Dreams from GOD furnish warnings that protect His Servants, or give them guidance and assurance of divine favor. Also dreams helped His Servants to understand how GOD was adding them.
In Genesis 15, when GOD was about to conclude a Covenant with Abram (Abraham), a 'deep sleep' and 'great darkness' fell upon him, and then GOD spoke to him in a dream, about how the World will yet be recovered from the 'curse' (Genesis 3) and divisiveness (Genesis 11) of 'sin'. (Genesis 22)
Fifteen years after Abram's arrival in Canaan (Gen 12; 17) and 13 years after the Hagar-compromise (Gen 16), GOD came to Abram "to complete the Covenant arrangement." In Genesis 15 the Hebrew Word for "inaugurating" a Covenant is used; in Genesis 6 the Word means "to implement", "to put in action"; in Genesis 17 the Word is "to confirm", literally "put, place" and signifies that "from now on" the Covenant will be "the changeless mode" of the "relationship between GOD and Abram." A searching requirement of Holiness within divine fellowship was put in place covering 4 categories: personal, domestic, spiritual, and territorial, and sealed with the "sign of circumcision." (Genesis 17)
In Genesis 20-21, God warned Abimelech the king of Gerar, not to touch Sarah, with the result that she remained undefiled, in a dream. Abimelec, either an official tittle representing the spirit of the monarchy governing the earth, or a personal name, was an official identification of several Philistine kings, similar to the title Pharaoh among the Egyptians and Caesar among the Romans. This king Abimelech was in charge of the city of Gerar, where Abraham and Sarah took up temporary residence. Thinking the couple were brother and sister, the king took Sarah to become his wife. GOD warned him in a dream, the king returned Sarah to Abraham together with a compensation consisting on livestock and slaves and, in addition, 1,000 pieces of silver as a guarantee of Sarah's chastity. Sometime later this same king concluded a Covenant of Peace and Mutual Confidence with Abraham at Beer-Sheba.
In the Gospel of Matthew, the Scripture reveals that complying with 'Divine Warning in a dream,' the astrologers who visited JESUS did not return to murderous Herod (2:11,12). Also, in response to angelic instruction in dreams, Joseph took Mary as his wife and also fled with JESUS and Mary into Egypt. Later dreams from GOD led Joseph to return from Egypt with Mary and JESUS and settle in Nazareth in order to fulfill the Prophecy, "He will be called a Nazarene." (Mt. 1-2)
At a placed named Luz (Bethel) GOD caused Jacob to have a dream in which he saw a ladder reaching from earth to heaven, denoting communication between them. Angels ascended and descended on it, a representation of GOD was stationed above it, and GOD pronounced a blessing on Jacob. (Gen 28)
It was also by means of a dream that GOD, years later, showed His Aproval of Jacob and gave him "angelic instruction" to return to his homeland. (Gen 31).
Jacob's son Joseph, as a youth, had prophetic dreams that indicated he had divine favor. In one, Jacob and his brothers were binding sheaves in the Field. Joseph's sheaf stood erect, and those of his brothers encircled it and bowed down to it. In another dream, the sun, moon, and 11 stars bowed down to him. Both of these dreams were fulfilled when Jacob and his household moved to Egypt during a severe famine. To obtain food, they all became dependent upon Joseph, who was then Egypt's food administrator. (Genesis 37; 42)
The dreams that are experienced by persons that do not belong to God's household are also prophetic.
The Scripture mentions an example of it that happened in Egypt while Joseph was imprisoned with Pharaoh's chief of the cupbearers and chief of the bakers. These men had dreams that God enabled Joseph to explain and prophetically meaning that in 3 Days the chief of the cupbearers would be restored to his position, whereas the chief of the bakers would be executed. These events occurred 3 Days later, on Pharaoh's birthday. In time these dreams served the 'purpose' of bringing Joseph to Pharaoh's Attention as a man having GOD's Spirit. (Genesis 40)
Warning and Prophetic elements were combined in 2 dreams that Pharaoh of Joseph's day had in one night. In the first, Pharaoh saw 7 fat-fleshed cows devoured by 7 poor, thin-fleshed cows. In the second, 7 full and good ears of grain came up on one stalk, only to be swallowed up by 7 shriveled, thin, wind-scorched ears of grain. Joseph, ascribing the interpretation to God, correctly explained that both dreams pointed to 7 years of plenty to be followed by 7 of famine. (Genesis 41)
It was GOD's Plan to Save many from starvation and particularly to preserve the life of Abraham's descendants (Faith), to fulfill the His Promises to Abraham. (Genesis 45)
Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar also had 2 prophetic dreams from GOD. One was a metallic image with a head of gold, breast and arms of silver, belly and thighs of copper, legs of iron, and feet of iron and clay. A stone cut out without hands struck and crushed its feet and then pulverized the rest of the image. Daniel identified Nebuchadnezzar as the "head of gold" and explained that a succession of human kingdoms would follow. Ultimately, GOD Himself would set up a Kingdom that would "never be brought to ruin." (Daniel 2)
In another dream from GOD, Nebuchadnezzar beheld a great tree that was chopped down, its rootstock that remained being restrained with "a banding of iron and of copper" until "7 times"passed over it.
In keeping with Daniel's explanation, the boasting king (great tree that was cut down) went mad, remaining in that mental state until 7 times, or years, passed. Thereafter the king acknowledged GOD's Supremacy, and his sanity having returned, he was reestablished in his kingdom. (Daniel 4)
Daniel himself had a dream from GOD in which he beheld 4 huge beasts coming up out of the sea, these creatures representing human kingdoms or form of governments. Daniel also saw the "Ancient of Days," from whom "someone like a Son of Man "received lasting "Ruler-ship and Dignity and Kingdom." (Daniel 7)
Joel foretold the outpouring of God's Spirit will be followed by such manifestations as prophesying and the dreaming of inspired dreams. (Joel 2) It was on the Day of Pentecost in the Year 33 CE that 120 Disciples of JESUS CHRIST received the Holy Spirit and began speaking in various tongues to the people who came from different parts of the World "about the magnificent things of GOD" in their own and particular languages. (Acts 2) Later, other Believers, including Saul (Paul), the former persecutor, received the Holy Spirit and were empowered with supernatural gifts. (Acts 8; 9) While in Troas, Paul had a night vision or dream that provided guidance as to where he and his associates were to preach the "Good News." (Acts 16) The prophetic words of Joel were fulfilled.
Later on, when JESUS stood on trial before Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor's wife sent him this message respecting JESUS : "Have nothing to do with this Righteous Man, for I suffered a lot today in a dream because of HIM." (Matthew 27)
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