Dreams and visions

Dreams and visions are among the ways God revealed himself and his purposes, as to Joseph, Daniel, the wise men and Peter, and he promised that in the last days young men would see visions and old men dream dreams. Christian traditions differ on whether God still speaks through dreams and visions today, and the passages each side cites are listed below.

God speaks in dreams and visions

• Numbers 12:6
  And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the Lord will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream.He said, “Hear now My words: If there is a prophet among you, I, the LORD, will reveal Myself to him in a vision; I will speak to him in a dream.
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• Job 33:14-16
  ¹⁴For God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not.For God speaks in one way and in another, yet no one notices. ¹⁵In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed;In a dream, in a vision in the night, when deep sleep falls upon men as they slumber on their beds, ¹⁶Then he openeth the ears of men, and sealeth their instruction,He opens their ears and terrifies them with warnings
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• Genesis 20:3
  But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, Behold, thou art but a dead man, for the woman which thou hast taken; for she is a man’s wife.One night, however, God came to Abimelech in a dream and told him, “You are as good as dead because of the woman you have taken, for she is a married woman.”
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• Genesis 28:12-13
  ¹²And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it.And Jacob had a dream about a ladder that rested on the earth with its top reaching up to heaven, and God’s angels were going up and down the ladder. ¹³And, behold, the Lord stood above it, and said, I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed;And there at the top the LORD was standing and saying, “I am the LORD, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you now lie.
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• Genesis 37:5-9
  ⁵And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more.Then Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more. ⁶And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed:He said to them, “Listen to this dream I had: ⁷For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf.We were binding sheaves of grain in the field, and suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around and bowed down to mine.” ⁸And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? And they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words.“Do you intend to reign over us?” his brothers asked. “Will you actually rule us?” So they hated him even more because of his dream and his statements. ⁹And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me.Then Joseph had another dream and told it to his brothers. “Look,” he said, “I had another dream, and this time the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me.”
  Show context · Read Genesis 37 →

Interpretations belong to God

• Genesis 40:8
  And they said unto him, We have dreamed a dream, and there is no interpreter of it. And Joseph said unto them, Do not interpretations belong to God? tell me them, I pray you.“We both had dreams,” they replied, “but there is no one to interpret them.” Then Joseph said to them, “Don’t interpretations belong to God? Tell me your dreams.”
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• Genesis 41:15-16
  ¹⁵And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I have dreamed a dream, and there is none that can interpret it: and I have heard say of thee, that thou canst understand a dream to interpret it.Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I had a dream, and no one can interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.” ¹⁶And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, It is not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace.“I myself cannot do it,” Joseph replied, “but God will give Pharaoh a sound answer.”
  Show context · Read Genesis 41 →
• Daniel 2:19
  Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven.During the night, the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision, and he blessed the God of heaven
  Show context · Read Daniel 2 →
• Daniel 2:28
  But there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are these;But there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in the latter days. Your dream and the visions that came into your mind as you lay on your bed were these:
  Show context · Read Daniel 2 →

Dreams and visions in the New Testament

• Matthew 1:20
  But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.But after he had pondered these things, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to embrace Mary as your wife, for the One conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.
  Show context · Read Matthew 1 →
• Matthew 2:12-13
  ¹²And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they withdrew to their country by another route. ¹³And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.When the Magi had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up!” he said. “Take the Child and His mother and flee to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the Child to kill Him.”
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• Acts 9:10
  And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord.In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord spoke to him in a vision, “Ananias!” “Here I am, Lord,” he answered.
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• Acts 10:3
  He saw in a vision evidently about the ninth hour of the day an angel of God coming in to him, and saying unto him, Cornelius.One day at about the ninth hour, he had a clear vision of an angel of God who came to him and said, “Cornelius!”
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• Acts 16:9-10
  ⁹And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us.During the night, Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and pleading with him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” ¹⁰And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavoured to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them.As soon as Paul had seen the vision, we got ready to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.
  Show context · Read Acts 16 →
• Acts 18:9
  Then spake the Lord to Paul in the night by a vision, Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace:One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking; do not be silent.
  Show context · Read Acts 18 →

In the last days

• Joel 2:28
  And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:And afterward, I will pour out My Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.
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• Acts 2:17
  And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:‘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.
  Show context · Read Acts 2 →

Testing dreams

• Deuteronomy 13:1-3
  ¹If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder,If a prophet or dreamer of dreams arises among you and proclaims a sign or wonder to you, ²And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them;and if the sign or wonder he has spoken to you comes about, but he says, “Let us follow other gods (which you have not known) and let us worship them,” ³Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the Lord your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. For the LORD your God is testing you to find out whether you love Him with all your heart and with all your soul.
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• Jeremiah 23:25-28
  ²⁵I have heard what the prophets said, that prophesy lies in my name, saying, I have dreamed, I have dreamed.“I have heard the sayings of the prophets who prophesy lies in My name: ‘I had a dream! I had a dream!’ ²⁶How long shall this be in the heart of the prophets that prophesy lies? yea, they are prophets of the deceit of their own heart;How long will this continue in the hearts of these prophets who prophesy falsehood, these prophets of the delusion of their own minds? ²⁷Which think to cause my people to forget my name by their dreams which they tell every man to his neighbour, as their fathers have forgotten my name for Baal.They suppose the dreams that they tell one another will make My people forget My name, just as their fathers forgot My name through the worship of Baal. ²⁸The prophet that hath a dream, let him tell a dream; and he that hath my word, let him speak my word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat? saith the Lord.Let the prophet who has a dream retell it, but let him who has My word speak it truthfully. For what is straw compared to grain?” declares the LORD.
  Show context · Read Jeremiah 23 →
• Jeremiah 29:8-9
  ⁸For thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Let not your prophets and your diviners, that be in the midst of you, deceive you, neither hearken to your dreams which ye cause to be dreamed.For this is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: “Do not be deceived by the prophets and diviners among you, and do not listen to the dreams you elicit from them. ⁹For they prophesy falsely unto you in my name: I have not sent them, saith the Lord.For they are falsely prophesying to you in My name; I have not sent them, declares the LORD.”
  Show context · Read Jeremiah 29 →
• Ecclesiastes 5:7
  For in the multitude of dreams and many words there are also divers vanities: but fear thou God.For as many dreams bring futility, so do many words. Therefore, fear God.
  Show context · Read Ecclesiastes 5 →

God's final word in his Son and the Scriptures

• Hebrews 1:1-2
  ¹God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,On many past occasions and in many different ways, God spoke to our fathers through the prophets. ²Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;But in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, and through whom He made the universe.
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• 2 Timothy 3:16-17
  ¹⁶All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for instruction, for conviction, for correction, and for training in righteousness, ¹⁷That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.so that the man of God may be complete, fully equipped for every good work.
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• 2 Peter 1:19
  We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:We also have the word of the prophets as confirmed beyond doubt. And you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.
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• Jude 1:3
  Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.Beloved, although I made every effort to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt it necessary to write and urge you to contend earnestly for the faith entrusted once for all to the saints.
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See also

• Prophecy
• Guidance
• Joseph, son of Jacob
• Daniel
• Angels

Notes

1. Verses are quoted in the translation chosen in the Translation menu at the top of the page. See Translations for sources and copyright notices.
2. Each reference links to the full chapter so the verse can be read in context.