—The Priceless Golden Treasure!DO 282812/92

1. I have such detailed dreams sometimes‚ it's amazing! For some reason we were in the downtown area of some city & we'd been invited to look at some things in a jewelry & watch shop. We were looking at watches‚ but then the jeweller brought out this special art piece that was really amazing! It was like an old antique, all solid gold‚ & you could hold it in your hand. I'd say it was about a foot high & maybe four inches wide. It had a background of pillars, & on the front of it were these figurines, figures of people, that all seemed to be carved or cast in gold.

2. The figure at the top was a man, rather large & tall, & he was holding a strap in his hand above his head, like a weapon! The middle figure was a beautiful‚ rather fragile-looking woman dressed in one of those Grecian gowns‚ & she had her arms around the man at the top, clinging to him, as though seeking his protection. And this big man was glaring at a third figure down below, which was another man who seemed to be pursuing the woman. I'm just trying to see it again, to remember the details. It seemed like the first big tall fellow in the background was protecting the woman from this other man. My impression was that the man pursuing her was her enemy & the large man at the top—who symbolised God—was defending her from her ex-husband or whoever he was.

3. This was all worked into the fine art of a gold carving, beautiful! I can remember particularly the eyes of the big man that were glaring down at the other man. He had a big strap in his hand, like he was going to beat the other man if he didn't get away from the woman! And the gold framework was beautiful‚ like pillars in a Greek garden. It was a marvellous work of art‚ I've never seen anything like it, it was just beautiful!—Made of gold & yet some of it was jewelled insets, like the different-coloured flower blossoms, & God's eyes were two bright blazing jewels!—I'll call Him God! He was big & powerful & looked like one of Michelangelo's statues, a very strong, muscular man! His hair was up in a big sort of bunch, flying, & He was looking down with His great face in great wrath!

4. The woman was clinging to Him, very much afraid of the other man who was trying to grab her, but I had the impression that God was going to protect her & not let the other man get her. The man below was grabbing for her & trying to pull her away from the big man—whom I'll call God—& the impression was that God was her new Husband.

5. It could be a picture of our persecutions, the woman being like the Church—us! (Maria: And God was angry.) Very angry! His eyes were bulging & glaring with anger as He looked at this other man in real wrath! And He had this big strap raised in His hand like He was about to strike him if he didn't let go. It could be a picture of what's going on—the persecution. Boy oh boy, if I were an artist, I could draw that or paint it!

6. The jeweller had handed this piece to us & said we might be interested. It was very old & a real classic work of art. That could be symbolic that there's nothing new about persecution. The Devil's always been chasing the Church & the Lord's always been protecting her. But it's strange how God would picture it like that, like a fine work of art wrought in gold, studded with jewels. It was like a carved statue. The Grecian pillars were the framework for the background of it, & there were flowers growing in a garden. It was like God & the woman were in the garden‚ & this other bad man was trying to take her away. And God had His arm raised, ready to strike this bad guy, this fiend‚ with a big heavy razor strap or belt.

7. I had the distinct impression she had belonged to the other guy, but now she belonged to this God-like image. He was like an image of God. And it was beautiful! I was fascinated‚ I just looked & looked & studied it as I held it in my hand. The figurines on the front were like statues, all of gold, & I remember that it weighed a lot & it was quite heavy.

8. It certainly is a good picture of persecution! But why would the Lord want to present it like that?—Like we're in a garden with God, & the Devil is trying to steal us away, & the whole scene being like a golden figurine. What do they call those figurines made of china? The British are very very famous for them. I remember looking in shop windows at all those beautiful figurines, their beautiful colour & all‚ only this one in my dream was all solid gold & it was very heavy in my hand. It made those china things look cheap. It looked like the Garden of God in gold with these beautiful pillars & flowers, & God standing there with His right arm upraised, glaring down in great wrath & anger at this other man. You could only see the back of the other man, & he was grabbing at this beautiful woman who was clinging to God.

9. Well, that does seem to have some meaning after all! Isn't that funny? The Lord hardly ever lets me get the meaning of dreams until I tell them to you. It's a beautiful representation! It's almost like we should look at persecution like a beautiful golden work of art, very valuable, very much to be cherished, something very precious. I guess that's the way the Lord looks on our persecution.

