Dreams and Visions: How to Interpret Dreams and Visions
By: Minister Denise N. Fyffe
Many people dismiss spiritual dreams as nothing more than the result of eating too much before bed. Some even assume that if God wants to reveal something, He will do so directly without symbolism. Perry Stone explains that God often communicates through symbolism in dreams. Without this symbolism, we might not recognize whether a dream is natural or spiritual.
Dreams often involve familiar people, places, and symbols. A vivid dream may deserve closer attention, but individual symbols should not be assigned fixed meanings in isolation. For example, Scripture can associate a serpent with Satan in some contexts and a sword with God’s Word in Ephesians 6:17, yet neither association proves what those images mean in every modern dream. Interpret the whole dream before drawing conclusions about warning, warfare, or authority.
The Bible itself provides examples of symbolic dreams. Genesis 41 records Pharaoh’s dreams of cows and heads of grain, which Joseph interpreted as seven years of abundance followed by seven years of famine. Scripture does not teach that orderly dreams are necessarily spiritual while fragmented dreams are necessarily “carnal.”
Symbols and Patterns
Some teachers use a “first mention” principle when studying biblical imagery. It can sometimes provide useful context, but Scripture does not establish a rule that a symbol’s first appearance fixes its meaning everywhere else in the Bible. Symbols and numbers must be interpreted from their immediate literary and biblical context. The following associations are study possibilities, not universal codes:
- Four can be associated with created order or the four directions in particular passages.
- Six appears in several human and creation-related contexts, but it does not carry one automatic meaning in every passage.
- Seven is frequently associated with completeness in biblical patterns, but context still governs its meaning.
- Forty appears in several biblical periods of testing, waiting, judgment, or preparation, depending on the passage.
Colors, metals, and animals can carry symbolic significance in Scripture, but their meanings vary by passage. Purple can be associated with royalty, white can be associated with purity or righteousness, and a lamb can point to Christ in specific texts. Yet blue, red, gold, silver, bronze, serpents, and other images should not be assigned one universal meaning in every dream. Biblical context must govern the comparison.
Possible Biblical Associations for Study
- Doors: Scripture can use an open door as an image of opportunity, but a door in a dream may have other meanings depending on context.
- Deserts: Wilderness settings can be associated with testing, dependence, preparation, or isolation in different biblical passages.
- Fire: Fire can signify God’s presence, purification, judgment, testing, or destruction depending on the passage.
- Flowers: Flowers can illustrate beauty, flourishing, or the brevity of life in Scripture; they do not have one fixed dream meaning.
- Mountains: Mountains can represent places of encounter, kingdoms, obstacles, or other ideas depending on biblical and dream context.
- Valleys: Valleys appear in varied biblical settings, including danger, battle, judgment, fruitfulness, and restoration.
- Barefoot walking: Scripture does not establish barefoot walking as a universal symbol for lack of preparation; interpret it from the dream’s context.
Other biblical images also require context. Jesus interprets wheat and tares within the specific parable of Matthew 13, and sheep and goats function within the judgment scene of Matthew 25. Scripture does not establish pigs as a universal symbol of backsliding. A dove is associated with the Spirit’s descent at Jesus’ baptism, and water can be associated with cleansing, life, judgment, or the Spirit in different passages. None of these should be used as a fixed dream code.
Be Encouraged
Scripture records God using symbolic dreams, but biblical imagery should be applied with care rather than as a fixed code. Studying Scripture can help believers interpret dreams more responsibly, while prayer, context, confirmation, and humility remain essential.
Note: Your dream can also have a different meaning – unique to you. Therefore, examine the other symbols, characters, and current situation in your life.
Available Resources
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About the writer:
Minister Denise N. Fyffe is a published author of over 70 fiction and non-fiction books. She started Revealing the Christian Life Ministry to help other Christians and provide support.
Continue in the Dream Center: Demonic Dreams and Spiritual Warfare · The Daily Mystery of Dreams & Visions · Use the Dream Interpretation hub for the complete biblical interpretation pathway, including context, symbols, Scripture, discernment and confirmation.