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snowflake · Mar 20, 2003, 10:07 PM

About 10 years ago my husband heard God tell him in a dream, "I have always been with you, I am with you now and will be with you the next 27 years of your life." My husband at the time was in his early twenties and had been taking care of his sick father for 6 years. He was going through a very rough time when he had this dream, and it gave him comfort. He says it really seemed like it was God speaking to him. This is upsetting to me because if it is true it means he will die in 16 years, and we will not grow old together. We are both Catholic, met while studying theology in a seminary, and now are lay ministers in a Catholic church. We are rational people and aren't prone to hearing voices. Is there a priest or minister that has any experience or insights into these matters? I would appreciate your opinion on whether you believe this was God speaking. Thank you.

LMS

tototu · Mar 22, 2003, 08:47 AM

It could have been the voice of God bringing a message of comfort with something prophetic not yet understood. He says "Call on Me in time of trouble and I will answer". Since His Word is immutable, why not an answer in an audible voice or in dreams? It is historically biblical.
His other word to us is that "I will never leave you nor forsake you". That is a pretty powerful statement to argue that there is more to wait to be uncovered, rather than thinking of it as a limiting of life or abandonment by God,
He has also told us "Let not your heart be troubled, for all things are under My hand". God presents us with times of testing and enigmatic statements that are prophetic. In the flesh, these things can be fearsome, but in the spirit, they can bring comfort. God tests us of our faith so that we know if we are fully exercising it. When we are fearful, we live to the flesh, so our choice as children of The Most High, a heavenly father Who has all things in control, it to live in faith or live in fear. His "don't sweat it" message occurs too often in the scriptures to be dismissed as a minor point.
Because God sees the end from the beginning, maybe He gave this word to your husband to test YOUR reliance on Him. He ministers through His church (us) and has planted seeds today that we haven't seen but will bless us in days to come.
What if this is an eschatological message? Can you trust Him to care for you and your family and all those you love? Is He just and merciful as He says?
As an anecdote, I have a friend that was a gangster during the depression. Many years ago he called out to God and God answered. Audibly! He would ask God questions and God would talk to him and answer as if He were walking next to Him. He basically learned about the cross and God's plan through the Voice. One day God told him to buy a bible. He did as he had learned to be obedient and to depend on God to guide his footsteps. All of a sudden, he quit hearing the Voice. He cried out with tears and anguish, asking God why He had left him and forsaken him. God's last audible words to him were "You have my Word, now I want you to walk by Faith".
Faith is an awesome gift from God and poorly understood by theologians and lay people. We continually call on God to give us even the mustard seed. And He does. For the spiritual birthing of a man is an awesome thing, beyond the realm of intellect, emotion, or the flesh. To believe Him and TRUST Him , to receive His Word in spirit, even in the least measure, is the sovereign work of His mighty hand.
The ending of our time here is of no consequence when we pass because we we pass from faith to Light and all things become known. The surviving loved ones are committed to the care of a God who loves them beyond measure. He says "My thoughts are toward you constantly". What awesome assurance. Awesome love. In this there should be no fear for Perfect Love casts out all fear. Your answer to the cares of your heart are lying at the feet of Him. ;D ;D ;D

snowflake · Mar 22, 2003, 01:25 PM

Whoever you are, thank you for an enormously comforting answer. Everything you said is true. I have printed it out and will save it. God bless you. LMS

earthpages · Apr 20, 2003, 07:47 AM

Hi.. My personal feeling is that if it was in a dream, it could mean anything, and most likely does not mean that your husband had only 27 years to go. Even if someone "hears God" in waking life, one should still be very skeptical. Why? Because I believe there are many "lesser gods" and spiritual forces out there trying to deceive. Almost all of the great Christian (and non-Christian) saints say this in their writings. It's too bad more people aren't aware of this. Most are all caught up in the material view, and some people tend to overly trust any spiritual "voice" when they perceive it. :)

snowflake · Apr 20, 2003, 06:03 PM

Thanks for your thoughts on my question. You are right about "voices" not always being benign. I think St John of the Cross and St. Teresa said the same thing - to be skeptical. But the reason the voice seemed to be from God in this case is that my husband said that after he woke up, he felt comforted and more at peace. It seems that one knows by the fruits an experience produces whether it is from God, and the "fruits" of this dream were positive. Does that make sense?

earthpages · Apr 21, 2003, 12:07 AM

Yeah, it does make sense, because if it really was God communicating to the creature, there would be a certain resonance of truth between Creator and creature. You'd "know" it's the real thing, just as an embryo must know the comfort of the mother's environment.

I guess my skeptical mind comes in when several different people say that God speaks to them, but when the utterances are compared, God seems to say very different things.

Likewise, you've probably heard people say "the Holy Spirit" came over me... And yet I often wonder if it's the Holy Spirit, or some kind of lesser influence they're feeling.

But I doubt this is the case with your husband. Sometimes God does speak to people a bit more directly. It's not weird at all. There's a certain percentage of the population that gets this. And of course, not everyone is willing to report it (so it probably happens to more people than we realize). What I would question, however, is the literal interpretation of the 27 years. Remember how in the Bible, Jesus' words often have a much larger meaning than the literal one.

