| I often get asked by Christians if interpreting dreams is okay to do? Many people believe that dream interpretation is a New Age practice. However, God says in the bible that dreams are one of the ways that He speaks to us. I often get asked by Christians if interpreting dreams is okay to do? Many people believe that dream interpretation is a New Age practice. However, God says in the bible that dreams are one of the ways that He speaks to us (Job 33:15 & Num 12:6). In order to understand a dream God’s, way we must use a biblical basis for symbolism and the Holy Spirit as our source of revelation.
Joseph makes it clear in Genesis 40:8 that the interpretation of a dream comes from God. It is interesting that no one could interpret the peoples dreams except Joseph who understood this truth. This is the case with Daniel as well (Gen 41:8 & Dan 2).
Most people agree that God can speak to us through dreams. However, we do not see Jesus interpreting dreams. So is it okay for Christians to interpret dreams, particularly for the purposes of evangelism? My response is that we do not see Jesus passing out tracts or giving altar calls, now do we? However, the use of tracts and altar calls must be okay because they do not violate principles of the bible. A closer look at the subject of dream interpretation shows that neither does this practice violate biblical principles.
Jesus taught people through the use of parables. Parables are stories with a deeper meaning. He admonished his disciples that they must be able to interpret parables and understand this type of symbolic thinking in order to uncover the mysteries of the Kingdom (Matt 13:10-15). Dreams are symbolic and are basically night parables. We also see in the New Testament that Paul talks about the interpretation of tongues (1 Cor 12:10). The principle of interpretation is right in line with the message of the bible, so interpreting dreams using the Spirit of God as a source is a safe practice.
According to 1 Cor 2:14 a dream (or any revelation) from God can only be interpreted correctly by someone who has the Spirit of God. King Nebuchadnezzar and Pharaoh both had dreams, and no one could interpret them except Joseph and Daniel who operated with the Spirit of God. This is still the case today.
People everywhere are having dreams and many of these dreams have been divinely given. Often, people can end up feeling sad and dejected because there is no one to interpret the dreams they are having (Gen 40:6-8). The bible indicates that dreams, visions and prophecy are part of God’s strategy for reaching people in the End Times (Acts 2:17-18).
I have been leading prophetic and dream interpretation outreach events for several years. We are finding that people everywhere are dreaming and are very interested in knowing what their dreams mean. As they share a dream, their walls of resistance come down and they become very open to talking more about God.
After interpreting thousands of dreams for people, I have noticed that there are a few common dream themes that we hear on a regular basis. Dreams like flying, teeth falling out, being late, falling, going to the bathroom, running, to name just a few. I began to recognize that the meanings of these dreams show where many people are today spiritually. As we understand the meaning of dreams, we can help people find their destiny in God.
To learn more about dreams: I compiled a list of these common dreams and their interpretations in an audio message called Dream Secrets which is available here. This CD will help you begin to understand how God speaks through dreams and will give deeper insight into many common dreams that people are having.
Doug Addison is the founder of InLight Connection in Los Angeles where he teaches courses on hearing God, dreams and visions, and the supernatural. Doug was a pastor, church planter, and the author of the book, Prophecy, Dreams, and Evangelism: Revealing God’s Love Through Divine Encounters. Doug trains and leads Dream Teams and Prophetic/Power Evangelism outreaches throughout the United States and around the world. Visit www.dougaddison.com for more information. |
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