10. You could tell by God's face & His anger, glaring at this guy trying to steal the woman away again, that He was very angry & He had this big strap upraised like he was ready to sock the guy if he didn't let go. And she was clinging to God, frightened, afraid this other guy was going to get her. But it was almost like she knew that God would protect her & keep her. God looked so much more magnificent! The other guy down at the bottom looked almost like a little devil or some demon trying to grab her.

11. The jeweller was telling us‚ "This is a very valuable piece & something very precious!" He said that we would like it. (Maria: And you did!) I was just fascinated by it! It was so real & so beautiful! I'd never seen such a beautiful work of art! I don't know who the jeweller could be‚ unless he was like an Angel (or Satan!). … He said he knew we'd be interested in this piece, that it was one of his most priceless works of art, & he was quite proud of it. It was very old, a real valuable antique. He cradled it in his hands & carefully put it in my hand, & I was looking at it. It was about a foot long, & about as wide as my hand, about all I could hold in the palm of my hand.

12. It was more beautiful than those china figurines. (Maria: But those aren't exactly the same thing. Those are completely sculpted or carved out.) Yes, complete figures. This was more like a three-dimensional bas-relief, where it's a carved picture. A bas-relief is a sculpture in which the figures project from their background. (Maria: Sometimes they have wooden ones too, like "The Last Supper‚" that are carved.) Yes, only this was solid gold, very heavy. It was like a carved or molded picture with these pillars in the background‚ which was like the frame of it, the flowers wrapped around the pillars like you've probably seen in some pictures, & there was a beautiful garden, & God, the major figure, standing up at the top glaring down at this other guy like He was ready to bash him with His big strap‚ to make him let go of the woman.

13. It wasn't like He was going to kill him. I had the impression that she had been this other man's wife or had belonged to this other man, but now she belonged to God. I'll just call Him God, because that had to be Who He was, He was such an impressive figure! He looked like one of those marvellous Michelangelo statues! As you looked at the piece, God was facing you, & the woman was clinging to God‚ & you could see her face as it was looking backward in fear of this bad guy who was trying to grab her.—Not too fearful & terrified, but like she didn't like him & didn't want him to get her. And she was clinging tightly to God.

14. The other man‚ who was like the Devil, was trying to get her, & he was a smaller figure down at the bottom of the picture. You couldn't see his face & it was almost like he was cringing & afraid of God. He was crouching down at the bottom with his two hands reaching out for the woman, trying to grab her legs. You could tell he was trying to get her, but he was way down at the bottom, so he was trying to grab her legs. Legs are symbolic of a means of transportation.

15. That must be how God looks at persecution! To Him it's a beautiful antique work of art—solid gold‚ precious, very valuable, studded with precious stones! He does speak of us coming through our trials as gold. "When He hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold!"—Job 23:10. And "the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold."—1Pet.1:7. It was like an illustration of His protection & His wrath against our Enemy, the man at the bottom of the picture being symbolic of the Devil & his followers who are fighting God's Work! It was obvious that the woman was going to be perfectly safe in God's arms. Her arms were around His waist, & His right arm was raised in wrath with this strap. Of all things, I never thought of God using a strap! It was like He wasn't going to necessarily kill our enemies, but He was really going to chastise them. And His left arm was around her.

16. Funny, you don't think of these details until you go back & look at the picture. It was a beautiful piece & I was admiring it & just marvelling at its beauty, like, "Oh, we couldn't afford a thing like this! This is too priceless & precious. It must be very expensive." Isn't that amazing? We don't think we can afford the persecution, but God's put it right in our hand, just like a valuable possession, something to be really treasured! It's like the way God looks at persecution & we have nothing to fear, He's going to protect us & He's going to use that strap on the bad guys!

17. There were Grecian columns like they have in some of the ancient temples‚ only this was sort of like in a garden. And there were jewel-studded flowers climbing the temple columns. (Maria: Why don't you sketch it?) Oh, I couldn't do it justice! (Maria: But you could show the position of things.) Okay! We could call it "The Priceless Golden Treasure!"

