Night Visions
Notes
Transcript
Prepare for War!
Prepare for War!
Be ready for the fight!
Talk about Mississippi
Talk about the the principality vision.
The Four Beasts
The Four Beasts
Daniel 7:1–8 (ESV)
1 In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel saw a dream and visions of his head as he lay in his bed. Then he wrote down the dream and told the sum of the matter.
2 Daniel declared, “I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the great sea.
3 And four great beasts came up out of the sea, different from one another.
4 The first was like a lion and had eagles’ wings. Then as I looked its wings were plucked off, and it was lifted up from the ground and made to stand on two feet like a man, and the mind of a man was given to it.
5 And behold, another beast, a second one, like a bear. It was raised up on one side. It had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth; and it was told, ‘Arise, devour much flesh.’
6 After this I looked, and behold, another, like a leopard, with four wings of a bird on its back. And the beast had four heads, and dominion was given to it.
7 After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, terrifying and dreadful and exceedingly strong. It had great iron teeth; it devoured and broke in pieces and stamped what was left with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns.
8 I considered the horns, and behold, there came up among them another horn, a little one, before which three of the first horns were plucked up by the roots. And behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking great things.
The first 6 chapter’s of the book of Daniel are a narrative.
Chapter’s 7-12 are categorized as apocalyptic literature.
“As in Old Testament theology, the apocalyptic judgment of the day of the Lord is enacted in both the earthly and supernatural realms.” - Dr. Michael Heiser
The Four Winds - represent the North, South, East and West.
The Great Sea - is often used throughout the Hebrew Bible as a symbol of turmoil and chaos.
Some bible scholars believe that the four beasts represent the nations of the endtimes.
Other’s however see this as a parallel to King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream in Daniel chapter 2.
The Lion - Represents the Neo-Babylonian empire.
The Bear - Represents Medo-Persia.
The Leopard - Represents the Greek empire and Alexander the Great’s rapid conquests.
The fourth beast as well as the ten horns represent Rome.
What Are Visions?
What Are Visions?
Tell the vision that you had about Carmel.
A vision is a revelation from God.
Visions usually occur when you are awake, but they can occur when you’re asleep as well.
A vision can function as a prophetic gift
Although visions aren’t necessarily a prophecy in nature.
A “Seer” - one who has visions, prophesies and interprets dreams.
Metaphoric and literal elements can be combined in visions.
You can find this biblically in Acts 10 where Peter has a vision of four footed animals, reptiles and birds.
God was metaphorically reveling to Peter that He literally made the gentiles clean. Peter thought that God was strictly referring to food.
“A vision is a revelation straight to the human spirit, a deposit from God injected into our spirits that interrupts soulish or conscious activity. However, without spiritual discernment, our natural inclination is to dismiss or ignore such revelations as vacant meanderings of our own mind.” - Adam F. Thompson
God used visions all throughout the Bible to communicate with mankind.
From Abraham to Ezekiel all the way to Peter and John. God spoke to them through visions.
God uses visions to prepare ground, open the hearts of people and to build faith.
God uses dreams to reveal the enemy’s tactics so you can engage in spiritual warfare.
Share the story about the vision of the car “crash.”
Share the the story about the vision about the “nails.”
God can also reveal to you the third heaven so you can partner with heaven’s agenda.
Share the story about the vision about my “big feet.”
Romans 4:17 (ESV)
17 as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist.
What Are Imaginations?
What Are Imaginations?
Imagination - The ability to form a mental image of something not present to the senses, or never before wholly perceived in reality.
5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,
The King James Version uses the phrase “Casting Down Imaginations.”
Visions Vs. Imaginations.
Visions Vs. Imaginations.
Visions are from God.
There is also a counter-fit demonic curse that can create visions.
Imaginations are demonic strongholds, carnal mindsets and even a demonic spirit that possesses people.
There are people in the church that think that have visions, but are actually being led and deceived by a demonic spirit
Visions of the Night
Visions of the Night
So I bet you all are wondering what the significance is of having a night vision...
What are Night Visions?
In many ways visions of the night foreshadow a future darkness.
Let’s see Genesis 46:1-4.
1 So Israel took his journey with all that he had and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac.
2 And God spoke to Israel in visions of the night and said, “Jacob, Jacob.” And he said, “Here I am.”
3 Then he said, “I am God, the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for there I will make you into a great nation.
4 I myself will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also bring you up again, and Joseph’s hand shall close your eyes.”
What form of darkness can be for-seen within this text?
1. Jacob’s death
2. The Israelites future captivity in Egypt.
According to the Faithlife Study Bible the phrase “visions of the night” likely refers to a dream, though the normal Hebrew word for dreaming (chalom, which occurs in 20:3; 28:12; 31:11; 37:5–10) is not used here.
So the phrase “visions of the night” is a mystery???
Who likes mysteries???
11 The strong lion perishes for lack of prey, and the cubs of the lioness are scattered.
12 “Now a word was brought to me stealthily; my ear received the whisper of it.
13 Amid thoughts from visions of the night, when deep sleep falls on men,
14 dread came upon me, and trembling, which made all my bones shake.
15 A spirit glided past my face; the hair of my flesh stood up.
16 It stood still, but I could not discern its appearance. A form was before my eyes; there was silence, then I heard a voice:
17 ‘Can mortal man be in the right before God? Can a man be pure before his Maker?
