Visions

Posted On January 21, 2024

“Listen to my words: When there are prophets of the Lord among you,
I make myself known to them in visions or speak to them in dreams.”

Numbers 12:6 GW

“[O]nly the mind which has learnt to read the language of the Bible can understand what God is saying in the events of these stirring days …
The Bible, the Old Testament as well as the New, teaches us the vocabulary of the divine language; unless we have learnt to understand this tongue, the words of God spoken through the events of our day will be lost in the babel of conflicting voices …”

Alan Richardson

Does God speak to us? Yes, He does. In many different ways. As we learn to understand the divine language in His Word, we will begin to hear Him more and more. Last week, we discussed the benefits of clearing the clutter from our minds so that we can reset our thoughts by continually reminding ourselves of what we believe. Doing so not only renews us, but it also silences the voices that threaten to distract us from hearing the voice of God.

Our plan for 2024 is a new format that blends an ongoing fiction story with a devotional each week. Our current story is a science fiction tale I’ve named Awakening. It’s a story about faith, with a focus on the core beliefs of Christianity. The doctrines we will be exploring over the next few months are these: God’s Word, God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit, Angels and Demons, Humanity and Sin, Salvation, the Church, Sacraments (Baptism & Holy Communion), Worship, Future Things, and Christlikeness.

This week, our adventure continues with Chapter 2. The doctrinal focus is God’s Word. (Click here for Quick Links to previous chapters.) As a reminder, I am using colored boxes to set the story apart from the rest of the post. So, any text that has a colored background is part of the fictional story. And any text that does not, is not. The video below gives a short recap of the story so far. I hope you enjoy Awakening!

Awakening
Chapter 2: Visions

Notes from Christian Doctrines Course
ICMC Training – Week 2
14 January 2318

“God has taken the initiative to make himself known.  The reasonableness of this concept should be plain.  For whoever or whatever God may be, he is altogether beyond our knowledge…. His infinite greatness is veiled from our eyes.  We cannot discover him by ourselves.  If we are ever to know him, he must make himself known.”
~John R. W. Stott

The Bible tells us that God’s thoughts and ways are far beyond our own (Isaiah 55:8-9). But it also says that we can know God because He has made the reality of Himself plain (Romans 1:19-20). God chooses to make Himself known to us, and He does so in many ways …

Jesus Christ and the Holy Scriptures are the most important means of revelation. God also speaks directly to individuals. He may do so with an audible voice, through angels, through other people, through the quiet prompting of the Holy Spirit, or in visions or dreams …

The new ICMC ships sat expectantly in the hangar as the overnight crew performed routine maintenance checks. Their scheduled trip to Helios Prime 3 was a few months away and so far there had been no major setbacks. This was not surprising. The Interplanetary Christian Missions Church was known for their ability to plan, and they had a lot riding on this. They would make sure no complications arose to interfere with their agenda. Anticipating another quiet night, the late-shift workers had settled into a relaxed routine.

As he sipped hot coffee from his favorite mug, the safety officer lazily observed the security camera feeds. He had just gotten comfortable in his chair when he noticed something unusual. “Who is that?” he muttered to himself as he leaned forward for a better look. He studied the screen for a moment before activating his radio to call down to the floor. “Hey, Zeke, this is Diego up in the security office. Is there someone scheduled to be in Sector 4 tonight? I thought I saw …”

He was interrupted by a loud bang as one of the ships in Sector 4 suddenly exploded. Debris flew in all directions as a ball of fire engulfed the surrounding ships, beginning a chain reaction of destruction. Momentarily too stunned to react, Diego quickly shook off the shock of what was happening and let his training kick in. He jumped to his feet and began running down to the floor, calling out orders over the radio as he went.

But it was too late. He reached the floor just in time to see flames swallow up the crew members that had been caught near the exploding ships. “No!” He started to run toward them but was hit by a wall of heat that stopped him in his tracks. The entire hangar was a furnace. He couldn’t go in this way. Not ready to give up hope, he ran outside and circled around to one of the windows. Maybe he could still get to the fallen workers and pull them out this way. He just had to find something to use to break the window …

A final explosion knocked him off his feet and his world went black.

