Reference: Dream
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The orientals, and in particular the Jews, greatly regarded dreams, and applied for their interpretation to those who undertook to explain them. We see the antiquity of this custom in the history of Pharaoh's butler and baker, Ge 40; and Pharaoh himself and Nebuchadnezzar are also instances. God expressly forbade his people to observe dreams, and to consult explainers of them. He condemned to death all who pretended to have prophetic dreams, even though what they foretold came to pass, if they had any tendency to promote idolatry, De 13:1-3. But they were not forbidden, when they thought they had a significant dream, to address the prophets of the Lord, or the high priest in his ephod, to have it explained. The Lord frequently made known his will in dreams, and enabled persons to explain them, Ge 20:3-7; 28:12-15; 1Sa 28:6; Da 2; Joe 2:28; Mt 1:20; Ac 27:22. Supernatural dreams are distinguished from visions, in that the former occurred during sleep, and the latter when the person was awake. God spoke to Abimelech in a dream, but to Abraham by vision. In both cases he left on the mind an assurance of the certainty of whatever he revealed. Both are now superseded by the Bible, our sure and sufficient guide through earth to heaven.
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God appeared to the king in a dream and said: You are going to die, because you have taken this woman. She is already married. Abimelech had not come near her. He said: Lord, I am innocent! Would you destroy my people and me? read more. Abraham said that she was his sister. She said the same thing. I did this with a clear conscience. I have done no wrong! God said to him in a dream: Yes, I know that you did this with a clear conscience. In fact, I kept you from sinning against me. That is why I did not let you touch her. Give the man's wife back to him now. He is a prophet. He will pray for you, and you will live. But if you do not give her back, you and all who belong to you are doomed to die.
He had a dream in which he saw a stairway set up on the earth with its top reaching up to heaven. He saw the angels of God going up and coming down on it. Jehovah was standing above the stairway. He proclaimed: I am Jehovah, the God of your grandfather Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give the land on which you are lying to you and your descendants. read more. Your descendants will be like the dust on the earth. You will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. Every family on earth will be blessed through you and through your descendants. Remember, I am with you. I will watch over you wherever you go. I will also bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I do what I have promised you.
If a prophet or an interpreter of dreams appears among you and gives you a sign or a wonder (portent) (omen) (forecast of the future), in order to lead you to worship and serve gods that you have not worshiped before, and even if what they promise comes true, read more. do not listen to them. Jehovah your God is allowing them to test you. He will then know that you love Jehovah with all your heart.
In the last days I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh. Your sons and your daughters will prophesy. Your old men will dream dreams. Your young men will see visions! (Ac 2:17; Isa 44:3)
Joseph had this in mind when God's angel appeared to him in a dream. The angel said to him: Joseph, descendant of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. She is pregnant by Holy Spirit.
I urge you to be of good cheer for none of you will lose your life, only the ship.
Easton
God has frequently made use of dreams in communicating his will to men. The most remarkable instances of this are recorded in the history of Jacob (Ge 28:12; 31:10), Laban (Ge 31:24), Joseph (Ge 37:9-11), Gideon (Jg 7), and Solomon (1Ki 3:5). Other significant dreams are also recorded, such as those of Abimelech (Ge 20:3-7), Pharaoh's chief butler and baker (Ge 40:5), Pharaoh (Ge 41:1-8), the Midianites (Jg 7:13), Nebuchadnezzar (Da 2:1; 4:10,18), the wise men from the east (Mt 2:12), and Pilate's wife (Mt 27:19).
To Joseph "the Lord appeared in a dream," and gave him instructions regarding the infant Jesus (Mt 1:20; 2:12-13,19). In a vision of the night a "man of Macedonia" stood before Paul and said, "Come over into Macedonia and help us" (Ac 16:9; see also Ac 18:9; 27:23).
