In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days and they will prophesy. I will show wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
ACTS 2:17–21
“All better now,” exclaimed my angel as she strolled out the back door and onto the patio, abruptly ending my catnap. “How do I look? Nice?” I turned to look at Margaret and laughed out loud. There she stood, posing dramatically with one hand on her hip, an exaggerated smile showing all of her perfect, small white teeth, and wearing an enormous pair of black horn-rimmed sunglasses. She looked ridiculous. I got up and joined her.
“What in the world?” I laughed. “Where did you get those silly glasses?”
“Don’t you recognize them? They were on your kitchen counter next to the box of tissues.”
“Oh yeah,” I exclaimed as I looked closer. “Those are the 3-D glasses I brought home from the movie Guy and I saw the other night on our dinner-and-a-movie date. Why are you wearing those? There isn’t anything unusual you can see with them right now. Is there?”
Margaret beamed and linked her arm through mine, leading me back to our chairs overlooking the yard. We sat, and she pulled out another pair of glasses from the folds of her gown—she must have found both pairs inside. “Here,” she said, “put these on.”
Giggling, I put on my 3-D glasses and looked at Margaret. We must have looked really goofy sitting out here in these enormous black glasses. Margaret giggled, too, and then, oh my, a hilarious little snort escaped from her nose. We both dissolved in laughter so hard it made my sides ache.
“Okay, seriously now,” said Margaret, trying to put a solemn look on her face. Somehow she actually achieved it while I sat there grinning ear to ear.
“I wanted us to wear these to illustrate a point. When you went to the movie the other night, you had to wear these glasses to see a dimension hidden from your normal vision. Right?”
“Yes,” I replied. “And it was really cool. Everything looked so realistic and clear. The characters looked as if they were standing right there in front of me.”
“That’s right,” said Margaret. “If you had tried to watch the movie without the glasses, the images on the screen would have been blurred. You would have missed the clarity and wonder a third dimension provides as revealed by the 3-D glasses. Jenn, do you remember our earlier discussion about heavenly intersections?”
I nodded.
“Today,” Margaret continued, “our journey brings us to the heart of one of these intersections—the place where heaven meets you in your dreams to reveal deep and hidden truths. You might say that you wear spiritual 3-D glasses while you sleep, my dear, because you are a Divine dreamer. This gift carries an anointing of the Holy Spirit and should be taken seriously. Your dreams can include prophecy, warning, instruction, and revelation, and while some dreams may be private, others may be shared as the Spirit leads.”
More goose bumps. My heart constricted from the depth of emotion this subject triggers within me. It is a gift I have held close to my heart for many years and have shared it with very few people.
“Margaret,” I said softly, “these dreams are very special to me, and I want so badly to understand what God is trying to say to me. Sometimes there are things in my dreams that are obvious and easy to understand, but for the most part, well, you know me and how long it takes for me to get it,” I said with a small laugh.
“I think I might be able to help shed light on what you do not understand,” Margaret said, smiling, “but before we get to that, I’d like you to tell me a little bit about what it is like to experience Divine dreams.”
“Well,” I began thoughtfully, “my very first clue that I have experienced a Divine dream is that the realism of the dream is extraordinary and the memory does not fade as normal dreams do. I can recall every detail, even after many years, as if I were watching a movie. Sometimes I am just an observer, and sometimes I’m an active participant. But in both cases, there is the presence of an intellect other than my own. It is deep, pervasive, and wise. Upon awakening from the dream, I am overcome with the knowledge that I have received a special kind of communication from God. And then comes the hard part . . . figuring out what it means.”
“Do you want to know something remarkable, Jenn?” Margaret asked.
I nodded enthusiastically.
“The key to understanding your dreams lives in that beautiful book you hold in your hands every morning. Holy Scripture—the Word of God—is the very source of the truths God is revealing to you in your dreams. I know you have already experienced a few moments of clarity about your dreams while reading your Bible. The deeper you go into the Scriptures, the clearer your understanding will be. You will recognize this truth as we begin to explore your dreams, and you will also discover that Scripture reflects the very character of God. God is not linear. The Bible reveals that he is the God of past, present, and future. You will see that your dreams reflect this.
“And, you must keep in mind that God’s Word is a living Word. God speaks to you where you are. His truth moves with you, revealing what you need to know at just the right time, as you are ready to receive. Patience is a virtue, child. Understanding the mysteries God reveals to you can take time, and is well worth the wait.”
I grudgingly agreed. “I admit to being impatient sometimes when it comes to understanding my dreams because I know that wondrous truths are waiting to be discovered. I can say one thing for certain, though, my angel friend. These Divine dreams have led me to consider there is much more to our everyday existence than meets the eye. I guess you could say God was the original inventor of 3-D vision.”
“Oh, my, child, you just might be right about that!” laughed Margaret. “Now hold that thought. I have a perfect story from Second Kings to share with you. It’s about when God opened the eyes of Elisha’s servant to reveal an incredible sight . . . at just the right time.”
When the servant of the man of God got up early the next morning and went outside, there were troops, horses, and chariots everywhere. “Oh, sir, what will we do now?” the young man cried to Elisha. “Don’t be afraid!” Elisha told him. “For there are more on our side than on theirs!” Then Elisha prayed, “O Lord, open his eyes and let him see!” The Lord opened the young man’s eyes, and when he looked up, he saw that the hillside around Elisha was filled with horses and chariots of fire.
As she finished the story, Margaret’s voice trembled with emotion. “Jenn,” she said, “God did this very thing for you when he gave you this gift of Divine dreams. As you slept, he spoke this into your heart:
“I have opened your eyes, precious child, so that you may see the wonders of my kingdom!”
“So now let’s delve right into these wondrous dreams of yours.” Margaret removed her 3-D glasses, leaned back in her chair, let out a deep sigh, and closed her eyes, ready to listen.
I decided to keep my 3-D glasses on while I began to speak of dreams.