additional visions and dreams, nor should you expect them. Study the Bible and seize whatever opportunities come along to share God's Word. Do not expect further visions like Peter's or the direct speaking of the Spirit such as we read about in the Acts of the Apostles (cf. Acts 11:27-30; 13:1-3; 16:9-10; 18:9-11). That time of the Apostles is past. 

Dr. Martin Luther was deeply concerned about this. He called it enthusiasm, the direct internal speaking of the Holy Spirit (the word enthusiasm originally meant 'God in me'). Luther's concerns grew particularly out of his conflicts with Thomas Müntzer, an early disciple of Luther who later broke with him. Müntzer believed that God's teachings came directly from the Holy Spirit. He opposed the doctrines of justification by faith alone and of the Scripture as the exclusive source of divine truth. As an exponent of the supremacy of the inner light of the Holy Spirit as against the authority of Scripture, Müntzer was said by Luther to have swallowed the Holy Spirit, “feathers and all” ( “Against the Heavenly Prophets in the Matter of Images and Sacraments.” Luther's Works. Vol. 40:83. Philadelphia, PA: Fortress Press, 1958). Müntzer's enthusiasm ultimately led to a peasants' war and his own death. Luther writes about enthusiasm in the Book of Concord, Smalcald Articles (III:viii (9-13).

In short: enthusiasm clings to Adam and his children from the beginning to the end of the world—fed and spread among them as poison by the old dragon. It is the source, power, and might of all the heresies, even that of the papacy and Mohammed. Therefore we should and must insist that God does not want to deal with us human beings, except by means of his external Word and sacrament. Everything that boasts of being from the Spirit apart from such a Word and sacrament is of the devil. For God even desired to appear to Moses first in the burning bush and by means of the spoken word; no prophet—not even Elijah or Elisha—received the Spirit outside of or without the Ten Commandments; John the Baptist was not conceived without Gabriel’s preceding Word, nor did he leap in his mother’s womb without Mary’s voice; and St. Peter says: the prophets did not prophesy “by human will” but “by the Holy Spirit,” indeed, as “holy people of God.”However, without the external Word, they were not holy—much less would the Holy Spirit have moved them to speak while they were still unholy. Peter says they were holy because the Holy Spirit speaks through them.

OK, but that still doesn't answer my original concern about dreams and visions—or does it? What if you or I have what we consider to be a Peter-and-the-sheet experience or Paul's come-over-to-Macedonia call? We have not rejected the authority of Scripture and the central doctrine about God declaring us justified by faith in Jesus Christ alone. And yet you or I sense God's leading in a dream or vision. What about that? 


Let's come back to this vital topic and the Biblical worldview next time.

The Bible's Weird Worldview

We all dream, but most of the time we forget our dreams as soon as the day begins.  Isaac Watts' hymn "O God, Our Help In Ages Past" describes it well.

Time, like an ever-rolling stream,
Soon bears us all away;
We fly forgotten as a dream
Dies at the op'ning day. 

There are, however, some dreams that keep coming back. We all know of them. In one of my recurring dreams I have left my college classes for the day and want to go home. However, to do that I must find my car. But I have no idea where I left it. It has to be somewhere around, but I cannot find it. The buildings are unfamiliar. The streets lead to places I've never seen before. And on top of that I don't even remember what kind of car I was driving. It is all very frightening and confusing until I awaken and realize it was just a dream.

Just a dream? I wonder. What does it mean? Is there a meaning to my dreams? And what about the people or creatures I encounter in those dreams?

Forget it, says our modern world. "Dreams represent a world of imagery in which our darkest fears, deepest secrets, and most passionate fantasies break out from the unconscious mind and only at this time become present to our own consciousness." 

Dreams certainly cannot amount to any encounter with a reality, a spirit world if you will, beyond that which I experience with my senses while I am awake. That cannot be, because there is no such world. The only reality is that which we can measure and approach through our rational minds. Yes, we humans have an unconscious mind, but it is still my mind. It is not my spirit or soul encountering another world beyond what we can see, feel, taste, touch and smell.

Or at least so it seems while we are awake. But then I read, for instance, this strange passage—one among many in the Bible—about the birth of Jesus.

Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: "Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel" (which means, God with us). When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus. - Mat 1:18-25 ESV

"An angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream . . ." What's this Angel? Messenger? In a dream? Prophets foretelling events 600 years before they happen? The Lord speaking? And then Joseph waking up and making a dramatic decision to go ahead with the marriage and take Mary into his home—in spite of the fact that she was carrying a baby that was not his! "For that which is conceived in her is from the (what?) Holy Spirit." What could that possibly mean? Virgin birth? Now you're really pushing things. And Joseph knew nothing about three persons and yet one God. God with us? In a baby? What could that possibly mean? And yet—and yet—he "did as the angel of the Lord commanded . . ." Weird or at best strange that a man would make such a momentous decision on the basis of a dream.

Oh boy, now this 21st century Christian is in trouble, because he has just encountered a way of thinking—or is it a reality?—quite different from the one dominating our culture. Does God send messages from the other side? Are there really angelic messengers? Do prophets really see into a future guided by the hand of God? And what about my dreams? Do angels—or demons for that matter—really come to me or at me when I'm dreaming? Should I be afraid or should I expect it? And how will I know for certain that it is not merely some of my "darkest fears, deepest secrets, and most passionate fantasies" breaking out from my unconscious mind to present themselves in the form of images and stories to my consciousness?

I think we need to spend some time pondering just how very different the Bible's worldview is from that dominating our 21st century scientific, rational world. Stay with me. We'll give it a shot in the next several postings.

Who Dares To Be A Prophet?

As promised, we're taking a look at prophecy in the Bible. It's a huge topic, one that remains quite controversial and one that is often muddled and confused by assumptions and presumptions. Let's start with a few definitions.

What is a prophet? And who dares to lay claim to the title?

The most common Hebrew term for prophet in the Bible is Nabi'. A prophet was moved by God's Spirit both to proclaim God's Word and to predict future events. Speaking about the task, the LORD said, "If there is a prophet among you, I the LORD make myself known to him in a vision (Mar'ah); I speak with him in a dream (Chalowm) (Numbers 12:6).

There were, as now, false prophets. Moses warned about them, saying, "If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or wonder that he tells you comes to pass, and if he says, 'Let us go after other gods,' which you have not known, 'and let us serve them,' you shall not listen to that prophet or that dreamer of dreams. For the LORD your God is testing you to, to know whether you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul (Deut. 13:1-5 and Deut. 18:20-22).

Some critics dispute the term Nabi'. They say it refers to babbling and nonsense, crazy, ecstatic ravings. The prophet Jeremiah, for instance, was accused of being a "madman who prophecies" and who ought to be put in the stocks and neck irons (Jeremiah 29:26). False prophets did indeed rave and the verb that describes such ravings is indeed Naba. However, that verb is also used to describe true prophesying. It all depends on the context.

There is an interesting story in 1 Samuel about Israel's first king, Saul. At one point a harmful spirit from God rushed upon Saul and he raved around in his house while David was playing the lyre for him. This raving is described by the verb Naba. In his raving he tried to pin David to the wall with a spear (1 Samuel 18:10-11; 19:9-10). Then in the very same chapter we read that the Spirit of God came upon Saul. He stripped off his clothes and in some kind of apparent ecstasy prophesied (Naba again). Because of this the question was raised, "Is Saul also among the prophets?"

Over 100 times in the OT, mostly in the books of the Prophets, prophetic revelations are described as a Word that God gave them to be delivered to the people. So Ezekiel wrote about his visions as "the word of the LORD" (Ezekiel 1:3). Note especially in Ezekiel that this "word of the LORD" came through some very strange visions (Mar'ah), a noun that may also refer to a bronze mirrors (Exodus 38:8). In the Bible we read about Jacob-Israel's visions at both Bethel (Genesis 28:11-17) and Beersheba (Genesis 46:1-4).

We also read of the LORD revealing Himself through dreams (Chalowm). Notable are the dreams that Joseph had about himself and his brothers (Genesis 37:5-11) and later the dreams of Pharaoh that he was empowered by the Spirit of God to interpret (Genesis 41:1-38). Interesting enough, the verb for dreaming in Hebrew is Chalam, a word that refers to being fat, strong and robust (Job 39:4) and seems to imply that a robust person is better able to dream.

The prophet Samuel is called a Seer, an older term for prophet (1 Samuel 9:9-19). Isaiah, one of the Latter Prophets, mocks drunken prophets who have visions (Ro'eh) brought on by strong drink (Isaiah 28:7).

