Dreams and Visions

Dreams and Visions

Sometimes God speaks directly to us in dreams:

Genesis 28:10-13 HCSB Jacob left Beer-sheba and went toward Haran. 11 He reached a certain place and spent the night there because the sun had set. He took one of the stones from the place, put it there at his head, and lay down in that place. 12 And he dreamed: A stairway was set on the ground with its top reaching heaven, and God's angels were going up and down on it. 13 The LORD was standing there beside him, saying, "I am the LORD, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your offspring the land that you are now sleeping on.
Genesis 37:5-11 HCSB Then Joseph had a dream. When he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more. 6 He said to them, "Listen to this dream I had: 7 There we were, binding sheaves of grain in the field. Suddenly my sheaf stood up, and your sheaves gathered around it and bowed down to my sheaf." 8 "Are you really going to reign over us?" his brothers asked him. "Are you really going to rule us?" So they hated him even more because of his dream and what he had said. 9 Then he had another dream and told it to his brothers. "Look," he said, "I had another dream, and this time the sun, moon, and 11 stars were bowing down to me." 10 He told his father and brothers, but his father rebuked him. "What kind of dream is this that you have had?" he said. "Are your mother and brothers and I going to bow down to the ground before you?" 11 His brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the matter in mind.
Genesis 40:5-8 HCSB The cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were confined in the prison, each had a dream. Both had a dream on the same night, and each dream had its own meaning. 6 When Joseph came to them in the morning, he saw that they looked distraught. 7 So he asked Pharaoh's officers who were in custody with him in his master's house, "Why are your faces sad today?" 8 "We had dreams," they said to him, "but there is no one to interpret them." Then Joseph said to them, "Don't interpretations belong to God? Tell me your dreams."
Genesis 41:15-16 HCSB Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I have had a dream, and no one can interpret it. But I have heard it said about you that you can hear a dream and interpret it." 16 "I am not able to," Joseph answered Pharaoh. "It is God who will give Pharaoh a favorable answer."
Judges 7:13-15 HCSB When Gideon arrived, there was a man telling his friend about a dream. He said, "Listen, I had a dream: a loaf of barley bread came tumbling into the Midianite camp, struck a tent, and it fell. The loaf turned the tent upside down so that it collapsed." 14 His friend answered: "This is nothing less than the sword of Gideon son of Joash, the Israelite. God has handed the entire Midianite camp over to him." 15 When Gideon heard the account of the dream and its interpretation, he bowed in worship. He returned to Israel's camp and said, "Get up, for the LORD has handed the Midianite camp over to you."

Sometimes the Lord refused the prophetic gift of dreams to people.

1 Samuel 28:6 HCSB He inquired of the LORD, but the LORD did not answer him in dreams or by the Urim or by the prophets.
1 Samuel 28:15 HCSB "Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?" Samuel asked Saul. "I'm in serious trouble," replied Saul. "The Philistines are fighting against me and God has turned away from me. He doesn't answer me any more, either through the prophets or in dreams. So I've called on you to tell me what I should do."

The dreams were not always very pleasant. Often, they were positively nightmarish.

Job 4:12-21 HCSB A word was brought to me in secret; my ears caught a whisper of it. 13 Among unsettling thoughts from visions in the night, when deep sleep descends on men, 14 fear and trembling came over me and made all my bones shake. 15 A wind passed by me, and I shuddered with fear. 16 A figure stood there, but I could not recognize its appearance; a form loomed before my eyes. I heard a quiet voice: 17 "Can a person be more righteous than God, or a man more pure than his Maker?" 18 If God puts no trust in His servants and He charges His angels with foolishness, 19 how much more those who dwell in clay houses, whose foundation is in the dust, who are crushed like a moth! 20 They are smashed to pieces from dawn to dusk; they perish forever while no one notices. 21 Are their tent cords not pulled up? They die without wisdom.

False prophets often claim to dream in the name of the Lord and lead us astray.

