THE PROBLEM WITH IMAGERY IN THE BIBLE

Commonplace things appear throughout the Bible that appear to have deeper figurative or symbolic meanings to them. The first problem is to figure out if any such extra significance was meant to be attached.

As an example, just look at Jesus' words in Matthew 24:32-33 – “From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, at the very gates.” There is a whole school of thought among prophecy experts which teaches that the fig tree stands for the nation of Israel. Therefore, Jesus is saying that when Israel becomes a nation again, then that is a sure sign of the Second Coming rapidly following. Such an interpretation is overly complicated and highly unlikely, but it still has numerous adherents.

The second difficulty in understanding biblical images is even more widespread – trying to pin down the exact symbolic meaning to attach to an object when it appears in the Bible. Many of you have probably seen in the check-out line of a grocery store or in a bookstore at an airline terminal, paperback books that claim to help you interpret your dreams. All you have to do is look up the object that appears in your dream and this book will immediately tell you its secret meaning. The obvious problem with that simple-minded approach is that the same image will often have quite different meanings for different people. The context in which the image appears needs to be taken into account just as it is impossible to understand Jesus' parables without knowing what prompted their telling in the first place.

One rather clear-cut example is the adjective “white.” To our minds, it immediately conjures up the concept of purity and cleanliness, and that is indeed its symbolic meaning in many Bible passages (see Revelation 6:11, for example). But we also need to keep in mind passages like Leviticus 13 in which the exact opposite meaning is intended. Leprosy is said to turn the skin white as snow, and it renders those who have that ailment ritually unclean. So when we come to a rather ambiguous use of “white” such as in Isaiah 1:18, there is rightly some difference of opinion as to whether it is a promise or a threat.

“Dog” is a rather derogatory term in both the OT and NT, as in I Samuel 17:43. However, that nuance does not necessarily apply in passages such as Mark 7:27-28 with its more endearing image of a pet puppy eating scraps from its owner's table. But to get such a subtle point, it helps to know that the Greek word for “dog” in that verse is not the normal Greek word used elsewhere with a much more negative connotation.

“Serpent” has an even more negative image in the Bible except for the facts that (a) Jesus told us to be as wise as them and (b) it was the bronze serpent raised up in the wilderness which had the power to heal those who gazed at it (Numbers 21:9). (Interestingly, the Greeks actually used the image of a serpent to represent the god of rebirth and renewal, Asclepius.) But when the people of Israel later started to worship that same bronze statue, it again took on evil connotations (II Kings 18:4).

The “law” only commands the highest regard throughout the Old Testament. But after Christ's fuller revelation and fulfillment of the law's requirements by his sinless life and death on the cross, that image is often pitted against the Christian concept of grace and begins to take on a more subservient role in our understanding of what is required of us in God's eyes (see Galatians 3).

Another item with somewhat contradictory symbolism is that of the cross. The hanging of a body on a tree was the height of disgrace in OT times (Deuteronomy 21:22-23). And under Roman law, it was a cruel and degrading punishment usually reserved for the most dangerous criminals. But paradoxically, it became an image which was proudly adopted by early Christians. One person has pointed out that it is as if we today began to speak reverently of the electric chair and hung images of it around our necks with pride. But God's truth is filled with such seeming contradictions.

Similarly, the color red conjures up the related concepts of violence and bloodshed. But in the New Testament we are actually washed clean by the blood of the Lamb (I John 1:7) and are even told to drink Jesus' blood in remembrance (John 6:55-56).

In the area of the Holy Land, rain was looked on as one of the main blessings of God, and when God wanted to punish Israel, He would withhold it. Conversely, however, God's most widespread punishment of humanity came in the form of a flood. There is always the problem of having too much of a good thing.

The same thing applies to the concept of “shade.” In hot climates, the shade of a mighty rock is very welcome (Isaiah 32:2). But in the OT concept of the Afterworld, souls existed only in some sort of shadowy land, far away from the sun and light (Job 10:21-22).

The subjects of James' criticism are those who look into a mirror and then proceed to turn away and forget who they are (James 1:23-24). But by contrast, Paul reminds us that everything we see in a mirror is only a dim reflection of the true reality we will experience only when we are with God (I Corinthians 13:12). To understand this somewhat mixed image of mirrors, keep in mind that the best attempt at the time to construct a mirror of any type was to polish a sheet of metal. It did indeed suffice to a certain extent, but was not nearly as adequate as today's versions.

