Elijah (1 Kings 19:5-7), Elisha and his servant (2 Kings 6:17) and Daniel (Daniel 10:5-6); and in the N.T. by Zacharias (Luke 1:11), Mary (Luke 1:28), Joseph (Matthew 2:13), the Shepherds (Luke 2:9, 13), Our Lord (Luke 22:43), Cornelius (Acts 10:3), Peter (Acts 10:15; 12:7) and Paul (Acts 27:23). God gave a vision of Himself in the O.T. to Isaiah (6:1-8) and Ezekiel (1:26-28; cf. Daniel 7:9-14), and the N.T. to John (Rev. 4:3), and the whole book of the Revelation is a continuous account of the working of these gifts in John, so that the spiritual world was open to his eyes, and he saw and conversed with the Lord and angels throughout. On the other side, Satan appeared and spoke to Eve (Genesis 3) and Our Lord (Matthew 4:1-11), and demons spoke to Our Lord (Matthew 8:28-31; Mark 3:11; 5:6-12) and about Paul (Acts 16:16-18). Doubtless there were many other instances of these gifts which are not recorded, especially when demons were being cast out, but enough have been quoted to show that these gifts were quite normal both in Old and New Testament times.

It remains to consider what is the value of these gifts. It is clear that they are of the greatest importance since they occur so frequently. Perhaps the first blessing that comes from all such experiences to believer and unbeliever alike is to draw their attention to, and convince them of, the reality of the unseen world on both its sides. We are told in Eph. 6:12 that our wrestling is not with flesh and blood but with wicked spirits in heavenly places. It is, however, difficult to realise this without any experience of such beings. In the same