“I assure you and most solemnly say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone [just one grain, never more]. But if it dies, it produces much grain and yields a harvest.”
John 12:24 (AMP)
When dreaming of death there is often the deep feeling of loss associated with grief. On waking from such a dream, people often grapple first with the intense fear that someone may literally die. However, death in a dream is often a positive metaphor depicting the end of a chapter and the beginning of something new in your life. As in the Biblical account, death precedes resurrection; a seed is buried before it sprouts. Death can represent aspects of your life that have come to end, be it negative or positive. Perhaps it is the end of bad behaviour or a bad habit and the emergence of a new person.
To dream the death of someone specific might refer to an aspect of their character or attribute that may be lacking or repressed in your own life. Such qualities, particularly a positive trait, may not be dead but simply dormant, indicating the need to awaken an optimistic attitude, which may have been silenced by adversity and the hardships of life.
If a child was to dream the death of his/her parents, it may indicate a growth in maturity and independence. The actual process of death is the passing from one stage or phase of life into a new one, and so it can easily symbolise transition—an indication of significant change. Perhaps a relationship has come to an end. Perhaps it is about relocation—moving house, moving to a new country, school or church, or even taking up a new position in ministry or career opportunity.
The sun sets then it rises, the tide goes out and then comes in, winter ends as spring begins, a seed dies and the tree grows. When something dies—a relationship, a career, a loved one—it need not indicate finality at all. It can be the close of one chapter and the beginning of a brand new one. Ecclesiastes 7:8 (AMP) points out that “…the end of a matter is better than its beginning.” The close of a season in your life usually makes way for the dawning of a new day; it can bring much promise, hope and positive change.
“There’s a trick to the ‘graceful exit.’ It begins with the vision to recognise when a job, a life stage, or a relationship is over — and let it go. It means leaving what’s over without denying its validity or its past importance to our lives. It involves a sense of future, a belief that every exit line is an entry, that we are moving up, rather than out.”
– Ellen Goodman