CHAPTER 5 - DREAMS AND VISIONS
Dreams
Now we will look at some characteristics of dreams starting with the book of Job only because many scholars believe Job to be the oldest book of the Holy Bible.
Job 20:8
He shall fly away as a dream, and shall not be found: yea, he shall be chased away as a vision of the night. KJV
This verse tells us that dreams can fly away from us, which means we could have certain dreams and then not remember them afterwards. Although no one remembers all their dreams we should write down the dreams that encourage us. As we stated in Chapter 3 the good (godly) dreams we have will edify, exhort and comfort us because God is always trying to help us. We see this in another example of the Book of Job.
Job 33:14-16
14 For God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not.
15 In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed;
16 Then he openeth the ears of men, and sealeth their instruction, KJV
This is another witness that God can use dreams (or visions) to speak with you but be aware that using dreams (or visions) is not His primary way of communicating with His children today. One reason for this is because you are born-again and since you possess the spirit of God within you He will speak directly to your heart. Another reason is that when using dreams it is very easy to have the dream (vision, thought, ideal, etc…) get away from you because you are not fully awake. The chances of waking up promptly and recording in detail a dream in the middle of the night while you were in a deep sleep is minimal. Those who purpose in heart to do this will have better success in recording the dream (or vision) but the average person will probably miss some information because they do not think to translate the dream (or vision) to paper. I know you have heard of (or encountered) a case where the dream woke you up but that does not guarantee that you felt like getting up and writing down exactly what you saw. Certainly some people have positive dreams more frequently than others but every dream they have does not need to be written down. The dreams that need to be recorded are only those that are given to you as a gift of God. The dreams of God will help you fulfill your calling to do God’s Will. We read about God doing this with King Nebuchadnezzar as we discussed in Chapter 3. The Lord gave the dream to King Nebuchadnezzar to forecast what should come to pass in the times ahead. This dream of King Nebuchadnezzar revealed some issues concerning his own personal life. The complete dream and the full story is found in Daniel 4:1-37 we will only bring out a portion of the story to emphasize a few points.
Daniel 4:18,24-28
18 This dream I king Nebuchadnezzar have seen. Now thou, O Belteshazzar, declare the interpretation thereof, forasmuch as all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known unto me the interpretation: but thou art able; for the spirit of the holy gods is in thee.
24 This is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree of the most High, which is come upon my lord the king:
25 That they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and they shall wet thee with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over thee, till thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.
26 And whereas they commanded to leave the stump of the tree roots; thy kingdom shall be sure unto thee, after that thou shalt have known that the heavens do rule.
27 Wherefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable unto thee, and break off thy sins by righteousness, and thine iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor; if it may be a lengthening of thy tranquillity.
28 All this came upon the king Nebuchadnezzar. KJV
In verse 18 we read that the King Nebuchadnezzar had a personal dream. We just mentioned that the dreams of God should be written down simply because they can fly away from you. In this example we see that the king was well able to explain the dream in every detail to Daniel and the wise men of Babylon. It is important to note every detail when you are asking for someone to give you an accurate interpretation. The king being an intelligent man paid attention to recording what he believed could be a message from God. This is why we stated to write down your dreams or visions from God because it will help you to see that He is always watching over you and trying to help you personally. We also know that God knew that Daniel was one of King Nebuchadnezzar’s counselors so the king would be able to get the help he needed to interpret the dream. Please realize that Daniel was trained in the things of Babylon according to Daniel 1:3-5 and Daniel was gifted by God to interpret all dreams (and visions). (Caution: Please don’t try this at home or in your church because the Lord uses a different method for His own children today as we will discuss later.)
Daniel 1:17
As for these four children, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams. KJV
Don’t overlook the significance of what we just stated which is, “Daniel was trained in the customs of that nation and he was gifted by God for ministry to those people”. Many times people down play education but we should not because being educated does have it’s advantages. We (ihlcc) believe strongly in education because we strongly believe in knowledge. The education we are referring to is gathering all the information you can to aid you in your career. This would be studying the laws of engineering if you desire to engineer. Studying your Holy Bible in depth if you desire to be a Bible teacher. Studying all about hair when you desire to be a hair dresser. If you have a heart to work on cars be the brightest mechanic you can be by studying the tools, the different cars and the latest technology of auto repair. When a mechanic knows almost as much about the vehicle as the manufacture you can usually guarantee success when working on a problem concerning a car he fully understands. College may not be for everyone but everyone should be in favor of being educated with knowledge in your field of study, which may be the career of your life. Also, notice that Daniel was gifted (anointed, empowered) by God to understand what God was saying in dreams. Know that this type of gift is only for a one to one match which means that Daniel could not, I reap, could not interpret every dream on the planet. This has to be said because Daniel did not open a career as a mind reader or a dream interpreter. When Daniel 1:17 stated that God gave Daniel understanding in all visions and dreams it specifically means the visions and dreams of God. Daniel as a minister of God was endowed (blessed) by God to help people understand God, as all ministers are supposed to do. This means that Daniel is not suppose to interpret every dream people have because as we proved earlier in this article every dream and vision does not come from God. If a dream or vision came from Satan Daniel is not supposed to expound upon the meaning of that dream or vision. Likewise you should never try (attempt) to explain a dream of evil. If someone ask you to interpret their dream simple state, “Interpretations of dreams and visions belong unto God, seek Him for your answers”. In other words take your thoughts, concerns, dreams, vision, ideals to God, not unto men.
Genesis 40:7-8
7 And he asked Pharaoh's officers that were with him in the ward of his lord's house, saying, Wherefore look ye so sadly to day?
8 And they said unto him, We have dreamed a dream, and there is no interpreter of it. And Joseph said unto them, Do not interpretations belong to God? tell me them, I pray you. KJV
Anyone who is seeking more understanding of their own personal dreams and/or visions should know that Jesus has the anointing (power, ability) to interpret all dreams and visions. Although the Lord can easily identify your every thought and dream He chooses to interpret those He gives you. This means everyone on the face of this earth should be encouraged to interpret any information they have in the light of God’s Word. We must believe that all of our answers come from only one source and that holy source is the Word of God with the witness of the Holy Spirit of God. In the example with King Nebuchadnezzar Daniel was doing exactly what he was ordained by God to do. Having the natural knowledge of the people’s culture and a heart empowered by God to understand spiritual insight it is no surprise that Daniel was the only man in the kingdom that could help the king. Make a note that Daniel’s three friends could not help the king either, not because they didn’t have a relationship with God but simply because they were not gifted to understand all dreams and visions. We know that Daniel’s three friends also partook of the same three year training program but natural knowledge will never make you spiritually endowed. Daniel was spiritually equipped to understand dreams and visions but it was not common to have that ability as a servant of God in the Old Testament. The final point we thought it was good to mention is that Daniel knew exactly what the dream meant but he also knew the remedy for the king’s problem. We mentioned back in Chapter 3 that the dreams and visions from God will bring exact knowledge and a word from God about what you need to do next. In this example the tragedy for King Nebuchadnezzar could have been avoided if the king would have obeyed the words of his counselor Daniel in Chapter 4, verse 27.
Wherefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable unto thee, and break off thy sins by righteousness, and thine iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor; if it may be a lengthening of thy tranquillity. KJV
The Lord will usually try to help you by giving you a way of escape but each person has to make up their own mind as to whether or not to take God’s way of escape.
1 Corinthians 10:13
There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. KJV
If King Nebuchadnezzar would have stayed in God’s Word and been a man of faithful prayer like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah he probably would have avoided the judgment of God. The Word of God can not be broken which states the proud will be made low (brought down) whereas the humble shall be exalted.
Proverbs 29:23
A man's pride shall bring him low: but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit. KJV
The King Nebuchadnezzar could of maintained his position of honor by simply obeying God’s Word but when men forget that God gave them their position of influence they must be removed from office to allow the scriptures of God to be fulfilled. It is never a question of “if” someone will be brought low when filled with pride it is only a matter of “when” they will be abased. Daniel specialized in this gift of interpretation of dreams and we see another person in the Old Testament with that same type of gifting (anointing, grace). Dear, believers please recognize that this was a special gift from a very specific God. This gift is a rare grace that was perfect for the situations surrounding these two saints of God. Both were used of God to be a light in a nation of ungodly non-Jewish people which makes them unusual in their ministry to both the world empires of that time who seem to dominate other nations. Both these ministers of God needed this gift to gain influence up to the second highest position in the land (under some administrations) so the purposes of God could be fulfilled to help all the people of that kingdom. If you were thinking of Joseph you are right on target with this article. We will look at Joseph in the light of being a minister of God anointed to serve others in Genesis 40:4-8
4 And the captain of the guard charged Joseph with them, and he served them: and they continued a season in ward.
5 And they dreamed a dream both of them, each man his dream in one night, each man according to the interpretation of his dream, the butler and the baker of the king of Egypt, which were bound in the prison.
