For many years, Muslims who have converted to Christianity have spoken about having a dream where they see a man in white robe. Could this be how Christ chooses to reveal himself to them? First, let us examine the context of a dream.
- Dreams often come about because of difficult circumstances, the environment, religion, society, etc. Sometimes, however, dreams that prompt the individual who is searching for God or does not believe in his existence towards further investigation into the faith take place. As such, God often uses dreams to convey a message, reveal the answer to a question, or to solve a puzzle.
- A few examples from Biblical times include the dreams that Daniel, Samuel, and Joseph had – all dreams that pointed them towards God. These dreams were intended to strengthen these men in their faith in difficult times and to show them what was going to happen in the future.
- Why do Muslims respond so well to dreams? First, Islam started with a vision, and secondly, dreams are culturally and religiously acceptable. Interestingly, out of every 600 Muslim converts, at least 25% experienced a dream that resulted in their conversion.
These dreams often fall into the following categories:
- Jesus speaking words from the Scriptures – words that they have never heard before
- Jesus appears physically as a man in a white robe
- Jesus instructs the individual(s) to do something that will lead to their conversion
- The vision or dream leads to a feeling of inward cleanliness and peace
Here are a few examples of visions/dreams of the man in white robe.
- An elderly Afghan woman saw a bright light outside a ministry center in Athens. She heard a voice speak in her language, saying “the door is open for you, come!” and later on, “I am the Son of God, Jesus.” She then sought guidance from the pastor in the ministry center who directed her to the place where these words were written in the Bible.
- Each member of a family in Kurdistan had a separate dream instructing them to cross the river the next day to find living water. They followed these instructions and crossed the river the next day, where they were given a Bible.
- A man in a white robe appeared to a lady in Athens, a lady who had been questioning the existence of God for a long time, quoting the words of John 14:6, ”I am the way and truth; no one comes to the Father except through me.”
In all of the above instances, the people who had dreams or saw visions were converted and immediately began to share God’s word with people around them.
Why, then, does Christ choose to reveal himself through dreams, as the man in white robe?
- Jesus chooses to search out sinners who are religious and willing to repent but do not know how to do so. He reveals himself as one who overlooks the inadequacies of the convert, instead enabling them to have faith in him, submit to him and boldly declare his saving grace.
- The convert gets to see Jesus directly, clothed in his splendor – a vision that is indisputable.
- Jesus also appeals to people who are distressed, disillusioned, and in need of comfort but have nobody to turn to. He also appears to those who feel unloved and rejected, offering them his love and acceptance, as well as showing him their ability to change lives and circumstances.
What happens to people who see these visions/dreams?
- More often than not, the individual who has a dream will quickly turn to the Bible to confirm the words that were said, and to seek clarification of God’s will for his life.
- Visions also ignite a desire to read and study more about the Bible, to get to know more about the person in white.
- Lastly, the people who see the dreams and visions of the man in white will most certainly accept Christ into their lives, begin to live for him, and eagerly share their faith with others.
Though the vision/dream of the man in white robe may sound far-fetched, many people can testify to its authenticity. Most of them believe that God appeared to them personally for a reason – to draw them to faith in Christ.