Part 2 (1/2)
I have deliberately referred to the young Child as the Promise of G.o.d, firstly because that's how our promises may appear in a dream (as babies) and also to alert us to the fact that the devil is still playing the same game today. Whenever G.o.d births His promises, the devil will try and abort them. The Book of Revelation recounts the spiritual perspective of that threat on the young child Jesus with the following words, Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars. Then being with child, she cried out in labor and in pain to give birth. And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads. His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born (Revelation 12:1-4).
This heavenly insight provides us with a principle as true today as it was 2000 years ago. If we are about to do something new in G.o.d, we need to be open to receive guidance from the Holy Spirit through dreams, because for every promise birthed, there is a scheme of the enemy to abort it! This threat is very real, as the following dream portrays: I was with a young couple in a fern-house/tent type structure outside their home. The roof of the fern house caught on fire as the woman brought a flame into it. We tried to put it out, not knowing till later that the fire had spread to the house and killed their young child in the upstairs bedroom.
In this dream, I believe G.o.d is warning that gossip could destroy the new ministry venture being embarked on. The woman possibly represents the church or its leaders.h.i.+p (or the dreamer's wife) as the instigators who try to stop what G.o.d is birthing. Note also that the baby is upstairs; this says that what is being birthed is from G.o.d. (An explanation of the metaphors used to interpret this dream is found in the dream and vision sample section of this book. See dream 21.) Correction Appreciating the nature of people's hearts (see Jer. 17:9.) and given the power of G.o.d's Word to divide and discern the hearts of people means that a common purpose of dreams is correction. We saw this beautifully portrayed in the previous chapter concerning Joseph, and it is poetically doc.u.mented in the oldest book in the Bible, Job, where Elihu states, For G.o.d may speak one way, or in another, yet man does not perceive it. In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls upon men, while slumbering on their beds, then He opens the ears of men, and seals their instruction. In order to turn man from his deed (Job. 33:14-17a).
We see that G.o.d will bring instruction through a dream that is intended to correct a faulty determination within the heart. Often, as it does here, correction comes with a warning, ”He keeps back his soul from the pit, and his life from pa.s.sing over into Sheol” (Job 33:18 NASB).
If someone denies that correction is needed or enjoys doing what G.o.d is trying to correct, G.o.d will persevere in His longsuffering love to bring that person around, often graciously repeating a dream to do so. However, there will come a time when His patience will be balanced with judgment. Recently, I interpreted one such dream that I am not at liberty to share here. What I can share is the Scriptures that instantly came to my spirit, For you know that afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it diligently with tears (Hebrews 12:17).
After explaining the dream, I pleaded earnestly that the person concerned would understand the gravity of the situation. Thankfully, I have not been exposed to many such situations. That situation was a sobering reminder that G.o.d is both a G.o.d of love and also a consuming fire (see Heb. 12:29).
There are not too many of us who appreciate correction. The Scripture captures this truth well when it says, Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it (Hebrews 12:11).
We have to keep in mind that it is due to the goodness of G.o.d that we are alive at all (see Acts 17:28). And it is certainly by the grace of G.o.d that we may be saved through the death of His dear Son Jesus Christ (see Eph. 2:8-9). Therefore, when a dream shows an area needing change, it is important that the people concerned understand that it is G.o.d's triple-fold goodness that is bringing this area into the spotlight. What it says is that G.o.d cares enough about them individually that He doesn't want them to get hurt. And they will get hurt if they continue without change in this particular area, though at times (due to our limited perspective) it may not feel, appear, or sound like that is the case. At these times, the call upon us is to trust Him, for He sees beyond the moment and knows what awaits us around the corner. As a G.o.d of love, He is always moving with our best interests at heart.
The Prophetic Nothing strengthens faith like a prophetic word. For this reason, the word of G.o.d, through dreams, is often loaded with promises for the future. Operating in this way, a dream brings Heaven to earth in an instant and opens new frontiers and opportunities not thought of by the dreamer. Through prophetic dreams, G.o.d is able to encourage, prepare, marshal, and direct His troops for the expansion of the Kingdom. It is the same today as it was in the dream revealed to Gideon (see Judg. 7:13-14), in the promise to Jacob (see Gen. 28:12-15), and in the dreams of Pharaoh (see Gen. 41:1-7).
Through a prophetic dream, G.o.d may open His ministers to be led more by the Spirit, as the following dream shows, I saw a river running diagonally through what was currently the church congregation's sitting area. It ran between the pulpit and the congregation. At the back of the church were huge standsa”like in a football stadium. When I awoke, I was concerned because I thought that the river separated the speaker from the audience.
I believe the river in this dream represents the flow of the Holy Spirit. The fact that the river flowed in front of the speaker is a good thing as it means that the preacher is putting the Spirit before himself. When this is done, G.o.d will draw crowds of peoplea”the stands. The concern about the river in front of the speaker indicates that moving in the Spirit is not something the speaker is comfortable with at this stage and says that G.o.d is challenging the dreamer in this area. (An explanation of the metaphors used to interpret this dream is found in the dream and vision sample section of this book. See dream 2.) Through a prophetic promise given in a dream, G.o.d may also remind those with the call of G.o.d on their lives that the gifts and callings of G.o.d are without repentance (see Rom. 11:29). This is what He does in this example, forwarded by a male friend, I was with a friend who I went to Bible College with some years earlier.