Maybe, for instance, it was a certain angel, working for God, who has been assigned to your husband for 27 years? Maybe he'll get a new angel when that time runs over? ;)

snowflake · Apr 21, 2003, 04:06 PM

That's an interesting theory! I guess it's possible. My husband thinks that possibly he did not receive the message being given to him 100% accurately, and that it's within the realm of possibility his own mind inserted the part about the 27 years. I guess we have no way of knowing for sure; only time will tell. But I'm going to try not to worry about it. If God did say that and my husband is going to die when he's 50, there isn't a thing I can do about it. And if that part wasn't from God and he's going to live longer or a shorter amount of time, I don't want to ruin the time we have worrying about it. I don't know of any other way to deal with this.

I know what you mean about people saying the Holy Spirit came over them. I used to work in a church and led bible study groups and people said that all the time!

Thanks for your insights and your help; it's always good to hear another point of view!

LMS

earthpages · Apr 22, 2003, 08:38 AM

I think that's a very wise view of your husband. And if we really believe in what Christ teaches, the idea of death should be both sorrowful (because we say goodbye for a while) but also joyful (because a good person goes to a better place).

Once we're alive, we're alive forever and ever. This is something our culture tends to forget. Even Catholic culture (I'm a Catholic too.. ) :D

Pastor_Dave · May 3, 2003, 01:32 PM

This may have been a confort for your husband. However, it was not God speaking to him. Please read Heb.1:1-2. God does speak to us but only through Jesus. Now dreams can be used. However, if it was a dream of the Holy Spirit your husband would also know the meaning. God is not the author of confusion, nor does God give any promise to anyone of another day. Jesus could split the eastern sky any time the Father sends Him for the church. There is no fore-telling of future that is not recorded in Gods word.

STONY · Nov 16, 2005, 07:23 AM

My Dear, You Ignore The Obvious. God Did Not Say He Would Abandon Your Husband In 20+ Years. My Understanding Of What You Wrote Is God Said He Would Be With Him For 27 Years. The Question Is, "for What Purpose?" At The End Of That Timeframe God May Very Well Lift Your Husband To An Entirely New And Different Level Of Faith. We Are Taught To Think In Negatives And It's Very Hard To Break That Pattern. Take For Instance A Simple Weather Report. The Reporter Says, "partly Cloudy", Not "mostly Sunny." Our God Is A God Of Positives So Please Start To Train Yourself To Think That Way Also... stony :)

Bobbye · Nov 16, 2005, 07:47 AM

Right on, Stony. As I read the initial post, The Holy Spirit impressed upon me basically the heart of your post;i.e. "'I will be with thee for the next 27 years...' brings him to a juncture in life's road. 'Will you serve me more intensely? Will you choose to climb higher with Me? Will you surrender and obey totally, for my supernatural, intense leading of 27 years is 'preparation' for a higher calling?'"

Nothing about death is implied! RATHER, LIFE -- AND THAT MORE ABUNDANTLY AS YOUR HUSBAND YIELDS TOTALLY TO GOD'S PERFECT WILL AND CALL UPON HIS LIFE! Plan to move into heights and depths in God and ministry heretofore unknown!

A beautiful experience.

Be blessed in Christ!
Bobbye

Morganite · Nov 26, 2005, 07:39 AM

Originally Posted by snowflake

About 10 years ago my husband heard God tell him in a dream, "I have always been with you, I am with you now and will be with you the next 27 years of your life." My husband at the time was in his early twenties and had been taking care of his sick father for 6 years. He was going through a very rough time when he had this dream, and it gave him comfort. He says it really seemed like it was God speaking to him. This is upsetting to me because if it is true it means he will die in 16 years, and we will not grow old together. We are both Catholic, met while studying theology in a seminary, and now are lay ministers in a Catholic church. We are rational people and aren't prone to hearing voices. Is there a priest or minister that has any experience or insights into these matters? I would appreciate your opinion on whether or not you believe this was God speaking. Thank you.

LMS

Although I cannot tell you the significance of the 27 years period, I read nothing in your story that indicates that the voice of God predicted your husband's death after 27 years.

The main message of this experience appears (to me) to be a positive confirmation that God attends the faithful. Your husband is not alone in this kind of experience. You should trust it to have been God's voice until God comes and tells you it wasn't Him.

Look on it as a great blessing, and live your lives free from the shadow of an early death. God is eloquent and He is fully able to say what He means.

Go thy way rejoicing.

MORGANITE

STONY · Nov 26, 2005, 08:05 AM

Amen and amen!

Starman · May 6, 2006, 12:25 PM

Originally Posted by snowflake

About 10 years ago my husband heard God tell him in a dream, "I have always been with you, I am with you now and will be with you the next 27 years of your life." My husband at the time was in his early twenties and had been taking care of his sick father for 6 years. He was going through a very rough time when he had this dream, and it gave him comfort. He says it really seemed like it was God speaking to him. This is upsetting to me because if it is true it means he will die in 16 years, and we will not grow old together. We are both Catholic, met while studying theology in a seminary, and now are lay ministers in a Catholic church. We are rational people and aren't prone to hearing voices. Is there a priest or minister that has any experience or insights into these matters? I would appreciate your opinion on whether or not you believe this was God speaking. Thank you.

