This is written as a series of Dream Interpretation Helps concerning dreams from God. I will cover the things that I feel are mandatory for correct dream interpretation and application of the truths revealed in the dream. All scripture references are NASB, unless otherwise noted. Emphases are mine. © 2013, 2022 Elizabeth Elam. All rights reserved.
NUMBERS AND ‘RIDDLES’ IN DREAMS
The Lord will use much of the imagery in the Bible as the symbols in our dreams. We have found that He even counts the passage of time in His way, not as Americans are taught to count. For example, if imagery points to significance in three days time for something in your dream, counting the Lord’s way, day number one is the day of the dream, not the next day. God is showing Himself to be the same yesterday, today and forever. We conform to Him. He does not conform to us.
There may be exceptions to this. For example, in one dream I had, the Lord was trying to save a twenty-six-year marriage. In the dream, He put the number twenty-six as the number of an automobile repair invoice which had been paid-in-full by the Lord (and that number would only be recognized as significant if it matches the way the couple counts). If the Lord puts a specific number or time (like on a clock) in your dream, the number may have significance as one of God’s symbolic numbers. For example, the number three may have to do with a resurrection or the Trinity or three days, etc. Once, the Lord put the number 212 in a dream and the only place in the Bible with that number had to do with gatekeepers of the tabernacle. The people the dream was for had been told by the Lord that they were called to be gatekeepers (intercessors).
Another time, in a dream which revealed intense spiritual warfare against our middle son’s ministry of songwriting for the Lord, I heard the term (as CD discs were being hurled at him), “5150 has been shot down!” I found out later that 5150 is the model number of a very famous guitar amplifier that has a sound that our son likes very much. The Lord was saying that our son’s ‘voice’ in worship and creative song for the Lord was under attack, being forced into silence. I was extremely burdened about the dream as it ended with the attack still in full force and so I prayed for our son to fight this attack with the correct response. One hour later (unaware of my dream), our son had virtually the same dream, but with the correct response to the enemy. Then a nationally-known local songwriter with a sensitive spirit called him later that morning because she sensed the spiritual attack against him. So the Lord brought much prayer and healing to the situation.
My friend, Sebrena Smith, once had a dream with a number that also held a play on words. She saw a very glossy, self-promoting brochure (a person’s name was highlighted in bold print) used for advertising (marketing) that was folded five times. We understood it to be a false ‘five-fold ministry’ that exalted self instead of the Lord Jesus. It was a warning about false leaders drawing people away after themselves rather than to the Lord. Of course, there is the true five-fold minister (apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor or teacher) that helps people mature and equips them to do the work of the Lord. I’ve seen the Lord use a play on words (like a riddle) in other dreams, too. Sebrena has had quite a few dreams about the state of the grace gifts, also referred to as the five-fold ministry. Her most recent dream showed the five grace gifts (Ephesians 4:11-13) stuck in a ditch because they hadn't learned to work together. Jesus had paid to get them out of the ditch. A prayer point.
The time 6:33 has a special meaning to me because, in the past, both my husband and I have been awakened every day for a week by ‘knocks’ on the door (no one there) and phone calls (no one there) at exactly 6:33. We knew it was the Lord saying to seek Him as in Matthew 6:33. When Sebrena, who also dreams a lot, had a dream about me waking up at 6:33, she did not know what it meant. But she knew that I would know since the Lord had put that particular time in there. I had just been praying about whether to keep a small money-making job that seemed to be keeping me from doing the tasks the Lord had called me to. And yet I ‘thought’ we needed the money. The time, 6:33, was to me immediately understood to be Matthew 6:33. There was my answer. “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things (things the Gentiles seek, things that money buys) will be added to you.”
When I told the dream that day to my mom and one of my sons, they replied that they both had awakened at 6:33 that morning with no alarm clock. I had awakened at 6:32, so I knew that the Lord wanted me to read that verse as well. When I was telling the dream to another son that day, my husband noticed that as I said the time of 6:33, the time on our clock that evening was precisely that… 6:33! It was much confirmation that I needed to ‘wake up’ to the truth of Matthew 6:33! And maybe we all do as well! I wish to honor my wonderful friend and dream partner, Sebrena Smith, by saying that she has always been so timely, but also prayerful, in sharing her dreams. It is an example I aspire to and the Lord has greatly convicted me about timeliness being part of my stewardship of dreams. I've learned of times where if I had shared my dream sooner, it may have prevented a negative outcome for someone or an entire church.
My friend just had a dream this week as I was writing this section about numbers in dreams. The dream showed four pieces of metal which would all eventually fit or work together to dig a well of flowing water (the Word). Those four pieces (four individuals whom the dream later identifies) were bought for $33.00. What a beautiful picture! Jesus bought us, the pieces that fit and work together, with His own life. He died on the cross for our sins at the age of 33, buying our legal right to be His eternally and then He rose again!
