Dear Jim Bramlett, (John, and Fellow Doves),
 
Thank You for posting these dreams again for our encouragement.
 
I don't know about the rest of you, but for me I seem to be very susceptable to discouragement and very uplifted when there is encouragement found here. I mean when someone says that we will probably have to wait until 2008 or more or whatever, I just sink into my chair even though I tell myself not to worry etc...
 
On the other hand, when I read anything about how it may still be this year for the various reasons given, I get happy for the rest of the day and can face anything etc.
 
Then I am reminded of what Jesus Himself has told this waiting church, the Philadelphia church, about this very time that we are in. He said, "Hold that fast that thou hast that no man take thy crown..." etc. In other words, Don't let yourself become discouraged by anything that some man says in opposition to His promise to come and get us out of here. He has promised and His reward is for our continued looking, watching and waiting against all temptation to give up hope. (Read Hebrews, for the same message... Hold fast your confidence firm unto the end...)
 
I don't know about you all, but I have been in this waiting mode since around 1981, or 82. (I just turned 48 on September 29th. Never thought I'd get this old.) I was convinced that He was coming in 1987, because of a lot of teaching on the Great Pyramid, first by Dr. Gene Scott, and then by a brilliant mathmatition named Ralph Lyman, who took it to a conclusion that sounded so right at the time. One year later, the "88 Reasons for 1988" book came along and everyone was excited by that one but I was still recovering from my disappointment from the previous October 14, of 87, and I watched only with one eye.
 
When Marilyn Agee's book "End Of The Age" came out and she had chosen May 31, 1998, I again became convinced that she was right. Even the way I found that book had me convinced that God had led me to it. It had been some years since I had even given the subject serious thought and I suddenly felt that it was time to look into it again. I went into Barns and Nobel with a strong feeling that there was a book in there that I was supposed to get. When I searched the Christian shelves, I passed over many books before finding hers and reading half of it right there on the floor before excitedly buying it and taking it home. This was 1995, three years before her date of May, 1998.
 
Later, when I first discovered the Internet, I was amazed to find that she was on it and could answer questions. I even called her and spoke to her on the phone the day of her rapture prediction, (Sunday, May 31, 1998).
 
Regardless of the dates that came and went and the understandable grief that I received from everyone to whom I had shared my beliefs after nothing happened, I continued to hang on as I do to this day. It has not been easy, but one of the single most important things that I have held on to in these many years since first discovering the Internet, is you Doves...
 
And John, I must say... You have that name for a reason. As Jesus' beloved disciple who on the Isle of Patmos was the one who wrote to the churches for their edification and encouragement, so also we who are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord, have another named John, who is encouraging us in like manner, although in a more modern context. I found this Five Doves through Marilyn's sight many years ago and have never failed to receive great encouragement here.
 
I therefore feel very happy to be able to encourage you all with this small contribution. Several years ago, I too had a very powerful "rapture dream" which I posted at the time. (If anyone knew how to search for it, it would probably still be there if you knew how far back to search, but I don't remember even which year it would have been.) I can recall it very clearly though so I will tell it agin. The reason I am so encouraged is because of a couple of striking similarities to this dream that Jim has just reposted. I was aware of these similarities when I first saw this post and almost posted about my dream then. I did a search of the archived posts on the Doves and could not find it and decided not to post then because I though it would have been more compelling if I could have shown that I really posted it all those years ago...
 
Nevertheless, you'll have to take my word for it. First, here is the part that Jim posted again, which is similar to my dream:
 
She began to
cry out excitedly, "its happening, its happening." I asked her: "what is
happening?" She said: "Jesus is taking us, were being raptured!" Just as
the shock wave of the bomb was about to engulf us I started to fly
together with her, she continued to cry out with great Joy that Jesus was
taking us. I looked around and saw thousands of transformed bodies leaving
the city and the surroundings area, joining us in our flight toward Jesus.
I to began to cry out "its happening, were going to heaven!" We began to
fly ever so fast, it felt so awesome. I wanted to fly even faster. Until
now we were still close to the earth joining with other people. Then we
came to a point were there was a great ancient city on the ground,
reaching this point we knew that we were suddenly going to shoot up into
the sky to meet Jesus, just before we shot up into heaven, I woke up…. If
I had dreamed any more then I probably wouldn’t be here.

