Note: Full Power Point Slides available from the author.
Credit given to the following research books:
Dreams and dream narratives in the biblical world / HUSSER, Jean-Marie
Your dreams : God’s neglected gift / RIFFEL, Herman H.
I’m excited about today’s Bible study.
I’m excited about it, because the topic we will study has the ability to enrich your life
to set you free from the emotional and spiritual baggage
that we all seem to carry around with us from our past.
You see, I’m assuming a few things today.
I’m assuming that you are a person who loves the Lord Jesus Christ,
with all your heart and soul and mind and strength
or at least the notion of that – appeals to you!
I’m assuming that you want to please God and serve Him to the best of your ability,
within the situation you find yourself at the moment.
· You may be a young person at school, preparing for your life ahead.
· You may be slightly older, having entered the work force recently, and just beginning on your life career.
· You my be married, engaged, or single.
· You may have children, who are young, teenagers, or even fully grown.
· You may be retired and reflecting on a life lived for the glory of God.
· You might be married, single or divorced!
Despite who you are, or what your life situation,
I’m assuming that you want to improve your life.
I’m also assuming that you are not perfect,
and that you still struggle with areas of life,
perhaps areas from your past, the present - or even anxiety over the future.
And last, but not least,
I’m assuming that you want to deal with these emotional and spiritual issues,
with the challenges of life that just seem to come
with being alive in today’s post-Christian society!
I’m going to give you a promise today
and it isn’t an empty promise.
Based upon my personal experience, and that of my immediate family,
and countless of people whom Debbie and I have ministered to over the years,
I’m going to help you unlock a God given gift
that resides within you right this very moment,
but is probably dormant, and never been used at all!
I am going to give you the tools to unleash this gift,
and help you find fulfillment and a refreshed vitality in every area of your life!
Through this God given gift,
God’s Word is going to help you discover these fantastic truths:
· An invaluable - and completely free personal counselor – you could not pay for a better one!
· A direct route to the heart of your problems and challenges!
· A built in, God given language than can guide you through life, warn and instruct you!
· A road that helps you find your potential in God!
· A voice to bring you in harmony with God, yourself, and your world!
Slide # 2
In fact, today’s Bible study is titled:
God’s Most Neglected Gift
the language of your dreams!
You see, God has given you a gift that can be unlocked and used each and every day – rather night – of your life!
If you ‘stay with me’ this morning,
and put into practice the Biblical principles you are about to hear.
I honestly believe, that you too will find healing and release in most,
if not all - of these areas we just mentioned!
I believe – with all my heart – that what we are about to discover, is truth.
And Jesus Himself said, ‘You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free!’ (John 8:32)
The Sunday Express, 1st March 1981, ran a newspaper article with this true and honest title:
She felt a fool, but had to know if her nightmare was true.
The headline introduced the story of a manager of a number of convalescent homes.
She woke early one morning, having dreamed of a large
house with flames and old folks in their night gowns, running in panic.
The lady, Mrs. Vernier,
treated her dream as serious, and drove over to inspect the homes she managed.
She discovered that, in one of the houses,
flames were shooting out of a gas main leading to a water heater.
And so a tragedy was avoided.
For as long ago as 7000 years,
civilizations have recorded dreams and taken a deep interest in their interpretation.
The first known dream library existed in Nineveh, in 5000 BC.
There are, over 250 references to dreams found within the pages of the Bible.
In fact, the term for the word ‘Dream’
in the Old Testament is ‘Harlam, and directly translated, it means:
…to make whole or healthy.
I suggest to you this morning,
that dreams, and their proper interpretation,
have the God given ability to set you free, to make you whole and healthy!
In the Bible, the common Hebrew name for a prophet was in fact ‘Hardzar’ – which means:
…to have the ability to perceive inner vision and the revealer of dreams.
One of my gifts of the Spirit, is the interpretation of dreams,
and it is a gift that I want to share with each of you this morning,
in an attempt to help you find greater wholeness and heath in every area of your life!
