Bible Discussion Thread

Hello everyone . Just wanted to share an awesome dream I had a few nights ago . I'm not usually into reading too much into dreams but this was very comforting to me so I thought I would share it . I dreamt that a large group of people were clustered together and looking at me and advancing on me slowly , their faces were slightly below the level of my face . They seemed slightly menacing but I wasn't scared . As they got very close their faces , their entire heads , changed into animals heads , each one different , this unnerved me slightly , the one closest to me had turned into a snakes head and it was flicking it's tongue at me . Then suddenly they all stopped , really close to me but not close enough to touch me , as if an invisible barrier was in front of me . Then I heard a voice , it said ' no weapon formed against thee ' . As I am feeling very vulnerable at the moment this dream has been an encourage to me . Whenever you have any fears or worries, always give them to God . He will calm you and strengthen you so you can face the future whatever it may bring . He is with us . All of us . As you read this He is with you , right now . Be not afraid . Christ is alive . Christ is with us . Christ is coming back and we will see him , in person . Rejoice and be strong in him .

Jema,

We should never pay any attention to our dreams. Our dreams are likely a product of our subconscious mind and are not relevant in any way regarding spiritual things. We all dream, which is likely a very healthy thing. But we never ever want to look upon our dreams as being a message from God in any way whatsoever.

Before the Bible was completed, God did speak directly to mankind through dreams or visions or voices or tongues, etc. He did this because there was no COMPLETE written Word as yet. And He was in the process of "writing" the Bible. This type of direct communication with mankind ceased once the Bible was completed with the Book of Revelations. And God then stated very clearly in Rev 22:18,19 that we are never again to expect any kind of direct message from God apart from the Bible itself.

God also tells us in Matthew 24:24 that as we approach the end of the world during the period of the Great Tribulation, where we currently are in history I am convinced, "For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; in so much that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect". And we certainly do not want to fall into that snare.

So if you want to hear a message from God, READ THE BIBLE; knowing that it is the very Word of God Himself ( John 1:1-5) and is absolutely true and trustworthy. The BIBLE ALONE AND IN ITS ENTRITY IS THE WORD OF GOD and is our ONLY source of spiritual Truth.

Pay no attention to your dream.

Thanks David 0921 , I dream a lot and never usually take any notice or attach any importance to them , like you I recognise that they are just products of our own imaginations , consciously or unconsciously . This dream was very clear and realistic and seemed to be giving me a message which was pertinent to me at this time . I don't attach any importance to it other that it was a bit comforting to me . I do believe that the Bible is the only place we should look for God , however I don't think we should ever limit God and His power to communicate with us if He chooses to do so , in whatever way He sees fit . Psalm 16 verse 7 , Job chapter 33 verses 14-18 .

Jema,

Yes. Before the Bible was completed, God did speak directly to individuals. But once God had finished the Bible with the book of Revelation He very clearly stated in Revelation 22:18 that we should not expect any additional direct communication from God. And we can rest assured that God will never violate His Word.

God the Holy Spirit, of course, must be active in opening our understanding and leading us into truth from the Bible as it may please Him so to do. But He will not communicate with us directly apart from Bible itself.

This is particularly important in our day when God is allowing Satan to perform certain signs and wonders. Read Matthew 24.

Why would we even desire any additional revelation from God when He has given us everything He wishes to communicate to us in a Book which is from the very Mouth of God Himself?

Think about thiswe can hold in our hand more communication from God than has been available to anyone prior to the completion of the Bible. And yet no one, I think I can safely say, will ever fully comprehend the depth of the riches and knowledge contained in the Bible as long as this earth exists.

Dear David , I am in total agreement with everything you say . In my dream , the only words I heard were a quotation from the Bible which I have read many times and so I instantly recognised it as such . So , maybe , just maybe God's Holy Spirit was reminding me of God's Word , from the Bible , in order to bring me a bit of comfort ? I did not receive a new revelation or anything like that . Seriously , I have no desire to make a big thing of this and as I've already stated , I don't disagree with you . In times of worry or stress in your life hasn't ever a Bible verse popped into your head all of a sudden ? When faced with a decision , maybe a choice of two actions , have you never suddenly realised what the right think is to do ? Isaiah chapter 30 verse 21 and Isaiah chapter 64 verse 24 . Phillipians chapter 4 verse 7 , has this never come to you out of nowhere during trying times ? Everyone around you running scared and fretting over something whilst you are somewhere else in your heart and mind , calm , unafraid and accepting of whatever may come ? This peace , it's not of this world I'm sure of that . May God bless you .

Hello Jema,

I know this may see l'm like a fine point. But there is nothing more serious in our relationship with God as how we view the Bible, the Word of God. This has been true throughout history, but it is particularly important in our day.

We don't have to look very far in our day to find those that believe God does speak to us directly in dreams or visions or voices or tongues. They will quote verses in the Bible to explain that, but conveniently ignore Rev 22:18,19 or do not understand it correctly.

They will say, for example, that they heard a voice from God or spoke in a tongue that may have been an exact repetition of some verse or passage or teaching in the Bible and therefore that was not adding to the Bible. But they fail to recognize that as God "wrote" the Bible He often repeated verses or passages or teachings in scripture. And each time God did this He was ADDING to His Word, the Bible.

Now what I just said is very different from having a verse or a passage or a teaching from the Bible come to mind in a particular situation or because we may have been focusing on that in the Bible recently. That is a good thing. And God certainly works in the heart of every true believer to "will and to do of His good pleasure". But we will never hear an audible voice or see a vision or have a dream that is a direct communication from God, now that the Bible has been completed.

I suspect that is your view as well.

David0921 Just wondering what your thoughts are on ( Joel. 2:28-32) and ( Acts. 2:17-21)?

Thank you Jimbob. That is an excellent question. I suspect you may be using these Joel and Acts verses as a counter to Rev 22:18. If we take these verses very literally they might appear to contradict Rev 22:18. But we know that there are no contradictions in the Bible. So whatever conclusion we come to regarding these verses, that conclusion MUST harmonize with Rev 22:18 and everything else the Bible would teach as we "compare spiritual things with spiritual". I hope that we can agree on that score.

I have heard a very good study on these verses that does just that but may need to refresh my memory a bit and check it out. We do know that Christ often spoke in parables and I'm reasonably certain that we must look at some of the language in these Joel and Acts passages as spiritual and not necessarily literal. Just trying to look at the language very literally would lead one immediately to that conclusion.

I will try to spend a little time on this and will get back with you, hopefully tomorrow.

Thank you again.

David0921 thank you for your response. I really don't know what you mean by me using these verses as a counter to ( Rev. 22:18). I always looked at ( Rev. 22:18-19) as we should not add too or take away from (the words) of (the prophecy) of

(this book) the Bible.

I agree completely there are no contradictions in the Bible, that is in the KJB. I believe modern versions may have contradictions, modern versions are not Inspired by God.

In ( Acts. 2:17-21) v17 Tells us "and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams".

This is speaking of the last days, I believe we are living the last days time period now.

These verses have to speaking of this time period if we look at ( Acts. 2:20) We see "The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and notable day of the Lord come".

Then if we look in the book of Revelation for this same event, it happens in ( Rev. 6:12) with the opening of the sixth seal, "and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood".

I really don't see any other way to take those words any differently than they are written in ( Acts. 2:17) "and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams".

I would like to hear your understanding of this and also what you gather from the study you spoke of.

There is nothing like being in the Word of God today, It is Alive!

Thank you again David.

God Bless.

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