The Holy Spirit in the form of a dove represents the peace that Christ left us here on earth, since through him and his eternal salvation, we find his admirable light and that is why we can be calm and confident in his presence, which never hurts us. will forsake
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In this sense, the dove represents the peace of Christ, his goodness, his patience, kindness, love, loyalty, meekness, tenderness and nobility in all its splendor, manifested by the power of his Holy Spirit here on earth.
The Holy Spirit in the form of a dove. What does it mean
The Holy Scriptures are made up of two sections, The Old and the New Testament. In the first we can find symbols that lead us to the New Testament.
In the Old Testament, specifically in the book of Genesis 1, 2, the Holy Spirit is mentioned, who flutters over the waters when the universe was being created by God:
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was chaos and confusion and darkness above the abyss, and the Spirit of God fluttered above the waters.”
It should be noted that in certain translations of the Holy Scriptures, “The Spirit of God” is replaced by “the Wind of God”, implying that the term “wind” means “spirit”.
The dove is a symbol of the Holy Spirit, but it also symbolizes wind, fire, water and oil. It is also a symbol of peace. The first time the dove is mentioned, as we said before, is in the book of Genesis:
“He also sent out a dove from him, to see if the waters had receded from the face of the earth. And the dove found not where to sit the sole of his foot, and returned to him into the ark, because the waters were still on the face of the earth.” (Genesis 8:8-9)
Then, Noah released the dove again and it returned as a sign of victory, as can be seen in the following biblical passage: “Yet he waited another seven days and released the dove again outside the ark. The dove came in the evening, and, behold, it had in its beak a green olive branch, from which Noah knew that the waters had subsided from above the earth. (Genesis 8,11)
Experts in the field indicate that this passage is directly related to the baptism of Jesus Christ, since the flood is seen in Christianity as a harbinger of baptism. This is the case with the episode of the passage of the Jewish people through the waters of the dead sea, where the Lord divided the sea so that the people of Israel could pass and escape from the Egyptians who were persecuting them.
In the same way, there is a non-biblical context that serves as a reference and that alludes to the pagan, where many ancient peoples used doves as symbols of the divine. Therefore, it is very common to see pagan deities together with pigeons, as a sign of divinity. For this reason it is very normal that in the days of the New Testament, the figure of the dove was closely related to God, and more specifically to his holy spirit.
The Characteristics of the dove according to the bible
The dove is a symbol of peace worldwide. But for believers it is the representation of the Holy Spirit here on earth, since Jesus Christ descended and left us his spirit to comfort us, help us and strengthen us.
When Jesus Christ was baptized, the holy spirit settled on him and he appeared as a dove. This reminds us of the message of salvation, his promise to remain in those who believe in him. This dove or symbol presents the following characteristics:
1.- The dove represents a symbol of the Holy Spirit
These little animals are very affectionate, they choose their own partner and remain united throughout their lives. The Holy Spirit sees the church as that partner or partner and remains faithful and loyal to it forever.
2.- The pigeon looks for good company
Pigeons only interact with each other, they do not hang out with crows or other types of carrion birds. In this way, the Holy Spirit wants his children to know how to choose their friends that are pleasing in the eyes of the Lord.
3.- The pigeon enjoys patience
The pigeon takes his time to collect the things to build his nests, he observes them, he perfects them and if he doesn’t like it, he builds another one. He also takes his time to drink water, eat.
Watch carefully for birds that want to disturb and wait for them to leave before returning to their nest. He is very organized, he does tasks daily and he always looks for them to look good and that is why he takes his time to do them. He has no desire.
In the same way, the Holy Spirit takes his time to act in each one of God’s children, he shows the correct path, he is patient, he is orderly and he never improvises.
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4.- The pigeon eats healthy
These little animals feed on corn or wheat seeds, they do not eat meat and unless it is rotten. That is why the dove was used in the sacrifices of the Levites. But there were two requirements for the sacrifice. It had to be a bird that did not eat meat and could fly, that’s why they chose the dove.
For his part, the Holy Spirit is holy and clean. Therefore it is important to pray before eating so that God purifies and blesses our food. In the same way we must take care of our diet and eat healthily. Just like the dove does.
5.- The dove is peaceful
The pigeon is a bird that only lives with other pigeons, they have only one partner for life and avoid problems with scavengers such as bodies. It is not aggressive, but rather shows love towards its partner. That is why the dove is a symbol of love and peace.
