(Act 2:17) “Your old men shall dream dreams.”
Dreams, everybody has them, in one form or another at different times throughout their lives and yet some have more impact than others. Last night was another one of those nights, my dreams where somewhat disturbing, with a reality second to none. I felt somewhat defeated as unbelief began to flood my soul. We know what robs us of our faith, it is sin and yes my dreams were full of failure, I failed certain tests when tested that in reality I had failed in the past. I was hoping that I had move beyond this mind-set, as we all need to grow up into the fullness of the statue of Christ. We all need to put off childish things!
On the one hand I was somewhat relieved to wake up and realize that it was but a dream and yet on the other the nagging question is why did I have such a dream? Where better to go looking for answers than the Holy Scriptures.
Dreams had a specific place mainly throughout the Old Testament; God used a dream to warn Abimelech (Pharaoh) that he had taken Sarah Abrahams wife, and that particular dream brought him to his senses and he gave Sarah back to Abraham. Joseph had a dream about the rest of his family bowing down and worshipping him. Although his brothers mocked his dream it nevertheless unfolded as Joseph had predicted. Then we have the dreams of the cupbearer and the baker which Joseph also interpreted correctly. Then Pharaoh’s dreams plagued him for a long time as he looked for answers in all the wrong places. Soothsayer and magicians were summoned with no success; Until God stepped in through Joseph’s interpretation. There is a fabulous lesson for us to learn; God is the answer for all our questions, not people’s opinions or horoscopes and the like. As they can be very damaging!
Prior to salvation whilst abroad in England I met a young lady who of all things foretold ones fortune from the residue of a finished cup of tea or was it coffee? She was from some Slovak country, Czechoslovakia I think! A common fashionable young woman; put it this way she did not have a broom under one arm! I was twenty-one years old at the time and now I am forty-five. Twenty four years ago and I am still influenced by what she told me, it may not be helpful, but nevertheless very real in my mind eye as what she predicted often flashes into play. I often tell myself that it is a lot of rubbish which it surely is, but that does not change the fact that it has such a hold on my reasoning at times.
I fear many are trapped by similar scenarios; they hang their hope on what some wannabe prophet tells them especially if it involves hope of some kind. Many false Christian movements lure people into these traps and normally around the traps of money. Although we are taught that this is but a form of witchcraft, the damage in a lot of cases has been done, these trapping memories remain with us, and it is these memories that I wish to explore.
We must conclude that with dreams as well as prophetic utterances God’s Word has to be the final authority, or else how will we ever be sure for the well-being of our lives?
The writer of Hebrews teachers us that; “Long ago, at many times and in many ways (note, dreams no doubt had their place), God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.” (Hebrews 1:1-2) – The question I now have, has their function run their course, have they ceased?
I see the in the book of Acts the Luke tells us this; "'And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams;” (Act 2:17) – There seems to be carnage attributed to this verse as every Tom Dick and Harry make heyday with this stanza. Everyone is a prophet and all dream dreams and people see visions. But surely we must accept the fact that these need to be tested. Does the Bible instruct us to test such claims?
I would like to spend some time over the next couple of posts exploring these thoughts…
Let me leave us with Matthew Henrys take on this verse and the reason for this is that the concerns we now have may have tainted our reasoning on the subject. Back in the seventeenth century the charismatic movement had not yet taken root. So he was not influenced but what he saw and dealt with the text as he read it. I believe a fair synopsis!
“The text itself that Peter quotes, Act_2:17-21. It refers to the last days, the times of the gospel, which are called the last days because the dispensation of God's kingdom among men, which the gospel sets up, is the last dispensation of divine grace, and we are to look for no other than the continuation of this to the end of time. Or, in the last days, that is, a great while after the ceasing of prophecy in the Old Testament church. Or, in the days immediately preceding the destruction of the Jewish nation, in the last days of that people, just before that great and notable day of the Lord spoken of.
Act_11:17. Or, upon all flesh, that is, upon some of all ranks and conditions of men. The Jewish doctors taught that the Spirit came only upon wise and rich men, and such as were of the seed of Israel; but God will not tie himself to their rules.
That the Spirit should be in them a Spirit of prophecy; by the Spirit they should be enabled to foretel things to come, and to preach the gospel to every creature. This power shall be given without distinction of sex - not only your sons, but your daughters shall prophesy; without distinction of age - both your young men and your old men shall see visions, and dream dreams, and in them receive divine revelations, to be communicated to the church; and without distinction of outward condition - even the servants and handmaids shall receive of the Spirit, and shall prophesy.” (Matthew Henry)
Signing off
Tyrone
No comments:
Post a Comment