"Dreams and Visions."
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Question #1:  
Dear Robert,

I would like your help in the interpretation of a recent, detailed dream I had (content follows). Specifically, do you think there is any meaning in the names of these pagan gods and goddesses based upon letter for letter Hebrew transliteration and gematric value (especially re: 666)?

Response #1:  
Dreams are a difficult subject. There is no question that, especially in times past, the Lord made great use of dreams to communicate with individual believers (and there is plenty of scripture on this: cf. Job 33:15). In many of the scriptural examples we have, however, a person knows that the dream is from God because God or one of His angels makes it undeniably clear that this is the case (e.g., Matt.2:13). Now it is also true that on very rare occasions we have examples in scripture of symbolic dreams given by God that require interpretation. One thinks of Joseph and the 12 stars and later the dreams of the baker and the wine steward and the dream of Pharaoh; one also thinks of the dreams of Nebuchadnezzar interpreted by Daniel. In last two cases, not only did the dreams clearly come from God on exceptional occasions to be interpreted by unquestionably exceptional believers, but the interpretations thereof also came about as the result of divine guidance and superintendence (Gen.41:16: "I cannot do it, but God will give Pharaoh the answer"; Dan.2:27-28: "no wise man . . . can explain it . . . but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries"). 

Amongst all the wide variety of spiritual gifts listed in the New Testament, we do not find "interpretation of dreams" therein. It is also the case that when individuals are given information in a supernatural way in the New Testament, we are generally told that this experience was a "vision" (Acts 16:9), which I take to mean, from the descriptions given in such passages, a clear communication from God in one's sleep (although there are examples of "waking visions" as well), and one that is clearly and easily distinguishable from a dream – at least by the person who receives it.

In my view, many if not all of the dramatically supernatural gifts of the pre-canon period have now been "de-activated" for want of a better word (cf. 1Cor.13:8-10). The reason for this I surmise is that we now do have the complete canon of scripture, and the proper focus for all believers is now the full and complete written Word of God. It is easy to see how preoccupation with, for example, the production of miracles et al. could easily distract believers from their proper spiritual food and a healthy approach to proper spiritual growth and production (please see the link: "Are miraculous gifts operational today?"). That is my point of departure for all such discussions.

Far be it from me to question any individual Christian's personal experience. But as a teacher of the Word, I have to base what I believe and say on what I find in scripture. On a personal level, my dreams have always been odd and disconnected – not, therefore, easily subject to any sort of broad interpretation (although I know plenty of people who have much more integrated and contiguous dreams). Lacking any sort of gift for the interpretation of dreams myself and being somewhat skeptical about the degree to which God is currently using this medium to communicate His truth (we now have the complete Bible, after all), my ability and willingness to weigh in on such matters is very limited. However I would venture to say that in my opinion if and when God gives a dream there will be absolutely no doubt about that fact – and He who gave it is also the only One who can give the interpretation (as in the examples above). As Daniel and his friends prayed for help in this regard and as a result Daniel received the interpretation from God "in a vision", that would seem to me to be the scriptural approach (Dan.2:17-19).

What I can tell you as the specifics of some of the things you ask about is that there are indeed demons behind many if not all of the pagan gods (1Cor.8:4-5; 10:19-21; 12:1-3). As to antichrist, all I have been able to glean about him from the scriptures or to say about him at present is written up in part 3B of the Coming Tribulation series, "Antichrist". This includes a rather detailed discussion of "666" and the gematric possibilities thereof.

I certainly apologize for not being able to be of much help on this.

In our dear Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, in whom all the treasures of knowledge dwell.

Bob L.
 
Question #2:  
Dear Dr. Luginbill,

I would like to share with you and ask for your impressions of a dream I had many years ago (detailed content of dream follows). Shortly afterwards, I had a dramatic conversion in response to the dream telling me to believe in Jesus. I often think about it, always with intention and inspiration to land at God's doorstep and/or help someone towards it.
Response #2:  
As I often say in such situations, no one is in a position to judge another person's experience: these are for you to treasure as no one else really can, and also for you to evaluate as you are the only one who can. 

