Prophecies, Dreams, Visions, Angels
Introduction: Prophecies, Dreams, Visions, Angels . . .
and your destiny?
by Terry L. Craig
copyright © 2008
Everyone should stop at times to consider what they (as individuals, and as groups) find important, what they are doing, and why they're doing it. Each of us needs to ask ourselves what drives our decision-making, what motivates us, and who is in charge.
Recently, I heard reports about a revival with "signs and wonders" in Lakeland, Florida. Thousands were gathering nightly, possibly hoping to catch a glimpse of something supernatural, to hear a message with the power to pull them out of hard circumstances and guide them to a place of destiny.
Did the manifestations reported at these meetings help people to decide to truly follow Jesus Christ? Did they motivate believers to have a closer walk with the Lord? Did people leave the meetings with a new or renewed mission in life? These questions are important, but often the answers to them are not immediately visible.
So when we are confronted with a claim of supernatural manifestations as proof that a message is from the Lord, should we ask questions? Yes. Does it show a lack of faith to try to determine whether or not the message is from God? I don't believe God is ever angered by a sincere desire for truth. But many Christians might be surprised at what it is that we should be questioning and how we should go about it.
More than ever, I believe the Lord wants to bring clarity to people about dreams, visions, "words from the Lord," angels, and other supernatural phenomenon. As in every age of human history, people today will flock to hear a message that is delivered with supernatural signs. In some cases, just the claim of a supernatural source (such as an angelic visitation or a vision) is enough to convince people that the person with the claim is a messenger sent by God. Given the voracious hunger for supernatural experiences in the world at large and even among many in the Church, it would be WISE for Christians to gird themselves with the Lord's means of discernment.
A general overview of opinions regarding the supernatural:
Some Christians believe that anything supernatural -- be it a manifestation of tongues, a prophecy, an angel sighting, or anything else that's outside physical parameters -- is satanic. How those who claim to believe in the Almighty God came to the conclusion that He does nothing while Satan does whatever he wants unhindered . . . well, this line of thinking is a mystery to me.
Other Christians claim nothing supernatural happens in this age, that all phenomena have natural, explainable answers even if we can't find those answers right now. Come to think of it, this is almost an agreement with atheism!
But I think most Christians, regardless of denominational affiliation (or pastoral permission), have had at least one experience they would describe both as supernatural, and from God. Some may have had a dream about the future or a solution to a problem. Others may have visions about a ministry or course of action. Some have felt their hearts burn within them as they read a particular passage of Scripture and known the Lord was speaking to them in the midst of their circumstance, giving them comfort or guidance. I've known several people who were actually healed by the Lord when they were near death (and I mean "get up and walk" or "the inoperable tumor is gone" kind of healed, not healed through medicine or man's wisdom).
Even if one wants to ignore some of the unexplainable things happening in the world today, there are scriptural accounts of miracles, signs and wonders, and angelic visitations in the past. There are also accounts in the Bible of satanic/demonic activity. People tend to either deny or wrongly glorify these manifestations, but the Bible says they happened in the past and that they would continue to happen.
Today, many missionaries, evangelists, and pastors believe they are "called" or "led" by the Lord to do what they do. Isn't that, in and of itself, at least somewhat supernatural? I remember my Grandma Ruby (an evangelist to the bone) telling me about a vision of Heaven that opened her heart to the Lord and caused her to seek Him as the author and redeemer of her life. While she rejected the notion of the gifts of the Spirit being in operation in modern times, she fully believed the Lord gave her the vision she saw of Heaven. Was she accepting one "supernatural" thing and rejecting another simply because she'd experienced one and not the other? Should "experience" be the deciding factor in determining whether something is true or from God?
How does one judge and sort all this out? What place should a vision, a message from an angel, or a "word of the Lord" from someone claiming to be a modern-day prophet have in our day-to-day walk and in our plans for the future? Does the Lord still impart spiritual gifts and speak to people? Do miracles still happen?
I believe the Lord still moves in this realm -- but I must quickly add three statements:
First, I don't think that anyone must exhibit or claim some outward supernatural manifestation in order to be accepted as a brother or sister in the Lord. It is God who decides how to disburse His gifts, when, and to whom. A study of scripture shows that, more often than not, the Lord would rather do things via what would be seen as natural means. It's not that He isn't ABLE to give us some supernatural sign every moment of the day, it's that He would rather we walk by faith and not by sight.
Second, I am heartily embarrassed by a lot of the self-serving, manipulative, and soulish things that some "charismatic" people have done and called it the Lord's doing.
Third, I am grieved by how quickly people will shift focus from the Lord onto a phenomenon or a person. It's shocking to see how easy it is to manipulate others by using the words, "The Lord told me" or "I saw a vision." I've seen more than a few people who claimed to follow the Lord yet seemingly shipwrecked their lives and/or the lives of others because they clung to a "vision" or a "word" they believed they (or someone they knew) had from God or from an angel.
So why not just shun the supernatural, spiritual gifts, the talk of angels, and miraculous signs if they cause so much grief and division? After years of hearing so many people say things like, "That can't be God -- look at the division (or problems) it causes!", I seriously considered not moving in the spiritual gifts, and avoiding those who did. But avoiding the topic won't make it go away. Unscrupulous, wacky, and wicked people will continue to use power (or the appearance of it) to control others who are desperate for solutions to their problems. In contrast, we can see many passages in the New Testament where God's people were willing to wade into the darkest places (where Satan held the territory so to speak), and as they allowed God to work through them, the results were nothing less than stunning. Should we be doing any less or expecting any less from God?
