Why and how do Christians interpret dreams?
My friend Eric had a dream. In real life he was thinking of changing his car. He had a habit of going to car auctions to gauge prices. In his dream he was at a car auction. It was evening and there was not much light. He hastily bid on a car which seemed to be very good value.
In the light of morning, he had a proper look at the car. Eric was horrified. He had bought a grey Citroen 2CV. This was the car he couldn’t stand, always a target of jokes, in his least favourite colour. Looking at the unappealing paintwork, Eric saw it had a lustre, light was coming out of the car; it was translucent. Looking inside, he saw only one seat, a folding picnic chair. Not only had he bought the last car he would have chosen, he had bought the picnic version!
Once inside the car, Eric couldn’t see through the windscreen. He wiped it but found it was crystal: light came through but he could not see out. The steering wheel didn’t turn. He saw a cable going from the steering wheel to the passenger side where there was a keypad on a box, like a computer, but with no screen. It seemed he had to press the keys to direct the car. What did all this mean? Eric was perplexed.
Should Eric spend time and energy trying to work out what all this meant? Should Christians devote attention to their dreams and their interpretation? ‘Most Christians don’t think it is OK to talk about their dreams,’ says Yvonne Hall, ‘not because they have been told not to, but because they have never heard anyone do it.’ Yvonne attends the Lighthouse Church in Troon , where she is also Director of the Healing Rooms. Her husband is Director of Youth With A Mission, Scotland.
Some Christians would warn against trying to interpret dreams as dangerous , close to occult practice. An old translation of Deuteronomy 18:10 says ‘Let there not be found among you him who observes dreams.’ Other practices are also outlawed: soothsaying, sorcery, casting spells, consulting ghosts or spirits. A quick search on the internet will lead to many New Age websites commending dream interpretation alongside these other spiritual practices. If Christians want to keep themselves clean from these nasty spiritual influences, say some, they should avoid turning their minds to dreams, but turn to Scripture instead.
More Christians would say that trying to interpret dreams is unnecessary and time wasting. The Evangelicals Now website has an article on dreams which includes: ‘Mostly they will be crazy pastiches of past memories and recent visual images and sensations. It is futile looking for symbolism and hidden meanings in these fleeting apparitions — there is certainly no suggestion in the Bible that we should do so. It is worrying that writing down one’s dreams for discussion by church group leaders is creeping into some evangelicalism.’[1]
Dr. Stephen Catto, Lecturer in Biblical and Theological Studies at Moorlands Bible College acknowledges that, like many people, ‘Dream interpretation is not something I’ve had much contact with… I think we need to recognise that, in Scripture, it was a fairly infrequent way that God chose to reveal himself. Peter and Paul’s missionary activities were not regularly guided by such dreams; rather, they seem to be a one-off. Should we be carefully recording and analysing every dream we have, to see if God is speaking to us; should we expend lots of effort and time in this? My feeling is that we might be better spending that time focusing on what God wants to say to us through Scripture. I’m not saying “ignore your dreams”, but I would urge caution.’
Other Christians are more positive about attending to our dreams. Russ Parker, Director of the Acorn Christian Healing Trust, points out that there are more references in the Bible to dreams than to the Church. He quotes Herman Riffel from his book Your Dreams: God’s Neglected Gift ‘… if we added together all the direct references to dreams and visions, all the stories surrounding them and all the prophecies that issued out of them, this material would cover about one third of the entire Bible.’[2] The translation of Deuteronomy 18:10 which includes interpreting dreams is now accepted as a mis-translation.