6 And Joseph came in unto them in the morning, and looked upon them, and, behold, they were sad.
7 And he asked Pharaoh's officers that were with him in the ward of his lord's house, saying, Wherefore look ye so sadly to day?
8 And they said unto him, We have dreamed a dream, and there is no interpreter of it. And Joseph said unto them, Do not interpretations belong to God? tell me them, I pray you. KJV
The reason I said we will look at Joseph as a man of God is partly because all mature Christians know the importance of serving others. We notice in verse 4 that Joseph was dedicated to the prison ministry and as a faithful prison minister knowing the welfare of his people in the prison was his chief concern. The man of God will be attentive to the temperature of his/her patients because the minister of God focuses on the heart first and foremost knowing that an unhealthy heart will show itself as an unhappy countenance. We see that Joseph noticed them in the morning because he paid close attention to the needs of people under his care. The butler and baker experienced separate dreams in the same night. Since they were officers of Pharaoh’s court they had privileges that were unknown to the common citizen of Egypt. Specifically, we are speaking of having access to the wise men of Egypt to interpret their dream as noted in verse 8. The custom of those times was no different than how we act today. Sure they used a different method to understand God but no less they were practicing some sort of their own religion. Remember that religion at its core is simply trying to understand God and do His Will. In those days if a man or woman had a dream that they thought had significance they would present this dream to a more spiritual person of their persuasion for greater insight into their future and the meaning of the dream. Since the butler and the baker were held up in prison they both felt hopeless in trying to figure out what their dream meant. This is very similar to people today when they dream a dream and desire to “know” if the dream has some spiritual significance or not. The majority of religious people, both Christian and non-Christian alike, will think of certain dreams as a possible message from God. Even, we here at ihlcc used to put more emphasis on dreams then the practical wisdom of the word of God when we were younger in our Christian walk. However, now we have learned by experience and principles shared in this article to place nothing on the same level as God’s Word. Yes, don’t even place anything on a close second because the uncompromised word of God stands alone in a class by itself as the supreme direction and instruction for our lives. The butler and baker only desired to understand what God was trying to say to them but they thought, “because we are in prison we have loss all connection to a holy man of God”. As is often the case, man is very limited in his thinking and the butler and the baker did not even realize that a holy man of God was serving them daily. This also shows us that Joseph did not speak often about his God in an effort to try to win their souls unto his God. Two reasons why this approach makes sense for one the Jew's (Israelites) at that time. One reason is the Children of Israel were not encouraged by their forefathers to share their faith with others in the world. They knew they were a chosen people that were favored by God and thought the people outside of the covenant unclean (unchoosen, rejected Gentiles by God’s design). Another reason why this was the practice of the day is because many of the people of that land already had their own religion and to try to evangelize as a slave could cost you your life. We know even God told the children of Israel that if someone tried to draw you away from worshipping the Living God this man should be put to death.
Deuteronomy 13:6-9
6 If thy brother, the son of thy mother, or thy son, or thy daughter, or the wife of thy bosom, or thy friend, which is as thine own soul, entice thee secretly, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which thou hast not known, thou, nor thy fathers;
7 Namely, of the gods of the people which are round about you, nigh unto thee, or far off from thee, from the one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth;
8 Thou shalt not consent unto him, nor hearken unto him; neither shall thine eye pity him, neither shalt thou spare, neither shalt thou conceal him:
9 But thou shalt surely kill him; thine hand shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterwards the hand of all the people. KJV
The true Jew knew that serving and worshipping God was a chosen lifestyle even unto to death based upon their heritage but for the Gentiles their fate was not a concern of the Jewish believers. Therefore, conversion for Gentiles to become Jews was only offered to those Gentiles who choose to specifically ask for it. When someone really desires to become a Jew like Ruth, the Moabite (Ruth 1:14-17), the Jewish leaders discerned that God was moving in their heart and by faith they were accepted in the eyes of God and validated by the religious ceremonies of the Jewish people (leaders). This is what makes the wisdom of Joseph so special because Joseph in verse 8 immediately placed their attention upon God, not his religion. The butler and the baker both believed in God so they openly shared their dream. Notice they did not share their dream with a total stranger but rather someone whom they observed in their everyday life. If you feel it is absolutely necessary it is generally better to share your intimate experience (encounters) of God with someone you know and respect as a mature spiritual person (a spiritual elder) if you are uncertain about what the encounter means. Sometimes the Lord will prompt you share your experience with someone specific for a second confirmation or more enlightenment. The key is waiting upon the Lord first to get more understanding of your encounter with Him then after you received the understanding of the dream or vision then you can share it with a certain respected and trusted someone for their thoughts, if you desire. Angela and I do this occasionally with each other to prove (test) the experience to decide if what we heard or saw was really something from God or just perhaps an idle dream of no great significance. Now let us read the dream of the chief butler with Joseph’s response.
Genesis 40:9-15
9 And the chief butler told his dream to Joseph, and said to him, In my dream, behold, a vine was before me;
10 And in the vine were three branches: and it was as though it budded, and her blossoms shot forth; and the clusters thereof brought forth ripe grapes:
11 And Pharaoh's cup was in my hand: and I took the grapes, and pressed them into Pharaoh's cup, and I gave the cup into Pharaoh's hand.
12 And Joseph said unto him, This is the interpretation of it: The three branches are three days:
13 Yet within three days shall Pharaoh lift up thine head, and restore thee unto thy place: and thou shalt deliver Pharaoh's cup into his hand, after the former manner when thou wast his butler.
14 But think on me when it shall be well with thee, and shew kindness, I pray thee, unto me, and make mention of me unto Pharaoh, and bring me out of this house:
15 For indeed I was stolen away out of the land of the Hebrews: and here also have I done nothing that they should put me into the dungeon. KJV
Notice first that Joseph understood that God could choose to use a dream to speak with someone. Equipped with this knowledge Joseph had to rely upon the Spirit of God (the Anointing) to decipher the dream. This is why Joseph asked for the chief butler to tell him the dream in Genesis 40 verse 8. Then the chief butler had to exercise some faith in Joseph’s words that he was telling the true. People are not usually eager to share their personal information with a prison guard but in this case it seems like Joseph’s testimony and confidence convinced the chief butler to describe his own dream. We also know the servant (or child) of God has favor with people when they consistently display the true nature of God. Notice in verse 12 that Joseph said, “This is the interpretation of it (the dream):” which portrays a ring of sureness with it. Joseph did not say this could mean that or that may mean this but he confidently said, “This is the interpretation of the dream”. Only having the witness of God can give a person that kind of absolute confidence. Joseph was not doubting the dream or his source for interpretation, he knew his God could be relied upon for one-hundred percent (100%) accuracy. In verse 14 it reads that Joseph was so confident about the interpretation he gave to the chief butler that he asked for the butler to speak to King Pharaoh about his injustice. However, just like we mentioned earlier if you put your confidence (hope) in men to help you get out of the prisons of life you will be sorely disappointed. Thus, the chief butler received the good words of the interpretation because it was favorable toward his future, but he forgot to speak to King Pharaoh about Joseph according to Genesis 40:23. Most people on the face of the earth are more concerned about their own future and well being then yours. This is the reason the Lord Jesus Christ pleads with us to love others just as much as we love ourselves. The key is you must be born-again by the Blood of the Lamb to do this effectively through God’s Grace. We can understand exactly why the chief baker decided to share his dream with Joseph in Genesis 40:16 and then read about the specific dream of the chief baker from verses 16 to 19.
16 When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was good, he said unto Joseph, I also was in my dream, and, behold, I had three white baskets on my head:
17 And in the uppermost basket there was of all manner of bakemeats for Pharaoh; and the birds did eat them out of the basket upon my head.
18 And Joseph answered and said, This is the interpretation thereof: The three baskets are three days:
19 Yet within three days shall Pharaoh lift up thy head from off thee, and shall hang thee on a tree; and the birds shall eat thy flesh from off thee.