But, for argument's sake, let's say a manifestation (or the claim of it) causes division, or anger, or grief, fear, or even confusion. Should that be considered proof that the manifestation isn't from the Lord? Before you answer, be reminded of the upheaval that the appearance of Jesus Christ caused on this planet. Remember that many of the established teachers and authority figures felt so threatened by Jesus that they would do anything to keep their followers away from Him. Be reminded that the final provocation for these leaders happened when Jesus called Lazarus, a man who'd been dead for four days, out of the grave. They didn't say, "OH look at that!!! Jesus raised someone from the dead! WOW! He MUST be the Messiah!" No. They said, "If He keeps doing things like this, we'll lose our congregations! We must kill Him!" Talk about division, anger, and fear. But the fact that they were angry and afraid doesn't alter the fact that God came to them, called to them, and did many mighty works.
Even after Jesus' resurrection, an eye witness account could lead to the death of the one who gave it. Today, in a "free" country like America, saying you've accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior can cause those around you to be angry, grieved, and confused. In many other countries it can still earn you a prison sentence, the loss of all you own, the disgust of your family, torture, and death. Following Jesus can bring division and strife -- even in your own household. So things like division, confusion, anger . . . cannot be how we determine what is of the Lord and what is not.
THE MESSAGE, THE MESSENGER, AND THE SOURCE
Another means people use to discern if the Lord is at work is to look at the messenger. Even if this would reveal the answer, it would require that we know the messenger and his motives. How often can we honestly say we truly know a person? How many "great" leaders have shocked us when secret behaviors are finally exposed? There will be more on the topic of messengers in the next article. For now, suffice to say it has become extremely difficult to truly KNOW those who preach and teach in the name of the Lord.
In truth, it is wise to know those who labor among us, to know those we call to minister with us, to look at their fruit, and to test their messages. How often is this the case in the church today?
But God's word says that even when we think we can trust the messenger (when we think we know him or her well), or even when someone works signs and wonders among us, we are still called to test the message-- because in doing so, we get our biggest clues as to its source. The source of the message, not the messenger, should be what is of utmost interest to us.
Always try to keep in mind that manifestations of power aren't given for our amusement, astonishment, or to merely assist us in some material way. Their purpose is to get us to accept a message and to trust the source of it. If the message doesn't point you to Jesus, if it speaks of a different gospel -- then all the signs and words are worthless.
A pickpocket will try to occupy your eyes and your thoughts with a distraction so you don't see what he is really doing. A con man will disarm your discernment so he can get what he wants from you -- often with your assistance! So it is with some of those who claim to work supernatural wonders.
The following is a quote from Paul's letter to the church at Galatia where some were being conned by men who claimed angelic visitations. Once the claim of angelic visitations got the attention of people in the church, these men started preaching a different Gospel (message) which would take people away from the simple grace offered by Jesus Christ and have them performing works in order to be holy and in right standing with God. Paul had some strong words about this. The following quote is from The Amplified Version of the Bible. (In this translation, key words and phrases are further clarified in brackets or defined in parentheses in order to clarify meaning.)
I am surprised and astonished that you are so quickly turning renegade and deserting Him Who invited and called you by the grace (unmerited favor) of Christ (the Messiah) [and that you are transferring your allegiance] to a different [even an opposition] gospel. Not that there is [or could be] any other [genuine Gospel], but there are [obviously] some who are troubling and disturbing and bewildering you with a different kind of teaching which they offer as a gospel] and want to pervert and distort the Gospel of Christ (the Messiah) [into something which it absolutely is not]. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to and different from that which we preached to you, let him be accursed (anathema, devoted to destruction, doomed to eternal punishment)!" [Galatians 1:6-9 TAB]
Paul was telling them that the problem (and the revealing factor in their case) was the message. The claim of angelic visitation was to get the people to accept a false message. To accept the false message was to desert God and the gospel.
Even though we are called to test the message, many Christians are so distracted by the messenger or his signs they don't accurately weigh what they are hearing. Some race to embrace spiritual "fads" that eventually turn out to be rabbit trails. When the trail dead ends, those who took it look foolish. Others will avoid fads but not because of discernment. They stay back because they fear looking foolish. To them I would say being a captive of fear is no better than being fooled by a fad.
Each of us must decide if we believe that Almighty God is capable of speaking to us and displaying His power in the here and now. If so, we must then decide if we want a life open to what He wants or a life controlled by human desires and fears (including those of leaders). The choices we make will influence our lives, the lives of our families, our fellowships, and even the world around us. We will each be called to give an account for those choices when we stand before the Lord. (As in the parable of the talents given in Mattew 25:14-30).
The essence of Christianity is that the believer has become the temple of the living God -- "Christ in you." If Christians think they can only be guided by some external moral compass, then they have failed to fully recognize Who purchased them, Who set them free, and Who now dwells in them.
We aren't called to live in fear of spiritual manifestations. Neither are we called to live in search of spiritual manifestations. When they come, we are to test the message that inevitably comes with them.
1 Thessalonians 5:19-22 Do not put out the Spirit's fire; do not treat prophecies with contempt. Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil. [NIV]
But before we address what constitutes testing, there is a need to discuss a problem so many people have in deciding who (or what) the Lord can use to manifest His power. That topic will be Part One of the series -- Don't Shoot (Or Run Away With) The Messenger.
Another article which might be helpful to you is Study habits that can keep you from false teachings .
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copyright ©2008 Terry L. Craig
Scriptures marked NIV are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION® (NIV). Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.
Scriptures marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the Amplified® Bible, Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission." (www.Lockman.org)
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