17 “When I returned to Jerusalem and was praying at the temple, I fell into a trance 18 and saw the Lord speaking. ‘Quick!’ he said to me. ‘Leave Jerusalem immediately, because they will not accept your testimony about me.’
Each time Paul has had this experience of a trance God used it to warn him of future difficulties. It only happens twice in the New Testament. Again, it is a rare event. So if someone is always “falling into a trance”, chances are it is not from God. Predicting the future is an extremely rare even in Scripture. Over human history there have been few events that were predicted with Biblical accuracy. It must be 100% or death results. Paul is back in Jerusalem and is relating the history of his conversion. He tells about when he went to the central gathering place for prayer, the Jewish Temple, and he was warned about the Jews’ reluctance to accept his message. Notice the urgency of the message to leave. He must leave quickly, immediately. If God had not spoken to Paul in this trance his life would have been cut short. Paul was awake. This was not a dream. And everything revealed in this trance came true. The word for trance is the word ecstasy. It is used several other times in the New Testament when people see what God is doing and are in amazement and wonder. What a strange way to relay such difficult news. And Luke uses this word ecstasy to relay this experience. To be in ecstasy, be told that my life is in danger, and that I have to leave seems strange. This kind of news would fit better with depression or sadness. To be in an utter state of wonder and amazement at God’s working and receive news that I have to leave is such a contrast. And yet that is exactly how God reveals this news to Paul. God’s message that He loves us and that we are pitiful sinners is a startling message of contrast. The message that this life will have its trials, but God will never leave us is a message of contrast. How can a pure God love sinners? If God is so good, how can he allow suffering? For Paul, how can an All-Powerful God allow people to force him to leave Jerusalem? But anytime there is this kind of contrast, God has a plan, and a wonderful plan at that.
The Arnold Journey 