Skip to Content

What Is the Difference Between Dreams and Visions?

In this article, we will answer the question of whether there is a biblical difference between dreams and visions. The Bible speaks on these topics in depth. We will see how a dream comes in the night season or sleep, and visions take place while awake. So, let’s grab our Bibles and find out more…

In Biblical days when a man/woman was gifted to receive dreams and visions, it was a sign that they were a prophet (Numbers12:6) This is why we see that 1/3 of the Bible consists of prophetic revelation.

It’s safe to say that God likes speaking this way to His people.

I know that, for me, dreams and visions have been a big part of my Christian walk. I believe learning and growing in your prophetic gift is important. We do that by digging into the Word, having a healthy theological understanding, and accountability with other mature believers.

What Is the Difference Between Dreams and Visions? Learn what the Bible has to say.

We will take a look at the Hebrew and Greek to get a better understanding of these prophetic revelations. The one thing we need to keep in mind is that revelation from God can come in many forms.

Even the type of dreams you can have can be vivid, lucid, long or short…etc Same goes for visions and we will take a deeper look at that below.

He said, “Hear now My words: If there is a prophet among you, I, the LORD, shall make Myself known to him in a vision. I shall speak with him in a dream.

Numbers 12:6

Key Takeaways


• Dreams come during sleep, visions while awake

• Dreams can be from God, enemy, or self; visions are from God

• There are open visions (eyes open) and mental visions

• Visions reveal God’s plans and the spiritual realm

• Ground yourself in Scripture if you have a lot of dreams/visions

• Prophetic gift is for serving others, not boasting

What is a Dream?

what is a dream?

In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls on people as they slumber in their beds, he may speak in their ears and terrify them with warnings, to turn them from wrongdoing and keep them from pride, to preserve them from the pit, their lives from perishing by the sword.

JOB 33:15-18

There are many Bible verses on the topic of dreams. Which can help further your understanding of what dreams are and how God speaks in dreams.

There are different variations of the Hebrew word for dream, but Chalam is the root word.

DREAM CHALAM חָלַם  khaw-lam’; a primitive root; properly, to bind firmly, i.e. (by implication) to be (causatively to make) plump; also (through the figurative sense of dumbness) to dream:—(cause to) dream(-er), be in good liking, recover.

What is a dream?

There is a debate among Jewish scholars what Chalam all entails. But when we look at the context of the word used, we can see it implies a revelation while sleeping. Job 33:15-18

It’s important to note that NOT all dreams come from God. But God can speak to us through dreams. We must be careful in our pursuit of interpretation and understanding of them.

Now, if we check out the Greek, we see it shown in two different words:

3677ónar – a dream, experienced while sleeping. 3677/ónar (“a dream”) refers strictly to a sleep-dream. It is used six times in the NT (all in Matthew).

In the popular prophetic verse of Acts 2:17…

And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams...

ἐνύπνιον enýpnion, en-oop’-nee-on; from G1722 and G5258; something seen in sleep, i.e. a dream (vision in a dream):—dream.

This is where we see the word dream used differently. I have been in ministry for the past 15 years but I’m not a Greek scholar so I can’t give you an in-depth understanding of why there are two different words used.

But what we can gather about dreams in both the Old Testament and New Testament is this:

Dreams are images or visions that come while in a state of sleep. They can be divinely inspired by God, or the enemy or ourselves.

What Does the Bible Say About Visions?

what is a vision?

Now, what about visions?

Most people understand what dreams are, but visions can still seem like a mystery. But they don’t have to be. The Bible makes it clear what they are.

The word vision is translated a few different ways in the Hebrew. Some go into meaning oracle, seer, dream, etc…

For example, Chazon is a noun used 35 times in the Old Testament and comes from the root “chazah,” which can be translated “see” or to “receive by revelation.” 

If you are studying particular passage with the word I encourage you to look it up in see what it is.

Seeing things in the spirit - Visions and Dreams

For this post we will look at the two most popular or root uses.

חָזָה châzâh, khaw-zaw’; a primitive root; to gaze at; mentally to perceive, contemplate (with pleasure); specifically, to have a vision of:—behold, look, prophesy, provide, see.

מַרְאָה marʼâh, mar-aw’; feminine of H4758; a vision; also (causatively) a mirror:—looking glass, vision.

Then in the Greek, we get a similar understanding

ὅραμαhórama, hor’-am-ah; from G3708; something gazed at, i.e. a spectacle (especially supernatural):—sight, vision.