We notice again the divine purposes of God in the fact that the chief baker needed some persuasion to share his dream and the persuasion needed was granted. The chief baker thought that because the butler’s interpretation was good so would his interpretation be good also. However, it does not work that way with God because the Lord speaks truth all the time. The Lord will not lie to make you feel better. We noticed with Joseph that he told the truth at the cost of hurting the chief baker’s feelings. This is one reason why you should not play around with the interpretation of someone else’s dream. Let the person receive the interpretation directly from God and if the Lord is not speaking specifically to their heart about the interpretation maybe, just maybe, this dream is not suppose to be interpreted. As we have stated before, every dream and vision does not come from God so the Lord is not obligated to speak about things that He did not author. The truth of God will speak freely and boldly through an ordained minister of God because that is the only way you can be prepared for what is coming upon you. The chief baker knew three days in advance about his destiny therefore he had some time to set his house in order. This also allowed a window for him to speak to Joseph about God and eternity. The interpretation may have sounded bad but it was actually a good thing because the chief baker could now pray to a God that he had spiritual proof existed (due to the encounter with Joseph). The other option that false prophets employ is to just simple lie to the person by promising them life, so when death comes suddenly they are mad at God and angry at the person who lied to them. This is the world’s way of handling hard (difficult) situations and this is one reason many go to hell instead of choosing God for their salvation. We (ihlcc) are so thankful to God that Joseph had enough integrity of heart and honesty of soul to preach the truth independently of how it would make the person on the receiving end feel. For we walk by faith and not by feelings (sight).-2 Corinthians 5:7 Now that Joseph had done his part by speaking the truth of God through the gifting of God’s Holy Spirit the accuracy of Joseph’s words will be revealed on the third day. We know the third day is recorded by all true Christians as the ultimate day of reckoning because Jesus settled our account of sin. Likewise, on the third day after Joseph predicted what would happen all eyes were upon Joseph because of his words. This incident probably assured the other prisons that Joseph was a true man of God and it also encouraged Joseph that God was still operating effectively in his life. In Genesis 40:20-22 we read the final account of these two interpretations.
20 And it came to pass the third day, which was Pharaoh's birthday, that he made a feast unto all his servants: and he lifted up the head of the chief butler and of the chief baker among his servants.
21 And he restored the chief butler unto his butlership again; and he gave the cup into Pharaoh's hand:
22 But he hanged the chief baker: as Joseph had interpreted to them. KJV
Notice first according to verse 20 on the third day things started happening when the chief butler and chief baker came before Pharaoh which had to register in their heart as the first step toward the fulfillment of Joseph’s words. Notice that verse 21 states, “he gave the cup into Pharaoh's hand:” which is exactly what Joseph predicted by the Spirit of God. Thus we conclude that the interpretation for the chief butler was completely accurate because it was validated by the actual occurrence of the event. We can also conclude that the interpretation for the chief baker was completely accurate because it was validated by the actual hanging of his body in verse 22. The gift (the interpretation) was confirmed in the mouth of two separate witnesses (the butler and the baker) so all those who knew about this situation could not say, “this happened by chance”. Remember in the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established according to 2 Corinthians 13:1. The ability to speak this type of truth with this level of accuracy at a time of life and death with people’s lives is only accomplished by the gift and grace of God. It is not for men to decide that they would like to operate in this type of anointing it is completely upon the Lord God to decide if He desires to give this type of gift to certain men. In this case Joseph was graced to speak the word of the Lord boldly and gifted by God to interpret the dreams of others. The ability to understand the dreams of others through interpretation is completely attributed to God’s gifting and His grace. However, to understand your own personal dreams does not take a gift from God but only His grace. The reason we need the grace of God to understand our own dreams and/or visions is because we need God’s Grace to do anything good in this earth. It is said, “How can you help others overcome challenges you have never conquered yourself?” but the answer is through Christ Jesus you can minister unto others. This is true because the Lord has overcome all challenges on this earth, under this earth and even above this earth. However, Joseph had dreams of his own so he knew that the Lord can speak to people through dreams because the Lord had previously spoken to Joseph when he was a young man at home with his family. The first record we have of Joseph dreaming a dream is in Genesis 37:5-8 which teaches us that God will use natural things in your own heritage (customs, rearing, upbringing) to minister to your heart. This is because those certain things (items, events, physical materials, etc…) mean certain things to you that bring a specific understanding to your heart. Our Lord is very practical so when He uses those very same items that we are familiar with it helps us to better understand the Lord’s message to us. This is a win-win situation for God and man because God gets His message across to us in a simple fashion and we gain a deeper understanding of God by the natural things we see and use in our daily life. In this type of object teachings we gain a godly appreciation for the natural things God provided for us to enhance our physical life.
Genesis 37:5-8
5 And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more.
6 And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed:
7 For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf.
8 And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? And they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words.
We can see from this example that the dream given to Joseph was understood by Joseph immediately. There are two things that we will re-emphasize right now when it comes to recognizing God’s Ways. The first one is “the knowing” and the second is God uses “familiar language”. This means that each and every one of God’s dreams must bring with it the signature of God. That signature we discussed earlier as the “knowing” of God. In other words Joseph did not tell his brothers everything he ever dreamed but he did share with his brothers what he thought to be an encounter with God. Joseph was just like us, we get very excited when we think the Lord is telling us something special. As we grow in Christ Jesus we come to realize that when God speaks to us it is personal and if we are to share that experience with someone else it should only be done at the Lord’s direction. The things the Lord speaks to your heart are pearls for your personal treasure hidden within, they are not for public disclosure to everyone because Matthew 7:6 warns us against telling holy personal information to unappreciating people.
Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you. KJV
Joseph knew there was something special about that dream and in his zeal he shared a precious pearl with swine (unbelievers). What Joseph needed to learn is what the verse in Matthew 7:6 described as wisdom to never share the priceless jewels of God with people who have no capacity for godliness. They abused the dream and the dreamer which really meant they chose to stand against God. This is what the devil will do to any information you receive from the Lord, not only will he reject it but he will take the next step in trying to destroy the beneficiary of the dream. For that reason the Lord directs His disciples to keep their tongue in their mouth when dealing with antagonizing unbelievers. Since your words from God are the living pearls of your heart keep yourself from those who would destroy this treasure. This was not a sin but rather a learning process we all go through with God. The second thing that must be mention when attributing a dream to God is the effortless interpretation. We (ihlcc) firmly believe that all believers in God have experience with His language. Therefore the Lord will speak to you according to what you “know” to be truth according to what you have learned from your spiritual elders and/or the Holy Bible. This means that the Children of Israel were ranchers (farmers) they understood exactly what a sheaf was and they also understood what it meant to bow down to someone in their presence. This shows us that God spoke to Joseph in his own personal language and the Lord kept the dream very simple. Thus, with the dream kept simple the interpretation was simple too. Joseph and his brethren immediately understood the significance of their sheaf bowing down to Joseph’s sheaf. Since they clearly understood exactly what Joseph was saying they hated the dream and the dreamer. The fact that Joseph told it to them as their father’s (Israel’s) favorite only enraged their passion to destroy Joseph. So if you do believe a dream comes from God always, I repeat always, require at least those two things.
- The Dream must come with the knowing of God, you must know in your heart that this Dream was from God. We are not saying that the dream has to be spiritual because all dreams are displayed in the spiritual part of man. What we are stating is that the dream comes from the divine source of God. When dreams come from God they are embedded with truth and righteousness and a calm assurance (a knowing) that the Lord is speaking directly to you.
- The Dream must come with the language you are already familiar with concerning your worship and understanding of God. This dream must possess items, images, words and concepts that already mean something to you to guarantee your understanding of the dream.
The example we just read with Joseph’s first recorded dream had both the inward “knowing” and the “familiar imagery”. We notice that immediately after Joseph told his dream to his brothers they understood the dream without any deliberation. As we stated earlier God is not the author of confusion but rather peace according to 1 Corinthians 14:33. God is very efficient when giving information He knows His audience personally and He knows them very well. The Lord knows what level you are at in every stage of your development with Him. Therefore He will not show you something that is beyond your level of comprehension. The Lord is faithful to communicate His will for your life in a manner that even you can understand, so never try to complicate the simplicity of His message.
