God-given dreams/visions

After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, “Do not be afraid, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.” 

—Gen. 15:1 [similarly, to Jacob at 31:11 and 46:2-3]

But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, “You are about to die because of the woman whom you have taken; for she is a married woman.”

—Gen. 20:3 [similarly, to Laban at 31:24]

 And he [Jacob] dreamed that there was a ladder set up on the earth, the top of it reaching to heaven; and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. 

 —Gen. 28:12 

Once Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more…. He had another dream, and told it to his brothers, saying, “Look, I have had another dream: the sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me.”

—Gen. 37:5, 9  

Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, “Pharaoh’s dreams are one and the same; God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do.”

—Gen. 41:25

And he said, “Hear my words: When there are prophets among you, I the Lord make myself known to them in visions; I speak to them in dreams.”

—Num. 12:6

the oracle of one who hears the words of God,
    and knows the knowledge of the Most High,
who sees the vision of the Almighty,
    who falls down, but with his eyes uncovered:

—Num. 24:4,16 [Balaam]

Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord under Eli. The word of the Lord was rare in those days; visions were not widespread.

—1 Sam. 3:1

When Saul inquired of the Lord, the Lord did not answer him, not by dreams, or by Urim, or by prophets.

—1 Sam. 28:6

But that same night the word of the Lord came to Nathan… In accordance with all these words and with all this vision, Nathan spoke to David.

—2 Sam. 7:4,17

Then you spoke in a vision to your faithful one, and said:
    “I have set the crown on one who is mighty,
    I have exalted one chosen from the people [David].”

—Ps. 89:19

At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, “Ask what I should give you.”  

—I Kgs. 3:5

The vision of Isaiah son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.

—Isa. 1:1 [also said of Obadiah and Nahum]

…as he was commanded by the prophet Isaiah, who was great and trustworthy in his visions.

—Sir. 48:22b

I spoke to the prophets;
    it was I who multiplied visions,
    and through the prophets I will bring destruction.

—Hos.12:10

For there is still a vision for the appointed time; it speaks of the end and does not lie. If it seems to tarry, wait for it; it will surely come, it will not delay.

—Hab. 2:3

…the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God. … The spirit lifted me up and brought me in a vision by the spirit of God into Chaldea, to the exiles. Then the vision that I had seen left me.

—Ezek. 1:1, 11:24 [also 8:3 and 40:2]

It was Ezekiel who saw the vision of glory, which God showed him above the chariot of the cherubim.

—Sir. 49:8

In the first year of King Belshazzar of Babylon, Daniel had a dream and visions of his head as he lay in bed. Then he wrote down the dream…

—Dan. 7:1 also 7:7,13,15

But tomorrow night you shall remain here, and the Most High will show you in those dream visions what the Most High will do to those who inhabit the earth in the last days.

—2 Esd. 10:58-59 [and often in II Esdras 10-15]

Then afterward I will pour out my spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions.

—Joel 2:28, cited at Acts 2:17

For God speaks in one way,
    and in two, though people do not perceive it.
In a dream, in a vision of the night,
    when deep sleep falls on mortals,
    while they slumber on their beds,

then he opens their ears,
    and terrifies them with warnings,

—Job 33:14-16 (Elihu speaking)

He [Maccabeus] armed each of them not so much with confidence in shields and spears as with the inspiration of brave words, and he cheered them all by relating a dream, a sort of vision, which was worthy of belief.

—2 Macc. 15:11

When he [Zechariah] did come out, he could not speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the sanctuary. 

—Luke 1:22a

…, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.”

—Matt. 1:20 (2:12, 13,19,22)

As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus ordered them, “Tell no one about the vision until after the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”

—Matt. 17:9

Now there was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” He answered, “Here I am, Lord.”

—Acts 9:10 [see also 9:12]

One afternoon at about three o’clock he had a vision in which he clearly saw an angel of God coming in and saying to him, “Cornelius.”

—Acts 10:3 [see also 10:17,19 and 11:5]

During the night Paul had a vision: there stood a man of Macedonia pleading with him and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.”

—Acts 16:9

It is necessary to boast; nothing is to be gained by it, but I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord.

—2 Cor. 12:1

Interpretation of dreams and visions

And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have had a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it. I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.” Joseph answered Pharaoh, “It is not I; God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer….”

—Gen. 41:15-16 [similarly at Gen. 40:8]

To these four young men God gave knowledge and skill in every aspect of literature and wisdom; Daniel also had insight into all visions and dreams.

—Dan. 1:17

Then the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision of the night, and Daniel blessed the God of heaven.

—Dan. 2:19 and often

“…because an excellent spirit, knowledge, and understanding to interpret dreams, explain riddles, and solve problems were found in this Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar. Now let Daniel be called, and he will give the interpretation.”

