Topical Bible: Dreams: Mentioned in Scripture of Jacob

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In the biblical narrative, dreams serve as a significant means through which God communicates with His people. Jacob, the patriarch, is a prominent figure whose life is notably marked by divine dreams. These dreams not only guide Jacob personally but also play a crucial role in the unfolding of God's covenantal promises to the nation of Israel.

Jacob's Ladder (Genesis 28:10-22)

One of the most famous dreams in Scripture is Jacob's vision of the ladder, which occurs as he flees from his brother Esau. In Genesis 28:12-13 , it is recorded: "And Jacob had a dream about a ladder that rested on the earth with its top reaching up to heaven, and God’s angels were going up and down the ladder. And there at the top the LORD was standing and saying, 'I am the LORD, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you now lie.'" This dream is pivotal as it reaffirms the Abrahamic covenant, promising Jacob the land and numerous descendants. The imagery of the ladder symbolizes the connection between heaven and earth, indicating God's ongoing presence and involvement in Jacob's life.

Jacob's Dream of the Flocks (Genesis 31:10-13)

Another significant dream occurs during Jacob's time with Laban. In Genesis 31:10-12 , Jacob recounts: "In the breeding season, I once had a dream in which I looked up and saw that the male goats mating with the flock were streaked, speckled, and spotted. The angel of God said to me in the dream, 'Jacob!' And I replied, 'Here I am.' 'Look up,' He said, 'and see that all the male goats mating with the flock are streaked, speckled, and spotted, for I have seen all that Laban has been doing to you.'" This dream serves as divine assurance and guidance, revealing God's awareness of Jacob's plight and His intention to bless him despite Laban's deceit. It underscores God's providential care and justice, ensuring that Jacob prospers.

Theological Significance

Jacob's dreams are not mere nocturnal visions but are deeply theological, revealing God's sovereign will and His faithfulness to His promises. They illustrate the intimate relationship between God and His chosen servant, highlighting themes of divine election, covenant, and providence. Through these dreams, God communicates His plans and reassures Jacob of His presence and protection, even in times of uncertainty and hardship.

Jacob's experiences with dreams emphasize the importance of divine revelation in the life of the believer. They serve as a reminder of God's active role in guiding and fulfilling His purposes through His chosen people, ultimately pointing to the greater fulfillment of His promises in the history of salvation.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Genesis 28:12
And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Genesis 31:10
And it came to pass at the time that the cattle conceived, that I lifted up my eyes, and saw in a dream, and, behold, the rams which leaped on the cattle were ringstraked, speckled, and spotted.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

A Letter from Origen to Africanus.
... same sound; but if it is nowhere mentioned, we also ... Jesus only, not knowing it otherwise
from any Scripture. ... have been favoured with divine dreams and angelic ...
//christianbookshelf.org/origen/origens letters/a letter from origen to.htm

The Credibility of Scripture Sufficiently Proved in So Far as ...
... 4. This antiquity contrasted with the dreams of the ... In addition to the qualities
already mentioned, great weight is due to the antiquity of Scripture (Euseb ...
/.../the institutes of the christian religion/chapter 8 the credibility of.htm

The Unity of the Divine Essence in Three Persons Taught, in ...
... not only of dissipating the wild dreams of the ... is distinctly expressed, because,
when God is mentioned simply and ... passage is to be found in Scripture, where an ...
/.../calvin/the institutes of the christian religion/chapter 13 the unity of.htm

In the Creation of the World, and all Things in It, the True God ...
... In one Satan or devil being often mentioned in the ... while little is gained by quoting
Scripture to those ... on their guard against the delirious dreams with which ...
/.../calvin/the institutes of the christian religion/chapter 14 in the creation.htm

The Marvels of Holy Scripture, --Moral and Physical. --Jael's Deed ...
... Worthies of old time who are mentioned with distinct ... that "there still remain events"
in Scripture,"our Lord's ... so grossly as to suppose that dreams like these ...
/.../burgon/inspiration and interpretation/sermon vii the marvels of.htm

The Jewish Institutions and Laws of Far Higher Antiquity than the ...
... thieves and robbers," as the Scripture says, predicted ... Jews from Egypt to the
above-mentioned date, there ... forming this conjecture mainly from dreams and oracles ...
/.../the stromata or miscellanies/chapter xxi the jewish institutions and.htm

The Sermon on the Mount - the Kingdom of Christ and Rabbinic ...
... beneath; so the far-of exile sees in his dreams visions of his ... in a comment on a
certain passage of Scripture, which Jacob ... Some of these may here be mentioned. ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter xviii the sermon on.htm

Psalm CV.
... might foretell what would happen in respect to his dreams. ... Even grass is fruit, as
Scripture is wont to speak ... in number, but they are not all mentioned, nor in ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/augustine/exposition on the book of psalms/psalm cv.htm

The Peculiar Sleep of the Beloved
... Then there is also mentioned in the Scripture, a sleep of ... Some persons put faith
in dreams: and, certainly God doth warn us in dreams and visions even now. ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 1 1855/the peculiar sleep of the.htm

The Works of Philo that have Come Down to Us.
... in his views of divine Scripture, Philo has ... book On the proposition, that Dreams
according to ... large commentary, nomon hieron allegoriai, mentioned above (note 2 ...
/.../pamphilius/church history/chapter xviii the works of philo.htm