What does the Bible tell us about dreams? Is there a time to take them seriously, or should they all be dismissed as meaningless?
In both the Old and New Testaments, people had dreams. The first dream recorded in scripture is found in Genesis chapter 20. In this dream, God warns a man named Abimelek. This man was lied to by Abraham. Abraham, in fear, had told everyone that Sarah (his wife) was actually his sister. He was scared of being killed for her. Due to this lie, Abimelek took Sarah for himself. God warned him in a dream that Sarah was Abraham's wife. Abimelek was horrified by this realization, and God acknowledged his integrity in acting without knowledge. In this instance, God was giving someone a chance to make the right choice. This was how God was speaking to him. It makes sense. The Bible was not recorded (not even the Torah), and believers in the Lord were not consistently indwelt by the Holy Spirit. Dreams were a way God connected with people. This certainly was not the only time.
Later on in Genesis (and two generations later), Jacob has a dream (Genesis 28). Jacob had been a dishonest, selfish schemer, and had made a mess of things in his family. At this point, he was fleeing from his brother's wrath. Even though he was raised in a family of God's promise, and even though he was God's chosen one to continue the family line for the Messiah (Jesus), Jacob didn't appear to know God or have any relationship with God at this point. Then, while sleeping in the desert with a rock for a pillow, he sees a stairway to Heaven, with angels going up and down. From the top, God spoke to him, reiterating the promise He had previously made to Abraham. That experience touched Jacob's life profoundly. He was never the same again. He concluded that God must live there, and he renamed the place Bethel. God knew how to reach down to him in a way he would understand.
Jacob's son Joseph was well-known for his dreams, which ended up coming true (Genesis 37ff). He even interpreted dreams for others, with God's help (Genesis 40). All of these dreams had meanings for the individuals involved, and led to God working things out for Joseph and for His people, continuing along the plan for the Messiah to come through their family (although Joseph wasn't in Jesus' direct lineage, but he was the brother of the heir, and part of Israel).
Jacob's son Joseph was well-known for his dreams, which ended up coming true (Genesis 37ff). He even interpreted dreams for others, with God's help (Genesis 40). All of these dreams had meanings for the individuals involved, and led to God working things out for Joseph and for His people, continuing along the plan for the Messiah to come through their family (although Joseph wasn't in Jesus' direct lineage, but he was the brother of the heir, and part of Israel).
There are many other times like this in the Old Testament. Many of the dreams in the Bible are prophecies for the future, either the coming of the Savior (which was future for them, but the past for us), or things that are still in our future, such as the end times and our eternity with the Lord. Examples are found in the book of Daniel.
The New Testament has dreams as well. In Matthew 2, baby Jesus' life was in danger from the madman King Herod. God warned the wise men in a dream not to return to Pharoah (they had promised earlier to give him Jesus' whereabouts, as Pharaoh claimed he wanted to worship him too), and then God warned Joseph (Mary's husband, Jesus' earthly father-figure) in a dream to flee to Egypt to avoid Herod's wrath. Very important dreams, and fortunately, both the wise men and Joseph obeyed God.
In the book of Acts (after Christians had the Holy Spirit), God still used dreams to an extent, but we also see God using the inner urging of the Holy Spirit. In Acts 16, the Holy Spirit prevented Paul and Silas from going to Asia, and then God sent them a dream of a Macedonian man, thus telling them to go to Macedonia instead. We see this dream working hand-in-hand with the Holy Spirit inside them.
Many believers I know say that with the completion of the New Testament, God ceased using dreams, miracles, or any sort of "sign" manifestations. While I do believe the Bible is the be-all and end-all, I don't think anything is beyond God's ability. If He wants to use a dream, or anything else, He surely can. However, all of this is subject to the Bible, not the other way around. What I see in the Bible is a very personal God, who communicated with people direction, not only to accomplish His will, but to have a relationship with these people. He hasn't changed. He wants a loving relationship with us today as well. He primarily speaks through the Bible, with the inner testimony of the Holy Spirit illuminating the Bible for us. Unsaved people cannot understand God's word (Second Corinthians 2:14). Not only does the Holy Spirit help us understand God's word, but also applies it individually to our lives. This is where some have concerns, and we do need to be careful. The Bible has one meaning, but almost innumerable applications. God can use a passage I've read a hundred times to convict me of something I'm doing in my life. Obviously, another believer reading this passage won't get that same application about it, because their situation is different. The meaning doesn't change. It can't. But the individual circumstances in my life, known by the Holy Spirit, can be addressed by the Bible under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. A Bible camp I used to go to growing up used the phrase, "Taught by the Bible, led by the Spirit." I think that sums up the relationship between the believer, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit.
Having said all of that, I believe it is possible for a Bible-reading, Spirit-guided Christian to have God speak to them in a dream. In Joel 2:28, we are told, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. This passage is referenced by Peter in Acts 2:17. First Thessalonians 5:2 says, "test all things, hold fast to what is good." As I said, a dream must be subject to the Word of God. Also, as I mentioned at the beginning of this, dreams can be caused by any number or things, such as what someone ate before bed, what he or she was thinking about, etc. Sometimes, dreams aren't necessarily from God, but are the human mind working out problems. We need to be careful.
