From Jeremiah 23 we raise the question, how do you know that a dream/vision/word is from God? Jerusalem had plenty of priests and prophets, but not of justice and righteousness. Those who styled themselves prophets were lying, committing adultery, not calling the wicked to repentance and in fact were strengthening the hands of those who did evil (v. 14). Following their example the people were given to adultery and lying as well (v. 10). When these prophets spoke they spoke "lies" (v. 26), "a vision out of their own hearts and not out of the mouth of the Lord" (v. 16), or "after the imagination of his own heart" (v. 17). They were not prophets of the Lord. They were "prophets of the deceit of their own heart" (v. 26).
Dreams were among the tools of these deceivers, the Lord complains that they "prophesy false dreams...and do tell them, and cause my people to err by their lies, and by their lightness; yet I sent them not, nor commanded them: therefore they shall not profit this people at all" (v. 32).
None of this was meant to discourage legitimate prophecy or the use of dreams -
"The prophet that hath a dream, let him tell a dream; and he that hath my word, let him speak my word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat?" (v. 28)
The question we raised is not directly answered in this chapter, though the issue of fruits is quite directly pointed to. Those who were dealing with "false dreams" were caught up in financial and sexual immorality and in giving support to others who were so doing.
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