LMS

I can understand your concern since the message, if indeed it was a message and not the brain producing an auditory hallucination due to severe stress, fatigue, or semi sleep state called REM, or reacting to some type of hallucinogenic substance such as strong Chinese tea, seems purposefully cryptic.

Of course God did communicate with his servants in ancient times via dreams, such as the dreams he sent to Joseph in Egypt, and by voice transmission, such as when he communicated with Moses vvia and angel from the burning bush, or via visions, such as the one that Ezekiel and later the apostle John received. All these communications were inspired to be written down for our instruction. Sometimes, the writers themselves did not know the meaning to. Others easily understood day. Still others were prophetic and provide us with a demonstration of God's ability to foresee what we humans are incapable of and to bring about that which he plans to accomplish.

Now, how would I react if I suddenly heard the same words? Since there is a spirit rebel out there who likes to mimick God, I would be very careful. I would first examine the message to see if it harmonizes with God's character, his love his wisdom and his justice. If it does, then I would pray for God to identify himself as the source. If no clear identification is forthcoming as was the case with the prophets who definitely knew who was communicating with them, and other inspired persons, then I would conclude that the phenomenon has another explanation.

BTW
You are also quite welcomed to accept the other posters' responses in preference to mine.

JoeCanada76 · May 6, 2006, 12:34 PM

Honestly now. We are created by God. God is with us. When somebody dies they are with God. There is no set limit. Do not worry about this and both of you live your life to the fullest. Live each day as it is your last. God is always with us as long as we are with him. Remain close to him always. I do believe that we are always connected and always will be with God. Inside and outside.

JoeCanada76 · May 6, 2006, 12:34 PM

Oh, By the way. The next 27 years could mean anything.

STONY · May 6, 2006, 12:35 PM

There Is Of Course Another Answer, Or Maybe A Question. Are You Or Do You Feel Like You Are Being Pushed Into Something Or Are You Being Guided To Another Place. The Signifigance Being The Devil Will Push You Into Something But The Holy Spirit Will Lead You.
Hope This Helps... stony

31pumpkin · May 6, 2006, 01:30 PM

I'm going to agree with tototu and even more so with Pastor Dave.

We do hear God's voice through Jesus from our Spirit. However, like P.D. said, it might have been a comforting dream. Especially because your husband might have been under much stress taking care of his ill father.

Also, P.D. said regarding "would know the meaning" and it would not be a confusing message. Although I haven't heard of God speaking in a dream since the Prophets, I just don't know if it occurs any more. I have heard God's voice, but it has been straight up while awake. And His Voice doesn't go FAR into the future in terms of years. At least that's how The Blessing is for me.

Since you both are strong believers, perhaps your husband would inquire of the Lord one day to see if there's any truth to the dream.

:rolleyes:

Morganite · May 6, 2006, 04:44 PM

Originally Posted by Starman

I can understand your concern since the message, if indeed it was a message and not the brain producing an auditory hallucination due to severe stress, fatigue, or semi sleep state called REM, or reacting to some type of hallucinogenic substance such as strong Chinese tea, seems purposefully cryptic.

Of course God did communicate with his servants in ancient times via dreams, such as the dreams he sent to Joseph in Egypt, and by voice transmission, such as when he communicated with Moses vvia and angel from the burning bush, or via visions, such as the one that Ezekiel and later the apostle John received. All these communications were inspired to be written down for our instruction. Sometimes, the writers themselves did not know the meaning to. Others easily understood day. Still others were prophetic and provide us with a demonstration of God's ability to foresee what we humans are incapable of and to bring about that which he plans to accomplish.

Now, how would I react if I suddenly heard the same words? Since there is a spirit rebel out there who likes to mimick God, I would be very careful. I would first examine the message to see if it harmonizes with God's character, his love his wisdom and his justice. If it does, then I would pray for God to identify himself as the source. If no clear identification is forthcoming as was the case with the prophets who definitely knew who was communicating with them, and other inspired persons, then I would conclude that the phenomenon has another explanation.

BTW
You are also quite welcomed to accept the other posters' responses in preference to mine.

How would you know that the 'confirmation' that is was God's voice you heard was actually from God and not from a deceiving spirit?

M:)RGANITE

magprob · May 6, 2006, 06:48 PM

GOD, Jesus, the holy spirit... why split hairs? I know GOD can speak to us if he wants. If the message brings you peace instead of turmoil... go with it. From my calculations, 27 years will put us at about 2022. That is plenty of time for your husband to do the good that he was put on this earth for. You are worried for your own loss... which is normal, but, don't let it lessen the quality of your time together now. Why worry? Live in the now, that is where everything is happening anyway. And if it was a voice from the lower levels of the astrial plane, which I doubt very much, forget about it. They isn't running anything anyway.;)