Are Muslims getting converted through dreams?
(Jeff Unsworth)
We are hearing so much today about Muslims dreaming of Jesus and becoming Christians.
It seems that this phenomenon is gathering at a great pace.
How in the light of the scriptures should Christians look at this?
Muslims do believe in Jesus, however the Muslim Jesus, (Isa) is not the Jesus of the Bible.
To them, Isa is nothing more than a prophet of Allah and inferior to The Islam prophet Mohammad.
They even believe that “Jesus” will return again one day. However, their Jesus does not return in the way the Bible reveals and what he comes to do is not the same as the Christian Jesus. The Islam Jesus comes to correct the Christians, showing them how wrong their teachings are.
According to Islam, Jesus will return before the Day of Judgement to defeat the "Dajjal" (the false Messiah), establish peace and justice on Earth, and clarify misconceptions about his life and mission, essentially completing his prophetic role by upholding the true teachings of God as revealed to Prophet Muhammad, the final prophet in Islam; his return is seen as a sign of the end times.
However, the Quran doesn't explicitly state that Jesus will return, but many Muslims believe that two verses allude to his second coming.
Verses that is said to refer to Jesus' return.
Koran 4:157 States that Jesus was not killed or crucified, but that someone was made to look like him.
43:61States that there is knowledge of the Hour, which is a reference to the hour of judgment.
They believe and make the bold statement that there is only one God and Mohammad is His prophet and that God has no son.
Now the Bible teaches that Jesus is not just a prophet but the only begotten Son of God.
What this shows is that the Muslim Jesus is not the same as the Christian Jesus. Neither is Allah the same God as the Christian God, who is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 1:3, 1 Peter 1:3, 2 Corinthians 1:3, and Luke 10:21-22.
We all have dreams. Some we remember when we wake and some we don't. We have dreams that seem to make sense and those that are silly and make no sense at all.
It is not hard to believe that Muslims can dream about Jesus, just as it is not hard to believe that Christians can dream about Mohammad.
However, we do not hear of Christians being converted to Islam because they saw Mohammad in a dream.
Now, the scriptures tell us that faith, (in Christ), comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.
Romans 10:17 Faith comes by hearing the word of God” .
God has ordained that people are born again through the preaching of the Word.
The phrase "saved by the preaching of the Word" appears in the Bible in 1 Corinthians 15:2, which says, "by which you are saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you".
This is also seen in:
Romans 10:13 “How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed?”
Romans 10:14 "How can they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how can they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone to preach?".
Romans 10:15 “And how shall they preach, except they be sent?
The Apostle Paul said: Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. I
It is the Gospel that is the power of God unto salvation.
John 15:3, Jesus says, "You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you".
Ephesians 5:26, Paul writes that Christ cleansed the church "with the washing of water by the word".
Now, it is not impossible that the Holy Spirit can be drawing someone to God by whatever means He wills, however, unless that person either hears the Gospel or reads the Gospel, they cannot be saved.
The book of Hebrews chapter 1:1 tells us that “God spoke in times past and in various ways to the Prophets of old but has in these last days spoken through His Son.
The ways that God spoke to men in times past was indeed through the Prophets, dreams and visions and Spirit led utterances.
He spoke through the burning bush and one time through a donkey.
But, He has in these last days spoken through His Son, the Logos, the Word.
The Bible is God's final Word to men.
God is fulfilling His predetermined plan.
Romans 8:30 "And those he predestined he also called; and those he called he also justified; and those he justified he also glorified".
Eph 1:4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
God predestined the elect before the world began, and those He predestined, He also called.
God not only predestined who will be saved but also the means whereby these should be saved.
This is by the preaching of the Word.
The Gospel of Jesus Christ is simple. Repent, and believe the Gospel. Repent, and be baptised for the forgiveness of sins and you shall receive the gift of eternal life.
What does it mean to obey the Gospel?
To obey the gospel" means to actively accept and follow the teachings of Jesus Christ, which includes believing in his message, repenting of sin, and living a life aligned with his commands, essentially demonstrating your faith through your actions; it signifies a commitment to Jesus as Lord and a dedication to live according to his word, as seen in Bible verses like 1 Peter 4:17 where "obeying the gospel" is mentioned.