My journey of dream interpretation
came during a time in my life
when I suffered an immense emotional and mental breakdown.
As I have shared many times,
during this period of my life, I experienced severe depression and chronic phobias.
One of the tools that God used to bring me into wholeness and health,
was the interpretation of dreams.
What I am about to share with you today – works!!!
There are many types of dreams found within the Bible, and what is remarkable,
is that they are each very similar to the dreams that are common place in our lives today!
Slide # 3
· Reminder Dreams
o Genesis 15:1-6, 12-16. God reminds Abraham of His plans and promises to him.
o Genesis 28: 11-16. Jacob is assured that God is still with him.
o Judges 7:13-15. Gideon is reassured that God will give him victory.
o 1 Kings 9:2-9. In this second dream of Solomon, God reminds him of his covenant with Himself.
Slide # 4
· Warning Dreams
o Genesis 20:2-7. God warned Abimelech of the consequences of his sins.
o Genesis 31:24. God warned Laban in a dream not to speak to a certain person.
o Matthew 2:12 onwards. God warns the Magi not to return to the King, Joseph to take his family to Egypt, and then to Nazareth.
Slide # 5
· Repetitive Dreams
o Genesis 41:1-7. The Pharaoh had recurring dreams about impending doom and destruction.
o Daniel 2:1. Similar to above, where the king had a series of repetitive dreams about destruction.
Slide # 6
· Nightmares
o Job 7:14, 33:14-18. Here Job complains of the dreams that God terrifies him with.
o Daniel 4:5. King Nebuchadnezzar has recurring nightmares that terrified him.
o Matthew 27:19. Pilates wife has a nightmare that warned against harming Jesus.
Slide # 7
· Predictive Dreams
o Genesis 31:10-13. Jacob dreams of the day when he will prosper as a herdsman.
o Genesis 37:5-11. Jacob again dreams, in highly symbolic language, of the day when he will be a ruler of his people and family.
o 2 Samuel 7:4-17. Nathan the prophet predicts through a dream that King David’s son will build the temple of the Lord.
o Luke 1:11-22. In a dream, the angel of the Lord informs Zechariah that his wife shall have a son.
o Revelation 9:17ff. John is given a glimpse of the end times when God will destroy all His enemies.
Before we delve into the language of dreams,
we need to get some perspective of this interesting and often misunderstood topic.
You see, each and every one of us here today – we dream each and every day, rather, night of our lives.
It’s just that most of us don’t remember most, if any of our dreams.
It has been discovered,
that the average person has approximately 500 dream experiences each and every night of their lives.
Complete dreams that appear to take hours, or even days,
actually happen in only a second or two – or less.
Let me give you a personal example.
Often times, during the night, if there is a loud ‘bang’,
I will have a dream about it, and in the dream, the bang is a gun shot.
Not what is amazing, is that the moment the door or gate bangs shut,
my mind creates a whole sequences of previous events, a whole story in my mind,
a dream story that climaxes in me being shot when the door bangs shut!
But in reality, although the dream seems to have taken an hour or two,
it actually occurs the exact same moment the door slams shut.
But such is the speed of dreams,
that our minds can create a whole ‘dream story’
in the fraction of a second, but it seems like it has taken hours.
Along these lines, here’s a very important point that we must understand,
if we are to keep the whole topic of ‘dream languages’ in balance.
Most of the dreams we have each and every night of our lives,
are nothing more that our minds simply ‘sorting through’ the events of our lives.
Or else we ate too much salami or pickle!
But it is during our sleep, and through dreaming -
that our minds are able to ‘process’
the events of the day and store it away in our memories.
That is one of the major reasons for sleep and dreaming - nothing more, nothing less.
And this ‘processing’ probably accounts for 99% of our dreaming.
But it’s important that we don’t ignore this majority of dreams, for through them,
we are able to find harmony and peace with ourselves, others, and ultimately with God!
Today I want us to look at two passages in particular, in relation to dreams and dream interpretation:
Slide # 8
Acts 2:17:
In the last days, God says,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.