It is clear from scripture that God does speak to us in a variety of ways. We should always listen, and I, for one, am grateful for every instance where I feel His guiding hand in my life. But then again as Hebrews says, "in these last days communicated to us in a Son". As long as we use the Bible as our measuring stick and touchstone of truth, we aren't going to run into trouble in this regard. For it is also true there are many other times where dreams, coincidences, and similar potential "communications" are clearly not from Him at all as we all understand. I am thrilled that this dream was apparently instrumental in your turning to Jesus, and that is what I would certainly wish to focus on. It seems that the Lord has also given you a memorial to which you can always return with confidence – like Peter's vision of the Second Advent on the "mount of transfiguration". But as Peter himself said (2Pet.1:19), "Yet I consider the prophetically inspired Word (i.e. the Bible) even more reliable (i.e. than what I saw with my own eyes)" . . . and . . . "You too would do well to pay the closest attention to this [prophetically inspired Word], just as to a lamp shining in a dark place (i.e., in preference to any vision or the like; cf. Ps.119:105)". And Jesus said, "Blessed are those who have not seen [what you have seen] and yet have believed" (Jn.20:29). So I rejoice for every faith-building experience my fellow believers in Jesus may have, but I always try to remind them that a single verse of scripture is more solid than any experience they could ever know (and, given the quotes above, in this I think I have the Spirit of God).

I especially appreciate your words "always with intention and inspiration to land at God's doorstep and/or help someone towards it". To me this is the essence of our purpose here on earth after salvation: to grow spiritually and help others do the same.

Best wishes for your continued effective service for our Lord Jesus Christ.

In Him.

Bob L.
Question #3:  
Dear Bob, 

In spite of my current troubles, I continue to dig into your studies and am learning now about the Nephilim, but I do have a few questions as my daughter is having difficulties with these teachings. Can you give me some advice as to the best way to begin helping her study the Bible? I am under the impression that after the time of Noah, God didn't allow angels to enter our spatial world. So maybe, it confuses me still too, because possessions are still very real? My young daughter is concerned that she has been touched physically by angels. Was she dreaming this? Or can an angel still physically touch or harm us? Another question pertaining to an acquaintance: He is having nightmares, recurring, about satan chasing after him. My daughter asked me about this and wonders if the devil can come to us in our dreams. All I can say to her is that things that frighten us, yes, the devil will play upon, but as to whether he can read our thoughts or enter our minds or dreams, I cannot answer. How much power does the devil have over an individual, for Christian and non-Christian alike? Does he want us to be frightened of him in this way? Can angels physically harm us? I am concerned about the troubles to come, and want to be sure to be solid in faith in the face of the Tribulation. I continue to pray for this ministry.

Response #3:  

First of all, I want to commend you for your very positive attitude towards the Lord and His Word. In my view, these are inseparable. All Christians who really do love Jesus more than the world inevitably manifest this true love in their desire for His truth. And it is only through learning, believing, and applying His truth that we grow and become useful to Him in the bearing of fruit in service to our brothers and sisters in Christ. I very much appreciate your enthusiasm for the Bible and for these studies in particular and I want you to know that your support is greatly appreciated, especially your prayers. I will be praying for you that you find the resources you need in God's good time and timing, and I also want to encourage you to continue to make use of the time you have now for intensifying spiritual growth. It is a very wise and very spiritually mature attitude that you are displaying, not giving in to worry, but trusting the Lord and in His ability to provide – this is a great spiritual victory, and one you will always carry with you.