Jeremiah 23:25-32 HCSB "I have heard what the prophets who prophesy a lie in My name have said: I had a dream! I had a dream! 26 How long will this continue in the minds of the prophets prophesying lies, prophets of the deceit of their own minds? 27 Through their dreams that they tell one another, they make plans to cause My people to forget My name as their fathers forgot My name through Baal worship. 28 The prophet who has only a dream should recount the dream, but the one who has My word should speak My word truthfully, for what is straw compared to grain?"--the LORD's declaration. 29 "Is not My word like fire"--the LORD's declaration--"and like a sledgehammer that pulverizes rock? 30 Therefore, take note! I am against the prophets"--the LORD's declaration--"who steal My words from each other. 31 I am against the prophets"--the LORD's declaration--"who use their own tongues to deliver an oracle. 32 I am against those who prophesy false dreams"--the LORD's declaration--"telling them and leading My people astray with their falsehoods and their boasting. It was not I who sent or commanded them, and they are of no benefit at all to these people"--this is the LORD's declaration.
Jeremiah 27:9-10 HCSB But as for you, do not listen to your prophets, your diviners, your dreamers, your fortune-tellers, or your sorcerers who say to you: Don't serve the king of Babylon! 10 for they prophesy a lie to you so that you will be removed from your land. I will banish you, and you will perish.
Jeremiah 29:8-9 HCSB For this is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: "Don't let your prophets who are among you and your diviners deceive you, and don't listen to the dreams you elicit from them, 9 for they are prophesying falsely to you in My name. I have not sent them." This is the LORD's declaration.

We are to “test the spirits” and make sure that the person who is sharing what they claim to be a prophetic dream is a valid prophet of God. Their lives must not be characterized by sin or rebellion. Their message must not contradict the Word of God. It must not lead people away from the God of the Bible to worship some other lesser god or their own vain imaginings and feelings.

Deuteronomy 13:1-4 HCSB "If a prophet or someone who has dreams arises among you and proclaims a sign or wonder to you, 2 and that sign or wonder he has promised you comes about, but he says, 'Let us follow other gods,' which you have not known, 'and let us worship them,' 3 do not listen to that prophet's words or to that dreamer. For the LORD your God is testing you to know whether you love the LORD your God with all your heart and all your soul. 4 You must follow the LORD your God and fear Him. You must keep His commands and listen to His voice; you must worship Him and remain faithful to Him.
1 Thessalonians 5:19-22 HCSB Don't stifle the Spirit. 20 Don't despise prophecies, 21 but test all things. Hold on to what is good. 22 Stay away from every form of evil.

Religious leaders often are tempted to give their message divine authority by claiming to see visions, have prophetic dreams or to speak to angels. Those who do so falsely can be sure that the Lord God will visit their iniquity upon them.

Zechariah 10:2-3 HCSB For the idols speak falsehood, and the diviners see illusions; they relate empty dreams and offer empty comfort. Therefore the people wander like sheep; they suffer affliction because there is no shepherd. 3 My anger burns against the shepherds, so I will punish the leaders. For the LORD of Hosts has tended His flock, the house of Judah; He will make them like His majestic steed in battle.

Sometimes we need help in interpreting dreams; Joseph interpreted the dreams of the chief baker, the chief cupbearer and the pharaoh.

Genesis 40:5-8 HCSB The cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were confined in the prison, each had a dream. Both had a dream on the same night, and each dream had its own meaning. 6 When Joseph came to them in the morning, he saw that they looked distraught. 7 So he asked Pharaoh's officers who were in custody with him in his master's house, "Why are your faces sad today?" 8 "We had dreams," they said to him, "but there is no one to interpret them." Then Joseph said to them, "Don't interpretations belong to God? Tell me your dreams."
Genesis 41:15-16 HCSB Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I have had a dream, and no one can interpret it. But I have heard it said about you that you can hear a dream and interpret it." 16 "I am not able to," Joseph answered Pharaoh. "It is God who will give Pharaoh a favorable answer."

Interestingly, however, Joseph did not interpret his dreams in his youth. His brothers and father jumped to the right conclusion, but he did not. Either his abilities to interpret were not yet fully developed, or he had an innate sense of modesty and did not want to publicly claim the obvious conclusion that he would rule.

Genesis 37:5-11 HCSB Then Joseph had a dream. When he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more. 6 He said to them, "Listen to this dream I had: 7 There we were, binding sheaves of grain in the field. Suddenly my sheaf stood up, and your sheaves gathered around it and bowed down to my sheaf." 8 "Are you really going to reign over us?" his brothers asked him. "Are you really going to rule us?" So they hated him even more because of his dream and what he had said. 9 Then he had another dream and told it to his brothers. "Look," he said, "I had another dream, and this time the sun, moon, and 11 stars were bowing down to me." 10 He told his father and brothers, but his father rebuked him. "What kind of dream is this that you have had?" he said. "Are your mother and brothers and I going to bow down to the ground before you?" 11 His brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the matter in mind.

Gideon required the help of a friend to interpret his dream.

