I woke from a dream that I did not remember once I woke up. So, I began journaling and then I closed my eyes to pray before I read the Word. Then, I had A VISION: I saw figures (people or whatever) dressed in black acting all scary like (not scary to me). I asked the Lord if this was of him to give me understanding of what I was seeing. Then, I saw orange pumpkins. I realized I was seeing Halloween.
Now, I had not been reading about Halloween and I don’t celebrate Halloween. So, I closed my eyes again and inquired of the Lord more about this. Then, I saw a white background of some kind against a black background to where the black was seeping through the white.
Then, on the white background someone had drawn in black ink or marker outline figures of animals, only they were squared instead of rounded. Since only the outline of the animals was drawn, the white on black background is what filled them in. The animals were in a line, like a caravan, that was facing and going to the left. At the front of the line was an elephant followed by a pig and then sheep. END
Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. I read Ezekiel 1:
The Living Creatures and the Glory of the Lord
1 In the thirtieth year, in the fourth month on the fifth day, while I was among the exiles by the Kebar River, the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God.
2 On the fifth of the month—it was the fifth year of the exile of King Jehoiachin- 3 the word of the LORD came to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, by the Kebar River in the land of the Babylonians. There the hand of the LORD was upon him.
4 I looked, and I saw a windstorm coming out of the north—an immense cloud with flashing lightning and surrounded by brilliant light. The center of the fire looked like glowing metal, 5 and in the fire was what looked like four living creatures. In appearance their form was that of a man, 6 but each of them had four faces and four wings. 7 Their legs were straight; their feet were like those of a calf and gleamed like burnished bronze. 8 Under their wings on their four sides they had the hands of a man. All four of them had faces and wings, 9 and their wings touched one another. Each one went straight ahead; they did not turn as they moved.
10 Their faces looked like this: Each of the four had the face of a man, and on the right side each had the face of a lion, and on the left the face of an ox; each also had the face of an eagle. 11 Such were their faces. Their wings were spread out upward; each had two wings, one touching the wing of another creature on either side, and two wings covering its body. 12 Each one went straight ahead. Wherever the spirit would go, they would go, without turning as they went. 13 The appearance of the living creatures was like burning coals of fire or like torches. Fire moved back and forth among the creatures; it was bright, and lightning flashed out of it. 14 The creatures sped back and forth like flashes of lightning.
15 As I looked at the living creatures, I saw a wheel on the ground beside each creature with its four faces. 16 This was the appearance and structure of the wheels: They sparkled like chrysolite, and all four looked alike. Each appeared to be made like a wheel intersecting a wheel. 17 As they moved, they would go in any one of the four directions the creatures faced; the wheels did not turn about as the creatures went. 18 Their rims were high and awesome, and all four rims were full of eyes all around.
19 When the living creatures moved, the wheels beside them moved; and when the living creatures rose from the ground, the wheels also rose. 20 Wherever the spirit would go, they would go, and the wheels would rise along with them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels. 21 When the creatures moved, they also moved; when the creatures stood still, they also stood still; and when the creatures rose from the ground, the wheels rose along with them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.
22 Spread out above the heads of the living creatures was what looked like an expanse, sparkling like ice, and awesome. 23 Under the expanse their wings were stretched out one toward the other, and each had two wings covering its body. 24 When the creatures moved, I heard the sound of their wings, like the roar of rushing waters, like the voice of the Almighty, like the tumult of an army. When they stood still, they lowered their wings.
25 Then there came a voice from above the expanse over their heads as they stood with lowered wings. 26 Above the expanse over their heads was what looked like a throne of sapphire, and high above on the throne was a figure like that of a man. 27 I saw that from what appeared to be his waist up he looked like glowing metal, as if full of fire, and that from there down he looked like fire; and brilliant light surrounded him. 28 Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around him.
This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. When I saw it, I fell facedown, and I heard the voice of one speaking.
My Understanding: In giving me this vision with this scripture passage, I believe, the Lord is contrasting Ezekiel’s vision of the holiness and awesomeness of God to the wickedness and ‘glory’ of man as seen in my vision. First, let me share a little bit about Ezekiel’s vision and then we’ll make the contrast.
