Every single person dreams.

It’s a natural part of us like language, creativity, or emotion. Dreams are expressions of these things and help our mind and soul process experiences. Researchers and scientists are baffled by the complexity and importance of dreams. Some theories suggest that dreams help the brain process knowledge gathered throughout the day. Others believe that dreams have symbolic meaning and can be used to predict future events or give context to the past. The ancient Egyptians believed dreams were a second way of seeing. The Greeks and Romans thought of dreams as the foretelling of events or visitations from deceased ancestors. Some dreams have helped shape our lives, giving us encouragement or inspiration to move forward with important decisions. Dreams are an integral part of our everyday lives, but where do they come from?

A dream is “a succession of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that usually occur involuntarily in the mind during sleep.” Many involve visual projections put forth by the brain while we’re sleeping. These images morph into stories, i.e., dreams or nightmares. Dreaming happens when our subconscious takes over, allowing our soul to process. But dreams happen when we’re awake as well. Daydreaming causes our mind to explore our deepest desires, longings, and ideals. Both play an integral role in how we perceive and experience life.

While many people think of dreams as coming from our thought life or emotions, there is a deeper spiritual source of dreams as well. The Bible tells us that God has “put eternity in our hearts.” This may give some understanding of the cause of dreams. If God has written something upon our hearts, perhaps dreaming is the best way to express it.

He has put eternity in their hearts.” Ecclesiastes 3:11

The Prophets of the Old Testament described God’s dream.

If you’ve ever thought or dreamed about true love, world peace, justice for all, and a utopian ideal, then you’re in good company. Artists, philosophers, musicians, thinkers, designers, and writers the world over have spent entire lifetimes communicating these concepts through poetry, philosophy, architecture, paintings, sculpture, story, literature, and song. Truly, there is one ideal written on the human heart, one common theme born out of desire and pursued with passion.

The greatest collection of work ever formed around these dreams came from a small group of men and women thousands of years ago. They were a unique breed of people. Many of them were outcasts – murdered, driven into captivity, or abandoned by their families, friends, and communities. They didn’t think like normal people, and their standards were high. They were morally upright, living for different reasons than most. They were the Prophets of Israel, and they wrote over half the pages in the Old Testament portion of the Bible – God’s Word.

They chronicled the truth about God’s burning desire for humanity. God spoke directly to these men and women, sharing His desire and longing for how the world should work, speaking into areas of society and culture ranging from the oppression of the poor, religious life, immigration, economics, morality, and the future. God cares for people, and He established the Prophets to communicate just how much. They were His mouthpiece, and their role was crucial in ancient Israel. But they had one message that was more important and most often reiterated – the coming of Jesus the promised Messiah, and the future of the world.

Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s dream.

“They shall come to the Desire of All Nations, and I will fill this temple with glory,” says the LORD of hosts. Haggai 2:7

All the prophecies in the Bible are summed up in Jesus. The prophet Haggai called Him “The Desire of All Nations.” The way God fulfilled the dream of His heart was by sending His Son Jesus to the earth to live a perfect life, receive the penalty for our sin, and to eventually rule the nations with perfect justice, equity, and compassion. The only dream of God that hasn’t yet been fulfilled is the return of Jesus to rule the earth. The book of Revelation tells of a day when Jesus returns to be King over the whole earth. At this time, all evil will be driven off the planet. True law and order will be restored, and all wrong things will be made right. He’s even promised no more tears or crying. This is God’s dream, and all other dreams are merely echoes of this future hope.

“Behold, the dwelling of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” – Revelation 21:3-4

The dream of God’s heart is a relationship with you. That’s why Jesus came the first time, and it’s why He’s coming back again. What are the deepest desires of your heart – love, joy, peace, acceptance, hope? Jesus came to restore a right relationship between you and God. Ask Him to reveal His love for you. He is the only way to fulfill the dream of your heart.