God lives. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. We see He spoken to people in the ancient times in the Bible, therefore, we know that He still speaks today. One of the ways which He speaks is through dreams and visions. When we talk about this, the most frequently asked question is: How could we know whether the dream or vision was from God or just our own imaginations?
If one treats a normal dream as a dream from God, then he is making a big mistake. He is making a lie. If one treats a normal dream as a dream from God and preaches the dream like a message from God, he becomes a false prophet. In the Book of Jeremiah chapter 23, we see the Jeremiah the Prophet criticizing this problem severely. Similarly, if one treats a dream from God as a normal dream and dismisses it, he is despising the word and revelation from God. Looking at these two kind of possible consequences, we see the importance and urgency to understand how to discern revelations with a fearful heart.
If someone suspects that he had a dream or vision from God, he should first review it with biblical truth and principles, preferably with the help of spiritually mature mentors. One special characteristic a divine dream should possess is a strong intensity. A divine dream is likely to cause special feeling or engagement of the soul. Normally, our whole body including the brain rest during sleep. The brain is only partially awake even upon the occurrences of dreams. As a result we experience irrational, confusing and discontinuous visual animations and other senses. Also, we often find dreams to be difficult to recall once awake. This is due to the weak activation of processing ability and memorization of the brain during sleep.
However, if the source of a dream is not yourself but God, the situation changes. It is a kind of interruption when God speaks or gives us a revelation through a dream. Because it is an interruption, by nature it has to be powerful enough to interrupt. So almost all revelations have this powerful nature and they catch the attentions of the audiences. In Genesis chapter 28, the Jacob's ladder incident clearly illustrates this principle of strong intensity.
The power of the messages from God is likely to cause the receiver to react emotionally. Dreamers of divine dreams often find them more vivid and real then normal dreams. They could remember them clearly even after a long time, especially the message which God tries to communicate through the vision.
Dreams and visions are the means. The aim is to communicate the heart of God. When God reveals his heart to people who love him, the person who open his heart would be touched by the Holy Spirit. This could change a person's life. Real revelations would raise people's love towards God. If a dream or vision does nothing or the opposite, we could conclude that it is not from God.
If one treats a normal dream as a dream from God, then he is making a big mistake. He is making a lie. If one treats a normal dream as a dream from God and preaches the dream like a message from God, he becomes a false prophet. In the Book of Jeremiah chapter 23, we see the Jeremiah the Prophet criticizing this problem severely. Similarly, if one treats a dream from God as a normal dream and dismisses it, he is despising the word and revelation from God. Looking at these two kind of possible consequences, we see the importance and urgency to understand how to discern revelations with a fearful heart.
If someone suspects that he had a dream or vision from God, he should first review it with biblical truth and principles, preferably with the help of spiritually mature mentors. One special characteristic a divine dream should possess is a strong intensity. A divine dream is likely to cause special feeling or engagement of the soul. Normally, our whole body including the brain rest during sleep. The brain is only partially awake even upon the occurrences of dreams. As a result we experience irrational, confusing and discontinuous visual animations and other senses. Also, we often find dreams to be difficult to recall once awake. This is due to the weak activation of processing ability and memorization of the brain during sleep.
However, if the source of a dream is not yourself but God, the situation changes. It is a kind of interruption when God speaks or gives us a revelation through a dream. Because it is an interruption, by nature it has to be powerful enough to interrupt. So almost all revelations have this powerful nature and they catch the attentions of the audiences. In Genesis chapter 28, the Jacob's ladder incident clearly illustrates this principle of strong intensity.
The power of the messages from God is likely to cause the receiver to react emotionally. Dreamers of divine dreams often find them more vivid and real then normal dreams. They could remember them clearly even after a long time, especially the message which God tries to communicate through the vision.
Dreams and visions are the means. The aim is to communicate the heart of God. When God reveals his heart to people who love him, the person who open his heart would be touched by the Holy Spirit. This could change a person's life. Real revelations would raise people's love towards God. If a dream or vision does nothing or the opposite, we could conclude that it is not from God.
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