The Holy Scripture is full of symbols, which if we understand we will understand the Scripture itself. There are even whole Books, most of their content cannot be understood without understanding their symbols.
• For instance, can you understand the Book of the Songs without knowing the meaning of its words and expressions?
• Can you understand the visions and prophecies of the Books of Daniel the Prophet, Ezekiel the Prophet, Zacharias, Hosea, and the others, without understanding He symbols of those visions and prophecies, some of which deserved that God sends Gabriel the archangel to explain them (Da 8:15,16) ?
• Can you understand the Book of the Levites with all the sacrifices , the burnt offerings, the uncleanness and purification or the rituals and feasts, without knowing the symbols that are realized in the New Testament,
• Can you understand the dreams that implied prophecies of things that took place, without knowing the symbolic meaning of what those dreams contained? Take, for instance, the dreams of Joseph the Righteous which were realized (Gen 37), for all their contents were symbols. Likewise the dreams which Joseph the Righteous interpreted to the chief baker and to the chief butler, and to Pharaoh himself (Gen 40,41), they were symbolic. There is also the dream of Nebuchadnezzar the king, which Daniel the Prophet interpreted (Da 2).
• The Scripture contains symbols referring to the Lord Christ, to the holy Virgin Mary, to the church, and many other innumerable symbols :
The ark of covenant was a symbol of the Virgin. Also Aaron’s censer and Aaron’s rod that budded, the gate that faces toward the east (Ezek 44 : 1,3), the bush burning with fire which Moses the Prophet saw (Ex 3:2), and the spouse in the Song as well is sometimes taken as a symbol of the Virgin. There are many other symbols which will be mentioned in time.
The church of the New Testament is also symbolized by many things.
The vine, the olive tree, the sheep fold (Jn 10), and Noah’s ark, were symbols. The tent of meeting was a symbol of the church building. So many things and characters were symbols referring to the Lord Christ, such as ; Joseph the righteous and his being sold by his brothers for silver (Gen 37:28); the command to our father Abraham to offer his only son as a burnt offering (Gen 22:2); Abel the Righteous; David the Prophet; Job the Righteous and his passions; Melchizedek (Gen 14); the shepherd and king; the rock (1 Cor 10:4) ; the Passover lamb (Ex 12); all the sacrifices and burnt offerings of the Old Testament; and the grain offering (Lev 2).
It is not easy to count all the symbols of the Lord Christ in the Old Testament
• Many other things in the old Testament were symbols referring to the New Testament. Among those were the feasts in (Lev 23); the circumcision (Gen 17) which was a symbol of baptism in the New Testament (Cor 2 :11,12); The ladder which our father Jacob saw (Gen 28); the brazen serpent which Moses the Prophet lifted in the wilderness (Num 21 : 8,9; Jn 3:14); the cities of refuge (Num 35:6); and the scarlet robe which Rahab used (Jos 2:18).
Some important events likewise were symbols
The crossing of the Red Sea had a symbolic meaning, that is delivery from the servitude of Pharaoh. That is why we chant it in the Midnight Praises (first hours). The crossing of the Red Sea also was a symbol of baptism, as St. Paul explains (1 Cor 10:1,2). The captivity in Babylon was a symbol of spiritual captivity. So we chant the Psalm : “By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept when we remembered Zion.” (Ps 137:1) . Here the literal meaning of the words ‘Babylon’ and ‘Zion’ disappears, and there remains the symbolic meaning: “Babylon”, a symbol of spiritual captivity; and “Zion” meaning the city of God and center of true worship . Canaan was likewise a symbol, and the falling down of the walls of Jericho (Jos 6:20) has a spiritual symbolic meaning.
• The marriage of Moses the Prophet of the Ethiopian woman (Num 12:1) had a symbolic meaning, as it was a symbol of accepting the Gentile into faith. Therefore the Lord rebuked Aaron and Miriam for speaking against Moses for that marriage, and He punished Miriam severely .
The same applies to the relationship of the Queen of Sheba, the Gentile, with Solomon the wise. Origen made a deep commentary on this relationship and on the words of the Scripture concerning the Queen’s visit to Solomon.
“When the Queen of Sheba had seen all the Wisdom of Solomon, the house that he had built, the food on his table, the seating of his servants, the service of his waiters and their apparel, his cupbearers… there was no more spirit in her.” (1 kgs 10:4,5) Origen said that Solomon was a symbol of the Lord Christ, since his name is derived from peace (Isa 9:6), and because he is king and the son of David who sits on his throne (Lk 1 : 32). And for his wisdom, because the Son is the Wisdom of God ( 1 Co. 1 : 24). The house which Solomon built was a symbol of the church which the Lord Christ built and founded. The food on Solomon’s table was a symbol of the Eucharist (Ht 26: 26-28). Solomon & servants and waiters were a symbol of the priests and deacons with the service apparel . The burnt offerings were a symbol of the holy Sacrifice.