When Diego opened his eyes, his mind scrambled to make sense of the scene around him. As he lay dazed on the ground, ears still ringing, he could see what remained of the hangar being reduced to a pile of ashes. Then the realization that his friends were gone suddenly washed over him like a wave of nausea.

Faith awoke with a start. Her heart was racing and she was breathing hard. No! We have to help them! We have to stop this! She wanted to scream. She was terrified … But it had only been a dream, hadn’t it? Or had it been a memory? Michael said her memories would return unpredictably. Was she remembering something she had experienced? She hoped not. She prayed not. Those poor people.

Just then Michael knocked on her door. “Faith? Are you okay?”

Had she cried out in her sleep? Suddenly embarrassed, Faith tried to compose herself. “Just a minute,” she called as she quickly got out of bed and hurried to the door. She opened it but didn’t invite him in. “Sorry if I disturbed you. I’m fine. It was just a bad dream.”

“Are you sure? You sounded pretty upset.” He seemed worried.

“I’m okay. It was just … It felt so real. There was an explosion … people were killed.” Michael seemed to be waiting for her to continue, so she did. But as she started describing the details of the dream to him, something occurred to her. “Hey, did I ever know someone named Diego?”

“Diego? Not that I know of. Why?”

“Never mind. I’m just wondering if …” She stopped. Maybe it had been just a dream. She should probably just forget about it. But that was the problem, wasn’t it? Maybe she had forgotten about it. And maybe now her brain was desperately trying to remember. She was a little afraid to ask the next question, but she decided she had to know. “Michael, do you think this could have been a memory?”

He didn’t answer right away. His expression didn’t change, but something about the way he considered her made Faith suspect he knew something. Finally, he said, “There was an explosion at the ICMC shortly before we came here, but you were already in cryostasis when it happened. As far as I know, you’ve never witnessed anything like this, but … ” He broke off.

“But what?” she urged. He did know something.

“It’s hard to explain. I’m sorry. Can we talk about it in the morning? I don’t mean to put you off, but I think this will be a longer conversation than we want to have right now. It’s still the middle of the night, and we both need to get some sleep.”

There was no way she would be able to sleep now! But it didn’t look like she would be able to get anything else out of him tonight, so she reluctantly agreed. “Okay. Until the morning then. Good night.”

“Good night, Faith.”

As she suspected, Faith had no luck getting back to sleep. She lay in bed replaying Michael’s words in her mind and trying unsuccessfully to make sense of them. What was hard to explain? What did he know about what she saw in her dream?

It had been three days since she woke up in the cryopod, and other than discovering the initials CM at the bottom of one of her journal entries, she was still no closer to figuring out who she was. And Michael hadn’t been too forthcoming about anything else that was going on, either. All she knew so far was that they were still living in the ship they arrived here in, that she had to stay hidden, and that he was full of secrets. She was going to go crazy if she didn’t get some answers soon!

Finally, she gave up trying to sleep and got out of bed. Thinking a cup of tea might help soothe her anxious thoughts, she opened her bedroom door and started toward the kitchen area. But she froze in place when she heard Michael talking to someone up ahead. Apparently he couldn’t sleep either. She didn’t intend to eavesdrop, but she couldn’t help overhearing:

“… No, but I think she’s starting to remember. She had a dream about the explosion.”

There was a pause as if he was listening. He must be on a call with someone. But who?

“I didn’t know what to tell her, but I’ve got to figure it out. I told her I’d explain in the morning. That’s about three hours from now.”

Another pause. She really shouldn’t be listening, but her curiosity won out over her sense of etiquette. Plus, he was obviously talking about her.

“All right. Thanks, Peter. I’ll keep you posted. Good night.”

Peter … She tried to let the name summon an image of someone in her mind, but she drew a blank. Should she know who that is?

Suddenly, she heard Michael’s footsteps moving in her direction. Not sure what to say if he found her standing there, she quickly retreated back to her room and shut the door. He had promised her an explanation in the morning, so she could wait a few more hours to find out what he had to say.

