V2-ABasicIntroductionToDreamInterpretation FeatureMessage
V2-ABasicIntroductionToDreamInterpretation FeatureMessage
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A Basic Introduction to
Dream Interpretation
JAMES W. GOLL
S ome years ago I was traveling through the night by train from the Frankfurt,
Germany, region to Rossenheim in southern Bavaria. I was in one of the sleeping
cars but, unable to sleep, I spent much of my time praying in the Spirit. The Holy
Spirit kept speaking to me over and over, Where are My Daniels? Where are My
Esthers? Where are My Josephs, and where are My Deborahs?
After many years of pondering on this word, I believe that the Holy Spirit is
on a quest to find believers He can work withbelievers who will dream Gods
dreams at any cost, have a discerning spirit to properly interpret the times, and
who learn to intercede out of a posture of revelation.
Daniel, Esther, Joseph, and Deborah were godly people who possessed the spir-
it of revelation and who altered destinies and changed history through the reve-
lation that was bestowed on them. They trusted the Lord for wisdom and insight
and served His purposes in their generation. Today the Spirit of God is looking
for like-minded and like-hearted individuals who will be the Daniels, the Esthers,
the Josephs, and the Deborahs for their day. Like the biblical heroes before them,
these modern-day trailblazers will study to show themselves approved as work-
men for God, rightly dividing the word of truth (revelation) that is given to them
(see 2 Tim. 2:15, KJV). And, like their Old Testament counterparts, they will learn
to speak the language of that revelation in a manner that is relevant to their con-
temporaries.
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What Language Do You Speak?
Before you can interpret your dreams properly or intercede effectively from the
posture of revelation, you must understand the language of that revelation. In his
book on dreams, Mark Rutland issues this caution:
Believers must, of course, be cautious when seeking to understand
dreams and even more prudent when acting on them. There is no
substitute for wisdom and discernment in dream interpretation, and
prayer is crucial to developing both. Believers should commit their
subconscious minds to the Lord as well as their waking thoughts,
then seek from God, in earnest prayer, understanding for the visions
of the night.
What language do you speak? Have you learned your spiritual alphabet? Your
spiritual alphabet will be unique to you. God will speak revelation to you accord-
ing to the language you speak. Doctors, nurses, and other medical and health pro-
fessionals have a language all their own, a technical vocabulary that untrained lay-
people cannot understand. Music has a written language that is incomprehensible
to anyone who has never been taught to read the symbols. Pastors have their own
language, too. This can cause problems when their language does not match that
of their congregations!
What language do you speak? Whatever your language is, the Holy Spirit will
speak to you in that language. Of course, I am not talking so much about languag-
es like English, French, German, Russian, or Spanish, as I am the language with
which we interpret life. Because each of us has different life experiences, the lan-
guage by which we receive and impart revelation will be distinct to each of us. We
each have a personal walk and, in a sense, a personal talk. Our spiritual alphabet,
though similar, is unique to each individual.
Regardless of how our individual spiritual alphabets differ, our basic approach
to interpretation should be the same. Proper interpretation can occur on many
different levels. Here are three simple steps for interpreting your dream revelation:
1. Study the interpretation of words and symbols by researching their mean-
ings as recorded in Scripture and other historical literature. Find out how
biblical characters and other figures from the past interpreted these words
and symbols in a dream context. This is an excellent (and probably the eas-
iest) way to begin.
2. Develop the habit of journaling. Effective interpretation is a skill that is
learned over time and with experience. Your spiritual alphabet is unique to
you. Journaling will help you capture your distinct pictures, grant under-
standing over time, and give wisdom for your journey.
3. Welcome the anointing, gifting, and presence of the Holy Spirit. He will guide
you into truth, keeping things safe yet adventurous and pure yet unreligious.
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In your eagerness to reach step three, dont bypass steps one and two. Always
begin with the Scriptures. Let the Bible be its own best commentary. God will nev-
er contradict His Word. Let His written Word give you insight into the meaning of
His visionary revelation. Study it thoroughly. Pray over it. Lay a solid foundation
of the Word in your life to give the Holy Spirit something to breathe upon.
