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Dreams
in the Bible
The 20th century Websters dictionary
defines dream as a sequence of
sensations, images ,thoughts etc passing
through a sleeping person’s mind. On
average, we spend about one third of our
lives sleeping. During a portion of that
time, we are also dreaming. While
asleep, we can gain rest and refreshment
for our hard day of work.
The four stages of
Sleep
Stage 1: The first stage of
sleep. It is a very light sleep. Stage
one usually lasts just a few minutes. If
the sleeper is not disturbed by anyone
or thing, he or she will quickly journey
into stage 2 sleep.
Stage 2: This is a much deeper
sleep than stage
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Dreams
start to brew around stage
-
Although
there are no clear images, vague
thoughts and ideas drift through the
sleeper's mind. If the sleeper
remains undisturbed, he or she will
drift off into stage 3.
Stage 3: A deeper sleep than
stage 2. The sleeper's muscles are all
relaxed by now, and his or her heart
rate has slowed down. The sleeper's
blood pressure is also falling. His or
her breathing is steady and even. The
sleeper is very difficult to wake now.
Only two things can wake the sleeper
now, a loud noise or an repetitious
calling of the sleeper's name. Before
long, the sleeper will venture into
stage 4 sleep.
Stage 4: The deepest sleep of
all. This is the time the dreams occur.
The sleeper is almost impossible to wake
now. If there is a loud noise or if the
sleeper is shaken, it will take the
sleeper a few seconds to wake up. Both
the sleeper's blood pressure and heart
rate fluctuate, the sleeper's brain
heats up. Then comes the REM (or better
known as rapid eye movement). If the
sleeper is woken up during this time, he
or she will be able to remember a
recently dreamt dream. The first REM
period will last only about ten minutes.
After that, the sleeper goes back into a
deep stage 4 sleep. Again, the sleeper
goes into a REM stage after a short
period and cycles through REM and stage
4 until the sleeper is woken up.
Dreams can be caused due to various
reasons
Dreams can be the product of the
imagination which is stimulated by a
variety of things, including work ,
overeating , tension, hidden fears etc
Ecclesiastes 5:3 - For a dream cometh
through the multitude of business.
Dreams can be the work of evil spirits
Many people have dreams of snakes
entering their houses and biting them.
Dreams can be the handiwork of God.
In Genesis 46:2 a dream is also called
as the visions of the night. God uses
dreams to fulfil his purposes and
plans.God has made frequent use of
dreams to communicate his will and plan
to man In Numbers 12:6 – God reveals
that he uses dreams to speak to
prophets.
It is very essential that we are not
ignorant and understand the role of
dreams in the plan and purposes of God.
The role of dreams
in the plan and purpose of God
1. God used a dream to prevent
Abimelech King of Gerar from
committing a sin
Genesis 20:3
But God came to Abimelech in a dream by
night, and said to him, Behold, thou art
but a dead man, for the woman which thou
hast taken; for she is a man's wife.
Genesis 20:6
And God said unto him in a dream, Yea, I
know that thou didst this in the
integrity of thy heart; for I also
withheld thee from sinning against me:
therefore suffered I thee not to touch
her. Jacob relates the dream given to
him by God to convince his 2 wives Leah
and Rachel to leave their father Laban
and come with him to the place where God
had told him to go.
Genesis 31:11 And the angel of God spake
unto me in a dream, saying, Jacob: And I
said, Here am I.
Genesis 31:12 And he said, Lift up now
thine eyes, and see, all the rams which
leap upon the cattle are ringstraked,
speckled, and grisled: for I have seen
all that Laban doeth unto thee.
Genesis 31:13 I am the God of Bethel,
where thou anointedst the pillar, and
where thou vowedst a vow unto me: now
arise, get thee out from this land, and
return unto the land of thy kindred.
2. God used a dream to reveal to Jacob
about himself and also to strengthen
Jacob when he was alone and going to a
strange place. God told Jacob that he
need not be afraid of anything or
anybody. God reveals his care and
concern for Jacob and promises him
protection wherever Jacob goes. As Jacob
was on his way to Laban’s house at
Padanaram, at Bethel as he lay down to
sleep he dreamed
Genesis 28:12
And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set
up on the earth, and the top of it
reached to heaven: and behold the angels
of God ascending and descending on it.
The Lord spoke as under:
Genesis 28: 13 And, behold, the LORD and
said, I am the LORD God of Abraham thy
father, and the God of Isaac: the land
whereon thou liest, to thee will I give
it, and to thy seed;
Genesis 28: 14 And thy seed shall be as
the dust of the earth, and thou shalt
spread abroad to the west, and to the
east, and to the north, and to the
south: and in thee and in thy seed shall
all the families of the earth be
blessed.