Judges 7:13-15 HCSB When Gideon arrived, there was a man telling his friend about a dream. He said, "Listen, I had a dream: a loaf of barley bread came tumbling into the Midianite camp, struck a tent, and it fell. The loaf turned the tent upside down so that it collapsed." 14 His friend answered: "This is nothing less than the sword of Gideon son of Joash, the Israelite. God has handed the entire Midianite camp over to him." 15 When Gideon heard the account of the dream and its interpretation, he bowed in worship. He returned to Israel's camp and said, "Get up, for the LORD has handed the Midianite camp over to you."

Nebuchadnezzar demanded the aid of magicians, astrologers, but it ultimately required Daniel to interpret his dream and tell him what to do with it.

Daniel 2:24-28 HCSB Therefore Daniel went to Arioch, whom the king had assigned to destroy the wise men of Babylon. He came and said to him, "Don't kill the wise men of Babylon! Bring me before the king, and I will give him the interpretation." 25 Then Arioch quickly brought Daniel before the king and said to him, "I have found a man among the Judean exiles who can let the king know the interpretation." 26 The king said in reply to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, "Are you able to tell me the dream I had and its interpretation?" 27 Daniel answered the king: "No wise man, medium, diviner-priest, or astrologer is able to make known to the king the mystery he asked about. 28 But there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and He has let King Nebuchadnezzar know what will happen in the last days. Your dream and the visions that came into your mind as you lay in bed were these:

Daniel was a renowned interpreter of dreams and visions and was honored because of it.

Daniel 1:17 HCSB God gave these four young men knowledge and understanding in every kind of literature and wisdom. Daniel also understood visions and dreams of every kind.
Daniel 5:12-17 HCSB did this because Daniel, the one the king named Belteshazzar, was found to have an extraordinary spirit, knowledge and perception, and the ability to interpret dreams, explain riddles, and solve problems. Therefore, summon Daniel, and he will give the interpretation." 13 Then Daniel was brought before the king. The king said to him, "Are you Daniel, one of the Judean exiles that my predecessor the king brought from Judah? 14 I've heard that you have the spirit of the gods in you, and that you have insight, intelligence, and extraordinary wisdom. 15 Now the wise men and mediums were brought before me to read this inscription and make its interpretation known to me, but they could not give its interpretation. 16 However, I have heard about you that you can give interpretations and solve problems. Therefore, if you can read this inscription and give me its interpretation, you will be clothed in purple, have a gold chain around your neck, and have the third highest position in the kingdom." 17 Then Daniel answered the king, "You may keep your gifts, and give your rewards to someone else; however, I will read the inscription for the king and make the interpretation known to him.

The Bible reveals that in times past servants of God were given visions and dreams for specific reasons and/or to convey special messages. For example, Jesus gave a vision of His future Kingdom on earth to Peter, James, and John, no doubt as a witness and encouragement both to them and to us.

Matthew 17:1-9 HCSB After six days Jesus took Peter, James, and his brother John, and led them up on a high mountain by themselves. 2 He was transformed in front of them, and His face shone like the sun. Even His clothes became as white as the light. 3 Suddenly, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. 4 Then Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it's good for us to be here! If You want, I will make three tabernacles here: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." 5 While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said: This is My beloved Son. I take delight in Him. Listen to Him! 6 When the disciples heard it, they fell facedown and were terrified. 7 Then Jesus came up, touched them, and said, "Get up; don't be afraid." 8 When they looked up they saw no one except Him--Jesus alone. 9 As they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, "Don't tell anyone about the vision until the Son of Man is raised from the dead."

God has used this means of communication in the past and will do so again.

Acts 2:17-21 HCSB And it will be in the last days, says God, that I will pour out My Spirit on all humanity; then your sons and your daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams. 18 I will even pour out My Spirit on My male and female slaves in those days, and they will prophesy. 19 I will display wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth below: blood and fire and a cloud of smoke. 20 The sun will be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and remarkable day of the Lord comes; 21 then whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
Joel 2:28 HCSB After this I will pour out My Spirit on all humanity; then your sons and your daughters will prophesy, your old men will have dreams, and your young men will see visions.

We must realize that Hashem only uses this form of communication when the circumstances warrant. Even then, such revelations are ordinarily directed to His ministers and specially chosen servants such as Jacob, Joseph, Nebuchadnezzar, and Daniel (but not always according to Acts 2:17-18 and Joel 2:28).

Amos 3:7 HCSB Indeed, the Lord GOD does nothing without revealing His counsel to His servants the prophets.

