UNDERSTANDING DREAMS AND VISIONS (Part II)

UNDERSTANDING DREAMS AND VISIONS

(Part II)

Job 33:14-18

¹⁴ For God may speak in one way, or in another, Yet man does not perceive it. ¹⁵ In a dream, in a vision of the night, When deep sleep falls upon men, While slumbering on their beds, ¹⁶ Then He opens the ears of men, And seals their instruction. ¹⁷ In order to turn man from his deed, And conceal pride from man, ¹⁸ He keeps back his soul from the Pit, And his life from perishing by the sword.

       I. UNDERSTANDING AND EVALUATING DREAMS

1.      Understand: God created the natural realm. Dreams are God’s will and plan, not man’s.

2.      Discerning the Dreams: the message of dream symbols can vary according to what the symbols personally mean to an individual.

3.      Discern whether the dream is natural or spiritual

a.       Natural?

(i.)               During sleep your inner man can bring forth rational solutions to situations without the interruptions faced during waking hours.

(ii.)             Dreams can come as a result of concern over difficult situations, be as vain imaginations, and even become nightmares from not facing fearful situations.

                                                

                       

b.      How Natural Dreams Operate

(i.)               All dreams, whether considered natural or spiritual, seemingly originate in the spirit of man. Dream experts call this the subconscious or subliminal mind function.

(ii.)             Since the spirit of man remains active during sleep, man is open to hear from his spirit and from the Spirit of God.

(iii.)           During sleep, man’s body and brain are at rest but the inner man (subconscious or spirit of man) is evaluating the day’s situations to solve problems through man’s wisdom.

(iv.)           As this wisdom comes, the brain is activated by the inner man to bring forth pictures that help man work through current situations.

Psalms 16:7

⁷ I will bless the Lord who has given me counsel; My heart also instructs me in the night seasons.

(v.)             Realize it is not abnormal or unspiritual to have natural dreams and to solve problems in the natural. Do not try to spiritualize every dream.

"A math professor, whenever he can’t solve a problem, will go to sleep with his assistants in the room. They tell him when they see his eyes making rapid movements to wake him up. And usually they will wake up with the answer."

c.       Spiritual?

(i.)               Natural dreams can become spiritual dreams when God intervenes to:

·         Reveal information not stored in the brain

·         Make Himself known

·         Open the spirit realm

·         Refresh man’s spirit

     II. FOUR TYPES OF DREAM INTERPRETATIONS IN THE BIBLE

1.      Common sense interpretation.

Judges 7:13-15

¹³ And when Gideon had come, there was a man telling a dream to his companion. He said, “I have had a dream: To my surprise, a loaf of barley bread tumbled into the camp of Midian; it came to a tent and struck it so that it fell and overturned, and the tent collapsed.” ¹⁴ Then his companion answered and said, “This is nothing else but the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel! Into his hand God has delivered Midian and the whole camp.” ¹⁵ And so it was, when Gideon heard the telling of the dream and its interpretation, that he worshiped. He returned to the camp of Israel, and said, “Arise, for the Lord has delivered the camp of Midian into your hand.”

2.      Gift of interpretation. 

Genesis 41:12

¹² Now there was a young Hebrew man with us there, a servant of the captain of the guard. And we told him, and he interpreted our dreams for us; to each man he interpreted according to his own dream.

Daniel 1:17

¹⁷ As for these four young men, God gave them knowledge and skill in all literature and wisdom; and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.

Daniel 5:12

¹² Inasmuch as an excellent spirit, knowledge, understanding, interpreting dreams, solving riddles, and explaining enigmas were found in this Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar, now let Daniel be called, and he will give the interpretation.”

3.      Miraculous

Daniel 2:3-29

4.      False or from the deceit of a person’s spirit.

Deuteronomy 13:1-5

“If there arises among you a prophet or a dreamer of dreams, and he gives you a sign or a wonder, ² and the sign or the wonder comes to pass, of which he spoke to you, saying, ‘Let us go after other gods’—which you have not known—‘and let us serve them,’ ³ you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams, for the Lord your God is testing you to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. ⁴ You shall walk after the Lord your God and fear Him, and keep His commandments and obey His voice; you shall serve Him and hold fast to Him. ⁵ But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death, because he has spoken in order to turn you away from the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of bondage, to entice you from the way in which the Lord your God commanded you to walk. So you shall put away the evil from your midst.

a.       Satan desires to pervert the meaning of dreams.

b.      Inner turmoil can cause a person to misinterpret their dream.

Jeremiah 23:21-32

²¹ “I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran. I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied….²⁵ “I have heard what the prophets have said who prophesy lies in My name, saying, ‘I have dreamed, I have dreamed!’ ²⁶ How long will this be in the heart of the prophets who prophesy lies? Indeed they are prophets of the deceit of their own heart, ²⁷ who try to make My people forget My name by their dreams which everyone tells his neighbor, as their fathers forgot My name for Baal. ²⁸ “The prophet who has a dream, let him tell a dream; And he who has My word, let him speak My word faithfully….³¹ Behold, I am against the prophets,” says the Lord, “who use their tongues and say, ‘He says.’ ³² Behold, I am against those who prophesy false dreams,” says the Lord, “and tell them, and cause My people to err by their lies and by their recklessness. Yet I did not send them or command them; therefore they shall not profit this people at all,” says the Lord.

  III. YOU CAN INTERPRET YOUR DREAMS

1.      God wants you to know the meaning of your dream.

Genesis 40:8

They said, “We dreamed dreams and there’s no one to interpret them.”

                  Joseph said, “Don’t interpretations come from God? Tell me the dreams.”

2.      Interpretation should confirm what’s in your spirit.

3.      Do not strain for interpretation—This can cause exaggeration.

4.      Keep the interpretation simple, personal and honest.

Daniel 2:30

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.

5.      Evaluate your dreams in line with your current situation. Do not spiritualize too much. Use common sense. Dreams are principle oriented—look for the principles!

 IV. HOW TO INTERPRET YOUR DREAMS

1.      Ask questions about the people, animals, places or things in your dream.

2.      Decipher your inward feelings upon awakening

3.      Think about what’s going on in your life at the time of the dream.

4.      Note that no single interpretation of any symbol will hold true for every dream. It is what the symbol means to you personally. Symbol interpretation can vary.

5.      Ask what response this dream calls for

6.      Ask the Lord to show you direction on what the dream is saying

V. WHAT IF I CANNOT UNDERSTAND THE MEANING OF MY DREAM?

·         If after meditation and prayer, you cannot understand your dream, share it with someone you have confidence in and who knows you well. Make sure they have a proven godly lifestyle.

·         Remember, If someone helps you interpret your dream, it will confirm inwardly that the interpretation given you is correct.

·         Keep praying on it. It may become clear at another time or when you are relaxed.

 VI. HOW TO TEST YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF YOUR DREAMS

1.      If you feel it is a spiritual dream, check the Scriptures.

2.      If it is a spiritual dream, it will draw you closer to the Lord. 

       Deuteronomy 13:1-5

3.      Pray for confirmation if you feel you need one.

Matthew 18:16

^“…‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.”

4.      Heed the feelings in your own spirit. Any red lights? Any cautions?

5.      If the dream is futuristic, it should come to pass. Rest in it

6.      If a dream gives correction or direction, heed the message, and take any action necessary. What principles are revealed? Do not let the dream slip away.

Job 20:8

            ⁸ He will fly away like a dream, and not be found; Yes, he will be chased away like a vision of the night.