Do people have visions and dreams today?

[NewCreation435]

Joel 2:28 says
“And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions."


Do you think visions and dreams happen today?
I believe I have had a few events in my life that I would say were visions. I remember one time I had been waiting a long time for a door to open and I saw in a vision the word "November" in bold letters. When I asked God what it meant he said some doors are going to open for you that month and it will be a big month for you. That has been the case most of the time. My daughter was born in November. I started talking to a man about a job that November that I later got. I found my birth mother in November.

Also there was a time when I was a new student in seminary in 1990 and saw a group of angels outside my apartment door huddled around a campfire. Of course, there was nothing really there, but I believe God was saying to me that he had his angels looking out for me. This to me is one of the signs to the believer that the vision is from God, that it will add clarity and will give peace. If it gives confusion then it is not from God because God is not the author of confusion. Also, if the word is from God then it will come to pass because God cannot lie

There was a few more events but they always happened to produce calm and peace to a chaotic situation

 

[Andrew]

My sister was attacked and nearly killed by a bull when she worked as vet and a few nights before that my mom woke up in the middle of the night and saw a small bald headed boy in a hospital gown at the foot of the bed, she wasnt scared and the boy was smiling before he vanished away.... When we were in the er waiting room she started crying and thought of the child as a bad omen but I told her that because he was smiling that he is assuring you that everything is going to be alright little angel

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[Albion]

Joel 2:28 says
“And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions."


Do you think visions and dreams happen today?

Surely, but almost everyone dreams, while almost no one has visions. The "problem" is that many people want to believe that their dreams were actually visions instead of dreams.

I believe I have had a few events in my life that I would say were visions. I remember one time I had been waiting a long time for a door to open and I saw in a vision the word "November" in bold letters. When I asked God what it meant he said some doors are going to open for you that month and it will be a big month for you. That has been the case most of the time. My daughter was born in November. I started talking to a man about a job that November that I later got. I found my birth mother in November.

I'll bet that if it had been some other month, you would later realize that three OTHER events of importance happened in that month, too.

Which raises another point. Many people say that God or a saint or angel came to them in a dream (not a vision). If that is so, if that is possible, what is the difference between the two?

 

[NewCreation435]

Surely, but almost everyone dreams, while almost no one has visions. The "problem" is that many people want to believe that their dreams were actually visions instead of dreams.


I'll bet that if it had been some other month, you would later realize that three OTHER events of importance happened in that month, too.

Also there was a time when I was a new student in seminary in 1990 and saw a group of angels outside my apartment door huddled around a campfire. Of course, there was nothing really there, but I believe God was saying to me that he had his angels looking out for me. This to me is one of the signs to the believer that the vision is from God, that it will add clarity and will give peace. If it gives confusion then it is not from God because God is not the author of confusion. Also, if the word is from God then it will come to pass because God cannot lie

There was a few more events but they always happened to produce calm and peace to a chaotic situation

[/QUOTE]

A vision occurs when the person is awake. The kind of dreams the passage in Joel is referring to is from God. If that is not how you would interpret the passage in Joel I would like to know how you do interpret it?

 

[Albion]

A vision occurs when the person is awake. The kind of dreams the passage in Joel is referring to is from God. If that is not how you would interpret the passage in Joel I would like to know how you do interpret it?

I take it that the passage in Joel is saying that visions will occur, but it doesnt tell us which ones they are. And when it says dreams, I assume that it means dreams like most of us have every night. We all speak of dreaming as fantasies of some sort, not messages from God or revelations or prophesies. And BTW, many people report having had dreams that were so vivid that it seemed as though they were awake.

 

[NewCreation435]

I take it that the passage in Joel is saying that visions will occur, but it doesnt tell us which ones they are. And when it says dreams, I assume that it means dreams like most of us have every night. We all speak of dreaming as fantasies of some sort, not messages from God or revelations or prophesies. And BTW, many people report having had dreams that were so vivid that it seemed as though they were awake.

There are indications that God has spoken to people in dreams or revealed things to them in dreams. Nebuchadnezzar, Daniel, Joseph, Paul all come to mind. These were not typical everyday dreams. There would be no need for prophecy about that since it occurs everyday. That would be like having a prophetic word saying "People will continue to breath and eat." No shock there., The dreams that Joel is talking about were given to people from God.

 

[psalms 91]

absolutely

 

[Albion]

There are indications that God has spoken to people in dreams or revealed things to them in dreams. Nebuchadnezzar, Daniel, Joseph, Paul all come to mind.

