Before the Vision:

The topic of discussion in a “learning circle”, in which I was a participant, was how God uses various people in various ways to do His work. I shared with the group how God, through the Holy Spirit, had been gradually leading me in the direction in which He wanted me to go while preparing me with the skills I needed to do His work. A sharp remark came from a renowned leader of the group saying: “God does not work that way. When God does something, He does it all at once”.

That blow hit me extremely hard for several reasons, but mostly because I knew that the response was not true, and I believe he knew it was not true. I felt he was intentionally trying to make me doubt the fact that God was truly leading me. I had trouble understanding how could any person of that ecclesiastical status let his personal feelings about someone cause him to deny the character of God. We all know that God is sovereign, which means He does whatever he wishes; however he wishes; and, through whom he wishes. That blow truly devastated me.

I went home, went into “solitary confinement”, and entered into serious, sincere prayer.  I asked God to help me understand what was this about. I spent most of the night praying, reading scripture, and meditating;  but I did manage to get a little sleep. As I was waking up the next morning, between sleep and awake, I saw this vision:

Vision: “The Tall White Feathered Creature”

In a vision, I saw some wooden boxes resembling coffins, stacked at least three boxes high and three boxes lengthwise. There was a short and muscular built man standing in front of the boxes whose job was to open the boxes and take out whatever was in them. He pried open the front cover of the center box. Inside the box, there was a large white birdlike creature that resembled an ostrich; it was lying on its side. The creature obviously had been in the box a long time, because his body was cramped in the box as if he was outgrowing the box.  His feathers were scarce; his bare skin was exposed; and he was extremely frail.

The man was having a difficult time trying to coax the creature out of the box; the creature was hesitant. It was as if he did not know if he should get out of the box or even if he could trust the man who was trying to get him out.  The man seemed to be cautious as well; he did not know how the creature would react to him, but he was determined to get him out.

Through lots of coaxing on the man’s part and cautious cooperation on the creature’s part, the creature was finally out of the box. The big question then, was: “How would the creature react to being free?” The creature, standing clumsily, barely touching the ground; began hopping, galloping, and flapping his wings in mid-air; and moving up toward the clouds. First, he had the appearance of a big white bird, then like a big white horse with wings.

The further the creature moved away from the man toward the white clouds, the more skillful his movements became; the more pronounced the muscles in his body became; and the more confident he became.  He moved in a way that seemed natural for him and toward a destiny that seemed to be naturally calling him.

There was something strange about these clouds. All of the clouds were snow-white except for a small section of them (a square-like patch), which appeared to function as a sheer covering in front of something that was red, brown, green, and gold. These colors were peeking through the white clouds. The creature moved gracefully toward that spot as if he knew he belonged there.

The man watched as the creature ascended toward the heavens, but he knew his work was just beginning; the other boxes still had to be opened, which most likely contained similar creatures.

The Interpretation of the Vision:

After receiving the vision, I had no idea as to what it meant. I had many questions about the vision. Among them were: what did this creature represent?; who was that man?; where was that creature going?; and what did the vision mean to me?

I entered into prayer again, asking God to tell me the meaning of this vision. The meaning was revealed through Scripture, over a period of days. I was directed to various sections of the Bible to specific texts that answered those questions.

In the interest of time, I will summarize the answers to the questions and give scriptural references that revealed those answers.

What Did This Creature Represent?

The creature represented people who were still babes in Christ who, for various reasons, were not maturing spiritually. Some were simply relaxed and thought they did not need to know anything else (Rev 3:15-17); some were beginning to fall back on previous teachings because they were still weak (Hebrews 5:12-14;6:1-8); some were victims of depraved teachers who spoke evil of things they did not understand (2 Peter 2:12); and, some were victims of false teachers who had other self-serving, deceptive motives (2 Peter 2:18-19).

Who was the man?

The man represented Jesus, but he also represented Jesus’ disciples that He commissioned to continue His work (including those disciples of today).  I was led to Luke 4:18 which talked about when Jesus announced His ministry to the people of His hometown of Nazareth. He read from Isaiah 61 which spoke of the coming of the redeemer who was anointed to proclaim the good news: to the poor; to the prisoners that needed to be freed; to the blind that needed their sights recovered; and to the oppressed that needed to be set free. These people had a close resemblance to those that the creature represented in the vision. Jesus let the people of Nazareth know that He was the one who was anointed to do these things, when he said in Luke 4:21, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

Where Was the Creature Going?

The creature was going about his business, doing what he should have been doing from the beginning: growing in the spirit of God by seeking perfection in the image of Jesus Christ; and, moving toward his final destination represented by the patch of faint colors in the cloud. (Revelation 4:1-5). I believe he was demonstrating what we should be doing.

The Personal Message for Me:

This vision served to let me know that this is where the need is in God’s kingdom, and this is where I need to work (helping others grow spiritually). It helped me understand that if I had not been knowledgeable of the Word, and led by the Holy Spirit when I was “attacked” by the forces that be, I could have retreated to one of those coffin-like boxes for safety. It also helped me to better understand that it is ultimately my responsibility to “study to show myself approved unto God, a workman who needs not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). I am ultimately responsible, with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, for my own spiritual growth.

Points for Consideration and Meditation:

• Consider the meaning of the word “fortitude”: – mental strength that enables a person to encounter danger or bear pain or adversity with courage.
• Now meditate on this question: Do I have the fortitude to sustain a serious spiritual attack without suffering a serious spiritual setback?