—Dan. 5:12

As for me, Daniel, my spirit was troubled within me, and the visions of my head terrified me. I approached one of the attendants to ask him the truth concerning all this. So he said that he would disclose to me the interpretation of the matter.

—Dan. 7:14-16

This is the interpretation of the dream that you saw. And you alone have been enlightened about this,because you have forsaken your own ways and have applied yourself to mine, and have searched out my law; for you have devoted your life to wisdom, and called understanding your mother. Therefore I have shown you these things; for there is a reward laid up with the Most High.

—2 Esd. 13:53-56

False Visions

If prophets or those who divine by dreams appear among you and promise you omens or portents, and the omens or the portents declared by them take place, and they say, “Let us follow other gods” (whom you have not known) “and let us serve them,” you must not heed the words of those prophets or those who divine by dreams; for the Lord your God is testing you, to know whether you indeed love the Lord your God with all your heart and soul

—Deut. 13:1-3

Thus says the Lord of hosts: Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you; they are deluding you. They speak visions of their own minds, not from the mouth of the Lord. … so they do not profit this people at all, says the Lord.

—Jer. 23:16,32

Your prophets have seen for you false and deceptive visions; they have not exposed your iniquity to restore your fortunes, but have seen oracles for you that are false and misleading.

—Lam. 2:14

Because you have disheartened the righteous falsely, although I have not disheartened them, and you have encouraged the wicked not to turn from their wicked way and save their lives; therefore you shall no longer see false visions or practice divination; I will save my people from your hand. Then you will know that I am the Lord.

—Ezek. 13:22-23 [also 12:21-24;13:9,15-16; and 22:28]

For the teraphim utter nonsense, and the diviners see lies; the dreamers tell false dreams and give empty consolation. Therefore the people wander like sheep; they suffer for lack of a shepherd.

—Zech. 10:2

Human Dreaming

“Now a word came stealing to me, my ear received the whisper of it.
Amid thoughts from visions of the night, when deep sleep falls on mortals,
dread came upon me, and trembling, which made all my bones shake.”

—Job 4:12-14

When I say, ‘My bed will comfort me, my couch will ease my complaint,’
then you scare me with dreams and terrify me with visions,

—Job 7:13-14

For dreams come with many cares, and a fool’s voice with many words….

With many dreams come vanities and a multitude of words; but fear God.

—Eccl. 5:3,7

The senseless have vain and false hopes,
    and dreams give wings to fools.
As one who catches at a shadow and pursues the wind,
    so is anyone who believes in dreams.

What is seen in dreams is but a reflection,
    the likeness of a face looking at itself.

From an unclean thing what can be clean?
    And from something false what can be true?
 Divinations and omens and dreams are unreal,
    and like a woman in labor, the mind has fantasies.
Unless they are sent by intervention from the Most High,
    pay no attention to them.
For dreams have deceived many,
    and those who put their hope in them have perished.

—Sir. 8:1-7

Divinations and omens and dreams are unreal,
    and like a woman in labor, the mind has fantasies.
Unless they are sent by intervention from the Most High,
    pay no attention to them.
For dreams have deceived many,
    and those who put their hope in them have perished.
—Sir. 34:5-7

He gets little or no rest;
    he struggles in his sleep as he did by day. 
He is troubled by the visions of his mind
    like one who has escaped from the battlefield.
At the moment he reaches safety he wakes up,
    astonished that his fears were groundless.

—Sir. 40:6-7

for the dreams that disturbed them forewarned them of this,
so that they might not perish without knowing why they suffered.

—Ws. 18:19

While he [Pilate] was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent word to him, “Have nothing to do with that innocent man, for today I have suffered a great deal because of a dream about him.”

—Matt. 27:19

Do not let anyone disqualify you, insisting on self-abasement and worship of angels, dwelling on visions, puffed up without cause by a human way of thinking,

—Col. 2:18

Yet in the same way these dreamers also defile the flesh, reject authority, and slander the glorious ones.

—Jude 1:8

Dream as metaphor

They [the wicked] are like a dream when one awakes;
    on awaking you despise their phantoms.

—Ps. 73:20

You sweep them [mortals] away; they are like a dream,
    like grass that is renewed in the morning;
in the morning it flourishes and is renewed;
    in the evening it fades and withers.

—Ps. 90:5-6

When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, 
    we were like those who dream.

—Ps. 126:1

They [the wicked] will fly away like a dream, and not be found;
    they will be chased away like a vision of the night.

—Job 20:8

And the multitude of all the nations that fight against Ariel, all that fight against her and her stronghold, and who distress her, shall be like a dream, a vision of the night.

Just as when a hungry person dreams of eating and wakes up still hungry, or a thirsty person dreams of drinking and wakes up faint, still thirsty, so shall the multitude of all the nations be that fight against Mount Zion.

—Isa. 29:7-8