Can Dreams Predict The Messiah?

Did you ever wonder what your dreams mean?

In this week’s Torah portion, Vayeshev, we read of amazing spiritual dreams that foretell of Joseph’s rise to power and the dreams that lead to his release from prison.

Recently, someone asked me if his dream about Jesus proves that Jesus was the Messiah. I explained that while some dreams may be spiritually meaningful, most reflect the thoughts that occupy our minds during the day. Therefore, in a culture saturated with Jesus imagery, dreams about Jesus are not surprising.

Furthermore, the Torah warns us about dreams. In Deuteronomy Chapter 13, we are cautioned against following false prophets and dreamers of dreams who present signs or wonders. The sign may only come to pass because God is testing us to see if we will remain faithful to God's instructions.

Judaism identifies the Messiah not through dreams, but through clear biblical criteria. According to the final verses of Ezekiel 37, the messiah will be a great human leader from the tribe of Judah who is a descendant of King David and his son Solomon. He will gather the Jewish people back from exile to Israel, rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem, and bring peace and knowledge of God to the world. Only then will we know for certain that he is the messiah.

He is not God, not born of a virgin in Bethlehem, nor does he rise from the dead to be a savior from sin.

These beliefs are later theological developments formalized by church doctrine centuries after Jesus lived, particularly through the influence of Roman Emperor Constantine and the Council of Nicaea in 325 CE.

May we soon merit to see the arrival of the true messianic redeemer when, as stated in Isaiah 2:4, “nations shall beat their sword into plowshares, and neither shall they make war anymore.”

Shabbat Shalom.

Rabbi Bentzion Kravitz

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