Mark Virkler, of the US online Christian Leadership University, writes that God has said that he normally communicates to prophets in dreams (Numbers 12:6). All who now receive the Holy Spirit through Jesus will prophecy and dream dreams (Acts 2:17) It is clearly not true that non-Christians don’t dream at all. The special gift of the Holy Spirit is therefore not to start us dreaming but to enable God to speak to us through our dreams. Far from being wary of attending to our dreams, Christians should expect the Holy Spirit to speak to us as we sleep. ‘Dreams are a central way God has chosen to communicate with us, and thus they must be given great weight!’[3]
James Ryle, American Vineyard Pastor and author of ‘A Dream Come True’, writes, ‘… the Bible doesn’t teach about dreams and visions in any systematic manner, yet by giving many significant examples, it validates their existence and use by God as a means of communicating to man…’ Ryle points out that it was in a dream that Joseph the carpenter heard an angel tell him what Mary’s son’s name was to be. ‘The name of Jesus! Every time you say His name, you validate the fact that God speaks in dreams.’ He goes on to detail ‘Two Thousand Years of Dreams and Visions’ in which leading Christians heard God speaking to them through dreams: Augustine, Patrick, John Bunyan, John Newton, William Booth, Charles Spurgeon, Dr T. J. Barnado. Even Thomas Aquinas, who had argued fiercely against dreams and for a rational, rather than mystical, approach to Christian theology, was so overwhelmed by a dream that he ceased to write and dictate.[4]
Ambrose Walsh, retired priest and Canon of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cardiff, says he has been noticing and listening to his dreams since the 1980s. ‘They lead us into truth about what’s going on in our lives,’ says Ambrose. ‘The most powerful experience of my life was a dream with a purity and intensity which left me gasping, “Oh my God! If heaven’s like this, roll on death.” This was far more than my imagination usually comes up with…’ Although Ambrose recognises that dream interpretation is not a subject heard much from Roman Catholic teachers, as is the case in other churches, there is equally no teaching against it. Ambrose speaks at regional and national conferences. ‘I am a kosher Roman Catholic,’ he says.
Yvonne Hall from Scotland has been listening to her dreams and helping others to listen to theirs only for a couple of years. She, and others, have been delighted to discover that it is OK to talk about dreams. More Christian teaching is coming out on dreams. mostly from America, but also in Britain. As well as Mark Virkler, the American John Paul Jackson teaches widely on dreams. Jackson’s courses are available in Scotland and Cheltenham. Yvonne also finds dream interpretation a powerful tool for engaging with spiritually hungry unchurched people.
All these ‘pro-dream’ Christians would be horrified, however, if anyone stopped reading their Bible in order to concentrate on their dreams. Mark Virkler points out that the New Testament uses two Greek words for ‘the word of God’, logos and rhema. The logos word speaks of the eternal character and purposes of God, the rhema word applies this broad message to our individual lives today. The logos of God shows me the many ways in which the life of the Spirit is to replace the life of the flesh in me. The rhema word indicates which of these aspects of holiness it would be good for me to work on now. Dreams can bring us the rhema word of God, which does not replace the logos word, but confirms it and applies it personally.
Most Christian teachers would also say that dreams rarely bring us a word directly from God. ‘80% plus of my dreams is about me doing my stuff,’ says Russ Parker. ‘We are more honest when we are asleep than when we are awake… We will tell ourselves things when we are asleep that we would not dream of telling ourselves when we are awake.’[5] Isaiah 29:8 says … ‘a hungry person dreams of eating and wakes up still hungry, or a thirsty person dreams of drinking and wakes up faint, still thirsty…’ The core message of most dreams is ‘This is how I am feeling.’ The book of Ecclesiasticus in the Apocrypha says ‘What is seen in dreams is but a reflection, the likeness of a face looking at itself.’[6] This basic nature of dreams is also how they are seen by modern psychologists.
Christians, however, believe that Christ lives in our hearts through faith; His Spirit moves and speaks within us. The Holy Spirit, therefore, will be prompting my heart to speak in a dream, and, occasionally, can speak alongside or within my heart while I am asleep. ‘God speaks through dreams,’ says Ambrose Walsh, ‘but not directly. We are the author of our dreams, and since God is our author, God can lead us through dreams.’ We don’t have to wait for the Holy Spirit to speak to us in this way. We can ask Him to speak about something important to us. Russ describes the rarer dreams in which the Holy Spirit speaks more directly as characterized by ‘an invitation with a sense of authority which I can’t ignore, demanding a response.’
