In the ancient world, dreams were often regarded as significant and meaningful, serving as a conduit between the divine and human realms. The Bible provides numerous accounts where dreams play a pivotal role in conveying God's will, offering guidance, and foretelling future events. The ancients placed great faith in dreams, viewing them as a means through which God communicated His purposes and plans.

Biblical Accounts of Dreams

1. Joseph, Son of Jacob: One of the most notable dreamers in the Bible is Joseph, the son of Jacob. His dreams, which he shared with his brothers, foretold his future rise to prominence and the eventual bowing of his family before him (Genesis 37:5-11). These dreams were divinely inspired and set the stage for Joseph's journey to Egypt, where he would later interpret dreams for Pharaoh, leading to his elevation to a position of power (Genesis 41:14-40).

2. Pharaoh's Dreams: In Genesis 41, Pharaoh's dreams of seven fat cows and seven lean cows, followed by seven healthy ears of grain and seven thin ears, were interpreted by Joseph as a divine warning of seven years of abundance followed by seven years of famine. Joseph's interpretation, given by God, saved Egypt and surrounding nations from disaster, demonstrating the profound impact of dreams on the course of history.

3. Nebuchadnezzar's Dream: The Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar experienced a troubling dream that none of his wise men could interpret. Daniel, a Hebrew captive, was given the interpretation by God, revealing the succession of empires and the eventual establishment of God's eternal kingdom (Daniel 2:31-45). This dream underscored the sovereignty of God over human kingdoms and the unfolding of His divine plan.

4. Jacob's Ladder: In Genesis 28:10-17, Jacob dreams of a ladder reaching to heaven, with angels ascending and descending on it. In this dream, God reaffirms His covenant with Jacob, promising him land, descendants, and blessings. This dream served as a pivotal moment in Jacob's life, reinforcing God's presence and promises.

5. Joseph, Husband of Mary: In the New Testament, Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus, receives divine guidance through dreams. An angel of the Lord appears to him in a dream, instructing him to take Mary as his wife (Matthew 1:20-21) and later to flee to Egypt to protect the infant Jesus from Herod's wrath (Matthew 2:13). These dreams were crucial in safeguarding the Holy Family and fulfilling prophetic scripture.

Theological Significance

Dreams in the Bible are often seen as a means by which God reveals His will and communicates with His people. They serve as a testament to God's active involvement in human affairs and His desire to guide and protect His chosen ones. The ancients' faith in dreams reflects a worldview that acknowledges the supernatural and the belief that God can and does intervene in the lives of individuals through various means, including dreams.

Cultural Context

In the ancient Near East, dreams were commonly regarded as omens or messages from the gods. This cultural backdrop is evident in the biblical narratives, where dreams are treated with reverence and often require interpretation by those with divine insight. The biblical accounts, however, distinguish themselves by emphasizing the monotheistic belief in one God who sovereignly orchestrates events and communicates His purposes through dreams.

Conclusion

The biblical portrayal of dreams underscores their importance as a divine communication tool. The ancients' faith in dreams is validated by the scriptural accounts, where dreams serve as a medium for God's revelation, guidance, and fulfillment of His promises. Through dreams, God demonstrates His omniscience and omnipotence, guiding His people and unfolding His redemptive plan for humanity.Judges 7:15
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 has delivered into your hand the host of Midian.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Examples from Church History, Confirming the Words of Moses...
... like that evil prophet or dreamer of dreams whom Moses ... was harried from place to
place till death put an end ... together many notices of him left by the ancients. ...
/.../the commonitory of vincent of lerins/chapter xi examples from church.htm

The Call of Abraham
... The ancients pictured Mercury with wings upon its heels, and surely ... We sometimes
put blinkers upon horses that they may not see too ... His very dreams were blessed ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 5 1859/the call of abraham.htm

Of Evil Angels
... are left by the wisest of the ancients, or given ... has a hand also in those terrifying
dreams which many ... power, and subtlety of your great adversary, put on the ...
/.../wesley/sermons on several occasions/sermon 72 of evil angels.htm

Funeral Oration on the Great S. Basil, Bishop of C??sarea in ...
... of famine, turning to account the dreams of others ... with this, he summoned him, and
put him on ... the Bishops, and their allies, which involved great disgrace, and ...
/.../cyril/lectures of s cyril of jerusalem/oration xliii funeral oration on.htm

Paracelsus {13}
... self-conceit, rash contempt of the ancients, violent abuse of ... They put the dreams
of the Neoplatonists, Iamblicus ... spirits, in the significance of dreams, in the ...
/.../kingsley/historical lectures and essays/paracelsus 13.htm

A Mystery! Saints Sorrowing and Jesus Glad!
... not "Thus saith Nathan," or "Thus do the ancients say," but ... possible that there should
be a hook put into the ... he should not send me visions, or dreams, or even ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 10 1864/a mystery saints sorrowing and.htm

Of Immediate Revelation.
... people were prophets, and that he would put his Spirit ... hearts, assuring them that
the voices, dreams, and visions ... the examples of that of the ancients, or to ...
/.../proposition ii of immediate revelation.htm

The Authority and Utility of the Scriptures
... ask, How they did know that their dreams or visions ... and over weary the world to put
them in ... the Spirit's teaching become wiser than their ancients, than their ...
/.../binning/the works of the rev hugh binning/lecture iii the authority and.htm

Of the Popish Mass. How it not Only Profanes, but Annihilates the ...
... of gifts for the adoration of God"dreams and visions ... aim of the mass but just to
put Christ again ... here obtrude concise sentences of the ancients, and contend ...
/.../calvin/the institutes of the christian religion/chapter 18 of the popish.htm

Matt. I. 17
... in Babylon, what befell touching the furnace and the dreams. ... It being the way of
the ancients for the most ... of the mysteries, and see the one sort put out, the ...
/.../chrysostom/homilies on the gospel of saint matthew/homily iv matt i 17.htm

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