When we study the Bible, there are two basic types of prophets.

First there are those who receive actual words or messages from the Holy Spirit that they deliver to individuals or a congregation.

The second method that the Holy Spirit communicates prophetically is through a seer gifting, or through visual expressions.

In 1 Samuel 9:9, we are told that the seer was the oldest expression of the prophetic gift, “(Formerly in Israel, if someone went to inquire of God, they would say, “Come, let us go to the seer,” because the prophet of today used to be called a seer.)”

The Hebrew word ‘râ’âh,’ translated seer, means “the ability to see, perceive, have a vision.” This means that God communicates visually and they will actually see images.

Several prophets, Isaiah, Daniel, Ezekiel and Jeremiah, received both types of revelation. They not only received direct words, but also visually saw things that would take place in the future.

For some like Zechariah and Ezekiel, the visual images were the primary way that God communicated with them.

In some instances, the Bible actually differentiated the prophets according to their primary prophetic gifting. In 1 Chronicles 29:29, we see that both Samuel and Gad were designated as seers, while Nathan was described as a prophet.

For a person with a seer gifting, these images can come in three basic ways.

First they can come in the form of visual images that they receive in their mind about people or events.

I remember several years back, I was praying for a man, when in my mind I saw that he had video clips playing in his mind of negative incidents that happened between him and his dad.

In fact, I actually saw one of those video clips where his dad was standing over him yelling and screaming because of something he didn’t do. Unfortunately, it involved a situation, which because of his age, he simply wasn’t capable of doing to his dad’s satisfaction.

These video clips plagued this man and I felt the Holy Spirit was saying he needed to forgive his dad.

Along with receiving these type of images, God will also communicate to people through dreams and visions.

Joseph, who functioned as a seer, not only received a dream that his older brother would one day be bowing down to him (Genesis 37:5-9), but he also had the ability to interpret the dreams of others (Genesis 40:5-14).

Similar the gift of tongues, the seer often needs to have a gift of interpretation to understand the images he is receiving.

We see this need in a vision the Apostle Peter received of unclean animals:

He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles and birds. Then a voice told him, “Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.” (Acts 10:11-13)

After receiving this vision, “Peter was greatly perplexed in mind as to what the vision which he had seen might mean.”

This reveals an important second step. When we receive an image, vision or dream, we need to ask the Holy Spirit what it means.

I have seen times, where people have shared a visual impression they received, but had not gone this second step and asked the Holy Spirit for an interpretation. As a result, people had no idea what they were talking about.

As a general rule, if you get a vision or image don’t share it until the Holy Spirit gives you the interpretation.

When Zechariah received a vision of gold lamp stand with a bowl on top of it, he simply asked, “What are these, my lord?” and the angel of the Lord told him. When the Holy Spirit gives you a visual impression, He wants you to know what it means.

However, these images, visions and dreams can also be prophetic and won’t make sense until sometime later.

In Peter’s case, the Holy Spirit was preparing the apostle for the invitation to preach the Gospel to gentiles gathering at the home of Cornelius.

In a recent podcast, author and speaker, John Bevere shared the time, about 40 years ago, when he was at a meeting with Dr. Lester Sumrall.

Sumrall, who died in 1996, was an internationally renown speaker and evangelist and believed God gave him visions or images of things that would be taking place in the future.

At the meeting, Bevere attended in the 1980s, Sumrall shared how he saw that people would be carrying around small boxes with them that “would control their life.”

When Sumrall shared this, Bevere thought, “Oh, bless his heart, he’s off his rocker.” Now four decades later, it was obvious that Sumrall had seen the rise of the smart phone. He just saw that people were becoming dependent on this box type thing in their hands, but he wasn’t completely sure what it was.

The Book of Revelation is a vision that the Holy Spirit gave the Apostle John of events that would take place in the world leading up to the second coming of Christ.

While people have spent years trying to interpret this vision, we probably won’t understand many of the events until they actually take place.

So when you are praying for people or situation, and receive an image, don’t discount it, the Holy Spirit may be using it to communicate with you and through you.