I haven't denied that, but neither does it make every dream that anyone experiences be one of those.

The dreams that Joel is talking about were given to people from God.

I dont think so. Especially since there is nothing there which says that they were from God. If it had said that they were given dreams by God or their dreams were from God, of course that would be different. But it still wouldn't mean that everyone who has a dream is hearing from God through it!

 

[psalms 91]

I haven't denied that, but neither does it make every dream that anyone experiences be one of those.

I dont think so. Especially since there is nothing there which says that they were from God. In times of crisis, young men dream dreams, that's all.

Convince those who dont know, I have recieved visions and dreams that were from God so you will never convince me otherwise. When you know the truth no lie will shake it.

 

[Albion]

Convince those who dont know, I have recieved visions and dreams that were from God so you will never convince me otherwise.

I am certain that you think that they were from God.

So do the other fifty people who write in to one discussion board or another each day to report on the dream they had last night in which the Lord told them to do this or that, prophesized something that the world needs to know, or revealed nothing at all!

 

[Andrew]

I take it that the passage in Joel is saying that visions will occur, but it doesnt tell us which ones they are. And when it says dreams, I assume that it means dreams like most of us have every night. We all speak of dreaming as fantasies of some sort, not messages from God or revelations or prophesies. And BTW, many people report having had dreams that were so vivid that it seemed as though they were awake.

Peter had some visions, and was it Paul that couldnt tell if he was in his body or not?

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[Krissy Cakes]

I fully believe people still do.

 

[psalms 91]

I am certain that you think that they were from God.

So do the other fifty people who write in to one discussion board or another each day to report on the dream they had last night in which the Lord told them to do this or that, prophesized something that the world needs to know, or revealed nothing at all!

Actually most of my visions were personal and since they all came true that says it all. If you choose not to believe in dreams and visions from God your loss

 

[Andrew]

Actually most of my visions were personal and since they all came true that says it all. If you choose not to believe in dreams and visions from God your loss

Amen brother some people just dont get it and with that attitude they never will get the experience. I have personally asked God and received visions in my dreams the same night, and these visions stand out over regular dreaming, its very very vivid and very real, more real than life and so beautiful! This happened twice and all you have to do is ask, believe and receive!
Jesus has said to others before "tell no one about this" but they never could help themselves lol they couldnt contain the experience and they shared it but not everyone accepted it as truth and they ridiculed believers over and over again.... nothing's changed much. Shame on them for discrediting the visions just because so many love to share them on forums and such, it doesnt matter if others dont believe it and any 'experience' is always 'personal' when its from God, they can either believe it or not but again, ask believe and receive.


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[tango]

I believe that dreams and visions, in a prophetic sense, are certainly valid today.

That said, as with most other things in the spiritual realm, things need to be handled carefully. I'm sure many of us know the uber-charismatic types who have a vision for every occasion or who gush about every vivid dream they had as if every little thing that happened had to be God talking to them directly. The reality is that the fact we had a dream or a picture forming in our head doesn't automatically mean it's from God.

I think another problem with the whole concept of dreams and visions that are from God is that much (most?) of the time they are intended for a limited audience, possibly only the recipient. So many "ministries" get so big and apparently feel the need to validate themselves with "prophetic words", as if posting some text on a web site (with personal details removed, obviously) was proof of anything. And then there are the ones who proclaim their "prophetic visions" that are so vague they could apply to just about anything, and the dangerous teachers who teach in direct contradiction of Scripture where such things are concerned.

In many ways once a "prophecy" is broadcast beyond the intended audience I'm inclined to be less inclined to accept it as being truly prophetic. Something intended for me personally, or for my Bible study group, or even for my entire church, will probably cease to be relevant once broadcast outside the church. Once it's broadcast beyond its relevance it starts to seem more like it's about focussing attention on how God spoke, through ME, to convey his message and how very blessed this group is to have ME in it to bring them God's message, and how much importance is due to ME for being the one God chose to give his message and, oh yes, here are some words from God.

For good measure I've come aross more than enough examples of people claiming all sorts of grand things that attempt to validate their words as coming directly from God, then go on to butcher Scripture. When someone claims that a "scribe angel" (whatever that is), who was sent directly from the throne room of God, woke them in the night to deliver a message that twists Scripture beyond recognition and carries a prophecy that doesn't come to pass, I can't help thinking they fail the tests of Deuteronomy 13 and 18 and get written off as more likely to be a nutjob than a prophet. It's hard to take someone seriously when they claim God gave them a message that twists the message God previous gave.

