Biblical Imagery: The Metaphorical Symbols of the Holy Spirit

The imagery of the dove also reminds us of the Genesis creation narrative. Genesis 1:2 states that “the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.” The hovering of the Spirit of God over the waters suggests that the Holy Spirit was also participating in the creation and formation of the universe. The dove symbolizes the dawning of the redemption of fallen creation through the ministry of Jesus. Jesus’ messianic ministry brings the inauguration of a new age. The kingdom of God has broken into the world and God is redeeming his creation, especially human beings.

Furthermore, the dove recalls Noah’s experience of salvation through the flood. The flood came as a result of the violent wickedness of the people. The flood was God’s act of righteous indignation. “Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight and was full of violence. God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways. So God said to Noah, ‘I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth’” (Genesis 6:11-13). After the flood flushed the face of the earth, a dove came to Noah’s ark. In its beak rested an olive branch. The dove with the olive branch signified that the earth was once again habitable. The relational violence upon the earth was addressed in prophetic judgment. Noah was chosen to establish a covenant of peace with God. The dove was the messenger of peace, and Jesus, the Spirit-anointed messenger of God, came to preach the good news, proclaiming,”The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor” (Luke 4: 18-19).

The dove evokes a gentle presence of the Spirit of the Lord. Through the centuries, Christian art has traditionally symbolized the Holy Spirit with a dove. The olive branch is the primary symbol of peace. We should expect to experience the peaceful presence of the Holy Spirit—a gentle yet assuring presence that the Lord is with us even in distressful times. We should also expect Jesus to baptize us in the Holy Spirit. If Jesus, the Son of God, needed to be baptized in the Holy Spirit in order to carry out his ministry, how much more do his followers? We cannot carry out the ministry of Jesus without the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. It is only by the anointing of the Spirit that we can obey Jesus command to “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation” and expect his promise of signs following the preaching of the Gospel (Mark 16: 15-20).

 

John the Baptist stated that he baptizes with water only, but the Messiah will baptize his followers with the Holy Spirit and fire (Matthew 3:11 and Luke 3:16). For God’s people, fire signifies the purging and protecting presence of the Spirit. No doubt, fire is a reference of the transforming energy of the Holy Spirit to bring judgment and redemption. God is redeeming and reforming his people and desires a holy people filled with the Holy Spirit. For the ungodly, fire symbolizes God’s judgment. “Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming upon you. Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days” (James 5:1-3). In the Old Testament we frequently read of fire being associated with the manifested wrath of God. Even the New Testament affirms this frightful imagery of eschatological judgment, especially in regards to the final destination of the Devil and the ungodly. They are cast into the eternal lake of fire. On the one hand fire symbolizes painful judgment, yet on the other hand, fire also symbolizes God’s redemptive presence. With this in mind, fire represents the transforming energy of the Holy Spirit actions.

Tags: Biblical, featured, holy, imagery, metaphorical, spirit, symbols

Category: Spirit, Summer 2011