When we realize, as did Pharaoh, that a vision or dream is significant, we must first understand the dream before we can interpret it. Gen 41:15 "And 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." "Understand" in Gen. 41:15 is from the Hebrew word, "shama`" (shaw-mah'), which means to hear, to have power to hear, to listen and give heed, to obey, to consider diligently, to discern, or to summon.

Daniel was a man of God, like Joseph, whose understanding also preceded interpretation. Daniel 5:12, lists Daniel’s qualities in significant sequence: Daniel had 1) an excellent spirit, and 2) knowledge (the power of knowing, wisdom, intelligence, reason), and 3) understanding, 4) interpreting of dreams and 5) shewing of hard sentences (solving riddles) and 6) dissolving (to unravel, to free) of doubts. Notice that understanding came before interpretation. It is important also to note the two qualities that preceded understanding: 1) an excellent spirit and 2) the power of knowledge, wisdom. Both of these qualities indwell believers since the excellency of Christ, the Anointed One and the Truth Himself, dwell in the believer. And as surely as He dwells in us, He makes available to us the secret (the counsel of God) to understand and interpret (hear and heed the thoughts of God) in dreams as Jeremiah 23:18 reveals: "For who hath stood in the counsel ("cowd" - a secret, secret consultation, intimacy, assembled in session) of the Lord . . . and hath marked ("qashab" - heeded, paid attention) to his word? So through intimacy with God, we gain insight into the mysterious symbolism of dreams and visions. First we "diligently consider" the message or symbolism of a dream. When crossing a language barrier through an interpreter, the bi-lingual person can either translate each word exactly, (which is not always a coherent thought or culturally correct to the hearer); or the bi-lingual person can interpret, using any and all appropriate words to get the meaning of the speaker across to the hearer. Understanding a dream can at first seem piecemeal, like an incoherent, direct "translation" because it involves exacting each possible symbolic meaning of the settings or activities or atmosphere or conversations in a dream. But the process of understanding, "considering diligently and discerning" the symbolic pieces of a dream, is like gathering the materials to build a bridge. When all the pieces are lined out and the bridge is assembled, we have a path from inquiry to insight. As we cross over that bridge, the destination comes into view or opens up to us. "Interpret" is the Hebrew word "Pathar" (paw-thar`), which means to open it up. So through understanding we grasp the what of a dream and through interpretation we grasp the why or its purpose for the dreamer!

The understanding of God-given dreams and visions draws a path to some aspect of destiny, and the interpretation is an enabling to walk it out. The secret revealed in Jeremiah 12:18 stressed two things: 1) know consultation in intimacy with God and 2) heed His word. We must be diligent to understand God-given dreams and then be as diligent to embrace the interpretation or truth revealed. Jeremiah 23:28, 29, 32 paraphrased: ‘The inspired man that has a dream with a prophetic, inspired meaning, should take action, tell the dream; and he that has my word, my decree, my cause, my message should speak my word faithfully. For a word from God will burn like fire and like a hammer break the rock (or those high, lofty, impenetrable strongholds, those secure places and fortresses), into pieces. In other words, a Word from God will impact us and break down those high, lofty strongholds of imagination that bind us or keep us from being renewed in our thoughts and transformed into the image of Christ! So we must not go astray or stagger by treating God’s communiques through dreams and visions with lightness, recklessness, or frivolity.

If you sense a dream or vision is significant, write it down, describing the events or scenes. Then pursue understanding of what you are seeing until you understand why you are seeing it!

After recognizing a dream is significant, we must be diligent to understand God-given dreams and then be as diligent to embrace the interpretation or truth revealed. In the last article we stressed that understanding of symbolism is usually a prerequisite to interpretation of dreams or visions; for understanding God-given dreams and visions makes a path or gives direction while the interpretation equips us with insight or mandate. Let me stop and stress that we are talking about more than natural understanding. Remember Daniel’s qualities were in significant sequence: Daniel had 1) an excellent spirit, 2) the power of knowing, wisdom, intelligence, reason, 3) understanding, 4) interpreting of dreams, 5) solving riddles, and 6) dissolving of doubts. Natural understanding, that is not influenced by an excellent spirit, (the Anointed One in us), is limited to our emotions, mindsets and experiences; so it is important that we subject our understanding to the Spirit to have a full, unbiased perception.

There will be times when understanding does not require an intricate examination and piecemeal breakdown of a dream as we previously discussed. Understanding can be immediate: 1) when the dream or vision is literal, a rehearsal with precise details and no symbolism, like the dream in Matt 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, and like the vision in Luke 1:11: And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord . . . the angel said unto him, . . . thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.

2) when the Spirit of Truth simultaneously imparts both understanding and interpretation of the dream: Matt 27:19: When he was set down on the judgment seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him, or 3) when the symbolism is obvious and confirmed: Acts 10:17-20, Now while Peter doubted in himself what this vision which he had seen should mean,. . . the Spirit said unto him, Behold, three men seek thee. Arise therefore, and get thee down, and go with them, doubting nothing: for I have sent them.