Zondervan NIV Commentary of Ezekiel 1 (excerpts): “Against the backdrop of the awesome holiness of God visualized here, Ezekiel saw the wickedness of Israel and thereby understood why God had to judge his sinful people. When the nations profaned the Lord by claiming that Judah was in captivity because their God was weak, Ezekiel knew that his God was greater than Babylonia’s gods. Though the Lord had chosen to discipline his people then, he would be victorious over all the nations when he restored Israel to the Promised Land…
Ezekiel’s vision began with “what appeared to be a raging electrical storm – dark clouds, lightning, and thunder – coming from the north. Within this storm he saw four figures resembling living beings…
“Their forward movement was in the direction in which the human face looked. When they moved, they did not turn around. The creatures moved only under the control of the Holy Spirit… Ezekiel’s vision was a manifestation of God’s glory. This manifestation of the Lord’s glory forms a backdrop for the announcements of judgment Ezekiel would make. Since the glorious, holy God who gave the Mosaic covenant could not tolerate disobedience to that covenant because of his righteous character, he had to execute judgment on the iniquity that his holy nature could not tolerate…”
Ok, here is the contrast. In Ezekiel’s vision, the “backdrop” was God’s holiness and righteousness (white). In my vision, the backdrop was black symbolizing the wickedness of man, which is why the vision began with Halloween, Satan’s holiday. In Ezekiel’s vision, the awesomeness of God and his glory was predominant even though it was compared to the wickedness of man. In my vision, the ‘glory’ of man and his wickedness was predominant and what stood out to me is how this wickedness has gotten so bad that it is seeping through into areas in our homes, the church, our schools and the government of our land that should be where we shine as lights for the Lord and where his glory should shine through. Instead, the evil of man is what is coming through and God’s glory in our world is fading away. God hasn’t changed. We have!
Ok, Ezekiel’s vision begins with dark clouds, thunder, lightning and within this storm he saw four figures resembling living beings. In my vision, it began with figures, too, whose sole purpose was to instill fear. And, then I saw that it was Satan’s holiday I was seeing. In Ezekiel’s vision, the creatures moved in one direction only under the control of the Holy Spirit. I think my creatures were moving under the control of Satan. Ezekiel’s vision was the manifestation of God’s glory. My vision was the manifestation of man’s ‘glory.’ But, in both Ezekiel’s vision and my vision, the end result is still the same. It forms a backdrop for the announcement of judgment and the reason why judgment must come.
I believe this is what my vision is about. This is about our government and its leaders and all these steps that the government has been taking to ‘save’ our economy. The problem is that every step they have taken has only brought us down further into the basement (next dream). The ‘figures’ in my vision dressed in black and trying to scare people are our government leaders, particularly our president (the elephant) and Congress. They are trying to control by fear tactics.
I believe the “pig” represents not only the bailout package but all the previous and subsequent measures the government has taken ‘on behalf of the American people.’ So, the caravan goes like this: In the lead is our president (the elephant) and his cabinet and/or advisors, then the ‘stuff’ they’ve been pulling over on the American people via fear mongering. Following them comes Congress, the presidential candidates, and many Americans who really believe that our government is acting in our best interest. The Lord is showing here what ‘spirit’ is leading our government and it isn’t the Holy Spirit. Satan is leading our government right to hell and the sheep are going right there with them.
This is why God must judge America.
Quotes from news articles related to this vision:
US stocks extend huge losses over credit concerns
http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/081010/wall_street.html
"Fear has been running rampant all over the Street. Fear and greed, that's what rules the Street. I think the carcass has been stripped to the bone," said Dave Henderson, a floor trader on the New York Stock Exchange for Raven Securities Corp.”
Bush says anxiety feeding market instability
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D93NNA1O0&show_article=1
WASHINGTON (AP) – “President Bush said Friday that the government's financial rescue plan was aggressive enough and big enough to work, but would take time to fully kick in. "We can solve this crisis and we will," he said in brief remarks from the White House Rose Garden.”
“The president noted that major Western countries were working together in an attempt to stabilize markets and end the spreading panic, including coordinated cuts in interest rates.
“Through these efforts, the world is sending an unmistakable signal. We're in this together and we'll come through this together," Bush said.”
“It was the first time the president has mentioned suggestions that the government buy shares of banks, although it has been mentioned by other administration officials.
“Since the bailout package was signed into law, the conversation about how it will be used has shifted from taxpayers buying troubled mortgages to taxpayers buying troubled banks. Or at least pieces of them.
“Such a move would amount to a partial nationalization of the U.S. banking industry, a move once considered unthinkable.”
Swaggers turn to shudders a year after market high
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081010/ap_on_bi_ge/meltdown_stock_market_fear
• a frightening reversal of fortune
• We are dealing with fear
• only seems to be scaring people even more
• negative images
• are trying their best not to be spooked
• Fear is the most dangerous emotion
• Some things in the world are pretty scary
• We have every right to be scared
• Doomsayers
• An illusion
• America’s Financial Apocalypse
• Sounded even more alarms
Big enough (elephant); together (caravan); shares of banks (straight lines)…
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