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Christian symbols and signs. Brown and Gray Symbols in the Bible

This religion is based on faith in Jesus Christ as the God-man, the Savior, the incarnation of the 2nd person of the triune Deity. The communion of believers to Divine grace occurs through participation in the sacraments. The source of the doctrine of Christianity is the Holy Tradition, the main one in which is the Holy Scripture (Bible), as well as the "Symbol of Faith", decisions of ecumenical and some local councils, individual creations of the Church Fathers. It is known that not only the apostles, but also Jesus Christ himself refers to himself as his symbol and prototype of the bronze serpent raised by Moses in the wilderness (John 3:14; Luke 24:27). The Church Fathers, starting with Barnabas, every detail in the Old Testament is interpreted as a symbol or prototype of one or another fact of Christian history. During the persecution, Christians created a special symbolic language for themselves. The symbolic images of the first centuries found and described so far belong partly to heresies, but mainly to ancient christian church. The Apocalypse already contains a mass of symbols depicting the relationship of the primitive church to the then Roman state, and vice versa. In the 2nd century, Christian symbols decorate not only places of religious meetings and prayers, but also private home life. The exchange of symbolic images, images or icons among Christians often replaced the conventional signs of belonging to the faith. The lily and the rose constitute the permanent fixture of the Holy Virgin Mary in her depictions; St. George strikes a sea dragon with his spear; a halo surrounds for the most part the heads of the saints.

Currently total number Christians exceeds 1 billion people. This creed has three main directions: Orthodoxy, Catholicism, Protestantism.

Christianity creeds

A brief exposition of Christian dogmas, the unconditional recognition of which the Church prescribes to every Christian. According to church tradition The Creed was composed by the apostles, but is in fact a text of later origin: it was formulated in Nicene ecumenical council 325 and revised between 362 and 374, giving rise to the division of Christian churches into Catholic and Orthodox branches.

Hallelujah!

A solemn exclamation derived from the Hebrew "hillel" - "praise God." This word was a common exclamation of joy and exultation in Jewish worship. It begins and ends some of the psalms. This exclamation is still used in the worship of the Christian church.

Amen

"Verily", "so be it". Used in different cases, this word has the same meaning. It serves as confirmation of the answer and consent for the assignment. It is sometimes translated by the word "true" and was often used by the Lord when he spoke some important and indisputable truth. In the Christian church, the word "amen" serves as an eloquent and sublime symbol for the conclusion of a psalm or worship service.

