I am not writing this to condemn anyone, but many need to be aware of the traps that snare the Body of Christ and deceive the innocent.
If we are aware that Satan deceived Eliphaz into thinking he (Satan) was God, applying his (Satan’s) words to Job that God had nothing to do with. And as we know that God harshly rebuked Eliphaz for being deceived by Satan and perpetrating his lie to Job.
On that note, nobody likes to admit that they have been conned.
God’s Word warns us all the time about Satan and his forces and that they want to con us into believing that God had given us a very precious possession or gift, and their greatest deceptions are dreams and visions.
We read in the newspaper of the con artists, liars and thieves who seek to defraud us, but we ignore the same report in God’s Word that Satan and his forces of con artists, liars, and thieves are trying to do the same to our Lord’s servants. Sadly, many are not aware of his tactics, and are not prepared to avoid his schemes, or avoid falling as a victim their deceptions
We are all aware of those worldly traps, such as: crooked sales people who defraud elderly people and rob them of their life's savings; corrupt businessmen who use false accounting to cheat investors and avoid taxes; and thieves breaking into our home and robbing us our possessions. Therefore, Satan and his forces are exactly the same.
But, we ignore the warnings that there is a thief and a liar who wants to steal, destroy, and kill the most valuable possession of all, our eternal life and our future as His servant. Satan and his forces are thieves and they “roam around like a roaring lion seeking whom they can devour” (1 Pet. 5:8). They work through deceptive practices, from pride to occultism of “white magic”, “seeking whom” they can turn (devour), God’s servants, away from the truth and God's Word, Way and Will.
We think because we are saved and Spirit-filled and faithful and religious that we cannot be deceived (see Matthew 24:24). Our Lord Jesus Christ revealed to us that the most pervasive forms of deception are found in religious practices. Paul warned the Corinthians against false ministers: "For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For Satan transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works" (2 Cor.11:13–15); and the angel of light can also form false dreams and visions.
Yes, Satan has many strategies, schemes, and devices to deceive us, and dreams and visions are one such deception, particularly those who have been involved with séances, tarot cards, channeling, astrology and Ouija boards in their past lives.
Paul said: "lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices" (2 Cor. 2:11).
I always advise those people who have continually have dreams and/or visions to be very wary as many see our Lord Jesus Christ, appearing to them with long hair and dark eyes as commonly portrayed in paintings. Now whether our Lord Jesus Christ had long hair is debatable, because Paul wrote: "Doth not even nature itself teach you that if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him?" (1 Cor. 11:14, KJV).
Now it’s a known fact that our Lord Jesus Christ escaped out of crowds on several occasions, because He looked like the average Jew of His day, therefore, His hair must have been short. Many have been taught that our Lord Jesus Christ had long hair because he was a “Nazarite.” History shows that short hair on men has been around for a long time, and at the time of our Lord Jesus Christ it was the accepted and general custom. Now, if anyone disbelieves that they go and check out all the famous busts and statues of the time, they are all portrayed with short hair, the same as we are today.
But, there are ancient documents that were written a long time after our Lord Jesus Christ claiming that he had long hair, which hadn’t been cut since childhood. I challenge that because he was a Rabbi and a Jew, and he wasn’t a Nazarite.
SO, I say to all, do not be deceived by dreams, visions, or appealing messages, because John wrote: "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world" (1 John 4:1), which means that many dreams, visions, and messages can be of a deceiving spirit, such as the angel of light.
Satan and his forces will use dreams, visions and "miracles" to deceive God’s elect: “And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs (dreams, visions, and messages) which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived" (Read Revelation 13:11–14).
So, I warn those who have dreams and visions and messages to test the spirits, and if they continue to have these confusing dream, then we need to take it to our Lord Jesus Christ in prayer and ask Him to take them away from them if they are not of Him. Also, we need to realise that our Almighty God would be definite and precise, not confusing, and not symbolic.
Be aware, beware, and don’t be unaware.
And as for what Jesus looked like - it was 2000 years ago, no one did a portrait, at least not one that lasted this long, and no one knows what he looked like - nor is it important, IMHO.
