Dreams, Visions and Prophecies today – Yinka Adenuga

DREAMS
Dreams are things we don’t really have control over because they happen in our subconscious mind while asleep. I don’t know anyone who does not dream. Those who do not dream are those who do not sleep at all, and l do not know anyone who does not sleep. That means we all dream though some do more than others.

The Old as well as the New Testament have several stories about people’s dreams. Dreams from God. Even people who did not know nor serve God were given prophetic dreams by Him. Men such as Pharaoh, Abimelech, Nebuchadnezer, Pharaoh’s Baker and cup bearer, midianite soldier in Judges chapter 7:13 were given dreams by God.

Sometimes the dreamer did not know the meaning of his dream because they were symbolic or figurative and had need of an interpreter. Other times the dreams were clear and simple instructions clearly given and needed no interpreter. Men such as Joseph and Daniel were gifted by God to interprete dreams. We have more records of dreams in the Old Testament than in the New Testament.

VISIONS
The main difference between dreams and visions is that in dreams you are asleep, either deeply or lightly. In Visions however you are wide awake. Visions can also be symbolic or figurative atimes.

Both the Old and the New Testament have several examples of recorded Visions.

” About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God coming in and saying to him, “Cornelius!”(Acts 10: 3).

“While Peter thought about the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Behold, three men are seeking you” (Acts 10: 19).

PROPHECIES
All Prophecies fall under two categories: Foretelling and forthtelling.

Foretelling is the predicting or revealing of future events. The events could be in the immediate, near or the far future. Prophets such as Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel etc. readily come to mind. Many of these prophets were also seers, that is, they had the ability to see things in the supernatural. People like Samuel, Nathan, Elijah, Jeremiah etc. are examples.

We have examples of the foretelling or prediction of future events in both the Old and the New Testaments. Here are examples from the New Testament:

“And in these days prophets came from Jerusalem to Antioch. Then one of them, named Agabus, stood up and showed by the Spirit that there was going to be a great famine throughout all the world, which also happened in the days of Claudius Caesar.” (Acts 11:28-29).

“For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears. “(Acts 20:28-32).

” And as we stayed many days, a certain prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. When he had come to us, he took Paul’s belt, bound his own hands and feet, and said, “Thus says the Holy Spirit, ‘So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man who owns this belt, and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.’” (Acts 21:10-11).

A dream and a vision can also have a foretelling element in them.

The second category – forthtelling, is when one speaks by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit to bring , exhortation, comfort and edification to a person, church, or group. It is an inspired utterance by the Spirit and has no prediction in it. It is meant to bring instruction, clarity, strength and encouragement to people.

“But he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men.”(1Cor.14:3).

“For you can all prophesy one by one, that all may learn and all may be encouraged” (1Cor.14:31).

“Now Judas and Silas, themselves being prophets also, exhorted and strengthened the brethren with many words”(Acts 15: 32).

“Then Haggai, the Lord’s messenger, spoke the Lord’s message to the people, saying, “I am with you, says the Lord.”(Haggai 1:13).

An aspect of forthtelling many overlook today is that of declaring God’s word in teaching and preaching. Many prophets in the Old Testament were men who fearlessly declared God’s word strongly to people, nations and rulers, they did not just predict future events. They preached strongly against sin, preached repentance, God’s mercies and forgiveness, judgements, etc. and pointed the people back to God. Samuel, Elijah and John the Baptist are examples in both the Old and New Testament.

John the Baptist was a prophet but he never made any prediction. A prophet is someone who declares, proclaims, expounds God’s word, and seeks to bring people back to God, not just one who predicts future events.

The book of Haggai is a very good example of forthtelling. It has little prediction in it. It’s only two chapters. It’s full of exhortation, comfort, encouragement and bringing the clarity of God’s will to the people, priests and governor. You can read the two chapters.

In brief: Foretelling predicts or reveals the future. Forthtelling deals with the present bringing : exhortation, comfort, edification to current situation , it also includes the declaration of God’s message through preaching.

God still speaks through dreams, visions and prophecies as He said He would in the last days; and we are living in the last of the last days.