18. It was like one of those carved pictures where the figures stand out from the background. The Bok Carillon Tower in Mountain Lake‚ Florida had a huge, beautifully polished shiny brass door composed of 12 carved pictures, each representing a different period of Biblical history, everything from the Garden of Eden to the Coming of the Lord! The whole Gospel story! They were beautiful! The door was over six feet high & about four feet wide, & we just used to stand there & marvel! A famous rich man, Edward Bok, had it built as a memorial, & he apparently really wanted to preach a message of the Bible. I thought it was a real witness!

19. But this was all solid gold, very heavy, coloured with brilliant coloured jewels! It was a precious piece to be treasured & admired, extremely precious, just like it was priceless! In a sense, the application is that we are to treasure these experiences, these persecutions. To God they're priceless‚ precious golden treasures—more precious than gold, He says. How can it be more precious than gold? Well, it had jewels in it. Persecutions were to literally be treasured as priceless, precious works of art!

20. Think of that! That's how God looks at these persecutions: That persecutions are not to be feared or regretted, but to be admired & treasured! God looks at them like a priceless work of art, pure gold‚ studded with precious gems! Beautiful! I mean, it was just stunningly beautiful! I had never seen anything so beautiful! So that shows you how God looks at these persecutions. They're priceless treasures to Him, because they're bringing out your pure gold value, as works of art. Isn't that wonderful? PTL! TYJ! Hallelujah!

21. So we're not to fear persecution, but we're to look on it as God does, like a priceless, precious, beautiful work of art‚ something to treasure! Ancient! It looked like old Grecian art, you know? And it was very heavy. It reminds me of what the hippies used to say, "That's real heavy, man!" Well, it was sure a heavy dream, that's for sure‚ & a heavy lesson!

22. It was … as though we shouldn't look on them [the jeweler and his people] entirely as enemies. They were showing us this gorgeous work of art. They were instrumental in bringing it to us & putting it in my hand.—Like the Lord sent it, even if the Devil did bring it! This guy was definitely a … jeweller. It was almost like we should be thankful that he was putting this gorgeous thing in my hand, like it was almost his most priceless treasure that he could show us or give us. So there's a picture of [his people]! They're the ones who are giving it to us‚ the ones who are behind these persecutions, but we should look upon it as a priceless treasure‚ a gold & gem-studded work of art!

23. Boy, I never thought of persecution as being pictured like that! What a picture, demonstrating exactly what the persecutions are!—Some little devil bedeviling us, who only had ahold of the woman's leg trying to pull her away from God, but she was clinging tightly with her arms around the Lord & her long hair flowing, everything solid gold! It seemed odd to me that God didn't have a bolt of lightning or a sword in His hand, ready to kill'm! It's very significant that it was only a strap! Get the point? He doesn't want to kill them yet because they're doing a good service.

24. The [jeweler] looked a little like those popular conceptions of the Devil, but he seemed to be pleased to show this to me. I'm sure they're pleased to have caused it! It was like he was showing me one of his most priceless treasures. It certainly is expensive, that's for sure, it must be costing them millions!

25. Isn't that amazing? Once I explain it & repeat it to you, the Lord always interprets! Isn't that the way almost all those dreams & visions have been, that I don't get the interpretation until I tell you? It's like the Lord deliberately hides it from me & He won't give it to me unless I tell you. That's the price I have to pay. That's how He gets me to tell it, because otherwise I don't get the interpretation. But then as I tell it to you, it all begins to unfold & it becomes so clear! Those meaningful, significant message dreams are always so impressive, very vivid, & I remember them in great detail afterwards.

26. Isn't that beautiful? We're not to fear it, but we're to treasure these experiences! They're works of art by God Himself, even if the Devil does bring it! Like the poor old lady & the loaf of bread, remember? When she was praying for bread, the wealthy atheist threw it through the window in front of her. Then when she kept praising God for it, he stuck his head in the window & said, "God didn't give it to you, I gave it to you!", & he laughed like the Devil. But she just started praising God & said, "Oh, thank You Jesus! Praise You Lord! You, Lord, sent it, even if the Devil did bring it!"

