Interested in biblical dream interpretation? Me too, but there aren’t a lot of great resources that I’ve seen. My home church started a Bible based study on dreams interpretation using Dr. Joe Ibojie as a resource. If you are comfortable with exploring the topic, here are some notes so you can see if this is an okay path for you. I’m sharing this post with my family and friends, all of whom will be reaching out to me personally and not here. However, feel free to comment below!
The book(s) being used is Dreams and Visions Volume 1 and the optional Illustrated Dictionary of Dream Symbols: A Biblical Guide to Your Dreams and Visions. Both can be found on Amazon etc. A journal will be helpful as you proceed.
Open with why you want to study biblical dream interpretation.
My thoughts: Most dream interpretation is anything but biblical and not even remotely Christian so I’m looking forward to seeing the biblical worldview.
I used to dream a lot and remember the dreams. Interpreting them was pretty easy but that was all based on psychology and knowing what what was happening in my life. I could help friend interpret there dreams simply because we knew what each others’ concerns and stresses were so helping my friends interpret their dreams were easy. Psychology has had a strong influence in my life and self interpretation for a couple of decades.
Over the past few years, life has gotten in the way and there have been major life changes/challenges. So I’ve ignored dreams and it seems like that should change. Taking a few minutes in the morning to write down a dream and to pray on it doesn’t take long and if there is a community where I could ask people to help interpret that dream (which I have at my church) then there’s a kind of accountability that I owe. Time to be a grown-up and to take care of myself and maintain this relationship with how God and how He speaks to me.
Maybe everyone else can share their answer in the comments below.
Some notes from a small group Bible study:
Acts 2:17 (NIV), “In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.”
Joel chapter 2 also has something like this if anyone wants to search more about dreams.
This week’s message is that God is always speaking and pursuing us. A richer relationship develops when we draw and listen to God.
PRAY for more wisdom and discernment; to remember dreams. Discernment is key.
Goal: Learn best practices for learning and interpreting dreams.
The first two chapters of Dr. Ibojie’s book Dreams and Visions all the material being covered is not the Bible but draws from the Bible. “Take the meat and spit out the bones” – meaning that you don’t have to agree with everything in the book nor should you pretend it is scripture.
Some takeaways from the two chapters:
Dreams are the native language of God. Using a dream journal is a great idea. Dreams all have value even when they don’t stick. God speaks to all people through dreams and many other ways.
An interesting takeaway is that even Joseph’s brothers were affected by a dream. We don’t know about their dreams, the Bible doesn’t say they had them. But the Bible does show that they were affected by dreams. They could have realized that God considered them stars and Joseph’s dreams and been honored, but their bitterness just got in the way.
Dr. Ibojie is not impressed with biological dreams but God talks to us through our dreams and created them so that is important.
For those who are cautious and a little nervous about anything that sounds New Age/occult, the term “Soulish” needed a pause for analysis. Dr. Ibojie uses the term as a negative. If I say something is green-ish, it’s not truly green but has some green to it that would be an example of “soulish.” There is a certain degree in truth that the world will deliver (including info occult dream interpreters will give) but that doesn’t mean it is the full truth or that it is of God so we need to watch out for those things that are “spiritual” because not all spiritual things are good. Plenty of people call themselves spiritual and it does not mean the same thing to a Christian.
Dreams are being called in the book, spirit to spirit encounters by God’s spirit to ours. Dreams are not physical but why? The soul is always awake and we fear from God in a variety of ways so why aren’t our bodies involved? Our bodies are asleep so they can’t be physical So that is the answer to the question that we might ask. The book says that God sends dreams like this because in this state we have fewer distractions.
Maybe you all can answer if you got stuck on the physical… Like, what does that mean and do you agree?
In chapter 2 there’s a comment about humanistic ideology. I disagreed with it because I think regular dreams do more than what this book says. I do like when Dr. Ibojie says. “The brothers fail to see that God regarded them as stars.”
The Takeaway: Pay attention to dreams and look at them in context.
Note: I had to ask what twilight dreams are and I think it’s mostly like when you were just first falling to sleep or back to sleep. Also, I plan to continue through the study though I found the first couple of chapters pretty basic. If you are interested in more, comment below and I’ll post.
Ending Prayer I’m sending your way:
May you dream dreams and see visions and get closer with God! I ask Jesus for discernment and that we grow to trust in Him more and more. May we grow closer to the wonderful people around us and closer do the Holy Spirit and His ways. May we receive all this information as we should and remember to praise you Jesus. Amen!
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I’ve been dreaming of mountains, beautiful ones