	Altar In the Christian church, the altar symbolizes both the tomb of Christ and the place of his resurrection and eternal life. The Christian altar is a stone or wooden table of fine workmanship. It is placed in the center of the temple and is the main place in it. According to the rules of the liturgy, the altar should face east - towards Jerusalem, the Holy Land, where Christ was crucified.
	Angels As messengers of God, angels are mediators between heaven and earth. These are intermediate beings that are not subject to the earthly laws of time and space, their bodies are not made of flesh and blood. They are like the natural spirits of the Middle Ages - sylphs, undines, salamanders and gnomes - who rule over the elements, but do not have a soul. According to Christian teaching, angels in the hierarchy are closer to man than to God. In the Revelation of John, an angel appears to the evangelist and shows the "holy" city of Jerusalem "prepared as a bride." John falls on his knees to bow to the angel, but the angel says, “Do not do this; for I am a fellow-servant with you and with your brothers.”
	Archangels One of the highest angelic ranks. Archangel Michael, the messenger of God's judgment, is depicted as a warrior with a sword; the archangel Gabriel, the messenger of God's mercy, carrying the good news, with a lily in his hand; archangel Raphael, God's healer and guardian, - like a pilgrim with a staff and a knapsack; archangel Uriel, the fire of God, his prophecy and wisdom - with a scroll or a book in his hands. Archangel Hamuel are the eyes of the Lord; archangel Jophiel - his beauty; Archangel Zadiel is his truth.
	Bible So in the Christian church is called a collection of books written by the inspiration and revelation of the Holy Spirit through people sanctified from God, called prophets and apostles. The Bible is divided into two sections - Old Testament and New Testament. The first includes books written in pre-Christian times in Hebrew and revered as sacred by both Jews and Christians. The second category includes books written in Greek by divinely inspired men of the Christian church - the apostles and evangelists. The Bible itself is a symbol of belonging to Christianity.
	God Creator of heaven and earth and provider of the universe. Being original, independent, unchangeable, unconditional, eternal (Rev. 1:8). God exists in three forms: as Father, Son and Spirit. How philosophical category- this is an all-good, merciful and merciful being, and at the same time punishing people for their sins or pardoning them as a result of a righteous life. God is a symbol of goodness and perfection, and as such, he opposes Evil in the form of the devil, who tempts a person and pushes people to commit evil deeds (see Devil). In church painting, God the Father is depicted as an Eternal Elder, with long white hair and a flowing beard.
	Grape In Christian art, grapes act as a symbol of the Eucharistic wine and therefore the blood of Christ. The vine is the accepted symbol of Christ and Christian faith, based on a biblical metaphor, in particular, in the parable of Christ about the vine: "I am the true vine ..." (John 15:1-17).
	Magi At the time of the birth of Christ in Jerusalem, “magicians came from the east and asked where the king of the Jews had been born (Matt. 2:1-2). What kind of people they were, from what country and what religion - the evangelist does not give any indication of this. The magi declared that they came to Jerusalem because they saw in the east the star of the born king of the Jews, whom they came to worship. Having bowed to the newborn Christ, which they found in Bethlehem, they "departed to their own country", thereby arousing the extreme irritation of Herod (after this the Bethlehem Massacre of the Innocents took place). A whole cycle of legends has developed about them, in which the eastern sages are no longer simple magi, but kings, representatives of the three races of mankind. Later, the legend calls their names - Caspar, Melchior and Belshazzar, and describes in detail their appearance.
	Pigeon Christian symbol Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Holy Trinity. Holy Scripture clearly and undeniably teaches about the Holy Spirit as a person distinct from God the Father and God the Son. The personal properties of the Holy Spirit are depicted by the Evangelist John (15:26): "He proceeds from the Father and is sent by the Son."
	Host (prosvirka) It is a round unleavened bread that the priest consecrates during communion or mass. Its name comes from the Latin word "hostia", meaning sacrifice or donation. The host, and especially together with the chalice, symbolizes the sacrifice of Christ on the cross.
	Grail The vessel into which Joseph of Arimathea allegedly collected blood from the wounds of Jesus Christ during the crucifixion. The history of this vessel, which acquired miraculous power, was described by the French writer of the early 12th century, Chrétien de Troy, and a century later, in more detail by Robert de Voron, based on the apocryphal Gospel of Nicodemus. According to legend, the Grail is kept in a mountain castle, it is filled with sacred hosts that serve for communion and give miraculous powers. The fanatical search for the relic by the crusader knights largely contributed to the creation of the legend of the Grail, processed and framed with the participation of many authors and culminating in the legends of Parsifal and Gilead.
	Virgin Mary - Mother of God Mother of Jesus Christ. Daughter of Joachim and Anna. Joseph's wife. The most reverent and comprehensive image of Christianity. Lack of information about life of the Virgin which we receive from the Holy Scriptures, is abundantly supplemented by many traditions, some of which bear the undeniable stamp of ancient times and, in any case, reflect the faith of Christian society from ancient times.