In a nutshell…

A vision is a spiritual revelation coming to an individual while awake. This revelation can come in the form of an open vision or a mental vision.

In Samuel 3:1 we see that visions are related to Word of the Lord. Visions are prophetic in nature. They reveal the plans and purposes of God.

The boy Samuel ministered before the LORD under Eli. In those days the word of the LORD was rare; there were not many visions (Chazon).

SAMUEL 3:1

They can also be show or better to say reveal what is happening in the spirit realm. The greater reality!

And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

2 KINGS 6:17

We can perceive visions in two ways. One is in an open vision and other is a vision of the mind.

Open Visions

The best way to describe an open vision is that it’s a vision seen with your eyes wide open. It can be like a screen opens before you and you watch what is happening or even taken up (Daniel 8)

Or it can be like your eyes are opened and you see an angel standing next to you. More like your natural eyes are opened to the spiritual realm and what is happening. (2 Kings 6:17)

These types of visions are extremely VIVID and for me personally, you don’t forget them. I have experienced both a screen like open vision while in group prayer time and the spiritual realm being opened up to me.

They shook me to the core.

Visions of the Mind

This type of vision is the hardest to discern. Our imagination can get in the way of truly hearing or should I say seeing what God is wanting.

But God can speak to us with images in our mind. We can get a quick glimpse of something in our head and then it quickly passes by or sometimes it sticks around or is vivid.

When Paul was blind he has a vision of Ananias coming and praying for him. (Acts 9:12 Vision – horama)

Mental Visions Can Be Tricky

As mentioned, visions of the mind can be the hardest to decipher. Our imagination is powerful and can conjure up all kinds of images that may not be from the Lord.

So how can we know if what we’re seeing in our mind’s eye is truly God speaking to us?

There are a few ways to discern the source of mental visions:

  • Check it Against Scripture – Always compare what you see against Scripture. God will never contradict His Word, so if we receive an image prompting us to do something not Biblical, we can safely toss it out. Studying the Bible helps give framework for properly interpreting mental visions.
  • Seek Counsel from Mature Believers – Bouncing our visions off of spiritually mature Christian friends helps provide objectivity.

    They can ask clarifying questions and challenge assumptions, acting as an iron that sharpens iron. The body of Christ helps confirm or deny the visions and impressions on our hearts.
  • Pray for Discernment – Most importantly, we must bathe mental visions in prayer. Ask God directly if what we’re seeing or sensing is from Him. The Holy Spirit will confirm Godly visions by producing fruit like peace and joy.

    Through prayerful dependence on the Spirit, we gain clarity and confidence in the visions He’s placed in our minds and hearts. Checking mental visions against Scripture, prayer, and counsel aids our discernment.

Biblical Examples of Dreams and Visions

The Bible contains many significant dreams and visions that acted as divine messages from God. Here are some of the most pivotal:

dreams and visions in the bible
  • Jacob’s Ladder – Jacob had a dream of a ladder extending from earth to heaven, with angels descending and ascending on it. This vision confirmed to Jacob the Lord’s promise that his descendants would inherit the Promised Land (Genesis 28).
jacobs ladder with angels
  • Joseph’s Dreams – As a young man, Joseph dreamed that his brothers and parents would one day bow down to him. These prophetic visions came to pass years later when Joseph became a ruler in Egypt (Genesis 37).
  • Daniel’s Visions – The prophet Daniel was given revelations and visions of future kingdoms and the antichrist that would arise. These apocalyptic visions mapped out the future course of gentile world powers carrying to the end times (Daniel 7).
  • Peter’s Vision – While praying on a rooftop, Peter fell into a trance and saw a vision of a sheet containing ceremonially unclean animals being lowered from heaven. This vision signaled that salvation through Christ was opening up to the Gentiles (Acts 10:9-16).
  • Paul’s Macedonian Call – Paul had a vivid night vision of a Macedonian man pleading for him to come preach the gospel in Macedonia during his third missionary journey. This dream summoned Paul to sail to southern Greece and expand the Good News (Acts 16:9-10).

The Purpose of Dreams and Visions

Dreams and visions are just two ways God can communicate with us. Here are some reasons why He will speak through these means. And if you are seeing things in dreams and visions I encourage to you get grounded in the Bible and look for confirmation in His Word. And it’s wise to also have some mature brothers and sisters in Christ that you can be accountable with.

