Pontius Pilate's Wife's Dream

[OldKingCole]

I would like some insight on this...

Before time God knew that his Son would be nailed to a cross for the sins of all mankind. Given that the Lord knows all, why do you think Pontius Pilates wife was given a dream about having nothing to do with Jesus? I am not questioning the Lords authority or ways, I'm just curious to get some opinions on this way.

Of course, one way or the other we know Christ would have ended up on the Cross (Thank you Jesus!)

Any thoughts?

[nebula]

Sometimes the goal is not to change the event but to change the person. History does not tell us, but it may be that she became a Christian eventually, and this could have been a part of bringing her to the faith.

[OldShep]

Mat 27:19 When he was set down on the judgment seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him.

When he was set down on the judgment-seat - Literally, “While he was sitting.” This message was probably received when he had resumed his place on the judgment-seat, after Jesus had been sent to Herod.

His wife sent unto him - The reason why she sent to him is immediately stated - that she had a dream respecting him. We know nothing more of her. We do not know whether she had ever seen the Saviour herself, but it would seem that she was apprised of what was taking place, and probably anticipated that the affair-would involve her husband in trouble.

Have thou nothing to do ... - That is, do not condemn him. Perhaps she was afraid that the vengeance of heaven would follow her husband and family if he condemned the innocent.

That just man - The word “just,” here, has the sense of “innocent,” or not guilty. She might have been satisfied of his innocence from other sources as well as from the dream.

I have suffered many things ... - Dreams were considered as indications of the divine will, and among the Romans and Greeks, as well as the Jews, great reliance was placed on them. Her mind was probably agitated with the subject. She was satisfied of the innocence of Jesus; and, knowing that the Jews would make every effort to secure his condemnation, it was not unnatural that her mind should be excited during her sleep, perhaps with a frightful prospect of the judgments that would descend on the family of Pilate if Jesus was condemned. She therefore sent to him to secure, if possible, his release.

This day - It was now early in the morning. The Jewish “day” began at sunset, and she employed the usual language of the Jews respecting time. The dream was, in fact, in the night.

Hope this helps:

Dennis

[madmaggie]

Mat 27:19 When he was set down on the judgment seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him.

When he was set down on the judgment-seat - Literally, “While he was sitting.” This message was probably received when he had resumed his place on the judgment-seat, after Jesus had been sent to Herod.

His wife sent unto him - The reason why she sent to him is immediately stated - that she had a dream respecting him. We know nothing more of her. We do not know whether she had ever seen the Saviour herself, but it would seem that she was apprised of what was taking place, and probably anticipated that the affair-would involve her husband in trouble.

Have thou nothing to do ... - That is, do not condemn him. Perhaps she was afraid that the vengeance of heaven would follow her husband and family if he condemned the innocent.

That just man - The word “just,” here, has the sense of “innocent,” or not guilty. She might have been satisfied of his innocence from other sources as well as from the dream.

I have suffered many things ... - Dreams were considered as indications of the divine will, and among the Romans and Greeks, as well as the Jews, great reliance was placed on them. Her mind was probably agitated with the subject. She was satisfied of the innocence of Jesus; and, knowing that the Jews would make every effort to secure his condemnation, it was not unnatural that her mind should be excited during her sleep, perhaps with a frightful prospect of the judgments that would descend on the family of Pilate if Jesus was condemned. She therefore sent to him to secure, if possible, his release.

This day - It was now early in the morning. The Jewish “day” began at sunset, and she employed the usual language of the Jews respecting time. The dream was, in fact, in the night.

Hope this helps:

Dennis

Interesting topic and interesting explanation.

[Ariux]

why do you think Pontius Pilates wife was given a dream about having nothing to do with Jesus? I am not questioning the Lords authority or ways, I'm just curious to get some opinions on this way.

The message of the dream wasn't to have nothing to do with Jesus, as that wasn't an option. The dream wasn't necessarily from God, maybe the dream was from the wive's own concern that an innocent man was going to be executed. She already knew that Jesus was innocent.

The point of mentioning this dream in the Bible is to further establish that everyone knew Jesus was innocent. Pontius Pilate had already been desperately trying to free Jesus, and to have nothing to do with killing an innocent man.