So I woke up disappointed that I was still in my bed.
 
 
Now here's my dream:
 
I was at my childhood Lutheran church where I grew up. It appeared to be a Sunday and everyone was in Sunday School classes. I was walking around the grounds along the sidewalks outlide of the classrooms. I felt happy to be there but I did not fit in inside any of the classes and was content just to walk around outside. I remember receiving a donut on the patio from a lady there and feeling happy for that, though what that may mean, I'm not sure. Maybe some message that churches give sweet treats but not healthy meat of the word anymore or something... Later I found myself still at this church and I was all alone, out in the field or playground area. It was dark and late at night, around 10PM. All the people were gone. I was lying on my back looking up into the sky and to my amazement, I saw a star that was moving among the other stars, way up in the sky. It was not very bright and I marveled that I should have been able to notice it among all the other stars in the sky. I feared to take my eyes off of it lest I should not be able to spot it again and I'd miss what it might do. Suddenly it began to pick up speed and was zooming through the other stars at a faster and faster rate of speed until I wondered how anything could possibly go that fast and cover that much space so quickly. I was excited and wondered what it was. Just then, I noticed other stars beginning to move in like manner until it seemed that the whole sky was filled with similar fast moving, streaking stars. At this point, I lept to my feet and began running through the field with my arms held up and I was shouting, "It's happening, It's happening, Please take me, Jesus!" Just then, I left the ground and was swept up with tremendous force that was so fast I could hardly believe it. My joy was indescribable and I was so glad that it was finally really happening. I knew that the other shooting stars were other saints shooting up as well. However, I was also aware of a horrible feeling for those left on the Earth. Because I knew that from this point on, it was going to be immediately very bad down there. For this reason, I became very concerned for whatever this mode of travel was that was making me go up and I began hoping that I didn't run out of gas or fuel and begin to fall back down again. I actually began thinking, "Does this thing go any faster?" Even though I was traveling at an unbelieveably fast rate of speed, I wanted to get away from Earth as fast and as surely as possible just to know that there was no way that I could end up back down there. (I therefore find it significant that this other dream said the same thing about wanting to go faster even though you are going so fast.) But thank God, I did not run out of gas I kept flying way up and then my next thought was that I hoped that this was real and not just a dream or anything like that. It at first seemed like just as foolish a thought as worrying about running out of gas because it was SO real that I thought it can't be just a dream, it has to be the real event. But as soon as I started thinking about this and I remember directing my thought and concern directly to God, and asking Him for reassurance that this was real and not a dream, I felt an immediate sense of Him saying "I'm sorry..." To which I exclaimed, "No, please, You mean it is just a dream?" And while still sleeping, I became aware that it was just a dream, even while it was still so real as well. I wanted to wish it into being real. But even as I did so, I began to be able to feel my bed beneeth me and was aware that I was waking up. As I did I was overcome with the greatest disappointment as not known since I was a kid who just had his greatest desire dashed and reality sets in. But before I could cry or grieve, I became aware of God's powerful, loving presence in my darkened bedroom with me as real as the dream had just been. I was therefore very happy again and waited to see what He had to say to me. He told me that He had given me this dream to encourage me and to answer a question that I had asked only the day before. I had asked Him if I was ready for the rapture and would I go if it were today? He said Yes I was ready and to just keep doing what I'm doing. I then, without being able to help it or hide it, I thought, "How do I know that this isn't just my own wishful thinking but is really God telling me this...?" He knew my thought and so He laughingly said, "Here's how you'll know..." He then said, "Close your eyes." I felt just like a child whose loving Daddy has a gift for him and he says to close your eyes so he can present you with it. Even though my bedroom was completely dark as this was the middle of the night, my eyes had been opened in the dark. So when He said to close my eyes, I wondered what would happen. As soon as I closed my eyes, I was astonished to find myself back in the dream traveling through the sky as before and seeing it all bright like noonday in the clouds, only now I was wide awake! I therefore knew that it was not just wishful thinking. I opened my eyes again filled with joy and He was no longer there. But I knew that I had just received a tremendous gift.
 
I could not sleep at this point but I got up and dictated the dream into a cassette recorder so I could not forget it, though I never could forget it.
 
Blessings,
 
Barry Amundsen