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God appeared to the king in a dream and said: You are going to die, because you have taken this woman. She is already married. Abimelech had not come near her. He said: Lord, I am innocent! Would you destroy my people and me? read more. Abraham said that she was his sister. She said the same thing. I did this with a clear conscience. I have done no wrong! God said to him in a dream: Yes, I know that you did this with a clear conscience. In fact, I kept you from sinning against me. That is why I did not let you touch her. Give the man's wife back to him now. He is a prophet. He will pray for you, and you will live. But if you do not give her back, you and all who belong to you are doomed to die.
He had a dream in which he saw a stairway set up on the earth with its top reaching up to heaven. He saw the angels of God going up and coming down on it.
Once, when the flocks were mating, I dreamed that all the rams were either spotted or speckled.
In a dream that night God came to Laban. God said: Be careful not to threaten Jacob in any way.
Joseph had another dream and told his brothers: I had another dream, in which I saw the sun, the moon, and eleven stars bowing down to me. He also told the dream to his father. His father scolded him. What kind of a dream is that? Do you think that your mother, your brothers, and I are going to come and bow down to you? read more. Joseph's brothers were jealous of him. His father kept thinking about the whole matter.
both prisoners, the cupbearer and the baker for the king of Egypt, had dreams one night. Each man had a dream with its own special meaning.
Two years later Pharaoh had a dream. He dreamed he was standing by the Nile River. Suddenly, seven nice-looking well-fed cows came up from the river and began to graze among the reeds. read more. Seven other cows came up from the river behind them. These cows were sickly and skinny. They stood behind the first seven cows on the riverbank. The cows that were sickly and skinny ate the seven nice-looking well-fed cows. Then Pharaoh woke up. He fell asleep again and had another dream. Seven heads of grain, full and ripe, were growing on one stalk. Then seven other heads of grain sprouted thin and scorched by the desert wind. The thin heads of grain swallowed the full ones. The king woke up and realized that he had been dreaming. The king was upset the next morning. So he called his magicians and wise men and told them what he had dreamed. None of them could tell him what the dreams meant.
When Gideon arrived, he heard a man telling a friend about a dream. He was saying: I dreamed that a loaf of barley bread rolled into our camp and hit a tent. The tent collapsed and lay flat on the ground.
That night Jehovah appeared to him in a dream and asked him: What do you want me to give you?
It was the second year of his reign. He was troubled and could not sleep. Nebuchadnezzar had dreams and was disturbed by them.
Here are the visions of my head: I saw a tree in the midst of the earth. It was very tall.
I, king Nebuchadnezzar, have seen this dream and you O Belteshazzar, declare the interpretation! For all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make the interpretation known to me. You are able for the spirit of the holy gods is in you!'
Joseph had this in mind when God's angel appeared to him in a dream. The angel said to him: Joseph, descendant of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. She is pregnant by Holy Spirit.
God warned the astrologers in a dream not to go back to Herod. So they departed for their country by a different road.
God warned the astrologers in a dream not to go back to Herod. So they departed for their country by a different road. When they left, the angel of God appeared to Joseph in a dream and said: Herod is looking to kill the young child. Arise, take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you to leave.
After Herod died God's angel appeared in a dream to Joseph who was in Egypt.
While he was seated in judgment his wife sent a message to him. She said, Do not judge that righteous man. I have had much trouble this day in a dream because of him.
Paul had a vision that night. In it he saw a Macedonian standing and pleading with him, Come over to Macedonia and help us!
The Lord said to Paul in the night by a vision: Do not be afraid, but speak. Do not keep silent!
Last night an angel of the God of whom I serve stood beside me.
Fausets
The revelation of God's will in dreams is characteristic of the early and less perfect patriarchal times (Ge 28:12; 31:24; 37:5-10); to Solomon, 1Ki 3:5, in commencing his reign; the beginnings of the New Testament dispensation (Mt 1:20; 2:13,19,22); and the communications from God to the rulers of the pagan world powers, Philistia, Egypt, Babylon (Ge 20:3; 40:5; 41:1); Elihu, Job 33:15; Daniel 2; Da 4:5, etc. The dream form of revelation is that most appropriate to those outside the kingdom of God. So the Midianite (Jg 7:13), Pilate's wife (Mt 27:19). But it is the Israelites Joseph and Daniel who interpret; for pagandom is passive, Israel active, in divine things to the glory of the God of Israel. Dreams were a frequent means of imposture and idolatry De 13:1-3; Zec 10:2).
