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p3 Dream on… the many Dreams and visions of the false prophets Many who are involved in the Latter Rain live by the messages they receive by dreams and visions instead of the Word. God can still give a dream or a vision, but it is rare, and it must be thoroughly tested by the Word. When we read and hear of dreams and visions taking place today the definition the interpretation and application are substantially different from what is described in God’s word. Steve Shultz of Elijah list quotes Dr. Sandie Freed Dear Believer, “We are in a season where the Lord is releasing dreams and visions as never before! As a prophet, I am excited that God is speaking clearly concerning our new season through our dreams. Did you realize that every time God gives a dream, it is actually an opportunity to shift into destiny? Yes, every dream is like a door opening into greater revelation . Question is: are we really listening when He speaks to us? This is an updated article concerning hearing God's voice through dreams and visions. I have taken the time to update the article and add new insight, and I truly believe that this is a NOW word , as He continues to pour our His Spirit on all flesh, especially upon our children and the next generation!” (We Can All Hear God's Voice! Sandie Freed: "God Still Speaks Through Dreams and Visions" (elijahlist.com) Is every dream from God? Some teach God is speaking to everyone in their dreams. They teach believers to keep a dream journal or a pad of paper next to your bed to write down your dreams right away. That you should anticipate a dream because Dreams are ‘the last days language of God.’ The statement that God pouring out his spirit on all fle sh is a false teaching applied to the church today, it is happening ‘now.’ This has shifted the church's understanding of prophecies timing. Let me give just a few well-known examples from the Latter Rain teachers that have influenced the church for you to understand how deceptive and manipulative this is. Rick Joyner states, “The visions contained in this book all began with a dream. …the overwhelming majority was received in some level of a trance. Most of it came on the level where I was still conscious of my surroundings, and could even interact with them, such as answering the phone. When they were interrupted, or when things got so intense that I would have to get up and walk around, when I sat back down I would immediately be right back where I had left off . Once the experience became so intense that I actually got up and left the mountain cabin where I go to seek the Lord, and drove home. Over a week later I returned and almost immediately I was right back where I left off .”(p.11) Joyner describes this vision like a TV series he is watching. What prophet who was chosen of God ever had visions communicated to them in this way? In fact, there visions were not common occurrences like these men teach. Unlike Joyner that had a prophetic experience continually on and off for numerous days, (or others that lasted for hours). When we read that the prophecies of a prophet is over a lifetime of their ministry. Jeremiah and Isaiah had more activity than Hosea but then Rick Joyner and Benny Hinn have more than all the prophets put together. In his book on p.42 Rick Joyner meets Lot on. On p.45 he Meets Jonah, who tells Joyner a completely different reason why he went to Tarshish. He even meets Adam who describes his earthly life -- which far exceeds Scripture. Joyner is privy to more revelation of the prophets than any man who ever lived! On p.203. Joyner says, "I saw the Father." He describes God in detail, which the writers of the Bible never did, nor could, not even Jesus. Joyner says of Jesus: “There is a tendency to continue relating to Him as ‘the MAN from Galilee.’ Jesus is not a man. He was and is Spirit. He took the form of a servant and became a man for a brief time.” (There Were Two Trees in the Garden, p. 59, bold in original) Joyner is denying a key core doctrine. The Bible says Jesus resurrected in the same physical body he incarnated in, it is glorified. The same body he took up in the incarnation he will return in. The bible makes it clear 1 Timothy 2:5, “There is one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus ,”at the right hand of God the father in heaven. For Joyner to say, “Jesus is not any longer a man” is denying the gospel, the resurrection from the dead, which is the believers hope. This is the reason why we need to know what people who claim to have revelation by dreams visions believe in doctrine. It is gnostics and mystics that elevated their dreams or visions above the Word. We are all on an equal playing field for receiving revelation. 2 Tim 3:16-17 “the Scripture intent and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that we may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” Joyner also says of his dream on p.44 “Here the “real world” was not real, and the spiritual realm was so much more real that I just could not imagine going back to the other. Wisdom says, “You are dreaming, “he said. “But this dream is more real than what you think of as real. The Father gave men dreams to help them see the door to His dwelling place. He will only dwell in men's hearts , and dreams can be a door to your heart, which will lead you to Him.” Do you catch this flaw? He’s dreaming and says it more real than reality and he does not want to return. That the dream is a door to his dwelling, and is by your heart. That is not at all what the Bible says. Benny Hinn says, “When I was a little boy, I saw the Lord in this dream. It was really so real, it was really a vision because when - when He appeared to me my body became electric just like electricity went through me and when I awoke that electricity was still on my body.” (Benny Hinn, This Is Your Day, June 11, 1997) What Hinn had before he converted was an occult experience that lingered on after he woke. This electric became the anointing in his meetings, shocking isn’t it? Dreams have always played an important part in the literature of world religions. In Judaism or Christianity, they reveal true revelation when they are actually from God, they promote mythologies and false beliefs when they are not. For example, the whole new age movement operates from experiences from spirit guides, and visitations of angels which are connected to dreams, visions. It seems that the main way of deception today is coming through dreams (and visions) which are subjective, which the Latter Rain promoters relate this to the spirit being poured out Acts 2. Benny Hinn has had untold amounts of visions (trying to be like William Branham). In 1997 he claimed the dead Kathryn Kuhlman visited him in a vision from supposedly heaven, and it was not the first time. “The Lord showed me a vision … it’s almost been a year now. And I—I—I—I can tell you I sense now the time has come when this vision is gonna be fulfilled. I had a vision of the night. What I saw, myself walk into a room. … and there stood Kathryn Kuhlman. And I’ve not seen Kathryn in a dream or a vision [in] years. Uh, when she died, the day she died, the morning she died, I had a dream what I—what I saw in a—in a—in a—in a casket with a white dress. And when I woke up in—in the morning I knew she had died, and it was on the news that same morning. …. And there she was standing in this room and she said to me—of course this was a dream, but really more of a vision. A lot of times dreams are really visions of the night, and the Bible calls them that.. … Well, anyway, in this one, in this vision that—that I saw—saw Miss Kuhlman. And she said, ‘Follow me.’ That’s all she said. And I followed her to a second room. In that second room stood the Lord. …when I saw the Lord, Kathryn disappeared.… And now the Lord looked at me and said, ‘Follow me.’ And I followed him to a third room. In the third room sat a gentleman—I still remember his face. I can tell you, I still remember the man’s face. And the man sat in this wheelchair in that third room. There was a big hole in his neck. A tube down his throat. He was crippled on that wheelchair. And he had tubes down his body. Totally crippled, …paralyzed. The Lord laid his hands on this man and as he did the tubes disappeared, the hole closed, he was completely healed and got up off the wheelchair. … Now I’m standing watching the Lord in this vision heal this man. … the Lord looked at me with piercing eyes—I’ll not forget that one I’ll tell you. Looked at me with piercing eyes and said, ‘Do it!’ And the [Hinn snaps fingers] — and the dream and the vision came to an end.” Again, Hinn says he saw the Lord, I would consider Jesus warning “Look, He is in the inner rooms !' do not believe it.” His interpretation “… When I woke, when I got up, when I came out of the vision, I was trembling and perspiring from head to toes. I know exactly what that vision means. It was Kathryn Kuhlman who took me, who introduced me to the Holy Spirit. That is the meaning of that first room when she said, ‘Follow me.’ But when Kathryn was gone, Jesus was there. Kathryn did her job and was gone and the Lord said, ‘Follow me’ into a third room. And there was this man. I believe I’m about to enter that third room. [Audience applause.] I’m telling you I feel it. I sense it. I believe that room speaks of a dimension, a new dimension in the Spirit. I believe I’ve been in that second room now for the last seven years. What is amazing to me, what’s amazing to me is God works or has worked in my life in seven year cycles. I’m now in the seventh year—…. And just now I feel another platform, another dimension, another level is really coming.” (Benny Hinn, This Is Your Day, June 11, 1997.) Here we have Hinn saying he was introduced to the Holy Spirit by Kuhlman, that he followed her. But she is now dead but leading Hinn in heaven to a 3 rd room where the Lord is and he tells him to heal the paralyzed like Jesus did. Yet there is no example of any of this from Hinn’s ministry. Hinn is constantly leading people to believe a ‘new dimension’ is going to take place for him. He presents himself to the church as a spiritual elite healer chosen of God to exhibit this power, he has failed to do so. Using the number 7 which means completion in the Bible he tells people God always uses this number in his life. This is quite a story, but not much different than others that came before or afterwards. Hinn had John Paul Jackson on his show a number of times in the early 2,000 teaching on Dreams. John Paul Jackson was the founder of the Streams Institute for Spiritual Development, the premiere teacher of Christian dream interpretation. He writes, Interpretive skills need to be developed in order to communicate what is meant by revelation. The meanings of colours, numbers, types and symbols, as well as personal symbols will be studied. Ways to enhance interpretive skills will be covered. This advanced level course reveals in greater depth how God speaks through dreams and visions. It consists of 21 hours of teaching. In addition to class time, optional homework assignments are provided. He has Seven Foundational Principles for Interpreting Dreams (these are two) 1. Most dreams are symbolic (including biblical dreams), so view them the same way you would view a political cartoon. Throw the switch in your brain that says, “Look at this symbolically.” You can learn the art of communicating symbolically by playing the game “Pictionary” or “Bible Pictionary.” 