“UNITY, FREEDOM AND HOPE” for the church “. In the book Awestruck by Glory I describe a dream I had in 2014 about a painting. One year later the Lord sent us the real painting and it was a confirmation for the things the Lord had done, and also a promise for the church in the future: “I will pour my spirit out all over them“
On November 21st 2014, I had a clear dream. In the first part of the dream I heard Yeshua say: “Unity, Freedom, Hope”. In the second part of the dream I saw a big painting with a heavy, golden, antique frame. I was not able to see the picture in the frame, but suddenly my focus went to small letters at the bottom. It said: “My Spirit will be poured out all over them.”
Throughout Passover in 2015 the dream of the painting was a great inspiration for us. Another painting came to us a month before the celebration. It was a picture of a dove landing on a group of people. I thought this might be the Lords painting, but the frame was not the same.
ONE YEAR after Passover 2015 my sister called me and asked me to pick up a painting that she had bought online for a very good price. It was painting from my great grandfather who was a famous Dutch artist. When I went to pick it up, it was so big that the frame was separate from the picture. The frame was the exact same frame I had seen in my dream in November 2014. Then the seller showed me the painting and I couldn’t believe my eyes. It was incredible.
The picture was an image of a high mountain with a great river coming out of the mountain. The river looked like it roared down the mountain over de bottom of the painting into our world. On the right side there was a house with a water mill and on the left a forest with little children playing on the grass. It also included a bridge over the water from the house to the garden.
Symbolism of the painting
The mountain reminded me of the mountain of God both spiritually and physically. The mountain reminded me of Mount Sinai and Mount Zion in Jerusalem. In Jerusalem we see a physical image of this spiritual meaning. The temple stood on Mount Zion, and underneath was a fountain of water which poured out living water and went forth as a river of life into the desert. The river reminded me of the river of life flowing from the mountain of God into the desert, the garden of Eden and the four rivers flowing from it, the place where I was baptized in Arizona, and the Gihon spring flowing from underneath the temple in Jerusalem. The children were playing in the garden of God, next to the river and the home that He had made us. The bridge was a reminder of Yeshua, who was the bridge for me to come home to my Fathers house.
Spiritually, the river of life is God’s spirit that flows from His throne (Ezekiel 47, Revelation 22:1). When we receive Yeshua as Messiah, and are baptized by the Holy Ghost, His spirit is poured all over us. Our bodies are the temples of the Holy Spirit, and we can be filled to the brim with His Love. But if we do not share it with others, a stone blocks God’s Spirit from flowing from one to another. When the stone is removed, and we start blessing one another, the water starts to flow and the desert blooms.
The painting is a physical representation of Gods Spirit flowing from His throne into our world. It fits exactly with the words: “My Spirit will be poured out all over them.” which I had seen a year earlier in the dream. In the same dream I also heard the Lord say: “Unity, Freedom and Hope” for the church. He wants to drink this cup with us. He longs for unity among His disciples and for them to live in Freedom. He is our hope in this world.
The Artist: Aris Knikker
The original artist is Aris Knikker. He was born in Haarlem in 1887 and died in the Hague in 1962. He received his education at the academy in The Hague and was part of late The Hague school of artists. He painted many beautiful paintings of flat Dutch countryside, especially dreamy water scenes and farmland. This painting is unusual because it is so big and a mountain scene. At first we thought the picture could have been a fake because it was so big (there are many copies of my great grandfathers work). However, my mom found the original drawing of the painting in her old files, so we know for sure it is authentic. Our family thinks the painting was made by my great grandfather on a vacation in Austria. Nobody ever knew about the existence of this huge painting before 2016.
It is amazing how God uses art to speak to us, to confirm His Word and to give us promises. And how He uses our own personal history as a part of that. I am awestruck by the thought that my own grandfather made this painting many years ago and God brought it to us at just the right time with such amazing promises for the church. The painting is now hanging in a special place in America where the promises of God continue to flow to His people.
You can read the entire story of the painting and the special prophetic meaning for the church in our time in the book Awestruck by Glory CLICK HERE for orders in English and Dutch.