Peter 4:17 says, "For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?".
Repentance is essential to salvation. Without repentance there is no forgiveness of sin.
Luke 24:47 and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
Repent: Change your ways and turn away from sin.
Believe: Trust in Jesus and the good news of the gospel.
Why does it matter?
To be saved, you must repent and believe in the gospel. The gospel call is a call to change your mind about sin and return to God. You can't have one without the other, and you can't do either without God's empowerment.
One may have a dream about Jesus but without the Gospel, no one is saved.
One must hear or read the Gospel and actively believe/obey the Gospel in order to be saved.
It is the Holy Spirit of God that convicts of sin, righteousness and judgement and it is the Holy Spirit that brings that person to repentance and appropriates the blood of Christ in the life of that person.
Some would quote Acts 2:16-21, where it says:
16. But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;
17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:
18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:
Well, this did indeed happen and God attested the words spoken during the Apostolic age, which laid the foundation for the Canon of the Bible. Then when the Canon was complete, (came to maturity, became perfect), these manifestations faded away or ceased.
1 Corinthians 13:10 says, "But when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away".
The word used here in the original Greek, is “Teleios” (Which means, Mature).
From a partial cessationist perspective, Acts 2:15-21 describes "sign gifts" which were given to the early church as a temporary phenomenon to authenticate the Apostles and establish the church, meaning that these revelatory gifts are no longer available to believers today and have ceased with the passing of the Apostolic age; they would interpret those events as miraculous displays of the Holy Spirit to validate the gospel message at its inception, not as a practice to be continued in the modern church.
Focus on the ongoing work of the Spirit:
While miraculous gifts may have ceased, Cessationists still affirm that the Holy Spirit continues to work in the church through the gifts of teaching, leadership, and evangelism.
Of course God can do whatever He wills, whenever He wills and wherever He wills. If indeed God speaks to a person through a dream, It would be the prompting of the Holy Spirit for that person to seek the Gospel. For without the Gospel, no one can be saved.
A note on night dreams, day dreams, visions, sightings etc.
There is an experience called “Pareidolia”.
Pareidolia is a psychological phenomenon where the brain perceives meaningful patterns or images (like faces) in random stimuli, such as clouds, toast, or tree trunks, where they don't actually exist.
Yes, a dream or vision can be pareidolia, as pareidolia is the tendency to perceive a specific, often meaningful image in a random or ambiguous visual pattern, and dreams and visions often involve ambiguous or random visual experiences.
Pareidolia is a psychological phenomenon where the brain perceives a specific, meaningful image in a random or ambiguous visual pattern. It's a common and normal tendency, not a sign of a disorder.
Examples of Pareidolia:
Common examples include seeing faces in clouds, rock formations, or even inanimate objects.
Dreams and Visions:
Dreams and visions, by their nature, involve the mind creating images and patterns that may not be based on reality, making them a fertile ground for pareidolia to occur.
Why Dreams Can Be Pareidolia:
The brain, when processing information during sleep or in a visionary state, may interpret random visual information or patterns as meaningful shapes or faces, leading to pareidolia in dreams or visions.
Examples of Pareidolia in Dreams:
For instance, you might dream of seeing a face in a shadow, or a particular pattern in a wall that takes on the form of an animal.
Pareidolia as a Safety Mechanism:
Some evolutionary scientists speculate that pareidolia might be a safety mechanism, helping people enhance their awareness of their surroundings and alertness in case of danger.
Pareidolia and Hallucinations:
While pareidolia is a normal phenomenon, it can be related to hallucinations, as both involve the perception of things that aren't actually there.
People often give accounts of NDE, (Near death experience).
They speak of seeing a tunnel of light, or seeing Jesus, Angels, or the Virgin Mary. Some say they went to heaven or hell. etc.
This too could be explained by pareidolia.
This may lead them to ask questions and the Holy Spirit can draw them to Christ through someone preaching the Gospel.
The experience itself , whether a dream, or a vision cannot save anyone, without hearing or reading the Word of God and responding it.
