"Make known to others what I have revealed to you." E. G. White, Early Writings, p. 20
Is this quote a command, an idea, or the Holy Spirit nudging me to write what I saw? In June of 1996, within ten days I had two dreams that were exactly the same, but at the end of the second dream there was an added message.
In my dream I was taken to a hill overlooking Silver Spring, Maryland. It was a beautiful sunny spring day, quite windy but absolutely pleasant. Below was a scene of hustle and bustle. School busses shuttled children to school. Frowning workers drove to their jobs. Housewives busy at their never-ending chores rushed about. Revolving doors at banks moved fast as men and women completed their daily transactions. Workers at construction sites yelled orders. People were hurried, impatient. Without exception all had a look of anxiety in their eyes, mirroring the mental distress that tormented their souls.
Their physical agitation made me sad. Deep in thought, I looked up to the sky, almost hoping for an answer to all this. Beautiful clouds were forming with different tones of pinks and blues, changing shape rapidly as the wind increased. A sudden stroke of lightning landed at my right side, transforming itself into a bright angel whose face was not quite clear since it shone so strongly.
"Look far in the sky. Do you see a little cloud?" he asked. Straining to see it, I said, "You mean like the little cloud where the Son of Man is coming?" "Yes," he answered. After a few frustrating moments, I told him that I could not see anything. His response was:
"Keep looking; you won't have time to take your eyes from the sky, for He is coming very soon."
With those words the angel disappeared. Again I peered at the sky, trying to find the shape of such great events. Then I woke up. It was a sweet and beautiful dream.
A few days later, during camp meeting, the same dream was repeated, but at the end of it the angel said, "Now go and tell others."
It was a gray and cold winter Saturday afternoon. For an activity I decided to catch up with my daily Bible reading. In Genesis, chapter 41,1 was reading one of my favorite stories, about Joseph. I felt sleepy, and since I have read this story many times, I thought about taking a short nap, but a strong thought came to my mind: "You might learn something new." Reading verse 32 about Pharaoh's dream, I paused, and read: "The reason the dream was given to Pharaoh in two forms is that the matter has been firmly decided by God, and God will do it soon." Conviction took hold of me, and I understood the reason for the repetition of my dream.
I remembered what Jesus said in Matthew 24:27, 30. "For as lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be." ". . . They will see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory."
Come Jesus, I am ready to be with you!
Gladys Rios, writes from Silver Spring, Maryland. She works for the Ministerial Association of the General Conference.