Russ Parker has been described as the only British Christian to have written on dreams in the 20th Century. His books are Healing Dreams and Dream Stories. ‘Dream interpretation is an orthodox part of the Christian faith,’ says Russ. ‘But, as in all pastoral work, we need to have good practice.’
Good Christian practice in interpreting dreams, according to Russ, means firstly that we ’make sure that no interpretation of dream symbols is made which does not ring true with the dreamer.’[7] ‘The dreamer’s heart will leap and witness and say, “Aha!” when it hears the right interpretation,’ writes Mark Virkler, ‘so never accept an interpretation that does not bear witness in the dreamer’s heart.’ A dream dictionary may say that cats always mean danger, but take that with a pinch of salt. If cats are your favourite animals, bringing you comfort and delight, your dream about a cat will probably be wholly positive.
‘Most dreams are symbolic (including biblical dreams) …’ writes Mark Virkler, ‘Throw the switch in your brain that says, “Look at this symbolically.”‘ Dreaming of an animal, for instance a cat, will not usually mean anything to do with cats, but will be a message about what, for you, is a ‘cat-like’ emotion. Mark recommends, ‘Ask, “What emotion might this animal be symbolizing to me?” This will depend on your geographical home, your personal experiences, your knowledge of the Bible, and your own culture. For example, a cat might be curiosity…’
Dream symbols can also be plays on words, especially in people who enjoy such play. A woman dreamt of a bird which kept looking at her, which only had one, large eye. When a pastor suggested this meant ‘someone, maybe an angel, is keeping an eye on you,’ that seemed just right to her. Mark Virkler writes ‘One person reported dreaming of a friend named Anita Cook and finding the interpretation to be ‘I need to cook.’
Starting with the dream symbols, however, is not Mark’s recommended way to begin an interpretation. ‘Isolate the feeling of the dream first. How did you
feel upon first awakening? Was your heart pounding in fear? Did you feel loved, excited, happy, or content? In what aspect of your life are you also feeling this emotion? If it is not immediately obvious to you, ask the Lord to reveal it to you.’ Russ Parker also teaches to start with the feelings of the dream. ‘The real way in is the emotional content. The symbols are explained by the feelings, not the other way round. I ask “Is there anything in your life with the same feeling package?” I invite the person to build a bridge to a waking life event. In over thirty years of leading dream workshops, every person has built that bridge.’
Other Christian teachers, notably John Paul Jackson, tend to begin with the symbols, while recognising that the symbols are expressions of the heart and therefore feelings are important too. When talking about dreams, people are often more comfortable beginning with the symbols, rather than with the emotions which seem more private. ‘I firmly believe,’ writes Russ Parker, ‘that if we listen well and do not force interpretations upon people then the moment will eventually come when both the emotional content and the understanding of symbolical meaning will cohere; they should match up.’
Expect also that the interpretation will be about your own life, rather than someone else’s. ‘At least 95% of your dreams will be about you, your inner self, your current situation, your relationships.’ writes Mark Virkler. ‘There is a basic rule in dream work,’ writes Russ Parker, ‘and that is that “the dream is for the dreamer.”’[8]
All Christian teachers also agree that it is vital to ask God for the right interpretation. As Joseph said to Pharaoh, and Daniel to Nebuchadnezzar, ‘God will give the interpretation.’[9] Take time, with God, to mull over a dream. Talking with a trusted friend also helps. Sooner or later your heart will say “Aha”; the Holy Spirit within you will confirm what the dream means for you. If you consider the Holy Spirit is leading you in a dream towards a decision, check out that guidance with the Bible and with a trusted senior Christian. Don’t stop reading your Bible.
Eric prayed about his dream of a Citroen 2CV. It occurred to him that a car might well be a symbol of his moving forward. In the dream he was feeling perplexed. In what aspect of his life was he feeling perplexed about moving forward? His Christian ministry seemed in some way to be going nowhere. As he thought about the car as a symbol of ministry it made sense.
