More Categories of Dreams and Visions
By: Denise N. Fyffe
Dreams Referencing Purpose, Destiny, Or Calling
We need only to examine the bible to find multiple examples of destiny dreams. Joseph’s story shares two such dreams. In Genesis 37:1–10 (ESV), we learn of his destiny to be someone too who his family will ultimately bow down and this was confirmed in two dreams.
The second dream, in Genesis 37:9-10 (ESV), was more pointed and significant in its meaning, which could not be denied. Because what elements are greater than the sun, moon, and stars?
“9 Then he dreamed another dream and told it to his brothers and said, “Behold, I have dreamed another dream. Behold, the sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” 10 But when he told it to his father and to his brothers, his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall I and your mother and your brothers indeed come to bow ourselves to the ground before you?”
Warning Dreams
Seeing that many of our dreams are prophetic, they can be considered warning dreams if it is indicating that something will go wrong or there is danger lurking.
Job 33:14-18 ESV,
“For God speaks in one way, and in two, though man does not perceive it. In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls on men, while they slumber on their beds, then he opens the ears of men and terrifies them with warnings, that he may turn man aside from his deed and conceal pride from a man; he keeps back his soul from the pit, his life from perishing by the sword.”
According to the Oxford Dictionary, a warning is “a statement or event that indicates a possible or impending danger, problem, or other unpleasant situation.” Because God loves us, he aims to alert us to impending danger through our dream.
My Testimony
I dreamt that a fire was spreading from next door into my front yard. I went to out it but then the scene changed to show an old broken down, two-story building at the back.
I could now see people stealing from my building and I began to use a hose and spray water on them hard. I stopped one guy and took what he had, accused him of stealing my stuff. I got really upset and declared no one should take my things. Then, I also recalled seeing the neighbor, a lady, from directly next door, and her children in my house.
Later, I learned that in the community where I used to live, they stole the hose from the front yard. The next-door neighbors who were suspected denied taking it. However, many have since seen them using the same hose to fill their drums and water their yard over the years.
This dream is a minor warning dream, compared to other dreams that I have had. But it shows that God cares about even the smallest things in our life, our possessions and he will recompense unto our enemies a swift judgment. He sees all, knows all, and is everywhere.
Types of Dreams and Visions
Then there are various types of dreams or visions. Below we identify at least three types, including:
- Straightforward Dreams
- Easy Symbolic Dreams
- Complex Symbolic Dreams
Straightforward Dreams
These are like the name suggests. You see a series of images while sleeping and then at some point later, it occurs in real life exactly as you saw it.
Easy Symbolic
For easy symbolic dreams, it requires some effort to decipher the symbols shown in your dream. For instance, in Genesis 37 (ESV), Joseph shared two dreams with his family.
“5 Now Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more. 6 He said to them, “Hear this dream that I have dreamed: 7 Behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and behold, my sheaf arose and stood upright. And behold, your sheaves gathered around it and bowed down to my sheaf.” 8 His brothers said to him, “Are you indeed to reign over us? Or are you indeed to rule over us?” So, they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words.”
Do you see how easy it was for his brothers to understand the meaning of Joseph’s dreams?
However, do note that Joseph shared two similar dreams which had the same meaning. This is God’s way of establishing a thing and stating that this cannot be changed, and God will do it quickly. It was a destiny dream.
Genesis 41:32 (ESV),
“… the thing is fixed by God, and God will shortly bring it about.”
Activity:
Read the entire chapter of Genesis 37 and list the symbols, scripture, and general interpretation. This will help you to develop your dream dictionary or guide. You will also begin to gain a deeper understanding of dreams or visions progressively.
For additional understanding, continue through to Genesis 41 as well.
You will learn that after interpreting two simple symbolic dreams, for Pharaoh’s servants, Joseph interprets two complex symbolic dreams for Pharaoh. The ability to correctly interpret dreams improves with practice.
Complex Symbolic
In Daniel 2, we learn that King Nebuchadnezzar had a dream, one of two, which distressed him and none of the “magician or enchanter or Chaldean” could interpret. However, because the King threatened to kill all, including Daniel and the Hebrew boys, Daniel intervened and with God’s help told the King his dream and his interpretations.
Daniel 2:17-19 (ESV),
“17 Then Daniel went to his house and made the matter known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions, 18 and told them to seek mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery so that Daniel and his companions might not be destroyed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. 19 Then the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision of the night. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven.”
Daniel 2:31-45 (ESV).
31 “You saw, O king, and behold, a great image. This image, mighty and of exceeding brightness, stood before you, and its appearance was frightening. 32 The head of this image was of fine gold, its chest, and arms of silver, its middle and thighs of bronze, 33 kits legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay. 34 As you looked, a stone was cut out by no human hand, and it struck the image on its feet of iron and clay and broke them in pieces. 35 Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold, all together were broken in pieces, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away, so that not a trace of them could be found. But the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.
36 “This was the dream. Now we will tell the king its interpretation. 37 You, O king, the king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom, the power, and the might, and the glory, 38 and into whose hand he has given, wherever they dwell, the children of man, the beasts of the field, and the birds of the heavens, making you rule over them all—you are the head of gold. 39 Another kingdom inferior to you shall arise after you, and yet a third kingdom of bronze, which shall rule over all the earth. 40 And there shall be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron, because iron breaks to pieces and shatters all things. And like iron that crushes, it shall break and crush all these.
41 And as you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter’s clay and partly of iron, it shall be a divided kingdom, but some of the firmness of iron shall be in it, just as you saw iron mixed with the soft clay. 42 And as the toes of the feet were partly iron and partly clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly brittle. 43 As you saw the iron mixed with soft clay, so they will mix with one another in marriage, but they will not hold together, just as iron does not mix with clay. 44 And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever, 45 just as you saw that a stone was cut from a mountain by no human hand, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold. A great God has made known to the king what shall be after this. The dream is certain, and its interpretation sure.”
So, as you can see from Joseph’s and Daniel’s stories, we were able to identify at least two types of dreams. However, notice that he had spiritual counsel and support to seek God on such a lofty and complex symbolic dream.
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Be encouraged.
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About the writer: Denise N. Fyffe is a published author of over 50 fiction and non-fiction books. She started Revealing the Christian Life Ministry to help other Christians and provide support. She is also a trainer and mentors aspiring writers towards achieving their goals.
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