What do the people in my dreams mean? Good question – let’s answer it! I am splitting this blog (and vlog) into two parts: family – and other random people! Today we will look at the symbolism that comes with family members.
The first thing to consider with people, whether they’re family or not, is how you view them. Meaning-do you like them? Do you think they’re gossiping? Are they nasty people? Or do you love them and get along great? Your view will come into play when understanding your dream. The symbolism for people will often be based on how you view their characteristics – good or bad.
Sometimes it can be a person’s name. I have had dreams with an old relative whose name is Victoria. Her name was a play on words for “victory.” God was explaining an old way of gaining victory over situations. I also had a dream about a younger person whose name is also Victoria. This time, the Lord was showing me new victories that were coming.
Grandparents, Children, Grandchildren, Pregnancies
Grandparents often represent the generation before you and may be something you’ve inherited from ages past. Those who came before leave you with characteristics or gifts that must be dealt with. Things like anger can come from one generation to the next, or there may be gifts that need to be picked up by you! I had a dream years back that included my father. He said, “Get a shovel and start digging.” The Lord showed me that gifts were “buried” in past generations and are not active in my life. I pursued more clarity of the dream and discovered the gifts were: worship, evangelism, and prophecy. I had to “dig through” issues of the past generations that were stopping those giftings.
Children & Grandchildren
What about children and grandchildren? Of course, it can be literal, where God gives you instructions to better pray for them. But on the other hand, they may symbolize future generations or an inheritance, as the Bible refers to children as such.
Pregnancy
Maybe you’ve had a dream that included a pregnancy. I’ve had those dreams, and I don’t have any children! Pregnancies generally symbolize something that is being “birthed.” It could be a new ministry, a personal situation, a job, etc. What if there is a miscarriage in a dream? If there has not been a literal miscarriage, it may represent a correct path you were once on that got diverted and caused you to go in the wrong direction. Maybe things got busy, or you were fearful, didn’t understand, or took a wrong turn and “miscarried.” If so, no worries; God can redeem our missed steps!
Add Moms, Dads, and Siblings
Again, did you have a good mom and dad, or were they absent from your life for some reason? I had dreams that were literal for both my parents, but mostly they were symbols. My mother had dementia for the last few years of her life. I had dreams where my mom would be fantastic and in her right mind; in other, she would have dementia.
Mothers often represent the church, which is how it is for me. It may seem strange that God showed me that the church has dementia, but He revealed the confused state in specific areas of the church. The purpose of the revelation was so I could pray for those areas to straighten out.
Fathers
If Dad is not literal, he may be representing authority, and sometimes he is a symbol of God, as in God the Father. That happened to me. When my mom required more help as the dementia advanced, life became very stressful, sad, and disheartening. My father was deceased when I had a dream that he stepped out from behind an object. I started to go towards him but stopped. I said to myself, “He’s not real. This is just a dream. He’s not really here.” Eventually (in the dream), I was walking with him. He put his arm around me and said, “Do you think I don’t know what’s happening? I know exactly what’s going on with your mother. I’m right here. Do you see me?” God reassured me that even in difficult times, he was not blind or oblivious. And if you look at my initial reaction, I didn’t want to step towards him because I knew it was a dream and that he wasn’t there – that’s how I was feeling – ignored by God. It didn’t change the outcome of my mother’s disease; she went into assisted living.
Siblings
Like everyone – how do you view them? Did you get along, or was there jealousy and strife? I have a brother whom I’ve always gotten along with. When he isn’t literal, he represents a type of brother. You may have heard that the church body is a family. Some denominations refer to members of the congregations as brother or sister so-and-so.
Husbands, Wives, and In-Laws
Usually, when I see myself and my husband in a dream, he is literal, and whatever the issue is, we are in it together. However, there have been times when he has been symbolic and vice versa. I once had a dream about my husband that made no sense. I knew it had nothing to do with him literally, and he was a type and form of Jesus. That may sound weird, and I am not saying my husband is Jesus, but Jesus tells husbands to love their wives as He loved the church, even laying down His life for it. That is part of the Job description of a husband.
Wives
My husband once dreamed I was cheating on him, which made him angry– well, that didn’t happen! In his dream, I was a symbol of the church. Biblically, the church is called the bride of Christ, and I am my husband’s wife (bride). He was furious to find out in the dream that I was cheating. God was showing my husband that there was an issue in a church that God viewed as adulterous. I don’t think we can truly comprehend how God feels about those things, but when he puts it in the context of your wife, you understand how that feels!
In-Laws
What are those pesky in-laws doing in your dream? Unfortunately, mothers-in-law get a bad rap. They are often symbols of people who are meddling or troublemakers, although if you have a great mother-in-law, she will mean something different. In-laws can also symbolize legalism – revealing that you are being legalistic about something. For example, legalism says a regimented order is needed for God to move. I’ve also had symbolism with an in-law related to his occupation in law enforcement; in my dreams, he’s a good cop. Symbols can mean so many things!
Developing a personal dream dictionary takes time, but I hope this helps you unlock the mystery! Until next time under the palm, be blessed!