Interpreting dreams is like putting together a giant jigsaw puzzle with thou-
sands of tiny pieces that must be fitted together in exactly the right order. As I
mentioned in a previous chapter, the quickest way to complete a jigsaw puzzle is
to start with the borderthe framework and the same is true with dream inter-
pretation. Once you have the framework in place it becomes easier to see where
the rest of the pieces go. Before long, the big picture begins to take shape. At least,
thats the way it usually works for me. I ask the Holy Spirit to give me a thought or
a word. He sheds His light on one thing, which leads me to another, and another,
and then everything just starts to click.
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and all their kinsmen were at their command. Two hundred chiefs who under-
stood the times held an entire tribe under their command (1 Chron. 12:32). How?
People will follow a person who has revelation. People will be drawn to anyone
who walks with integrity in the spirit of wisdom and revelation.
The more you learn how to listen and recognize the voice of the Spirit of God,
the more He will enable you to operate on multiple levels of insight. God is the
master multitasker and He can enable you to be a multitasker as well. You can
listen on more than one level. You can listen to the heart of a person, you can lis-
ten to the realm of the soul, and you can listen to the Holy Spirit. It requires a fair
measure of grace and the ability to block out the noise of friction, static, and dis-
tractions, but all things are possible.
What God did before, He wants to do again! Right here, right now!
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derstand it in the beginning. But you will get it eventually, and that word, symbol,
or image will become part of a pattern. Once it is introduced into your spiritual
alphabet, it will become consistent in its meaning for you. For example, lets say
that you have a dream in which an apple appears and you discern through the
Holy Spirit that it symbolizes Israel because Zechariah 2:8 refers to Israel as the
apple of Gods eye. Once the image of the apple has entered your spiritual alpha-
bet as a symbol for Israel, you can be confident that whenever that image appears
in a future dream, the dream has something to do with the nation of Israel. God is
consistent with His revelatory symbolism.
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Jesus Christ the Lamb as a Conqueror. Spiritually speaking, all three of these im-
ages are true to a lambs nature: it is led to the slaughter, it follows its shepherd, and
it conquers in the end by walking in humility because the meek will inherit the
earth.
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the one who was being revived. I loved Gods presence just as I had our newborn
child. Though I did not see any angels in the room upon waking, the manifested
presence of God was so strong you could almost cut it with a knife! Yes, lets love
the bread of His presence!
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main emotion? You will know intuitively what the most important issues are.
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4. Four: earth, creation, winds, seasons (Gen. 2:10; 1 Cor. 15:39).
5. Five: Cross, grace, atonement (Gen. 1:20-23; Lev. 1:5; Eph. 4:11).
6. Six: man, beast, satan (Gen. 1:26-31; 1 Sam. 17:4-7; Num. 35:15).
7. Seven: perfection, completeness (Heb. 6:1-2; Judg. 14; Josh. 6).
8. Eight: new beginning (Gen. 17; 1 Pet. 3:20; 2 Pet. 3:8).
9. Nine: finality, fullness (Matt. 27:45; Gen. 7:1-2; Gal. 5:22-23; 1 Cor. 12:1-12).
10. Ten: law, government (Exod. 34:28).
11. Eleven: this organization, lawlessness, Antichrist (Dan. 7:24; Gen. 32:22).
12. Twelve: defying government, apostolic fullness (Exod. 28:21; Matt. 10:2-5;
Lev. 24:5-6).
13. Thirteen: rebellion, backsliding, apostasy (Gen. 14:4; 1 Kings 11:6).
I will meditate on all Your work and muse on Your deeds. (Ps. 77:12)
I will meditate on Your precepts and regard Your ways. (Ps. 119:15)
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Therefore, let me summarize what we have discussed in a handful of concise state-
ments that will make everything easier to remember.
1. Most of all, dreams should be interpreted on a personal basis first (John
10:3).
2. Most dreams should not be taken literally. They need interpretation (Dan.
1:17; Gen. 40:8).
3. God will use familiar terms that you know (Matt. 4:19).
4. Ponder on the dream or revelation and ask the Holy Spirit for insight (Dan.
7:8; 8:15-16; Luke 2:19; 1 Cor. 2:10-12).
