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Visions & Dreams. Acts 2:17. Ushering the establishment of the Church The fulfillment of the prophecy of the Prophet Joel Old men dream dreams Young men see visions They provide inspiration & zeal in the church Future leaders Both dreamers and the visionaries must be:.
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Acts 2:17 • Ushering the establishment of the Church • The fulfillment of the prophecy of the Prophet Joel • Old men dream dreams • Young men see visions • They provide inspiration & zeal in the church • Future leaders • Both dreamers and the visionaries must be:
1. Filled with The Spirit • I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh • Rabbi Tanchum says, “When Moses laid his hands upon Joshua, the holy blessed God said, In the time of the old text, each individual prophet prophesied; but, in the times of the Messiah, all the Israelites shall be prophets.” • All baptized disciple are filled with Spirit • If the spirit within us withers, so too will all the world we build around us. - Theodore Roszak
2. Bearer of the Truth • Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy • The word prophesy is not to be understood here as implying the knowledge and discovery of future events; but signifies to teach and proclaim the great truths of God • Now not just Israelites but also Gentiles • Insights?
3. Driven by Desire • Old men dream dreams • DREAMS In the Ancient Near Eastern world dreams were real. • They were not an extension of one’s conscious or unconscious mind. • Dreams were the world of the divine and the demonic. Dreams had meaning, too. • They often revealed the future. • They could show the dreamer the right decision to make.
3. Driven by Desire • The dreams of common people were important to them, but the dreams of kings and of holy men or women were important on a national or international scale. • Dreams were important in the Old Testament, too. Israel was forbidden to use many of the divining practices of her neighbors, but over a dozen times God revealed something through a dream.
3. Driven by Desire • Young Men See Visions • VISION An experience in the life of a person, whereby a special revelation from God was received. • The revelation from God had two purposes. • First, a vision was given for immediate direction • As with Abram in Genesis 12:1-3; Lot, Genesis 19:15; Balaam, Numbers 22:22-40; and Peter, Acts 12:7. • Second, a vision was given to develop the kingdom of God • By revealing the moral and spiritual deficiencies of the people of God in light of God’s requirements for maintaining a proper relationship with Him. The vision of prophets such as Isaiah, Amos, Hosea, Micah, Ezekiel, Daniel, and John are representative of this aspect of revelation.
Challenge: Keep on Dreaming