Such dreams rarely come to man at this day, for he is so far immersed in material and corporeal things that he is more closely associated with external spirits, than with these spirits of heaven. But in the Most Ancient Church they were the rule; and it was in this way, and also by visions, when the spiritual eyes were opened to the other world, that the men of that Church had revealed to them the arcana of heaven. They lived in the order of heaven, there was nothing evil or false in their memory, and when they slept, the activities of angelic spirits could at once be represented to them in the most delightful dreams, dreams which made sleep not only a refreshing of the body but also a recreation of the mind.

These dreams did not reveal truths to them, but were solely representative of goods and truths. Revelation and instruction were given by speech with angels who were filled with the Divine Spirit, but the essential revelation was immediately from God into their perception, by which they perceived and confirmed what they had heard, and also perceived the meanings of their dreams and visions. (A. 125, 597, 1122.) Hence arose among them the knowledge of correspondences, a knowledge,—from perception of the things which appeared to them in dreams, (A. 2179),—by which their wisdom was daily increased. (A. 597.) The men of the Most Ancient Church were the first interpreters of dreams, from whom all later interpreters took their lore—from whose interpretations, indeed, arose the science of correspondences by which in the Ancient Church the written Word, which was in the imagery of angelic dreams, was interpreted.

But when men fell and external or evil spirits became their associates; as their memory, imagination and thought were patterned more after the image of the world than of heaven, as their minds became more closely bound to lower spirits and less responsive to the touch of heaven, so angelic dreams grew more rare, and dreams by means of the spirits about man and in externals like him took their place. With all this, dreams, from being lovely and elevating foretastes of heaven, became filled with merely worldly images, indicating little if anything of their heavenly origin; or they were the representations of evil things, or the phantasms of disordered imaginations. Thus it was that in the Ancient Church began that usage of the word "dream" as a synonym for all that is vain, unreal and meaningless, a usage that has continued unchanged to our day. In this way does Job use it when he says of the evil man that he shall fly away as a dream and be chased away as a vision of the night. ( Job 20 :8.) The word is used in the same sense in the Psalms and Isaiah, and also in the Apocrypha where we read, "Dreams lift up fools; whoso regardeth dreams is like him that catcheth at a shadow and followeth after the wind." (Eccles. 34, 1 seq.) With this change the heavenly meaning of the dream became more involved in worldly images which were merely significative and but distantly representative of heavenly things. At the same time came the gradual loss of the knowledge of correspondences.

Yet the knowledge that dreams were significative, that they had been instructive, was never lost; but alas, the right key to interpretation was gradually replaced by confused, obscure and frivolous conjectures of ignorance,—conjectures which were used to discover the things of the world and not of heaven, conjectures which, more and more obscured, have finally descended to our day, where the modern dream-book in the hand of the child and the simpleton is the last wretched remnant of that mighty and noble science of interpretation which was born from heaven in the perceptions of our first fathers and was prized and cultivated by their children.

Still it cannot be doubted that angelic dreams have occurred in all ages, and I doubt not that some of the beautiful dreams recorded in history are of this origin. But it must be noted that dreams are not to be judged as being angelic merely from their external beauty, but rather from the intense and spiritual perception of heavenly delight with which they are accompanied; and it is surely impossible that any but the good can ever enjoy such dreams. Such a dream seems to have been that of a lady who seemed to see into the spiritual world where in her dream she beheld vista upon vista of beauty and loveliness which was literally inexpressible; and with it all, her mind was filled with a sense of the infinity of God which would never leave her. Such dreams, perhaps, are also beautiful visions of heavenly abodes of which we sometimes read. But if they have been truly angelic dreams, how far removed have been the dreamers from the wisdom of the ancients. Instead of interpreting them in the light of perception, they have too often applied to them the obscurity of ignorance or even of false doctrine.

With Swedenborg these angelic dreams were truly entrances into heaven and its joys, and he lacked not that perception by which their heavenly lessons were confirmed. One specific instance of such a dream is familiar to all. It was a dream in which four trees were seen representing husband, wife and children. Commonplace enough in appearance, but what words can express the delight with which they filled the dreamer's mind as the blessedness and peace of conjugial love were communicated to him? (A. 5051, D. C. 75, 76, D. 2611-4.) Such are angelic dreams, that the dream itself is little, but the delight insinuated in it is everything. Such a dream also must have been that in which Swedenborg saw the Lord in the face and form which He had in the world. He was such that He was interiorly complete so that He could interiorly rule the whole heaven. (D. M. 4831.)

