Acts 2:16-17 But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: ‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams.
Have you heard any of the reports about Muslims in the Middle East having dreams and visions of Jesus? You won’t hear about it in the mainstream media, but if you do a little bit of research, you will be surprised to discover a very interesting phenomena that seems to be taking place overseas.
Apparently, there are many Muslims who are walking away from Islam and putting their faith in Jesus after having dreams and visions where He supposedly appeared to them. Often times they describe Him as shining in the brightest light imaginable, telling them that He is “Issa”, the Arabic word for the name Jesus.
Not all that long ago, CBN ran a special news report on their show and ran an article about this subject. I happened to see it one night as I was flipping through the channels and naturally I thought it was really cool to hear. Then over the coming weeks and months I continued to hear about this same thing in articles, podcasts, and videos from Christian broadcasters. On more than one occasion, I’ve actually heard that out of anywhere in the world, Christianity is growing the fastest in Iran of all places!
In a recent article from The UK Times, it was reported that the number of Christians in Iran are growing annually by 20%. That is absolutely remarkable considering it’s taking place in one of the countries most hostile toward Christians. So, what is the explanation for such an amazing and wonderful thing taking place? Could it be true that Jesus is actually appearing to Muslims through dreams and visions? I for one certainly wouldn’t rule it out. Granted, something like this is highly unusual and not the typical means through which people come to faith in Jesus. Then again, God is anything but typical and can use any means at His disposal to guide people to Himself.
Looking back to the verse from the Book of Acts at the beginning of this post, the Bible is clear that in the Last Days God would cause people to have dreams and visions through the power of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, when we hear about Muslims turning from Islam to follow Jesus because of dreams or visions, we have every reason to rejoice.
Great article!
Hi Dave! Great post. I love this subject and it has intrigued me the past few years as well. I had the great privilege to travel to Turkey to assist some Christian missionaries there with their adoption 2 years ago. I spent an amazing two days with them, learning about their heart for that area of the world and I actually asked them about this very thing and they confirmed it as well. Another friend of mine from a Bible study grew up in Africa as a Muslim. She had a dream about Jesus and I’ll never forget the testimony she shared. She said if it had simply been Jesus in her dream it wouldn’t have been convincing enough to her, as most Muslims believe Jesus to be a prophet… Not the son of God or the Savior of the world. But the cross was a central object of her dream and that’s what got her attention the most. It’s through Jesus’ death on the cross and resurrection that we have been saved. Coming to believe this truth can truly turn a heart towards Jesus and his saving grace!
Wow! What amazing testimonies, Janet! Thank you for sharing. It’s so cool to hear that you have personally spoken with people who confirmed that this is occurring.
Praise God that even when major barriers are erected to prevent people from hearing about Jesus, that God still makes a way for the Gospel to be shared.
What I want to discuss as well is what we can do as a community to come along side those who have changed religions and bring a safe haven for that person. As you have discussed in the article, when this happens fear, stress, and high anxiety may come to both parties (i.e. the individual and the family). Those that take a very courage step out of a fundamental religion will seek a church, a community to desire answers and help. Are we providing that space for them? As kingdom driven families are we sensitive and aware when this may happen through discussions, testimonies, or relational development with others? These changes in religion are not just in the Muslim community but throughout the spectrum of religion. I hope and pray that if a Zachius meets me I will dine with him/her and discuss the struggles of conversion.
You bring up a very important question, Derrek. When Muslims walk away from Islam, it often involves them losing their friends, family, homes, and more. As Christians it’s important that we can work together to have a place where they can come to be supported and encouraged in many different ways.