Let the prophet who has a dream tell the dream, but let the one who has my word speak my word faithfully. What has straw in common with wheat? says the Lord. -Jeremiah 23:28
Dear members and friends,
Dreams have long been regarded with special attention due to their potential meaning, which many believe is deeply connected to the condition and quality of our life. Even in this modern age where scientific methodology is the ruling principle in determining and understanding our reality, the mystery, awe, and significance of dreams persists. While it’s true that not all dreams are meaningful, there are some that are unforgettable or even revelatory when we understand their meaning. In the Bible, God used dreams to communicate with people. Emanuel Swedenborg started his spiritual voyage by analyzing the figures and meanings in his own dreams. Eventually, he came to understand that his dreams represented and symbolized what was in his mind.
In Jeremiah, however, we read a very strong warning from God regarding false prophets taking advantage of people by using their dreams. Why such a strong warning? The simple and fundamental truth is that only the dreamer knows what happened in their dream. In other words, there is no other human or system to qualify or disqualify the authenticity of a dream. A deeper lesson that God is teaching us in Jeremiah is that the message of God is only received by those who are faithful. And, the faithfulness of the messenger is revealed by what the messenger desires to accomplish. If the message were truly from God, then its end result would be pleasing to God. But if the message were made from human desire, its results would not be pleasing to God. For this Jesus proclaims, “A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. … Thus you will know them by their fruits.” (Matthew 7:18 & 20)
Blessings, Rev. Junchol Lee