The dream form of revelation is placed below that of prophecy and even divination (Nu 12:6; Joe 2:28; 1Sa 28:6). "Trances" and "visions" are mentioned in the Christian church, but not dreams. While God has acted and can act on the mind in a dream (wherein the reason and judgment are dormant, but the sensations and imaginations active and uncontrolled by the judgment), His higher mode of revelation is that wherein the understanding is active and conscious; consequently, the former mode appears more in imperfect stages of the development of God's scheme than in the advanced stages. "In the multitude of dreams are divers vanities" (Ec 5:7), i.e., God's service becomes by "dreams" (foolish fancies as to what God requires of worshippers); and random "words," positive vanity of manifold kinds; compare Mt 6:7, "they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking."
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God appeared to the king in a dream and said: You are going to die, because you have taken this woman. She is already married.
He had a dream in which he saw a stairway set up on the earth with its top reaching up to heaven. He saw the angels of God going up and coming down on it.
In a dream that night God came to Laban. God said: Be careful not to threaten Jacob in any way.
One time Joseph had a dream. He told his brothers about it and they hated him even more. He said: Please listen to the dream I had. read more. We were all in the field tying up sheaves of wheat. My sheaf got up and stood up straight. Yours formed a circle around mine and bowed down to it. Do you think you are going to be a king and rule over us? his brothers asked. So they hated him even more because of his dreams and because of what he said about them. Joseph had another dream and told his brothers: I had another dream, in which I saw the sun, the moon, and eleven stars bowing down to me. He also told the dream to his father. His father scolded him. What kind of a dream is that? Do you think that your mother, your brothers, and I are going to come and bow down to you?
both prisoners, the cupbearer and the baker for the king of Egypt, had dreams one night. Each man had a dream with its own special meaning.
Two years later Pharaoh had a dream. He dreamed he was standing by the Nile River.
He said: Listen to my words: 'When there are prophets of Jehovah among you, I make myself known to them in visions or speak to them in dreams.
If a prophet or an interpreter of dreams appears among you and gives you a sign or a wonder (portent) (omen) (forecast of the future), in order to lead you to worship and serve gods that you have not worshiped before, and even if what they promise comes true, read more. do not listen to them. Jehovah your God is allowing them to test you. He will then know that you love Jehovah with all your heart.
When Gideon arrived, he heard a man telling a friend about a dream. He was saying: I dreamed that a loaf of barley bread rolled into our camp and hit a tent. The tent collapsed and lay flat on the ground.
That night Jehovah appeared to him in a dream and asked him: What do you want me to give you?
In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls on men as they slumber in their beds,
There is futility and emptiness in many dreams and in many words. Reverence God.
I saw a dream that made me afraid. When I saw this vision my thoughts troubled me.
In the last days I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh. Your sons and your daughters will prophesy. Your old men will dream dreams. Your young men will see visions! (Ac 2:17; Isa 44:3)
For the teraphim have spoken vanity, and the diviners have seen a lie. They have told false dreams! They comfort in vain. They go their way like sheep. They are afflicted because there is no shepherd.
Joseph had this in mind when God's angel appeared to him in a dream. The angel said to him: Joseph, descendant of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. She is pregnant by Holy Spirit.
When they left, the angel of God appeared to Joseph in a dream and said: Herod is looking to kill the young child. Arise, take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you to leave.
After Herod died God's angel appeared in a dream to Joseph who was in Egypt.
When he heard that Archelaus succeeded his father, Herod, as king of Judea, Joseph feared going. Warned in a dream, he left for Galilee instead.
Large quantities of meaningless words and repetition are not acceptable in prayer. The pagans think their gods will hear long and repetitious prayers.
While he was seated in judgment his wife sent a message to him. She said, Do not judge that righteous man. I have had much trouble this day in a dream because of him.