Seeing Visions

When I was young, I earnestly desired to SEE VISIONS, and I asked for it.

I said, "God! You promised '...your young men shall see visions...' I'm a young man - therefore I ask to see a vision!"

And it didn't take very long before God started answering my prayers.

Believers all over the world are seeing visions. (I've already Posted about some of the visions I and others have seen.)

But you too can earnestly desire, covet, be zealous for, ask for, seek to excel in and not to come behind in seeing VISIONS.

The ancient Jewish prophet Joel foretold:

"...it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men SHALL SEE VISIONS: And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit" (Joel 2:28,29).

In Israel's Old Covenant times, it was mainly only prophets who saw visions. But God's promise was that a day was coming when God would pour out His Spirit upon EVERYONE. That was something the Jews were looking forward to.

Then on the day of Pentecost, when there APPEARED UNTO THEM cloven tongues like as of fire and it sat upon each of them and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance, Peter stood and said:

"...this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel" (Acts 2:16).

The time had come - God had fulfilled His Promise! And all in connection with JESUS of Nazareth who had been crucified and who was risen from the dead and ascended to heaven and seated at the Father's right hand and who had poured out what they were now seeing and hearing from the streets outside that upper room in Jerusalem.

FOR HOW LONG SHALL BELIEVERS SEE VISIONS?

Joel had foreseen that seeing visions, and other signs, would happen "before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come" (verse 31).

We haven't seen the 'last day' yet have we. Therefore God is still pouring out His Spirit!

"And it shall come to pass," Joel continued, "that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call" (verse 32).

People are still calling on the name of the Lord for salvation today, aren't they. So we're still in the period foreseen by Joel when God is pouring out His Spirit, just like they experienced on the day of Pentecost!

Peter also set the same timespan of the promise:

"Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things..." (Acts 3:18-21).

The times of refreshing are to continue until the return of Jesus Christ! Jesus Christ hasn't returned yet, has He. That means this refreshing is still available now, today.

FOR WHOM IS THE PROMISE?

"Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call", said Peter unto them (Acts 2:38,39).

Not only is the timeframe for the promise set as long as can be, but the scope for whom the promise applies also is wide as can be. The promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all, to as many as the Lord our God shall call. That includes you, doesn't it! You can start to desire and ASK to SEE VISIONS.

Pray something like this:

"Father, You promised 'I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and daughters shall prophesy; and your young men shall see visions.' Pour out your Spirit upon me. Let me see visions. In Jesus' Name. Amen!"

And expect it!

Is your life like dry and parched land? Press in to know the Lord. Repent of any sins. Be baptised in Jesus' Name. And you'll receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. He'll come to you like gentle rain after a long dry patch.

When God visits to refresh a dry and parched generation, part of what He graciously gives, along with His Spirit, is VISIONS. Seeing visions is part of God drawing close to give this generation a restoring hug. His love is for you too.

"Ask ye of the LORD rain in the time of the latter rain; so the LORD shall make bright clouds, and give them showers of rain, to every one grass in the field" (Zechariah 10:1).

"Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the LORD: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth" (Hosea 6:3).

Beautiful, isn't it!

"I...Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints" (Ephesians 1:15-18).