PurposeDescription
Reveal God’s plansDreams and visions disclose God’s future plans and purposes
Provide guidance/instructionsDreams and visions provide direction and instructions from God
Reveal spiritual realitiesDreams and visions unveil the spiritual realities surrounding people/events
Communicate revelationDreams and visions are a medium through which God speaks revelation
Give warningsDreams and visions warn people of future judgments or consequences

I was working in a ministry school as a leader. My best friend was in the 2nd year of the program. I had noticed when we would hang out I would constantly see in my mind an earthquake. I would see this patch of dry ground shake and break apart.

I kept seeing it all the time when I was around her. I didn’t know what to do with it. I just kept ignoring it. It was about two weeks into seeing this that I kindly turned to my best friend and said…

“Are you feeling like everything is being shaken in your life and you’re feeling vulnerable? Kind of like an earthquake.”

She instantly broke down into tears and said, “Yes!” I then prayed for her and encouraged her in the Lord. God knows what she is going through and wanted her to know He was there and will help! Praise God!!


That was a mental vision I was having. It was me discerning her situation and being able to minister to her.

*Important note. I was able to minister to her at this level because of our relationship. I most likely would have not shared what I was sensing with a stranger or someone I don’t know well. What I would have done is asked if I could pray for the person or pray for them in my one on one time.

What About Visions of the Night?

Scripture mentions visions of the night 26 times in the KJV. I have read a lot on this and really there is not a clear answer to what truly is a vision of the night.

It basically falls into one of these 3 categories:

  1. Dream (regular ol’ dream)
  2. A certain “type” of dream. Perhaps a dream with a vision in it.
  3. A vision recieved at night while awakened.

The Gift of Seeing

I hope that by doing this, you have a clearer understanding of the difference between dreams and visions. I also hope it has encouraged you to grow in your understanding of God’s word and the gift of prophecy.

Some people see a lot in the spirit realm. I remember that before I got saved I had a slew of dreams and even vision type stuff. At the time, I didn’t realize what they were. I honestly thought everyone experienced it. them.

When I came to the Lord I had a big wake-up call (you can read my testimony here) and that when I realized I had a prophetic gift specifically in seeing or as some would like to call it, being a seer.

I want to encourage you to get into the Word if you tend to have lots of dreams or see things like visions. Ground yourself heavily in the Bible. Get around other mature Christians who can help you in your development in your seer gift.

Try to find a church that will help you:

  1. Grow in your love of God, His Word, and People
  2. Develop your Character & Gifts

Remember, the prophetic gift is never to boast or make you look like a big shot…

“Hey, I see angels…i’m super spiritual and awesome. Oh, you don’t…guess God likes me more” <— um NO.

via GIPHY

The gift of discernment and the gift of prophecy is a gift to SERVE. It’s for the edification and exhortation, and comfort of the body of Christ. 1 Corinthians 14:3


I hope this was helpful in learning the difference between dreams and visions. And that it has stirred up your faith to want to know more.

If you would like to read more about the topic of dreams and the prophetic then check out my posts below.

Have you ever wondered does God speak to us in dreams? Are you having God dreams? Let's take a deep look into the Bible and see what it says about visions of the night. It's important as Christians we learn about dreams interpretation. Start remembering dreams of the past and see if God is speaking to you. #prophetic #dreams #dreaminterpretation #faith #christian #jesus #bible
11 Ways to hearing the voice of God. God is speaking

I accept the Privacy Policy

Birhanesh Desalegn

Friday 26th of January 2024

I accept it. It's very amazing description so, God bless you! and also continue in different topics I hope you and wait ......

sherri

Tuesday 5th of October 2021

WHAT IS DIFFERNCE BETWEEN SEER GIFT AND PROFIT AND HAVING THE SONS OF ISSACHAAR GIFT?

Emilia lopez

Saturday 11th of July 2020

Hey .would like someone to help me.i have had some dreams lately an don't understand

Susanne

Tuesday 29th of October 2019

Over many years I have had open and closed visions. I can describe in specific detail colors, forms, and shapes of visions. Never knew what they meant until reading this. I even have a picture kept on my phone.

This has helped me understand what God has given me.....so very blessed 🙏

David Victor Aduwa

Tuesday 27th of August 2019

I really understand many things here May God keep you sir and empower you more with his grace thank you sir What a wonderful teaching.