God has frequently made use of dreams in communicating his will to men. The most remarkable instances of this are recorded in the history of Jacob (Genesis 28:12; 31:10), Laban (31:24), Joseph (37:9-11), Gideon (Judges 7), and Solomon (1 Kings 3:5). Other significant dreams are also recorded, such as those of Abimelech (Genesis 20:3-7), Pharaoh's chief butler and baker (40:5), Pharaoh (41:1-8), the Midianites (Judges 7:13), Nebuchadnezzar (Dan. 2:1; 4:10, 18), the wise men from the east (Matthew 2:12), and Pilate's wife (27:19).

To Joseph "the Lord appeared in a dream," and gave him instructions regarding the infant Jesus (Matthew 1:20; 2:12, 13, 19). In a vision of the night a "man of Macedonia" stood before Paul and said, "Come over into Macedonia and help us" (Acts 16:9; see also 18:9; 27:23).

Noah Webster's New International Dictionary of the English Language

1. (n.) The thoughts, or series of thoughts, or imaginary transactions, which occupy the mind during sleep; a sleeping vision.

2. (n.) A visionary scheme; a wild conceit; an idle fancy; a vagary; a revery; -- in this sense, applied to an imaginary or anticipated state of happiness; as, a dream of bliss; the dream of his youth.

3. (n.) To have ideas or images in the mind while in the state of sleep; to experience sleeping visions; -- often with of; as, to dream of a battle, or of an absent friend.

4. (n.) To let the mind run on in idle revery or vagary; to anticipate vaguely as a coming and happy reality; to have a visionary notion or idea; to imagine.

5. (v. t.) To have a dream of; to see, or have a vision of, in sleep, or in idle fancy; -- often followed by an objective clause.