Introduction

God communicates through a variety of ways including dreams and visions. In fact about one third of the Bible deals with some kind of visionary experience. Much of the details within Eschatology (the study of the end times) are based on the dreams and visions of people like Daniel and John. Without those visionary experiences we would be largely in the dark concerning the culmination of this age.

God also imparts gifts, abilities and instructions through visionary experiences. Solomon encountered the Lord in a dream and received gifts that defined him as a king. (1 Kings 3:5-15) The wise men who came from the east to bring honor to the Savior received a warning from an angel in a dream. (Matt. 2:12) The Lord established an eternal covenant with Abraham in a dream. (Gen. 15:12-13,18) Pharaoh had a dream that spoke of things to come. Joseph acted on the revelation from that dream to prepare Egypt for the looming drought. (Gen. 41) Peter’s vision encouraged him to minister to Cornelius’ household, thus opening his heart beyond his Jewish roots. (Acts 10) Paul changed his ministry direction from Bithynia to Macedonia after a visionary experience. (Acts 16:7-10)

We find an interesting reference to both dreams and visions in Acts 2:17           

“And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God,

That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh;

Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,

Your young men shall see visions,

Your old men shall dream dreams.”

Peter is quoting the prophet Joel. He connects the outpouring of the Holy Spirit to the start of the last days. He continues to identify certain characteristics about this final age. There will be a restoration of the prophetic gift. Remember he was living in an era where there have been no prophetic voices for several generations. John, the Baptist and Jesus ushered in this new dispensation. Two other characteristics of this age are visions and dreams.

Young men see visions. Old men dream dreams. I do not believe these statements made by Joel and then again by Peter have much to do with age. I believe there is a deeper revelation. The term “young men” speak of the regenerated person; the spirit of the Born again believer, the new man in Christ, our spirit man! After becoming a new creation in Christ your spirit is open to receive visions from the Lord as a way for the Lord to communicate to you. The term “old men” here refers to the flesh, the natural you. This part of you is also able to receive communication from the Lord, but it comes in the form of dreams, when your flesh is at rest. This reduces distractions from without and within.     

In this study we will largely look at dreams. The Bible identifies dreams as visions of the night (Job 33:15)

Definitions:

Dream:             "A sequence of images etc. passing through a sleeping person’s mind" (Webster’s Dictionary)

Vision:              "A mental image" (Webster’s Dictionary)

Importance and validity of visionary experience

Visionary experiences are valid, scriptural ways for God to communicate to man. Modern western society’s way of gaining knowledge and understanding rests upon reason and logic. They largely refuse to recognize the validity of visionary experiences because these do not often fall within the realm of logical reasoning. It is interesting to note that the Bible does not warn us against dreams and visions. In fact instead of a negative stance towards visionary experience, the Bible is surprisingly positive concerning dreams and visions. Let me share but a few verses. There are many more examples: 

Num 12:6: "Hear now My words: If there is a prophet among you, I, the LORD, make Myself known to him in a vision; I speak to him in a dream.

Hos 12:10: I have also spoken by the prophets, And have multiplied visions; I have given symbols through the witness of the prophets."

Ps 16:7: I will bless the LORD who has given me counsel; My heart also instructs me in the night seasons.

Job 33:14-18: For God may speak in one way, or in another, Yet man does not perceive it. In a dream, in a vision of the night, When deep sleep falls upon men, While slumbering on their beds, Then He opens the ears of men, And seals their instruction. In order to turn man from his deed, And conceal pride from man, He keeps back his soul from the Pit, And his life from perishing by the sword.

Dan. 2:30: But as for me, this secret has not been revealed to me because I have more wisdom than anyone living, but for our sakes who make known the interpretation to the king, and that you may know the thoughts of your heart.

Acts 2:17: And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God,

That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams.

Language of visionary experience

Visionary experiences are communicated in a distinct language of pictures and symbols. This language is not written in paragraphs. It is painted in pictures on the canvass of the heart or projected on the screen of the spirit. This language has its own vocabulary in the form of symbols. Your hearts instructs you in the night seasons. If you understand the symbols and pictures flowing from your heart, you’ll be able to interpret what your dreams mean. Habakkuk said: I will [in my thinking] stand upon my post of observation and station myself on the tower or fortress, and will watch to see what He will say within me. . . (Hab. 2:1 AMP) Here he is looking and not just listening. He is focused to see the symbols or pictures within him painted by the Lord in his spirit.

9 Principles to understanding and interpreting dreams

1.      Your stance towards dreams: Accept them as a valid way of divine communication, Ask the Lord to speak to you as you go to bed, write down the details when you wake up – show the Lord that you value what He wants to share with you. Get enough sleep. 8 hours brings 1-2 hours of dreams every night. Did you know that every person dreams every night? (Medical research has shown sleep without dreams can lead to a nervous breakdown)  Structure your nights then to awaken naturally without an alarm that shatters your dream recall ability. Dreams even release creativity for discoveries and inventions and problem solving ideas.

2.      Identify and examine the symbols of your heart – Playing the game Pictionary might help you develop your understanding of the language of your heart. Children draw pictures before they have command of a written language.

3.      Note your current stance in life – emotionally, physically, mentally and spiritually. – Current circumstances and issues you are dealing with will give you clues to the background / back drop of your dream. Dreams often deal with the current concerns of the dreamer’s heart. Symbols will come from the dreamer’s life – What do these symbols mean to the dreamer? (Proverbs 20:5, Dan 1:17) Tabulate your own dream language vocabulary. As you study the word of the Lord you will find many symbols used for specific things. Jesus often used symbols to communicate Kingdom instruction to people. 

4.      Apply your dreams to your own life’s circumstance first. 95% of your dreams will be subjective. These are messages concerning your own life.  (People in your dreams often represent an area in your life. An animal most likely is an emotion in you. Actions in dreams are usually actions in your life. Numbers usually represent identical numbers in real life.)

5.      Anchor your life to the word of God. This will allow visionary experiences to grow out of the word like a tree. It will enhance and increase your heart’s vocabulary of symbols. Know and recognize your foundation. Remember God is a revealing God. He wants to communicate with you even through your dreams. You have a responsibility to grow in your understanding of the dreams He gives you. After all the gift of dream interpretation is available to you.

6.      Do not make life-changing decisions solely based on a dream. The scriptural principle here is “out of the mouth of two or three witnesses something shall be established.” Prove the interpretation to your dreams by the word of God. They must be in line with and in harmony with the inspired word of God. (Another reason why you have to know and study the Bible)

7.      Reoccurring dreams often deal with an unresolved heart issue. Instead of procrastinating around the issue or living in denial or even ignoring it, you will do well to confront this heart issue and allow the Holy Spirit to settle the matter once and for all in your life. You may need to make adjustments in your life by obeying what the Lord wants you to do. Get it done. Simple obedience will release the blessing of God on you.

8.      When interpreting your dream start with the first symbol. Ask: What does this mean to the dreamer’s heart? i.e. If it is an animal: What emotion does this animal stir in me? (An angry bull, crafty fox, curious cat, peaceful dove, etc.) It is better to face your emotions than to run from them. Continue to the next symbol and so on. A correct interpretation will often cause the dreamer’s heart to “jump” with an “aha”. It will be as if someone just put a light on in a dark place. You will do well to recognize that “aha” moment. Furthermore, ask the Lord to lead you through the process. It may take moments or even days, but the Lord is very willing to reveal to you the issues of your heart.