(November 19, 2003)

God gave me a vision this morning. It was like I was looking down on a map of the United States. There were 4 riders on horseback, positioned at each edge of the map. They began riding toward each other at a hard gallop.

From the north came a rider who looked like a barbarian. He wore a hairy cape, a metal helmet with a partial face guard, and chest armor. He was of fierce countenance, and full of rage. He was called Anti-God. He hated everything having to do with Judeo-Christian values and was making war against all godliness, and anything holy. He was the leader and was in charge of the rest.

From the east came a rider, dressed in flowing white robes, and black headpiece, brandishing a bloody sword. He was called Terrorism and Murder. His passion was to kill everyone in sight, without mercy.

The third rider came from the west, and was dressed in colorful, silky robes, jewelry, and his face was painted. He was called Sexual Abomination.

The one from the south was dressed in black and gold robes, and wearing a pointed hat and was called the Spirit of Witchcraft.

The four dark horses were bearing their names across their left front shoulders. I saw the printed word "Freedom" in big white letters, but underneath it in smaller letters, was the word "Deception," in parentheses.

As the riders galloped toward each other near the middle of the map, their paths were about to form a cross. Suddenly, up from what would be the center of the cross, came a cloud-type formation in the shape of a crown. Immediately I thought, "It is the rapture!" The Church was lifting upward.

I never really saw the four riders meet. The golden cross hovered, and blocked my view. When the white, pink, and gold crown rose upward toward me, it obliterated the map and all that was on it. That was the end of the vision.

The odd thing about a vision, is that it defies time. It only takes seconds to see it, yet so much information is revealed, that it seems like it was very lengthy. It has taken so much longer to type its contents and meaning, than to have had the vision itself.

We read in the Bible how many of the Old and New Testament characters had visions and dreams, which were referred to as "visions in the night." Today's Christians still have visions... but most are unaware of what they are. I guess we think that there is some mystical happening that accompanies a vision.

Perhaps, for some, that is true. However, that has not been my experience... except for one occasion. I had what the old-timers of the church called an "open-eye" vision. I actually saw it with my physical eyes on my bedroom wall. I had kicked off my slippers while sitting on the edge of my bed, and by the time I had swung my feet up onto the mattress, I had had a complete vision. I saw a scene played out on the wall like a movie in slow motion, and a verse of scripture ran through my MIND that explained the meaning.

I have never been seeking a vision at the time a vision has occurred. With the above exception, it generally happens while I'm talking to someone, and an animated picture flashes across my mind. It plays out like a memory of a movie that I have never seen! The vision is usually centered around the individual with whom I am talking, or the person we are praying about. The meaning often comes as I am explaining what I am seeing. The contents are mostly symbolic, and God has to interpret it to me before I can reveal the meaning to someone else.

This 'horsemen' vision came to me as I was sitting at my kitchen table. I don't even remember what I was doing. At first, I just saw the map of the United States. As the rest appeared, the interpretation seemed obvious.

Most of the time, the OVERALL interpretation of a dream or vision seems obvious. However, as I ponder and just wait before the Lord, details are revealed to me, which generally happens within a few minutes. When the vision/dream is concerning my own life, sometimes God will continue to open new things to me as the day wears on.

On rare occasions, when the vision is for someone else, AND if I am not talking with them at the time I receive it, something different happens... I might have been thinking about or praying for a person, and I see something through my heart/mind's eye. I will pray about it, and then later, I will phone that person. They are usually surprised and thrilled, as what I had seen pertains to something they have been going through or praying about, and they needed a word from the Lord.

Many times, people will call me and ask me to interpret their dreams. Again, if the dream is from God, the meaning will seem obvious to me and I wonder why they can't see it for themselves. I believe that God means for all His people to seek Him, and learn to understand when He chooses to communicate to them in this way.

This is not a mystical power that only the "chosen few" possess. God's gifts are for all His kids, and are listed in the Scripture in 1 Corinthians chapter 12. Nine gifts are mentioned, but there are diversities of each, and can only operate through the unction of the Holy Spirit.

Some of us are more proficient in certain gifts than others, but the general ability to talk to and hear from our Father goes with just being His child! It is no different than being able to talk with and understand our earthly dad. We may not be able to understand our neighbor's father, but we surely do know what our own daddy means when he tells us something.

As we grow up in a family, we are learning how to interpret what our parents mean when they speak to us. We learn what voice tones and facial expressions indicate right from infancy. Before we even understand language, we can FEEL what is being said to us. Science tells us that we can recognize our mother's voice, and sense her emotions while still in the womb!

Why is that...? It is because we live in such close proximity! The Bible tells us that "the sheep know His voice" (John 10). Sheep aren't the most intelligent animals, but they have the good sense to know their shepherd's voice.

Not only is Christ our shepherd, but God is our Father. He wants to talk to us. We learn His meaning, expressions, and His will by living in close proximity with Him, and by reading His Word. The Bible is a long "letter" He has written to us... it is our spiritual history, Papa God's instructions to us as well as a diary. A person writes their feelings in a diary, and we get to know how they think, respond, communicate, and conduct themselves just by reading what they have written.

The mystery is removed from interpreting dreams and visions, if we familiarize ourselves with God's Word. We see that when Jesus taught the people during his earthly ministry, He used a lot of parables, which are earthly stories with heavenly meanings. He taught within the audience's concept of their own culture and lifestyle. He also spoke on their educational level. His whole aim was for them to understand Him, to know Him. Even a child knew what He was saying. Jesus revealed great mysteries of the Kingdom in such simple, elementary terms, that there was no way for Him to be misunderstood.

As we read the Bible, we will not only see parables in the four Gospels of Jesus' earthly life, but we will see a lot of symbols. The Book of the Revelation is full of them as well. Some symbol examples are:

• Olive tree = Israel
• Oil, fire, wind = Holy Spirit
• Bride = Church
• Dragon, serpent = Satan
• Bread, door, gate, shepherd = Jesus

Numbers have certain meanings too:

• 1 = unity
• 3 = trinity
• 5 = grace
• 6 = man
• 7 = perfection
• 8 = new beginnings
• 9 = Holy Spirit

...plus many more.

Colors also mean certain things:

• Purple = royalty
• Red = healing
• White = purity

...etc. A lot of these references are obvious to our own culture.

Dreams and visions are full of symbolism. If we know what these symbols are, the meaning is generally pretty clear. For the rest, the Holy Spirit has to fill in the blanks, and help us to find the interpretation of the dream/vision.

The Lord orchestrates it this way so that none of us can form our own "psychic hotline;" that is the devil's territory. We must rely on the Lord to clarify the meaning, so that it remains a partnership with God; a package deal! God forbids fortunetelling, and of course this is not anything like that, so let's be very clear. These gifts are not for sale, nor do we charge a penny for what belongs to God. Gifts of the Holy Spirit are for the benefit and edification of the Body of Christ; His Church. We did nothing to earn or receive them, so we certainly do not take or give money, credit or glory for what God Himself does through any willing vessel. "My glory I WILL NOT give to another" (Isaiah 42:8).

I hope that this lesson has cleared up some of the confusion or mystery concerning dreams and visions in the Church. It is all God; it begins and ends with God. As a teacher, I try to clarify the Word to hungry seekers, by breaking it down into the simplest terms. There is no profit in having knowledge if one can't convey it to others. I pray that I have done that.

But...
If you have any questions, please e-mail me! I will be glad to respond.

May God bless you all!
Pastor Moser