Acts 18:9 English Standard Version (ESV) And the Lord said to Paul one night in a vision, “Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent,

Was Paul asleep when he had this vision? If so why not call it a dream? Dreams are the product of the human mind and visions are the product of the spirit. Dreams are unreliable and visions from God are reliable.

We have heard stories coming out of Islamic countries where Muslims are converting to Christianity because of their dreams. These are being reported as dreams but are they really visions?

How would a Muslim know that their vision was from our Lord Jesus Christ? I would suspect that the Lord made himself known in the same manner that the vision was given. Strong visions carry with them a sense of reality that defies reason.

Acts 2:17 English Standard Version (ESV) “‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams;

I am an old man, a Christian of some maturity, so why is it that I would have dreams and not visions?

1 Corinthians 2:16 English Standard Version (ESV) “For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.

When our minds become more Christ like then the mind can dream dreams in agreement with the will of God. All that we know about our God and Savior is available to keep our dreams in line with the bible and these truths.

With this increase of young men coming to Jesus by strong visions in the night, is it a sign that God’s spirit is being poured out upon the last days? One thing that must be noted is the term “on all flesh”. While I am sure that those chosen by God to be called to His Son will respond, I do not know how those that are not chosen will act.

Luke 15:22 English Standard Version (ESV) But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet.’

This verse is from the parable of the Prodigal Son. If it is not fresh on you minds give it a quick read and see what the son had been doing. He had been with the pigs. We understand the parallel here about the views of pigs in Jewish society, unclean animals. Nowhere in this parable do we see the prodigal son clean himself up. Neither did the father ask his servants to wash his son. He said quickly bring the best robe.

There was no concern for the best robe being dirtied by the unclean son. The father had no concern for his son’s cleanliness. The robe would cover his unclean state. While the ring and the shoes have their own symbolic meaning, I would like to stay with the symbol of the robe.

Isaiah 61:10 English Standard Version (ESV) I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; my soul shall exult in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

Here in Isaiah we see the robe of righteousness and it is compared to both the bridegroom and the bride. For the bridegroom it is linked to the priesthood and for the bride an adornment.

Hosea 2:19 English Standard Version (ESV) And I will betroth you to me forever. I will betroth you to me in righteousness and in justice, in steadfast love and in mercy.

Philippians 3:9 English Standard Version (ESV) and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—

It is His robe of righteousness we get to wear as His betrothed.