2 Corinthians 11:3
But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. KJV
Believers are in a different category because they have the heart of God and they should have had some experience with the history of God in their life. They understand that God is real and they choose to believe in God based upon some knowledge told to them. This knowledge gives them a distinct advantage in understanding the language of God. Simply put those that know God, even as a child, understand that God loves them very much and He will never purpose hurt them. If you don’t understand the core truths of God it only means that you have not studied your Holy Bible New Testament to understand who Jesus Christ is and how much love He gave unto the world. The remedy to ignorance is always learning (gaining knowledge), therefore spend time in God’s Word (The Holy Bible) reading about the ministry of Jesus Christ and His Apostles. Immediately you will find out that God so loved you that He gave you His Holy Son Jesus Christ to die for your sins so that you could live with Him. All Christians (believers) have the Spirit of God within and word of God coming to them in the form of the Holy Bible to prove all things that come to their eye gate and ear gate. This is the reason we can quickly understand all dreams from God without any confusion. Just remember if confusion (darkness) is present God’s clarity of thought (His Light) is not. Only those in the Light of God’s revelation will have an easier time understanding the things of God because they have the heart of God. This specifically means if the revelation is personal perhaps only the person whom it involves may have the grace of God to see it and understand it. If the revelation is global like the gospel of Jesus Christ many others will start preaching this message also, some with you and many without you. The things that are revealed to the world are for the world and the things that are revealed to you are for you. The general rule of thumb is all things spoken in the Holy Bible are for public communication, whereas the intimate things that are spoken about you from God are generally for you in Christ Jesus. Amen! We will notice in the second dream of Joseph that he still had not learned the valuable lesson of keeping his tongue (being silence about the things of God) when speaking to people who are ungodly. Although we (ihlcc) do not recommend sharing your dreams from God with another person to gain understanding because you should know and understand exactly what the Lord is speaking to your heart personally. If you do feel compelled to share one of your pearls from God you can share it with God to receive further enlightenment and/or instruction. We must understand that even when our personal dreams are shared with people that love us they still may not understand the purpose of the dream proving themselves helpless for the interpretation. Remember, “Interpretations of dreams belong to God!” We can see in this next example of Joseph that his sharing of the second dream he received from God added no spiritual value to his personal understanding of God but yielded only more discouragement from man.
Genesis 37:9-11
9 And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me.
10 And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth?
11 And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying. KJV
The first dream Joseph had he told to his brothers and because his brothers were ungodly he received persecution. The Holy Bible does not tell us how much time went by before the second dream but we can gather it was close enough for Joseph and his brothers to remember the first dream. In this second recorded dream Joseph shares the experience with his father and his brethren. Notice that when Joseph told this dream to his father and his brethren they all understood it. Yes, Joseph understood the dream and it was so unusual that he felt compelled to share it. Joseph did express his dream to his spiritual elder at that time, his earthly father, but since his father did not understand the future he rebuked Joseph which included doubting the validity of the dream according to verse 10. However in verse 11 we read that at least the father observed the saying which means the father keep that word (dream, thought, ideal, etc….) in his heart to watch and see it something becomes of it. This is why we (ihlcc) state to keep the revelations you receive from God between Him and you until it is necessary to share it with others. You may find out later that no one needs to know publicly the information that was shared with you privately. Sharing dreams with the ungodly will always bring some form of persecution. Sharing dreams with the unsure will typically bring some doubts. However, when sharing a dream with a person perfectly aligned with God’s Spirit will always bring truth. Since we believe it is uncommon to find those few people who are perfectly aligned with God’s Heart keeping your conversations about your dreams and visions to the selected One, known as Jesus and your Heavenly Father is both prudent and wise. It took years for Joseph to understand those two dreams about God’s Will for his life. So it would have been very difficult for anyone other than God to properly interpret those two dreams. Remember don’t look for other men to interpret your dream only look for God to bring them to pass. In the case of Joseph the interpretation was easy at the proper time, however the road toward fulfillment was a lot more challenging. If you do have a dream that shows you something about your future that is hard to believe leave it on the shelf of your heart so that your heart can take it to God for more spiritual insight. The problem many in the Body of Christ have is that they dismiss the dream or vision with total unbelief rather than being patience, so God has nothing to work with because the Lord is not given a chance to reveal the dream or vision. At least when you leave it on the shelf of your heart your heart has time to absorb it if necessary or reject it later if it is unprofitable to you and God. In this example we clearly see there will still be times that not even those people close to you will see what God is showing you. Just understand that the dream was given to you simply because it was created especially for you or someone within your sphere of influence. As a rule of thumb keep it private and if the Lord desires for you to share it publicly He will also inform you of whom to share it with and when to share it with them.
Proverbs 2:10-11
10 When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul;
11 Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee: KJV
Now that we have looked at Joseph interpreting dreams as a young man without full understanding. Then progressing to interpreting dreams as the prison keeper for his prisoners with complete understanding. It is easy to understand exactly how Joseph could stand before Pharoah King of Egypt to do what he was called to do. Pharoah probably had lesser dreams that the staff of Pharaoh interpreted to the king’s satisfaction. However, the things of God knoweth no man, but only the Spirit of God.
1 Corinthians 2:11
For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. KJV
The great thing about that truth is you can always go to God about the things of God. Know that when something is revealed to your spirit it is for you to understand as we just read in 1 Corinthians 2:11. The word of God stated, “What man knows the things of a man, except the spirit of that same man which is inside of him?” Therefore, anytime you have a bona fide Dream (or Vision) from God the Lord desires for you to have the correct interpretation of it. Whether you are a saint or sinner the Lord has a perfect will for your life and that will shall be revealed to you in some way, shape, form or fashion. The sooner you interpret that revelation of God’s Will for understanding the closer you will be to performing God’s Will for your life in that area. As we will read in Genesis 41:1-7 dreams are given to both saints and sinners simply because God’s Loves them all. In God’s Love comes clarity of thought which is required for proper interpretation of God’s language. The Minister of God should know exactly how to help someone interpret God’s language and that is exactly what Joseph did in the following example.
Genesis 41:1-7
1 And it came to pass at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh dreamed: and, behold, he stood by the river.
2 And, behold, there came up out of the river seven well favoured kine and fatfleshed; and they fed in a meadow.
3 And, behold, seven other kine came up after them out of the river, ill favoured and leanfleshed; and stood by the other kine upon the brink of the river.
4 And the ill favoured and leanfleshed kine did eat up the seven well favoured and fat kine. So Pharaoh awoke.
5 And he slept and dreamed the second time: and, behold, seven ears of corn came up upon one stalk, rank and good.
6 And, behold, seven thin ears and blasted with the east wind sprung up after them.
7 And the seven thin ears devoured the seven rank and full ears. And Pharaoh awoke, and, behold, it was a dream. KJV
As we stated early dreams are associated with sleep, whereas visions are associated with being awake. Notice at the end of verse 7 it is stated, “And Pharaoh awoke, and behold, it was a dream”. We understand that even though two different scenarios took place, one with the kine and the other with the corn it was still counted as one dream. One reason the Lord speaks to us at night is because the conclusion of the physical activities of the day will usually allow a window for more spiritual activity during the night. Although spiritual activity is constantly going on all around us we are not generally aware of it due to the dedication of our senses to the natural. When Pharaoh went to sleep his mind began to unwind from all the decisions he made that day and even some things that he would need to handle tomorrow. Thus, when the flesh is quieted it is always easier to hear what the Spirit of God is saying. Remember this is why fasting yields a higher return of hearing from God in a time of need than playing a basketball game with a group of people. We know God is not limited to how He will speak to your heart but it is obvious that taking your attention away from being busy with physical activities will increase the opportunities for when God can talk to you. When those who don’t know God’s Word or how to pray unto the true and living God of Heaven rest their physical senses and relax their mental activities it does aid God’s ability to speak to them inwardly. Remember God is the Great Communicator but the unsaved man being full of darkness makes the communication of God’s Light, which is His Word, very challenging to the carnal fearful mind. It is not that easy to reveal yourself as a loving God who has your best interest in mind to a people that are afraid of you or simply don’t believe you exist. We can notice in the next verse that Pharaoh made the same mistake that many people do by going to man for ungodly counsel first, rather than first seeking God for himself.
Genesis 41:8
And it came to pass in the morning that his spirit was troubled; and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt, and all the wise men thereof: and Pharaoh told them his dream; but there was none that could interpret them unto Pharaoh. KJV
Dear believer you will never find the answer of God in the heart of mere men. However, when you set your heart to learn and understand God’s language in all humility and truth you will never be disappointed. The Lord can send someone your way to help you if you need it but the great thing about Christianity is that He can speak directly to you in your heart. In this example the King of Egypt, Pharaoh, was not born-again so he needed some help to understand the divine direction of God. Realize that Pharaoh knew this dream was special and he also knew it meant something very important from God. Although Pharaoh was not born-again he still had enough spiritual sense to seek God’s help to understand God’s Will. Since Pharaoh’s heart was sincere in seeking for a divine interpretation of God’s message the Lord was graceful to Pharaoh by providing a minister who could accurately speak on God’s behalf.
