Prophetic dreams are dreams that contain messages from God. They can reveal future events, provide guidance, or communicate needed information. While most dreams are simply the brain processing daily events, some are given by the Holy Spirit. Prophetic dreams are mentioned numerous times in the Bible and can strengthen faith when understood properly.
In the Old Testament, God often gave dreams to individuals and leadership to reveal His plans. Genesis 20 tells of God warning Abimelech against sinning against Abraham through a dream. In Genesis 31, Jacob has a prophetic dream where God promises to bless him and be with him. Joseph famously interpreted the dreams of Pharaoh in Genesis 41, enabling Egypt to prepare for the coming famine.
Daniel 2 recounts Nebuchadnezzar’s disturbing dream that revealed the future kingdoms to come. God used his dream and Daniel’s interpretation to showcase His sovereignty over human authorities. Later, in Daniel 7, God gives Daniel many visions that provide details about the end times. There are several other instances where God uses dreams to guide, instruct, or warn His people throughout the Old Testament.
While less frequent, there are examples of prophetic dreams continuing into the New Testament era as well. Matthew 1 documents Joseph being instructed by an angel in a dream to go ahead with his marriage to Mary and again later to flee Bethlehem for Egypt. In Acts 16, Paul has a vision of a Macedonian man pleading for him to come share the Gospel, leading to his missionary journey in Greece.
From these and other biblical accounts, we learn that God at times will choose dreams as a medium to connect with people. Dream language utilizes symbolism and abstraction rather than direct statements. This allows the Spirit to communicate concepts that may be difficult to convey otherwise. Interpretation is required, either through personal revelation or prophets like Daniel with gifts of interpretation.
There are several reasons God may choose to send a prophetic dream:
- To reveal future events
- To provide guidance or instruction for an individual
- To communicate needed information or correction
- To warn against harmful choices or actions
- To strengthen faith through experiencing the spiritual
God is always reaching out to draw people to Himself. For some, He chooses dreams as a personalized and memorable way to encounter His presence. Prophetic dreams can have a powerful impact on those who receive them. They also provide confirmation to others when shared, as ultimately all prophetic revelation will point to the truth of Jesus Christ.
How to Discern if a Dream is Prophetic
Dreams from God will always align with Scripture. They should turn your focus to Jesus, confessing sin and pursuing righteousness. Beware of dreams that contradict biblical truth, justify sinful desires, or glorify self over Christ.
True prophetic dreams will have one or more of the following characteristics:
- Clarity – The dream will be vivid, with a clear message or story.
- Spiritual Sense – You will have a strong sense of God’s presence, awe, or conviction.
- Confirmation – The interpretation will be confirmed through other means such as Scripture, events, people, etc.
- Wisdom & Discernment – You will receive understanding and wisdom beyond your natural abilities.
- Transformation – The dream encourages positive change. Sin is exposed or righteous living encouraged.
- Fruit – The dream bears positive results and glorifies God.
Our spiritual enemy can also give false dreams. These usually involve immoral images, fear, confusion, false teaching, or flattery. Thankfully Scripture gives clear warnings against deception and tools for discernment (1 John 4:1). Bring concerns to godly counsel and test everything against God’s Word.
How to Respond to Prophetic Dreams
If you believe you’ve received a prophetic dream, avoid assumptions and seek wisdom. Share the dream with mature believers and ask God for confirmation and proper interpretation before acting. Check first if the message aligns with Scripture.
When understood correctly, prophetic dreams provide an amazing avenue to hear from God. But their subjective nature also allows room for misunderstanding or even false teaching if not handled carefully. Test, confirm, interpret, and obey in community.
Here are some healthy responses to prophetic dreams:
- Thank God for speaking to you in this unique way.
- Pray for proper understanding of the message before sharing with others.
- Check the meaning and application against Scripture. Does it contradict or align?
- Seek wise and experienced counsel to help interpret.
- Look for confirmations from other areas of your life and Christian community.
- Put what is revealed into practice in humility and faith.