Today, God principally speaks to us through the Bible.

Hebrews 1:1-2 HCSB Long ago God spoke to the fathers by the prophets at different times and in different ways. 2 In these last days, He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things and through whom He made the universe.

Jesus Christ is the living Word of God.

John 1:1 HCSB In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
John 1:14 HCSB The Word became flesh and took up residence among us. We observed His glory, the glory as the One and Only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

The Bible is the Word of God in written form. God the Father gave it to Christ. Christ, in turn, inspired both the prophets and the apostles, and they preserved it for us. The Father's will, commandments, and specific promises are revealed to us in the Holy Scriptures. So God is actually speaking to us through His Word, the Bible.

2 Peter 1:20-21 HCSB First of all, you should know this: no prophecy of Scripture comes from one's own interpretation, 21 because no prophecy ever came by the will of man; instead, moved by the Holy Spirit, men spoke from God.
Luke 1:70 HCSB just as He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets in ancient times;

It is not always easy to determine the origin of a vision, dream, or premonition which one might experience. Therefore, we must be very careful about ascribing to God any such communication—even if it is supernatural!

1 John 4:1-3 HCSB Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to determine if they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 This is how you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit who confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God. 3 But every spirit who does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist; you have heard that he is coming, and he is already in the world now.

Note: The term “confess” in this sense means to live that truth. Anyone can SAY “Jesus is God in flesh”. Many who do, fail to live their lives accordingly. “By their fruit you shall know them” says our Master.

Jude warns that sometimes false ministers use dreams and visions to deceive God's people and create a following for themselves.

Jude 1:8 HCSB Nevertheless, these dreamers likewise defile their flesh, despise authority, and blaspheme glorious beings.
Deuteronomy 13:1-5 HCSB "If a prophet or someone who has dreams arises among you and proclaims a sign or wonder to you, 2 and that sign or wonder he has promised you comes about, but he says, 'Let us follow other gods,' which you have not known, 'and let us worship them,' 3 do not listen to that prophet's words or to that dreamer. For the LORD your God is testing you to know whether you love the LORD your God with all your heart and all your soul. 4 You must follow the LORD your God and fear Him. You must keep His commands and listen to His voice; you must worship Him and remain faithful to Him. 5 That prophet or dreamer must be put to death, because he has urged rebellion against the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the place of slavery, to turn you from the way the LORD your God has commanded you to walk. You must purge the evil from you.

We must be careful to separate such paranormal activity from the revealed truth of God. God, through the prophet Isaiah, instructs us how to test the spirits:

Isaiah 8:19-20 HCSB When they say to you, "Consult the spirits of the dead and the spiritists who chirp and mutter," shouldn't a people consult their God? Should they consult the dead on behalf of the living? 20 To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, there will be no dawn for them.

Unless a dream or vision agrees completely with the Bible in its message and content, we can know it is not of God. Some visions and dreams may simply be caused by mental or physical stress or the pressures of daily life. The Bible reveals that dreams may result from an upset or overly stimulated mind. If one has had a very troubled or busy day, he might be more likely to have vivid dreams that night. Ill health or memories of unpleasant experiences may also cause such dreams.

Ecclesiastes 5:3 HCSB For dreams result from much work and a fool's voice from many words.

In situations where an unpleasant dream or vision causes distress, fear, physical sickness, or any such thing, seek God's intervention and healing. If Satan bothers us with bad dreams, we should ask God to rebuke him.

Jude 1:9 HCSB Yet Michael the archangel, when he was disputing with the Devil in a debate about Moses' body, did not dare bring an abusive condemnation against him, but said, "The Lord rebuke you!"

We should also stay close to God in prayer and Bible study so that Satan cannot bother us.

James 4:7-10 HCSB Therefore, submit to God. But resist the Devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, sinners, and purify your hearts, double-minded people! 9 Be miserable and mourn and weep. Your laughter must change to mourning and your joy to sorrow. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you.

God will grant us peace of mind if we walk with Him each day.

Philippians 4:4-9 HCSB Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your graciousness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. 6 Don't worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses every thought, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 8 Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable--if there is any moral excellence and if there is any praise--dwell on these things. 9 Do what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.
Isaiah 26:3 HCSB You will keep in perfect peace the mind that is dependent on You, for it is trusting in You.

Note: Again, it is not the one who “claims” peace (as the “health and wealth theologians” will urge) but the one who has seen, heard, received, learned and DONE the will of God.