As the marriage of Moses and of Solomon was symbolic, so was the marriage of Hosea (Hos 1-9) , All these were detailed symbols mentioned in the Old Testament and referring to the New Testament
• In nature there are many things that can be taken symbolically, such as : the mountains, the hills, the trees, the vine, the olive tree, the palm tree, the cedar, the seas and the rivers; what do all these symbolize ? Also what do these symbolize: the light and the darkness, the seen and the moon, the stars; and the animals, like the serpent and the dragon, the pig and the little faxes that spoil the vines, the beautiful dove, the ant and the bee, the lilies and the birds of the air ?
• There are also the numbers and what do they symbolize in the Holy scripture :
Not only the famous number (seven), but also the numbers; three, eight, six, five, and all the other numbers, multiplications, and significance.
• The water, the oil, and the fire, all are symbols of other things, and each needs an article or more to understand its meaning, the verses on it, and how it is use in the church rituals and sacraments.
• Even the grain of wheat has its meaning in the Scripture, and also the flour, the leaven and the unleavened bread. The leaven is a symbol of evil, whereas the unleavened bread is a symbol of purity (1 Cor 5:7) . In this way we can understand the words of the Lord Christ, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, (Lk 12:1) and we can understand the meaning of the feast of the unleavened bread which they used to celebrate for seven days following the passover, and the reason they ate the Passover with unleavened bread
(Ex 12:8,15). We can also understand why we put leaven in the bread offered in the divine liturgy.
• The manna was a symbol (Jn 6:48-50), and also the tree of life mentioned in (Rev.22:2), and the fig tree (Mt 21:19;24:32).
• Many also are the symbols that referred to the Holy Spiti: the fire; the dove; the wing (Jn 3:8); the rivers of the living water (Jn 7:38,39); and the oil used in the Holy Ointment (1 Jn 2: 20,27 ; Isa 61:1; Ps 16:9). All these need more contemplation and search in the Verses of the Scripture.
Due to all this, the history of the ological and Biblical Studies witnessed the school of symbolic commentary, which differed in its methods and concepts from the school of literal commentary.
The former school considered the literal meaning is the outer cover words of the Scripture , while the symbolic meaning is the core and the fruit. Among the most famous scholars of the school of symbolic commentary is Origen the professor in the Theological School of Alexandria. St. Didymus the blind, the dean of the School of Alexandria in the days of Str. Athanasius the Apostolic is among the famous scholars of this school. St. Augustine, Bishop of Hippo, is also very famous for this symbolic commentary, as revealed in his books and contemplations.
However, Origen went very far in his symbolic commentary to the extent that he fell in many faults, such as his commentary on the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the midst of the garden of Eden (Gen. 2:9; 3:3). He went so far as to consider the sin of Adam and Eve a sin of adultery!! Yet, some of his admirers followed his views and spread his and their faults and wrong views. It is good to find a symbolic meaning for something, but it is not proper to go so far as to take everything symbolically!!
• The Lord Christ Himself used this symbolism, as when saying, “beware of the leaven of the Pharisees,” and “I came to send fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!” (Mt 16:6; Lk 12:49) . The Lord of course did not mean the literal meaning of the fire. Also His words : “he who has no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one.” (Lk 22:36) . By the sword the Lord meant the spiritual and symbolic word. In the same way He said to Simon Peter and Andrew hi brother, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” (Mt 4:19) . And symbolically He said, The Kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.” (Mt 25:1).
Everything in the above parable was symbolic : the lamps, the oil, the sellers, and the wedding.
The same applies to the Lord’s words “Let your waist be girded and your lamps burning;”
“We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we mourned to you, and you did not lament.” (Lk 12:35;Mt 11:17).
So many are the parables and the examples.
The Lord used sometimes to explain to the listeners what He wanted to say by much symbolic words. He opened their minds, as He explained to them the parable of the wheat and the tares (Mt 13) and as He took away the veil laid on their heart (2 Co 3:15).
Let us then give some time to contemplate on the symbols of the Scripture and the deep meaning implied in them, so that we may read it with understanding. Let us while reading pray to the Lord and say with the Psalmist.
“Open my eyes, that I may see wondrous things from Your law.” (Ps 119:18).