This seems like an odd question, but I nonetheless would like to briefly provide an answer. This question was posed while Dan Buttafuoco was promoting his new book “Consider the Evidence”; a book that you need to definitely get your hands on. While this question does not seem to have any significant importance, it does allow us to reflect upon the nature of our heavenly existence, and our existence post resurrection.
According to the biblical teaching, death is not non-existence. The Bible clearly teaches a conscious existence after death (Luke 16:19-31). Death is separation of the body and the soul (some make a distinction between the soul/spirit). Upon this separation, the soul goes to be with the Lord (if the person was a believer), and their body remains in the ground where it was buried (2 Corinthians 5:8). This notion of death as “separation is important in answering our present question because “dreaming” presupposes sleep, and sleeping is a function of our physical or bodily existence. However, in heaven we will not have a “bodily” existence since our body will be left on earth to decompose. It is the physical body that is affected by the laws of entropy and deterioration, not our immaterial souls. We become weary given the wearing down of our body and the using up of energy; however, a disembodied soul inhabiting heaven would not experience such wearing down and hence need rest. But if our souls inhabiting heaven are unaffected by the laws of entropy and not in need of sleep, how then would we “dream” in heaven? If there is no sleep, then it seems that there would be no dreaming.
But What About After the Resurrection?
While in heaven we will be disembodied spirits, part of the Christian hope is that of bodily resurrection. We will not inhabit heaven forever. Rather, when Jesus raises the dead (John 5:28), we will be given physical glorified bodies. The glorified body is a body that will not be subject to decay and death. We will be raised with the same kind of body that Jesus was raised. Furthermore, in our newly resurrected glorified (and physical) bodies, we will inhabit a new heavens and earth. This will be the eternal state. Our existence will be one of physical bodily existence minus the effects of sin and death upon us. And what a glorious existence that will be, since we will forever be face to face with our “Great God and Savior Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13).
