Biblical View on Dreamers and Prophetic Visions
The biblical view on dreamers and prophetic visions is multifaceted, reflecting both the potential for divine communication and the risk of false prophecy. The Scripture acknowledges that God can communicate His will through dreams, as seen in various instances throughout the biblical narrative [1, 2, 4].
In the Old Testament, dreams are recognized as a means by which God reveals Himself to individuals. Notable examples include Jacob's ladder (Genesis 28:12), Joseph's prophetic dreams (Genesis 37:9-11), and Solomon's wisdom granted through a dream (1 Kings 3:5) [4]. The biblical text also warns against false prophets who claim to have received divine messages through dreams, indicating a need for discernment [3, 6].
The distinction between true and false prophecy is crucial. Deuteronomy 13:1-3 cautions against prophets or dreamers who lead people astray with signs or wonders that come to pass, but whose messages contradict God's previous revelations [3]. Jeremiah 29:8 similarly advises against heeding the words of prophets and diviners who deceive people with false dreams [6].
The New Testament continues this nuanced view, with dreams being less central to divine revelation compared to the Old Testament. While dreams are still mentioned, such as the warning to the Magi (Matthew 2:12) and Pilate's wife's experience (Matthew 27:19), the emphasis shifts towards other forms of divine communication like visions and trances [4, 5].
Interpreters across various Christian traditions have grappled with the role of dreams in divine revelation. Calvin, for instance, critiques those who rely on "dreams and visions" as a basis for their prophetic claims, highlighting the danger of false assurances [8]. In contrast, Adam Clarke, representing a Methodist/Wesleyan perspective, acknowledges the potential for dreams to convey salutary warnings, cautioning against dismissing all such experiences due to the presence of false or vain dreams [9].
Jewish interpretations also offer insights into the biblical view on dreams. Ramban (Nachmanides) understands the biblical text as indicating that God's revelation through visions allows for a deeper understanding of His nature, highlighting the significance of such experiences in prophetic contexts [11].
The biblical view on dreamers and prophetic visions thus underscores the complexity of divine communication, emphasizing the need for discernment and the potential for both genuine and false prophetic claims. This nuanced understanding is reflected across various biblical accounts and interpretive traditions [1, 2, 7, 10].
Sources
- Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Dreams — The Scripture declares that the influence of the Spirit of God upon the soul extends to its sleeping as well as its waking thoughts. But, in accordance with the principle enunciated by St. Paul in (1 Corinthians 14:15) dreams, in which the understanding is asleep, are placed below the visions of prophecy, in which the understanding plays its part. Under the Christian dispensation, while we read frequently of trances and vision, dreams are never referred to as vehicles of divine revelation. In exact accordance with this principle are the actual records of the ”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Dreams — Visions in sleep -- Job 33:15; Da 2:28. Often by imaginary -- Job 20:8; Isa 29:8. Excess of business frequently leads to -- Ec 5:3. God's will often revealed in -- Nu 12:6; Job 33:15. False prophets Pretended to. -- Jer 23:25-28; 29:8. Not to be regarded in. -- De 13:1-3; Jer 27:9. Condemned for pretending to. -- Jer 23:32. Vanity of trusting to natural -- Ec 5:7. The ancients Put great faith in. -- Jdj 7:15. Often perplexed by. -- Ge 40:6; 41:8; Job 7:14; Da 2:1; 4:5. Anxious to have, explained. -- Ge 40:8; Da 2:3. Consulting magicians on. -- Ge 41:8; Da 2:”
- Deuteronomy “If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises in your midst you, and he gives you a sign or a wonder, -- Deuteronomy 13:1”
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Dream — 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 (Gen. 28:12; 31:10), Laban (31:24), Joseph (37:9-11), Gideon (Judg. 7), and Solomon (1 Kings 3:5). Other significant dreams are also recorded, such as those of Abimelech (Gen. 20:3-7), Pharaoh's chief butler and baker (40:5), Pharaoh (41:1-8), the Midianites (Judg. 7:13), Nebuchadnezzar (Dan. 2:1; 4:10, 18), the wise men from the east (Matt. 2:12), and Pilate's wife (27:19). To Joseph "the Lord appeared in a dream,”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Visions — God often made known his will by -- Ps 89:19. God especially made himself known to prophets by -- Nu 12:6. Often accompanied A representative of the divine person and glory. -- Isa 6:1. An audible voice from heaven. -- Ge 15:1; 1Sa 3:4,5. An appearance of angels. -- Lu 1:22,11; 24:23; Ac 10:3. An appearance of human beings. -- Ac 9:12; 16:9. Frequently difficult and perplexing to those who received them -- Da 7:15; 8:15; Ac 10:17. Often communicated In the night season. -- Ge 46:2; Da 2:19. In a trance. -- Nu 24:16; Ac 11:5. Often recorded for the benefit o”
- Jeremiah “For thus says Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel: Don’t let your prophets who are in your midst, and your diviners, deceive you; neither listen to your dreams which you cause to be dreamed. -- Jeremiah 29:8”
- Jeremiah (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Jeremiah 29:8: For thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel,.... See Gill on Jer 29:4; let not your prophets and your diviners, that be in the midst of you, deceive you; their false prophets, as the Targum; and there were many such in the captivity; see Eze 13:2; and such who pretended to divine and foretell future things, and so impose upon the people, who were too apt to believe them; these insinuated, that in a little time they should have their liberty, and return to their own land again, contrary to the prophecies that came from the Lord himself: neither hearken to”
- CCEL (Reformed) “Calvin, Commentary on Isaiah, Vol. 2, section 17.14: resemble this “dream” and airy “vision;” for, when they have been aroused by a sudden calamity, they shall feel how empty and insubstantial those “dreams and visions” were, and how false and delusive was the opinion which they had formed that they enjoyed abundance. As “hungry men,” who have had such dreams, are rendered more feeble by them, so the people, who had been falsely persuaded that everything was going on well with them, will endure much greater uneasiness than if they had never cherished in their minds such a thought, but, on the ”
- Job (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on Job 33:15: I. In a Dream In a Dream - when deep sleep falleth upon men - Many, by such means, have had the most salutary warnings; and to decry all such, because there are many vain dreams, would be nearly as much wisdom as to deny the Bible, because there are many foolish books, the authors of which supposed they were under a Divine influence while composing them. II. In a Vision In a Vision of the night - in slumberings upon the bed - Visions or images presented in the imagination during slumber, when men are betwixt sleeping and waking, or when, awake and in bed, they are wra”
- Jeremiah (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Jeremiah 23:28: The prophet that hath a dream, let him tell a dream,.... These words are directed not to a true prophet of the Lord, that has a dream from him, or something communicated to him in a dream by the Lord, which he is to deliver as such; but to a false prophet, that says he has dreamed; and if he has dreamed a dream, let him tell it as a "dream" (l); so some supply it, as the fruit of his own roving fancy and imagination in sleep; and not call it a revelation from the Lord, and impose it upon the people as such. The Septuagint version is, "let him tell his dream"; let h”
- Sefaria (Jewish (Kabbalistic/Philosophical)) “Ramban (Nachmanides) on Numbers 12:6: IN A VISION I DO MAKE MYSELF KNOWN TO HIM. Scripture does not say: “I will appear to him in a vision,” but it says ‘I will make Myself known.’ This verse is then similar to the one which states, And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, as G-d Almighty , 288 Exodus 6:3. [the verse here] stating that the Great Name appears in a vision and through it He becomes known to the prophet, but [the prophet does not know Him] 289 Abusaula. by His Great Name, just as He said, but by My Name the Eternal I made Me not known to them . 288 Exodus 6:3. And ”