Visions

God speaks to individuals in visions

Genesis 46:2–4 KJV 1900

And God spake unto Israel in the visions of the night, and said, Jacob, Jacob. And he said, Here am I. And he said, I am God, the God of thy father: fear not to go down into Egypt; for I will there make of thee a great nation: I will go down with thee into Egypt; and I will also surely bring thee up again: and Joseph shall put his hand upon thine eyes.

See also Ge 15:1; 1 Sa 3:10–15; Ac 9:10–12; Ac 10:3–6; Ac 11:5–12; Ac 16:9–10; Ac 18:9–10; Ac 26:12–19

Visions may reveal future events

Daniel 8:17–19 KJV 1900

So he came near where I stood: and when he came, I was afraid, and fell upon my face: but he said unto me, Understand, O son of man: for at the time of the end shall be the vision. Now as he was speaking with me, I was in a deep sleep on my face toward the ground: but he touched me, and set me upright. And he said, Behold, I will make thee know what shall be in the last end of the indignation: for at the time appointed the end shall be.

See also Da 7:15–18; Da 7:23–27; Am 7:7–9; Lk 1:11–22; Re 22:6

Visions may contain unusual or startling images

Zechariah 1:8 KJV 1900

I saw by night, and behold a man riding upon a red horse, and he stood among the myrtle trees that were in the bottom; and behind him were there red horses, speckled, and white.

See also Eze 1:4–28; Da 4:10–17; Da 7:2–15; Da 8:2–14; Re 1:12–16; Re 4:1–11; Re 9:17

Visions received by prophets

Numbers 12:6 KJV 1900

And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the Lord will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream.

See also Is 6:1–4; Je 1:11–16; Eze 1:1; Ho 12:10; Am 7:1–9

Visions recorded by prophets

2 Chronicles 32:32 KJV 1900

Now the rest of the acts of Hezekiah, and his goodness, behold, they are written in the vision of Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, and in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.

See also 2 Ch 9:29; Is 1:1; Da 7:1; Da 8:1; Ob 1; Mic 1:1; Na 1:1

False visions associated with lying prophets

Ezekiel 13:6–9 KJV 1900

They have seen vanity and lying divination, saying, The Lord saith: and the Lord hath not sent them: and they have made others to hope that they would confirm the word. Have ye not seen a vain vision, and have ye not spoken a lying divination, whereas ye say, The Lord saith it; albeit I have not spoken? Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Because ye have spoken vanity, and seen lies, therefore, behold, I am against you, saith the Lord God. And mine hand shall be upon the prophets that see vanity, and that divine lies: they shall not be in the assembly of my people, neither shall they be written in the writing of the house of Israel, neither shall they enter into the land of Israel; and ye shall know that I am the Lord God.

See also 1 Ki 22:10–28; Je 14:14; Je 23:16; La 2:14; Eze 22:28; Zec 10:2

God may withhold visions

1 Samuel 3:1 KJV 1900

And the child Samuel ministered unto the Lord before Eli. And the word of the Lord was precious in those days; there was no open vision.

See also La 2:9; Eze 7:26; Mic 3:6

Visions associated with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit

Acts 2:17 KJV 1900

And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith 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:

See also Joe 2:28