27. It was the Devil handing me the work of art, he brought it, but God sent it! The [ACs]‚ like devils, are bringing the persecution against us, but God's allowing it, because to Him it's a work of art! It's a piece of beauty, a priceless treasure to be thankful for & admired!

28. It was awesome! I think it's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen in a work of art! Apparently that's how God looks at the persecution of His people‚ & it was anything but a defeat! She was definitely fleeing from the bad guy to the Lord, & she had her arms around the Lord, clinging to His waist, but her head was turned looking back at her pursuer. You could tell she was worried & fleeing from him, but God was ready to strike him down if he harmed her, which is what the bad guy was trying to do.

29. It was a picture of victory, not defeat! Beautiful, just beautiful! I don't think I'll ever forget that! I think I've seen God pictured in a very similar pose in some other works of art, like a giant looking down in wrath with a bolt of lightning in His hand, ready to strike at His enemies, with a ferocious look on His face, very fierce anger, just as He was here!—Like, "You'd better let go of her or I'm going to sock it to you!"

30. And this … jeweller handed it to me like it was one of his most expensive treasures that I'd have to pay a lot for! I'm sure they're trying to make us pay all they can‚ & they're sure paying a lot for it too. But they're hoping we'll pay for it. And I had the feeling like, "This is too expensive, we could never afford it!" Isn't that how we feel sometimes about these persecutions? Don't we feel like they're too expensive & we can't afford them? But not to the Lord! He looks on them as a beautiful‚ golden, precious treasure, a priceless work of art, a masterpiece!

31. Who'd have ever thought of picturing persecution as a work of art but the Lord? So apparently He wants us to look on it that way.—Pure gold, refined in the fire of persecution, with precious gems that are like the lessons we learn. They were flowers, decorations, & the pillars looked almost like a temple. It was like the temple of God in a garden, & God was protecting the Church. What a beautiful dream!

32. The Lord looks at things so differently! Remember how the Lord looked at death as a spiritual orgasm?—One of the most exciting feelings of this life, one of the biggest thrills in the World for us? It's not to be feared‚ but to be looked forward to as a thrilling experience! (See "Death—The Ultimate Orgasm!", ML #2761.) And here He pictures persecution not as something to be feared, but as something beautiful‚ priceless, treasured, a beautiful work of art‚ pure gold, gem-studded, as though He treasures each of these experiences of our persecution & our clinging to Him all the tighter as beautiful experiences!—Real beautiful works of art, masterpieces! It's very precious to the Lord & we should look on it as He does—not fear it or dread it or complain about the suffering. The gold has to go through the fire in order to come out into a beautiful statue or gorgeous work of art!

33. It's not like He was going to kill the Devil‚ but he was going to really give him a thrashing, really hurt him & bash him if he didn't let go of the woman! Apparently He lets the Devil pursue us till we're driven to the Lord's side & driven to cling to the Lord for protection, thus far & no further. It was almost like, "Just one more inch, buddy, & you're going to get it, whammy! No further!"

34. Isn't that beautiful? TYJ! PTL! Hallelujah! Encourage the hearts of Thy people with this, Lord! Help them to look at it like You see it, & not as the Devil sometimes tempts us to look at persecution, as something bad & evil & defeating, but like a beautiful, priceless, golden, gem-studded treasure! It's not something to be feared, but to be treasured! It's like a treasured experience, full of gems of lessons that drive us closer to Him & show His mighty power to deliver! TYJ! PYL! Do you get the picture?

35. "The trying of your faith is more precious than gold, yea, than much fine gold!"—1Pet.1:7. I never thought of that gold as being a statue or a picture, but that's what comes out of it! A golden picture of persecution! That might be a good title for this talk: "God's Picture of Persecution!" It was so beautiful! We're to treasure it‚ value it, admire it & be thankful for it! We're to "take pleasure in persecutions!"—2Cor.12:10. It's beautiful! That's how the Lord looks at it. Isn't that something? TYJ! PYL!

—How do you look at it?