A Thin Place: The Modern-day Appearance of Jesus in Dreams and Visions
A Thin Place: The Modern-day Appearance of Jesus in Dreams and Visions.
“ The thin place is where the veil between this world and the next is so sheer that it is easy to step through.” (Barbara Brown Taylor, Home By Another Way).
This term from an ancient Celtic tradition has stood the test of time. The idea of a thin place between heaven and earth has captured our imaginations, and yet is not just a metaphor. Thin places are literal as well.
The traditional thin place as the Irish understood it has been described in many ways: where the veil between heaven and earth is so thin as to be porous, permeable, practically transparent; where the space between the diviner and the human has narrowed; where eternity and time intersect; where the boundary between heaven and earth has collapsed; where the wall between heaven and earth have become indistinguishable; where the doors between heaven and earth have cracked open enough to walk through, if only temporarily; the place where eternity and time seem to join together.
Those descriptions of thin places have recently been expanded to include… wherever God has chosen to reveal Himself and make Himself known with unusual intimacy; wherever the sacred interaction with God’s presence is more pronounced and accessible; wherever the Holy Spirit is released in a particularly powerful way; a physical space where one can more directly and intensely experience God’s presence. I like to think of a thin place as when the Spirit of God opens the skylight of the earth’s roof and helps us climb through it into the cellar of heaven.
Dreams in the Bible. “That night God came to king Abimelech in a dream…” (Genesis 20:3); “As Jacob slept, he dreamed of a stairway…” (Gen. 28:12); “In my dream, the Angel of the Lord said to me, ‘Jacob!” (Gen. 31:11); “One night, Joseph had a dream…” (Gen. 37:5); “The previous night, God had appeared to Laban the Aramean in a dream…” (Gen. 31:24); “Interpreting dreams is God’s business, so go ahead and tell me your dreams,’ said Joseph.”(Gen. 40:8); “Two years later, Pharaoh dreamed… (Gen. 41:1);“When Gideon heard the dream and its interpretation, he bowed in worship before the Lord.” (Judges 7:15); “That night, Yahweh appeared to Solomon in a dream.” (1 Kings 3:5, and 9:2); “I have had a dream that deeply troubles me, and I must know what it means,’ said King Nebuchadnezzar. He sent for Daniel at once.” (Daniel 2:3, 14); “An angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream…” (Matthew 1:20, also in 2:19 and 2:22); “God had warned the Magi in a dream.” (Matt. 2:12); “Pilate’s wife sent him a message, saying ‘Let that innocent man alone! I suffered through a terrible nightmare about Him last night!” (Matt. 27:19).
Why would God, who has every means of revelation at His disposal, choose dreams as a way to contact a person and convey vital guidance? Dreams tend to be unreliable, unpredictable, illogical, and poorly remembered if at all. Many if not most dreams don’t seem like a very trustworthy vehicle for divine communication. They can be mistranslated so easily, and sometimes are so bizarre it’s hard to take them seriously. And we know now that dreams can be affected by external things like room temperature, what we ate or drank before bedtime, the events of the day, or even if there are any lingering aromas in the house. And because dreamers are in an unconscious state, dreams are outside of our control as the unfettered imagination runs wild.
Nonetheless, God speaking through dreams didn’t seem to raise any eyebrows in Scripture. Everyone from pagan kings to heroic saints were not surprised by this strategy of God to reach them. We now realize that after decades of so-called dream science, the whole topic of dreams is just as mysterious now as in ancient times. Dreams remain a fascinating frontier when it comes to scientific research, and we still simply cannot confirm why we have this ability to mentally experience vivid pictures, stories and images while in an unconscious state. God in His wisdom knows when to approach someone with divine intervention while a person is in a dream state. He knows who is a likely prospect for His appearance in a dream. Perhaps some people are more receptive to God’s guidance when in an unconscious state. Perhaps it is only during a dream that a person doesn’t have much of a choice of whether to listen or not, knowing that dreamers are captive audiences. Maybe God waits for when a certain person’s resistance is down. Perhaps a person’s imagination might be more picturesque and creative during a dream, able to manage an other-worldly, heavenly message. Or, perhaps because of religious restrictions, dreams are the best way possible to see the risen Christ.
Modern Phenomenon. We are living in biblical times right now as we see a well-documented return to God using dreams and visions. This is especially true in those countries around the world which limit access to Christ, to Scripture, to worship. The wonderful truth is that in those countries of persecution, or where following Jesus is illegal, Jesus is reaching out through His appearances in dreams and visions. There are literally hundreds of thousands of personal reports of Jesus appearing in this way to individuals, whether these people are seekers, believers, or those who have never even considered the truth of Christ. One’s personal dreams, of course, are well outside of secular influence or political power, and are untouched by opponents. Wherever it is risky to follow Jesus, He simply does a workaround and doesn’t even flinch at reaching out through dreams and visions. This is a strategy of the thin place, in which God is using the dream state to woo people to Him, to reveal Himself for the first time, to encourage followers to keep the faith.
The Hound of Heaven. God loves us too much to let His opponents have their way in limiting access to Him. God will do whatever it takes to tell of His love and salvation. God will stop at nothing to reveal Himself and to offer the hope we all need for this life and the next. The Lord makes a way where there is no way, including dreams and visions. In Egypt recently, there have been so many accounts of Jesus appearing in dreams that on the side of a city bus there was an ad saying, “Call this number if you have seen Jesus!” Appearances of Jesus in dreams is so common now that they have even become a special area of academic study and research, and the term used in scholarly circles is “Christic Visions.”
God’s very presence in dreams is a mystery as He somehow travels back and forth between spiritual, material and imaginative realities. But we do know that God often chooses to work in mysterious ways even when we can be in an unconscious state. In this matter of dreams, God has chosen, and continues to choose, dreams to woo us to Him, to warn, instruct and guide, to reveal the reality of His life and presence, and to encourage those who have no other way to have access to Him. God loves us so much that He will make Himself known, whether we are awake, or asleep, or everything in between.
There are many, many scholars, missionaries and pastors that confirm the appearances of Jesus in dreams and visions, including Dr. Justin Bass, Rev. Tom Doyle, Uncharted Ministries and Transform Iran. With a little research, you’ll be amazed.
How Deep the Father’s Love For Us — Celtic Worship (youtube.com)