The car’s body gave out light, showing the supernatural aspect of ministry. The seat was a resting, enjoyable, seat rather than a working seat. To Eric this was showing that power comes through resting and enjoying God’s world. The crystal windscreen meant that only God could show the way forward; with Him it would be crystal clear. The keypad attached to the steering wheel meant that his ministry had to be directed by every word given by God.
One way forward for Eric’s ministry was with the Church of England. He had always thought of the Church of England as semi-Christian at best, more folk religion than Biblical faith. His dream seemed to be showing him that the way forward in ministry was in the last place he would have chosen to put himself. As Eric continued to pray and talk about this interpretation, it felt to him just right.
Eric’s dream and its interpretation show how the Holy Spirit can work in a Christian’s life, not supplanting Scripture, but confirming and applying it. Eric is fairly rare, however, in being confident to talk about his dreams, not afraid to be thought of as a bit weird.
Charles Spurgeon addressed fear of talking about dreams in a sermon he preached in his church in New York on April 16th 1868. In the sermon he talked about a dream he had had, and talked about dreams more generally:
‘We must take care that we do not neglect heavenly monitions through fear of being considered visionary; we must not be staggered even by the dread of being styled fanatical, or out of our minds. For to stifle a thought from God is no small sin… If you have dreamed a dream from the Lord, turn it over and over again till you are quite sure it is not steam from a heated brain, or smoke from hell. When it is clear to your own heart that it is fire from off God’s altar – then work, and pray, and wait your time!’[10]
Taking it further
Books:
Russ Parker Healing Dreams: Their Power and Purpose in Your Spiritual Life Triangle/ SPCK 1993
Russ Parker Dream Stories: A Journey into the Bible’s Dreams and Visions BRF 2002
Herman Riffel Your Dreams: God’s Neglected Gift Kingsway 1984
James Ryle A Dream Come True Eagle 1995
Internet:
Free download from Mark Virkler:
Principles of Christian Dream Interpretation | Communion With God Ministries
Mark’s daughter, Charity Kayembe, also teaches widely on dreams: Dream Keys | Glory Waves
John Paul Jackson’s course Understanding Dreams and Visions is taught in the US: Understanding Dreams & Visions Course
and in England: Streams Training Centre England; Make Sense of Your Dreams
Searching for ‘Christian Dream Interpretation’ will lead you to many sites, not all Christian. Take what is in the ‘dream dictionaries’ as only suggestions.
Some Biblical Dreams
Genesis 20:3-7: God puts right Abraham pretending that Sarah is not his wife by giving Abimelech a dream
Genesis 31:10-12 God speaks to Jacob in dreams, showing that the famous ‘ladder to heaven’ dream was not a one-off.
Judges 7:13-15; God leads Gideon to hear an enemy soldier’s dream and its interpretation
1 Kings 3:5-15 Solomon asks God for wisdom, in a dream
Daniel chapters 2 & 4: Nebuchadnezzar’s dreams which he ignores to his peril
Acts 16:6-11: Paul dreams of a Greek man asking him to come
(as well as the well known dreams of Joseph the coat-wearer and Joseph the carpenter)
What about Nightmares?
‘Nightmares are me saying “I have some unfinished business here,”‘ says Russ Parker. ‘Nightmares are messages of strong colour, signalling a need for healing and help.’ Talk with a kind trusted friend or a Christian minister about your dream and where God needs to bring you healing. Be confident that, as the Holy Spirit has allowed or encouraged your heart to speak in a nightmare, so He can and will bring healing. ‘A nightmare is 7/8s of a healing story,’ says Russ.
Occasionally a nightmare can signal a need for deliverance. In such a nightmare the person is attacked or tormented in a way that tends to spill over into waking life. Pray the simple prayer of deliverance ‘Father in heaven, deliver me from evil, especially as I sleep,’ and seek help.
Roger Harper
Article first published in Premier Christianity Magazine