Guest Post by Marianne:
Can a departed loved one appear to someone left behind in a vision?
Dreams are common among those grieving for a lost loved one. We have dreams while we sleep.
But is a vision of them possible, in which they appear for a moment in time to comfort the grieving one?
A vision occurs while one is awake, although there is such a thing as a night vision.
Gen 46:2 And God spake unto Israel in the visions of the night, and said, Jacob, Jacob. And he said, Here [am] I.
Job 4:13 In thoughts from the visions of the night, when deep sleep falleth on men,
Dan 7:7 After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it [was] diverse from all the beasts that [were] before it; and it had ten horns.
Dan 7:13 I saw in the night visions, and, behold, [one] like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him…
I am not aware of anything in the bible where a departed loved one would return to visit someone with a message or bring comfort.
Mankind was visited by spirits, such as angels.
There was one account after the resurrection, that the deceased saints rose from the dead and walked around the town. I am not sure how long this lasted.
Mat 27:52 And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,
Mat 27:53 And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.
Modern day psychics and mediums “call upon the dead” which I consider just bringing up demonic counterfeits of the deceased.
But can real loved ones, as spirits, return to give a final message to one still alive in this world?
2 examples:
1. I recently experienced a friends’ death back around Thanksgiving time (November, 2009). Her 25 year old cerebral palsy disabled son just told me (February, 2010) that he had been crying for his mother, and asking God to help him, because he missed his mother.
At some point, the room became dark, and his mother appeared in glorious apparel. She then “read a letter” to him to comfort him, and tell him that she had to die, and leave him behind, so that he would learn to do things on his own.
She also advised him to return to a certain church campground where he had been before, where yearly revivals took place. He said when the vision was finished, he felt a tremendous peace.
2. When I was younger, and still living with my parents, my grandmother died. My mother had fallen asleep in the living room on the sofa. She awoke to see a figure in the hallway, dressed in a white nightgown. She ignored it because she thought it was me, up for some reason.
The figure went over to one of the pictures in the hallway and pointed to it. It then walked off.
She fell back asleep, until awakened by a phone call from my grandfather. My grandmother had gotten up in the middle of the night, fallen, and died.
When my mother went home to the funeral, she found money behind the picture frame in my grandmother’s hallway, just as the dream/vision indicated. My parents were able to buy a new car that they needed with the money.
Traditional thinking over the centuries has allowed room for certain rare experiences, since there is some biblical basis for them:
1. Jesus can appear to us (good), since Jesus appeared to his followers after the resurrection
2. the devil or one of his demons can appear (not good), since the devil appeared to Jesus to tempt him. The devil also appeared to Eve.
3. an angel can appear to us (good), since angels have been recorded many times bringing messages to humans.-
So, now, with the permission of God, can a loved one appear to us?
What do you think?
I do not propose a conclusive answer. I just present this for further thought.
Here are some links about this for further reading:
http://www.rense.com/general7/goodbye.htm
http://www.care-givers.com/DBArticles/pages/viewarticle.php?id=137
http://paranormal.about.com/b/2010/02/06/reader-report-deathbed-vision.htm
http://www.authorhouse.com/BookStore/ItemDetail.aspx?bookid=25516
http://health.discovery.com/centers/sleepdreams/expedition/dispatch19.html
http://www.dreamvisions.info/dreamwork/active-dreaming/dreaming-with-the-departed-bybs
http://www.near-death.com/deathbed.html
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This post began as a seemingly nonsensical thought as I was enjoying the sun while my wife and sister-in-law went shopping in a high class mall. Somewhere in my mind developed the thought of placing a confessional booth in place of a kiosk. I live in a heavily populated Catholic community. Confessional booths would be a natural thing and I like to refer to myself as a priest, so the two just naturally fit. Or so it seemed.