And now lastly as to Divine or prophetic dreams. These are said to come from the Lord through heaven, either mediately or immediately. (D. 3877, A. 1976.) There is this difference between Divine dreams and angelic dreams, that while in the latter the states of angels were represented, in the former it was the Lord Himself, the Divine truth itself that was represented. It was the very soul of heaven laying at rest all the thoughts and affections of angels and men, and descending into the body and there appearing in the imagination of man, either as an angel speaking or as a representative. And because Divine truth is omniscient, therefore, these dreams were prophetic, even in ultimate form. This may be seen in the words of the Lord on earth, for all those words were prophetic, even of earthly events, when it pleased Him to clothe his truth with such representations.

In the Most Ancient Church Divine revelation by open speech and by dreams was effected by means of angels who were filled with the Divine. They were, indeed, prophetical, but prophetical of Spiritual things, of the future state of the Church and the closer presence of God, for these are involved in all Divine Revelation.

In the Ancient Church revelations and dreams were continued by means of angels, but they were also effected by means of lower spirits who were infilled with the Divine. Hence the dreams became more involved in worldly images. Yet, as was said, the Divine Dream in whatsoever form it appears is prophetic, and, therefore, such dreams became prophetical also of worldly events. Towards the decline of that Church such prophecies became of more concern than the revealed truth which was contained within. Hence arose the habit of seeing in all dreams, or, at any rate, in all remarkable dreams, a prediction concerning one's worldly fortunes; and hence it was the established custom for kings to keep diviners and interpreters who should read their dreams. Such were the wise men whom Pharaoh called, and also those assembled by Nebuchadnezzar. The dreams that these two kings had were undoubtedly Divine or prophetic dreams, but so low had become the art of interpretation that they defied all effort to read them. True, Joseph and Daniel were inspired to give their meaning, but the inspiration itself was but another revelation, as is indeed openly stated of Daniel, to whom the interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar's dream came in a night vision. (Dan. 2:17.) And even then the interpretation was understood only in its verbal covering and not as to its Spiritual and Divine meaning. So likewise did Joseph interpret his own dreams and those of the butler and the baker; and so also were interpreted the dreams of Abimelech, of Jacob, and of Solomon. As confessed by Joseph, the interpretation came indeed from God, but it was perceived only as to worldly applications. Such was the nature of Divine revelation in the Jewish Church. They heard a voice, they saw a vision and dreamed a dream; but they had no spiritual thought or perception, and the revelation was merely verbal and visual in which they saw little but the images in which it was clothed. (A. 5121.)

Divinely prophetic dreams still continued even to the end of the Jewish Church and likewise verbal revelations, (Num. 12:6), but the prophets and the dreamers by whom they came were ignorant and evil men, by whom the Divine but dark dream was often used for the perversion of the people to idolatry. That this was not uncommon seems evidenced by the laying down of the Mosaic statute that such prophets should be put to death. Later, both before and after the captivity, arose numberless false prophets and dreamers who deceived the people by lying dreams, and of whom Jeremiah especially speaks in denunciation.

The dreams of Nebuchadnezzar and Daniel are the last of the Divine and Prophetic dreams recorded in the Old Testament. Revelations by word of mouth to the prophets still continued—dark sayings scarcely understood even in the letter,—but prophetic dreams ceased. They appear again, and for the last time during the period of the Lord's birth; first to Joseph, to whom an angel appeared and announced the conception, (Matt. 1 :20); then to the wise men, last remnants of the Ancient Church, who were warned in a dream to depart to their country by another way, (Matt. 2 :12); and three times again to Joseph when he was commanded to go to Egypt, (Matt. 2 :13), to return from Egypt, (Matt. 2:19), and to go by way of Galilee, (Matt. 2:22). These were the last of the prophetic dreams inspired by the Lord Himself through angels and spirits whom He infilled,—prophetic dreams which in themselves represented the future states of the Church established by the Lord, but which were understood merely as warnings of earthly events. Thus had dreams fallen from their height, in which they were seen as representatives of Spiritual and Divine things, to the depths of purely earthly affairs. And Revelations which, in the Most Ancient Church, were speech with angels in which perception beheld wisdom, had descended to the obscurity of dark sayings. But in the depth came the rise. For with the cessation of prophetic dreams the Lord Himself appeared as the prophet. He reveals Himself as the Divine Truth not by dreams nor by dark sayings but in open sight to the eyes of men, and in spoken word to their ears. Prophetic dreams and prophetic revelations ceased for the prophet Himself had come.

