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The Bible is full of dreams that God gave to individuals, both in the Old Testament and New Testament for a variety of reasons. I firmly believe if He did it then, He will do it now, and He will continue to do so in the future.
Why do I believe this to be true?
Because the Bible tells me so:
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8).
Yep, (insert singing here) The B-I-B-L-E, yes that’s the book for me. I stand alone on the Word of God, the B-I-B-L-E …. I have said this numerous times over the last month during this series, but that we MUST remember:
Whenever God speaks to us, it will always line up with the Word of God.
Welcome!
Well, if you have been joining me for this dream series, you know that today I will be wrapping things up. However, before I can do that, we have to pick up where I left off last week with symbolism and determining what things mean to you.
Last week in Dreams Part 4 – Symbolism, I shared that while books on dream symbols can help you, you cannot use them as a key to unlock your dreams, visions, or pictures.[1]
In order to figure out what things mean to you, there is a list of questions you should ask yourself. For this week’s example, we will talk about what people in our dreams can mean. When we dream about people, it’s not the actual person we are dreaming about; it’s what they represent to us.
This section is an activation exercise from my Symbolism Reference Guide.[2]
Here is a list of questions to help you define what particular people might represent in your dreams.
What does this person mean to me?
How are they connected to me?
What are the qualities (good or bad) that come to mind with this person?
What are the character traits of this person?
What is the person’s relationship to me (neighbor, boss, father, mother, brother, etc.)?
What are some descriptive words (adjectives) that come to mind when I think about this person?
Again, if you are unable to figure something out, look to the Bible. Use a Bible concordance or Bible dictionary to help you locate passages of scripture that use the particular symbol you are trying to figure out.
For example:
If you dream about your spouse, they could represent things you’re committed to, or something/someone you’re in covenant relationship with.
If you dream about the worship leader at your church, they could represent: your personal worship before the Lord, worship in general, or __________ (you fill in the blank).
If you dream about your pastors, or a pastor, they could represent: spiritual covering, Godly wisdom, or ____________________ (again, you fill in the blank).
So, how do you pull all this information together to figure out what message God is speaking to you? Again, we look to the Bible.
There are examples of God given dreams and the interpretations throughout the Scripture. A favorite one of mine to point people to is in Genesis 41. In this chapter, we see God speaking to Pharaoh, who by the way is a non-believer. Pharaoh is not given one dream, he is given two dreams! In Genesis 41:7b-8 it says:
Then Pharaoh woke up; it had been a dream. In the morning his mind was troubled, so he sent for all the magicians and wise men of Egypt. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but no one could interpret them for him
Drum-roll please – enter Joseph, finally out of prison, because the cup-bearer “suddenly” remembers Joseph interpreted a dream for him that was exactly right on. Pharaoh then asks Joseph to interpret his dreams, but Joseph responds with:
“I cannot do it,” Joseph replied to Pharaoh, “but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires” (Genesis 41:16).
Joseph makes sure that everyone knows God is the one who is interpreting the dream, and that Joseph is just the vessel through which God is speaking. We must also remember the same thing: Interpretation belongs to God! When God speaks, He wants His people to understand the message. He can use others to interpret dreams, but God is the one who is speaking to them. This Biblical dream example is a lot like the parables Jesus shared in the New Testament.
How so, you ask?
As Jesus shared parables, He talked about things people understood, like planting, harvesting, yeast, etc. When we look at Pharaoh’s dream in Genesis, there are things the people would understand, like the significance of the Nile River, it was the life flow in Egypt. They would also have understood, heads of grain, cows, and the number seven. However, God told Joseph the significance of the two sets of seven cows, and heads of grain.
As we continue to read Genesis 41, Joseph goes on to not just interpret, but label, the important, key pieces in the dream.
Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, “The dreams of Pharaoh are one and the same. God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do. The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good heads of grain are seven years; it is one and the same dream. The seven lean, ugly cows that came up afterward are seven years, and so are the seven worthless heads of grain scorched by the east wind: They are seven years of famine. It is just as I said to Pharaoh: God has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do. Seven years of great abundance are coming throughout the land of Egypt, but seven years of famine will follow them. Then all the abundance in Egypt will be forgotten, and the famine will ravage the land. The abundance in the land will not be remembered, because the famine that follows it will be so severe. The reason the dream was given to Pharaoh in two forms is that the matter has been firmly decided by God, and God will do it soon” (Genesis 41:25-32).
Once you receive a dream, write it out, and label the symbols; the last piece is figuring out the interpretation. What message is God speaking to you?
Interpretation [3]
Dream interpretation is like solving a good brainteaser. You have to be a good sleuth, dig for clues, and discover hidden meanings. The thing that will help you the most is to ask question after question. Come at it from every angle and pray as you go through the process that God will reveal to you His specific message.
Remember, Scripture tells us interpretation belongs only to God. Both Joseph and Daniel understood that man cannot unlock the mysteries God speaks in dreams unless God gives the key. Most interpretation begins in the natural and ends in the supernatural when God reveals something.
“We both had dreams,” they answered, “but there is no one to interpret them.” Then Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell me your dreams” (Genesis 40:8).
Daniel replied, “No wise man, enchanter, magician or diviner can explain to the king the mystery he has asked about, but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries” (Daniel 2:27).
Final Thoughts
As I wrap up this 5 part series on dreams, know that God wants to speak to you and He may choose the avenue of dreams. If He gives you a dream, it means He wants to open up the lines of communication. My suggestion to you is don’t try to interpret others’ dreams. You can talk it out and get suggestions from others, but God wants to develop your spiritual muscles in the area of dream interpretation. There are those that God has given the gift to interpret dreams, but it is always the dreamer’s responsibility to pray over and get their own confirmation of what God could be saying.
I hope you have enjoyed this series, I know I sure did.
If you missed any of the other posts in the Dream Series, you can click on the links below.
Dreams, Part 1 – A Basic Understanding
Dreams, Part 2 – Who’s the Source
Dreams, Part 3 – Write it Down
[1] Symbolism Reference Guide by Debbie Kitterman, page 6, 2007
[2] Symbolism Reference Guide by Debbie Kitterman, page 7, 2007
[3] Releasing God’s Heart through Hearing His Voice by Debbie Kitterman page 129 ©2008
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Followed you from Arabahjoy linkup and am glad I did. I totally agree that we have to seek God to find out the meaning and message of our dreams. Another thing I have learned is to immediately cancel with the Blood of Jesus and to pray against any negative thing we see in our dreams.
Miriam – You are so right, and that is such a good point, and not one that I had thought to mention before, so thank you. 🙂 I am so glad that you stopped by for a visit.
Great series Debbie! Thank you for always leading us back to God’s Word and His truths. I love that you have become part of the Weekend Whispers community. I look forward to seeing you at Allume.
Thank you so much Mary – and I look forward to meeting and connecting with you in person at Allume too 🙂
So blessed to be next door again at #RaRaLinkup Your series is wonderful since the issues of understanding dreams in relation to our faith are rarely covered in blogs, sermons etc.. But as we look back through scripture, dreams are pivotal in the revelation of God’s way! I still struggle with 2 very life changing dreams where Jesus spoke to me some very significant messages..I still pray for clarity! Thank you for reminding us of the value of dreams in our walk with God!
I have very much enjoyed these series, Debbie! Thanks for sharing with #SocialButterflySunday! Looking forward to seeing you link up again this week 🙂
Hi Debbie! I’m interested in the things you are saying here. I know God speaks to me, but I always feel a bit uncomfortable with what terms to use – especially when I refer to my ‘pictures’ like the Coast Guard one that I mentioned on the blog post you recently commented on. So, I will be checking in here to see what you say about such things!
Aimee – Welcome and yes please do come back and check in. Yes, your Coast Guard picture was a fantastic example of one of the ways God speaks. For example, If you saw the picture you described as a still photo, or even a like a movie clip, this would be considered a vision. Hope this helps some 🙂 Blessings and visit with you again soon. 🙂