Something About India
(Edited by Noah Pinson, June 2020)
Dream on the Morning of Nov. 06, 2005
In the dream, I was brought before an Indian man: he was in a garment and had a square, brown face. Somehow we began an interesting conversation about certain things concerning China and America, and it seemed as if we were old friends that had known each other for a long time.
Now allow me to share some context.
- In reality, I never had personally known anyone from India, and to my embarrassment, I know very little about the country itself. Only a few days ago, I began to worry about its current political situations–particularly the issue of Kashmir with Pakistan– and carried a vague concern about the tension there with the complication of nuclear weapons. My remote impression is that the issue politically and geographically relates closely to China’s policy in that area, where its concern is of a more strategic nature with historical and political implications. I believe it is quite unlikely that WWIII would be ignited there-a fanatical speculation that some Chinese with special interests or certain biases like to entertain.
- I think the storm last year in that region might indicate the impact of the flood of the Gospel. I saw a similar thing in my vision at the end of 2004: a mighty storm swept in the southern part of America. Through this dream, I began to gain a little insight into God’s work in India as well.
- The intense urge I felt to record this dream was that I might gain more insight and understanding of it. It might have something to do with my own life.
Now, let me continue with the dream:
The man seemed to regard me as one who knew many things of which he needed urgent advice. The issue at hand was indeed urgent and severe. Part of India (I would say a large part on the west side; however, I know very little about the geography there) was inflicted by a serious drought. I could visualize the yellow and dry fields there as he asked me for a solution. He was thinking that somehow, through the shared knowledge of my advice, he might borrow the solution from China. China, in contrast, had been released from such a danger once for all, with a water supply that seemed to be in good hands and well distributed in diverse portions of the land. He also talked to me about the possibility of seeking some technical or material support from America. For some reason, he was quite upset and dismayed as we came to understand that it wouldn’t happen.
He then presented the whole picture to me in order to receive my advice. In a part of India, somewhere in the northeast, there was a good supply of water stored in a big valley. It was quite abundant: enough for the whole land if it could be successfully distributed to the dry areas. Yet there were highlands in the middle, and the idea of tunneling through them seemed impossible in his eyes. At this point, my friend got very frustrated and distressed.
I felt so much pity for him; at the same time, extremely awkward because I felt so out of place before him. There was really nothing I could do. I also began to share his compassion for those afflicted by this drought. I felt the urge to comfort him a bit. Without anything I could master, I began to pray inside. Reluctantly, I began to share with him the truth that there is a God in heaven, and He was able to level the high places and exalt the low places as I seemed to see this verse zoomed in on a printed page in the Bible. (Isa 40:4)
“Yes, but how long?” he questioned. I felt all the more awkward, as I had no idea. Then he began to share something interesting. I saw it in a vision as he was describing it: there had been a protracted and slow move like a wave rippling forward (from South to North? I have to say I am not sure of the direction). This move had been changing the terrain of the land, high places sinking down and low places rising up; however, it was unbearably slow. We agreed that it would not do for the urgent need at hand, and could only hope that someday the whole land would be evened out through such a grand move. Then drought would no longer be an issue, for it would eventually go through all the land.
In recognizing this, my friend then appeared to be saddened. Apparently, he was quite jealous of what had been done in China, for China had many high places as well, yet the problem of drought haunted it no more. What a relief! I felt a bit awkward once more, for I could take no credit with what had been done without me. I didn’t even know it until he had shown it to me. However, during our discussions, I felt deep sympathy for his heart: his trouble, his worry, his passion, and his desire. Oh, how this dear man wanted his land to be released from the dryness that sucks all things alive and vibrant!
To begin on the other scene, I would like to to share a few things about the above portion of the dream:
- I do not know the man, so I asked the Lord from time to time, “Who is this friend of mine in the dream?”. But I have not yet had any clear answer. He dresses very clean; not too fancy, but as a common Indian man. In the first place, I thought of him as a colleague from an organization we both belonged to, indicated vaguely by the context of the dream. We might have worked together in America before. ( Note by Immanuel Sun on June 5, 2020: In real life, shortly after that time, I was offered an opportunity to be trained as a Bible translator through Dallas Seminary and then work for the Wycliffe Bible Translation organization. It somehow was used as a context of understanding for me. The brother was later identified by a missionary brother just waiting to be sent to India as someone with who he would work with at the time. The Indian brother had an amazing experience and was able to study in that Seminary through a scholarship somehow. These details elude me now. I was never certain of the particular identity of this brother who I never came to know. But this dream was instrumental for me to get to know some folks and learn how to walk with a quite immature prophetic gift at the time. End of note. ) I also asked the Lord, could he be an angel? I have had no unmistakable experiences with angels whatsoever, so I am not sure.
- The comparison he alluded to between China and India is not true in real life. How is it that China has already been released from a persistent drought? There is no real reference concerning this. In reality, the problem of the drought is so severe in the northern and western parts of China that some are envisaging some great projects to solve the problem, like channeling through the mountains.
- The night before, I had been searching and reading an ancient book translated in Chinese from India. It includes a unique collection of Indian thoughts from which nearly many great Indian ideas, especially religious ones, are sourced, like the book of IChing (The Law of Change) in China. I don’t know its English name.
Now, the next scene in the same dream:
I was abruptly brought into a picture of a man’s home. It was like a hut with a door hidden in yellow dirt; there might have been walls of dirt–I am not sure. There was a road before it with walls of the same color extending outward, and the road was dusty and dirty.
I was now standing before the door. The man walked out and began to talk to me about something he was prohibited to do: he was not allowed to put posters on the walls by the door. In a vision, I saw these posters were some colorful pictures, similar to ads. As a result, he could not operate his business and had to stay at home all day with nothing to do. As we were talking, a young boy of about 15 years old walked up from the street. He was poorly dressed and exhausted, like someone who had been wandering all day long without food. He eagerly wanted something to eat. Somehow he knew he could only get some from this house. As the boy stealthily tried to get close to us, a man in uniform suddenly rushed in front of him and began to beat him with a baton, trying to chase him away. The man seemed to be a very cruel and brutal policeman and had been hiding in a corner waiting to ambush the boy as if he knew the poor soul would arrive there at that time. He waved the baton, again and again, trying to scare the young man away. The boy, after several useless tries, eventually gave up and walked away, bruised and miserable.
I stood there in shock with my friend, observing the very unsettling episode play out, watching as the poor boy slumped away to the end of the street. My heart was overwhelmed with compassion and indignation at the same time. The dream ended.
Few insights of mine:
- I think this dream has to do with the condition of the Gospel in India.
- The story offers us a glimpse of the spiritual condition and God’s sovereign plan concerning the fate of these people.
- I think the man from the house stands for God’s workers in India; the policeman stands for the government or established high places or strongholds in the way of the Gospel; the boy stands as the new generation of the Indian people who are hungry for truth.
- The poster, as in my recent dream concerning China, may serve as a symbol of something as well. In my dream about China, it is a picture or a vision from the old generation which was given directly from the Lord and somehow passed unto me. The obstacles of “going on with business” might reflect the struggles of God’s precious people in India. The fact that there were multiple ads or pictures might indicate something significant as well.
Note by Immanuel (Jan. 05, 2016):
While I am editing this, there is headline news from the BBC. Somehow I think it serves as a sign and an encouragement. I have refrained from posting personal dreams or visions publicly on this site. But the Lord urged me to do it now. Not quite sure why yet. We will see.