Slide # 9
Genesis 40:5:
Each man had a dream the same night,
and each dream had a meaning of its own.
The principles we can take from these two passages of Scripture, and indeed,
from each of the 250 or more references in Scripture,
…is that ‘dreams’ and their interpretation are an important part of our life with God.
The problem is, is that most of us take little or no interest in our dreams,
until like the King of Babylon, we come to a place where our dreams cause us distress,
...and we find ourselves in a state that echoes Daniel 2:1:
Slide # 10
1 In the second year of his reign,
Nebuchadnezzar had dreams;
his mind was troubled and he could not sleep.
Do you know what I’m talking about?
Recurring dreams or nightmares?
We wake up in the night in a cold sweat
with an uncontrollable fear surrounding our hearts and minds!
Or the emotion of the dream stays with us
during the next day and we can’t seem to ‘shake it off’.
If you have experienced any of these feelings, then you need to take note this morning,
and begin to listen to what it is that God is wanting to speak to you about through your dreams!
The author of Acts, Dr Luke, quotes from the book of Joel when he says in Acts 2:17
Slide # 11
In the last days, God says,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your young men will see visions,
your old men will dream dreams.
What is important to understand from this verse,
is that the term ‘old men’ does not refer to senior citizens dozing in front of the fire.
The words actually mean: Men of maturity and understanding -
and for that reason, it can refer to any man –
any person of any age who desires this wonderful gift
of God’s grace and love – to ‘dream dreams’!
It can apply to a 15 year old child
as much as it can to an immature 85 year old man!
In fact, in the Bible –
Daniel was just 17 years of age when the
Spirit of God spoke to him of his future through a series of dreams.
What’s more interesting,
is that the term ‘dream dreams’ actually means:
to dream frequently and continually!
The importance is not just upon the fact that these people
who are in tune with the Spirit of God will ‘dream dreams’,
…but that these dreams have a meaning, and a purpose.
And the purpose (in the context of this verse),
is that God’s Spirit would touch their lives,
similar to prophecy and visions of God’s kingdom work
...in and through their lives!
In fact, I dare to suggest,
that each and every one of us here today
who is serious with God and His plans for our lives,
..those of us who seek to hear God’s voice through prophecy and visions,
…have at our disposal, a unique gift from God,
in the form of dreams!
Slide # 12
The second principle we can gather from Scripture and experience, is that,
...according to Genesis 40:5, each dream has a meaning of its own.
As we have already discovered, Scripture,
experience and research tells us that dreams
have at least three purposes:
Slide # 13
1. Our minds simply ‘sorting’ through the events of our lives.
2. Our ‘spirits’ or subconscious trying to resolve conflicts within our lives.
3. God intervening and speaking into our lives.
One thing that is obvious,
and that each of these three areas have in common,
...is that dreams always involve objects and items.
When we dream, we don’t ‘read words from a book’.
We dream in symbols, in objects and items, much like watching a TV program or movie.
In fact, the state or mode that we enter in to in our
90 minute sleep cycle that allows dreaming,
...is called REM sleep, or Rapid Eye Movement sleep.
During this time, when we are in our deepest sleep,
...our eyes move back and forth while we are dreaming.
Some scientists believe that we are actually ‘looking at our dreams’,
...in much the same way we would look around a room or large screen television.
Now – what’s important when it comes to dream interpretation,
...is that we don’t start looking for a ‘demon under every doorpost’,
...or think that every dream is significant and contains hidden messages.
Indeed, most of the dreams we encounter are simply our subconscious mind
‘sorting through’ the events of our waking lives.
And this is natural, needing no help whatsoever
from ourselves or those gifted with dream interpretation.
But what I want us to look at this morning,
are the two remaining areas of dream life.
Slide # 14
1. Recurring dreams, nightmares,
or dreams that we remember with clarity once we are awake –
...which are often our spirit trying to resolve tension or conflict in our subconscious.
