Topical Bible: Dream: False Prophets Pretended to Receive Revelations Through

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In the biblical narrative, dreams are often depicted as a medium through which God communicates with His people. However, the Scriptures also warn against false prophets who claim to receive divine revelations through dreams. These individuals are portrayed as deceivers who lead people away from the truth of God's Word.

The Old Testament provides several warnings against false prophets who misuse dreams to convey false messages. In Deuteronomy 13:1-3 , Moses cautions the Israelites: "If a prophet or dreamer of dreams arises among you and proclaims a sign or wonder to you, and if the sign or wonder he has spoken to you comes to pass, but he says, ‘Let us follow other gods (which you have not known) and let us worship them,’ you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer." This passage underscores the importance of discerning the source and content of dreams, emphasizing that any message leading away from the worship of the one true God is not from Him.

Jeremiah, a prophet during a tumultuous period in Israel's history, frequently addressed the issue of false prophets. In Jeremiah 23:25-32 , the Lord speaks through Jeremiah, saying, "I have heard what the prophets say who prophesy lies in My name: ‘I had a dream! I had a dream!’ How long will this continue in the hearts of these lying prophets, who prophesy the delusions of their own minds?" Here, God condemns those who claim to have dreams from Him but are actually spreading lies and deceit. The passage highlights the danger of false prophets who exploit dreams to legitimize their own agendas.

The New Testament also addresses the issue of false prophets and their deceptive practices. In Matthew 7:15 , Jesus warns His followers: "Beware of false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves." While this passage does not specifically mention dreams, it serves as a general admonition to be vigilant against those who falsely claim divine authority, including through dreams.

The Apostle Paul, in his letters, further emphasizes the need for discernment. In Colossians 2:18 , he warns against those who "delight in false humility and the worship of angels, going into detail about what they have seen; they are puffed up with idle notions by their unspiritual mind." This caution can be applied to those who claim to have special revelations through dreams, urging believers to remain grounded in the truth of the Gospel.

Throughout Scripture, the consistent message is clear: while God can and does use dreams to communicate with His people, not all dreams are from Him. Believers are called to test the spirits and discern the truth, ensuring that any revelation aligns with the teachings of Scripture and the character of God. False prophets who pretend to receive revelations through dreams are to be rejected, as their messages ultimately lead away from the truth and into deception.

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Deuteronomy 13:1-5
If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and gives you a sign or a wonder,
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Jeremiah 23:25-32
I have heard what the prophets said, that prophesy lies in my name, saying, I have dreamed, I have dreamed.
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Jeremiah 27:9
Therefore listen not you to your prophets, nor to your diviners, nor to your dreamers, nor to your enchanters, nor to your sorcerers, which speak to you, saying, You shall not serve the king of Babylon:
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Jeremiah 29:8
For thus said the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Let not your prophets and your diviners, that be in the middle of you, deceive you, neither listen to your dreams which you cause to be dreamed.
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Zechariah 10:2
For the idols have spoken vanity, and the diviners have seen a lie, and have told false dreams; they comfort in vain: therefore they went their way as a flock, they were troubled, because there was no shepherd.
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Library

The Greater Prophets.
... are interspersed denunciations of the false prophets that flatter ... his interpretation
of Belshazzar's dream, chap.5 ... Hagiographa any more than in the prophets. ...
/.../barrows/companion to the bible/chapter xxii the greater prophets.htm

Extracts No. vii.
... that "Christ appeared to him in a dream, the night ... not be able to prove any of those
miracles false? ... killed the Lord Jesus and their own prophets, and have ...
/.../ballou/a series of letters in defence of divine revelation/extracts no vii.htm

Our First Proposition Was, that There is Satisfactory Evidence ...
... The French prophets in England, some time since ... In assigning false perceptions as
the origin to ... the Diocletian persecution; Constantine's dream; his inscribing ...
/.../paley/evidences of christianity/chapter i our first proposition.htm

Book v. Our Reply, in the Previous Books, to the Mad and ...
... if you can, the true from the false elements in ... as it was interpreted, foretold that
his dream should some day ... and belief by means of the Law and the Prophets. ...
/.../hilary/the life and writings of st hilary of poitiers/book v our reply in.htm

Doctrinal and Moral Treatises. Index of Subjects.
... the other cheek, [785]470; sayings of, that seem false, are figurative ... chastity,
[971]443; best for those who "receive" it, [972 ... Augustin in a dream, [1161]545. ...
/.../on care to be had for the dead /doctrinal and moral treatises index.htm

The Unity of the Divine Essence in Three Persons Taught, in ...
... with his own blood, why do we dream of any ... to have been He whom Moses and the prophets
declared to ... way of salutation, his rejection of false honour intimates ...
/.../calvin/the institutes of the christian religion/chapter 13 the unity of.htm

The Strait Gate;
... I say unto you." The prophets used not ... A hypocrite, a false professor, may go a great
way; they ... no trivial business; salvation is not got by a dream; they that ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/the strait gate.htm

The Greatness of the Soul,
... so many ugly guises, and under so many false and scandalous ... In a dream, in a vision
of the night, when ... too, will now consider of the pretended necessity that ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/the greatness of the soul.htm

Mr. Bunyan's Last Sermon:
... must go; it was cast up by the patriarchs, prophets, Christ, and ... Why, did you hear
him tell his dream? ... tumbling over the wall, to go, as they pretended, to Zion ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/mr bunyans last sermon .htm

Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners:
... He that liketh it, let him receive it; and he that ... the more, and pretend that he
had gone through all religions ... people at Bedford was thus, in a dream or vision ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/grace abounding to the chief.htm