5. Ask the Holy Spirit what the central thought, word, or issue is in the revela-
tion. Reduce the dream to its simplest form. What is the main thought?
6. Search it out in the Word. Dreams from the Lord will never go against His
written Word (Prov. 25:2).
7. What did you sense and feel from the dream? Was it a good or evil presence?
What was the primary emotion?
8. Relate the dream to your circumstances and spheres of influence.
9. Consecutive dreams often have similar meanings (Gen. 41:1-7, 25-31). God
will speak the same message more than once in more than one way.
10. What are the colors? Is everything black and white with one main object in
color?
11. Interpretations can be on three levels: personal, church, or national and in-
ternational.
12. More than one interpretation can come forth in one dream. Just as with
Scripture, there is the historical context as well as the personal, present im-
plication. So it is with dreams. It might be a general word for the church with
specific applications for yourself (or others).
13. Some dreams may only be understood in the future. They unfold over time.
Details will make sense down the road.
14. Write down in a journal the summary; date it; write down where you were,
the time (if you woke up from it), the main emotions, and a possible inter-
pretation.
15. The key to proper interpretation is to ask questions, questions, questions!
Finally, remember that dreams are significant to all! There couldnt be a society
of people who didnt dream. Theyd be dead in two weeks. To receive a dream is the
human obligation that begins to move a divine purpose from the mind of God to
become reality in human history.
Dreams are where space and time are pushed away, where God allows our inner
selves to see beyond and behind the conscious plane and where possibilities and
hopes, as well as all our hidden monsters, come out, come out wherever they are.
Dreaming permits each and every one of us to be quietly and safely insane ev-
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ery night of our lives.
But life is more than dreams. As author Mark Rutland says:
If we idolize the primary mental image and cling to it too tenacious-
ly, we may well despise the realization of the dream when it finally
arrives. An overly cherished fantasy has the capacity to steal our joy
and even blind us to the dreams for which we have longed.
In closing, let us consider the cautionary wisdom of The Preacher in Eccle-
siastes: For in many dreams and in many words there is emptiness. Rather, fear
God.
Father, we know that dreams and their interpretations belong to You. With
honor coupled with a deep hunger, we ask You to give us Your wisdom applica-
tions, in Jesus great name, Amen.v
Reflection Questions
1. Proper interpretation can occur on many different levels. What are the three
basic methods for interpreting your dream revelation?
2. What does the idea that context determines interpretation mean to you?
How does this work?
Referral Reading
Ira Milligan, Understanding the Dreams You Dream (Shippensburg, PA: Destiny
Image, 1997).
Herman Riffel, Dream Interpretation (Shippensburg, PA: Destiny Image, 1993).
Kevin Connor, Interpreting Symbols and Types (Portland, OR: Bible Temple Publi-
cations, 1989).
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About the Author
James W. Goll is the co-founder of Encoun-
ters Network - a ministry to the nations and
the International Director of Prayer Storm. He
is the author of over twenty five books includ-
ing The Lost Art of Intercession, The Seer, Dream
Language, and many others. James (Jim) is a
member of the Harvest International Ministries
Apostolic Team, the Apostolic Council of Pro-
phetic Elders, and other national and interna-
tional ministries. He has appeared on the 700
Club, TBN, 100 Huntley, DayStar, God TV and
other radio and TV broadcasts. He and his wife
late wife Michal Ann were married for 32 years
before her graduation into heaven in Septem-
ber 2008. Together they parented four wonder-
ful children: Justin, GraceAnn, Tyler and Ra-
chel. James continues to write, travel the globe
preaching and ministering and lives in the beau-
tiful hills of Franklin, Tennessee.
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Other Resources from
James W. Goll
Dream Language
After centuries of neglect, the Church is rediscovering the realm
of dreams and visions as a legitimate avenue for receiving divine
revelation. Dream Language provides exciting and revealing truths
about the Master Dream Weaver and His desire to communicate
with you. Based on extensive biblical study and years of personal
insights the authors provide in-depth examples about this fascinat-
ing realm.
Plus, when you buy today, get Exploring Your Dreams and Visions
for FREE!
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