Genesis 41:9-13
9 Then spake the chief butler unto Pharaoh, saying, I do remember my faults this day:
10 Pharaoh was wroth with his servants, and put me in ward in the captain of the guard's house, both me and the chief baker:
11 And we dreamed a dream in one night, I and he; we dreamed each man according to the interpretation of his dream.
12 And there was there with us a young man, an Hebrew, servant to the captain of the guard; and we told him, and he interpreted to us our dreams; to each man according to his dream he did interpret.
13 And it came to pass, as he interpreted to us, so it was; me he restored unto mine office, and him he hanged. KJV
Notice than the chief butler had an immediate audience with Pharaoh so he was in a position of influence. Obviously, we can tell from the following verses that Pharaoh made a decision to believe the words of the chief butler. This was prudent for Pharaoh because his interpreters could not make known the dream, therefore it could only be to Pharaoh’s advantage to hear the young Hebrew man and decide for himself if the interpretation is divine. Notice verse 13 when it was testified to Pharaoh that each interpretation came to pass a spark of light (truth) was revealed to Pharaoh (and his counselors). This testimony of truth and wisdom persuaded Pharaoh to let his dream be validated by another test from the young Hebrew servant. There is a curiosity in men that longs to see if a person who has a history of making accurate predictions can do it again without fault. We (ihlcc) believe that most men really want to see the supernatural in manifestation before their own eyes, but they are not so easily persuaded that God will use them personally to manifest the supernatural power of God. Even the ministers of God who are wholly dedicated to His service do not easily believe that God desires to use them to reveal His Glory to hurting people in the earth. It takes courage and faith to speak the future before it happens and usually only those who are ready to handle the persecution that comes with prophecy will speak it forth. This is why one should be firmly (confidently) sure that what they are hearing in their heart is a definite word of God before they speak it publicly. Let us now examine Pharaoh’s decision concerning the information from the chief butler.
Genesis 41:14-15
14 Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon: and he shaved himself, and changed his raiment, and came in unto Pharaoh.
15 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I have dreamed a dream, and there is none that can interpret it: and I have heard say of thee, that thou canst understand a dream to interpret it. KJV
Notice that Pharaoh said, “that thou can understand a dream to interpret it” we can learn that “understanding” is the key. The things that we have enlightenment on in our mind we understand. That understanding gives us the ability to explain it to others if necessary and that explanation is what some would call “interpretation”. Therefore, don’t seek an interpretation of a dream or vision as an art but rather purpose to “understand” any encounter you have with God. Upon understanding the purpose and meaning of the encounter (dream or vision) you will have the interpretation so that you will know what to do next. The things we understand in our life are easy to communicate with others if ever they need some help and that is motive behind God’s Love. Knowing that whatever we receive from God should be available for future use to help someone else in darkness is how we perform God’s Will upon the earth as His servants.
Proverbs 2:2
So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; KJV
Proverbs 4:7 Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding. KJV
We can see from Genesis 41:14 and15 that Pharaoh was convinced by the story of the chief baker. We can also see that they tried to rush Joseph because Pharaoh and his wise men with him were all waiting to see and hear the words of Joseph. However, notice that Joseph purposely cleaned-up himself, there is no doubt that Joseph knew that first impressions are a lasting one. If Joseph appeared before Pharaoh distastefully he runs the risk of his wisdom being rejected solely because of his appearance.
Ecclesiastes 9:16
Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard. KJV
It is good for one to thoroughly understand that wisdom and interpreting God’s language go hand in hand. Since Joseph was caught off guard about an appointment with Pharaoh, King of Egypt, taking some time to clean himself up gave him some additional time to inwardly seek God’s assistance. This is consistent with the many saints of God who walked in wisdom including our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We should not be rash when it comes to jumping through hoops for men. The Lord is always patience and calm because the gifts of the spirit generally operate in the atmosphere of peace by the believer. The old saying, “One should think before they speak” only has validity if the words they are going to speak are words of wisdom and truth. It does not profit God one bit to have anyone take their time to speak if what they speak is erroneous (wrong) or false doctrine (wrong teaching). Displaying patience of tongue will prove to be a valuable tool when you purpose to speak as the oracles of God.
1 Peter 4:11
If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. KJV
We will notice in verse 16 Joseph’s response to the King of Egypt, Pharaoh.
Genesis 41:16
And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, It is not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace. KJV
The main reason we point out the answer of Joseph is because it is critical for operating in the gifts of Spirit. Joseph displayed humility before the gift operated on behalf of Pharaoh. We stated earlier that the ability to interpret dreams was given to Joseph as a gift of God. However that gift (and grace) of God does not have to operate just because they are freely given to a saint. That saint must honor God with those gifts by staying faithful to God for those gifts to flourish. There is no doubt in my mind that if Joseph was not still living an exemplary lifestyle he would not of had the faith or confidence to go before Pharaoh, the king. Those who are depending upon God’s gifts know fully well that humbleness and holiness set the table to serve the rich meat of God’s gifts. Joseph clearly stated, “It is not in me:” which means that the ability to interpret dreams is from God alone. Joseph was openly (publicly) pointing everyone present to the awesome omnipresence of God and the omniscience of God’s being. Notice that Joseph followed that introduction to God with the words, “God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace”. This kept the attention of all those present on the greatness of the Lord God instead of the talents of man. Joseph was very well acquainted with the wickedness of man when it comes to dishonoring God. Remember, not only was Joseph exposed to the true and living God but he had experienced a relationship with Him since his youth. There is no doubt that Joseph knew if he didn’t introduce God right now at his moment of recognition that men would give all glory, honor and praise unto him, thus overlooking the true God that loves them all. Joseph passed the test of keeping a humble heart with a holy life, which put him in a prime position for promotion by God and before men. Since Joseph plainly told Pharaoh that God would give him an interpretation of peace we know what to look for in the interpretation. Remember, we stated earlier that the gifts of God operate in peace which is consistent with the Peace of God being present when the interpretation of the dream is brought forth. This statement re-emphasizes the fact that when God is present His Peace is in manifestation. So look for the fruit of peace in any dream or vision you may have from God. Peace is one of the key graces of God that separate out God’s work from a work of man (including your own imagination) or even worst a work of the devil (producing fear and confusion). At the moment of truth when a wrong answer could of cost Joseph his life let us see what God was able to do for Pharaoh through Joseph.
Genesis 41:14-32
17 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, In my dream, behold, I stood upon the bank of the river:
18 And, behold, there came up out of the river seven kine, fatfleshed and well favoured; and they fed in a meadow:
19 And, behold, seven other kine came up after them, poor and very ill favoured and leanfleshed, such as I never saw in all the land of Egypt for badness:
20 And the lean and the ill favoured kine did eat up the first seven fat kine:
21 And when they had eaten them up, it could not be known that they had eaten them; but they were still ill favoured, as at the beginning. So I awoke.
22 And I saw in my dream, and, behold, seven ears came up in one stalk, full and good:
23 And, behold, seven ears, withered, thin, and blasted with the east wind, sprung up after them:
24 And the thin ears devoured the seven good ears: and I told this unto the magicians; but there was none that could declare it to me.
25 And Joseph said unto Pharaoh, The dream of Pharaoh is one: God hath shewed Pharaoh what he is about to do.
26 The seven good kine are seven years; and the seven good ears are seven years: the dream is one.
27 And the seven thin and ill favoured kine that came up after them are seven years; and the seven empty ears blasted with the east wind shall be seven years of famine.
28 This is the thing which I have spoken unto Pharaoh: What God is about to do he sheweth unto Pharaoh.
29 Behold, there come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt:
30 And there shall arise after them seven years of famine; and all the plenty shall be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and the famine shall consume the land;
31 And the plenty shall not be known in the land by reason of that famine following; for it shall be very grievous.
32 And for that the dream was doubled unto Pharaoh twice; it is because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass. KJV
There are several things to point out in these verses but we will start at the top with verse 17. Notice Pharaoh refers to the dream as “his”. The words “my dream” indicate that Pharaoh took this dream personally, he knew it was sent to him because the dream was for him personally. We notice that in verse 25 Joseph confirms this position with the words, “The dream of Pharaoh”. However for consistency Joseph again magnifies God as the ultimate source of the dream to heighten Pharaoh’s awareness of God. The statement, “God hath shewed Pharaoh what he is about to do” is simply extraordinary because it takes everything that is about to happen completely out of the hands of men and places it solely in the hands of God. After a statement like that there is no room for speculation there is only the position of watch and see or simply believe. We know that since the King of Egypt, Pharaoh, had the dream anyone present would be foolish to speak hastily before Pharaoh gave his judgement on the interpretation of the dream. We notice that this same principle is repeated in verses 28 and 32. Joseph was very persistent to magnify God as the source and interpreter of the dream. Joseph also taught Pharaoh something new about God which is that, “the Lord always establishes His Will in the form of at least two witnesses”. Since the Lord will commonly give us more than what we asked Him for the Lord gave Pharaoh some additional insight as to what to do with the interpretation. Always remember that wisdom and understanding and interpreting God’s language go hand-in-hand. The next verses show us the wisdom of God right after the interpretation of God’s language.