She decided to pass the time by reviewing some more of her old journal entries. One entry in particular caught her eye. It described another dream she had once had …

Personal Journal of (*NAME REDACTED*)
ICMC Training – Week 3
24 January 2318

I had a strange dream last night. I was in an unfamiliar place and I was hiding — in a cave, maybe? I can’t recall much of it, but I remember a bright light and a voice saying these words:

“The people to whom I am sending you are obstinate and stubborn. Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says.’ And whether they listen or fail to listen—for they are a rebellious people—they will know that a prophet has been among them.”
-Ezekiel 2:4-5 NIV

The voice in my dream quoted Ezekiel 2:4-5. By itself, that may not mean anything. But my morning devotional happened to be based on those same verses. And when I went to my first class, the professor suddenly decided to cover something from a later chapter earlier than scheduled: The chapter is titled “Prophets in the Bible” and it opens with Ezekiel 2:4-5.

It’s hard to disregard a message given to you three times in a row! So, I assume God is trying to tell me something. But what exactly? I’m already training to be a missionary. I will be taking God’s Word to people who could potentially be “obstinate and stubborn.” So, why give me this message now? Is He just confirming this calling? Maybe. But I can’t shake the feeling that there’s more to it than that.

They will know that a prophet has been among them … Is He possibly calling me to be a prophet? I feel silly even thinking this. And I’m not sure what that would mean anyway. Is He going to somehow tell me about the future? That sounds completely crazy! The logical part of my brain tells me I’m probably reading way too much into all of this. It was most likely just a random dream that doesn’t mean anything. But I can’t seem to let it go. Because something I read recently keeps nagging at me:

“Visions, dreams, and other special visitations are also seen as avenues for the revealing of God. We approach this area with great caution because it is so open to abuse and misunderstanding. Nevertheless, it has been a means of revelation through the centuries, and the fact that it is difficult to deal with or that it is sometimes misused is no justification for ignoring it.”
-J. Ellsworth Kalas

No justification for ignoring it. That’s the part that keeps replaying in my mind. And God did confirm what He said in the dream. Twice. So, I feel like I can’t just disregard it. I haven’t told (*NAME REDACTED*) about it yet. We’ve both been busy all day, but I will talk to him tonight and see what he thinks …

In the meantime, I will try not to get ahead of myself. As we just discussed in my Christian Doctrines Course, the Holy Spirit is our guide for discovering God’s will. And nothing God reveals will ever contradict what He tells us in His Word:

“The only way we can accurately and safely approach interpreting the motivation behind revelatory activity of any kind is to ask God for the spirit of wisdom and understanding … the Bible is our absolute standard against which we must test spiritual experiences.”
-James W. Goll

So, I will focus on staying connected to Him through prayer and Scripture, and I will stay open to His leading. If He has plans for me beyond what I can see today, I will trust Him to reveal them to me. It’s a little scary, if I’m being honest. But I will not shy away from finding out what He wants me to do. I had enough faith to get this far. I don’t plan to give up now …

Looking back over everything I learned this week, I’ve determined that these are the fundamentals: God chooses to make Himself known to us, and we can trust Him to take the initiative to reveal His plans. He speaks in a variety of ways, and we should never ignore the message just because it comes in an unexpected manner. The Holy Spirit is our guide for understanding God’s will. Jesus Christ is our example to follow. And the Bible is our standard for interpreting what God says.

“The Holy Scriptures will interpret themselves in spite of all our human limitations.  We need only dare to follow this drive, this spirit, this river, to grow out beyond ourselves toward the highest answer.  This daring is faith …”
-Karl Barth

In the morning, exhausted from lack of sleep and anxious about her upcoming conversation with Michael, Faith fought to try and clear her head. The questions on her mind had multiplied after reading that last journal entry, and she didn’t know how to make sense of any of it.

First of all, was she actually some kind of modern prophet? She agreed with her former self that it sounded crazy. But then she remembered what Michael had said to her: It’s vital that you prepare for what lies ahead. You are too important. Is this what he meant? What, if anything, did this have to do with the dream she had last night? And whose name besides hers had been redacted? I will talk to him tonight. That’s what was written in her journal. Talk to whom? Had she left behind a boyfriend? Or maybe a husband?

As soon as the word husband formed in her mind, she felt a pang in the pit of her stomach. Was she married? Instinctively, she looked at the ring finger of her left hand. There was no ring, of course. But should there be? She searched her memory, but there was nothing. Just this feeling of emptiness in her gut.

