Jesus Visions in Muslim Dreams and Experiences Explained
Dreams and visions have historically been understood as potential avenues for divine communication across various religious traditions. In the biblical narrative, God frequently used dreams to convey His will to individuals, including figures like Jacob, Joseph, Laban, Gideon, and Solomon [3]. Other significant dreams recorded in scripture include those of Abimelech, Pharaoh's butler and baker, Pharaoh himself, the Midianites, Nebuchadnezzar, the wise men from the East, and Pilate's wife [3].
The Bible indicates that God speaks to people "in a dream, in a vision of the night" when they are in a deep sleep [13]. This method of communication is noted as God's most usual way of speaking to individuals in ancient times [13]. For instance, Numbers 12:6 states, "I make Myself known to him in a vision. I speak to him in a dream" [11, 12]. However, the Scripture also distinguishes between dreams and prophetic visions, with the latter, where the understanding is active, being considered superior to dreams, where the understanding is asleep [1]. Under the Christian dispensation, while trances and visions are mentioned, dreams are not explicitly referred to as vehicles of divine revelation [1].
Jewish tradition, as seen in the Midrash Rabbah, also acknowledges the significance of dreams, with rabbis interpreting them for individuals [5]. Maimonides, in his Mishneh Torah, notes that prophets receive prophetic visions either in a visionary dream or during the day after slumber has overtaken them [11]. He also states that when prophets prophesy, their limbs tremble and their physical powers become weak [11].
Patristic writers like Tertullian discussed the nature of dreams, suggesting that while some dreams are sent by God, others can be influenced by demons or are simply products of nature [4]. Tertullian also acknowledged that even impious individuals could experience true visions and dreams, citing examples like Abimelech and Pharaoh [6]. Origen, another early Church Father, noted that impressions in dreams, some relating to divine matters, have been brought to the minds of many [7]. He also considered it plausible that an angel or other entity could point out things to people in dreams [8].
Thomas Aquinas, a prominent scholastic theologian, explored the role of angels in influencing human imagination, stating that both good and bad angels can move the human imagination by their natural power, which can lead to imaginative apparitions [9]. He also discussed how prophecy can involve supernatural truth revealed through an imaginary vision, placing it between prophecy without imaginary vision and prophecy where man is directed to know or do something through intelligible light [10].
While dreams can be imaginary and influenced by daily life, such as an "excess of business" [2], the biblical record consistently shows God using them for specific purposes, often to communicate warnings or guidance [3].
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:”
- 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,”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “ANF Vol 3: Tertullian — CHAP. XLVII.--DREAMS VARIOUSLY CLASSIFIED. SOME ARE GOD-SENT, AS THE DREAMS OF NEBUCHADNEZZAR; OTHERS SIMPLY PRODUCTS OF NATURE.: We declare, then, that dreams are inflicted on us mainly by demons, although they sometimes turn out true and favourable to us. When, however, with the deliberate aim after evil, of which we have just spoken, they assume a flattering and captivating style, they show themselves proportionately vain, and deceitful, and obscure, and wanton, and impure. And no wonder that the images partake of the character of the realities. But from God--who has”
- Midrash Rabbah (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Midrash Rabbah, Bereishit Rabbah 89:8: “We told him, and he interpreted [our dreams] for us.” There was an incident involving a certain woman who came before Rabbi Elazar. She said to him: ‘In my dream, I saw the ceiling beam of my house broken.’ He said to her: ‘You will bear a male child and he will live.’ She went, and so it was for her. She came another time to ask him. She found his students sitting there, but their rabbi was not with them. She said to them: ‘Where is your rabbi?’ They said to her: ‘Tell us your inquiry and we will tell you [the answer].’ She said to them: ‘In my dream, I”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “ANF Vol 8: Twelve Patriarchs, Excerpts, Epistles, Apocrypha, Decretals — CHAP. XVII.--THE IMPIOUS SEE TRUE DREAMS AND VISIONS.: "But it is manifest that the impious see true visions and dreams, and I can prove it from Scripture. Finally, then, it is written in the law, how Abimelech, who was impious, wished to defile the wife of just Abraham by intercourse, and how he heard the commandment from God in his sleep, as the Scripture saith, not to touch her,(2) because she was dwelling with her husband. Pharaoh, also an impious man, saw a dream in regard to the fulness and thinness of the ears of c”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “ANF Vol 4: Tertullian IV, Minucius Felix, Commodian, Origen — CHAP. XLVIII. (part 1): Although the Jew, then, may offer no defence for himself in the instances of Ezekiel and Isaiah, when we compare the opening of the heavens to Jesus; and the voice that was heard by Him, to the similar cases which we find recorded in Ezekiel and Isaiah, or any other of the prophets, we nevertheless, so far as we can, shall support our position, maintaining that, as it is a matter of belief that in a dream impressions have been brought before the minds of many, some relating to divine things, and others to fut”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “ANF Vol 4: Tertullian IV, Minucius Felix, Commodian, Origen — CHAP. LXVI. (part 2): in a dream certain persons may have certain things pointed out to them to do, is an event of frequent occurrence to many individuals,--the impression on the mind being produced either by an angel or by some other thing. Where, then, is the absurdity in believing that He who had once become incarnate, should be led also by human guidance to keep out of the way of dangers? Not indeed from any impossibility that it should be otherwise, but from the moral fitness that ways and means should be made use of to ensure ”
- theology (Catholic (Scholastic)) “Aquinas, Summa Theologica, First Part (Prima Pars), The Action of the Angels on Man, Art. 3: Article: Whether an angel can change man's imagination? I answer that, Both a good and a bad angel by their own natural power can move the human imagination. This may be explained as follows. For it was said above (Question [110], Article [3]), that corporeal nature obeys the angel as regards local movement, so that whatever can be caused by the local movement of bodies is subject to the natural power of the angels. Now it is manifest that imaginative apparitions are sometimes caused in us by the local”
- theology (Catholic (Scholastic)) “Aquinas, Summa Theologica, Second Part of the Second Part (Secunda Secundae), Of the Division of Prophecy, Art. 3: Article: Whether the degrees of prophecy can be distinguished according to the imaginary vision? I answer that, As stated above (Question [173], Article [2]), the prophecy wherein, by the intelligible light, a supernatural truth is revealed through an imaginary vision, holds the mean between the prophecy wherein a supernatural truth is revealed without imaginary vision, and that wherein through the intelligible light and without an imaginary vision, man is directed to know or do t”
- Mishneh Torah (Maimonides) (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Mishneh Torah (Maimonides), Mishneh Torah%2C Foundations of the Torah 7:2: There are a number of levels among the prophets. Just as with regard to wisdom, one sage is greater than his colleague, so, too, with regard to prophecy, one prophet is greater than another. They all, [however, share certain commonalities]. They receive prophetic visions only in a visionary dream or during the day after slumber has overtaken them, as [Numbers 12:6] states: "I make Myself known to him in a vision. I speak to him in a dream." When any of them prophesy, their limbs tremble, their physical powers become wea”
- 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 ”
- Job (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Job 33:15: In a dream, in a vision of the night,.... That is, God speaks to men in this way, and which in those times was his most usual way; see Job 4:12; sometimes he spake to a prophet, a person in public office, and made known his mind and will in this manner to him, that he might deliver it to others, Num 12:6; and sometimes directly and immediately to persons themselves, as he did to Abimelech and Laban, Gen 20:3; when deep sleep lieth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed; the former denotes a fast, heavy, and sound sleep, when the senses are all locked up, and there is n”