Visions from God

Many things have been said and written about visions and there are a lot of things that can be said about visions from God. Vision is one of the ways that God communicates with us. This way of communication like many others has been so mystified that it brings trepidation to many Christians. I want to throw a bit of light on it to help someone gain more understanding about walking with God. Abraham, Isaiah, Ezekiel and many other people had visions from God.
“After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.” Gen.15:1. (NKJV)

“The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah” Isaiah 1:1. (NKJV)

“Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, as I was among the captives by the River Chebar, that the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God.” Ezekiel 1:1 (NKJV)

Vision is about seeing. Vision in the spiritual realm is much like vision in the physical; it is the ability to see things but not with the physical eyes. Another way of helping you understand this is to liken it to a dream. In visions you have no control over the things that you see. You just see what is revealed to you. It is not something you struggle about and it is not about opening your “eyes wide enough” in other to see. In a vision from God, God allows you to see something he wants you to see. If you do “anything special” in other to see visions, then it is something to beware of.

“Now the angel who talked with me came back and wakened me, as a man who is wakened out of his sleep. And he said to me, “What do you see?” So I said, “I am looking, and there is a lampstand of solid gold with a bowl on top of it, and on the stand seven lamps with seven pipes to the seven lamps. Two olive trees are by it, one at the right of the bowl and the other at its left.” So I answered and spoke to the angel who talked with me, saying, “What are these, my lord?” Then the angel who talked with me answered and said to me, “Do you not know what these are?” And I said, “No, my lord.” So he answered and said to me: “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ Says the LORD of hosts. ‘Who are you, O great mountain?
Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain! And he shall bring forth the capstone with shouts of “Grace, grace to it!”’” Zech. 4:1-7 (NKJV)

In the scripture above, Zechariah saw a vision from God. The angel actually asked him about what he saw, just to make sure he saw exactly the “pictures” before him. The ability to see is what is known as seeing vision. This vision is entirely different from the vision of having a plan, a perception, or insight about doing or following a certain course in life.

Vision from God is not the same thing as clairvoyance or divination as practised in some places. If God gives you a vision, he is mostly likely to give you the understanding of it. Visions from God to his children are not nightmares; though God may show a believer what he intends to do as a judgement to wicked people. God will most likely show you things that are unambiguous and you may not need further search for understanding. Searching for meaning to visions can be burdensome and subject to vagaries of interpretations; so in most cases, God doesn’t put that burden upon his children but this is not usually the case for none unbelievers.

The spirits of unbelievers are dead; that is, it is insensitive to God and their minds are clogged with many things that are anti-God and they cannot understand the voice of God in any way. So, the first thing God seeks with unbelievers is to bring them to conviction and repentance before any other thing; when unbelievers close this door, the door of judgement open upon them.

It is useless trying to force a vision. Many people attempt to do this to appear special or to manipulate others. It is falsehood and it is just like a blind person who attempts to describe something he cannot see or feel. The problem really is that many people allow themselves to be deceived by the ploys of people who manipulate spiritual things. For instance, does it take hitting ones head on the wall to see? If anyone does that, he may become fantasized and prone to demonic influences. The scriptures revealed this about some who called themselves prophets in Israel many years ago.

“And the LORD said to me, “The prophets prophesy lies in My name. I have not sent them, commanded them, nor spoken to them; they prophesy to you a false vision, divination, a worthless thing, and the deceit of their heart.” Jer. 14:14 (NKJV)

I know that sometimes, in believers’ meetings or services, someone can fall under the anointing and may not be conscious of his environment for some time and when he comes round, he might say he saw a vision. Such experiences are normal for as long as they are not attempts to manipulate other people.

Every vision is subject to biblical scrutiny and confirmation through the word of God, the Bible. Nothing should be accepted in isolation and if you are under undue pressure from another person to accept a “vision”, walk away from it. True visions have nothing sinister about them. The proof of visions is their fulfilments.

If you don’t see visions, you are no less a Christian; you are not superhuman if you do. God gives us various abilities according to his purpose. The most important thing is to be a child of God. God can speak to you and there are various ways he speaks to his children. I have had the privilege of being involved in some of them. The best attitude to these things is to see oneself as a messenger, “just like the mail man” whose job is to deliver mails to people’s houses. The joy of the job is in doing exactly what it demands.

We must not see ourselves as lords over God’s people because we have the gifts of God; doing so is much like taking the glory that belongs to God. Every gift must be exercised in love.
Visions are still part of the ways God speaks to us today and if you have this gift please exercise it in a godly way. You must not allow people to put you off it. Let Jesus be glorified in all you do.

Ref:
Bible Quotes: http://www.biblegateway.com