Divine dreams and visions
by Ivan Ho 4 Dec 2025
Where there is no vision, the people perish: But he that keepeth the law, happy is he.
Proverbs 29:18 KJV
Let’s focus on the word “vision” in the above scripture.
Vision (Hebrew: châzôn)
Strong’s Definition
a sight ({mentally}) that {is} a {dream} {revelation } or oracle: – vision.
In other words, a vision is a dream or mental picture God gives someone that reveals God’s heart for him at a particular time in his life.
Godly visions are not to be taken lightly for they are specific revelations from God to give guidance, instructions and directions to a person which, if obeyed, will lead to God’s purpose being fulfilled through him or her. When a vision comes to a person, he must be careful not to 1. dismiss it and 2. misinterpret it. Rather, he must pray and seek further understanding from the Holy Spirit as to what God is saying to him personally as well as to the church being the body of Christ.
The visions we are talking about here aren’t soulish dreams that reflect what are going through in a person’s heart and mind. Divine visions don’t come from within a person’s heart but rather, come externally from heaven above, often times contradict with what the person may be thinking at the time.
For example, Peter received a heavenly vision that would change his mind about his association and ministries to the Gentiles. (Acts 10)
Another example was Joseph wanting to divorce his fiancee Mary until God sent him a dream to take Mary as his wife.
Soon after the birth of Jesus, God also warned Joseph in a dream to flee to Egypt when Herod gave order to kill all the babies two years old and under that were in Bethlehem. It did not matter if Joseph fully understood the dreams he received or not. By faith, he followed the instructions given to him from above. (Matthew 2:13-16)
Imagine Joseph dismissed the dreams from God, the whole of God’s salvation plan for mankind would have been messed up. Jesus would have either grown up without the care of an earthly father or even killed as a baby. When God spoke to us in dreams, His words are to be accepted and readily obeyed.
Proverbs 29:18a says “Where there is no vision, the people perish“.
The word “perish” (Hebrew: pâra‛) means “to loosen, by implication to dismiss, uncover”. (Strong’s Concordance).
In other words, where there is no vision or revelation from above, people tend to let loose or be loosened of restraint. They would do whatever they feel is right without any restraint.
A divine dream should never be dismissed lightly for it isn’t about our individual preferences or pursuits but rather, God’s kingdom purposes for people on earth.
Ultimately, God’s vision is not about you and I but all about Jesus!
But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”
Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name Jesus.