As to the questions you've asked concerning your daughter, regarding the Nephilim et al., this is one of those areas where even fairly conservative (in the biblical sense), generally Bible-believing people sometimes have quite a problem accepting what the scriptures really have to say on this subject (please see the link: “Doubts about the Nephilim”). So while I never hesitate to teach the truth on this subject, I do try to keep aware of the fact that while all of scripture and all that is taught in scripture is important, it is also a wise and prudent policy to concentrate on the fundamentals especially in the case of new believers who are just coming to Jesus and who may otherwise have “issues” about certain things in the Bible. We all bump into things in scripture from time to time which we find either hard to believe or hard to accept, or which worry us for one reason or another. In this connection, my old pastor used to compare the process of spiritual growth to eating fish: you'll probably enjoy it much more if you pick out the bones and put them aside as you eat. The point being, 99% of scripture and its teachings are not going to bother someone who is truly interested in getting close to Jesus through the Word, but all of us will bump into about 1% of things that can really cause us problems if we try to “swallow them” immediately, and if they get stuck in our throat, we might regret eating the rest of the fish in the first place. That is to say, when we come to something that seems “wrong”, there are three possibilities: 1) it really is wrong; 2) it's right but we are not to the point spiritually yet of being able to accept it; 3) the passage/doctrine is really to be interpreted in a somewhat different way, which new interpretation will eliminate all the problems. Now no pastor-teacher is perfect, and no one knows everything about the Bible in perfect correctness – although of course that should be our ambition (it surely is mine). So if we have found a good source of spiritual food, one that not only appeals to our “palate” but is unquestionably nutritious, well, it certainly makes sense to get the most good out of that source we can, and not let small areas of disagreement, questioning, or worry deprive us of what is really being helpful to us. If, on the other hand, the Spirit gives us repeated and shrill warnings that the food is not good over all, we should move on. But there is a big difference between a 1% “problem” (which may or may not really even be a problem), and a ministry that is seriously “off” from the standpoint of doctrinal orthodoxy altogether. All this is a long way of saying that while I would in your situation always want to tell the truth to anyone, and especially someone I loved, I would try and not “make a point” of parts of the Bible which may be causing them problems or trouble but which are not absolutely crucial in the early. To take the Nephilim example again, I have absolutely no doubt but that I have many genuinely Christian brothers and sisters who are going to be with us in Christ's eternal Church forever, even having been significantly rewarded for their service here on earth and having attained a good measure of spiritual growth, who are for all that completely wrong in their “explain it away” interpretation of the Nephilim. Now if I were in a position to personally interact with someone who was having a problem with the truth of what scripture teaches on this point, I would never forgive myself if in exploding their faulty understanding of this doctrine too aggressively, the result was that they lost their interest in scripture altogether. Of course that would never be my intent. My point is only that sometimes it is the better part of valor (and of apologetics) not to insist on rubbing someone's nose in a less major point when the really important issue is our responsiveness to Jesus and to His Word on all points. Make no mistake – the teaching on the Nephilim is very important for a whole host of reasons, but if a person will just commit to putting the Bible and Bible study first in their life-priorities, eventually the truth of the Bible will out – on this as well as on every single other subject. So as to the “place to best begin” studying the Bible, on the one hand, any place is good that fosters the person's interest and enthusiasm, and on the other hand, it should all be studied in due time. For reading scripture in particular, I highly recommend the short study: Read Your Bible. And here are some guidelines posted on the site about how best to incorporate the studies at Ichthys:
 
FAQ #7: Recommended Use: How can I best benefit from these studies? 
These materials are intended to support your individual Christian spiritual growth. They are not meant to replace prayer, Bible reading, worship, Christian fellowship, or personal ministry. Given the dearth of substantive Bible teaching in the contemporary "church visible", however, I encourage you to seek the solid food of the Word of God somewhere - if not in face to face teaching or from this ministry, then from some sound, reliable, and orthodox source - for there can be no serious spiritual growth without the critical ingredient of the Word of God taught in depth. If Ichthys is your source of choice (or one of them), I recommend at a minimum reading the e-mail responses which are posted on a weekly basis, and developing a personal plan for working your way through the already available studies and postings (while keeping up with new ones). Please keep in mind that much of the material in this work is presented in depth and may require re-reading several times in order to master thoroughly. I also suggest you make a habit of reading the footnotes and especially of looking up the verses cited to see for yourself the scriptural basis for the point being taught.

FAQ #8: Recommended Sequence: Which of these studies should I read first? 

As these studies all reinforce and complement one another, a variety of approaches will work equally well. I do recommend the study Read Your Bible as a good place to start in order to understand the methodology of this ministry. The Peter Series then provides a good general introduction to many basic doctrines. The Bible Basics series is not yet complete, but the available studies (Theology, Angelology, Anthropology, Hamartiology) provide comprehensive treatments of the subject matter they contain. The completed Satanic Rebellion series and the not yet complete Coming Tribulation series, while primarily focused on eschatology, contain much additional doctrinal information on a variety of subjects and can thus also be very profitable for general spiritual growth. Making a habit of reading the weekly e-mail response postings is also recommended.
 
