Holy Spirit Symbolism
The Holy Spirit is
represented throughout the Bible using a variety of symbols. The purpose of a
symbol is to provide specific information without the use of words. It is also
used to signify the ethos of that which it represents. The symbols are discerned
only by those to whom its significance is revealed while to other it is just a depiction.
It is this cryptic nature of symbols that makes it the ideal medium to
communicate information without compromising its content. Parables are by
nature symbolic and thus was used by the Lord during His teachings so that the
common people did not understand Mt 13:10-16. In this session we will be
dealing with the different symbols that have been used to represent the Holy
Spirit and the meaning of each of them. There is no particular order of
representation however, we will see that each representation was purposeful.
1. Dove: The symbol of the Dove is seen during the Baptism of Christ
Mt 3:16/Mk 1:10/Lk 3:22. This was the sign given by God to John the Baptist to
identify the Messiah Jn1:32-34. The Dove is not the exclusive symbol of the
Holy Spirit, it has been also used to signify the Church (Songs 5:2) and
Mourners (Is 38:14). However, it’s best known for its representation of the
Holy Spirit. Why did God give the dove as a symbol to John the Baptist? The
dove symbolism was already well known throughout the ancient world even before
the time of Christ. In ancient Sumeria it was the symbol of the goddess Inanna,
in Babylon it was Ishtar, in Greece it was Astarte and Juno in Rome. Typically
these goddesses symbolised war, sex and fertility. They personified the worship
of the queen of heaven, who was originally Semiramis, the wife of Nimrod, King
of Babylon. Form what I have gathered one of the first reasons for God to give
this symbol was to break the worship of the pagan goddesses by nullifying the
gender representation by the dove. God specifically told John the Baptist that
the Holy Spirit will descend upon the Messiah and when it did happen He came in
the form of a Dove! This point lines up with what we studied about the
character of the Holy Spirit in the previous session, where we looked into the
feminine characteristics of the Holy Spirit. The traditional rabbinical
teachings suggests that the hovering of the Spirit of God over the waters in
Gen 1:2 is like the brooding of the dove. One thing I would like to point out
is that this symbol was only known to John the Baptist although many people
would have seen it during Christ’s baptism. Only John was privy to its
significance. To everyone else it would be one of two meanings:
1. A dove came and sat on
someone getting baptized.
2. If they took John
seriously the dove would become a symbol of the gods choosing Jesus for some
great purpose and so they would follow Him.
I am inclined to consider
the latter to be part of God’s plan since the same scenario is seen in the life
of Jonah, who was vomited out by the great fish. Consider this that the
Ninevites worshipped the fish god ‘dagon’. It would only be natural for such a
people to listen carefully to what Jonah had to say. God will use anything to
get man to listen to Him.
Just a tit bit
The Dove in
the Bible is first seen when Noah sent it out to check if the waters had
abated. We today all know that the olive bearing dove is a symbol of peace and
how ironic is it that the meaning of Noah is rest, peace, and comfort. Noah was
the actual symbol of peace to those to whom it was prophesied that the wrath of
God was coming and so thus they named him. The dove on the other hand was an
instrument by which this peace was confirmed. According to Jewish teachings the
dove was used because of its nature. A nature that always propelled it to
return home no matter how far away it was from it. The Bible states that the
Ark rested upon Mt. Ararat and typically if the waters were to recede the
mountain top would be the first to be dry. So, logically what Noah was trying to see was
if the dove’s original home was dry and habitable. However, the dove can be a symbol of peace
through it being the used as a sacrificial animal for the sin and burnt
offering giving man temporary peace with God Lev 1:14/ 14:22. Mary offered doves once her days of purification were complete in Lk 2:24.
Coming back to the dove being a
symbol of the Holy Spirit, the one area that it would really signify the Holy
Spirit is in its mannerisms. It is monogamous in its choice of a partner. The
Holy Spirit once given to us will never be taken away (possibly) unless we forsake
Christ through apostasy and blasphemy. Another one of its characters is its
gentleness, a character that Christ exhorts His followers to have Mt 10:16. As
mentioned earlier the dove always returns to its home no matter how far the
separation. One way or the other it will always find its way home, a trait that
was used by the military to send forth and receive messages. The Holy Spirit
will also one day return home to the Heavenly Father after accomplishing the
purpose for which He was sent. This return will only take place after the word
of God has been accomplished, because the Holy Spirit and the Word always
working in tandem as we have already discussed because they work together to
fulfil the purpose of God before returning Is 55:11. An imagery of this very
verse is the cry of Christ upon the cross when He said “it is finished” and “into
Your hands I commit My Spirit”.
We will continue with the symbolism in our next
session. Till then God Bless
No comments:
Post a Comment