I also wish to address a dream a young person I know quite well posted on Facebook. Many other young people responded, saying, “Yes, I’ve had that same recurring dream as well!” This was the dream:
“I have a recurring dream that I’m still in college and there are three classes I keep forgetting to go to. I then panic over my grade. Waking to my real-life graduated status is pure bliss.” My thoughts? Young people… wake up! The Lord is speaking to you. The three classes are concerned with learning about God and being with Him. Remember, He is the Trinity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. God, three in One. Panicking over your grade is really panic over your eternal status (relationship) with the Lord. The Lord is calling you to truly be with Him. Are you completely His? Repentance is needed and possibly even Biblical salvation. Please read the article titled, "BIBLICAL DEFINITION OF THE GOSPEL – THE LORD IS WORKING TO RESTORE IT" at the end of these Interpretation Helps. The article explains the Biblical terms of the true, full Gospel which is the only real Gospel.
I can't praise the Lord enough for a warning dream from just a week ago (as I add a few more thoughts to this in the year 2022)! I dreamed I saw my grown son, Peter, buried with others at a retreat center in a nature setting. There were 15 of them all buried in the dream, including my son. In the dream we began to dig them out and they were all injured, but survived. I began to pray over the dream right away.
It had totally slipped my mind that my son and his wife, as assistant youth pastors, would be heading to a retreat center with the youth of our church that very day. Storms were being predicted. Level four tornadoes had begun riddling the exact route to the retreat center that they had first planned to take. Tornadoes were flattening large swaths on their anticipated route. We all were unaware of exactly what was happening and how devastating, and extensive the damage being done by the numerous tornadoes actually was! When I realized that my dream was about all this, I asked my son if they were in a 15 passenger van. They were! As I asked the traveling group for updates, I quickly realized the Lord was trying to prevent a tornado from touching down on the old and worn 15 passenger van our son was driving! I believe the warning dream and everyone's prayers who knew to take the dream seriously prevented a tornado from burying them with debris and a flattened van from a direct strike. The Lord had told our son to take a different route to the retreat center. I believe that was part of our answered prayers! God is so good to warn!
I've noticed that if the dream speaks of 'three or four' as a unit where it doesn't feel correct to say the number 'three' by itself, or the number 'four' by itself, it always (in my experience with dreams) is speaking of generational iniquity that's been passed down. The dream is showing a need to repent of the sins and iniquities of three or four generations. You may even see in the dream someone in the generation the Lord wishes to consider the first generation to start with, such as a great grandfather or a great grandmother.
NUMBERS AND ‘RIDDLES’ IN DREAMS
The Lord will use much of the imagery in the Bible as the symbols in our dreams. We have found that He even counts the passage of time in His way, not as Americans are taught to count. For example, if imagery points to significance in three days time for something in your dream, counting the Lord’s way, day number one is the day of the dream, not the next day. God is showing Himself to be the same yesterday, today and forever. We conform to Him. He does not conform to us.
There may be exceptions to this. For example, in one dream I had, the Lord was trying to save a twenty-six-year marriage. In the dream, He put the number twenty-six as the number of an automobile repair invoice which had been paid-in-full by the Lord (and that number would only be recognized as significant if it matches the way the couple counts). If the Lord puts a specific number or time (like on a clock) in your dream, the number may have significance as one of God’s symbolic numbers. For example, the number three may have to do with a resurrection or the Trinity or three days, etc. Once, the Lord put the number 212 in a dream and the only place in the Bible with that number had to do with gatekeepers of the tabernacle. The people the dream was for had been told by the Lord that they were called to be gatekeepers (intercessors).
Another time, in a dream which revealed intense spiritual warfare against our middle son’s ministry of songwriting for the Lord, I heard the term (as CD discs were being hurled at him), “5150 has been shot down!” I found out later that 5150 is the model number of a very famous guitar amplifier that has a sound that our son likes very much. The Lord was saying that our son’s ‘voice’ in worship and creative song for the Lord was under attack, being forced into silence. I was extremely burdened about the dream as it ended with the attack still in full force and so I prayed for our son to fight this attack with the correct response. One hour later (unaware of my dream), our son had virtually the same dream, but with the correct response to the enemy. Then a nationally-known local songwriter with a sensitive spirit called him later that morning because she sensed the spiritual attack against him. So the Lord brought much prayer and healing to the situation.
My friend, Sebrena Smith, once had a dream with a number that also held a play on words. She saw a very glossy, self-promoting brochure (a person’s name was highlighted in bold print) used for advertising (marketing) that was folded five times. We understood it to be a false ‘five-fold ministry’ that exalted self instead of the Lord Jesus. It was a warning about false leaders drawing people away after themselves rather than to the Lord. Of course, there is the true five-fold minister (apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor or teacher) that helps people mature and equips them to do the work of the Lord. I’ve seen the Lord use a play on words (like a riddle) in other dreams, too. Sebrena has had quite a few dreams about the state of the grace gifts, also referred to as the five-fold ministry. Her most recent dream showed the five grace gifts (Ephesians 4:11-13) stuck in a ditch because they hadn't learned to work together. Jesus had paid to get them out of the ditch. A prayer point.
