Symbols today are something very common, we find symbols everywhere, in fact most of the things we know today have a brand or symbol. The Bible is not exempt from this and throughout the Old and New Testaments it has a symbolic variety that is worth analyzing.
Most of us know some Christian or religious symbols that have been part of our lives since we were very young. However, because we live in a fast-paced technological world, sometimes we don’t have time to analyze these symbols in detail.
Christian symbols have been part of the Bible since the Old Testament and these represent a variety of very important meanings for the believer. Although the Bible expressly speaks of not worshiping any image that is not God (Leviticus 26:1), the believer must know and know the symbology of the Holy Scriptures and their interpretation.
the christian symbol
A Christian symbol is a tool by which a concept or an idea can be understood and an identity formed. In Christianity we have symbols that help us understand the very foundations of the Christian faith.
In the Bible we can find a number of symbols related to our faith, however it is very important to clarify that none of them should be the object of veneration and adoration. Performing any kind of worship to a symbol is idolatry, therefore we must flee from this practice. (1 Corinthians 10:14).
Attention! We must understand the importance of symbols but be cautious, since God is above any form of human representation, therefore none of the following symbols should be objects of worship or worship
Main symbols of Christianity
The cross
The main symbol of Christianity is the cross. Its meaning is simple and direct: it represents the crucifixion of Jesus on the cross of Calvary. The cross shows the sacrifice of Christ, the son of God for sinners.
The cross has been represented over time by various forms and styles, the most common form being the Latin cross: which has an elongated vertical line and a short horizontal part. In the Catholic Church it is common to use the symbol of the cross with the image of Jesus, called a crucifix.
Evangelicals, also called Protestants, do not use the crucifix, since our argument is based on the fact that the empty cross points to Christ’s victory over death. This symbol is used in many ways, in churches, bible institutes, bibles, etc.
Related: Should a Christian make the sign of the cross?
the star of david
The Star of David is the main symbol of the Jewish people, according to tradition, the star was part of King David’s shield, which was a kind of personal symbol of the king. The Star of David is the shield of the flag of the State of Israel. This symbol does not appear in the Bible.
Related: What is the meaning of the Star of David?
The Star of David is currently a very popular symbol within modern Christianity. Its symbology is today widely used within churches.
The Juda’s lion
Jesus is the lion of the tribe of Judah. In the Christian movement, this expression makes direct reference to Jesus.
Jesus the Christ is from the lineage of David, in fact the Bible calls him the son of David. And due to the promise of Jacob, Judah who is a lion cub, generating here that link of the tribe of Judah with the lion the king of the jungle. (Genesis 49:9-10).
The Bible mentions that Jesus is the lion of the tribe of Judah in a clear and specific way in Revelation 5:5 «And one of the elders said to me: Don’t cry. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, has overcome to open the book and loosen the seven seals of it.”
Look: What does Jesus mean, the lion of the tribe of Judah?
The fish
The fish, adopted by the early Christians during the first centuries of the church as one of their symbols during the Roman persecution. The symbol was used as a form of password: one person drew a kind of arc line on the ground and the other person completed it by forming a figure like a kind of fish and then both recognized each other as Christians.
The word fish was formed by a group of Greek letters whose initials formed the expression ichthys, fish in ancient Greek: «I esous Ch Ristos, Th EOU Y ios S oter», its meaning being in Spanish «Jesus the Christ, Son of God, Savior».
Related: The meaning of the Christian fish in the Bible
Important: The use of this acrostic greatly helped early Christians understand the initial basis of the Christian faith and made it easier for early converts to memorize. Since then, this symbol has been used by Christianity until today.
Dove
The dove represents the Holy Spirit. When Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist, the Bible records that the Holy Spirit descended bodily on the Lord in the form of a dove (Luke 3:22).
The Bible presents the dove on several occasions, an example that is well remembered by most believers or is not recorded at the end of the Flood, when the dove arrives with an olive leaf in its beak (Genesis 8:11).
In addition to this meaning, the white dove is generally recognized as a symbol of peace and tranquility.