There are 17 books in the Old Testament that fit into the category of prophecy. That's a major part of the Bible. The Lord Jesus, like the Jews of His day, acknowledged them, dividing the OT as we have come to know it, into the Law (Torah) and the Prophets (Matthew 5:12). The Prophets' writings were divided into the Former and the Latter Prophets. The Former prophetic books (Joshua, Judges, 1 and 2 Samuel and 1 and 2 Kings) were written as chronological history. The Latter Prophets (Isaiah through Malachi) feel more like sermons than history. Many times the messages have hidden meanings, written as they are, in poetry. Early Christians viewed all of these writings as God's Word, most especially since they foretold the coming of Christ, His life, ministry, manner of death and resurrection.

All through the Bible, from beginning to end, our knowledge of God—His creative acts and deeds in the history and life of His chosen people and promises of what yet is to come—comes by revelation. Without God revealing Himself to His prophets, we would have no knowledge of God, no theology. Everything depends upon God's revealed Word.

Today we are generally well advised to be very cautious about men or women who claim they have had visions and dreams in which the LORD spoke to them. We cannot deny that God has—and can—reveal Himself directly to His people. The New Testament speaks about men and women, prophets, receiving prophecies (Acts 11:27-30; 13:1; 15:32; 21:4-9).  The Church has a long history of men and women who received visions and dreams from God. The warning of Moses above (Deuteronomy 13:1-5) must, however, be taken to heart. We are best advised to wait for God to reveal Himself and His will through His written and recorded Word.

We'll take that matter up another time.

How Lutherans Interpret Prophecy

Dreams and visions continue to be controversial and widely discussed even in these materialistic days when many reject the idea that there are spirits and a spiritual realm inaccessible to human science. Many believe people can foretell the future, that they have the ability to see beyond the present in their dreams and visions. Christians are also very interested in prophecy, visions and dreams, especially since they are a prominent part of Holy Scripture. Do these visions foretell what is about to happen in our day?

Many teach that the ancient prophecies of Ezekiel, Daniel and the Apocalypse of St. John (Revelation) do just that. Books by the score interpret these books in order to reveal to us what is to happen in this century. For instance, I ran across "The Approaching Apocalypse: A New Interpretation of Daniel and Revelation" by Michael Fortner. Fortner describes himself as "a researcher, inventor, book collector, IT repair and overall fix it guy." He has a complex website: Bible Prophecy Revealed. He writes in the introduction to his New Interpretation book,

"One of those seven heads, the one that had the fatal wound, will rise again, but it will not be the Roman Empire, but one of the two Islamic empires. The Ottoman Empire ruled for more than six hundred years; it was wounded in the 1800s but given the fatal wound during World War I. The nation of Turkey was formed from what was left of the Ottoman Empire. The national flag of Turkey is the same as the Ottoman Empire’s, and is red in color. It will rise again as the scarlet beast from the Abyss described in Revelation 17."

He quotes Anthony Dennis, "The Rise of the Islamic Empire and the Threat to the West," (Wyndham Hall Press, 2001),

"In short, the coming Islamic Empire will be a world power in every sense of the word, whose people will share a vibrant religion and a common Islamic culture. Like its Muslim predecessors, the Islamic Empire of the early 21st Century will also have an appetite for territorial expansion and military conquest. A modern, worldwide jihad against non-Muslim populations and societies complete with nuclear weapons promises to bring the highest casualty rates in the history of mankind. World War III, if it does come, will probably occur between the Islamic Bloc and the Western nations. It will be the deadliest war ever fought by humanity." 

Fortner goes on to claim that the NT book of Revelation "reveals the history and details of the beast (Islam) and how and when it will rise to power. Although a few Christians are beginning to wake up to the threat of Islam, most Christians in America are still asleep. They are unconcerned because they think they are going in a pre-tribulation Rapture! It is time to open your eyes to the threat; open your eyes to the truth!"

In the next days I shall explore with you how we Lutherans and the historical Christian church approach these portions of Scripture and suggest what they mean to us. Do we believe that the rise of Islam is predicted in the Bible? What do we believe and teach about the anti-Christ, the rapture, the beast arising from the pit, the return of Christ, etc.? Stay tuned. 

Dreams, Magic and a Bit of Wisdom

I've been pondering the 'magical' story of Christmas, the one about mysterious messengers appearing in the sky and some Magicians showing up a couple years later. I'd like to come back to those Wise Men.


