UNDERSTANDING DREAMS AND VISIONS

UNKNOWN AUTHOR

1. INTRODUCTION

A. God is merging some of His streams of ministry together as He upgrades the anointings and giftings of the
body of Christ. The prophetic streams can be categorized into two broad areas: first, the "nabi" stream. This
type of ministry is a flowing, on the spot ministry that functions by faith, grace, and anointing. The second
stream is that of the seer. This type of ministry involves moving in dreams and visions, then flowing out of the
revelation that comes from their understanding. As God pours more of His Spirit out from His throne, there is
going to be a greater manifestation of dreams and visions. It is going to be imperative for us that we have
some understanding of what God is doing.

B. Moving in dreams and visions is available to every believer in some degree or another. While everyone is
not called to the ministry of the seer, all can move to some extent in this realm.

Numbers 12:6: "If there is a prophet among you, I, the Lord, make Myself known to him in a vision, and I
speak to him in a dream."

Numbers 11:29: "Oh, that all the Lord's people were prophets and that the Lord would put His spirit upon
them!"

Matthew 10:41: "He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward."

C. Some people seem to move almost from the beginning in various giftings. Others have to birth it into their
lives. Whatever the case, it is possible to begin to move in dreams and visions. We must be exposed to it,
receive it, desire it, and then believe for it. Walking in this realm will bring a deeper revelation of the plan of
God for our lives.

2. SCRIPTURAL BASIS

A. Hosea 2:10: "I have also spoken by the prophets, and have multiplied visions; I have given symbols through
the witness of the prophets."
The prophetic ministry will bring an increase in visual manifestations. In addition, God will speak symbolically
through the prophetic ministry. Instead of Jesus speaking to us in parables on a hillside, the Holy Spirit speaks
to us in parables in dreams and visions. Instead of us having to go to Jesus like the disciples did and ask,
"What did you mean when you spoke about that parable?" We must go and seek God for the interpretation to
the dream.

B. Matthew: 1, 2:12, 13, and 19. Four times Joseph received directions from the Lord through a dream. God
will lead us in our journeys with Jesus through dreams.

C. Acts 2:17: "And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, that I will pour out of My spirit on all flesh;
Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, your old men shall dream
dreams." Dreams are a definite sign that the Holy Spirit is being poured out. Whenever God begins to move,
dreams and visions will begin to occur. We must learn how to interpret these so His communication to us will
become more effective.

3. WHAT DREAMS WILL DO FOR YOU

A. Confirm

Through dreams God will confirm intuition. He will bring to the surface in vision form those senses and feelings
that seemingly cannot be expressed.

Job 33:15-18 "For God may speak in one way, or in another, yet man does not perceive it. In a dream, in a
vision of the night, when deep sleep falls upon men, while slumbering on their beds, then He opens the ears of
DREAMS AND VISIONS - HOW TO INTERPRET [Unknown Author] 1
men, and seals their instruction." Dreams put the cap on. Or in other words, they confirm and seal His
instruction.

B. Warn

Job 33:17 goes on to say in the context of dreams, "In order to turn man from his deed, and conceal pride
from man, He keeps back his soul from the Pit, and his life from perishing by the sword." God may show an
event happening in a dream that if we do not pray and do something about it, it will happen. God will give the
dream in time for us to take action.

Gen. 41--Joseph and the dream of seven years of famine.

C. Reveal

Daniel 4. God gave Nebuchadnezzar a dream about his future which Daniel interpreted. In Daniel 2, He gave
the same king a panoramic dream about the four kingdoms which would rule this world throughout history. God
gave Jacob a dream in Gen 28 where He showed him that angels were ascending and descending up and
down a ladder from heaven into his life. He can speak to us about our home lives, our marriages, our jobs, the
church, and our attitudes, both on practical and spiritual levels.

D. Direct

Joseph and his dream when he was seventeen. God gave him a long-range promise. Later, his interpretation
of Pharoah's dream would save the kingdom as well as catapault him into a position second only to Pharoah
himself.

Jacob in Genesis 31:11-13. God directed him to get up and leave Laban.

God directed Abimelech, David, Gideon, Joseph, Daniel, and others through dreams. He can also direct us.

E. Bring confidence of God's communication to us

When God has given us a dream and we have received the interpretation, there comes a realization that God
really does know about us, our trials and struggles, and He loves us so much that He desires to express
Himself to us in much the same way as He did when He took the disciples out on the hillside and spoke to
them in parables.

4. THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF INTERPRETATIONS

A. Daniel 1:8, 17

We cannot walk in the spirit of the age and correctly interpret dreams. When God begins to speak to us in
dreams, we must be willing to spend extra time with God in order to allow Him to speak to us the
interpretations.

B. Ask and receive

Dreams and visions are like any other aspect of the kingdom of God. If we can see it and believe it, we can
enter into it. Some of the results we experience will be dependent on our level of expectancy and our ability to
grasp this dimension by faith.

C. Faithfulness

As we begin to receive from God, if we discount what we might consider the little dreams and visions and
neglect to seek Him for the interpretation, we may not receive much more. Be faithful in the little and God will
enlarge our capacities to receive more.

DREAMS AND VISIONS - HOW TO INTERPRET [Unknown Author] 2

5. PRACTICAL WAYS TO INCREASE YOUR DREAM LIFE

A. Preparation

Ask God to speak to you in dreams. We are going to learn how to walk in the balance of this, so you do not
think you have to receive a dream before you move in God. Expect Him to speak. Confess that He will speak
to you.

B. Waking up

Dreams can be elusive. Job 20:8 states, "He will flyaway like a dream, and not be found; yes, he will be
chased away like a vision of the night.

We must learn to look back into the night. Zech. 4:1-2: "Now the angel who talked with me came back and
wakened me, as a man who is wakened out of his sleep. And he said to me, "What do you see?" So I said, "I
am looking, and there is a lampstand of solid gold with a bowl on top of it, and on the stand seven lamps with
seven pipes to the seven lamps."

At times God will wake us up supernaturally. If dreams are not from Him, then why do so many of them end
just as the alarm clock is ringing?

God's timing comes into play when remembering dreams. Sometimes I have completely forgotten a dream, or
not even known I dreamed about a certain event. Then when the event happens, I remember that I dreamed
about it. We must learn to apply John 14:26: "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit will ...bring to your remembrance
all things that I said to you." If you have dreamed, believe God to bring it back to your memory.

C. Write it down and date it

Daniel 7:1: "In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream and visions of his head while
on his bed. Then he wrote down the dream, telling the main facts."

Habakkuk 2:1: "Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it."

6. LEARNING TO THINK SYMBOLICALLY

A. Consider the way God Speaks

Much of the Old Testament is given to us in shadows and types. We see the fundamental truths of the Gospel
in Genesis, the veiled symbolism of the sacrifices in the Mosaic law, the rich imagery of Song of Solomon, and
the visions and dreams of the prophets. Then we go to the parables of Jesus, the visitation of the Holy Spirit to
Peter upon the housetop, and end with the book of Revelation.

The main way people miss interpretations is by thinking in literal rather than symbolic terms.

B. Consider Gideon's experience (Judges 7:13)

7. KEYS TO INTERPRETATION
A. First of all, pray [Tell the dream to someone - God first. The interpretation may come.]

There may be many times when God will show you the interpretation as you wake up and begin to meditate.
On other occasions, we have to pray and get in the Spirit first. Then the meditation and tools we use will come
out of a spiritual mind.

B. Learn to disect

Break the dream down into pieces. Instead of trying to understand what may be a totally unrelated dream, start
with one section and work with the symbols and situations there.
DREAMS AND VISIONS - HOW TO INTERPRET [Unknown Author] 3
Start with a piece and work off the bit of revelation you may know. Ask the following questions:

1. Why is that piece in the dream?

2. What could it stand for?

3. If I think of this piece as a symbol, what would it be associated with?

4. Where did the dream occur?

5. Why did I behave that way?

C. Learn to ask God questions

Zechariah 4 shows us an example. The disciples had to ask Jesus the meaning of the parables. Be inquisitive.
Be a seeker. Reach out and stretch.

D. Relating the dream Properly

1. First, see if the dream relates to yourself. True interpretations require honesty with yourself.

2. If it is about someone else, then first pray about it. Sometimes it may not actually be about that person.
If you have a dream that will benefit the church, then share it with leadership. If you a have a dream,
particularly a corrective dream about an individual, -share it with leadership. Then the decision will be
made about the proper way to share it, if at all. Because many people in the body of Christ will tend to
interpret dreams literally, sometimes people can get hurt without the proper sharing of the dream. Then
we must always remember that dreams are like prophecy. It is usually a part of the overall picture God
is painting. Sometimes, the dream may be a major theme of what God is saying; sometimes, it is a
confirmation of a minor area. God works by giving us pieces of His total overall plan. One piece may
come through Scripture, another through preaching, another through a dream, another through
prophecy, etc. As we piece all the parts together, we capture the whole mind of Christ.