He and I were in the ministry together. We were at post-boxes collecting our mail. I opened my box, and it was literally jammed-packed with letters. There were so many letters that it took me some time to ”jimmy” a couple of envelopes free before the rest could be emptied out of the box.
The person who had this dream was no longer in a recognized ministry position. This dream indicates that he will once again take up a ministry position, as seen by the fact that he is with someone with ministry status. The many envelopes indicate invitations to speak and also seems to indicate that his ministry will be itinerant. G.o.d is encouraging and directing him into an itinerant ministry with this prophetic-futuristic dream. (An explanation of the metaphors used to interpret this dream is found in the dream and vision sample section of this book. See dream 3.) Disclosure Dreams may foretell things that are going to happen tomorrow, or they may foretell something that is going to happen 20 years from now. It is not always possible to clearly define the timeline in which G.o.d is operating. For this reason, unlike Joseph (see Gen. 37:5-7), it is wise not to share everything revealed with everyone. It is better to be like Mary, who ”. . . kept all these things and pondered them in her heart” (Luke 2:19).
When Israel was about to go out to battle, G.o.d told them that they were to separate from their ranks those who were fearful (see Deut. 20:8). These were those without faith for the situation. G.o.d had them remove the spirit of fear because it has an incredible ability to be transferred. In the same way, Jesus removed the doubters when He was about to resurrect Jairus' daughter from the dead (see Matt. 9:18-26). Similarly, it is wise to be very selective about to whom you reveal what G.o.d is promising you. Not everyone knows or appreciates the call of G.o.d upon your life, and if you share or surround yourself with people who are not able to see you in the Spirit (see 2 Cor. 5:16), their doubt may undermine your faith and begin a decay of the promise within you.
Salvation The story of Joseph in the previous chapter shows that G.o.d used dreams to save not only the nation of Egypt, but also the would-be nation of Israel. One of the reasons that this incident is recorded is so that the Church would join the dots and see the spiritual parallel it is meant to convey. Many will know that Joseph is a picture of Jesus in more than 100 ways (see Appendix A). He is hated by his brethren, he is sold by Judah (Judas) for silver, he is thrown into a pit (h.e.l.l), he is resurrected, he is glorified, he is revealed to his brethren the second time, and he distributes the life-giving seed, to name a few parallels between the two. As impressive as that may be, a more liberating truth is that it was the Holy Spirit who raised Joseph up after He had brought conviction and repentance through the interpretation of two deeply symbolic dreams while he was in prison.
In the same way, G.o.d wants to release the prisoners of satan today and bring them into G.o.d's courts. Everyone who does not know Christa”rich or poor, educated or untaught, successful or failure, whether they realize it or nota”is a slave of satan. Stop and think about that for a while; it puts things back into correct perspective. This truth is outlined by Paul in his instruction to Timothy, In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if G.o.d peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; and that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will (2 Timothy 2:25-26 KJV).
These verses not only point out, as highlighted, that the people of the world are satan's captives, but they also say that people of the world ”oppose themselves. ” This is because, in resisting the Gospel, people are not so much opposing the Church or the Gospel, but are in fact, keeping themselves bound under satan's jurisdiction and hence really opposing themselves. They want to experience freedom, but in its place they have captivity!
This spiritual reality is reinforced as believers are encouraged to give thanks for our arrival into the Kingdom of G.o.d and also our liberation from satan's shackles. As is stated in Colossians, Giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified and made us fit to share the portion which is the inheritance of the saints (G.o.d's holy people) in the Light. [The Father] has delivered and drawn us to Himself out of the control and the dominion of darkness and has transferred us into the kingdom of the Son of His love (Colossians 1:12-13 AMP).
G.o.d is in the immigration business. He is continually looking for opportunities to draw people into His Kingdom and release them from satan's clutches because His prime concern is humankind's eternal destiny.
For this reason, G.o.d will continually reach out to them, even in their sleep. Let's refer once again to the pa.s.sage we read earlier, in Job, where Elihu said, Indeed G.o.d speaks once, or twice, yet no one notices it. In a dream, a vision of the night, when sound sleep falls on men, while they slumber in their beds, then He opens the ears of men, and seals their instruction, that He may turn man aside from his conduct, and keep man from pride; He keeps back his soul from the pit, and his life from pa.s.sing over into Sheol (Job 33:14-18 NASB).
We see that G.o.d speaks to the unsaved at least twice through dreams during their lifetime to get them saved! So pa.s.sionate is He that they spend eternity with Him. He has made provision through His own death4 upon the cross that no one need go to h.e.l.l. The pa.s.sage above records that they don't understand what they have received in their dreams due to the veil upon their hearts. They desperately need someone with the Spirit of G.o.d to enlighten them.