But the question here arises, have prophetic dreams really ceased? Interpreting the term prophetic literally I should have to answer no; for it is an undoubted fact that, though extremely rare, yet men do sometimes have dreams that foretell the future. In regard to such dreams of this character as have come before my notice I have observed this remarkable fact that the revelation of the dream occurred very shortly after, very often within a few hours of the dream. This suggests a possible explanation of such dreams on the principle expressed by the common saying, "Coming events cast their shadow before them." For when we reflect that, even in our waking thoughts, we can foretell that if a man continues in such and such a state, then a certain definite end or fate will await him; and when we further reflect that the causes that influence our actions are from spirits with whom we voluntarily associate; then it does not seem unlikely that the dreams such spirits share with us, may, at times, represent the ultimate outcome of their influence. Another possible explanation that would apply to some dreams of this character, is, that the mind of the man, of whose future fate—in most cases death—we dream, may be in active thought or even anxiety concerning the possibility of that fate, and this thought may be represented in our dreams in the same manner as is the case in telepathic dreams.

These "prophetic" dreams are not of the nature of Divine dreams such as were experienced of old. This is clear, not only by reason of their comparatively trivial nature, but also, as we have already noted, because with the coming of the Lord on earth Divine Dreams or direct revelation by dreams ceased.

Revelation had descended to the valley of dark sayings and meaningless dreams. Then Revelation became ultimate in the person of the Lord Himself, and from this it rose again to its first height in the revelation through Emanuel Swedenborg. And it rose as it descended. It had become mere dreams without perception. And so Swedenborg's intromission into the spiritual world was effected by dreams. First he had obscure dreams in which, as he informs us, he partly learned the signiflcations of the things seen, (2 Ad. 182); then came visions in wakefulness, but with closed eyes; then visions in which, though awake, the internal senses seemed to be separated from the external; and lastly came the full opening of his spiritual eyes. (1 Ad. 1351.) Thus by dreams he, as it were, ascended again to the heights where men had beheld the things of heaven but from which they had fallen. But Swedenborg saw these things more perfectly, for he was not only, like the first man, in the wakefulness of the spirit, but also and at the same time in wakefulness of the body. With this intromission into the spiritual world came immediate illustration from the Lord by which Swedenborg perceived the Divine truth in the things seen, and by which a new revelation was given to man. The opening of Swedenborg's eyes was the culmination and crown of the revelation of the arcana of heaven which most ancient man had enjoyed in dreams; and the revelation of the doctrine of the New Church was the culmination and crown of that revelation from perception by which most ancient man had interpreted his dreams. These revelations are now together in one glorious revelation, internal and external, for the establishment of the Crown of Churches; a revelation in which is contained all the wisdom of ancient perception and all the arcana of ancient dreams.

Shall we then say that dreams are of no use now? The question was asked of Swedenborg, and his answer, as reported by Robsahm, was, "The Lord no longer makes revelations by dreams; still it may be that one who understands correspondences may derive advantage from his dreams, just as a person awake may examine his own state by comparing his will with God's commandments." (I. Doc. 42.) In the light of the revealed doctrines we are justified, however, in expanding this reported answer. For in the light of those doctrines dreams may serve many uses. They serve to show us in ultimate form something of the nature of the spiritual world—where men are in the appearances of time and space, and yet are not in time and space themselves. They are means by which we may ultimately see the nature of the life of spirits. They are means by which we may more ultimately see the evils that lurk within us. They bring to us thoughts and images of those who are dearly beloved. And I doubt not that, as we grow in spiritual thought, dreams will bring us other uses as regards our own state, and that they will again become of that angelic quality by which we may be wholly refreshed and enlivened in sleep. But these uses are not directly served by dreams. For, as the dreams of old were interpreted by perception, so must the lessons of our dreams be drawn solely in the light of that perception which comes from approaching the Lord alone in his crowning Revelation. (The End.)

(Return to part I)