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Beware of lying visions/Lesson through the vision of

Peter

Beware of lying visions

Though I believe in visions and dreams being given by the Holy Spirit and interpret such visions and dreams, I sound the trumpet here warning against the deceptions by the Devil. Normally, the Holy Spirit gives us visions or dreams that need to be interpreted prophetically. If such visions or supernatural experiences do not conform to the New Testament doctrines, we should not believe in the same. Under the Old Covenant, the Lord commanded the prophets and the kings to build tabernacles or temples. But under the New Covenant, He has given us a great commission of going into all the world and preaching the gospel to every creature and of being His witnesses unto the uttermost part of the earth. Under the New Covenant, the Holy Spirit never gives any vision for building any tabernacle or any temple or any other thing like that.

We should be not ignorant of the craftiness of the Devil who is an adept in forging the work of the Holy Ghost. The Devil also quotes the Scriptures just to deceive us. He did quote the Scriptures while tempting Jesus in the wilderness. Through visions or audible voices, he deceives even the elect. In these last days, God is sending a great delusion so that the people may believe the lie.

Whenever we receive any vision or hear any voice from above, we should check up the same with the New Testament doctrines. If any such vision or voice is about starting a ministry, we should be very careful. Secondly, we should get such a vision confirmed by the other members of the Body of Christ, especially the prophets. Let us not quote the Old Testament prophecies or any passage from the Old Testament to prove that the vision given to us is scriptural. We are not under the Old Covenant at all. For instance, the promises given by God to King David or his son Solomon for building the Temple or any other thing are not applicable to you because under the New Covenant, you have to build the invisible Kingdom of God through the glorious gospel. Similarly, under the Old Covenant made with Noah, the Lord commanded Noah to make an ark and give him specifications as how to build it. Under the New Covenant, the Holy Spirit never gives us any such commandment to build anything likened to it. Under the Old Covenant, the Lord commanded Moses to build a tabernacle whereas under the New Covenant no such commmandment is given to the people of God for building any thing likened to it. "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.." (Ex.20:4). The ark built by Noah or the Solomon's Temple or the Tabernacle built by Moses was planned and conceived by God in the heaven and built on the earth in accordance with His commandments. The Solomon's Temple or the Tabernacle built by Moses carried the very presence of God. We are not supposed to make any replica of these holy things.

If the Holy Spirit has given you a true vision for doing a particular ministry, He will also give you the necessary resources for fulfilling such a vision. Do not pursue any ministry in accordance with a mere vision given to you. If you do so, you will end up chasing a mirage after wasting precious years and your own money. If the Devil has deceived you into believing such a supernatural vision, you will get puffed up; the Devil will make you haughty so that you may assume to be a special person who has received a calling higher than the apostles who had received revelations of Christ and His Body, the Church. If any revelation you have received does not conform to the revelations already received by the apostles who wrote the gospels, the epistles and the final book of Revelation, it is only a deception by the Devil who transforms himself into an angel of light.

You may build a building or something else by your faith for doing an evangelical ministry or for a place of worship. But such a building is only a means and not an end. However, you have to seek His will before undertaking such a venture.

A lesson through the vision of Peter

In Acts 8:9-20, we read about the vision seen by Peter. This vision was inspired by the Holy Spirit when Peter went upto the housetop to pray. At that time, Peter was hungry. He saw heaven opened, and certain vessel descending unto him as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth. He saw all kinds of four-footed beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air. He not only saw the vision but also heard a voice, saying, "Rise, Peter: kill, and eat". But Peter said that he had never eaten anything that was common or unclean. But the voice spoke to him again the second time, "What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common". THIS WAS DONE THRICE. Then the vessel was received up again into heaven. When Peter doubted in himself what this vision should mean, the man who were sent from Cornelius arrived and stood before the gate.

When Peter thought on the vision, the Spirit told him, "Behold, three men seek thee. Arise, therefore, and get thee down, and go with them, doubting nothing: for I have sent them". Then Peter accompanied the men to the house of Cornelius and preached the gospel to him. In the meantime, Cornelius saw an angel in bright clothing and the angel asked him to send some men to Joppa, and bring Peter from there.

In this passage, we find that through this supernatural vision the Holy Spirit brought a message to Peter that the gospel should be preached to all the people including the Gentiles. The vision was repeated thrice. Peter did not act only on seeing the vision three times. The men sent by Cornelius arrived there. When God gives us a vision, that vision is followed by His provisions or by a human act. Thirdly, Peter heard the voice of the Holy Spirit.

First, Peter saw the vision. The vision was repeated. Then the human act of arrival of some people took place. Finally, the Holy Spirit spoke to him very clearly, and gave him a command.

Many people of God use to approach me for interpretation of their visions and dreams. By His grace, I interpret the same on the basis of the New Testament doctrines. The vision seen by Peter was a prophetic one as it contained a message to the Body of Christ. Those days, Peter was hesitant to preach the gospel to the Gentiles. This necessitated a vision being given to Peter. God gives us visions and dreams so that the same need to be interpreted prophetically and allegorically.

Whenever you get a vision or a dream, you should ask the Lord for its confirmation. After getting the confirmation, you can seek to interpret the same. You need not act on the vision immediately. You can doubt about the vision also. Wait for its confirmation and then for a sign of some human act. In other words, first comes the supernatural act of a vision. It is then followed by the evidence of a human act.

-Job Anbalagan