“And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your old men shall dream dreams, Your young men shall see visions.” (Joel 2,:28 Acts 2: 17).

The purpose of this write up is not mainly to explain what dreams, visions and prophecies are but to especially alert believers about the on going world wide deception, to prevent us from it and what to do so that we do not get deceived.

The devil is an adversary of the Saints and so is the flesh. Galatians 2:20 names heresies as one of the works of the flesh. And there are so many false doctrines today in the Church not just because of the devil’s deceptions but also because of the works of the flesh prevalent in the Church today.

“That we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting” (Ephesians 4:14).

God warned the people about following after false dreams which they caused themselves to dream, the deceit of their own hearts, vainly puffed up by their fleshly minds (Jer. 23:26, Col. 2:18). If we would be honest most dreams people have are neither prophetic or from God. We must consider the fact that many times our dreams are just our minds playing some tricks on us or just the wanderings of our subconscious mind while asleep (Jer. 23:26).

“For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Do not let your prophets and your diviners who are in your midst deceive you, nor listen to your dreams which you cause to be dreamed. For they prophesy falsely to you in My name; I have not sent them, says the Lord”(Jer.29:8 -9).

The gift of prophecy and the prophetic ministry have been reduced to the works of the flesh, fortune telling and all sorts of evil tools in our days and we need to take care lest we fall into the deception of the enemy.

Here are some scriptures which cautions and warns against false and misleading dreams, visions and prophecies: Deut.13:1 – 5; Jer.23:25 – 32 Jer. 27:9, Eccl.5:7, Col. 2:18-19, Jude1:8. Please pick your Bible and read these scriptures.

In the Bible God’s true prophets were not always seeing visions, having prophetic dreams and prophecies all the time or at will. Some Christians have the habit of seeking for prophecies for each new year. What for? You have God’s word and His Spirit. The prophecies given by many of the ” so called prophets” for the new year don’t even tally!

We are living in the days when sound, biblical doctrines are seldom preached and people are easily misled. The days when people, Christians alike are so obsessed and carried about with the supernatural and the sensational.

On social media the in thing is to have prefixes of prophet, prophetess attached to names. Many of them posts dreams, visions or some prophecies on the net which are so outrageous, ridiculous and very misleading. People are being bombarded and deceived by all these dreamers, visioniers and self appointed prophets.

Here is a word of advice l hope many will heed: Keep your dreams to yourself or just share it with someone you know. You don’t have to tell it to the whole world on youtube or Facebook! And stop spiritualizing every dream!

To avoid being deceived:

Stay in the Scriptures

Church we must be careful. We must stay in the Scriptures and not be carried about by all these things; we must let God speak to us through His Holy Word. Many of these people just want to make names and money for themselves! They are always having dreams, seeing visions; visiting hell or heaven and having angelic visitations or Jesus appearing to them in their homes. If we stay in the Scripture we will not be deceived.

“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work”(2 Tim. 3:16-17).

Seek Jesus only

In Amos 5: 4-6 God told the Israelites not to seek Bethel, Gilgah nor Beersheba – places which had become religious centres to them, but rather to seek Him.

“Seek Me and live;” (Amos 5:4).

Saints, seek Jesus. Not dreams, visions or prophets (Col. 2:18-19). Seek to know the Lord, walk with Him, spend more time with Him and in His word and you will be led by His Spirit. When you know and walk with Him He will by His Spirit speak to you about situations in your own life and even give you words of encouragement to share with others. It will become easier each day to know and flow and walk in God’s mind as you spend more time with Him, in the Scriptures and walk in obedience.

Test everything

Finally, whether it be a dream, a vision or a prophecy test it in the light of Scripture. As Christians we should be a people walking in discernment, testing, and judging everything lest we be deceived. This is why our Lord repeatedly during His earthly ministry said: “Take heed.” Meaning: becareful, watch out, beware, be on the alert.

“Do not despise prophecies. Test all things; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil”(1 Thess.5:20-22).

“Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others judge.”(1Cor.14:29).

“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” (1 John 4:1).