The question of dreams is a good one, and one which is somewhat difficult to answer in a wholly satisfactory way. On the one hand, there are very many instances in scripture of exceptional believers being given very specific dreams from the Lord, dreams wherein no interpretation is necessary whatsoever or the matter so obvious that the point behind the dream or vision becomes clear after only brief reflection (like the vision of the man from Macedonia saying “come over here and help us! – Paul and co. went immediately to Macedon). Dreams which are from God that need interpreting tend to come to unbelievers for the sake of God's demonstration of His favor toward believers (e.g., Joseph interpreting Pharaoh's dream; Daniel interpreting Nebuchadnezzar's dream). And we know too that dreams which are definitely of God and of a prophetic nature will be a characteristic of and a common thing in Christ's millennial Kingdom (Joel 2:28). In our present time, since the end of the age of the apostles, overt miracles and overtly miraculous gifts and behaviors have yielded to the written Word and its interpretation. That is not to say that God is not doing miracles in our world and in our lives every day – indeed He is! It is only to say that the way He is working now is somewhat different than the way in which He has worked in the past and will in the future, and there is a definite purpose for the change: to build up our faith in Jesus and His truth on the basis purely of believing what He says to us the in the Bible rather than on the basis of what we see with our eyes or otherwise experience – that is the kind of unbreakable faith that those of us who will have to experience the Tribulation are going to need.

Scripture does not give us a comprehensive treatment or much information at all about dreams which are not specifically and undeniably forthcoming from the Lord. Since that is the case, the only way we could ever know whether a dream which seems to guide us or warn us or give us any information whatsoever was really “God telling us something” would be to see if it conforms with what the scriptures teach us. And if it does conform with what the scriptures teach us, then we didn't really need the dream in the first place – as long we were giving the scriptures the attention we should. In my own experience and observation and analysis of the Bible generally, normal dreams (i.e., those which are not patent and unmistakable direct communications from the Lord) seem to reflect what we have been thinking, doing, and considering in our conscious daily lives. They tend to be a “thermometer” of sorts as to our spiritual condition. To the extent that we are really are drawing close to Jesus, putting Him and His Word first in our lives, and re-constructing the entire way we think in accordance with His will, then to that extent the peace that we feel overflowing into our conscious lives will tend to overflow into our dreams as well. But to the extent that we are giving in to worry, or allowing ourselves to wander in our thinking, to that extent our dreams will tend to wander into areas of all sorts of earthly concerns as well. This is not an exact “science” by any means, and the pattern and content of dreams seems to be widely divergent where individuals are concerned believers included (based upon what little I know of the subject). My own advice would be to take a proactive approach and confront falsities or disturbing notions proffered in dreams head on, consciously refuting with our knowledge of the truth and our faith in the Lord's goodness whatever bothers us in this realm after the fact. If we do so consciously with enough consistency and determination, there is every reason to expect that this will overflow into our dream life as well. As I say, this can't be worked up out thin air: all such dominance of our thinking, whether conscious or unconscious, has to flow from the truth of the Word of God which we have taken into our hearts through believing in it (see the link: “Virtue Thinking”). 

As to the devil's ability in this regard, while there is no question that the evil one does have some capacity to influence our thinking, by far the most common and effective way he has of doing so is through indirect influence. Satan can only directly have anything to do with our hearts if we let him. For him to have even the slightest influence on our free will we first have to relinquish that will, and if we are not willing, then he has to resort to his other “indirect” tactics (see the link: in SR 4, “Demon Tactics”). The more questionable movies, television, video-games, magazines, websites, music we pay attention to, the more likely it will be, even as we in knowledge and faith reject the false messages in principle, that we will be influenced for the bad, even if that influence only rises to the level of having our peace disturbed as through bad dreams. 
 
Therefore subordinate yourselves to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
James 4:7

Stay sober and wide awake. Your adversary the devil prowls about like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.
1st Peter 5:8
 
Finally, as to your question about those who will fall away during the Great Apostasy, I have every confidence in you! On the one hand, we should all take this threat to salvation to heart, because it is very real. But on the other hand, you are doing exactly what you should be doing, reading your Bible, accessing Bible teaching, believing the truth and applying it to your life. All this is the best preparation a person could ask for. At some point we have to realize that the free will the Lord has given to us is a wonderful gift and the most powerful thing in the universe created by God. For with this free will we have the opportunity to choose for Him, to choose for Jesus Christ, to choose to follow Him every day and seek Him come what may – and no one can take this from us. As long as we are determined to stay loyal to Jesus Christ no matter what (as indeed you are), then we have absolutely nothing to fear, for we have been predestined to eternal life, not destruction, and God is making a point of bringing us home safe.
 
