I. Dreams, Visions and Prophecies The New Testament church has compiled what it believes to be the canon of both the Old and New Testaments by which we live with confidence as the complete revelation of God to man until Christ s return. This formulated doctrinal conclusion is the result of a perspicacious comparison of Scripture with Scripture by way of sound hermeneutics. 1
Two passages which help us understand this doctrinal conclusion, are found in Hebrews and Ephesians: Hebrews 1:1 2 (NASB) 1In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. Ephesians 3:1 5 (NASB) 3For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles 2 if indeed you have heard of the stewardship of God s grace which was given to me for you; 3 that by revelation there was made known to me the mystery, as I wrote before in brief. 4 By referring to this, when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5 which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit; 2
Nevertheless, while Christians have (for the most part up until the last 100 years) viewed this teaching as orthodox dogma, it has been alongside of various qualified exceptions. In other words, while we believe God has finished with the revelation of his Word, (i.e. that there are no more Scriptural revelations), there are subjective claims of experiences by those in the church of dreams, visions, prophecies and outside the body adventures in which contact with the divine is claimed as well as phenomenal events which may be explained by divine intervention/manifestation in a miraculous manner. Some of these events are so remarkable that they warrant investigation. And such an investigation is necessary because if we, as Christians, are to view God s Word as the rule for life and faith, we must also help ourselves and others understand how to respond to such events either in our own lives or in the lives of others. 3
However, not every single individual church, every sect or denomination share the same view regarding what might be permissible within divine boundaries which includes both what God has explicitly or implicitly stated he will not do and that which he has left open. For example: Some churches teach that individual Christians can expect to receive private revelations from God which are an equal companion to the Bible for their spiritual walk. Other churches teach that the miraculous may occur, though it is not normative but that the miraculous has no Biblically revealed boundaries and any and all things are up for definition as divine as long as it is miraculous in a positive manner. 4
And still others strongly define the parameters which they believe God has set regarding what he will not do (such as return to earth to set up his Kingdom, in part or in whole, because he made clear when he returns it is forever and only once) but also acknowledge that within Biblical parameters, which God has set, there is room for phenomenal events to be examined and considered works of the divine. Thus we want to spend the next five weeks examining a few phenomena, with emphasis on NDE s, which are often claimed by Christians and many others to be works of God, which are outside of faith in the Scriptures. *Waning A believer who has had an overwhelming experience in his or her life can be sidetracked by the event, believing that this is not an exceptional occurrence to the norm but one they should expect, regularly. 5
As a measuring rod to help set the tenor of how we will value these events I point you to John 15: 4 11 (ESV). Our Lord said to us: 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. 6
7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. 9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. 10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. 11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. Our Lord presented the normative Christian life as John records in chapter 15 and this template is repeated and reinforced throughout the New Testament. Remember, in times past the communication of God was from many sources but the closer we come to Christ the more narrow it has become until now, God speaks through the Son. And that Son, Christ our Lord, appointed in the church, its founders, the New Testament Apostles and Prophets, upon which the church is built (Ephesians 2:19 22). 7
Finally, let s recall what Peter states regarding our faith in 2 Peter 1:3 (NASB): 3 seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. But still, even so, with out faith being centered around Christ, does this mean there cannot be phenomenal experiences which are valid and do not violate a proper faith of a Christ centered walk? After all, Peter received a vision, Paul received revelation and had what might be considered a Near Death Experience (NDE) or out of body experience and the prophet Joel prophesied that your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions which Peter quoted as recorded in Acts 2:17. 8
With that said, this class will not be an effort to argue the canonicity of Scripture nor the view that it is the rule for the Christian s life and faith, that argument is considered settled in this series. Thus, there are no more revelations for the church, only illumination, until Christ s return. That will be the working assumption. What we wish to do is explore the Biblical boundaries of phenomenal events so that the believer is unafraid of encountering them personally or with others and understands their value or lack, thereof. Biblical Definition of Dreams and Visions Job 33:15 16 efficiently helps us understand that dreams and visions are essentially the same thing with the exception that God s revelation occurs while one is asleep and the other, awake: 15 In a dream, a vision of the night, When sound sleep falls on men, While they slumber in their beds, 16 Then He opens the ears of men, And seals their instruction, 9
Thus, a dream or vision from God is a heretofore, unrevealed truth which has in view a scope and application far beyond the individual and to and for the people of God, though the individual may be the immediate focus. Let s look at two Old Testament dreams/visions. Hmmm. 10
Joseph s Dreams (Genesis 37:5 11) Joseph s famous dreams, which were revealed to his family, were a prophecy for the Hebrew people but in an immediate sense, his family. The prophecy was that Joseph's family would eventually be subordinate to his rule. His jealous brothers hated this prophecy and as the story goes, they did evil to Joseph but God used that evil for divine good. The greater part of this prophecy is his rule as Prime Minister of Egypt by which the Hebrew population grew rapidly. Abimelech the King (Genesis 20:1 8) God reveals to King Abimelech, in a dream, that Sarah is Abraham s wife and if he goes any further with her and does not immediately return her to Abraham, God will execute him. Interestingly, in the dream Abimelech is told that part of the seriousness of the matter has to do with Abraham being a prophet, yet, here Abimelech is receiving the revelatory dream. God gave revelation to a nonprophet but it pertained to the prophet and of course the larger scope of history. 11
