Since there are seven mentions of dreams in the New Testament, it would seem likely that when compiled these would follow the Bible Matrix. And they do.
In the Bible, dreams are not so much a means of revelation as they are of delegation. Architecturally, a dream is an opening of the Veil of darkness that the Ark-word might be given to Adam without slaying him. Since he is in a deep sleep, he is “under anesthetic.” You might remember that the boy Samuel was sleeping before the veil when the Lord spoke to him.
There is also a development in the nature of the dreams as the Bible itself works through the architecture. Adam and Noah were unaware of the events that transpired while in their respective deep sleeps. These men were the bookends of the “cosmic” covenant.
In contrast, Abram was given detailed information in a dream. This marks a shift from the Creation or “Day 1” period of history (Adam to Noah) to the Division or “Day 2” era; from the transcendent initiator to His chosen delegate. The dreams became an assignment of authority for a mission.
Six of the seven occurrences in the New Testament are in the Gospel of Matthew. The final mention is in Peter’s sermon on the Day of Pentecost in the book of Acts. In terms of the Creation, Matthew brings us to Day 6 and Peter gives us rest. In terms of the Tabernacle, Matthew constructs the tent as a spirit-filled artisan and Peter fills it with the glory of God.
Creation – Initiation – Light – Genesis – Ark of the Testimony
But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.” (Matthew 1:20)
Division – Delegation – Waters – Exodus – Veil
And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way. (Matthew 2:12)
Ascension – Presentation – Land & Fruitbearers – Leviticus – Bronze Altar & Table
Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” (Matthew 2:13)
Testing – Purification – Governing Lights – Numbers – Lampstand
But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, “Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child’s life are dead.” (Matthew 2:19-20)
Maturity – Initiation – Hosts – Deuteronomy – Incense Altar
But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream he withdrew to the district of Galilee. (Matthew 2:22)
Conquest – Vindication – Animals & Man – Joshua – Laver & Mediators
Besides, while he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent word to him, “Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for I have suffered much because of him today in a dream.” (Matthew 27:19)
Glorification – Representation – Rest & Rule – Judges – Shekinah
“‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares,
that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh,
and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
and your young men shall see visions,
and your old men shall dream dreams…’” (Acts 2:17)
- The first dream alludes to the Spirit hovering over the waters that brought forth the land and made the earth fruitful. The image corresponds to the recurring connection between wombs and wells throughout the Old Testament and into the New.
- The second dream alludes to the “veil” of deception that took the wise men safely home and contributes to Matthew’s picture of Herod the Great as a Jewish “Pharaoh.”
- The third dream makes Egypt an altar and puts Jesus upon it as the firstborn—yet under Egyptian rule He is now safe. In terms of the Creation, Egypt is now the “land” and Joseph and Mary are the fruit bearers.
- In the fourth dream, Egypt is at the center of the pattern, just as it is in Genesis 15. The murderous rulers of Jerusalem are the false “sun, moon, and stars.” It is worth noting that the red dragon, the woman, and the child are also at the center of the book of Revelation, the “red” alluding to the Herods’ Edomite lineage.
- The fifth dream introduces the “hosts,” the swarms in sky and sea. Archelaus means “ruler of the people.” Galilee “of the Gentiles” was by the coast. That covers the hosts of both Jew and Gentile.
- The sixth dream gives us Pilate and his wife as Adam and Eve. Notice the allusion to the oath and sanctions of the covenant. The message is that if you curse this “Adam” you will suffer the consequences. Pilate washes his hands, presumably in a ceremonial laver.
- The seventh instance is a plurality of dreams in the fire that fills the people of God, the “sevens Spirits” before God’s throne in heaven poured out upon the earth. While all of Matthew’s mentions use the word onar, Peter uses enypniois which means “in the sphere of sleep.” As the seventh dream, this accords with Day 7 as God’s rest.
- There is an eighth mention of dreams in the New Testament but they are not from God. Jude 1:8 alludes to Jeremiah 23:25, 32-33 in his condemnation of false prophets.1See my notes in The Shape of 1-3 John & Jude.
Finally, it is worth noting that angels only appear in the first four instances. This accords with the “servants-then-sons” pattern throughout the Bible. Even Jesus was “the angel of the Lord” to the Old Covenant people until He was incarnated and revealed as the Son. (Notice that Jesus appears as Jesus to the saints in Revelation but as a mighty angel to the rulers of the old order.) This pattern explains why the angels that were sent to Sodom, to Samson’s parents, and the one that appeared in Nebuchadnezzar’s fiery furnace all disappeared when the work of the fire was done. Then that work was given to human “angels,” who are not merely servants but also Sons.2For more discussion, see “Better Angels” in Sweet Counsel: Essays to Brighten the Eyes.
The seven occurrences of dreams were noticed recently by my friend Arthur Kay.
Art: “Ecce homo” (“Behold, the Man”) by Antonio Ciseri, 1880.
If you are new to this method of interpretation, please visit the Welcome page for some help to get you up to speed.
References
| ↑1 | See my notes in The Shape of 1-3 John & Jude. |
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| ↑2 | For more discussion, see “Better Angels” in Sweet Counsel: Essays to Brighten the Eyes. |