So what shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but handed Him over for our sake, how will He not also graciously give us everything [we need] along with [that gift of] Him? Who will [dare to] bring charges against God's elect? God is the One who is pronouncing [us] justified. Who is he that condemns [us]? Christ Jesus is the One who died [condemned in our place], and the One, moreover, who was raised from the dead [for us], who is [seated] at the right hand of God, who is also making petitions on our behalf. What will separate us from Christ's love? Tribulation? Or privation? Or persecution? Or hunger? Or destitution? Or danger? Or violence? As it is written, "For your sake we are being put to death all day long. We were accounted as sheep for slaughter". But in all such things we are decisively victorious through Him who loved us [enough to do what He did for us]. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, neither angelic nor human authorities, neither things present nor things to come, neither heavenly powers, be they the highest [of the elect] or the lowest [of the fallen], nor any other created thing [on this earth] will be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:31-39
 
I thank God for you and I want you to know that Jesus will be with you faithful to the end. In sure and certain hope of the fulfillment of all His promises in the resurrection of those who love Him.

Bob L.
Question #4:
Hello Dr. Luginbill,

Do you have any thoughts on Joseph's dream of the 11 stars and the sun and moon bowing to him? It has always bothered me that the moon (his mom) was included in this dream, but when the time came for them to humble themselves to the fact that the Lord had elevated him to that position of status, his mom wasn't there, she had died many years ago in childbirth with Benjamin. I have tried to make this some spiritual application involving Joseph some way, but my thinking always leaves me short of what it could be. Did this perhaps have more of a future application, of how it would apply to Jesus the Messiah and the nation of Israel.......?

In Jesus,
Response #4:
Well, in Revelation 12, Israel is in fact described as woman "clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and with a crown of 12 stars". In that context, her child is indeed the Messiah. Since Israel comes from more than one mother (four in fact), I think both the sun and the moon have a broader symbolic interpretation. Here is what I write about this in CT 4: section II:

The Woman in the passage above symbolizes Israel, and these verses trace her history in synoptic form in a breathtakingly beautiful way from the patriarchs to the earliest days of the Great Tribulation, the period now under study. As the origin of both the written and the living Word of God, the Woman is clothed with the sun, the symbol of day and of light, while the moon, which rules the night and the darkness (the time and the realm of evil and evil one: Lk.22:53; 1Thes.5:4-10), lies in submission at her feet. The twelve stars in the crown on her head symbolize the twelve sons of Israel and the eponymous tribes which spring from them (Gen.37:9; cf. Gen.15:5; 22:17; 26:4). But by far Israel's most significant and glorious offspring is the Messiah Himself, our Savior Jesus Christ, whose human lineage is traced through Abraham, Isaac and Joseph (Rom.9:5; cf. Rom.9:7). Jesus is the Seed of the woman (Gen.3:15), the true Seed of Abraham (Gal.3:16), and the Son of David destined to rule all the nations with an iron scepter (Ps.2; Rom.1:3; cf. Is.4:2; 11:1; 53:2; Jer.23:5; 33:15; Zech.3:8; 6:12). Thus the Messiah, the true Christ, is the Son of the Woman Israel, and all of the pangs, the pains, and the purpose of this archetypical Woman's history are focused upon, concentrated upon, and culminate in the birth of the archetypical Son, Jesus Christ the Son of God, the Son of Man, the One through whom alone salvation comes (Gen.3:16; Mic.5:3-5; cf. 1Tim.2:15).
 
In Jesus,

Bob L.
 
Question #5:  
Dear Dr Luginbill

I have been very busy with my ministry work, but I wanted to tell you about an experience I had even before I became a Christian, and trust me, it is not something I am making up (content of vision follows). Well, I believe that it was the Evil One that I saw and that God used me to intervene – the Lord only knows what he was after. I was not afraid of him and am still not afraid of him as I know that I am under the protection of the precious blood of Jesus. 

Well, it is certainly an experience I will never, ever forget. 

Yours in Christ, 
 
Response #5:  
Good to hear that you are pursuing your work for Jesus Christ. I certainly do pray that your prayers et al. will be successful. Nothing is impossible for God. As to what you shared with me, as I say it is impossible for me (or any one else) to pass judgment on someone else's experiences. I always go back to what Peter said in 2nd Peter 1:19: "Yet I consider the prophetically inspired Word (i.e. the Bible) even more reliable". That is to say, he saw Jesus' transfiguration, a preview of the Second Advent, with his own eyes, and yet he had learned to put more stock in what he read in the Bible than even what he had seen with his own eyes. As Jesus said to Thomas, "blessed are they who have not seen and yet have believed!". 