The time 6:33 has a special meaning to me because, in the past, both my husband and I have been awakened every day for a week by ‘knocks’ on the door (no one there) and phone calls (no one there) at exactly 6:33. We knew it was the Lord saying to seek Him as in Matthew 6:33. When Sebrena, who also dreams a lot, had a dream about me waking up at 6:33, she did not know what it meant. But she knew that I would know since the Lord had put that particular time in there. I had just been praying about whether to keep a small money-making job that seemed to be keeping me from doing the tasks the Lord had called me to. And yet I ‘thought’ we needed the money. The time, 6:33, was to me immediately understood to be Matthew 6:33. There was my answer. “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things (things the Gentiles seek, things that money buys) will be added to you.”
When I told the dream that day to my mom and one of my sons, they replied that they both had awakened at 6:33 that morning with no alarm clock. I had awakened at 6:32, so I knew that the Lord wanted me to read that verse as well. When I was telling the dream to another son that day, my husband noticed that as I said the time of 6:33, the time on our clock that evening was precisely that… 6:33! It was much confirmation that I needed to ‘wake up’ to the truth of Matthew 6:33! And maybe we all do as well! I wish to honor my wonderful friend and dream partner, Sebrena Smith, by saying that she has always been so timely, but also prayerful, in sharing her dreams. It is an example I aspire to and the Lord has greatly convicted me about timeliness being part of my stewardship of dreams. I've learned of times where if I had shared my dream sooner, it may have prevented a negative outcome for someone or an entire church.
My friend just had a dream this week as I was writing this section about numbers in dreams. The dream showed four pieces of metal which would all eventually fit or work together to dig a well of flowing water (the Word). Those four pieces (four individuals whom the dream later identifies) were bought for $33.00. What a beautiful picture! Jesus bought us, the pieces that fit and work together, with His own life. He died on the cross for our sins at the age of 33, buying our legal right to be His eternally and then He rose again!
I also wish to address a dream a young person I know quite well posted on Facebook. Many other young people responded, saying, “Yes, I’ve had that same recurring dream as well!” This was the dream:
“I have a recurring dream that I’m still in college and there are three classes I keep forgetting to go to. I then panic over my grade. Waking to my real-life graduated status is pure bliss.” My thoughts? Young people… wake up! The Lord is speaking to you. The three classes are concerned with learning about God and being with Him. Remember, He is the Trinity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. God, three in One. Panicking over your grade is really panic over your eternal status (relationship) with the Lord. The Lord is calling you to truly be with Him. Are you completely His? Repentance is needed and possibly even Biblical salvation. Please read the article titled, "BIBLICAL DEFINITION OF THE GOSPEL – THE LORD IS WORKING TO RESTORE IT" at the end of these Interpretation Helps. The article explains the Biblical terms of the true, full Gospel which is the only real Gospel.
I can't praise the Lord enough for a warning dream from just a week ago (as I add a few more thoughts to this in the year 2022)! I dreamed I saw my grown son, Peter, buried with others at a retreat center in a nature setting. There were 15 of them all buried in the dream, including my son. In the dream we began to dig them out and they were all injured, but survived. I began to pray over the dream right away.
It had totally slipped my mind that my son and his wife, as assistant youth pastors, would be heading to a retreat center with the youth of our church that very day. Storms were being predicted. Level four tornadoes had begun riddling the exact route to the retreat center that they had first planned to take. Tornadoes were flattening large swaths on their anticipated route. We all were unaware of exactly what was happening and how devastating, and extensive the damage being done by the numerous tornadoes actually was! When I realized that my dream was about all this, I asked my son if they were in a 15 passenger van. They were! As I asked the traveling group for updates, I quickly realized the Lord was trying to prevent a tornado from touching down on the old and worn 15 passenger van our son was driving! I believe the warning dream and everyone's prayers who knew to take the dream seriously prevented a tornado from burying them with debris and a flattened van from a direct strike. The Lord had told our son to take a different route to the retreat center. I believe that was part of our answered prayers! God is so good to warn!
I've noticed that if the dream speaks of 'three or four' as a unit where it doesn't feel correct to say the number 'three' by itself, or the number 'four' by itself, it always (in my experience with dreams) is speaking of generational iniquity that's been passed down. The dream is showing a need to repent of the sins and iniquities of three or four generations. You may even see in the dream someone in the generation the Lord wishes to consider the first generation to start with, such as a great grandfather or a great grandmother.
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