[EricH]

The scripture does not tell us. It only reports that the dream happened

[Moses10]

This evening at sunset, Oct. 7 or the tenth of Tishrei, when the Sabbath begins, will be a High Sabbath, as it is Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement). Leviticus 16 describes this Holy Day, it was the one day of the year under the Old Testament/Old Covenant that the Jewish High Priest could go into the Most Holy Place of the Jewish Tabernacle and later the Temple. But on this day beside other normal sacrifices the high priest was to take two goats into the Tabernacle/Temple. I bring this up because when Pilate wife mention her dream to Pilate we hear about Barabbas, who I believe would representive the scrapegoat/Azazel (Leviticus 16:8), while Jesus was the one upon whom"the Lord's lot felll" (Leviticus 16:10). For Jesus on that Passover Day, died for all mankind sins, while Barabbas who had a sentence of death upon him was released just as the scrapegoat or if you rather the Azazel.. Matthew 27:15-26.

I believe that her dream was to demonstrate how Jesus was God chosen sacrifice. We later read about this in Hebrews 7-10, how Christ Jesus gives us the New Covenant/ New Testament.

[Openly Curious]

You have to remember what all was going on under Pilate's rule as he was both the King and governor. A mob had broken out by the people who came with Peter when Judas betrayed him. Judas had betrayed Jesus with a kiss as a sign to the angry mob who came to Jesus with staves and swords. They planned to accuse Jesus falsely in order to get him crucified and Jesus said nothing in his defense. This mob was made up of the high priest, the elders and the Saducees. The angry mob caused Jesus by the many false accusation to be put in jail and that angry mob was wanting Barabbas to be released and he was notable prisoner and Jesus was innocent but they wouldn't release him but kept yelling out to crucify him. Pilate decided Jesus was innocent and that he was the Christ and he told that angry mob that he was going to wash his hands of the innocent blood so it wouldn't be on his hands and Pilate did this in the rioters eyes. All within that mob said then let Jesus blood on us and upon our children.

Pilate and his wife was right slap dab in the middle of this angry mob being the high priests, the elders, and the Sadduces who started this angry mob in order to take Jesus captive so they could bring false accusations against him so he would be crucified when he was brought before Pilate.

Both Pilate and his wife were probaly tormented with how the mob wanted to crucify an innocent man which is what Pilate had decided within his. When Pilate realized that he wasn't able to prevail because the mob would just start a tumult. When Pilate sat down on the judgement seat his wife call for him to come to her. Whenever Pilate got to where his wife was she began to tell him, how that she had suffered many things by this just man and in the day she was shown that Jesus was a just man and not to crucify him. Both her and Pilate stuck in the middle of a riotus mob yelling out what Pilate should do with Jesus, "crucify him, crucify him."

No doubt Pilate's wife was struggling with her concious over the things the angry mob of people were crying out and the false accusation against Jesus. It was God who showed Pilate's wife that Jesus was a just man and she tells her husband not to crucify him because he is a just man. Pilate had already knew in his heart that Jesus the Christ was an innocent and a just man and washed his hands with water in the eyes of the mob and said he was going to be clean of innocent blood.

Both Pilate and his wife was convinced in their consciences that Jesus was a just man and Pilate's wife tried to persuade him not to have anything to do with Jesus. You have to read all of the accounts in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John to get a deeper look into this subject of Pilate's wife dream. But that angry mob was only stirred up so they could falsely accuse Jesus of blasphemy and then he would be charged with a crime he didn't do and that only put fuel on the fire as the riotous mob took advantage of this cying out over and over again to crucify him. The riotous mob was a cruel people with hatred in their hearts toward Jesus.

[other one]

I wonder if most of those in the crowd really knew what they were there for or like some of those I saw interviewed at the Wall Street ralley, when asked, really didn't know why they were there.... just mindless sheep following the lead of the priests.

[stacey c]

I wonder if most of those in the crowd really knew what they were there for or like some of those I saw interviewed at the Wall Street ralley, when asked, really didn't know why they were there.... just mindless sheep following the lead of the priests.

I would have to agree with this. How many times in history do we hear about the "mob mentality"

They don't understand or know the circumstances, but mans baser needs for bloodlust comes out in that kind of situation.