Genesis 28: 15 And, behold, I am with
thee, and will keep thee in all places
whither thou goest, and will bring thee
again into this land; for I will not
leave thee, until I have done that which
I have spoken to thee of
3. Here again God uses dreams (
visions of the night) to confirm His
plan for Jacob to go to Egypt.
He told Jacob that he could leave for
Egypt to meet Joseph
Genesis 46:2 And God spake unto Israel
in the visions of the night, and said,
Jacob, Jacob. And he said, Here am I.
Genesis 46:3 And he said, I am God, the
God of thy father: fear not to go down
into Egypt; for I will there make of
thee a great nation:
Genesis 46:4 I will go down with thee
into Egypt; and I will also surely bring
thee up again: and Joseph shall put his
hand upon thine eyes
4. God used a dream to warn those who
plan to harm his children
Genesis 31:24
And God came to Laban the Syrian in a
dream by night, and said unto him, Take
heed that thou speak not to Jacob either
good or bad.
Laban reveals in Genesis 31:29 - It is
in the power of my hand to do you hurt:
but the God of your father spake unto me
yesternight, saying, Take thou heed that
thou speak not to Jacob either good or
bad. Because of the dream Laban was not
able to harm Jacob. Can you understand
the vital role dreams play in fulfilling
God’s plan
5. God reveals through a dream
Joseph’s future as well as his
bretheren’s future
Genesis 37:5
And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told
it his brethren: and they hated him yet
the more.
Genesis 37:9
And he dreamed yet another dream, and
told it his brethren, and said, Behold,
I have dreamed a dream more; and,
behold, the sun and the moon and the
eleven stars made obeisance to me.
Joseph’s bretheren and parents
understood the meaning of the dream.
Genesis 37: 8 And his brethren said to
him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or
shalt thou indeed have dominion over us?
Genesis 37: 10 And he told it to his
father, and to his brethren: and his
father rebuked him, and said unto him,
What is this dream that thou hast
dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy
brethren indeed come to bow down
ourselves to thee to the earth. God uses
dreams to lift Joseph to the final
destiny which he had for him. It was a
dream given by God not something which
came out of their mind for otherwise
Joseph would not have been able to
interpret these dreams
Genesis 40:5
The butler and the baker of the king of
Egypt, which were bound in the prison.
And they dreamed a dream both of them.
It happened exactly as Joseph
interpreted. As a result when Pharoah
dreamed and wanted to know the
interpretation the butler was able to
recommend Joseph
Genesis 41:1
Pharaoh dreamed
The result of the dream was 2 fold:
Joseph was lifted up next to Pharoah
from prison
Joseph was given the job of being a
saviour not only for Egypt but also of
his father and brothers.
6. God uses a dream to give Solomon
his desire
1 Kings 3:5
In Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon
in a dream by night: and God said, Ask
what I shall give thee. God was so happy
and pleased with Solomon that he wanted
to give Solomon his hearts desire. It
was through a dream that he put forth
his question to Solomon
7. God uses a dream to lift up Daniel
and reveal his future plans to the world
Daniel 2:1
And in the second year of the reign of
Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar dreamed
dreams, wherewith his spirit was
troubled, and his sleep brake from him.
It is through the dream we learn about
the world empires which were going to
rule the world and also about the empire
of the antichrist and the kingdom which
will be set up by God which will never
be destroyed.
8. God uses dreams to reveal to
Daniel the events of the last days.
Daniel 7:1
In the first year of Belshazzar king of
Babylon Daniel had a dream and visions
of his head upon his bed: then he wrote
the dream, and told the sum of the
matters.
9. God uses a dream to wipe out
Joseph’s doubt about Mary
Matthew 1:20
But while he thought on these things,
behold, the angel of the Lord appeared
unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph,
thou son of David, fear not to take unto
thee Mary thy wife: for that which is
conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.
10. God uses a dream to protect baby
Jesus from the hands of Herod and also
to reveal as to which place they had to
go.
Matthew 2:13
And when they were departed, behold, the
angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in
a dream, saying, Arise, and take the
young child and his mother, and flee
into Egypt, and be thou there until I
bring thee word: for Herod will seek the
young child to destroy him.
11. God uses a dream to protect not
only the wise men but also hide from
Herod the identity of Jesus.
Matthew 2:12
And being warned of God in a dream that
they should not return to Herod, they
departed into their own country another
way.
12. God uses a dream to reveal to the
judge Pilate who was on the judgment
seat as to who Jesus was
Matthew 27:19
When he was set down on the judgment
seat, his wife sent unto him, saying,
Have thou nothing to do with that just
man: for I have suffered many things
this day in a dream because of him. From
the above points one can clearly
understand that dreams are a medium
through which God communicates with his
people. Dreams should not be taken
lightly and discerning which dreams have
come from the Lord is very important.
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