- Give God glory for the experience and any positive results.
While we should thoughtfully consider potential prophetic dreams, we need not obsess over interpreting every symbol. Some dreams may simply reflect our daily lives or mental state. Not every dream is a message from God. Seek discernment, confirm prophetic revelations, but then refocus your gaze on Jesus Christ.
Are Prophetic Dreams for Today?
Some Christians debate if God still speaks through dreams today, or if they were only for biblical times. There are reasonable arguments on both sides.
Some key points that prophetic dreams may still happen today:
- Nothing in Scripture prohibits dreams or limits them to a certain era.
- God’s character is unchanging, and He can speak however He chooses.
- Miracles and supernatural works of the Spirit did not end with the apostles.
- Modern missionaries regularly report divine visions and dreams.
- Warning of false teachings indicates a true counterpart exists.
Reasons why some believe prophetic dreams ended:
- Scripture recorded dreams to affirm new revelation that became Scripture.
- Cessationists believe all miraculous gifts ended with the apostles.
- Dreams are highly subjective without authoritative interpretation.
- Warnings of deception in the last days regarding signs and miracles.
This debate may never be fully resolved this side of eternity. Christians should thoughtfully and humbly consider both perspectives. Thankfully both sides agree prophetic dreams, if experienced today, must align with the truth of the Bible.
Cautions Regarding Prophetic Dreams
While prophetic dreams can strengthen faith, they come with several important cautions:
- Not all dreams are from God. Take care to discern each one properly.
- Dreams should not be given equal or greater authority than Scripture.
- Be wary of dreams that contradict or add to biblical truth.
- Avoid pride or selfish ambition in seeking dreams. Fame and glory belong to God alone.
- Confirm dreams with other mature believers before acting upon them.
- Don’t become obsessed with interpreting every symbol, but seek the overall meaning.
- Don’t make major decisions solely based on dreams without other confirmations.
It’s easy to go to unbiblical extremes with prophetic dreams and visions. Seeking them at all costs can lead to deception and disillusionment. On the other hand, rejecting the possibility altogether can hinder God’s desire to connect with His children. As with all spiritual gifts, pursue love and discernment above all else (1 Corinthians 13:2).
How Should Churches Approach Prophetic Dreams?
Prophetic dreams pose unique challenges in a church context. Sharing dreams risks distraction and disorder without careful wisdom. But rejecting them outright cuts off a potential avenue of God’s supernatural communication.
Here are some suggestions for churches to responsibly handle prophetic dreams:
- Teach regularly on spiritual gifts and discernment from Scripture.
- Have a clear process for evaluating dreams before public sharing.
- Cultivate humility and servant leadership among those who receive dreams.
- Focus on testing dreams against Scripture, not personal impressions.
- Have mature leaders help with interpretation rather than individuals.
- Major decisions should consider dreams as only partial revelations.
- Guard against pride and those seeking fame through dreams.
- Ensure Christ remains central and Scripture authoritative.
A healthy approach starts with strong biblical teaching and leadership. Combined with discernment and humility, prophetic dreams can be appropriately evaluated and applied. This allows God to speak in this unique way while preventing distraction and disorder.
Remember God’s Character
At times God chooses to reveal spiritual truths through the medium of dreams. But this is not the only way He connects with His people. Jesus invites all believers to relationship through His Holy Spirit. God’s character as revealed through Scripture can be trusted, regardless of our personal experiences:
- God is loving, faithful, and desires relationship.
- Jesus Christ is the fullness of God’s revelation to mankind.
- The Bible is the inspired and authoritative Word of God.
- Seek humility, wisdom, and sound teaching above supernatural experiences.
- Test everything by comparing to Scripture and godly counsel.
Prophetic dream experiences can strengthen faith when handled appropriately. But their impact rests on who God is, not just the dreams themselves. Anchor your identity in Jesus Christ, not fleeting experiences. Test everything by His eternal Word. When dreams align with Scripture, respond with humility and faith. God speaks through prophetic dreams because He cares for us deeply and desires that we know Him more.