 

[NewCreation435]

I believe that dreams and visions, in a prophetic sense, are certainly valid today.

That said, as with most other things in the spiritual realm, things need to be handled carefully. I'm sure many of us know the uber-charismatic types who have a vision for every occasion or who gush about every vivid dream they had as if every little thing that happened had to be God talking to them directly. The reality is that the fact we had a dream or a picture forming in our head doesn't automatically mean it's from God.

I think another problem with the whole concept of dreams and visions that are from God is that much (most?) of the time they are intended for a limited audience, possibly only the recipient. So many "ministries" get so big and apparently feel the need to validate themselves with "prophetic words", as if posting some text on a web site (with personal details removed, obviously) was proof of anything. And then there are the ones who proclaim their "prophetic visions" that are so vague they could apply to just about anything, and the dangerous teachers who teach in direct contradiction of Scripture where such things are concerned.

In many ways once a "prophecy" is broadcast beyond the intended audience I'm inclined to be less inclined to accept it as being truly prophetic. Something intended for me personally, or for my Bible study group, or even for my entire church, will probably cease to be relevant once broadcast outside the church. Once it's broadcast beyond its relevance it starts to seem more like it's about focussing attention on how God spoke, through ME, to convey his message and how very blessed this group is to have ME in it to bring them God's message, and how much importance is due to ME for being the one God chose to give his message and, oh yes, here are some words from God.

For good measure I've come aross more than enough examples of people claiming all sorts of grand things that attempt to validate their words as coming directly from God, then go on to butcher Scripture. When someone claims that a "scribe angel" (whatever that is), who was sent directly from the throne room of God, woke them in the night to deliver a message that twists Scripture beyond recognition and carries a prophecy that doesn't come to pass, I can't help thinking they fail the tests of Deuteronomy 13 and 18 and get written off as more likely to be a nutjob than a prophet. It's hard to take someone seriously when they claim God gave them a message that twists the message God previous gave.

I think I did mention in my earlier comments that in my 34 years of being a christian it has only happened a handful of times to me. But, yes I do know of people who seem to claim a vision or word from God every half hour or more and that gets a little old and hard to believe. The time periods where I felt like i received a word were critical times for me and the result of what happened was it gave me hope to hang on. It's hard for me not to believe God had a hand it that given that it was done out of love

 

[psalms 91]

I think I did mention in my earlier comments that in my 34 years of being a christian it has only happened a handful of times to me. But, yes I do know of people who seem to claim a vision or word from God every half hour or more and that gets a little old and hard to believe. The time periods where I felt like i received a word were critical times for me and the result of what happened was it gave me hope to hang on. It's hard for me not to believe God had a hand it that given that it was done out of love

Totally agree with this

 

[tango]

I think I did mention in my earlier comments that in my 34 years of being a christian it has only happened a handful of times to me. But, yes I do know of people who seem to claim a vision or word from God every half hour or more and that gets a little old and hard to believe. The time periods where I felt like i received a word were critical times for me and the result of what happened was it gave me hope to hang on. It's hard for me not to believe God had a hand it that given that it was done out of love

Hard to argue with this.

Those words you received were obviously very helpful to you. If you shared the full details here I'd hazard a guess they would make no sense to anyone else, and maybe even come across to other people as being little more than generic waffle. But to you as an individual, at that time, they had meaning.

I've seen people literally break down and cry upon hearing something that meant nothing to me. In a small group setting it's relevant. If you broadcast that same message to an auditorium with 20,000 people in it the basic laws of probability massively increase the chance that just about anything you say will "resonate" with someone, and hence so much of the potency is lost.

 

[Albion]

Actually most of my visions were personal and since they all came true that says it all.

Half of my dreams seem to come true as well, and they have nothing to do with God or the faith.

 

[MennoSota]

People are always looking for something tangible to give them direction. Often, it seems, the Bible is not enough. Having faith in God's sovereign design is not enough. Instead, we want signs and confirmation of our choices.
God, by his gracious favor, may grant our wish...or...he may not. Discerning whether God has given a sign seems very individualistic. Who knows if God really did what is claimed. However, if a person is drawn to deeper faith without imagining they are somehow a new, divinely inspired, prophet then it's of no consequence to spend time arguing. You feel God has specifically guided you and you glorify God. Great! If a person gives glory to God why would I be upset?