On the day of Pentecost in Acts 2 the Holy Spirit was poured out upon the disciples. Peter stood up and preached the Gospel and three thousand came into the Kingdom. This was the day the Church Age began. One of Peter’s prophecies came from Joel 2:28,
“And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God,
That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh;
Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
Your young men shall see visions,
Your old men shall dream dreams.”
Throughout the Bible
Throughout the Bible, God has used visions and dreams to speak to His people. The word dream appears eighty-seven times in the Old Testament and eight times in the New Testament. While the idea of divine visions and dreams may seem unusual to us, they are not unusual to God. Under the Old Covenant God spoke in this manner many times. Here are just a few:
- Abraham—Genesis 15
- Jacob—Genesis 46
- Samuel—1 Samuel 3
- Nathan—2 Samuel 7
- Ezekiel—Ezekiel 1, 8, 11, 37, and 43
- Daniel—Daniel 7
In the New Testament, under the New Covenant:
- Peter, James, and John—Matthew 17
- Stephen—Acts 7
- Paul—Acts 9; Galatians 1; 2 Corinthians 12
Though visions and dreams were by no means the norm in the Bible, they were also not unusual. And the same is true today. God still uses visions and dreams today. In the Bible as well as in my own life, God has spoken to me through visions and dreams to get my attention related to new direction or a fresh revelation about something.
Redirecting our Life
God used a dream to get Liz and my attention while in Okinawa, Japan. We were enjoying a fruitful ministry there when God gave Liz a dream that would later redirect us back to the U.S.
While pastoring my first church plant, God used a dream to refocus me on purchasing land and building a church facility. I would have never considered the location or the timing on my own. But God showed me in a dream of a new adventure He had for us.
A Few Tips on Visions and Dreams
- A vision or dream will never contradict the will of God. If it does, it’s not from God.
- Never trust a vision or dream as being from God without further confirmation.
- Confirmation can come through a person, circumstances, but the most important way is from God’s Word, the Bible.
- Always take your vision or dream to someone whom you trust and get their confirmation.
Though I would never encourage people to seek God for visions and dreams, I would encourage you to be open to the reality that in these last days, God is pouring out His Spirit and one of the manifestations He is using is visions and dreams.
Pastor Steve
