To See in the Spirit

       The Lord has shown me things: in dreams, visions and flashes of pictures in my head like (here).  To me, there is nothing abnormal about this for God has been doing these things for millennia for believers and unbelievers*- if we read the Scriptures in context.  A God who can create the world can surely do anything He wishes at any time or with anyone He wishes.  Some of the Scriptures indicate things I am very glad not to see and other things I would very much like to see, but overall I realize He knows best what I should and shouldn’t see.

Elisha kept thwarting the plans of the Syrian king.  He would warn the king of Israel where their army would be and Israel was saved.  The Syrian king sent a great army to surround the city where the prophet Elisha was staying.  His servant rose that day, saw the army and fearfully said, “…Alas, my master! What shall we do?” (2Kn. 6:15)

And he answered, Do not fear, for those with us are more than those with them. And Elisha prayed and said, I pray You, Jehovah, open his eyes so that he may see. And Jehovah opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha. 2Kn. 6:16,17

       Elisha knew either by faith or sight (seeing in the Spirit) that God’s army surrounded them.  He was not afraid because he ‘saw’ the truth.  His servant only physically saw the vast Syrian army and this made him fearful.  Elisha prayed his servant’s eyes would be open, they were, and the servant saw a vast army of God (including chariots and horses) surrounding Elisha.  God allowed this servant to see in the Spirit.

       Though there are many who experienced dreams and visions recorded in the New Testament, the largest content came from John who was in the Spirit as he saw Jesus (Rv. 1:10,13), Heaven (4:2) and the future of mankind.  I’m sure some of these things troubled John to see, but the Lord had a purpose for everything John witnessed.

       My reason for posting about this today is two-fold.  One is I want to remind us all that God is in control and can utilize anyone He wills by any method He chooses.  The second thing is that there is a whole ‘spirit world’ out there that we can’t usually see: good “And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God…” (Lk. 2:13) and evil “principalities, against powers, against the world's rulers, of the darkness of this age, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” (Ep. 5:12)

Of this we should daily remember, and ensure that we test all we ‘see’ against the Word of God, and pray for discernment from God in these last days.

Oh Lord, open our eyes that we may see Your truth,

      fill us with Your Spirit that we might see all You desire us to see and know what it is You
       wish us to know.  Thank You for Your many incredible blessings.

"And it shall be in the last days, says God, I will pour out of My Spirit upon all flesh. And your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams. And in those days I will pour out My Spirit upon My slaves and My slave women, and they shall prophesy. And I will give wonders in the heaven above, and miracles on the earth below, blood and fire and vapor of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood, before that great and glorious Day of the Lord. And it shall be that everyone who shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." Ac. 2:17-21 (from Jl. 2:28-32)

*Abraham (Gn. 15:1), Jacod (Gn. 28:12,13), Micaiah (2Ch. 18:18), John (Rv. 4:2)

 Abimelech (Gen. 20:3), Pharaoh’s servants (Gn. 40:8), Nebuchadnezzar (Dn. 2:28), Cornelius (Ac. 10:3)