Biblical significance of dreams and visions pertained to the scope of miraculous activity. For instance, God caused the Babylonian king, Nebuchadnezzar, to have an inspired dream. Then, God empowered the prophet Daniel to interrupt the king’s dream, which was prophetic about the distant from Nebuchadnezzar’s day and time and then future establishment of an eternal, spiritual kingdom – the church (Daniel 2:31-44). Neither my dreams nor the dreams of anyone else today are inspired of God since the miraculous period closed about 2,000 years ago (1 Corinthians 13:8-13) after miracles had served the purpose for which they were given (Mark 16:20).
Likewise, the prophecy of Joel 2:28-3:2 specified that dreams and visions would correspond to the establishment of the kingdom of God or of the church. That the Old Testament prophecies regarding the establishment of the kingdom pertained to the church one can be sure upon observation of our Lord’s conversation with the apostle Peter, whereupon Jesus used the words “kingdom” and “church” to refer to the same divine organization; likewise, the apostles Paul and John used “church” and “kingdom” interchangeably to refer to the same thing (Colossians 1:13; Revelation 1:9).
Dreams and visions were a part of the miraculous demonstration that eternal kingdom or church was being established in Acts 2. The apostle Peter quoted Joel 2 and applied it to the birthday of the church and noted that the miraculous manifestations on that day pertained to Joel’s prophecy.
But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams. And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; And they shall prophesy. I will show wonders in heaven above And signs in the earth beneath: Blood and fire and vapor of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord. And it shall come to pass That whoever calls on the name of the Lord Shall be saved. (Acts 2:16-21 NKJV)
Dreams and visions are not inspired of God, Jesus Christ or the Holy Spirit today. Our dreams are ordinary now. If we perceive that we are having visions today, we may well need some medical or psychological remedy, for as far as the biblical record is concerned, miracles out of which came inspired dreams and visions have long since ceased.
