Beware of the lying visions and dreams!
Though I
believe in visions and dreams being given by the Holy Spirit and interpret such
visions and dreams, I sound the trumpet here warning against the deceptions by
the Devil. Normally, the Holy Spirit gives us visions or dreams that need to be
interpreted prophetically.
If such visions or supernatural experiences do not conform to the New Testament
doctrines, we should not believe in the same. Under the Old Covenant, the Lord
commanded the prophets and the kings to build tabernacles or temples. But under
the New Covenant, He has given us a great commission of going into all the world
and preaching the gospel to every creature and of being His witnesses unto the
uttermost part of the earth. Under the New Covenant, the Holy Spirit never gives
any vision for building any tabernacle or any temple or any other thing like
that.
We should be not ignorant of the craftiness of the Devil who is an adept in
forging the work of the Holy Ghost. The Devil also quotes the Scriptures just to
deceive us. He did quote the Scriptures while tempting Jesus in the wilderness.
Through visions or audible voices, he deceives even the elect. In these last
days, God is sending a great delusion so that the people may believe the lie.
Whenever we receive any vision or hear any voice from above, we should check up
the same with the New Testament doctrines.
If any such
vision or voice is about starting a ministry, we should be very careful.
Secondly, we should get such a vision confirmed by the other members of the Body
of Christ, especially the prophets. Let us not quote the Old Testament
prophecies or any passage from the Old Testament to prove that the vision given
to us is scriptural. We are not under the Old Covenant at all. For instance, the
promises given by God to King David or his son Solomon for building the Temple
or any other thing are not applicable to you because under the New Covenant, you
have to build the invisible
Kingdom
of God through the glorious gospel. Similarly, under the Old Covenant made with
Noah, the Lord commanded Noah to make an ark and give him specifications as how
to build it. Under the New Covenant, the Holy Spirit never gives us any such
commandment to build anything likened to it. Under the Old Covenant, the Lord
commanded Moses to build a tabernacle whereas under the New Covenant no such
commmandment is given to the people of God for building any thing likened to it.
"Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything
that is in heaven above, or
that is in
the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.." (Ex.20:4).
The ark built
by Noah or the Solomon's Temple or the Tabernacle built by Moses was planned and
conceived by God in the heaven and built on the earth in accordance with His
commandments. The Solomon's Temple or the Tabernacle built by Moses carried the
very presence of God. We are not supposed to make any replica of these holy
things.
If
the Holy Spirit has given you a true vision for doing a particular ministry, He
will also give you the necessary resources for fulfilling such a vision. Do not
pursue any ministry in accordance with a mere vision given to you. If you do so,
you will end up chasing a mirage after wasting precious years and your own
money. If the Devil has deceived you into believing such a supernatural vision,
you will get puffed up; the Devil will make you haughty so that you may assume
to be a special person who has received a calling higher than the apostles who
had received revelations of Christ and His Body, the Church. If any revelation
you have received does not conform to the revelations already received by the
apostles who wrote the gospels, the epistles and the final book of Revelation,
it is only a deception by the Devil who transforms himself into an angel of
light.
You may build a building or something else by your faith for doing an
evangelical ministry or for a place of worship. But such a building is only a
means and not an end. However, you have to seek His will before undertaking such
a venture.
A lesson through the vision of Peter
In Acts 8:9-20, we
read about the vision seen by Peter. This vision was inspired by the Holy Spirit
when Peter went upto the housetop to pray. At that time, Peter was hungry. He
saw heaven opened, and certain vessel descending unto him as it had been a great
sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth. He saw all kinds of
four-footed beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls
of the air. He not only saw the vision but also heard a voice, saying, "Rise,
Peter: kill, and eat". But Peter said that he had never eaten anything that was
common or unclean. But the voice spoke to him again the second time, "What God
hath cleansed, that call not thou common". THIS WAS DONE THRICE. Then the vessel
was received up again into heaven.
When Peter doubted in himself what this vision should mean, the man who were
sent from Cornelius arrived and stood before the gate.
When Peter thought on the vision, the Spirit told him, "Behold, three men seek
thee. Arise, therefore, and get thee down, and go with them, doubting nothing:
for I have sent them". Then Peter accompanied the men to the house of Cornelius
and preached the gospel to him. In the meantime, Cornelius saw an angel in
bright clothing and the angel asked him to send some men to Joppa, and bring
Peter from there.
In this passage, we find that through this supernatural vision the Holy Spirit
brought a message to Peter that the gospel should be preached to all the people
including the Gentiles. The vision was repeated thrice. Peter did not act only
on seeing the vision three times. The men sent by Cornelius arrived there. When
God gives us a vision, that vision is followed by His provisions or by a human
act. Thirdly, Peter heard the voice of the Holy Spirit.
First, Peter saw the vision. The vision was repeated. Then the human act of
arrival of some people took place. Finally, the Holy Spirit spoke to him very
clearly, and gave him a command.
Many people of God use to approach me for interpretation of their visions and
dreams. By His grace, I interpret the same on the basis of the New Testament
doctrines. The vision seen by Peter was a prophetic one as it contained a
message to the Body of Christ. Those days, Peter was hesitant to preach the
gospel to the Gentiles. This necessitated a vision being given to Peter. God
gives us visions and dreams so that the same need to be interpreted
prophetically and allegorically.
Whenever you get a vision or a dream, you should ask the Lord for its
confirmation. After getting the confirmation, you can seek to interpret the
same. You need not act on the vision immediately. You can doubt about the vision
also. Wait for its confirmation and then for a sign of some human act. In other
words, first comes the supernatural act of a vision. It is then followed by the
evidence of a human act.
-Job Anbalagan