NT Dreams/Visions: Zacharias (Luke 1:5 23) John the Baptist s father, Zacharias, an Aaronic Levitical priest, was given a vision of his son, the prophet John, which was to come. Ananias (Acts 9:10 19) A godly disciple named Ananias was praying and as given a vision about receiving the persecutor, Saul of Tarsus, who was now a believer, into his home. Remember, up until the completion of the canon of Scripture, we have an ongoing revelation of God. Thus, even in the very early church, what one can call the apostolic age, we have God working through mostly the apostles but as well the church at large as we saw with Ananias, which includes special or phenomenal events as part of his method of bringing about the establishment of his church. 12
Let s now fast forward from the events in Acts to a more developed church, though still in the apostolic era seeing that Paul wrote this himself, the greatest of the Apostles. Ephesians 2:19 22: 19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. 22 In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit. 13
Paul is now already having in view an ending of the apostolic era and the ecclesiastical norm which is a faith that is resting in the work and doctrine provided through the apostles and prophets. These offices with their gifting are not continuous to this day. The passage itself has in view a limited work. Thus, there is a conclusion to what they are doing and that which follows is built upon it. This is why we understand Scripture, the revelation of God to man, to be completed until Christ returns and our rule for life and faith. We build upon the foundation and we are not instructed that we will add to it. Thus, with the understanding that with the last apostolic revelation (John on Patmos) came the completion of the Scriptural/revelatory foundation of God for his people, we now live a life of faith in that Word. 14
All of this still begs the question, does that mean God never uses or ever will use a dream of even a vision in some phenomenal manner, not as revelatory or to add to His Word, but possibly individually where an immediate need is present and this appears to be the only manner in which he can arrest one s attention? 15
Good question let s remember, however, there is a difference between God using a dream or vision and God directly giving one and if, indeed, God were to even act phenomenally to give a dream or vision, it is not something upon which a greater foundation of the church would be established, rather, simply that, an exceptional and limited event occurred. We know this because it is the apostles and prophets who were the recipients of revelatory Scripture and its foundation upon which we build, not add as Ephesians revealed. In other words, your phenomenal event would not be apostolic/prophetic and at best for your immediate situation. Further, it would not be prescriptive or instructive to the church since if it was treated this way, it would be considered additional revelation. As well, it must be viewed just what it is, exceptional and not normative for your faith and practice. Remember, abide in me and my words in you. Our miraculous Lord established the norm and he will create any exceptional circumstances but even he will not violate his own boundaries. 16
With that said we will look at a couple of dreams/visions and prophesy claims among the Evangelical church courtesy of YouTube and discuss them. Larry Randolph an independent/itinerate ministry in which Larry Randolph claims to receive visions, dreams and prophecies. 17
What is the fundamental problem with Larry Randolph s claim (apart from his vague prophecy which is plausibly deniable based on its lack of specifics when it did not, or course, come to pass)? He is adding to the foundation already completed. He claims to be on par with those gifted and assigned by Christ to establish the doctrine and practice of the church upon which we build, not add. 18
John Paul Jackson claims to be a dream specialist and interpreter for Christians. 19
There are numerous problems with John Paul Jackson, first and foremost he assumes that dreams are from God and does not provide a vetting mechanism. Secondly, he assumes the gift of dream interpretation, generally reserved for an apostle/prophet for prophetic reasons and more so, is functioning as an ecclesiastical founder, not builder. Finally, he invents a doctrine of bloodline problems no where present in the Bible as a Biblical interpretation for a dreams. As well, he simply claims the New Testament spiritual gifting to interpret dreams, again, absent in Scripture. Muslims converted after having a dream or vision involving Christ this video is a synopsis of what you can discover through an online search where many claims of conversion by Muslims, to Christ, are precipitated by a dream or vision of Christ. 20
What, if anything, is different about the nature of these Muslim dreams of Jesus compared to what we viewed earlier? Christ centered Evangelistic centered Does not claim extra revelation Does not attempt to add to church s foundation of apostles and prophets 21
However, no matter what is claimed, no matter what an individual experiences which might be exceptional, that exception isn t what God prescribes as normative for the Christian life and even further, we always know without doubt the revealed Word of God whereas experiences are always subjective. In 2 Peter 1:16 19 (NASB), the Apostle wrote, after seeing the Divinely phenomenal transfiguration: 16 For we did not follow cleverly devised tales when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty. 17 For when He received honor and glory from God the Father, such an utterance as this was made to Him by the Majestic Glory, This is My beloved Son with whom I am well pleased 18 and we ourselves heard this utterance made from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain. 22
19 So we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts. In what direction does the Apostle Peter point us after he experiences this phenomenal event of God? Does he direct us to seek such events? No. He directs us to a more sure word of prophecy. Confidence in God s Word as God s revelation, that is the norm for the believer. 23