Regularly, friends ask me about dreams that unsaved people they interact with have been having. Like the nurse whose patient repeatedly dreamed of compulsive cleaning, the father who continually dreamed of falling, the young man struggling to get the manhole hatch into the ceiling open, or the mature lady who repeatedly saw herself running down a hallway to get away from the fire that was chasing her. All of these dreams are G.o.d speaking to these people about their need for salvation. Dreams and their interpretations are an untapped reservoir of opportunities. If we lift our eyes and learn to interpret, then there is truly a white harvest field of souls before us (see John 4:35).
Our neighbors, friends, workmates, and clients may never come to church, but they all dream, and G.o.d has provided a priceless outreach tool in the interpretation of their dreams. Start asking them humbly about their dreams, and they will begin to open to our message as G.o.d proves Himself by disclosing their hearts and their futures.
If as you have read these pages, you are acutely aware that you are not presently right with G.o.d, please turn to Appendix B at the rear of this book right now before proceeding further.
Summary: Chapter Three.
a Dreams and visions are rhema words from G.o.d to build and strengthen faith.
a You can be strengthened in faith by hearing the dreams of others, like Gideon, who was strengthened in faith by hearing two enemy soldiers sharing a dream.
a G.o.d uses dreams to prepare people for healing, as He did with Jean Neil.
a Dreams and visions reveal secrets and answer questions on people's hearts.
a Dreams are a powerful vehicle for G.o.d to warn and guide His people. This is particularly true for those who are embarking on new ventures in G.o.d because the enemy is constant in his endeavors to abort the promises of G.o.d.
a Dreams are used to correct, as is shown in the Book of Job, where G.o.d uses dreams to ”turn man from his deed. ”
a The prophetic nature of many dreams strengthens faith and endurance.
a It is not wise to disclose every dream or vision you receive because many people will not appreciate or understand the call of G.o.d upon your life. Your listener's doubt is like fear, which has the potential to begin a decay of the promise of G.o.d within you.
a Dreams are a regular means by which G.o.d communicates to non-Christians their need for salvation.
a Everyone who has not come to the cross of Christ is a prisoner of satan.
a According to Job, G.o.d is so pa.s.sionate about people's souls that He uses dreams at least twice during their lifetime to prevent them from going to h.e.l.l.
a Everyone dreams; therefore, skills developed in dream interpretation create new harvest field opportunities.
a If you are not currently in right relations.h.i.+p with G.o.d, please read Appendix B at the rear of this book.
Endnotes 1. WE. Vine, M.F. Unger, and W White Jr., Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 1985). Used by Permission.
2. Reinhard Bonnke, Even Greater (Orlando: Full Flame LLC, 2004).
3. Seefor a comprehensive list of Reinhard Bonnke's publications.
4. Sadly, many people do not realize who it was who died for them. When we see Jesus dying upon the cross, we are looking at the incarnation of G.o.d Himself taking our place and receiving the judgment we rightly deserve for our sin. Jesus said, ”. . . If you believe not that I am, ye shall die in your sins” (John 8:24 literal translation). Here He identifies Himself with the One who met Moses at the burning bush (see Exod. 3:14) and puts Himself under threat of stoning by declaring it (see John 8:5859). He is also called Immanuela”G.o.d with us (see Isa. 7:14) and the Everlasting Father (see Isa. 9:6). The Book of Colossians declares this truth a mystery, ”. . . to the knowledge of the mystery of G.o.d, both of the Father and of Christ” (Col. 2:2). Can we comprehend it? No! But it is a mystery nonetheless revealed in the New Testament. Comparing Revelation 1:8 with Revelation 22:12-16, we discover that the Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last, is none other than Jesus, who is Almighty G.o.d! It was Almighty G.o.d who died on the cross for you and me. This surely amplifies the words of the writer to the Hebrews when he says, ”How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation . . .” (Heb. 2:3).
Chapter Four.
Are All Dreams From G.o.d? (Part 1).
By Adam F. Thompson.
Are all dreams from G.o.d? This is a common question I am asked. A lot of dreams do not make sense; they come across as completely strange. You may have heard many people say, ”I had a really weird dream last night; it made no sense at all.” The truth is, G.o.d is trying to communicate with us, and He speaks to us daily in and through dreamsa”every dream.
Nightmares.
You may be thinking to yourself, What if I have a nightmare? Is that from G.o.d? Or if I have a demonic attack in my dream, is that from G.o.d? The truth is, as Christians, even when we are awake, the enemy is looking for opportunities to attack us and bring us down. Also, while we are sleeping, our spiritual senses can pick up spiritual warfare or demonic oppression (in the heavenlies) which may be occurring in the area. It is important to remember that Jesus has defeated the enemy (see Col. 2:15). The Bible also declares that we have been given the authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and over all the powers of the evil one (see Luke 10:19). Praise G.o.d!
Primarily a nightmare is a signal. It is the cry of a heart carrying an unresolved issue and needing attention. Now generally, if Christians are walking in the Spirit and living in the counsel of the Lord, they do not have nightmares. However, if as a Christian, you do have constant nightmares, there is definitely a heart issue needing to be resolved.