I read in Matthew 2:12 that they were warned not to report back to wicked King Herod. And how did the warning come? In a dream! That sure sounds magical, does it not?


So I ask myself whether it still happens? Can you or I expect to be visited by some messenger or see something in one of our dreams that gives us warnings or guides us toward the next step in our earthly journey toward heaven's wondrous country?

In Job 33:15-17 we read,


"In a dream, in a vision of the night, 
       when deep sleep falls on men
       as they slumber in their beds,
 he may speak in their ears
       and terrify them with warnings,
 to turn man from wrongdoing
       and keep him from pride . . .

These are the words of young Elihu when he tried to give counsel to poor, suffering and grieving Job. Job does not refute this point. Everyone took it as a matter of course, it seems, that the Lord God may speak in a dream. Prior to these words Elihu said, "For God does speak—now one way, now another— though man may not perceive it" (v.14).

In the Christmas story several people have dreams, including both Mary and Joseph. Joseph was warned— in a dream—to high-tail it down to Egypt right after the Wise Men left, because Herod was going to try to kill the Christ Child (Matthew 2:13). The Holy Family stayed in Egypt until Joseph had another dream in which he was told to return to Nazareth.

Joseph certainly was not a prophet like Abraham, Moses, Daniel and others. Yet he was granted special guidance in dreams. What about you and me?

Again, I want to be very cautious here, because some pretty weird things have been touted by people who claim they had angels visiting them in dreams and visions. Perhaps we'd do well to listen to the writer to the Hebrews as he says,

"In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe" (Hebrews 1:1-2),

What's that mean? It means we must be very careful to listen to what God is speaking to us through his Son. He calls us to put our entire trust in him, to believe that in him we have complete forgiveness of all sins and that he will raise us up together to be with him into endless ages. There's more, but it is all related to Jesus, the One whose birth we celebrate again this year.

So if you do have some kind of dream that you believe comes from God, I for one am not going to deny it. I only urge you to make absolutely certain that what you think you heard and saw is in accord with what Christ and his prophets and apostles have previously recorded for us in God's holy Word preserved in the Bible.

Do not forget that false prophets claim to have dreams—and they may—but whoever visits them in their dreams is from the dark side and not from God. And those spirits mean us no good.

A Dream Within A Dream

I did not sleep well last night. I could not stop my mind from going over and over a conversation I had with my Granddaughter Cassie about an end-of-the-year paper she's preparing for her English class. Part of the paper is based upon Edgar Allen Poe's poem:

A Dream Within A Dream

Take this kiss upon the brow!
And, in parting from you now,
Thus much let me avow-
You are not wrong, who deem
That my days have been a dream;
Yet if hope has flown away
In a night, or in a day,
In a vision, or in none,
Is it therefore the less gone?
All that we see or seem
Is but a dream within a dream.

I stand amid the roar
Of a surf-tormented shore,
And I hold within my hand
Grains of the golden sand-
How few! yet how they creep
Through my fingers to the deep,
While I weep- while I weep!
O God! can I not grasp
Them with a tighter clasp?
O God! can I not save
One from the pitiless wave?
Is all that we see or seem
But a dream within a dream?

What got to me was the despair: O God! can I not save one grain of golden sand from the pitiless wave? That image brought back the pain and suffering of last summer's hurricane Ike here along the Texas Gulf Coast. Above is a photograph I took when walking along that surf-tormented shore many months after the storm had passed.

As I read Poe's poem I see myself as that battered, broken and nearly collapsed beach house. And I ask the same questions as did Poe: Is all that we see or seem but a dream, yes even a dream within a dream? What can be done to stop my days from slipping through my fingers like grains of golden sand?

I stand upon the shore of that vast ocean of eternity, realizing that nothing, nothing at all that I do can rescue me. I who am nearly twice the age Poe was when he died, must also face the inevitable.

That's why I did not sleep well last night. Ah, but that's not the end of the story. I have heard another voice, speaking from beyond the darkness of death. It is the voice of the angel standing before the empty tomb. "You seek Jesus of Nazareth. He is not here. Behold the place where they laid him." Yes, He is risen and it is not a dream. NOT A DREAM!

So I awake today and the songs of the birds continue. The soft morning breeze whispers in my ear. The flowers blooming on the deck outside my study smile at me. Is all that we see or seem but a dream within a dream? Oh no! Never again. My Jesus lives and I too shall live with Him--forever!