2. God intervening and speaking into our lives.
Debbie and I have been involved in dream interpretation for many years now,
...and have seen many people set free from pain and sorrow in their lives,
...through listening to the messages in their dreams.
Once you understand the basics of your dream language,
...it really is an easy and effective way to bring healing and release in your personal,
professional and spiritual life!
One major key with dreams,
is understanding the symbols our minds use within dreams.
Basically, dreams are like the parables that Jesus often used.
Many, many times,
He used everyday objects and items that people were familiar with,
...and brought out a deeper, hidden meaning.
I’m sure, that for many of us,
the first time we read or heard the parables of Jesus,
...they seemed strange and confusing!
But now that we understand the language of parables,
it becomes second nature to understand them.
So it is with dreams.
They usually involve symbols and items that are familiar to your every day life.
And they are personal for you!
Slide # 15
Matthew 13:10
The disciples came to him and asked, "Why do you speak to the people in parables?"
11 He replied, "The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them.
12 Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.
13 This is why I speak to them in parables: "Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.
14 In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: "‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
15 For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.’
16 But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.
With respect, I suggest that it is possible, even acceptable, to replace the word ‘Parable’ with ‘dream’.
Slide # 16
I say this, because parables and dreams often serve the same function and purpose!
The disciples came to him and asked, "Why do you speak to the people in dreams?"
11 He replied, "The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them.
12 Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.
13 This is why I speak to them in dreams: "Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.
14 In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: "‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
15 For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.’
16 But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.
Two of the most vivid examples of dream languages, are those of Joseph and Daniel.
Here are some of the symbols used in those dreams:
· Trees
· Open fields
· Sky
· Fruit and food
· Birds and animals
· Speech and talking
· Sun and moon
· People and friends
· Family members
· Workplace and family home
What’s important, is that most of the symbols used in these dreams,
...were common and familiar to the person, and they related to real life events – of the past, present or future!
So it is with our dreams!
An important key to understand, is that your dreams are personal for you,
...and they apply to you – not to others!
They may involve others, and their application may impact upon other people.
But your dreams are special and specific for you, and you alone.
And only you will know how to interpret them.
Here’s another warning and insight.
When King Nebuchadnezzar had his disturbing nightmare,
...he called for the secular ‘specialists’ to interpret the dream.
By all accounts, they gave him a good ‘secular’ interpretation of the dream.
They gave him much the same advice and interpretation,
...that you would expect from secular ‘specialists’ counselors and mediums today.
But they were wrong!
Only Daniel, with his trust and dependence upon God and His Spirit, was able to give true insight and knowledge.
I caution you against buying secular books on dream interpretation,
...or consulting secular counselors and definitely not mediums or clairvoyants!
To a large degree, what I am about to give to you, will be sufficient to guide you in the interpretation of your dreams.
You need to take hold of this next important key to understanding the reason for dreams!
Slide # 17
Job 12:22 tells us this:
He reveals the deep things of darkness and brings deep shadows into the light.
Slide # 18
Daniel 2:22: He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with him.
Slide # 19
1 Corinthians 4:5: He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts.
Slide # 20
Job 28:11: He searches the sources of the rivers and brings hidden things to light.
Many, many times, dreams are simply our subconscious mind ‘shouting’ at us,
...to address an issue we are ignoring!
We might be in denial, or suppressing our true feelings,
...and this brings a conflict between the conscious and sub-conscious areas of our lives.
Indeed, dreams are often our sub-conscious mind,
...trying to bring our attention to an area of tension or unresolved areas of our lives.
And this is the wonderfully good news, once we listen to our hearts,
...to our spirit and soul, and acknowledge what it is that we have been denying or ignoring –
- we can often find instant healing and release!
And what is better still – is that those recurring dreams or nightmares, can stop – often instantly!
I want to introduce you to a very effective tool known as a ‘Dream Log’.
