`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 Your Church Have An Angel?

Does your church have an angel?

Several times I've been told by members of one or the other congregation I served as pastor that they saw an angel standing next to me as I preached. How would you take that remark? True? Active imagination? Listen to John writing in the Revelation:

Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, ... As for the mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden lampstands, the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches. - Rev 1:12, 20 ESV

What is this talk about the mystery? What is a mystery? In the Bible mysteries are generally secrets known only to the initiated. They refer to some hidden counsel or purpose of men or they hide the secret counsels of God, counsels the ungodly will never know. These mysteries are often within a saying of the Bible or seen in a vision or a dream. Listen:

And he (Jesus) answered them, "To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. - Mat 13:11 ESV

Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. - Rom 11:25 ESV

Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages - Rom 16:25 ESV 

Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, - 1Co 15:51 ESV 

But back to the angels of the seven churches. The word angel doesn't necessarily refer to those wondrous spirits who sang and shouted when the LORD laid the foundation of the earth (Job 38:4-7). The word can simply refer to a messenger. John the Baptist was the messenger / angel who prepared the way for Christ's coming:

As it is written in Isaiah the prophet, "Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way, - Mar 1:2 ESV 

Could it be that what is written in the next chapters about each individual church is actually addressed first to the pastors or overseers of those churches? That's the frequent application of this mystery. However, nowhere in the NT is the word angel ever used to point to an under-shepherd, a pastor. David A Huston agrees. He believes that the words of Rev. 2-3 are written directly to the members of the congregations, because the local assemblies founded by the apostles were led by teams of men called overseers, not by single pastors.

On the other hand, the word angel is used some 60 times in Revelation to speak about one of these great spirits. Sam Storms discusses a few other options, but finally takes the view that the LORD—through John—is addressing the guardian angels of these seven churches. He doesn't know why Jesus would do so, however, and ends up leaving the identity of these angels still a mystery.

There is a parallel in Daniel's prophecy about a strange man who comes to him to tell him of the angelic princes of Persia and Israel.

Then he said to me, "Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and humbled yourself before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words. The prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days, but Michael, one of the chief princes (Dan.13:1), came to help me, for I was left there with the kings of Persia, and came to make you understand what is to happen to your people in the latter days. For the vision is for days yet to come." - Dan 10:12-14 ESV

Later in the Revelation we will see and hear about seven angels with seven trumpets or seven plagues or seven bowls of the wrath of God (Rev. 8:2; 15:1; 16:1).  Are they the same seven spoken about here? We'll deal with that later. For now, back to the question of guardian angels of local churches. We hear that little children have angels (Matt. 18:10). Indeed the apostles had guardian angels. Peter's angel got him out of prison (Acts 12:5-15). So if individuals have angels, why not whole assemblies or churches of believers? This brings us back to the question about who is being addressed in the following chapters, the angels or the entire congregation? Certainly the members of the church are held responsible. Why then are the letters address to the various angels of the churches?

Perhaps we are back to viewing the angels as the supervisors, the pastors of the seven churches. To come to that conclusion consider the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the OT. The prophet Haggai is called the angel  or messenger of the LORD.

καὶ εἶπεν Αγγαιος ὁ ἄγγελος κυρίου τῷ λαῷ ἐγώ εἰμι μεθ᾽ ὑμῶν λέγει κύριος  - Hag 1:13 LXX = Then Haggai, the messenger (angel) of the LORD, spoke to the people with the LORD's message, "I am with you, declares the LORD." - Hag 1:13 ESV

Luther Poellot, in his 1962 commentary, says that in the Bible we read about God sending angels as messengers to men, but He never uses men to send messages to angels!

Conclusion: the letters are written to those holding the prophetic office, the shepherds of the seven congregations. They are the messengers who are to convey the messages to their congregants, messages containing both warnings (Law) and words of comfort (Gospel). These same messages can be applied to congregations of believers in our day. We'll talk about that as we open them up.

The Book of Revelation—Uncovering or not?