My prayers are for your continued spiritual growth in our Lord, 

Bob L. 
Question #6:  
Shalom Robert,

I have been reading through and analyzing your internet article subtitled, ‘II. The Origin, Character and Rise of Antichrist', and I must say “Robert, You Have Exceptional Biblical Insight and You Most Certainly Do Write Well.” I must say that I absolutely agree with you on the vast majority of the material you present in the above-mentioned article! I do have a question based upon a very detailed dream I had a few years ago (content of dream follows). Based upon this, do you think there is any possibility that Antichrist will be a Kurdish Jew from the tribe of Dan?

Response #6:  

Thanks for your encouraging comments. As to your suggestion that antichrist may be a Kurdish Jew from the tribe of Dan, I don't know of anything in scripture to either contradict or to support that possibility. I will certainly keep this in mind. The proof of all dreams and visions is ultimately in their fulfillment.

The policy I have long adopted - whether the dream or vision should come from myself or someone else - is to stick with what scripture says, gladly accepting whatever extra-biblical information agrees with scripture, scrupulously rejected whatever extra-biblical information disagrees with scripture, and being willing to listen to but not to accept with the authority of scripture whatever does not fall clearly into either category.

As the other specifics, I am certainly not in a position to pass judgment on any of the experiences of my brothers and sisters in Christ. God certainly may communicate with His children in dreams (cf. Job 33:14-18). In such matters it is inevitable that we are generally left to our own devices (and to our own understanding of scripture) to judge these as best we can in the power of the Spirit. And it is in the nature of detailed dreams that those which we experiences personally are profoundly important to us, but may not seem so to others - obviously because others have not had the same profound experience we have had. 

Joseph had a dream that was definitely from the Lord, one which would not be fulfilled until many years later. He told it to his brothers and they persecuted him for it, and even his father Jacob was skeptical and rebuked him for telling it (Gen.37:10-11). But neither his father's skepticism nor his brothers' jealousy and outrage made the dream untrue - for it was indeed most definitely from God and ultimately fulfilled. 

On the other hand, not all dreams are from God, let alone having true scriptural significance (Jer.23:25-32; Zech.10:2; Jude 1:8 [Greek]; cf. Col.2:18). The end times approach and the days when all the children of God will dream dreams and see visions is ever closer to hand (Joel 2:28-32). My feeling is that we should all rejoice in the encouragement and guidance that the Lord gives us, not discounting but gratefully accepting those provisions which are clearly supernatural, but understanding that the Lord is not going to be saying or doing anything contradictory to scripture (so that the Bible has to be the canon whereby we make sense of all such experiences). 

So to the extent that such things support us in our quest for true spiritual growth through the Word of God, I am for them (in such cases they must be of God), and to the extent that they detract from our growing in Jesus, I am not for them (in such cases they are at the very least being misused). 

I regret that I am unable to be of much help at all in the interpretation of the details. I do, however, stand ready as always to answer any and all questions that may directly concern the Bible to the best of my ability.

In our Lord whose ways are truly unsearchable and beyond finding out.

Bob L.
Question #7:
Do you know if there is any biblical significance of dreams today? and what about deja vu? What does the Bible say about these? 
Response #7:

I don't believe that the scriptures say anything about "deja vu". Dreams are, of course, very important in the Bible. As I think about the ones that scripture relates, it seems to me that when believers have them, it is always very, very clear that they are from God and have spiritual significance. When unbelievers have them, it is usually for the purpose of protecting believers (as with Abimelech in regard to Abraham or Laban in regard to Jacob), or allowing believers with the ability to interpret them to do so (as with the wine-steward and baker of Pharaoh or king Nebuchadnezzar). The reason there does not seem to be a prevalence of dreams and visions from God today is the same, I would say, as the reason why the overtly miraculous spiritual gifts are no longer being given: we are now in a period where the authority of the completed and widely available Word of God is the issue. Believers in this era are to give their attention to scripture and the orthodox teaching thereof rather than to the substitutes that stood in the gap earlier when the Bible was not yet complete. I have no problem with God giving significant dreams. But it is very easy for people to make this claim falsely, and it makes little difference whether they know they are lying or have merely convinced themselves that they are having significant dreams.

See also: "Visions of Angels: Colossians 2:18"

In our Lord,

Bob L.
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