Subscribe via RSS Feed

Biblical Imagery: The Metaphorical Symbols of the Holy Spirit

| September 28, 2011 | 1 comment

At Pentecost, wind came from heaven; tongues of fire danced upon God’s people; the Holy Spirit was poured out, and they spoke in tongues as the Spirit gave the utterance.

Jesus is the Savior, so call upon the name of the Lord and experience eternal life. Jesus is the Spirit baptizer, so call upon the Lord to baptize you in the Holy Spirit. Spirit baptism is for you so that you will become a witness in deeds and words of Jesus Christ. Like Isaiah the prophet, God will touch your tongue with the fiery coal. You will speak in a broken yet unknown tongue (Acts 2:4). You will pray with and in the Spirit. The water of life will well up in you, and the Spirit of God will flow out of you. The joy of the Lord will be your strength. The fire of God will consume you, but not destroy you. Holiness will be our banner. The finger of God will touch you. You will limp like Jacob, yet run like a gazelle. O Lord God send your Spirit, again!

In conclusion, the images addressed come out of the Gospels and are used throughout the Sacred Scriptures. There are other important symbolic images of the Holy Spirit found in Scripture. The symbols of the Holy Spirit provide us with experiential knowledge of the character and conduct of God. They speak of God’s power, purpose and presence. They also engage our imagination and encourage us to anticipate and discern the purpose of God for our lives. We should expect to have experiences of God like those narrated in the Scripture. The biblical symbols offer us ways in which to validate the authenticity of our encounters with the living Spirit of God. Come Holy Spirit, and bring new life into our churches, to our families, and to all of God’s creation!

 

PR

Special recognition goes to Leah Pannell for her close reading and comments on this essay.

 

Selected Bibliography

Arrington, French L. Encountering the Holy Spirit: Paths of Christian Growth and Service (Cleveland, Tennessee: Pathway Press, 2003).

Horton, Stanley M. What The Bible Says About The Holy Spirit (Springfield Missouri: Gospel Publishing House, 2005).

Kärkkäinen, Veli-Matti. Pneumatology: The Holy Spirit in Ecumenical, International, and Contextual Perspectives (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2002).

Pinnock, Clark H. Flame of Love: A Theology of the Holy Spirit (Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 1996).

Ryken, Leland, James C. Wilhoit, Tremper Longman III (gen. eds.). Dictionary of Biblical Imagery: An Encyclopedic Exploration of Images, Symbols, Motifs, Metaphors, Figures of Speech and Literary patterns of the Bible (Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 1998).

Shults, F. LeRon and Andrea Hollingsworth. The Holy Spirit (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2008).

 

Pin It
Page 7 of 7« First...34567

Tags: , , , , , ,

Category: Spirit, Summer 2011

About the Author: Kenneth J. Archer, Ph.D. (University of St. Andrews), M.Div. (Ashland Theological Seminary), is Professor of Pentecostal Theology and Christian Studies and Director of the Master of Arts in Theological Studies at Southeastern University in Lakeland, Florida. He is an Ordained Bishop with The Church of God (Cleveland Tennessee), and has served in pastoral ministry for many years. LinkedIn. Facebook.

  • Connect with PneumaReview.com

    Subscribe via Twitter Followers   Subscribe via Facebook Fans

  • Recent Comments

  • Featured Authors

    Amos Yong is Professor of Theology & Mission and director of the Center for Missiological Research at Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena. His graduate education includes degree...

    Jelle Creemers: Theological Dialogue with Classical Pentecostals

    Antipas L. Harris, D.Min. (Boston University), S.T.M. (Yale University Divinity School), M.Div. (Emory University), is the president-dean of Jakes Divinity School and associate pasto...

    Invitation: Stories about transformation

    Craig S. Keener, Ph.D. (Duke University), is F. M. and Ada Thompson Professor of Biblical Studies at Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky. He is author of many books<...

    Studies in Acts

    Daniel A. Brown, PhD, planted The Coastlands, a church near Santa Cruz, California, serving as Senior Pastor for 22 years. Daniel has authored four books and numerous articles, but h...

    Will I Still Be Me After Death?