Reading the Bible: Visions of the Prophets

Introduction

This segment of the Reading the Bible series will focus on the use of visions and dreams by God as an instrument of divine revelation. The books of the prophets contain many of these visions which they received from God and recorded them as they were instructed by the angelic messengers. This teaching on the Visions of the Prophets is a continuation of the teaching on the Old Testament Prophets. To better understand the connection between the prophets and their visions, it is necessary to understand the role of the prophet as it was originally presented in the teaching of the Old Testament Prophets.

Prophet Definition:
“Prophets are the mouthpiece of God, conveying God’s opinions, reactions, intentions, and very words. In short, God’s agenda, or program is announced through the words of the prophets. Each prophet came with a message from God and his job was to communicate that message.”

We see that the prophets are God’s instruments to proclaim His commands, instructions, and prophecies to the people. God declares this in the quote above, (Numbers 12:6), where He says that He makes Himself known to His prophets and speaks to them through visions and dreams. The difference between dreams and visions is whether the prophet is awake or sleeping. Zechariah, for instance, had a series of eight-night visions given to him at one time and Ezekiel had a series of visions given to him while he was in captivity in Babylon.

Visons and dreams extend beyond communication to the prophets; the Bible is full of visions and dreams which are also given to a variety of biblical figures such as Mary and Joseph, and Zechariah and Elizabeth (parents of John the Baptist). They are also given to non-believers and pagans such as the dreams given to Pharoah which were interpreted by Joseph, (Gen. 41:1-36), to King Nebuchadnezzar during the time of Daniel, and also to the Three Wise Men from the east who visited the newborn Jesus, “Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way,“ (Matt. 2:11-12). God still works through dreams to bring unbelievers to faith in current times. There are many reports and testimonies of people in the Middle East who have converted to Christianity through the appearance of Christ in dreams.

Visions are also a fundamental aspect of the apocalyptic end-time prophecies found in the books of Daniel, Ezekiel, Zechariah, and Revelation. As it has just been demonstrated, the scriptures have an abundance of visions and dreams throughout its pages. For the reader and student of the Bible it is helpful to grasp the concepts and interpretive rules of the revelation given through visions and dreams.

Visions and Dreams

Visions can be defined as instruments of supernatural revelation given by God to a human recipient. The vision or dream usually contains a message for the recipient which he or she is to record and pass on to others, or it is intended as instruction for the individual. The primary concern of the vision or dream is that it is a means by which God uses to accomplish His purpose. The book of Revelation written by the Apostle John during his exile on the island of Patmos contains more visions than any of the other New Testament books. John’s visions are among the most graphic and fascinating found in scripture, but they are also the most difficult to interpret. These visions include images of immoral wickedness, demonic creatures, strange beasts, and apocalyptic battles which depict end-times events. John’s introduction to the book of Revelation gives insight as to the process of recording the visions and their purpose to the reader, which is to heed the prophesies.

The visions given to the prophets often contained images of imaginary things which were meant to illustrate the message that was to be communicated. For instance, Ezekiel was given an image of a valley full of dry human bones which were reanimated by God with flesh and blood, which brought them back to life. The vision of the valley of dry bones was imaginary, but it impressed upon Ezekiel the message that God would restore the Israelites who were in exile back to their homeland and therefore they should have hope in the future. They are the image of the dry bones that have been restored to life. It is through the use of dreams and visions that God reveals details of future events to His prophets.

Angels, who are defined as God’s messengers, play a vital role in presenting the visions and in interpreting them. The angel Gabriel is often seen as a messenger. He is the angel who delivers the message of the Virgin Birth to Mary, and he is also the angel who interpreted the prophecy of the Seventy-weeks to Daniel, (Dan. 9:21-24). In the first night vision of Zechariah, angels play a variety of roles in the vision. The Angel of the Lord, who is the pre-incarnate Christ, appears as the man riding a red horse, (see the opening quote at the top of the page). Another angel assumes the role of the interpreter, and a group of angels are seen riding different colored horses after they had just completed a patrol of the earth. The angels are a common theme in visions and dreams which the reader of scripture will often encounter.

Future Segments

Far too many Christians fail to read and study their own scriptures, and so they miss the fascinating literature contained in the visions of the prophets. Dreams and visions which contain prophecies of the future and messages of great importance provide insight into God’s plans and revelations for the future. In order to help readers absorb this teaching the series is divided into several parts in order to provide for better reading and to devote each section to a particular vision or set of visions. The visions of Zechariah and Ezekiel will be the focus as they provide a rich subject matter. The series will conclude with a presentation of the various visions of God’s Heavenly Throne Room as viewed by a variety of the prophets. May this series edify my fellow Christians and encourage them to a vigorous study of God’s word.