6.- Its legs are very soft and tender
In the Bible we can find that the dove is mentioned when Noah was trying to find out if the water had settled. In the story of Noah it is said that the raven managed to find a place to perch, but the dove needed a soft and smooth place to perch and so it returned.
When Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist, the dove landed on Jesus’ shoulders, because it found a good place. In this regard, the Bible says the following: “And Jesus, after he was baptized, came up out of the water; and here the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and coming upon him… And there was a voice from heaven, which said: This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:16)
In this sense, the Holy Spirit requires a good place to dwell. That is why we must take care of our body, mind and spirit in order to be worthy of the Lord and receive his presence always.
The dove, although it is soft, is powerful, as is the Holy Spirit. So everything we do should be for education, to glorify the name of God.
If we want the dove to perch on us and not move away, we must constantly cleanse ourselves and renew ourselves with the precious blood of Christ, since we want the Holy Spirit to remain in our lives blessing, protecting and loving those who seek his presence.
In this regard, the word comforts us when Christ said: “The Holy Spirit will come and help you, for the Father will send him to take my place. The Holy Spirit will teach you all things, and will remind you of all that I have taught you.” (John 14:26)
In such a way that we must be prepared to receive it and that it can find a worthy place to stay in it. So the Holy Spirit is looking for a place in the hearts of God’s children, a place worthy of him, where he can let his presence flow.
In the New Testament they show us that Jesus after being baptized and the dove perched on him, began his ministry, where he worked under the power of the Holy Spirit. In this way, Jesus Christ was guided by the Divine Spirit of God, to impart his teachings, heal the sick, cast out demons and proclaim the message of salvation.
6.- The dove does not speak
The pigeon does not emit human sounds like other birds like the parrot or the macaw do. It communicates in another way. It does not seek to be the center of attention by making strange noises, it only cares about its nest and its life partner.
Likewise, the Holy Spirit does not make audible calls or shout. He only speaks through his word, dreams, through a heartfelt prayer. However, the way in which he communicates will depend on the relationship he has with the person, since God moves in mysterious ways that sometimes humans cannot fully decipher. Only he who has the gift of science can understand spiritual communication.
7.- The dove does not sing
This type of bird does not sing, it only coos as the Lord can coo to us when we are troubled and dejected. It is that sound that calms and strengthens.
8.- The dove is clean
The pigeon is a clean bird, it is always cleaning itself and creates its nest in great detail. It is not dirty like other scavengers. In such a way that it will always want to perch in clean and fit places, just as the Holy Spirit wants to dwell in children of God who are always cleansed with the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.
9.- The pigeon is not an exotic bird
This little animal is not on the list of exotic and expensive animals. On the contrary, we can see them in the squares, trees and in all corners of the cities.
They cost nothing to own and no one rushes to want to buy one. But it is of great relevance within the biblical story where in the book of Noah, the dove brought an olive leaf in its beak as a symbol of victory and peace.
Why is a dove used as a symbol of the Holy Spirit?
The dove is frequently used as an image symbolizing peace and love. However, the question arises as to why this specific bird is used. As the characteristics of this type of bird reveal, it resembles the way in which the Holy Spirit manifests itself here on earth.
We know that pigeons are peaceful, soft, clean, quiet, tender, loving, faithful, among other qualities. And this is similar to how the Spirit of God is, however there are other animals with similar characteristics. Therefore, it is interesting to analyze the reason for the presence of the dove in the divinity.
In order to go deeper, we must search the scriptures and resume reading the book of Genesis where Noah used a dove to find out if the water had dried up and if there was a place to go.
In this way, this dove is used in the Bible to confirm the victory of the Lord, as a symbol that the Holy Spirit was with Noah at that moment. The dove was then an ally of this character who was at his side to proclaim the good news and attest that the word of the Lord would be fulfilled.
On the second opportunity, the dove returned with an olive leaf in its beak: “Night was falling when the dove returned, carrying in its beak a freshly cut olive twig. So Noah realized that the waters had receded until leaving the earth exposed”(Genesis 8:11).
The dove was used to reveal the triumph and show that God’s work was being accomplished, since by bringing the olive twig, he was proclaiming God’s victory, and this bird was the bearer of such important and revealing news.
It’s not just about the leaf, it…