Every dream and dream symbol has a distinct meaning based on their use in the dream and the context of the dream. Different symbols have different meanings to different people, depending on their culture, religion, and personal experience. The same dream symbol may be used to portray different aspects of a dream.
Most dream symbols can have a general meaning that applies to everyone, even though this might not be the case always. However, one must consider the context of his dream and how the dream symbol correlates.
You are the best candidate to interpret your dream as you of all people understand the symbolic meaning of your dream and how it relates to your waking life. As well you understand the dream setting better as you know what is happening in your life presently. Dream symbols are personal to dreams, hence they are not universal. Pictures are the language of the heart.
The following are some common dreams and dream symbols and their biblical explanations and examples.
Common dreams and biblical dream symbols
Dreaming of wind.
Wind in a dream symbolizes destructive forces, especially strong winds. It comes in many forms such as whirlwinds, dust storms, and hurricanes leading to massive destruction of property and loss of lives.
Calm winds symbolize the Holy Spirit. The Bible likens the Holy Spirit to the wind, as no one knows where it goes or where it comes from.
John 3:8
The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So, it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.
Again, the Holy Spirit came to the disciples on the day of Pentecost like a rushing mighty wind and tongues of Fire.
Dreaming of rocks.
Rocks in a dream symbolize foundations. David declares that the Lord had taken him out of a pit and made his feet firm on the rock of his salvation. (Psalms 40:2). Jesus is the rock of our salvation, the rock that gave water in the wilderness, the rock that the builders despised, but eventually became the cornerstone.
Again, Jesus taught that those who listen to his teachings are likened to a man who built his house on a strong foundation, on a rock. The word and the name of the Lord is a strong foundation, the building blocks of our salvation.
Related: Eating human flesh in a dream.
Dreaming of a valley.
A valley in a dream symbolizes trials and tribulation. David declared that even though he works in the valley of death, he shall not be afraid. The valley of death in this case signifies tribulation or a season of consternation.
This is a season where our faith is put to the test, as we face life challenges of all sorts.
Dreaming of lightning.
Lightning in a dream symbolizes danger. Naturally, lightning is associated with the destruction of property and lives. It is also responsible for most forest fires.
Lucifer is recorded as having fallen from heaven like lightning. From this, we know that lightning can be used to represent the acceleration of an event.
Related: Sleeping on your mother’s bed in a dream.
Dreaming of clouds.
Depending on the context of a dream, clouds can symbolize different things. Dark heavy clouds symbolize the verge of an event just as they would represent the beginning of rainfall.
In the Bible, clouds symbolize witnesses and glory. The Bible declares we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses. (Hebrews 12:1). Jesus shall come on the cloud in his glory. (Matthew 24:32).
Again, clouds in a dream symbolize the will of God and His covering. Just as the Lord would lead his people in the wilderness, by day with a cloud and by night with a pillar of fire.
Numbers 9:16-17
So, it was always: the cloud covered it by day and the appearance of fire by night. And whenever the cloud lifted from over the tent, after that the people of Israel set out, and in the place where the cloud settled down, there the people of Israel camped.
Mist or fog in a dream.
Mist or fog in a dream symbolizes a form of hindrance to your progress. It is either an event or something that impairs your goals and Vision in life. Just as natural fog reduces visibility and hinders navigation on roads, seas, or rivers, likewise is the fog and mist in a dream.
Dreaming of weapons.
Weapons in a dream symbolize spiritual warfare in the life of a believer, depending on the type of weapons you see in the dream. Each weapon symbolizes a different level of spiritual attack. Therefore, the dream of arrows cannot be likened to that of a nuclear weapon.
In Ephesians 6:16, Paul exhorts us to exercise faith by which we can quench the flaming arrows of the evil one.
Ephesians 6:16
In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one…
Isiah declares no weapon fashioned against the chosen can ever prosper. (Isaiah 54:17). The weapons described are the ones used by witches and other evil people to fight and destroy the lives of innocent people.
Related: Your child playing with a snake in a dream.
Dreaming of a wall.
A wall in a dream can symbolize either protection or hindrance depending on the dream’s context. Solomon likens a man without self-control to a city without walls, meaning he has no restraint. In the ancient world, walls were used as a protective shield against attacks from enemies.
When Hezekiah was threatened by the King of Assyria, The Lord promised that he would defend Judah and be a wall and a ring of fire around the City.
A wall in the Bible is also compared to a hindrance. Paul declared that Jesus broke that wall of religion that divided the gentiles from the Jewish people.
Dreaming of a tree.
A tree in a dream symbolizes a nation, kingdom, or empire. In Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, he saw a tree on which the birds of the air nested and all kinds of beasts took shed. Daniel interpreted the tree as the kingdom of Babylon on which all Nations depended. (Daniel 4:10-12).
Jesus also likened the Kingdom of Heaven to a mustard seed that grows into a massive tree on which all kinds of birds nest.
Dreaming of minerals.