3. Move slowly and cautiously when acting upon a dream. The bigger the decision, the more confirmation
there should be. Like responding to prophecy or any other word from God, we learn to incorporate what
God speaks in dreams with all the other things God is doing in our lives. We never interpret a dream in
such a way that it contradicts the overall plan of God in scripture.

E. Walking into your interpretation

Sometimes your interpretation will not come until you actually come upon the circumstances in your dream.
You can begin to thank the Lord that you will know the interpretation before the dream comes to pass, if it is
negative. (Acts 10:9-16, the vision of Peter on the rooftop)

F. Do not get hung up on details 1. Daniel 7:1

G. God uses the familiar

If you are a mechanic, God may speak to you along those lines. If you are a seamstress, God may show you
an area that you can relate to. Jesus spoke to the people of His day in parables that they could relate to.

He may use events you are going through to speak to you. Consider Peter on the rooftop. He was hungry and
God gave him a vision relating to food.

8. THE SYMBOLS OF DREAMS

A. Patterns and relationship:

DREAMS AND VISIONS - HOW TO INTERPRET [Unknown Author] 4

God may show you a pattern of certain symbols. For instance, in the word of God a lamb is a common symbol
that has a consistent thread of meaning throughout Scripture. Whenever certain symbols manifest in your
dreams, it will become fairly obvious what they mean.

On the other hand God is always in the process of stretching us. About the time we think we have figured Him
out, He will give us a symbol that will not make sense, or one that if use it as in previous dreams, it will not fit.
God has used my sister to represent herself, a sister in the Lord, and in one case, a sister church. Lest we
think a symbol always means something, we should check with the word of God. In Malachi 4:2 Jesus is
referred to as the "Sun of righteousness" who arises with "healing in His wings". Yet in Mark 4:6 in the parable
of the sower, the sun is referred to as a force that Jesus interprets in v. 17 as tribulation or persecution, i.e. the
heat of this world, arising.

B. There is one main rule in dream interpretation.

The closer we can maintain our intimacy with the Holy Spirit, the better we can begin to hear His voice in
understanding what He is speaking to us. We can learn all the mechanics and they are immensely helpful, but
after that we must depend upon His voice to lead us. "Interpretations belong to God" and in the end, it is
hearing His voice that brings the revelation. An ability to interpret dreams is not necessarily a sign of greater
spirituality; it just means in that area a person has learned to activate the truths found in the word of God.

C. Transportation

A vehicle is a means of getting from one place to another. If you have a work vehicle, it could relate to your
work, or your work in the ministry. It could represent your life as you travel down the road of life, wrought with
all the decisions of travel, such as where to turn, stop signs, exits, and types of roads you are traveling on.

D. House

The house is -.where we live. The Bible refers to our bodies as the temple of the Holy spirit. The house may
relate to the house of God, our family, or in most cases, our individual lives. Sometimes, the front door
represents our mouth, the "gate of our temple." I have had dreams where the back door represented the mind.
The bedroom might represent a place of rest or intimacy.

If the plumbing in the house has problems, the Lord is usually talking about needing purging. If the lights are
off, you need revelation or understanding. If your roof is leaking, there may be problems in the area of
submission and authority (the covering). If the floor is cracked, God may be speaking about the foundation.

NOTE: HORSE - type of flesh - Old Testament - Jesus coming back on a White Horse.

E. People

Look at five areas and an example of each:

1. Their position
A boss at work might represent a pastor.

2. Their personal attributes

Kenneth Hagin might represent faith.

3. Their name
One man named John might represent another by the same name.

4. Their age
An older man might represent an elder.

5. Themselves
There usually will be another clue in the dream.

DREAMS AND VISIONS - HOW TO INTERPRET [Unknown Author] 5

6. Old boy friend might represent an old attitude.

F. Babies

Usually represents a birthing, or an area in our life that is small and needs growth. It may relate to the
beqinninq of a ministry, or a new job, a new idea, or a relationship. It may many times be a new attitude or
work God is doing in our life. Rarely does it refer to an actual, baby. (God will use this type of dream to speak
to someone who wants babies.) Adoption - could be like giving birth, but not so painful.
G. Colors.

