Holy Spirit: Symbol or Living Being?
October 17, 2023
Katherine Schultz
Is the Holy Spirit a symbol of God’s presence or a living Being? This post contains a biblical perspective on a brief topic taken from the 3-Dimensional Worldview Survey. It identifies 1 topic, 2 relevant scriptures, and a 3-D Worldview perspective in brief format.
1 Topic
Is the Holy Spirit a symbol of God’s presence or a living Being?
2 Scriptures
Genesis 1:26-27.
Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”
So God created mankind in his own image,
in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.
Isaiah 55:8–9.
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the Lord.
“As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
3-D Worldview
At 3DWS, we define a symbol as
Symbols are one of the 4 parameters of the heart-orientation dimension in a 3-dimensional worldview.
The Holy Spirit is represented symbolically in the Bible in several ways, but let’s not get that confused: a symbol that represents the Spirit is not the thing itself, and the Spirit is a Living Being. The Holy Spirit, as part of the Trinity, is a person, not a symbol.
The Holy Spirit is, however, described with some symbols in the Bible. And these can help us better understand the Holy Spirit’s work and person. The biblical symbols of the Holy Spirit are a Dove, Fire, Wind, and Water.
Dove
In Mark 1:10 (and the other gospels), the Holy Spirit descends on Jesus “like a dove.” This is a comparison (a literary tactic called a simile), but the Holy Spirit is not actually a dove. However, this comparison can help us understand some of the Holy Spirit’s qualities as a person. A dove symbolizes peace (Psalms 55:6); purity (Song of Songs 5:2); innocence (Matthew 10:16); and beauty (Song of Solomon 1:15).
Gentle like a dove, the Holy Spirit convicts us of sin, and guides us in the right direction as our Counselor. But also like a dove, the Holy Spirit can be chased away easily: He will not force Himself on us if we do not want him.
So he is like a dove in some ways.
But a dove is not the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit is not a dove.
Fire
In Acts 2:3-4, the Holy Spirit appears like tongues of fire and settles on each of the early Christians, fulfilling the prophecy of John the Baptist in Matthew 3:11. Again, we learn something about the Holy Spirit by knowing he is like fire. Fire gives light and warmth. But it also purifies and transforms. But the fire of the Holy Spirit is not destructive, as we can see in the episode of the burning bush in Exodus 3:2.
So he is like a flame of fire in some ways.
But a flame of fire is not the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit is not a flame of fire.
Wind
The arrival of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2:1-4 is indicated by a mighty wind as well as tongues of fire. And in John 3:8 we see, “The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” Wind is a symbol, and helps us see that the Holy Spirit is active, but invisible, mighty, sometimes appearing suddenly and unexpectedly. Sometimes causing significant upheaval in our lives, sometimes clearing the haze.
So he is like the wind in some ways.
But the wind is not the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit is not the wind.
Water
John 7:37-39 says, “On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, ‘Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.’ By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.
Water gives life. We need a generous amount every day. It cleanses, cools, refreshes, and sustains us. Without it, we die. Likewise, the Holy Spirit is poured out on us (Isaiah 44:3) as a blessing, cleansing and sustaining us.
So he is like water in some ways.
But water is not the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit is not water.
Check out this Nigerian Guardian article for more thoughts on the symbols of the Holy Spirit.
So the Holy Spirit is like a dove, like fire, like the wind, and like water. These images help us understand how the Holy Spirit works in our lives, and the impact he can have when we surrender to the Lord and become born again as his child. But even as these symbols help us understand the Holy Spirit, they also make clear that the Holy Spirit, though invisible, is a Living Being who acts in our lives, and interacts with us.
Now what do I do?
If you are interested in understanding a Biblical worldview more fully by investigating more questions like this, check out the free pdf “10 Questions to Understand Worldview” linked below. Or go ahead directly to the survey and take it for yourself.
- Take the 3-D Worldview for yourself
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