Genesis 41:33-36
33 Now therefore let Pharaoh look out a man discreet and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt.
34 Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint officers over the land, and take up the fifth part of the land of Egypt in the seven plenteous years.
35 And let them gather all the food of those good years that come, and lay up corn under the hand of Pharaoh, and let them keep food in the cities.
36 And that food shall be for store to the land against the seven years of famine, which shall be in the land of Egypt; that the land perish not through the famine.
It is said that wisdom has insight for the future, whereas knowledge shares the insights of today learned and proven from yesterday. In verse 33 Joseph comes to Pharaoh as an interpreter of dreams but continues his conversation with Pharaoh as a counselor. Notice how Joseph knew enough about the government of Egypt to boldly recommend a new governmental position be established. The wisdom of God also continued to flow out of Joseph to declare that this new position would be one of management requiring several employees for several years (at least fourteen). We can see that Joseph did not lack confidence in his interpretation because the information he shared with Pharaoh was directly from God. Today the Lord Jesus Christ and His Holy Written Word is our confidence when you need to share godly information with others. When you know there are scriptures supporting your beliefs and your words you can have the blessed assurance of confident faith. It takes courage to predict the future but knowing your information is from the source of all creation will empower the minister of God with the necessary courage to speak forth God’s Will. We would like to point out here that Joseph’s counsel was spoken from the heart of God and it shows all people that God believes in saving first for a future need. This principle of God is not taught as much as it should be today. This generation has been taught about quick gratification and a strong economy, as if rainy days never come. It is both prudent and wise to set aside extra money in savings (storage) for future days of need (any lack). The myth of some religious denominations is that if they strongly believe in God’s abundance they will never experience lack. That sounds good to the ear but it stops you from identifying with the masses who are in need. It is always better to learn how to teach others how to save so if a circumstance of lack present itself they are prepared. Any type of doctrine that only presents one side is not following the Proverbs of God which teaches both sides. If I only speak of having extra money given to me by God my doctrine will inherently discourage anyone from saving of their abundance from God. Thus, saving money is not preached so the people don’t strongly believe in saving as they should. Since much preaching is done about giving to God for the sake of others very little exhortation is given on saving for one’s self and their household. We (ihlcc) think some people have misinterpreted the wisdom of God by thinking I don’t need to save for lack. However we believe that one must save to prevent all lack. Remember because Joseph saved for the nation the nation always had food during the administration of his government. If no one had saved for the years of famine multitudes would have died due to the lack of food. Thus, saving triumphs over lack, just like working triumphs over laziness. The wisdom of King Solomon revealed in Proverbs encourages good saving habits and the New Testament does not negate the sound biblical principles established in the Old Testament.
Proverbs 6:6-8
6 Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:
7 Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler,
8 Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest. KJV
And Proverbs 10:5
He that gathereth in summer is a wise son: but he that sleepeth in harvest is a son that causeth shame. KJV
And Proverbs 13:11
Dishonest money dwindles away,
but he who gathers money little by little makes it grow. NIV
Although ihlcc believes firmly in God’s Will to prosper His beloved children we know according to God’s Word every believer has a critical part to play in that prosperity. The Lord will not rain money down from Heaven to make you rich but He most definitely will strengthen the work of your hands and give you good solid advise on how to handle the money that comes into your possession. If you are a good steward of the resources that God has blessed you with mentally, physically and financially the Lord will increase your assets but you must be a person of preservation and divine purpose.
Matthew 25:19-21
19 After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them.
20 And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more.
21 His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. KJV
In this parable the Lord was pleased when the servants preserved the assets of their lord with the purpose of making more assets. Likewise, in the example of Joseph and Pharaoh God’s Will was to give the land of Egypt more for a season in preparation for the season of lack during the time of famine. We must be wise stewards to recognize the times and seasons of God. The Lord’s provision for a future need was given way in advance but how many people recognized it. In all the land of Egypt when this event happened there was only one that we have record of and his name was Joseph. Notice that dream, the interpretation and the wisdom of God was all for this purpose:
Genesis 41:36
And that food shall be for store to the land against the seven years of famine, which shall be in the land of Egypt; that the land perish not through the famine.
Here we see the overwhelming compassion of God, because even though the Egyptians were not known for being worshippers of Jehovah, God still loves them and provided provision for all the land to weather the storm of the famine. We believe this dream of Pharaoh and the interpretation through Joseph with the additional wisdom presented to Pharaoh was divine but let us read what Pharaoh and his servants thought.
Genesis 41:37-42
37 And the thing was good in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of all his servants.
38 And Pharaoh said unto his servants, Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is?
39 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath shewed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art:
40 Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou.
41 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt.
42 And Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph's hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck; KJV
Pharaoh was blessed by this interpretation because it rang true in his heart as authentic and accurate. Therefore we can easily see that the interpretation gave Pharaoh his answer of peace from God just as Joseph promised in Genesis 41:16.
Genesis 41:16
And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, It is not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace.
Some may wonder how did this gift (and grace) of God work for Joseph. The answer is it works the same way it did for Daniel. The manifestation of God’s Power is the same in the New Testament as it was in the Old Testament. Although we have been changed into born-again children of God the Holy Spirit of God is the same yesterday, today and forever. This gift operates very similarly to the inspirational vocal gifts found in 1 Corinthians 12:7-11.
1 Corinthians 12:7-11
7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.
8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;
9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;
10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:
11 But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will. KJV
The inspirational vocal gifts are the gifts of the Spirit that inspire the minister to say something. Whether it is speaking forth divine wisdom, divine knowledge, prophecy, an unknown tongue by the speaker or the interpretation of the unknown tongue they all basically work the same way because they are all from the same source. The Source is God while the vessel is generally earthly (flesh and bones) the inspiration comes from the Holy Spirit of God. The gifts and graces of God allows people to operate in the supernatural realm of God while the truth of these words should be validated by the truth found in the Holy Bible. To keep it simple one writes the divine will (wisdom) of God using the same source of inspiration as if he/she were speaking. When a saint of God learns how to accurately hear from God and then has the inspiration from God to speak forth His mysteries they are ready to operate in God’s supernatural realm. This is the realm where the Holy Spirit inspires (moves upon, speaks to, witnesses to) you and you repeat His Words, thus revealing God’s thoughts to others or yourself.
2 Peter 1:21
For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. KJV
Hearing the information from God is the key and that can be learned by yielding to the Spirit of God with the knowledge of God’s Word (His Will). I know it sounds easy and it is when you have the gift (and grace) of God working through you. One can never work for inspiration it is solely a grace of God apart from works. The one thing we can try to prepare for is obeying the Lord’s promptings in our heart so if one of the inspirational gifts tries to manifest through us we are bold and prompt to yield to God’s Will for our fellowman and our own personal growth with development. Amen!
Daniel 1:17
As for these four children, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams. KJV
This verse was placed here just to remind us that it is God who gives while we should be willing to receive any one of these gifts (and graces) freely. When we receive them freely by grace it makes it that much more easier to give them away freely to others. Now that we have spoken about two men in the Holy Bible who were graced (and gifted) to interpret dreams, Daniel and Joseph, we will explain a little bit about why this gift (and grace) is uncommon in the Old Testament and even for us today. The primary reason the gift to interpret dreams was only given to a select few was because the Lord never wants you to have to rely upon another man. The Lord heart’s desire is for you to have intimate fellowship with Him. God desires to be your Counselor, Friend, Teacher, Comforter, Protector and Provider in Christ Jesus. This is the reason why the majority of the dreams spoken about in the Holy Bible were for the person the dream came to and their relationship with God gave them the interpretation without delay. We start by a few examples in the Old Testament then move to the New Testament. One of the first examples we have of a dream was recorded in the book of Genesis 20:2-7
2 And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my sister: and Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah.
3 But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, Behold, thou art but a dead man, for the woman which thou hast taken; for she is a man's wife.
