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- The Cross. This symbol shows the t-shaped structure of the biblical cross, where Jesus gave his life to make humanity’s salvation possible. Crosses made be made of any type of material, but they are usually either wooden (like the cross where Jesus died) or metal (which is more durable).
- The Dove. Doves are small, elegant birds that are closely related to pigeons. While doves come in many beautiful colors and patterns, the solid white doves are depicted in Christian symbolism because white traditionally represents purity.
- The Fish.
- The Candle. Candles have served as symbols of hope and spiritual enlightenment since ancient times. In many religions – including Christianity – light represents God’s presence, which brings hope and the enlightenment of wisdom.
- A Lamb
- Shepherds
- Leaven
- Stars
- Fire
- A Woman
- White Robes
- Fruit
- Harvest
- Darkness
A lamb is a symbol of Jesus Christ as the blood sacrifice required to pay for mankind’s sins (John 1:29). Lambs were killed in accordance with the sacrificial laws God gave to Israel. They were sacrificed annually at the Passover and regularly as burnt offerings (Exodus 12:5-6; Leviticus 1:10). One essential requirement of the sacrificial lambs was...
Shepherds are used in the Bible to refer to leaders, sometimes political ones, but more often religious leaders. They are those who teach, direct, watch over and guide. Ephesians 4:11 tells us that Jesus Christ gave members of His Church various responsibilities, some to be “the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherdsand teachers” (E...
Leaven—what causes dough to rise—is used often in the Bible as a symbol for sin. The apostle Paul revealed the connection when he wrote, “Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness”(1 Corinthians 5:8). Paul was reminding the Church about the spiritual reality represented by an Old Testament fe...
Stars in the Bible often refer to angels, as in Job 38:7, where God says the “stars [angels] sang together” and “shouted for joy” when the earth was created. Likewise, in Revelation 12:3-4, we are told that “a great, fiery red dragon [Satan] . . . drew a third of the stars [angels] of heaven and threw them to the earth,” alluding to the fact that S...
Fire is used in different ways in the Bible, but it often symbolizes God’s indignation and righteous judgment. In Deuteronomy 4:24 He is called “a consuming fire,” a reference to His great and dreadful power to destroy those who willfully oppose Him. A display of this power can be seen in God’s condemnation of Sodom and Gomorrah, where He “rained b...
The symbol of a woman is used to describe both the true Church of God and the false religious system referred to as Babylon.The context shows which is being discussed. God’s Church is described as a woman preparing to be the Bride of Jesus Christ. It’s a metaphor that once applied to ancient Israel, a people God selected for Himself, before being t...
White robes symbolize God’s righteousness and are often associated with the apparel of Jesus Christ and the resurrected saints. John saw a vision of these resurrected saints, standing before the throne of God, “clothed with white robes” (Revelation 7:9). When asked about their identity, an angel said, “These are the ones who come out of the great t...
The majority of references to fruit in the Bible symbolically mean the visible results or product of something. Let the Bible interpret the Bible. Don’t try to force an explanation for a symbol based on an isolated verse. Instead, let all of Scripture be your guide.Jesus said, “Every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit” (Matt...
The work God is doing here on earth is likened to a harvest, not of literal grain and fruit, but of human beings. Jesus told His disciples, “Lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!” (John 4:35). Grain is symbolic of the firstfruits of God’s spiritual harvest (Exodus 23:16, 19)—the first batch of mature Chri...
Darkness symbolizes spiritual blindness. After Adam and Eve’s sin in the Garden of Eden, humanity was effectively cut off from the Creator (Genesis 3:23; Isaiah 59:2). The result was a thick spiritual darkness—massive deception—that fell on man’s eyes and left him helpless to find his way around, through or out of it. Isaiah affirmed mankind’s cond...
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- Deuteronomy 4:19 ESV / 25 helpful votes. And beware lest you raise your eyes to heaven, and when you see the sun and the moon and the stars, all the host of heaven, you be drawn away and bow down to them and serve them, things that the Lord your God has allotted to all the peoples under the whole heaven.
- 2 Timothy 3:1-5 ESV / 22 helpful votes. But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power.
- Jeremiah 10:2 ESV / 22 helpful votes. Thus says the Lord: “Learn not the way of the nations, nor be dismayed at the signs of the heavens because the nations are dismayed at them,
- Luke 21:25-27 ESV / 19 helpful votes. “And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world.
- Walk with God: To "walk" with someone is to live in fellowship and harmony with him. Since God can only live in a way that reflects His holy character, to "walk with God" is to live according the path He has laid out, to obey Him.
- Dust, stars, sand: The Bible often uses these metaphors to represent the number of descendants God promised to Abraham. This would include Abraham’s physical descendants (Jews and Arabs) as well as Abraham’s spiritual progeny (those who live by faith, Galatians 3:7).
- Flowing with milk and honey: God often referred to Canaan as "a land flowing with milk and honey." An abundance of milk and honey was symbolic of lush, fertile farmland, plenty of water, and rich grass for dairy animals and flowers for bees.
- Circumcised hearts: Physical circumcision was the sign of the covenant between God and His chosen people, the Jews. It was, of course, an external alteration.
It’s safe to assume they must symbolize something else. 3. Read in Context: The Bible is its own best interpreter. If you’re not sure about a symbol or allegory, don’t rush to judgment or give up. Keep reading. Look for other spots in the Bible that use the same figurative language or mention the same situations. You’ll often find more.
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Sep 14, 2023 · In the Old Testament, silver was used as a form of payment for the redemption of a firstborn son or a condemned individual. This use of silver represented the price paid for freedom and a new beginning, just as Jesus paid the price for our redemption from sin on the cross. The Bible also uses silver as a symbol of faith.
Oct 29, 2021 · Common today is the use of the fish — after the cross and crucifix, probably the most easily recognized Christian symbol today. Most people believe the fish came from the passage about disciples becoming “fishers of men” ( Matthew 4:19 ). However, the symbol actually comes from the phrase “Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior.”.
