Elizabeth Marie
June 7, 2018
dream: ‘den of thieves’ or ‘house of prayer?’
DREAM:
On the 6th of June 2018, I had a prophetic dream. I was going to a Christian Bookstore that was near a big mall. When I got there, I noticed that they had moved from their former location, and had moved into the nearby mall.
I then went to their new location and it seemed like it was their GRAND OPENING. I remember thinking that they must have moved so it would be easier on its customers who also wanted to go to the mall.
As I roamed around, I noticed that they had hooked up and had gone into business with a secular Card and Gift Store, which was adjacent. I was very impressed with how far this little Christian Bookstore had come! It had ‘moved up’ in the world and were now hoping to compete with the ‘BIG’ mall stores!
I then decided to leave and go out into the mall. As I left the Bookstore, I looked at the signage on top. I noticed that their name was not on the front of the store. Instead I saw a big department store name like Macy or Sears. I wondered why they did not have their own name up yet and thought it was a bit strange. END OF DREAM
INTERPRETATION:
Like always, I had to pray and seek the HOLY SPIRIT on giving me interpretation on what this dream meant. What I was shown was this:
I have had many dreams about ‘malls’ and the LORD has shown me that in most of them, they represent the world. The little Christian Bookstore represents the church (and believers). After being separated and on its own for awhile, the Christian Bookstore wanted more visibility, notoriety, and popularity. To do that, it had to become like the other stores, and join together with them in the mall. It also decided to go into business with a secular gift/card store, hoping that would bring in more business.
The LORD showed me that as much as a church tries to be part of the secular world, it will usually fail, because it is never fully received or accepted, because the world despises Christianity. They are polar opposites. This is why, in my dream, the sign on the store, did not have the Christian Bookstore name, because it was not recognized or accepted.
I was also shown that the the little Bookstore going into business with the secular Card/Gift Shop, represented the church, as well as believers, becoming ‘unequally yoked’ with the world. As Paul says, what does darkness have to do with light:
“Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?”
2 Corinthians 6:14
This is certainly a picture of what has happened to many churches as they try to draw in more people into their four walls. They start bringing in worldly ways. From Christian programs with a secular flare, to Christian showmanship , to Christian yoga, the selling of gifts, to ministry music that is based on worldly principles instead of the WORD of GOD, we are see a blending of the world and Christianity.
I believe that the meaning of my dream was also pointing to when JESUS went to the temple to worship, only to find that they had turned it into a marketplace. JESUS called it a ‘den of thieves’ because, not only where they selling and cheating, but they were stealing devotion and, reverence from GOD’ s House. JESUS said the temple was suppose to be a HOUSE OF PRAYER!
“Then Jesus went into the temple of God[ and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. And He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’”Matthew 21:12-13
The church is not to look like the ‘world.’ It is not suppose to blend in with the world and its ways. It is suppose to separate and HOLY unto GOD. It is to be reverent, respectful and mindful to show that it belongs to the HOLY GOD ALMIGHTY. It is suppose to be a light in the darkness, NOT blend in with the darkness!
“I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness.” John 12:46
As believers in the LORD JESUS, we have to remember that being worldly is in direct opposition to the Spirit filled church:
“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.” 1 John 2:15-17
I believe that it is time for the ‘last day’ remnant church to get back to its roots, as we see in the BOOK OF ACTS. It is to become a HOUSE OF PRAYER, HOLY unto the LORD. Study the Book of ACTS and see how you can get back to the foundations of true Christian worship, fellowship and prayer.