If you followed this blog during the past several years I've been writing it you know that I write primarily to you readers who, with me, accept the reality and Lordship of Jesus, who is both the son of Mary and the resurrected and ascended Son of God. I'm also deeply concerned about learning what to expect as we await His return, as the Angel said to His disciples shortly after He disappeared in a cloud,

This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven." - Act 1:11 ESV

From this I assume that He will come back in visible form. Meanwhile I know with great certainty that He is still with us as we wait for that day. In the meantime I want to listen to Him and talk with Him about what He is saying and planning. That seems very important to us all. And I have received many, many requests for help in understanding what God is saying to us in His Word as we await Christ's return. So for a time now I'm going to open my heart to listen, particularly to that wondrous book known to all of us as The Revelation. You're invited to listen in.

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The opening Greek word apocalypse, means "a laying bare or uncovering". However, much of what we find in the book seems to be the opposite, more like a book of hiddenness, confusion and obscurity. Many passages strike the casual reader as bizarre, bewildering, and sometimes frightening. That, however, may be because we of the 21st century are so disconnected from the world of the first century. After all, books need to be understood in their historical context. Bruce Metzger's short 1993 book, Breaking The Code, has proven to be helpful in that regard. Speaking of John's series of visions, Metzger writes of John's visionary experiences,

They invite the reader or listener to enter into the experience being recounted and to participate in it, triggering mental images of that which is described. (p.13)

Metzger goes on to help us understand John's frequent use of symbolic language. Sometimes John explains the symbols. At other times they are obvious and need no explanation, seven  for instance. We all know there are seven days in a week; then another week begins. So seven means completion or perfection.

Other symbols in Revelation can be understood in the light of the symbolism used in the Hebrew Scriptures, particularly the books of Ezekiel, Daniel and Zechariah. It is clear that John had studied the Old Testament thoroughly. Of the 404 verses that comprise the 22 chapters of the book of Revelation, 278 verses contain one or more allusions to an Old Testament passage . . . Therefore, in attempting to understand John's symbolism, we must consider not only the book itself, but also his use of the Old Testament. 

That said, I want to say a couple words about what is called the perspicuity  of the Bible. We who are descendants of the Protestant Reformation have always insisted that the Bible is the supreme authority in matters of faith and practice. And when it comes to its central message about salvation in Jesus Christ it is abundantly clear. Any literate person can comprehend the gospel. Of course that does not mean that all of Scripture is equally understandable. There is plenty of room for responsible scholarship and interpretation. Laity can read and understand the Bible. And I believe that to be true of much of the book of Revelation. It is not as obscure as it first seems to be.

Let us see if that is so in the days ahead. It is, after all, called the Revelation, the uncovering. Maybe with a little help, this part of Scripture will uncover some rather remarkable things for us all.

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.  

God's Love For All You God-Fearers

We're back in John 9. Today we'll listen to the unnamed blind man whom Jesus healed by sending him to the Pool of Siloam in Jerusalem. The Pharisees, of course, didn't believe it had happened, even though it happened right before their eyes. To them it was all some kind of trick. They even challenged the man's parents. Those poor folks didn't want to get in trouble, so they said, "Ask him; he's of age. He will speak for himself." So for the second time they called the former blind man before them and demanded that he give glory to God. Jesus could surely have not healed him, for this work had been done on the Sabbath when it was strictly forbidden by Moses that anyone should work. Therefore Jesus was indeed a sinner. We can see the healed man shrugging his shoulders as he answered their questions.

"Why, this is an amazing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him. Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing."

All this did not fit in with their presuppositions. God would surely not answer a man like Jesus and heal someone on the Sabbath. Yet the man was healed. What to do? Get rid of him. They answered the man now able to see, "You were born in utter sin, and would you teach us?" And so they cast him out. Done. Problem gone.

The poor man was cast out, but not forgotten by Jesus. The Lord found him and asked, "Do you believe in the Son of Man?"

He answered, "And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?"

Jesus said, "You have seen him, and it is he who is speaking to you."

The healed said, "Lord, I believe." And he worshipped him.

I'd like to pick up on that phrase: "he worshipped him." Note above the man said, "... if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him." There were a significant number of God-fearing Gentiles (non-Jews) who were impressed with the Jewish understanding of one God, but who could not or would not submit to the legal regulations about food, Sabbath and circumcision. They were known as God-fearers. We frequently read about them in the Book of Acts. They made up a significant number of early converts to Christianity.

