TRANCES
Of all experiences it's the trance-state that causes so much consternation amongst Christians. For most people a trance is something akin to demon possession. It seems to infer total lack of self-control. Yet we find this state mentioned twice in the New Testament (Acts 10: 9-18, 28 and Acts 22:17). So let's take an in-depth look at what they are and how they differ in nature to dreams and visions.
There is no word in the Hebrew language for a trance. This isn't surprising since there is no Biblical record of one occurring in that period, unless you take Balaam's experience in Numbers 24:3-4. This doesn't mean that trances didn't occur, it's just that there's no decisive Old Testament record of such an experience.
In the Greek we find the word ekstasis (G1611 in Strongs) from where we get the word ecstatic. In popular thought to speak of ecstasy or to be ecstatic brings to mind a sense of loss of presence of mind. It gives the sense of being “caught away into some other realm”.
As we will see this is not entirely without foundation.
The other NT word that is equivalent to “trance” is “amazement” (Strongs G1611). It is the same spelling as „ekstasis' (ekstasis) and is translated as, “standing out of one's self; displacement; a condition by which the person is thrown into a state of surprise or fear, or both”.
It's used to describe the experience found in Mark 5:42, where Jesus rais es a girl from the dead. Similarly in Luke 5:26 the word is used in the healing of the paralysed man.
Mark 5:42 Immediately the girl arose and walked, for she was twelve years of age. And they were overcome with great amazement.
Luke 5:26 and they were all amazed, and they glorified God, and were filled with fear saying; we have seen strange things today.
In both situations it's the onlookers who are “amazed” at the