How to Interpret Dreams from a Biblical Perspective

Co-authored by Kari Samuels

Dreams play an important role in religion, as many figures in the Bible are said to have been visited by God during their sleep. Examining your dreams through a biblical lens can help you understand what God might be saying to you, and gain comfort and wisdom through His message.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Remembering the Dream

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Journal the dream.^{[1]
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Research source} Write down all the details. This may be difficult at first, but the more you practice remembering your dreams, the easier it will be to recall details. Any aspect that you remember about the place, people, or objects around might be important. If a particular detail is of importance, God will make it very noticeable to you.
- Symbols such as numbers, direction, colors, and animals, may all be of importance. The symbols in a dream can be negative or positive.
- You have to depend on the Holy spirit to reveal what the symbols reveal in your dream (negative or positive).
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Evaluate the emotions you felt. A dream may have been alarming, sad, or exciting, but usually there is an overall emotional response that you feel towards a remembered dream. Write down these emotional responses where they occurred in the sequence of the dream.
- Write down your feeling towards objects and people. If a certain object made you afraid or if you felt drawn to a figure, make sure to mention it in your recounting of the dream.
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Ask yourself when the dream occurs. Dreams can consist of memories, current life events, or things that are yet to come. If you are younger and surrounded with people you used to know, the dream is probably in the past. If you are unsure where you are or who is around you, you may be dreaming about a time in the future.
- God may give you a dream about an incident that happened in the past that’s hidden in your heart and that creates pain in your life so that you can then pray for healing.
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Determine if the dream is about you or somebody else. Pay attention to your perspective and interactions in the dream. If you did not speak or interact with those around you, maybe you were just observing or witnessing the events, and they do not directly involve you. It may be more of a vision to warn you of some possible occurrence. If you feel yourself as the central figure in the dream, then it is most likely the dream is meant to influence you or your life.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Identifying Symbols

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Note the colors of objects in your dreams. Different colors represent different characteristics of symbols. Colors are commonly associated with their religious significance. For example, blue is the color associated with the Virgin Mary, as she is often depicted in a blue dress. It symbolizes grace and good health.^{[2]
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Pay attention to animals. Animal symbols can sometimes be tricky, as they can have positive and negative significance in the bible.
- For example, the Lion of Judah can symbolize Jesus. However, the devil is depicted as prowling like a roaring lion in the bible as well.
- Cats can symbolize evil spirits, or they can be seen as comforting.
- Dogs can also have positive or negative meanings. They can be man's best friend, or symbolic of unbelievers.^{[3]
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Look for significant numbers. The numbers may appear in a written form, but very likely the numbers will appear as a particular number of objects. For example, the bible recounts the dream had by Pharaoh, which was interpreted by Joseph. In the dream, Pharaoh sees seven skinny cows eating seven large cows. Joseph interprets the dream as predicting seven years of plenty, followed by seven years of famine.
- Try to understand the context. For example, if you see five golden rings it can be seen as 5 days, weeks, months or years if you see it in a context of time. Five can also be a representation of the five evil kings of Israel.^{[4]
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  Research source} If you have lost five family members that are close to you, it might be a symbol that they are in heaven. You have to look at the number in the context of the rest of the dream to uncover the true meaning.
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Focus on objects of religious importance. There are many items that may seem ordinary but can hold significance when interpreting your dreams. Most obvious among these might be objects like a cross, bread and wine, or a burning bush.
- Other objects may be less obvious symbolic but still significant. Some examples could be as ordinary as an apple, coins, or candles. If you notice an ordinary object that seems important in the dream, it may be a symbol.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Searching for Meaning

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Don't use a standard dream symbol dictionary.^{[5]
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Research source} To analyze the importance of objects or symbols in your dreams, you should look how they relate to the scripture. For example, standard dream dictionaries may also interpret a goat as symbolic of prosperity, while from a religious perspective a goat is most often associated with oppressors and unrepentant sinners.^{[6]
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Evaluate each symbol. Consider possible meanings of each symbol, particularly how they may relate to your situation in life. If you have a religious dream, it is likely that God has made the dream so that it will speak to you. If you examine the symbols enough you will likely find the hidden meaning that feels right and significant to you.
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Decide if the dream is literal or symbolic. If you dream that somebody is going to die, it may be a literal meaning, or it could be symbolic. If someone has died in a dream it could be symbolic of cutting ties with that person or situation.
- Many common religious symbols have recurred in dreams for different people. Serpents or snakes representing an evil. Nakedness representing closeness with God. Houses and their state of disrepair or beauty can symbolize the state of your spirit. These symbols are all common among dreams with religious implications.^{[7]
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Ask yourself what emotions you have experienced or issues you were processing the day before the dream. Consider if there are any aspects of your life in which you feel the same emotions that you experienced in the dream.
- If you are under a lot of stress or extremely busy, your dream may just be your mind's way of processing the day while you sleep. Sometimes you may even have a dream that seems religious, but doesn't feel like a divine message. If it doesn't seem significant or important, it may not be worth stressing out over the interpretation.
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Pray about the dream. If the dream seems like a very important message or warning, then look deeper and ask God what he is trying to teach you. Sometimes a religious dream may be a challenge from God to make you seek some important truth. Don't ignore a dream just because it seems difficult to understand. Seek out the answer from God and in the bible.
- Ask yourself if this is an answer to a question that you have asked God. God can give you answers through a dream.