• So Paul stood up, and motioning with his hand said: "Men of Israel and you who fear God, listen. - Act 13:16 ESV
• "Brothers, sons of the family of Abraham, and those among you who fear God, to us has been sent the message of this salvation. - Act 13:26 ESV
• One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul. - Act 16:14 ESV
• So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there. - Act 17:17 ESV
• And he left there and went to the house of a man named Titius Justus, a worshiper of God. His house was next door to the synagogue. - Act 18:7 ESV

There's a great story in Acts 10 about one of these God-fearers, a certain Cornelius of Caesarea who was guided by an angel to call for Peter. Peter, in turn, was given a vision and a command to eat ceremonially unclean food. As he pondered the vision, Cornelius' men came to his house and the Spirit said to him that he should accompany them without hesitation (Acts 10:17-20). Peter went with them and proclaimed the Gospel to them. From that point on he and the other Apostles were thoroughly convinced that God's love in Christ was for all men. "Truly I understand," he said, "that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him."

What great and glorious news to anyone who is confused and struggling to understand God and the mysteries of walking with Him. If you are one such God-fearer, it does not matter if you do not understand everything there is to know about spiritual matters. You may even feel thrown out by some congregation of so-called Christians for not observing all the niceties and rules of their fellowship. You may feel hopeless and confused about how your sins could ever be forgiven. You may be quite in the dark about what is right and what is wrong. You may be searching and longing for understanding and light, but not knowing where to turn. Listen again to Peter's words,

"Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him." - Act 10:34-35 ESV

Know that God's love is not limited or restricted. Ask and it will be given to you. Seek and you will find that He is already at your side ready to accept and forgive and love and lead you.

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 Tempting Power Of Images

During this Lenten season I have been meditating with you upon the temptations the devil placed before Jesus during the forty days he spent in the wilderness after his baptism (Matthew 4:1-11). Matthew writes about the third temptation in this manner:

"Again the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory." 

Jesus was tempted as we are and on our behalf, as the Hebrews writer says, "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin" (Hebrews 4:15). So I ask, why a very high mountain and how did the tempter show him all the glory of worldly kingdoms?

My wife and I have a second home in some very high mountains of Colorado. Here's a sample of what we can see from them.

Note that you can see a long way, but you cannot see all the world by any means, regardless of how high you go. And yet there is a sense of superiority. You are looking down at everything that is spread before you. We own but a tiny piece of all this, but what if it were all ours?

My second question is how did the devil do this? The text seems to suggest that the temptation was internal, especially since satan and his minions are spirits that interact with our spiritual nature. Let me give you an example of how the word show is used in this manner. It's from the Acts of the Apostles, the story of how Peter came to realize that the Gospel is for all manner of men (Acts 10:1-43). While Peter was on a rooftop praying something very strange happened to him. He had a kind of dream. His way of seeing things was altered. What he saw was inward and yet it seemed to appear before his eyes. Most translations call this a trance. One translation copies the Greek to call it an ecstasy.

What Peter saw was something like a great sheet of linen held up by its four corners. In this huge sheet were animals, reptiles and birds of all kinds. Peter, as a devout Jew knew full well that the Lord forbad him to eat many of these creatures (Deut. 14:3-21). They were unclean. Listed among them are camels, rabbits and pigs. Birds of prey such as the eagle, vulture, falcon and owl were also forbidden. And yet he heard a voice distinctly saying, "Rise, Peter; kill and eat." When he objected the voice came a second time, "What God has made clean, do not call common or impure."

My point is simply that inward visions can have a powerful impact upon us. The devil knew this full well as he pulled up a mighty vision of the world's kingdoms in their majesty and power to parade them before Jesus "in a moment of time," as Luke writes (Luke 4:5-7). "All this authority and their glory can be yours. I can give it to you if you will only worship me."

We live in a multi-media culture, dominated by visions and images of all sorts. Do not under estimate the impact and power of such. The advertising and entertainment industries do not. Nor does the pornography industry. The god of this world uses these images to tempt us in all kinds of ways to abandon the will of God in favor of the pleasure, power and glory they offer. As always, this prince of darkness says, "All this can be yours if you will only worship me."

Consider carefully that these are lies. Know your own weaknesses. Admit your failures and how you have fallen into such temptations. And take then the counsel of the Hebrews writer to heart as he urges you to draw near to Christ's throne to receive forgiveness, mercy and "grace to help" in those times of grave spiritual need (Hebrews 4:16).

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.