18 Even in his servants he puts no trust, and his angels he charges with error;
Sorrow May Last for the Night
Sorrow May Last for the Night
5 For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.
25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them,
The Four Beasts Pt. 2
The Four Beasts Pt. 2
Daniel 7 is actually a divine throne room scene.
Just a brief re-cap:
The scene begins (Dan 7:1–8) with an odd vision.
Daniel sees four beasts coming out of the sea.
The fourth beast is the most terrifying.
We learn that the four beasts represent four empires, as had been the case with Nebuchadnezzar’s dream in Daniel 2.
Now this is where things get interesting.
Verse 9 says:
Daniel 7:9-12 (ESV)
9 “As I looked, thrones were placed, and the Ancient of Days took his seat; his clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames; its wheels were burning fire.
10 A stream of fire issued and came out from before him; a thousand thousands served him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him; the court sat in judgment, and the books were opened.
11 “I looked then because of the sound of the great words that the horn was speaking. And as I looked, the beast was killed, and its body destroyed and given over to be burned with fire.
12 As for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away, but their lives were prolonged for a season and a time.
First of all, the phrase the “ancient of days” refers to the deity of Christ.
The phrase “son of man,” refers to his humanity of Christ.
Jesus Christ is both fully man and fully God.
I like what Dr. Michael Heiser says about verse 9 in his book the Unseen Realm.
“Several things jump out at us right away. First, we know that the Ancient of Days is the God of Israel because the description of his throne as fiery and having wheels matches that of the vision of Ezekiel 1. Ezekiel’s vision also included a human figure on the throne of God (Ezek 1:26–27). Second, there are many thrones in heaven, not just one (“thrones were set up”). These thrones mark the presence of the divine council. Third, the council is called to session to decide the fate of the beasts—national empires. The decision of the council to slay the fourth beast and remove the dominion of all the beasts (vv. 11–12) is important for eschatology, but that’s peripheral to our focus here. Daniel 7:13–14 moves us forward in our pursuit of a truly divine messiah.” - Dr. Michael Heiser
Daniel 7:13–14 (ESV)
13 “I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him.
14 And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.
Isn’t that amazing!?
We already talked about the the phrase “ancient of days.”
Now lets talk about the phrase “Clouds of heaven.”
Specifically in ancient literature of Ugarit.
Notice this...
In the Ugaritic texts, the god Baal is called “the one who rides the clouds.”
The description became an official title of Baal, whom the entire ancient Near Eastern world considered a deity of rank.
To ancient people all over the Mediterranean, Israelite or not, the “one who rides the clouds” was a deity.
Any figure to whom the title was attributed was a god.
So what is the significance to all of this?
What am I trying to convey?
I’m saying that the Hebrew writers were making the point that Yahweh, the God of Israel, deserved worship instead of Baal.
In other words, the biblical writers occasionally “stole” the description of Baal as “cloud rider” and assigned it to Yahweh.
“This literary tactic was used to make a theological statement. The point was to “displace” or snub Baal and hold up Yahweh as the deity who legitimately rode through the heavens surveying and governing the world.” - Dr. Michael Heiser
The title always belonged to Yahweh.
Look at these scriptures!
There is no one like God, O, Jeshurun, who rides through the heavens to your help, and with his majesty through the skies (Deut 33:26).
O kingdoms of the earth, sing to God; sing praise to the Lord, Selah, to the one who rides in the highest heavens of old. See, he gives forth his voice, a mighty voice (Psa 68:32–33).
Bless Yahweh, O my soul. O Yahweh my God, you are very great. You clothe yourself with splendor and majesty, you who cover yourself with light as with a garment, who stretch out the heavens like a tent curtain, the one who sets beams in the waters for his upper chambers, who makes clouds his chariot, who rides on the wings of the wind (Psa 104:1–4).
An oracle of Egypt: Look! Yahweh is riding on a swift cloud and is coming to Egypt. And the idols of Egypt will tremble in front of him, and the heart of Egypt melts in his inner parts (Isa 19:1).
Lastly in Revelation 1:7 John the Revelator reveals the the truth and settles the matter! Baal got demoted! Baal was defeated at the cross! Baal never earned that title or rank. He was holding it illegitimately.
John said.
7 Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen.
And the Apostle Paul said.
10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
That means all of creation will bow before Jesus Christ!
Even rebellious fallen deities including Baal!
Even Satan himself...
I Will Not Bow!!!!
I Will Not Bow!!!!
Talk about the mandated vax.
Talk about how you’ve been asked it a lot this past week.
The Paton is 666.
Talk about the neonates and nano technology.
It’s the beast system!
We need to be like Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego!
We will not bow to the enemy!
We will not bow to tyranny!
And we will not bow to the beast system!
We will bow to Jesus Christ and Him alone!!!!!
Conclusion: We Need to Have Night Vision!
Conclusion: We Need to Have Night Vision!
Trumpets and smashed jars.
19 So Gideon and the hundred men who were with him came to the outskirts of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, when they had just set the watch. And they blew the trumpets and smashed the jars that were in their hands.
The middle watch refers to the night watch!
You gotta see differently!
And if you can’t see it, SAY it!
You got to be able to see past your situation!
The problem with a lot of prophetic people is that they don’t know how to see through the darkness!
They are being deceived!
God is raising a prophetic army in these last days!
This Army will consist of prophetic night watchers!
Those that can see, discern and overcome!!!