White usually symbolizes purity. Red may represent the blood of Jesus. Do not try to make every color
represent something. It will only bring confusion and discouragement.

H. Location

Did the dream take place at the church? At your house? At your work? Sometimes dreams will take place at
the house you grew up in or in your home town. It may relate to your past, or even to your growing up in the
Lord. A school may involve something about your discipleship classes in the school of the Spirit. Your work
does not always mean literally there. It can mean your work in the Lord.

I. Sports Is the sport team or individual? If you did not win, pray about how to win.

Who is the opposition?

J. Eating

This one usually represents spiritual eating rather than a lesson on the natural.

K. Animals

Snakes, rats, spiders, etc. represent demonic spirits, bad attitudes, and so on. I have had dreams where
someone had a pet and did not want to give it up. It represented a pet attitude that person did not want to deal
with.

L. Weather

Wind may represent the moving of the Spirit or the winds of doctrine. Tornadoes may be symbolic of twisted
truth. Storms, hurricanes, etc. are areas to pray against. Ice and cold may be symbolic of coldness towards
God, or an iciness against a certain idea.

M. Marriages

Usually does not represent a literal marriage. It may be symbolic of spiritual union of the type of spirit each
individual represents. Some ladies have dreams about marrying the pastor of the church. You are marrying the
church and to be under the headship of the pastor.

N. Sexual activity

We should not immediately discount a dream simply because there is some type of sexual activity in it. The
prophets and Song of Solomon describe spiritual truth in terms of sexual love. Like any other dream we should
pray about it and analyze it to see if God might be speaking to us through it.

This activity is usually in a negative sense and may describe seducing spirits, friendship with the world
(spiritual adultery), or perverted ideas. In certain cases it can be positive, for instance, depicting a love for an
attitude that person represents.

DREAMS AND VISIONS - HOW TO INTERPRET [Unknown Author] 6

If a person comes out of lust, perversion, and such like, there may have to be deliverance for constant lustful
dreams, but do not discount the truth that God may convey in this type of message.
0. Death
Here is where fear can enter in if you see yourself or someone you know being killed or dying. These dreams
usually relate to the death of self, death of an attitude, or in a negative sense, the death of the life God has
placed within us. God does not give us these dreams to bring fear but rather to warn us or bring revelation
about what is happening in our lives.
9. QUESTIONS
A. Can dreams be just of yourself and not from God?
Jeremiah 23:25-27 talks about prophesying out of a dream of one's own heart. As evidenced by people who
are not Christians who dream, one's own heart can produce a dream. Dreams can come from three sources,
the devil, God, and our own human spirit. I believe as we enter more into the realm of dreams, more of our
dreams will be from God than from our own heart. If you ask God to give you a fish, He will not give you a
stone. If you ask God to lead you in dreams, when they begin to manifest, receive them as being from Him.
Eccl. 5:3: "For a dream comes through much activity." Sometimes when we have engaged in a certain type of
activity, we will dream about it at night. These dreams are produced by our own activity. This type dream is
usually characterized by fitful, restless sleep and intermittent dreaming about the activity all night long. God will
use what we have been going through to speak to us.
B. Are only the clear, vivid dreams from the Lord?
God wants us to hear the still small voice of the Holy Spirit. He constantly is working on us in order that we
might develop our spiritual senses. We should pay attention to each dream, pray about it, and seek the
interpretation if we feel it is from God.
C. Isn't seeking a dream dangerous?
The same thing can be said about prophecy. We cannot force God to give us a dream, neither should we wait
on a dream if God has chosen to speak to us in other methods. But we can ask God to speak to us in a dream
then expect Him to move. If we walk in these guidelines, we will not fall into error.
D. How can I understand these weird dreams?
Follow the steps. Get in the spirit by praying about the dream. Break the dream down into pieces. Try to relate
the symbols to your life or your circumstances. Meditate on the characters and symbols in the dream.
Remember, skill in interpreting will develop through exercise
E. Is this occultic?
This territory belongs to God's people. The devil has deceived people into thinking that this arena belongs to
him. If a person has been involved in the occult, then total renunciation and deliverance will sever his or her
involvement with demonic dreams. That person can then enter into the purity of God's dreams.

F. How can I increase dreams in my life?

Follow the steps in this seminar. Pray. Study out dreams in the word of God. Be faithful to interpret the
seemingly little dreams you do receive. Be expectant to receive more.
NOTES: All personal notes are written in Italics.

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