4 But Abimelech had not come near her: and he said, Lord, wilt thou slay also a righteous nation?
5 Said he not unto me, She is my sister? and she, even she herself said, He is my brother: in the integrity of my heart and innocency of my hands have I done this.
6 And God said unto him in a dream, Yea, I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart; for I also withheld thee from sinning against me: therefore suffered I thee not to touch her.
7 Now therefore restore the man his wife; for he is a prophet, and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live: and if thou restore her not, know thou that thou shalt surely die, thou, and all that are thine. KJV
Notice in verse 3 God came to Abimelech in a dream because He had something to personally reveal (speak, show, direct, guide) to Abimelech. We can see from verses 3 and 6 that God spoke to Abimelech in this dream. In other words the Lord was not trying to be mysterious He was simply trying to warn Abimelech about the deception of Abraham. One of the great characteristics about the Lord is that He will speak the truth even if it is against one of His own servants or children. The Lord’s heart was to keep Abimelech from sinning against God because the Lord knew that would hurt their relationship and possibly harm (unto death) several people that would have suffered the consequences of that erroneous (wrong, foolish, disastrous) decision. The point we are highlighting here is the direct line of communication between the Creator and His creation. The Lord God delights in speaking directly to man without using an interpreter. However in certain occasions as we read with Daniel and Joseph it is for His Glory to use an interpreter to liberate His people. If the ruler (or leader) does not know God personally or has a distorted view of God it is better for God to place one of His ordained ministers with the ruler (or leader) to train them up in the things of God by deed and in precept. When there is with you an ordained minister of God on a full-time basis you can learn all about God little by little. On the other hand if you have a powerful manifestation of God’s glory you will see something and hopefully learn something about God but the encounter will not teach you the whole counsel of God. Think about it, “Is it better to have a manifestation from God or to understand the very nature of God?” I hope you will answer to know God is better than to see one of His manifestations. Remember, 2 Corinthians 5:7
(For we walk by faith, not by sight:) KJV
In the Old Testament it speaks plainly of the Children of Israel seeing the Power of God but not understanding the nature of God’s Goodness, thus they rebelled during a time of testing. This is why seeing or experiencing the miracles (power) of God is not enough because those natural manifestations will not reveal to you God’s Heart. Some people can experience a touch of God’s Hand without feeling the compassion that flows from God’s Heart. If you don’t know God’s Heart you will not understand God’s Love for you, nor will you be able to properly respond to His Love freely given unto you.
Deuteronomy 29:2-6
2 Moses summoned all the Israelites and said to them:
Your eyes have seen all that the LORD did in Egypt to Pharaoh, to all his officials and to all his land. 3 With your own eyes you saw those great trials, those miraculous signs and great wonders. 4 But to this day the LORD has not given you a mind that understands or eyes that see or ears that hear. 5 During the forty years that I led you through the desert, your clothes did not wear out, nor did the sandals on your feet. 6 You ate no bread and drank no wine or other fermented drink. I did this so that you might know that I am the LORD your God. NIV
We, as Christians, have the awesome privilege of knowing God’s heart through Jesus Christ and experiencing His resurrection glory in our new birth reality. In the Old Testament this type of dual experience happened with Jacob by seeing the manifestation of God’s Power and learning about God in the process.
Genesis 31:9-13
9 Thus God hath taken away the cattle of your father, and given them to me.
10 And it came to pass at the time that the cattle conceived, that I lifted up mine eyes, and saw in a dream, and, behold, the rams which leaped upon the cattle were ringstraked, speckled, and grisled.
11 And the angel of God spake unto me in a dream, saying, Jacob: And I said, Here am I.
12 And he said, Lift up now thine eyes, and see, all the rams which leap upon the cattle are ringstraked, speckled, and grisled: for I have seen all that Laban doeth unto thee.
13 I am the God of Bethel, where thou anointedst the pillar, and where thou vowedst a vow unto me: now arise, get thee out from this land, and return unto the land of thy kindred. KJV
Immediately we notice that God revealed something to Jacob in a dream to help Jacob overcome a trying circumstance according to verse 9. Also, just like with Abimelech God spoke to Jacob during the dream to reveal Himself in verse 11. In this same dream we understand from verse 13 God gave Jacob divine direction (wisdom, counsel, guidance, instructions). The point here is the same point we spoke of earlier which is, “God’s preference is to show the individual His Will personally”. When a person has been spoken to directly by God it removes the excuses and quenches all doubts, if their heart is sincere and honest. This principle is consistent with God all through the Holy Bible but we will visit one more example in the Old Testament to establish this truth in the mouth of three witnesses.
Genesis 31:24
And God came to Laban the Syrian in a dream by night, and said unto him, Take heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad. KJV
We chose Genesis again because it is the Book of Beginnings in which we build the foundation of the whole bible, we all know God put it first for a reason. First we looked at a Gentile (Abimelech), then we looked at a saint (Jacob) and now we examine a combination (Laban). Laban believed in God but did not know God’s Ways to practice being Godly. Since Laban understood that there is a God in Heaven he had enough Fear of God to restrain himself from attacking one of God’s servants but he did not have enough of God’s character within him to live a godly lifestyle. However notice the sequence again God came to Laban in a dream and then God spoke to Laban during that dream to reveal His Will, or we could say Himself. This purpose was to help Laban from doing something stupid, it was all a part of the divine protection of God for Jacob and the mercy of God upon Laban. The Lord’s direction for people is always twofold, first to help the receiver of the information and secondly to protect the other party (person, or group of people) that will suffer from the bad decision. For another example refer to 1 Kings 3:3-15 for God’s communion with King Solomon during a dream. Let us search the New Testament to prove this principle runs through the whole bible.
Matthew 1:18-24
18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.
19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily.
20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.
21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
22 Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,
23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
24 Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: KJV
In first chapter of the first book of the New Testament there is the story of Joseph and Mary concerning the birth of Jesus Christ. In this account we see the angel of the Lord appeared unto Joseph in a dream on God’s behalf. Notice that the angel of the Lord, God’s messenger, did not appear unto Joseph for the sake of giving Joseph a supernatural experience but rather to help Joseph. The advice (counsel, direction, instructions) given to Joseph did what we stated earlier. First, it kept Joseph from making a big mistake by going against God’s Perfect will for his life. Secondly, it helped Mary fulfill God’s Will without the shame and loneliness of being ostracized for seeming to be a woman of lesser character. Not only did the Lord give Joseph a “Word of Knowledge” in verse 20 about the child and Mary but He also gave Joseph specific instructions about naming the child in verse 21. We also see in verse 21 the Lord gave Joseph a “Word of Wisdom” revealing the future ministry of his son Jesus. In that short amount of time the Lord gave Joseph the primary purpose of Jesus ministry on earth. This encounter like all encounters of God should be confirmed with the witness of God’s Holy written Word. Notice that there was a scripture reference previously written by a prophet of God that confirms this encounter in Isaiah 7:14.
Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. KJV
. The beautiful thing about an authentic manifestation of the Holy Ghost is that He will give you scripture support used in its right context to confirm any information He gives you. Remember, the Will of God is conveyed to people through words which we call God’s Word so it is no great surprise that the Holy Bible should agree with what the Lord is speaking to your heart. Notice that the same simple three things happen again in the New Testament just like the Old Testament. 1) God came to Joseph in a dream. 2) The Lord spoke His Will (instruction, counsel, guidance, direction) specifically to Joseph. 3) Joseph understood exactly what the Lord was speaking to him so no other interpreter was needed. Staying in Matthew we see another example of a dream in chapter 2 verses 7-12.
7 Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, inquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.
8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.
9 When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.
10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.
11 And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.
12 And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way. KJV
We have all heard the story about the wise men coming to worship Jesus with precious gifts but how often do we pay attention to the fact that God used a dream to communicate with them after they worshipped the Lord. The Lord came to them in a dream and gave them specific instruction concerning their trip back to their home land. This helped the wise men to stay in God’s Perfect Will and it also protected the identity of Jesus from falling into the wrong hands too soon. This dream had a word of warning from God to preserve life and righteous for His beloved people. In this same chapter we read that God was still using dreams to communicate to His servant Joseph, the husband of Mary.
Matthew 2:13-15
13 And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.
14 When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt:
15 And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son. KJV
In this example we notice in verse 13 that the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. In that same verse we read that the angel of the Lord spoke to Joseph about exactly what he needed to do next and why he should do it. The Lord gave direction (guidance, instruction, counsel) about His Will being wrought in the life of Joseph. This helped Joseph fulfill God’s Will for his own life and it also helped Joseph protect his family from impending danger. The Lord came to Joseph, the Lord spoke to Joseph during the dream and Joseph understood the dream immediately without an interpreter because he had his own relationship with God. Since we are still in Matthew let us look at our final example of a dream.
