We may desire to see visions of God to satisfy our own sensual curiousity, pride, insecurity, and other impure motives – without an understanding of what visions are all about.
1. Are we willing to make a sacrifice?
God’s appearances are not for the fainthearted or unfaithful. God’s admonishments, reassurances, and instructions through visions can come at a high personal cost. Many of the prophets who have seen God, for example, were called to speak up for God and were persecuted or endured great suffering as a result. Some met with terrible deaths. (Please scroll down to the table “Examples of people who have seen God from the Bible” below for 15 examples of people who have seen God.)
Colossians 3:5 NIV Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.
2. Are we willing to obey?
Moreover, seeing God in visions will be meaningless if we do not revere and obey Him. King Solomon saw God in visions twice and flippantly disobeyed Him towards the end of his life, bringing disaster on the nation and his own family. If God appears to us and reveals His will for us, we cannot ignore it without paying a price for our complete disregard of God’s call on our lives.
1 Kings 11:9-10 ESV And the Lord was angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned away from the Lord, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods. But he did not keep what the Lord commanded.
3. Are we simply chasing signs and wonders?
There are those who will be fascinated with signs and wonders, such as the miracle of seeing God. This is dangerous and can easily lead us to spiritual error. Jesus has warned us that there will be many false signs and wonders in our time and that even some of God’s elect people will be led astray. When we desire to see God more than fear and love Him, we will be readily deceived.
Matthew 24:24 ESV For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.
Persecution Live 