I have had a handful of dreams in my life that were significant. One of them was when I was eleven years old. In this dream, I invited a friend of mine to come to AWANA (our church's Wednesday night Bible club) and she came. What was significant about this was that, in real life, this friend's family didn't allow her to do anything Christian with me. They had their own religious beliefs. However, this dream had been so vivid, and I was struck with a conviction that I needed to invite her to come to AWANA with me that night. I went down the street to her house after school and asked if she wanted to come. I didn't know what would happen, but I felt like I was on a mission for God. She asked her mom, and her mom said, "I guess it wouldn't hurt to let you go once." My dream came true! She came with me that night. She seemed to like it. She was never allowed to go again, but she heard the gospel. Years later, she told another friend of ours, "I want to go back to that church one day, because they believe the right way to get to Heaven." A seed was definitely planted. Was this dream from God? I believe it was.
In her book The Hiding Place, Corrie ten Boom shares about how she often had a sort of dream/vision about being taken away from their town in a vehicle. This came to her several times. Finally, when she and her sister (and others involved) were arrested for helping Jews escape Holland during the Holocaust, she realized that was what the dream had been about. Her experience being driving away was identical to the dream.
The New Testament has dreams as well. In Matthew 2, baby Jesus' life was in danger from the madman King Herod. God warned the wise men in a dream not to return to Pharoah (they had promised earlier to give him Jesus' whereabouts, as Pharaoh claimed he wanted to worship him too), and then God warned Joseph (Mary's husband, Jesus' earthly father-figure) in a dream to flee to Egypt to avoid Herod's wrath. Very important dreams, and fortunately, both the wise men and Joseph obeyed God.
In the book of Acts (after Christians had the Holy Spirit), God still used dreams to an extent, but we also see God using the inner urging of the Holy Spirit. In Acts 16, the Holy Spirit prevented Paul and Silas from going to Asia, and then God sent them a dream of a Macedonian man, thus telling them to go to Macedonia instead. We see this dream working hand-in-hand with the Holy Spirit inside them.
Many believers I know say that with the completion of the New Testament, God ceased using dreams, miracles, or any sort of "sign" manifestations. While I do believe the Bible is the be-all and end-all, I don't think anything is beyond God's ability. If He wants to use a dream, or anything else, He surely can. However, all of this is subject to the Bible, not the other way around. What I see in the Bible is a very personal God, who communicated with people direction, not only to accomplish His will, but to have a relationship with these people. He hasn't changed. He wants a loving relationship with us today as well. He primarily speaks through the Bible, with the inner testimony of the Holy Spirit illuminating the Bible for us. Unsaved people cannot understand God's word (Second Corinthians 2:14). Not only does the Holy Spirit help us understand God's word, but also applies it individually to our lives. This is where some have concerns, and we do need to be careful. The Bible has one meaning, but almost innumerable applications. God can use a passage I've read a hundred times to convict me of something I'm doing in my life. Obviously, another believer reading this passage won't get that same application about it, because their situation is different. The meaning doesn't change. It can't. But the individual circumstances in my life, known by the Holy Spirit, can be addressed by the Bible under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. A Bible camp I used to go to growing up used the phrase, "Taught by the Bible, led by the Spirit." I think that sums up the relationship between the believer, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit.
I have had a handful of dreams in my life that were significant. One of them was when I was eleven years old. In this dream, I invited a friend of mine to come to AWANA (our church's Wednesday night Bible club) and she came. What was significant about this was that, in real life, this friend's family didn't allow her to do anything Christian with me. They had their own religious beliefs. However, this dream had been so vivid, and I was struck with a conviction that I needed to invite her to come to AWANA with me that night. I went down the street to her house after school and asked if she wanted to come. I didn't know what would happen, but I felt like I was on a mission for God. She asked her mom, and her mom said, "I guess it wouldn't hurt to let you go once." My dream came true! She came with me that night. She seemed to like it. She was never allowed to go again, but she heard the gospel. Years later, she told another friend of ours, "I want to go back to that church one day, because they believe the right way to get to Heaven." A seed was definitely planted. Was this dream from God? I believe it was.
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| Corrie ten Boom, a true heroine of the Lord |
Several years ago for my birthday, a friend gave me a video about "how to interpret dreams." Her heart was in the right place, but I don't believe there's a formula. If God is speaking to a believer, whether it be through the inner prompting of the Holy Spirit, a scripture that "jumped out" at them, another Christian saying something to them, or a dream (or any other way God chooses to speak to them), God knows how to speak so that the person knows what He's telling them. That dream from when I was eleven, I knew God was calling me to invite my friend to AWANA. God can get through to us. You'll notice that the dreams in the Bible that needed interpretation were in the Old Testament, when those who dreamed them didn't have the Holy Spirit. In the New Testament, especially in Acts, we see believers knowing exactly what God is telling them.
I think one of the reasons dreams should be taken very carefully is because they are so easy to question later. I had another very vivid dream (which I won't go into at the moment), and it led to action on my part. This dream affected me deeply, and might have even had prophetic elements. However, you can see I question that, because I use the phrase "might have". It's easy to question things later. That is why we need to make sure the Bible is our guide, illumined by the Holy Spirit in our hearts. With this, dream on.
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