Listen to this articleActs 2:17 Living Bible (TLB)
17 ‘In the last days,’ God said, ‘I will pour out my Holy Spirit upon all mankind, and your sons and daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men dream dreams.
The Question becomes: If dreams, visions and prophecy came as a gift of the Holy Spirit who then is giving dreams and visions to unbelievers. Can their dreams be interpreted, and should they be valued or are they all from Satan?
The Holy Spirt was given at pentecost, but since creation, God has been communicating with people via dreams, visions and prophecy. There is a natural ability to dream, see visions and prophesy that was given to mankind at creation. This is why we see people like Cain, Abimelech, Pharaoh, Joseph, Nebuchadnezzar and Balaam who were not born again and did not have the baptism of the Holy Spirit, yet God spoke to them in dreams and visions. Then there is a special gift of dreams, visions and prophecy that comes when one receives the baptism of the spirit. It is necessary to distinguish between the two.
NATURAL GIFT OF DREAMS, VISIONS AND PROPHECY
We are born with the natural ability to dream and to prophesy. This natural ability was given as a way for God to speak to us as his creation. God does not just speak to good people; he speaks to everyone. This is why we see that before the Holy Spirit was poured upon people, God would communicate with people through dreams and visions.
Let’s look at examples in the bible where people who were not saved received dreams, visions or prophecy from God.
ABIMELECH
Genesis 20:2-3 Living Bible (TLB)
2 he declared that Sarah was his sister! Then King Abimelech sent for her, and had her brought to him at his palace. 3 But that night God came to him in a dream and told him, “You are a dead man, for that woman you took is married.”
LABAN
Genesis 31:24 Living Bible (TLB)
24 That night God appeared to Laban in a dream. “Watch out what you say to Jacob,” he was told. “Don’t give him your blessing and don’t curse him.”
PHARAOH’S OFFICIALS
Genesis 40:7-8 New International Version (NIV)
7 So he asked Pharaoh’s officials who were in custody with him in his master’s house, “Why do you look so sad today?” 8 “We both had dreams,” they answered, “but there is no one to interpret them.” Then Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell me your dreams.”
BALAAM
Genesis 40:7-8 New International Version (NIV)
7 So he asked Pharaoh’s officials who were in custody with him in his master’s house, “Why do you look so sad today?” 8 “We both had dreams,” they answered, “but there is no one to interpret them.”
NEBUCHADNEZAAR
Daniel 2:27-28 Living Bible (TLB)
27 Daniel replied, “No wise man, astrologer, magician, or wizard can tell the king such things, 28 but there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and he has told you in your dream what will happen in the future. This was your dream:
PURPOSE OF THE NATURAL GIFT
Job gives us the purpose of these dreams: To keep people from falling into the pit.
Job 33:14-18 (WEB)
14 For God speaks once, yes twice, though man pays no attention. 15 In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls on men, in slumbering on the bed; 16 Then he opens the ears of men, and seals their instruction, 17 that he may withdraw man from his purpose, and hide pride from man. 18 He keeps back his soul from the pit, and his life from perishing by the sword.
This is why the bible is filled with unsaved, and non born again people hearing from God through dreams. Even when Jesus was going to be tried, Pilate’s wife had a dream warning Pilate that Jesus was to be left alone.
Matthew 27:19 (WEB) While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent to him, saying, “Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for I have suffered many things today in a dream because of him.”
Pilate listens to this dream and treats Jesus with respect and in the end refusing to condemn him. Dreams and visions are merely channels that link the natural man to the spirit world. While God can speak through them, so can Satan and his demons. A person who does not have the word of God can not tell the difference between the Spirit of God and an evil spirit. So such a person will also get messages from demons.
NEW TESTAMENT GIFT OF DREAMS AND PROPHECY
When the Holy Spirit was poured, we were told that people would dream dreams and prophesy. This is a special gift of the Holy Spirit. So the types of dreams and visions that come with this gift are in line with the ministry of The Holy Spirit.
1. To Testify about Christ
John 15:26 (WEB) “When the Counselor has come, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will testify about me.
You will get dreams and visions that teach you about the word of God. Christ is the word. In such dreams you can get revelations concerning the principles of God and his word. You may even get verses of scripture and such.
2. Reprove the World.
John 16:8-10 (NET)
8 And when he comes, he will prove the world wrong concerning sin and righteousness and judgment 9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; 10 concerning righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will see me no longer;
The Holy Spirit will give you dreams, visions and prophecies that deal with issues of sin in your life, your church or community. They will make clear the judgements of God that are coming against those who work evil. They will teach and reprove you concerning righteousness.
4. Messages from Jesus Christ.
John 16:13-14 (NET)
13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. For he will not speak on his own authority, but will speak whatever he hears, and will tell you what is to come. 14 He will glorify me, because he will receive from me what is mine and will tell it to you.
Jesus will speak to you through such dreams to tell you about your destiny in him. Your ministry. What you should avoid and what you should do. Such dreams will give you revelation in line with your spiritual destiny in Christ. You will get messages for you, your nation and for those around you.