Read: what does the dove symbolize in the bible
The snake
The serpent represents Satan, the enemy of the Christian. We see its first appearance in the Bible in Genesis 3:1 presented as a cunning and deceitful animal, which deceived Eve with the aim of destroying God’s perfect plans.
The Bible also presents the serpent through Moses, when the people of Israel disobeyed and were dying from snake bites. Moses built a bronze serpent so that everyone who looked into his eyes would be healed. (Numbers 21:9).
Alpha and Omega
Alpha and Omega are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. God himself was the one who used the expression “Alpha and Omega” to demonstrate his sovereignty and power from the beginning of time to the end (Revelation 1: 8). The meaning of the expression “I am the Alpha and the Omega” is equivalent to saying “I am from A to Z” in our alphabet.
One of the attributes of god it is eternity, he says it is the beginning of everything and the end of everything (Revelation 22:13). Many Christian churches in different locations and even educational institutions and private institutions often use the letters alpha and omega to symbolize the sovereignty and power of God in their logos or brands.
See also: What does the expression “I am the alpha and the omega” mean?
The Rainbow
The rainbow, also known by the Christian people as the arc of the pact. It represents the promise that God will never again destroy the earth with water. (Genesis 9: 14-16).
The rainbow represents God’s mercy, goodness and faithfulness to humanity.
See also: the rainbow in the bible
The lamb
Jesus is the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29) because he offered himself as a sacrifice to save mankind from eternal damnation. The lamb was used in the Old Testament to atone (forgive) the sins of God’s people. All the people of Israel had to offer a lamb as a sacrifice for sins from before leaving the slavery of Egypt (Exodus 12:21-23).
Due to the fallen nature of man, it was necessary to continually perform sacrifices to atone for the sins of the people. Therefore, God in his mercy for humanity placed his own son as the perfect sacrifice so that they would be cleansed by his blood once and for all and thus achieve eternal life.
Since then, the lamb has become a figure pointing to the sacrifice of the Son of God for us.
Also read: Jesus, the lamb of God
Noah’s ark
The ark represents the end of a completely wicked generation and the beginning of humanity again (Genesis 6:13-22).
Noah was mocked and reproached for a long time by building an ark in the midst of a world that had totally turned away from God. In the Bible it is mentioned that the end of time will be as it was in the days of Noah, where everyone does what they want without thinking about God. (Matthew 24:37-39).
The Bible
The bible is represented by an open book, which symbolizes the word of God. In this book the son of God is revealed to humanity who came to this earth to die for the sins of every human being, who after dying rose on the third day and has promised to return a second time to destroy his enemies and reward his people. (Revelation 22:12)
There are many ways to use this symbol, generally a black book with white letters is used, or a symbol of scrolls is also used to represent the old testament.
Related: C.How are the books of the bible divided?, bible reading plans
The fire
Fire in the bible is presented in various ways, however, it focuses primarily on the power of God and the Holy Spirit. When John the Baptist prophesied of the coming of Jesus, he said: «I indeed baptize you in water for repentance; but he who comes after me, whose shoes I am not worthy to wear, he is mightier than I; he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” (Matthew 3:11).
In the same way when the Holy Spirit descended after the Resurrection of Christ, when the disciples gathered on the day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit descended like fire on the heads of the disciples and they were all filled with the power of God (Acts 2:2- 4).
Since then, fire has always represented the power of God and the Holy Spirit in the church and in the believer.
the lampstand
The candlestick, or candlestick with seven candles, is a symbol that represents the church in each locality. (Revelation 1:20). Called in Hebrew the menorah, it was instituted by God as a tool in the Temple of the Lord built by Moses, which later represents the church of the Lord in each of the towns and cities of the earth (Exodus 25:39).
Related: the lampstand in the bible
The candlestick is a very important symbol for Jews and is part of the emblem of the State of Israel.
The Chi Rho or Crismón
One of the symbols of the beginning of Christianity is the Chi Rho or chrismon. It is a Greek abbreviation of the word Christ. It is the superposition of the first two letters of the word Christ in Greek, ΧΡ ΙΣΤΟΣ, the letter X (chi) and the letter P (rho).
It was a very common symbol of Christians in the first century and became even more popular after Emperor Constantine. According to the story, after a dream, the emperor asked him to place the…