The objective in interpreting dreams is to understand and respond to God-given and significant dreams. As mentioned in earlier articles, interpretation of dreams is included in the definition of a word of wisdom. In Thayer’s Greek dictionary, the word "wisdom" in I Cor. 12:8 includes in its meaning: The act of interpreting dreams and giving the sagest advice and the intelligence evidenced in discovering the meaning of some mysterious number or vision. The latter part of the definition, "discovering the meaning" can be "a suddenly" or it can be a "process" of prayerful research.

The "process" starts with Proverbs 16:3, 1) Commit your undertaking to the Lord and your thoughts will be established. Then, 2) write the dream, (write the vision down and make it plain so that he that reads it may break it down speedily and run with it, Habakkuk 2:2). 3) Pray for understanding as you consider the dream piece by piece. Examine: setting, atmosphere, people, events, details. 4) Write your thoughts and meditate on them until you see the meaning of the dream become obvious.

One obstacle to arriving at an interpretation is 1) unbelief, not being fully convinced that God is willing to open our understanding. God said He would pour out His Spirit and dreams and visions would be a part of that out pouring. As surely as He gives dreams and visions, He intends for us to grasp their significance and benefit by them. And as surely as He gives the experience, He is well able to open up our understanding. The Word says to ask for wisdom and God will answer.

Another obstacle to interpretation is 2) thinking literally when the dream is symbolic. Symbols can be obvious like doves representing peace and the Holy Spirit, or snakes representing devils, evil, subtlety, potential for deception, or a rooster symbolizing time to awake, or white being a symbol of purity. Or the obvious meaning can change depending on the setting and atmosphere of the dream like a dove in someone’s house could also symbolize a harmless motive, or white could indicate paleness due to shock of shame or fear. Symbols can have many meanings: a) TEETH - Benny Thomas on page 112 of his book mentions that TEETH can refer to our words. So dental problems in a dream can indicate the tendency to say the wrong things and need to correct murmuring, gossiping or complaining. But I have known TEETH in a dream to signify maturing and ability to go from milk to meat, etc. b) A BABY - Benny Thomas on page 105 of his book mentions that a baby usually signifies something new coming into your life. Even more specifically, I have often found babies in dreams to signify a new ministry or gifting that requires nurturing and follow up. c) DIAMOND - could represent multifaceted wisdom, insight, revelation or beauty and strength formed through pressure and patience. d) CLOTHING - can indicate identity and purpose or function or anointing. e) WATER - can signify the Word and Voice of God, or the Sea can represent people, or the Ocean can represent depth of the heart and subconscious.

Intriguing treasures can be hidden in symbolism that is not obvious. For example, I prayerfully researched several of an intercessor’s dreams about buffaloes and elephants. The animals were the key to understanding the dreams, so I prayed the Lord would help me see what each symbolized. With each, He answered first, then told me to research the characteristics of the animals to verify the symbolism and get a fuller understanding. BUFFALOES represented the religious system: ruminant - chewing again what has been swallowed; cloven hoofed - divided foundation; hollow horns - horns represent strength and anointing but they were empty; nearly extinct - ineffective, not the hope of Glory. ELEPHANTS represented the religious spirit: large ears but unremarkable hearing - ears to hear, but don’t; brain highly convoluted - developed NATURAL mind; small eyes -poor sight - no vision; teeth wear away & grow back - perpetual chewers - ever learning, never able to come to truth; extremely dangerous when wounded - hostile if offended; mourn their dead by stroking bones - religiousness memorializes what God did rather than worshiping the God who did it! Keep your symbolic discoveries in your journal. The Holy Spirit can use symbols you discover over and over and sometimes does!

A third (3rd) obstacle to interpretation is being blinded by emotions like fear or anger. Being upset about a dream can make us want to forget it rather than research it. However, nothing edifying or enlightening comes from being afraid or embarrassed or angry or morbidly resolved because of a dream; so we must remember not to allow "emotions" to block our desire to understand the real issues. One prevention for emotional blocks is to consider how we felt during the dream before we come to awake opinions. For example, most dreams about death are symbolic rather than literal. And it is doubly upsetting to awake and feel a rush of guilt because we were not the least upset about a death during the dream. The issues get fogged in by emotions and the conscious mind so that we cannot see the death was symbolic of major changes coming in responsibility or relationships or marking the end of a season.

A fourth (4th) obstacle to interpretation is timing. Some interpretations require time and diligence. Benny Thomas, author of Exploring the World of Dreams said, "I don’t understand a lot of my dreams until I go through some experiences that fit the dream." Prophetic dreams that tell the future cannot always be understood in our current conditions; so we have to watch and wait like Jacob did in Genesis 37. Joseph’s dream of the sheaves bowing was symbolic, and his family immediately understood the symbolism but they still did not understand the timing. Their misunderstanding of timing initiated a carnal response that could have starved them in the future had they succeeded.

