What Does The Bible Say About Dreams?
By Amitabh Singh
There are dreams found throughout the Bible. I was able to find twenty-one of them, ten of which are in the first book of the Bible, Genesis.
As I examined each dream, some observations I made:
Kings are the source of six of these dreams
Only one dream is assigned to a woman
The Bible provides us with some fascinating insights about dreams.
1. A king is warned in a dream:
In Genesis, God stops King Abimelech from sleeping with Abraham’s wife. In Genesis 20:3-7, we find:
“But that night God came to Abimelech in a dream and told him, “You are a dead man, for that woman you have taken is already married!”
But Abimelech had not slept with her yet, so he said, “Lord, will you destroy an innocent nation? Didn’t Abraham tell me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said, ‘Yes, he is my brother.’ I acted in complete innocence! My hands are clean.”
In the dream God responded, “Yes, I know you are innocent. That’s why I kept you from sinning against me, and why I did not let you touch her. Now return the woman to her husband, and he will pray for you, for he is a prophet. Then you will live. But if you don’t return her to him, you can be sure that you and all your people will die.”
2. Jacob is given instructions in a dream:
In Genesis 28:12, Jacob sees angels ascending and descending from a ladder between earth and heaven. In Genesis 31:10-11, the Lord tells Jacob to return to the land of his father.
“One time during the mating season, I had a dream and saw that the male goats mating with the females were streaked, speckled, and spotted. Then in my dream, the angel of God said to me, ‘Jacob!’ And I replied, ‘Yes, here I am.’
3. Egypt’s famine is predicted in a dream:
In Genesis, 37:1-10, Joseph has a dream about grain and stars. It signified that Joseph’s family will bow to him. In Genesis 41, Joseph is consulted by the Pharaoh about his dream. In the dream, Pharaoh saw seven fat cows come up from the Nile to graze, but seven thin cows devour the fat cows. Pharaoh also saw seven plump ears of grain grow on a single stalk, but seven thin ears swallow them. Joseph interpreted that dream and explained that it signified that Egypt will undergo seven years of plenty and then seven years of famine.
In the book of Daniel, we find dreams mentioned in three of chapters of the book:
1. Daniel 2: A great statue made of various materials, symbolizing future empires, is crushed by a stone, symbolizing the kingdom of God.
2. Daniel 4: An enormous tree is hacked to earth, signifying Nebuchadnezzar’s future seven years of madness.
3. Daniel 7: We find a lion, a bear, a leopard, and a mysterious beast with 10 hors are judged by God, and a Son of Man is given dominion. The beasts represent four kingdoms.
When we take the time to read the Bible, we find there are dreams and prophecies.
Prophecy reveals the Person of God, the Plans of God, and the Promise of God.
If you are not in the habit of reading God’s Word and listening to his voice, may I encourage you to reflect on Psalm 119:105 (NLT):
Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.
It is my prayer that you will discover Jesus. Allow him to walk with you and talk with you along your life’s difficult journey. He has promised to never leave us or forsake us. It is my hope that you will learn to walk and talk to your creator. God bless you.