Not all dreams and visions are from God. How can one know whether a dream or vision is from God? First, you must look at yourself and determine whether you are a cleansed, purged, and a broken vessel. But yes, HE can still at times speak to us out of grace in dream and visions even when we are still not cleansed, purged, and broken. But if you are receiving frequent dreams and visions even though you may be fleshy, carnal, and still worldly, then you must discern and be very cautious. You must ask for the spirit of discernment. You must seek to be cleansed. You must study and know His Word. You must pray everyday.
Do not just attempt to interpret a dream or vision. If you try to guess and almost all the time the many who do attempt to guess are just wrong. If you attempt to interpret and it is wrong, you are contributing to the enemy by speaking lies and stumbling others. It is better not to guess. Yes, it is the human nature out of pride to try to get the right answer but if we do not know, please do not try to guess.
Many Christians practice divination and occult without realizing what they are doing. For example, people who buy lottery tickets. They ask God for the numbers and then they try to believe God is speaking to them and they pick random numbers. Then to top it all off, they try to bribe God by stating that if they win, they will give HIM so much. This is divination. Christians should not be buying lottery tickets. This is gambling. Even in gambling, when one tries to predict the outcome of an event or ask God to show what is in someone else's hand (cards), this is divination. What do fortune tellers do? They attempt to fore tell the future or events. If you ask God for the things of the future or events so you can show others that God is speaking to you, you are practicing pride and divination.
If you look at the bible and look at the true prophets to that of the false prophets, there was usually only one true prophet to all the false prophets. But the false prophets thought they were true prophets. Today, we have so many claiming to be prophets. Look at the bible percentage and FEAR GOD if you think you are a prophet. There is a good chance, you may be in the camp of the false prophets.
If you are worldly, carnal, fleshy, and have many problems overcoming sin, then you need to be very cautious before you prophecy or consider that your dreams/visions are from God.
Who are the false prophets? The false prophets are those who do not lead God's people back to following His commandments but preach and prophecy words that feed on people's self indulgence, self idols, and the desires of the people's own hearts. The false prophets are those who seek a pat on the back for their word, dreams, or visions. The false prophets are those who speak and know more about their own dreams/visions then they know about the Word of God!
Jer 23:15-31 Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts concerning the prophets: Behold, I will feed them with [the bitterness of] wormwood and make them drink the [poisonous] water of gall, for from the [false] prophets of Jerusalem profaneness and ungodliness have gone forth into all the land.16 Thus says the Lord of hosts: Do not listen to the words of the [false] prophets who prophesy to you. They teach you vanity (emptiness, falsity, and futility) and fill you with vain hopes; they speak a vision of their own minds and not from the mouth of the Lord.17 They are continually saying to those who despise Me and the word of the Lord, The Lord has said: You shall have peace; and they say to everyone who walks after the stubbornness of his own mind and heart, No evil shall come upon you.18 For who among them has stood in the council of the Lord, that he should perceive and hear His word? Who has marked His word [noticing and observing and giving attention to it] and has [actually] heard it?19 Behold, the tempest of the Lord has gone forth in wrath, a whirling tempest; it shall whirl and burst upon the heads of the wicked.20 The anger of the Lord shall not turn back until He has executed and accomplished the thoughts and intents of His mind and heart. In the latter days you shall consider and understand it perfectly.21 I did not send these [false] prophets, yet they ran; I did not speak to them, yet they prophesied.22 But if they had stood in My council, then they would have caused My people to hear My words, then they would have turned them [My people] from their evil way and from the evil of their doings. 23 Am I a God at hand, says the Lord, and not a God afar off?24 Can anyone hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? says the Lord. Do not I fill heaven and earth? says the Lord.25 I have heard what the prophets have said who prophesy lies in My name, saying, I have dreamed, I have dreamed [visions on my bed at night].26 [How long shall this state of things continue?] How long yet shall it be in the minds of the prophets who prophesy falsehood, even the prophets of the deceit of their own hearts,27 Who think that they can cause My people to forget My name by their dreams which every man tells to his neighbor, just as their fathers forgot My name because of Baal?28 The prophet who has a dream, let him tell his dream; but he who has My word, let him speak My word faithfully. What has straw in common with wheat [for nourishment]? says the Lord.29 Is not My word like fire [that consumes all that cannot endure the test]? says the Lord, and like a hammer that breaks in pieces the rock [of most stubborn resistance]?30 Therefore behold, I am against the [false] prophets, says the Lord, [I am even now descending upon them with punishment, these prophets] who steal My words from one another [imitating the phrases of the true prophets].31 Behold, I am against the prophets, says the Lord, who use their [own deceitful] tongues and say, Thus says the Lord.
Prophecy, Interpreting dreams and visions are a gift. You must receive this gift from God and it does not just come over night. You must be a broken vessel in which God can flow through you. Repent and stand by His full council. Study to show yourself approved.
Pastor Steve Yong Kim
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