She couldn’t take this anymore! Not knowing who she is. Not knowing who Michael is. Not knowing if she could trust him. What if she had a husband out there searching for her right now? Why was Michael keeping her hidden? Why was he so secretive? Was she even safe with him? Suddenly feeling overwhelmed, Faith decided she wanted out of this place. She ran out of her room and headed for the airlock. There was no sign of Michael. She had no idea where she would go. She had no plan. She just wanted out.

As she activated the airlock doors, she directed her thoughts into a desperate prayer. God, please help me! Please give me some answers. The doors hissed open and she stepped outside.

Faith had never been outside the ship since she had awakened on it a few days ago. She didn’t know what she was expecting, but it certainly wasn’t this. She stepped out of the airlock into darkness. The air was cool and damp, and the ground was rocky. As her eyes adjusted to the lack of light, she saw a wall of rock a few paces in front of her. Was she in a cave? She turned to her left and made her way toward the front of the ship. She saw light up ahead, so she started walking toward it. The ground was wet, and she heard the sound of running water. The sound grew louder as she moved toward the light, and she realized that her first impression had been correct. This was a cave, and the light was coming from its mouth.

As she got closer, she noticed the silhouette of a man standing just inside the cave entrance. Michael. She stopped. Had he seen her? No, he was facing the other way, staring out at the scenery. She saw lush greenery, moss-covered rocks, and a waterfall streaming down, sending up a spray of mist. It was beautiful, but she couldn’t just stand here admiring it. What if Michael turned around and saw her? She considered going back to the ship, but then what? She still needed answers. Could she rely on this man to give them to her? Maybe not, but he knew something. She needed to find out what.

She started toward him again, praying for discernment as she walked. God, I need Your help. This man said I can trust him. Please show me if that’s true. Just before she reached him, the light changed. It suddenly became much brighter as sunlight reflected off of the water, surrounding Michael’s silhouette in an almost Heavenly aura. She froze, awestruck. And the words from her journal came flooding back to her: I was in an unfamiliar place and I was hiding — in a cave, maybe?… I remember a bright light … The voice in my dream quoted Ezekiel 2:4-5. Then she heard him. Michael was praying aloud. Looking back, she knew the words he spoke that morning changed her life forever:

“Lord, please let Faith know that she can trust me. And please give me the words to explain to her what she needs to know. Because right now, I have no idea what to say. You have told me to guard her with my life, and I will. I will do whatever it takes to keep her safe. Not just because of who she is to me, but because I know that You have called her to speak for You. I don’t know if they will listen — these people are obstinate, stubborn, and rebellious. But whether they do or not, they will know that a prophet has been among them …”

“When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future.”

John 16:13 NLT

This week’s Scripture passages are about prophecy, visions, and God’s Word. God speaks to us, sometimes in surprising ways. Only as we learn to understand the divine language of God, as taught to us in His Word, will we be able to understand what He is saying.

“The Bible connects us with a wisdom deeper than our own
and a power greater than our own.
It allows us to see past the mundane aspects of our existence
and glimpse the things of God —
truths of lasting value, truths that bring joy and fulfillment, truths that change lives.
The Bible tantalizes us with stories of people very much like us —
ordinary folks who dared to do something big,
who allowed their faith to overrule their fear,
and who were used by God to accomplish extraordinary things.
Then the Bible encourages us to believe that God can do the same in us.
It whispers to our souls, If not you, then who? If not now, then when?”

Robert Jeffress

References:

• Christian Believer: Knowing God with Heart and Mind — Readings. Abingdon Press, 1999.
• Goll, James W. The Beginner’s Guide to Hearing God. Regal from Gospel Light, 2008.
• Kalas, J. Ellsworth. Christian Believer: Knowing God with Heart and Mind — Study Manual. Abingdon Press, 1999.
• Jeffress, Robert. What Every Christian Should Know: 10 Core Beliefs for Standing Strong in a Shifting World. Baker Books, 2023.
• Stott, John R. W. “The Doctrine of Scripture: Introduction.” The Portable Seminary, edited by David Horton and Ryan Horton, Bethany House, 2006, pp. 22-24.

Images & Audio:

• Images created using Midjourney Bot AI image generator, midjourney.com
• Audio clips from mixkit.co