Minerals symbolize value and power. It can also represent the economic power and ranking of a nation. For example, in the dream of Nebuchadnezzar, where he saw the image of a man made of different minerals which symbolized different empires and their power. Gold in the dream symbolized the superpower of those days which was Babylon, silver was the Medo-Persian empire, bronze represented the Grecian empire, and iron represented the Roman empire.
Dreaming of buildings.
Building in a dream symbolizes cities or the status of a city. For example, a hut symbolizes poverty and stagnation, while a story building symbolizes riches and prosperity.
Dreaming of a river.
A calm river in a dream symbolizes the flow of life and its progress, unlike a rough river which symbolizes troubles and sorrows. That is why they are called trouble waters.
Dreaming of an ocean.
An ocean symbolizes the depth of a matter and its waves represent tribulation and the lack of stability just as waves are tossed to and from, and hence unstable.
Dreaming of mountains.
A mountain in a dream symbolizes wealth as they are endowed with all kinds of minerals and goodies. The Lord declares in Psalms 50:10 that He owns a thousand cattle on a thousand hills.
A mountain can also symbolize and hindrance and a heap of problems. In Isaiah 40:4, The Lord promises to level every mountain that shall act as a hindrance to His people’s progress.
Dreaming of the sun.
The sun in a dream symbolizes leadership, headship, glory, and a source of life. In Joseph’s dream, the sun symbolized Jacob’s father as they depended on him as the head of the family just like everything depends on the sun’s light as a source of energy for food production. Therefore, the sun is a source of life.
The Bible declares that those who hope and trust in the Lord shall shine like the midday sun, meaning they will be glorious and prosperous.
Psalms 34:5
Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed.
Dreaming of the moon.
The moon in a dream symbolizes lesser glory, unlike the sun which symbolizes greater glory. The reason is that the moon is dependent on the sun for its light.
Genesis 1:16
And God made the two great lights—the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night—and the stars.
Dreaming of sand.
Sand in a dream symbolizes quantity. God promised Abraham as many descendants as the sand on the seashores. (Genesis 22:17, Genesis 32:12). Again, the Bible records that Joseph while in Egypt gathered grain as much as sand implying it had no measure. (Genesis 31:49).
Sand can also symbolize a weak foundation; therefore, it is important to understand your dream to know the difference. Jesus taught that those who despise his word are compared to a man who constructs his house on sand which is unstable to support a foundation. (Matthew 7:26).
Dreaming of water.
Water in a dream symbolizes a cleansing process or the word of God. In the Old Testament, water was used for religious rituals for cleansing. Therefore, dreaming you are bathing symbolizes you are being cleansed. (Leviticus 15).
Again, water can symbolize the word of God which cleanses our hearts and minds and gives life to the spirit.
John 17:17
Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.
Vomiting in a dream.
Normally dreaming of yourself vomiting means that you are cleansing your body. Your body is getting rid of toxins through the vomiting process. It may also occur when your body is processing something bad that happened in your life. It can also mean that you are going through a life-changing experience.
We often force our bodies to process unnecessarily large amounts of toxic material. This is an indication that you feel like you are choking on things that you have to do in life. The dream is telling you to lighten your load.
Dreaming of a rainbow.
A rainbow in a dream symbolizes peace as it is a reminder of God’s promise not to destroy the earth with water anymore. (Genesis 9:12-16).
Dreaming of a tsunami.
A tsunami in a dream symbolizes the massive destruction of property and lives just as it would be in the natural world. The dream also serves as a warning of a coming tsunami. Therefore, pray and intercede to prevent this event from happening.
Dreaming of floods.
Floods in a dream symbolize an overflow or forces of destruction. It can be a mighty overflow of The Holy Spirit in a city, but often it represents the destruction of property and lives. Therefore, pray to discern the difference and to prevent any form of destruction from occurring shortly.
Floods can also symbolize baptism through submersion into many waters. Paul taught that the division of the Red Sea was a symbol of the baptism of the Israelites and Noah’s flood represented another form of baptism where Noah and his household were saved.
Dreaming of drought.
Droughts in a dream symbolize seasons of hardship and scarcity. The dream can also be a warning of a coming food shortage just as in the case of Pharaoh’s dream of the seven years of plenty and seven years of drought.
Dreaming of rain.
Rains in a dream symbolize the infinite love and grace of God for His people, as He allows it to rain both on the wicked and the righteous. The meaning may vary based on the intensity and nature of the rain.
Related: Meaning of a Television in a Dream
Dreaming of rainfall accompanied by lightning and storms symbolizes destructive forces or an actual event to occur. Therefore, dedicate to destroy this and also pray to prevent such events from happening. (Ezekiel 22:30-31).
Rains are compared to the word of God which does not return to Him in vain unless it performs its purpose. Just as rain waters the ground causing it to bring forth fruit, so does the word of God. (Isaiah 55:10-11).
Dreaming of an egg.
An egg in a dream symbolizes new beginnings and potential. From the natural principle, an egg holds the potential for a new life, and on arching, comes a new beginning.