Symbolism is the use of signs, symbols or occurrences as representations, expressions or identifying marks of intangible truths or plans or conditions. Symbolism does not always have a simple, single definition. The same symbol can have multiple meanings; sometimes they even seem contradictory. For example, the number "2" can mean either a conclusive witness - like 2 different people agreeing, or it can mean opposition, enmity, division (work of 2nd day), double-tongued, doubled-minded, or double-portion. So understanding involves considering the setting as well as the symbol. A room in a dream could signify either a place of particular potential or function or it could represent boundaries, limitation and captivity, depending on the flow of the dream. The color red in a dream could refer to either the Blood, God’s completed plan and provision and access for man, or it could mean financial trial, or it could reveal embarrassing self doubts or hidden emotions such as anger.

Symbolism is most evident when a dream is way out of the "normal" range, totally uncommon or abstract and strange. However, it is important to recognize symbolism is not always as obvious as it may seem. So, we cannot assume a dream is literal rather than symbolic just because real or logical events take place. Sometimes even real or common occurrences are symbolic rather than literal. For example: Death in a dream is not usually a sad telegram to stir up fear, dread or grief but rather a prophetic insight: 1) that commissions us to intercede because we are spying out of the enemy’s plan, which being interpreted is a call to intercession to interrupt the enemy’s plan, [If we don’t realize that we are glimpsing the enemy’s assignment that needs to be spoiled, we can go into mourning about it and thereby actually agree with the enemy’s plan, allowing it to happen.] 2) Or, that commissions us to embrace the processing of purpose because dreams of death can (and do most often) have nothing to do with physical death, but are rather representative of the end of a season or phase, a change, a transformation, an end that initiates new beginnings, (like death of a carnal mindset to give way to spiritual revelation).

After we have understood symbolism, we must avoid the temptation to stop there. Joseph’s dream of the sheaves bowing was symbolic, and his family immediately understood the symbolism. But they, nor Joseph, could interpret the dream at that time. The family considered the dream a condescending threat. They saw the picture but not the purpose. Their understanding was completely carnal and initiated a carnal response that actually would have brought about their own starvation had they succeeded. They had no awareness that the dream spoke of their literal survival in future. We can miss the whole point if we act on our natural understanding alone, without insight as to its interpretation - the reason we dreamed it.

Understanding & Interpretation are gifts and therefore initiated and imparted by God. We cannot impatiently lay hold of either. The development of both will not be rushed by even the driving forces of urgent times, stirring dreams or numerous visions. There were no short cuts in God’s cultivating these gifts in Daniel and Joseph. Both young men were simultaneously being gifted while processed in character, which included the development of an excellent spirit, of wisdom, of intelligence and of reason. Daniel and Joseph were destined to affect entire nations; so God would not risk their gift and purpose to frailty of character. Daniel grew in God as a prisoner, stolen away from his homeland. He was not overcome by circumstance, but overcame. Joseph overcame rejection and hopelessness and became a man that reflected the purity, power and salvation of his God.

I’ve often wondered about Joseph’s motive for announcing his dreams. Was he trying to get affirmation, confirm his importance or identity, or acting in pride? I wonder if his name gave a clue to his character and personality. His name meant "let him add" which in my thinking could indicate a mathematician (perhaps annoyingly clever or systematic), or could indicate a vivid imagination, an embellisher, or even one having the last word. Or, was he simply so immature that he did not understand before he spoke that the dream implied that he was superior and would of course cause offense in his family? Or, was he compelled to tell it? I do not believe that we necessarily have an example in Joseph that means we should blurt out our exciting or intimate visions, but I do believe that Joseph speaking his dream released the power of the spoken word and set his destiny in motion. Possibly his announcing his dream was about God’s timing and that was the day to initiate the process of purpose in him. Would the dreams have come to pass had he not spoken them? I believe so. Surely, God would have sent some other timely instigator. Yet there are times to keep our conceived promises to ourselves because of the pearl-before-swine principle. Sometimes we must protect and nurture a dream until it is ready to be interpreted or birthed, ready to live and thrive outside of us.

After we consider the many time-consuming components and variables of the gifts of Understanding and Interpretation, we can either feel frustrated in soul or challenged in spirit. We must realize that our soul’s frustration comes from wanting things cut and dried, from wanting an indisputable list of rules; and our soul wants those things so that it can be in control, the control that comes with knowledge and know-how. Our soul will often lead us to the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil in its desire for control, but true insight and life-giving revelation comes through eating of the Tree of Life or relationship that builds trust rather than control. That is probably the main reason there are seemingly contradictory meanings for the same symbols and probably the reason there is always the question of literal or symbolic. We are challenged in spirit when we realize that if these things were determined through logic and systematic research rather than relationship, God would not use dreams as a tool at all. Everything God does is to build relationship. He uses dreams and visions to bring revelation. By revealing Truth, He brings liberty. By revealing Himself, He imparts character. By revealing knowledge, He builds an ear to hear. By revealing a call, He builds faith that establishes the believer in authority and destiny. Many Christian biographies end in tragedy regarding the gifted that did not develop in character and relationship. So God stresses relationship - fully confident of His gifts and His ability to gift, but intent upon the character and faith in us to carry and release the gift.