Do You See What I See?

Genesis 15: 1 – 20

Do you see what I see?

15 After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.” 2 But Abram said, “Lord GOD, what will You give me, seeing I go childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” 3 Then Abram said, “Look, You have given me no offspring; indeed one born in my house is my heir!” 4 And behold, the word of the LORD came to him, saying, “This one shall not be your heir, but one who will come from your own body shall be your heir.” 5 Then He brought him outside and said, “7 Then He said to him, “I am the LORD, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to inherit it.” 8 And he said, “Lord GOD, how shall I know that I will inherit it?” 9 So He said to him, “Bring Me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.” 10 Then he brought all these to Him and cut them in two, down the middle, and placed each piece opposite the other; but he did not cut the birds in two. 11 And when the vultures came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away. 12 Now when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and behold, horror and great darkness fell upon him. 13 Then He said to Abram: “Know certainly that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them, and they will afflict them four hundred years. 14 And also the nation whom they serve I will judge; afterward they shall come out with great possessions. 15 Now as for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried at a good old age. 16 But in the fourth generation they shall return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.” 17 And it came to pass, when the sun went down and it was dark, that behold, there appeared a smoking oven and a burning torch that passed between those pieces. 18 On the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying: “To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the River Euphrates— 19 the Kenites, the Kenezzites, the Kadmonites, 20 the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, 21 the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.”

The Scripture says in chapter 2 verse 17 in the book of Acts that in the last days the Holy Spirit will be giving many visions and dreams. “In the last days” God said, “I will pour out my Holy Spirit upon all mankind, and your sons and daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men dream dreams.”

Visions are a special and unique way of hearing from the Lord. Looking up its definition we find it says a ‘Vision’ means to; gaze, look, behold, see, sight, and view.

A Biblical vision is a literal, spiritual and sometimes a physical happening. It’s not a product of the mind, imagination or logic. Receiving a vision is a gift from the Lord: an experience of sight, not the imagination

The bible has indicated some of the purposes our Holy God used them for;

1. Encouragement, hope, and promise (To Abram) Genesis 15:1-6

2. Announcement of judgment (To Samuel about Eli) 1 Samuel 3:1-18

3. Reveals secrets and an interpretation of a dream (To Daniel) Daniel 2:19

4. Announcement of a servant’s calling (To Zacharias for John) Luke 1:22

5. Announcement of good tidings (The women saw a vision of angels announcing Jesus was alive.) Luke 24:23

6. Guidance and explicit instructions (To Ananias for Saul) Acts 9:10

7. Changes an opinion and gives an assignment (To Peter about the Gentiles) Acts 11:5-10

8. Guidance to change locations (For Paul to go to Macedonia) Acts 16:9

There are levels of visions that are higher up in the scale where we can enter into trances which is experiencing visions of gazing wonder. In those types of visions, we do experience ecstasy in our emotions and all of our senses. However if we participate in them as in speaking, it is evoked by the Holy Spirit upon our spirits and it is our spirits that respond, using our mouths like when someone is speaking in tongues. Some who are taken into trances are given the Holy Spirit unction to speak out loud what they are experiencing and/or seeing.

In the highest level of visions are encounters. These are when one experiences visitations. In that level of experience, one can participate with their mind, will and emotions but under restraints of the great fear and love within the Presence of the Lord.