Christian Dream Log
For currant and past dreams
Date ………………………
Title I would give to the dream (Do this last)
……………………………………………………………………………
Content of the dream
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Feelings/emotions – both within the dream, and as I remember the dream
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
What were my roles in the dream? Was I an observer, a main part, a victim, hero, etc.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
What are some of the symbols in my dream i.e. swimming, water, flying, running, trees, colors, people, weapons, objects, hats, animals, books, furniture, houses, pets, monsters, fog, rain, sunshine, etc.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
What links might this dream – or the objects in it, have with reality, what are some similar feelings, emotions, roles or symbols that relate to my life at the moment, or from my past.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Now, take just a few minutes and pray.
Ask God to speak to you, ask Him what He wants you to do with the interpretation of this dream.
What action might He want you to take.
Is there forgiveness needed?
Reconciliation?
Repentance?
Does He want you to take some positive action – at home, work, church or in the community?
Perhaps God just wanted you to identify a hidden or suppressed emotion or attitude?
Write it down once you have prayed, or even as you are praying!
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
ADDENDUM - practical example:
I have had very good feedback from this sermon from around New Zealand,
and belive it to be helpful to give you an example of a very common dream,
- especially for men, and its interpretation.
I will use the above form.
Content of the dream:
I dreampt I was at the beach with my family,
it was a sunny day, and we all went for a swim. Suddenly the weather turned ugly,
a storm came and the waves grew larger.
Before I knew it,
I was alone in the middle of the ocean,
I was drowning,
I couldn’t swim.
I tried to yell but nothing could come out of my mouth. I woke up in a cold sweat!
Feelings / Emotions
At first I felt happy,
contented,
and enjoyed being with my wife and family.
Then things turned dark.
Turmoil began to grow.
Things got scarey.
I began to feel ’swamped’ and trapped.
I felt fear, felt like I was loosing control of my surroundings,
felt afraid and drowning.
I was scared and out of control.
I felt a great sense of loss,
especially like I had lost my family,
the people I love the most in the whole world!
I felt a deep frustration at myself for not being able to survive.
Roles in the dream.
At first I was a father and a husband,
a good one,
playing with my family.
I felt like I was a provider,
in control.
I was a protector to them.
Then I felt like a victim, like a looser.
As if I was in the same place,
the beach, but things changed,
and I was now a victim.
I felt like I was ’in over my head’!
Symbols and objects within the dream;
My family,
the sun and beach,
water, rain, darkness, sand.
Links with reality - emotions I felt in the dream that I feel in real life.
I love to be with my family,
to play with them.
These feelings were the same in my dream as they are in real life.
However, I’ve been so busy lately,
that I haven’t spent much time with them at all,
having to work overtime,
such long hours,
and I’m under so much pressure at work!
Actually, the feelings I felt in my dream when I was drowning,
are the same ones I feel when I’m having to work late at night at the office,
and I know I haven’t seen my children for over a week. I feel like my work has got out of control, I’m ’out over my head’ and drowning, I’ve lost control!
I remember when I was a young boy,
my dad worked long hours too,
it made me sad.
I still hurt about this today.
Pray and seek God’s face.
Wow - I feel God is telling me to slow down,
that I am sacrificing my relationship with my children
because I work too much and too long hours.
I think I need to talk to someone about the pain I still feel
from my own dad working such long hours and neglecting me.
I think there might be a viscious cycle at work that needs breaking.
I wonder if there is some bitterness in my own heart against my dad.
I don’t want my children to turn out like me and be a workaholic.
Lord, help me and show me the way to healing!
Note for further interpretation:
You may still have questions in your mind in relation to your dream.
I suggest you first identify the symbols and objects in your dream,
and through scripture,
find some meaning in them.
Scripture is full of symbolism and parables,
for example, in the garden of Eden,
Satan is symbolized as a snake.
Jesus is symbolized as the Tree of Life.
Get a good Bible Dictionary from a time proven teacher,
and take note of what these symbols mean
and how they relate to your dream and experience.
It might be good for you to consult with a Spirit filled,
qualified and experienced counselor too.
