The Prison Chronicles

By John E. Thomas Sep 10, 2021

In Genesis 40:4-23, Joseph interpreted two dreams.

The cupbearer dreamed about a vine with three branches. The branches budded and bore fruit and he squeezed the grapes into a cup, which he put in Pharaoh’s hand.

The baker dreamed about three baskets on his head but birds ate the bread out of the top basket.

To one guy, Joseph said, “Good news — you’re going to be restored to your former position in three days!” To the other guy, Joseph said, “You’re going to die in three days.”

How did he hear two similar dreams and discern two very different outcomes?

Both dreams have three items: three branches, three baskets. That’s obviously where Joseph got the idea of three units of time; however, in one dream, the time factor makes more sense.

The more obvious dream is the baker’s. Without preservatives, bread quickly goes stale. This man baked fresh bread for Pharaoh every day. Three baskets, three days.

But birds ate the bread. How did Joseph understand this meant the man was going to die?

Well, they were in prison! No doubt, they’d seen many people die. They were familiar with executions and how the birds picked at the bodies afterward. I doubt this metaphor was difficult for Joseph to figure out.

The less obvious dream is the cupbearer’s. A vine with three branches doesn’t automatically suggest “three days.” I think Joseph received the timing for this dream directly from God — it was revelation.

As dream interpreters, we have to understand that learning dream principles is good — but to really grasp what God is saying, we need His voice.

Episode 12 of The Dream’s Guy podcast is filled with dream elements and interpretive principles. Check it out and see what God shows you about your dreams. {eoa}

John and Dawna Thomas were radically saved out of the drug culture in 1996. Personally mentored by John Paul Jackson, they’ve been on staff with or have worked alongside Streams Ministries since 2004. John pastored The Bridge Metrowest (planted by John Paul) for five years before he and Dawna stepped out into full-time itinerant ministry. After John Paul passed away, John began to work more closely with the Streams leadership team and in 2016 was asked to become the president of Streams Ministries. With his background as a pastor and a minister in various settings around the world, John has a unique perspective on prophetic ministry and the global body of Christ. He desires to see the church rise up in her authority and in the full power of the Holy Spirit, and his passion for God’s heart undergirds everything he does. He wants to help the bride of Christ respond with fervent devotion to the One who called her. John co-authored The Art of Praying the Scriptures: A Fresh Look at Lectio Divina with John Paul Jackson and he has an upcoming book release, Dream Elements: An Alternative Dream Dictionary. John has also written courses on prophetic ministry, dream interpretation and the kingdom of God. As president of Streams Ministries, he ministers internationally to help restore the awe of God to a world that has lost its wonder. He and Dawna live outside of Dallas, Texas.

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