What are some of the symbols of the Holy Spirit in the Bible?
Answered from the commentary of J. Wilson Smith, Andrew Miller, Michael Hardt and 3 others
Some of the Bible’s symbols of the Holy Spirit are the dove, wind, water, oil, fire, and cloud. The dove speaks of purity and holiness; the wind of His unseen, powerful working; and living water of life and refreshment within believers, flowing out in service and testimony.
Oil is a type of the Spirit’s anointing, giving power for service and spiritual light; fire speaks of God’s holiness judging what is evil and of power for testimony; and the cloud is a sign of God’s presence.
Verses: Matthew 3:16, Mark 1:10, Luke 3:22, John 1:32, Acts 2:2, Acts 2:3, Acts 2:4, Matthew 3:11, Mark 1:8, Luke 3:16, John 1:33, John 7:38, John 7:39, Isaiah 44:3, Ezekiel 36:25, Ezekiel 36:26, Ezekiel 36:27, John 3:5, Titus 3:5, 2 Corinthians 1:22, 2 Corinthians 5:5, Ephesians 1:13, Ephesians 1:14, 1 John 2:20, 1 John 2:27, Genesis 2:7, John 20:22, Ezekiel 37:9, Ezekiel 37:10, Ezekiel 37:11, Ezekiel 37:12, Ezekiel 37:13, Ezekiel 37:14, John 3:8, Luke 12:49, 1 Kings 19:12, Exodus 13:21, Exodus 13:22, Nehemiah 9:12, Nehemiah 9:19, Isaiah 4:5, Isaiah 4:6, Zechariah 4:6, John 16:13, Acts 1:8, Psalms 133:2, Exodus 30:22, Exodus 30:23, Exodus 30:24, Exodus 30:25, 1 Samuel 16:13, Isaiah 61:1, Luke 4:18, Acts 10:38, Hebrews 1:9
The above is AI generated summary based on the writers below.
What the commentators say
The passages the answer is drawn from, the most direct first, with the words that bear on the question marked.
The Bible uses a remarkable number of emblems and types to bring home to us the many different ways in which the Holy Spirit serves and benefits us. The following is not a complete list but covers the main ones.
The Bible uses a remarkable number of emblems and types to bring home to us the many different ways in which the Holy Spirit serves and benefits us. The following is not a complete list but covers the main ones.
a. The Breath of Life; Genesis 2: 7. John 20: 22. b. The Dove in the Ark makes known the state outside of the ark: Genesis 8: 7 - 12. c. The Shekinah Cloud: Exodus 13: 21. d. The Oil for Light: Exodus 27: 20,21.
The dove is a well-known emblem of the Holy Spirit, not only because He came upon Christ "in a bodily shape like a dove," but because of what is said of this bird elsewhere in Scripture.
The Spirit chose the form of the dove—the bird of love and purity—and lighted on Him.
The Holy Spirit is also typified by the dove. "And John bare record saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him." It is also said, that when the dove is absent from its mate, it sits solitary and mourns. "I did mourn like a dove." And, "We mourn sore like doves." (Isa. 38:14; Isa. 59:11) Simplicity, purity, harmlessness, faithfulness, seem to be represented by the dove. When the eye of the Christian is single, chaste, and constantly fixed on Christ, then it may be said, "Thou hast doves' eyes. "
The Holy Spirit is also typified by the dove. "And John bare record saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him." It is also said, that when the dove is absent from its mate, it sits solitary and mourns. "I did mourn like a dove." And, "We mourn sore like doves." (Isa. 38: 14; Isa. 59: 11) Simplicity, purity, harmlessness, faithfulness, seem to be represented by the dove. When the eye of the Christian is single, chaste, and constantly fixed on Christ, then it may be said, "Thou hast doves' eyes. "
And then you have the seal, the Holy Ghost descends on Him. Mark the words, "the Spirit like a dove descending upon upon him," that is the form the descending Spirit took, no doubt expressive of what He was in His own Person. The dove, as you know, was the bird of sorrow and the bird of love, and therefore it was a fitting type of what our Lord Jesus Christ was in His own holy, precious, glorious Person. He is marked off by even the bodily shape that the blessed Spirit was pleased to take. Some one has observed, and I think it is a very precious thought too, that not only was this dove-like form of the Spirit expressive of His Person, but there were in the dove the silver wings, and there was also the sheen of gold there. But I believe most of all and first of all, there was that which our Lord Jesus Christ was personally set forth in the dove-like form the blessed Spirit was pleased to take.
We recall when our Lord was baptized by John the Baptist, as identifying Himself with the repentant remnant that the Holy Spirit in the likeness of a dove rested upon Him. The dove symbol, the bird of peace, shows that there was nothing contrary to the Holy Spirit in our Lord, and therefore the Spirit could come upon Him in that way. In the Levitical type, the oil (symbol of the Holy Spirit) was put upon the blood. Sinful man could only receive the Holy Spirit on the ground of the atoning sacrifice of our Lord, the efficacy of the precious blood that cleanses from all sin. But in the case of our blessed Lord, the Spirit could come upon the flesh of our Lord, because His humanity was perfectly sinless and pleasing to the heart of the Father. But in the case of the believers on the day of Pentecost we read of "cloven tongues like as of fire" descending upon them.
*The whole thing is a dire mistake. The Holy Spirit descended on Christ in the form of a dove, and the symbol is comprehensible at once in its beauty. But the Spirit could not descend on men (redeemed though they be) on earth as a dove; nor did He so descend. There was leaven in the two Pentecostal loaves. (Leviticus 23:17.)
Verses
- Matthew 3:16And Jesus, having been baptised, went up straightway from the water, and lo, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove, and coming upon him
- Mark 1:10And straightway going up from the water, he saw the heavens parting asunder, and the Spirit, as a dove, descending upon him.
- Luke 3:22and the Holy Spirit descended in a bodily form as a dove upon him; and a voice came out of heaven, Thou art my beloved Son, in thee I have found my delight.
- John 1:32–3332And John bore witness, saying, I beheld the Spirit descending as a dove from heaven, and it abode upon him. 33And I knew him not; but he who sent me to baptise with water, he said to me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending and abiding on him, he it is who baptises with [the] Holy Spirit.
- Acts 2:2–42And there came suddenly a sound out of heaven as of a violent impetuous blowing, and filled all the house where they were sitting. 3And there appeared to them parted tongues, as of fire, and it sat upon each one of them. 4And they were all filled with [the] Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave to them to speak forth.