“Sword” is another image with a dual identity. In many Bible passages it stands for war, bloodshed, and punishment. But then we should also keep in mind that God's word is said to be a sword dividing even the soul from the spirit, and the Holy Spirit is portrayed as a sword also in passages such as Ephesians 6:17 and Hebrews 4:12. It all depends on who is wielding the sword.

A “rod” is another instrument which portrays a somewhat neutral image. It can be used to either inflict cruel punishment; be used in service of gentle and needed correction (“Spare the rod and spoil the child”); or even serve as a source of reassurance (“Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me”).

When we think of “sheep” in the Bible, we probably are reminded of pleasant images such as being the sheep in the flock of Jesus as the good shepherd. Or we might remember that Jesus Himself is compared to a sheep who goes to the shearer without uttering a sound of complaint. But then, we also come across a passage in which mankind is characterized as sheep who have gone astray (I Peter 2:25). This reminds us of the heedlessness of sheep and unwillingness to follow the shepherd rather than of their more innocuous reputation.

On occasion we may run into an unusual image in the Bible which only appears a few times. At those times, there is a very strong temptation to feel that the image must be utilized in exactly the same manner in each of those occurrences. But we can easily be mistaken in such thinking. Just look at the image of a broken pot. In the prophetic writings, it is compared to the destruction of a person by the Creator because of his or her imperfections (Jeremiah 18:1-11). However, in the historical books the deliberate breaking of pots is the God-ordained method utilized by the Israelites to rout a much stronger enemy (Judges 7:15-23).

“Eating and drinking” is another ambiguous image used in the Bible. The author of Ecclesiastes recommends enjoying these as blessings from God (2:24; 5:18; etc), and God enjoins the prophet Elijah, who was in hiding, to partake of both in order to keep his strength up and help restore his spirit (I Kings 18:5-8). But in that same story, King Ahab eats and drinks oblivious to the decisive spiritual battle that has just taken place (v. 19). And that same somewhat negative picture applies to Jesus' words in Matthew 24 when he characterizes the people during Noah's time eating and drinking unaware or unconcerned about the disaster about to overtake them.

In that same prophetic chapter, Jesus talks about the Judgment when one person is taken and another one left behind. In my post titled “Matthew 24:40 Do You Want to be Left Behind at the Rapture?” I examined several similar uses of the verb “taken” and came to the conclusion that in the majority of cases where it occurs, it is actually the one left behind rather than the one taken who is in the more advantageous position. This runs counter to most popular writings on the subject. But again, there is just enough ambiguity to leave the issue in doubt.

“Long hair” is another rather odd image with dual personality. On the one hand, Samson's long hair represents the power of God's Spirit within him. But then we must consider that it is Absalom's long locks that are the direct cause of his death in battle (I Samuel 18:9-15), and Paul denounces men who wear their hair long in I Corinthians 11:14.

Just as a lamb can be the image of innocence, so can children, and we as adults are actually encouraged to become like them (Matthew 18:3-4). But when one literally outgrows childhood, trying to retain it is almost treated as a sin by Paul (“When I was a child, I spoke as a child, etc.” – I Corinthians 13:11) In each passage, one must carefully look at the context to avoid rejecting one or the other of those teachings as being incompatible with the other.

In some cases, the differing contexts are rather easy to pick out. For example, what about the idea of captured rulers dining with the king? Is that good or bad? It really depends on whether one is dining at the king's table, such as happened to Jehoiachin (II Kings 25:29) or dines under his table as did the kings conquered by Adoni-bezek (Judges 1:7).

Similarly, singing the songs of Zion such as the psalms designed for the celebration of major feasts in Jerusalem is a totally joyful occupation. But when one's Babylonian captors demand that you sing those same joyful songs to entertain them while you are far away from your homeland, then that is entirely a different story (Psalm 137:1-3).

 The “heavenlies” or “heavenly places” is a term used by Paul several times in his letter to the Ephesians. As we would expect, it is the realm occupied by God, Christ and believers (1:3; 2:6). But unexpectedly, the same description in Ephesians 3:10 is given to the place occupied by the “rulers and authorities,” a phrase elsewhere indicating powers pitted against God.

I could go on and one with numerous other examples, but you may wish to carry out your own researches into the subject with the help of an analytical concordance some time. Just look at all of the occurrences of any particular Hebrew or Greek word to see if you can generalize as to what that image means in each setting. Often you will see a great deal of consistency, but there will also be times where quite contradictory concepts seem to be attached to the same word. It just serves as a general warning that things are not always as simple as we first might think.