Introduction
• God speaks to us in the quiet moments of prayer and in profound experiences of worship. But we find in the Bible that God brings life-changing and even earth-shattering messages to His people in the silence of dreams and the arresting awe of visions. Does God still speak to us this way or do we disregard significant dreams as the result of random events or restless sleep?
• I’m Brent, and this is episode 61 of The Bible Unplugged. We take a look at the role of dreams and visions in the Bible and how those same dreams and vision impact us today.
• Please take a minute to look at the show notes for this episode at PowerLoveandMiracles.com.
Background
• In the Bible, God often used dreams and visions to guide, warn, or reveal His plan. These experiences came in moments of crisis and calling—and they shaped the story of God’s people.
• Dreams and visions are not the same thing.
• Dreams usually occurred at night while sleeping. The story of Joseph in the Book of Matthew reveals several dreams of God’s direct message to Joseph.
• Visions often happened while awake but in a state of spiritual ecstasy or prophetic awareness.
• To the ancient Hebrew people, both were channels of divine revelation—sometimes symbolic, sometimes direct.
• Other cultures of that time also placed weight on dreams. Israel’s God-centered visions were distinct because they pointed to covenant, justice, and redemption rather than superstition.
Dreams and Visions in the Bible
• We tend to think that the prophets were the ones who had God-given dreams and visions, but God revealed His message this way to a variety of people in the Bible.
• The early patriarchs in the Book of Genesis heard God’s voice in dreams and visions.
• God promised to make a great nation out of Abraham in Genesis 15. Abraham was concerned that he and his wife Sarah had no children and, therefore, no future. God told Abraham to look at all the stars in the sky. Abraham’s descendants would outnumber the stars.
• In Genesis 28 Jacob dreamed about a ladder reaching to heaven. Angels were ascending and descending the ladder showing that they were at work fulfilling God’s will in the place where Jacob slept.
• Joseph became famous for his dreams and his ability to interpret them. In Genesis 37 Joseph’s dream set the direction of his life and the destiny of his family.
• We are most familiar, though, with the dreams and visions of the Old Testament prophets. We tend to think that what the prophets experienced were glimpses of what the future would look like, but many of their dreams and visions were more immediate and personal.
• Ezekiel saw human-like creatures each with four faces and wheels within wheels covered with eyes that could see everywhere. In his vision he looked up and saw what he called “the likeness of Yahweh’s glory.” This is in the Book of Ezekiel chapter 1. God commissioned Ezekiel to challenge the people of Israel to return to their faith so God could restore them.
• Samuel’s first vision came to him when he was still a child. In the Book of 1 Samuel chapter 3 we learn that God’s messages and visions were scarce, but God had a plan to change that. Samuel heard someone call his name. He first believed it was Eli the priest, but it was God calling Samuel to be a prophet.
• We talked about Elijah’s vision of God speaking to him in a still small voice in episode 7. Elijah’s vision shows that God often speaks softly and quietly within our own conscious awareness as well as through external events.
• Isaiah received his call to ministry through a profound vision in the Temple. This is the topic of a future episode.
• These prophets went on to see wild visions of what the future held and the promises God made to care for His people, but they started with visions that were much more immediate and personal.
The Lessons Learned in Dreams and Visions
• God reveals a wide range of messages, truths, and future promises in dreams and visions. While these were unique to the people in the Bible, there are some lessons we can learn from their experiences.
• Dreams and visions often happened in times of change and uncertainty. God conveyed a message of hope and encouragement when the future was uncertain.
• God’s revelation was not just a curious spectacle. God always had a meaningful message and a challenge for the future.
• We find that dreams and visions from God followed a pattern.
• Some were to direct and teach. Joseph and Samuel learned what God wanted them to do and to become.
• Some were there to correct and redirect. Jacob’s life changed after his encounter with God in the wilderness.
• Others were meant to challenge and encourage. Samuel and Isaiah heard God’s call to be prophets in visions.
• Many other dreams and visions were messages of hope for the future and that God was in control. Daniel and Ezekiel’s wild visions are examples of that.
• God worked in the lives of the people in the Bible through dreams and visions, but does He still work that way today? I believe He does. We may not understand what we have experienced; or we may not be paying attention.
The Challenge for Today
• I have some challenges for you this week.
• Be attentive to what God may be saying to you. Your dreams may not be as vivid as Ezekiel’s but God still speaks in ways that transcend our normal methods of understanding.
• A vision may not be a supernatural dream-state. It could be a sudden realization that what you see happening in your world is a message from God. Be ready and alert to what God is saying to you.
• Don’t pass off dreams and visions as fantasy or fortune-telling. They are about God’s calling, mission, and plan for your life.
• Be on alert this week for a message from God. It can be a dream in the night, or a word spoken by someone, or maybe a sudden realization that what you see in your world is a message. The method God uses to speak to you isn’t the miracle. The miracle happens when you are aware, alert and ready to hear what God has to say.
The conclusion
• Yes, we have reached the end of the episode, but there’s some more coming.
• I hope this has been helpful. If so, take a minute to give this podcast a high rating and share it with someone you know.
• In the next episode, we will look Jacob’s dream of a ladder reaching to heaven and the message God had for him.
• My prayer for you is that God would get your attention, gently, and that you would listen to what God has to say to you.
• Have a blessed week.
The disclaimers
• Just to let you know:
• All opinions are my own. If you agree, keep listening. If you don’t… keep listening. If you listen long enough, you might learn something you didn’t know before.
• All Bible quotations come from the World English Bible which is a public domain work.
• Our show theme song is “Awesome Call” by Kevin MacLeod and is available under a Creative Commons license.
• The content of this podcast is copyrighted 2025 by J. Brent Eaton
• This has been a Power Love and Miracles production.
