Acts 2:17 (NKJV)

‘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.

In biblical times, dreams and visions were significant methods through which God communicated His will and guidance to His people. Figures such as Joseph – son of Jacob; Solomon; and Daniel received divine messages through these means, which often had monumental implications for their lives and the lives of others around them (Genesis 20:3, Daniel 7:1).

In the New Testament, the apostles Peter and Paul also experienced visions that played pivotal roles in the expansion of the early Church and its doctrines, particularly concerning the inclusion of Gentiles into what had been a predominantly Jewish faith (Acts 9, Acts 10).

The prophet Joel and apostle Peter also spoke of a time when God’s Spirit would pour out on all people, resulting in an increase in prophetic activity, including dreams and visions (Joel 2:28-32, Acts 2:17-18).

This prophecy is fulfilled at Pentecost, marking a new era where the Holy Spirit is available to all believers, transcending previous boundaries of nationality, gender, and social status.

However, with the completion of the biblical canon, the role of dreams and visions has shifted. They are no longer the primary means through which God communicates with His people.

Today, Scripture holds the place of final authority, providing complete and sufficient guidance for faith and life. Any modern claim of divine communication through dreams and visions must align with biblical truth and should never supersede the authority of Scripture (1 Thessalonians 5:20-21).

Furthermore, the miraculous events seen at Pentecost—such as speaking in tongues and prophecy—serve as a unique historical record of the Holy Spirit’s power in the early church but are not necessarily prescribed norms for today’s church practices. Instead, they underscore the transformative power of the Holy Spirit, available to all who believe in Christ for salvation and are called to live out His teachings (Acts 2:38, 1 Corinthians 14:1).

In the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit was exclusively given to those who held official positions in theocracy, such as kings, priests, and prophets. In God’s new mission, the Holy Spirit rests upon all flesh, which means all of God’s people and not just leaders.

Apostles and prophets of the NT era experienced a new manifestation of prophecy, visions, and dreams following this fresh outpouring of the Spirit.

In Acts 2:17, Peter is telling the Jewish crowd that what they were witnessing is God pouring the Holy Spirit on all mankind, which in context does not mean everyone on the planet, but all of God’s people who believe in His Son.

Peter did not claim that Pentecost was the complete fulfillment of Joel 2:28-32 because the signs and wonders predicted (Acts 2:19-20) had not yet occurred. When read in context, Joel’s prophecy pertains to the nation of Israel during the end times, specifically in connection with “the Day of the Lord,” which refers to God’s judgment.

However, Peter applied the prophecy to the Church, emphasizing that the same Holy Spirit promised in Joel’s vision was now present and active among believers. This partial fulfillment at Pentecost serves as a foretaste of the ultimate fulfillment to come.

This announcement would seem unbelievable to the Jews because they believed God’s Spirit was given only to a selected few people (see Num 11:28-29). Yet here were 120 of their fellow Jews, both men and women, enjoying the blessing of the same Holy Spirit.

In conclusion, while dreams and visions played a significant role in biblical times as a means of divine communication, their purpose and function have shifted with the completion of Scripture.

The Holy Spirit now works through the revealed Word of God, which provides all the guidance and truth believers need for faith and life. Claims of modern-day dreams and visions must always be evaluated against Scripture and must never contradict or supersede its authority.

Ultimately, the focus of the Spirit’s work is not on miraculous signs but on the proclamation of Christ and the transformation of lives through the gospel. It is this forth-telling of God’s redemptive work through Jesus that remains central to the Spirit’s mission today.

Dangers of dreamers

Dreams and dreamers alike are dangerous to the body of Christ because of the mystical nature in which they propagate and encourage their false doctrines.

The book of Jude warns of false dreamers who elevate their dreams and private revelation to the level of the written ‘Word of GOD.’ This is very prevalent in our day and age.

Jude 8 (NKJV)

Likewise also these dreamers defile the flesh, reject authority, and speak evil of dignitaries.

There are people who claim God told them this or showed them something or who are obsessed with trying to predict the future all the time. There is always talk about how God gave them some sort of special revelation or extra-biblical revelation.

Oftentimes, they are obsessed with casting prophecies over large groups of people claiming, ‘God showed them something he hasn’t shown anybody else before.’ And because people are so desperate to hear a word from God, they get caught up in vague prophecies that are not specific. The Bible warns us against such false teachers and commands us to ensure that we test every spirit.

1 John 4:1 (NKJV)

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

In His word, GOD has already taught us everything He wants us to know and learn, so we need to avoid such dreamers and false prophets.

Additionally, it should be noted that this isn’t something that just started yesterday. The prophet Jeremiah warned the people of Israel of this as well.

Jeremiah 23:25-26 (NKJV)

25 “I have heard what the prophets have said who prophesy lies in My name, saying, ‘I have dreamed, I have dreamed!’ 

26 How long will this be in the heart of the prophets who prophesy lies? Indeed they are prophets of the deceit of their own heart,