Ecstatic Dreams In Go Tell It On The Mountain

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There is a common theme of ecstatic experiences being described in several of our readings throughout the semester. In Go Tell It on The Mountain, Gabriel describes two ecstatic dreams he had that mirrors similar to visions that Jarena Lee experienced.
Both individuals experience a vision with a notable battle with Satan. In Gabriel’s first dream, he is greeted by demons that Satan had sent to his bedside. Similar to Jarena Lee’s vision of her standing on the edge of the pits of hell, these dreams reflect past sins that are meant to tempt them. Since Jarena Lee thought of herself as a liar, she has this vivid vision of the pits of hell from the bible with Satan in the form of a dog—which is accounted for in the bible as the bottomless pit where all sinners like liars meet their fate. Gabriel, on the other hand, is haunted by his sinful past and thus is tempted through the demons of his dark past-- old friends he no longer saw, drinking, gambling, and women who he's been with before (125). Although his vision is much more realistic compared to Jarena Lee’s vivid image of devil
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Gabriel attempts to climb a mountain, hearing God’s voice telling him to “Come higher”. After the tumultuous climb, Gabriel appears at the top of the mountain dressed in long white robes—a symbol of purity. When Jarena heard God say to her to preach the Gospel, she then felt a duty to preach the gospel and used her experiences with God as her leverage for preaching despite women not having that role in the church. Similarly, Gabriel uses this dream as a justification for him to marry Deborah. Since God said for him not to touch the elect since God’s “seal is on them”, but that “soon shall thy [Gabriel’s] seed be”—meaning that his offspring will be destined for salvation. It is selfish in a way since he really only desires to marry Deborah, so he can spread his seed and have a son who could be the next chosen