Dreams in Christianity

Even though modern Christians may not associate much importance with dreams and their interpretation, but their religious text does highlight the significance of dreams. There are about 121 mentions of dreams in the Bible. Prophet Joseph and Daniel are recorded as having interpreted dreams sent from God, and the Bible describes many incidents of dreams as divine revelation. An example of a Biblical dream is told in which Jacob sees a ladder to heaven.

In the old testament, God declares that He would speak through dreams and visions.

"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" (Num. 12:6)

The Bible also states that God may warn you or encourage you through dreams. It is believed that it is your subconscious self that speaks to you through your dreams. Dreams can be the means by which your mind tells you that you need a change in life.

Joseph's dream

We have with us the example of the great prophet Joseph who was bestowed with the power of precise interpretion of dreams. Prophet Joseph is not only accepted by Christians as such but  Muslims and Jews accept him alike as a prophet endowed with the capability of interpreting dreams, the Quran has a whole chapter about prophet Joseph. It is believed that he saved Egypt from years of famine based on the interpretation of the pharoah's dream, this points out to the fact that dreams do possess some meaning and can prove to be useful in preparing ourselves for the future.

Christian dream interpretors derive information from biblical texts, as such they have their own Dream Dictionary of Symbols, they have pre-set meanings for certain symbols such as a peacock represents vanity or eternal life while an apple is the symbol of sin due to its association with Adam and Eve's original sin.

What does Bible says about Dream Interpretation?

The Bible maintains that only those with an 'enlightenment of Truth' are fortunate enough to interpret the messages they receive through dreams. It is also not correct to interpret every dream as a message from God. The sources of dreams or premonitions that you experience are not always clear, thus the reasons behind them cannot be easily understood. 

The interpretations of dreams in the Bible are not dependent upon astrology nor upon any other occult science, but are simple and ingenuous. The dreams are interpreted symbolically. Seven fat cows mean seven fat years, etc.