Matthew 27:17-20
17 Therefore when they were gathered together, Pilate said unto them, Whom will ye that I release unto you? Barabbas, or Jesus which is called Christ?
18 For he knew that for envy they had delivered him.
19 When he was set down on the judgment seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him.
20 But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus. KJV
This example is unusual but should be discussed because the Lord has done this on at least two separate occasions in the Holy Bible. Since it was done twice in the Word of God it is established as a possible option of God although not His preferred way. The established option we are speaking of is showing someone else a dream that concerns a situation in your own life. We notice in verse 17 that Pontius Pilate, the Governor of the land, had the power (authority) to release Jesus as the Supreme Judge and Jury for the law of his land. Although Pilate “knew” that Jesus was innocent according to verse 18 he still did not want to release Jesus because as a Governor he was trained to serve the wishes of the people, lest he have an uproar in his jurisdiction and his superiors question his leadership. In verse 19 we see the mercy and wisdom of God to use his right hand counselor who would be honest with him because she is not afraid of losing her job. A wife is not a hired servant working for a check but rather she is his prized possession of love, who is devoted to their success as a couple and family. The mercy of God is seen in the fact that the Lord is trying to use someone close to Pilate to help him fulfill God’s Will which is always doing what is right. The wisdom of God is seen in the person the Lord selected to give the message. Notice that the Lord used someone He knew would speak up to deliver the message without fear. The great thing about a good wife is that she may not tell you exactly what you want to hear but she most assuredly will tell you what is on her heart if you will listen. In this example we see again God came to Pilate’s wife, then He spoke to her heart his perfect will and after that she understood exactly what God was saying to her. Pilate’s wife knew without any doubt that the dream and the information of the dream was meant to help Pilate (her husband) make the right decision. Notice in verse 19 that she, Pilate’s wife, said that Jesus is a just man, which told Pilate that he should not condemn him to death. However, in verse 20 we understand the reason why Pilate did not listen to his conscience in verse 18 or his wife in verse 19. Once the Lord has given you two witnesses and you still decide to do evil you are walking in sin and need to repent to get right with God again. Pilate gave over his will to the will of the chief priest and the elders but by doing this he also forsook God’s Will. Since the Lord God gave him the position of Governor of the Land this is unacceptable behavior. The Lord does not mind if you are a ruler trying to listen to the desires of the people but you should not put their will before God’s Will. When the Lord gives a leader a position over people He also gives them the witness of divine judgment to know the difference between right and wrong. When leaders ignore that witness from God they bring judgment upon themselves and the people under their leadership which is counterproductive for all parties involved, including God.
Galatians 1:10
For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ. KJV
Now let us look at the second witness of this type of manifestation when the Lord shows someone else a dream that is meant to help another make the right decision about doing God’s Will. This story is found in the Old Testament in Judges 7:9-15
9 And it came to pass the same night, that the LORD said unto him, Arise, get thee down unto the host; for I have delivered it into thine hand.
10 But if thou fear to go down, go thou with Phurah thy servant down to the host:
11 And thou shalt hear what they say; and afterward shall thine hands be strengthened to go down unto the host. Then went he down with Phurah his servant unto the outside of the armed men that were in the host.
12 And the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the children of the east lay along in the valley like grasshoppers for multitude; and their camels were without number, as the sand by the sea side for multitude.
13 And when Gideon was come, behold, there was a man that told a dream unto his fellow, and said, Behold, I dreamed a dream, and, lo, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the host of Midian, and came unto a tent, and smote it that it fell, and overturned it, that the tent lay along.
14 And his fellow answered and said, This is nothing else save the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel: for into his hand hath God delivered Midian, and all the host.
15 And it was so, when Gideon heard the telling of the dream, and the interpretation thereof, that he worshipped, and returned into the host of Israel, and said, Arise; for the LORD hath delivered into your hand the host of Midian. KJV
In these verses of scripture we read that the Lord told Gideon to go and fight against the Midianites and the Amalekites but Gideon was afraid. See the mercy (and patience) of God in that the Lord gave Gideon an option of going down near the host to hear a conversation (a sign from God) even after the Lord had clearly told him that, “I have delivered the host into your hand”. In this dream we know that God specifically gave the dream to a person who would be right near the place where Gideon would come to listen. The Lord also strategically placed next to the person who had the dream an interpreter of the dream. This again shows us why we should not try to work for this gift or believe that it comes to us because of our own spirituality. The man who had the dream was not considered by God to be special, nor is there any indication that the man who interpreted the dream was highly anointed by God. Friends as we stated before this gift (and God’s grace) is solely by the manifestation of God and many times a person can do it unconsciously, showing little effort on their own. This man prophesied a word of wisdom concerning the outcome of a future battle and the person who needed to hear that word was close enough to receive it. The whole purpose of this dream and interpretation was to remove enough fear from Gideon that he would obey God’s Will to deliver the children of Israel from deep poverty. Notice the dream came, the divine interpretation came and the person whom needed to hear it understood it immediately and “knew” it was God’s Will revealed to him. As we stated earlier it is not God’s perfect will to have to use someone else indirectly to speak to you about His Will. However, the Lord may use this method if He deems it necessary or profitable. It seems like when we (ihlcc) were younger in the Lord others had dreams that involved us and they told us about what they saw in their dream or vision. This may of happened a few times but not too often. Sometimes what they shared encouraged our faith, but at least one time it challenged our presumptions about a future situation. However, as we became more familiar with God’s Word and the Ways of His Holy Spirit the leadings of God were usually by the Wisdom of God’s Word and the witness of God’s Spirit. Oh, please don’t get us wrong, dreams can and in some cases will always be used by God but it is not His primary method of communication. I will state that again, “Dreams are not God’s primary language for the New Testament born-again child of God according to Romans 8:14
For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. KJV
And John 16:13-15
13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.
15 All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you. KJV
And John 14:23
Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. KJV
And John 15:7-10
7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.
10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. KJV
In the New Testament and under the New Covenant of being a new creature in Christ Jesus the Holy Spirit is our divine dream and the Word of God is always our divine interpretation. The Word of God gives you the will of God while the Spirit of God leads you into how to apply God’s Word in your everyday life. Another way of stating this truth is that God’s Word is the mind (thoughts, direction, instruction, counsel) of Christ while the Holy Spirit is the Way of God. The Word gives you the light to overcome darkness but the intensity of the light is always determined by the level of God’s Presence that is manifested in your everyday life. A flash light with no batteries does you no good, just like the batteries with no flash light does you no good either. So dearly beloved child of God follow the wisdom of God’s Word as your primary revelation of God’s Will for your life and rely on the witness of God’s Spirit to show you what to do for decisions you encounter during your walk with Jesus. The primary reason we do not have the consistent manifestation of a dream interpreter in the church today is because we have an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ. In this fellowship with God He will speak to us through His Word and His Spirit will give us the understanding (interpretation) of His Word. We have living inside of us the Great Interpreter, Jesus Christ the Word of God and the inspiration for all dreams, revelation, counsel, direction, personal instruction abides within us also in the person of the Holy Ghost. This does not mean certain ministry offices or ministry gifts will not experience a lot of dreams and/or visions because we (ihlcc) believe certain individuals do. This is only to speak to all believers near and far that they should not be lead by dreams (or visions) but by the Holy Spirit of God in the confines of God’s Word. A dream is no more than a moving picture and every saint of God should be wise enough to know we exalt, worship and follow the Lord of our life, Jesus Christ, not a gift that is at the discretion of men. The dream has no power in itself it is Word of God and Revelation of God imparted to the receiver of the dream that produces the power.
Hebrew 1:1-3
1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,
2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;
3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; KJV
The Power of God is in His Word and any positive power you experience in your life is completely contained within the Words of God believed on and spoken by you. Remember Martin Luther King had a dream but we all remember the words, principles and precepts of that dream because he glorified God with the words describing what he saw. Yes, it is because we remember the words as being righteous that we credit the dream as being inspired of God. Someone close to Reverend King stated that he left reading the prepared speech and started preaching from inspiration of God which agrees with Acts 2:17-18
17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:
18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: KJV
The dream of Martin Luther King was given for him to prophesy and he humbly obeyed God’s Will in this assignment to bless mankind through the grace (and gifting) of God. This verse in Acts 2:17 is the last verse in the New Testament that speaks of dreams so we will conclude our study of dreams on this positive note, next we will move unto the visions of God.