2. The symbols will come from the dreamer's life, so ask, “What does this symbol mean to me?” or, if working on another's dream, ask, “What does this symbol mean to you?” Your dreams come from your heart and will express the things that are important to your heart. The most common area your spirit will reveal will be your emotional, heart struggles and sanctification issues, expressed symbolically.” This is basically describing normal dreams, not dreams from God as recorded in Scripture. Again, the dream is left up to your own interpretation, by how you feel about it, “what the symbols mean to me.” They are developing techniques for discovering and interpreting our own desires of the heart, (which is deceitful according to the Scripture). He is confusing an imaginative process that is naturally initiated for revelation that God alone can give on rare occasions. Rick Joyner has said We all would like to have a basic formula for interpreting dreams, but there simply is none. ” (Prophetic Vision for the 21st Century, op. cit., p. 88.) Not according to John Paul Jackson and others who teach there is. The Books on this subject of dream interpretation are numerous. Who is right? Not them, but God. The Dreamers confirm each other's dreams February 2007, Todd Bentley (www.freshfire.ca) had a prophetic experience where he was standing on the platform of a William Branham meeting in 1952. He believed it was a dream, and was watching Branham call people out and tell them the secrets of their hearts. Branham would experience a vibration in his left hand when the Angel was near him. Suddenly he stopped, looked at his hand, and turned to look directly at Todd. Todd started to wonder if maybe he was actually THERE. Branham walked across the stage to Todd and placed his left hand on his chest. The vibration went right through his body and he fell out under the power of God. When he awoke the next day he rang Bob Jones, who had “seen it all” during the night. Todd asked him; “Why 1952?” Bob replied: “That was the last year it was pure. It got corrupted in ’53, and the Lord took it away in February ’57.” Exactly 50 years before. The Lord told Todd this was a Jubilee season for the restoration of the Healing Ministry.” (AncientWells.org.au ) Bob Jones who saw Bentley’s dream was wrong, and there is no such ability described in Scripture. Bentley believes he was there (time travel) and he received by impartation in a dream Branham’s exclusive (unbiblical) vibration of his hand. This is so preposterous, even nonsensical, that his making merchandise of people is unnoticed. God’s Word tells us what took place and what is taking place… Jer. 23:26-27 How long will this be in the heart of the prophets who prophesy lies? Indeed they are prophets of the deceit of their own heart, who try to make My people forget My name by their dreams…” V:31-34: “Behold, I am against the prophets,” says the LORD, “who use their tongues and say, 'He says.' “Behold, I am against those who prophesy false dreams,” says the LORD, “and tell them, and cause My people to err by their lies and by their recklessness. Yet I did not send them or command them; therefore they shall not profit this people at all,” says the LORD. “So when these people or the prophet or the priest ask you, saying, 'What is the oracle of the LORD?' you shall then say to them, 'What oracle?' I will even forsake you,” says the LORD. “And as for the prophet and the priest and the people who say, 'The oracle of the LORD!' I will even punish that man and his house.” The prophet of God warns them (and us) Jeremiah 27:9 “As for you, do not listen to your prophets, nor to your fortune tellers, nor to your dreamers, nor to your conjurers, nor to your sorcerers, who speak to you, saying, You shall not serve the king of Babylon.” God told Israel to go into captivity, if they resist they will die in battle. It was God’s will for them to be captive, but the dreamers said otherwise. It is at this time the book of Daniel is written, while they are in captivity. Zech. 10:2 “the diviners envision lies, And tell false dreams; They comfort in vain. Therefore the people wend their way like sheep; They are in trouble because there is no shepherd.” This activity has been going on since the Old Testament. Jude 8“Likewise also these dreamers defile the flesh, reject authority, and speak evil of dignitaries.” Which is exactly what these people do for their spiritual warfare. In retrospect the same kind of false predictors, and storytellers are with us today and we put up with them. Why? It’s simple, the Word of God is not understood or held in esteem. Jeremiah tells us they make My people forget My name by their dreams” But how much more important is Gods word, for the Psalmists says in Ps 138:2 “For You have magnified Your word above all Your name.” Jesus said in John 14:24 “He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father's who sent Me.” We are told “the just shall live by faith” (Heb. 10:37), and faith comes from hearing God’s word, not by a dream or a vision. (that is, unless it is Scripture and is God’s word) Faith holds to God’s Word and does not pursue other spiritual means to receive instruction or revelation. The mature New Testament believer is living by faith-which is the opposite of sight; not by signs, dreams or visions. Understand that all the dreams and visions that are being promoted to guide by those who are practicing the Latter Rain (a different Christianity) are misleading the church, they are substituting their experience for Gods Word. |
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