Let’s look at some Bible dreams as suddenlies and through the process of interpretation:

Genesis 20:3 "But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, Behold, thou art but a dead man, for the woman which thou hast taken; for she is a man's wife. 4) But Abimelech had not come near her: and he said, Lord, wilt thou slay also a righteous nation? 5) Said he not unto me, She is my sister? and she, even she herself said, He is my brother: in the integrity of my heart and innocency of my hands have I done this. 6) And God said unto him in a dream, Yea, I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart; for I also withheld thee from sinning against me: therefore suffered I thee not to touch her. 7) Now therefore restore the man his wife; for he is a prophet, and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live: and if thou restore her not, know thou that thou shalt surely die, thou, and all that are thine." Here God gave a dream that was a clear and precise word with no further interpretation needed!

Judges 7:13, And when Gideon was come, behold, there was a man that told a dream unto his fellow, and said, Behold, I dreamed a dream, and, lo, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the host of Midian, and came unto a tent, and smote it that it fell, and overturned it, that the tent lay along. In Judges 7:14, the interpretation was a suddenly: And his fellow answered and said, This is nothing else save the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel: for into his hand hath God delivered Midian, and all the host. In our English translation barley bread tumbling down sounds insignificant and we could wonder why the man saw it as a threat. In Hebrew however, the meaning of Barley (8184 seorah & 8175 saar) includes a sense of roughness, storming, whirlwind, fearsome, horribly afraid. And bread is mundane, just as Gideon measured in the flesh with his 300 men against the "multitude" of Midianites. The Hebrew word translated as "tumbled" (2015 haphak) also means to overthrow, to be reversed. So, in their setting, a piecemeal look at the dream was understandably a significant threat!

Genesis 37:5-7: 5) And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more. 6) And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed: 7) For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf. The family’s interpretation was an incomplete "suddenly": Gen 37:8 And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? And they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words. Joseph’s family had no problem getting the gist, but they missed particular details that would have enlarged their interpretation. Sheaf - (485 alummah - something bound) a bound harvest sheaf speaks of sustenance and timing, indicating provision in a specific season of life. Stood upright (5324 natsab) means to be appointed or stationed. They did not understand that the dream indicated Joseph would be stationed above his family in rank and provide for them in a particular season of their lives.

Genesis 40:9-13 9) And the chief butler told his dream to Joseph, and said to him, In my dream, behold, a vine was before me; 10) And in the vine were three branches: and it was as though it budded, and her blossoms shot forth; and the clusters thereof brought forth ripe grapes: 11) And Pharaoh's cup was in my hand: and I took the grapes, and pressed them into Pharaoh's cup, and I gave the cup into Pharaoh's hand. The interpretation was obviously a "suddenly" to Joseph. 12) And Joseph said unto him, This is the interpretation of it: The three branches are three days: 13) Yet within three days shall Pharaoh lift up thine head, and restore thee unto thy place: and thou shalt deliver Pharaoh's cup into his hand, after the former manner when thou wast his butler. Breaking the dream down in "process" would also confirm the pieces and add to its understanding. The Hebrew word for vine (1612-gephen) also means "extended life," which indicated the Butler would live and not die for his offense. The dream showed the butler serving the juice to Pharaoh, signifying him fully restored to purpose and fulfillment. And the vine budded, blossomed and bore fruit - 3 processes of time quickly passing, indicating the restoration would be quick - in three days. Three is also the number of completion.

Genesis 40:16-19 16 When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was good, he said unto Joseph, I also was in my dream, and, behold, I had three white baskets on my head: 17) And in the uppermost basket there was of all manner of bakemeats for Pharaoh; and the birds did eat them out of the basket upon my head. Now the baker’s dream right on the tail of the butler’s had immediate, undeniable comparisons and processing the pieces confirmed Joseph’s "suddenly." There were white cake baskets indicative of the baker’s works (purpose) but the baskets never made it to Pharaoh, never reached fulfillment of purpose. And the birds of prey symbolized evil consequence for the baker. 18) And Joseph answered and said, This is the interpretation thereof: The three baskets are three days: 19) Yet within three days shall Pharaoh lift up thy head from off thee, and shall hang thee on a tree; and the birds shall eat thy flesh from off thee.

The key to interpretation is realizing that we need God’s enabling wisdom, whether it comes as a suddenly or through the pursuit of process. The bottom line is that both require faith, simple confidence and He is able and willing.