	Star of Bethlehem Shortly before the birth of Christ, namely in 747 after the founding of Rome, an extremely rare combination of Jupiter and Saturn in the constellation Pisces could be seen in the sky. It could not fail to attract the attention of all who watched starry sky and was engaged in astronomy, i.e., the Chaldean magi. AT next year this combination was joined by Mars, which further strengthened the extraordinaryness of the whole phenomenon. In this way, star of bethlehem, which led the Magi to Judea, is a completely justified phenomenon.
	Censer One of the sacred vessels of the tabernacle and the temple, used for burning incense on especially solemn occasions.
	bells One of the necessary attributes of church activity. Bell ringing call the faithful to worship. The sound of the sanctus bell on the altar during communion announces the coming of Christ.
	The ark A large wooden box in which Noah and his family escaped from the global flood, taking with them "a pair of each creature." Strictly speaking, this structure cannot be called a ship, at best, a barge. But, no matter how one regards this unit, it fulfilled its historical task: it saved humanity and the fauna of the planet for future life. Christianity considers the legend of Noah's ark somewhat differently than Judaism. Noah is one of the main patriarchal "types" of Christ. The early Church Fathers and apologists compared the flood to Christian baptism. The ark has been a frequent subject in Christian art since its inception. In the Roman catacombs, he personified the new Christian concept of the Resurrection. In the Bible, the end of the Flood is symbolized by a dove that brings an olive branch to Noah into the ark.
	Nimbus A brilliant circle, which ancient Greek and Roman artists, depicting gods and heroes, often placed above their heads, indicating that they were higher, unearthly, supernatural beings. In the iconography of Christianity, the nimbus has become an accessory to the image since ancient times.the wives of the hypostases of the Holy Trinity, angels, the Mother of God and saints; often he also accompanied the Lamb of God and the figures of animals, which serve as symbols of the four evangelists. At the same time, haloes of a special kind were established for some icons. For example, the face of God the Father was placed under a halo, which at first had the shape of a triangle, and then the shape of a six-pointed star formed by two equilateral triangles. The halo of the Virgin Mary is always round and often exquisitely decorated. Haloes of saints or other divine persons are usually round and unornamented.
	Easter candle In Christianity, a candle symbolizes the presence of Christ with the disciples for forty days after the Resurrection of Jesus. The candle burns for forty days - from Easter to Ascension. On Ascension, it is extinguished, which symbolizes the departure of Christ from the earth. In addition, the candle depicts the light of Christ risen from the dead and new life, as well as the pillar of fire that led the people of Israel for forty years.
	Paradise A word of Persian origin, meaning literally "garden". There are two paradises: 1) "earthly", planted by God himself for the first people and located, according to the expression Genesis, "in the east" (from the place where this book is written, that is, probably Palestine), in the land of Eden; 2) heavenly - the “kingdom” prepared by God from the beginning of the world, where the souls of the righteous and saints dwell after the death of the earthly and private judgment, until the resurrection of bodies on earth and the universal judgment, knowing neither sickness, nor sorrow, nor sighing, feeling only unceasing joy and bliss.
	crucifixion (cross) The ancient and most cruel and shameful execution, which the Romans applied exclusively to the greatest criminals: traitors and villains. Executed outside the city on a hill. After scourging with a leather whip, the criminal was nailed to a cross measuring 3-4.5 meters made of cypress or cedar. The crosses were equilateral, stretched upwards or in the form of the Greek letter "tau" - T. The torment of the afflicted on the cross lasted up to three days. Jesus Christ was subjected to such an execution
	Robe (crimson) A bright red or purple robe worn by the first persons of the church as one of the symbols of the suffering of Christ at the judgment and, therefore, a symbol of the passion of the Lord. “Then the soldiers of the ruler, having taken Jesus into the praetorium, gathered the whole regiment against Him and, having undressed Him, put a purple robe on Him ... And when they mocked Him, they took off the purple robe from Him and dressed Him in His clothes, and led Him to be crucified” (Mat. 27:27-31).
	Last Judgment Belief in the Last Judgment was universal and constant in the Christian church. This is confirmed by the original symbols of private ancient churches. The pastors and teachers of the church, starting from apostolic times, themselves firmly preserved and passed on to other generations the universal faith in the future universal judgment. According to St. Polycarp of Smyrna, "whoever says that there is neither resurrection nor judgment, that is the firstborn of Satan." The Last Judgment should begin after the angel sounds the trumpet, calling both the living and the dead to judgment.
	crown of thorns The crown of thorny branches of thorns, which the soldiers put on Christ before he was crucified, was a parody of the festive wreath of the Roman emperor. “And the soldiers took Him into the courtyard, that is, into the praetorium, and gathered the whole regiment; And they clothed Him in purple, and plaiting a crown of thorns, they put it on Him; and began to greet him: Hail, King of the Jews!” (Mark 15:16-18). Christ crucified on the cross is usually depicted wearing a crown of thorns.
	Trinity Christianity teaches that "the One God is threefold." The doctrine that God is one, however, according to Matthew (28:19), manifests itself in three persons - Father, Son and Holy Spirit; this theory was substantiated by Augustine in his treatise "De Trinitate" (in Latin "On the Trinity"). The Trinity could be depicted as an ideogram - for example, three connected circles. God the Father was originally depicted as a symbolic eye or hand extending from a cloud, possibly holding a crown. The Holy Spirit was most often symbolized by a dove. In painting, a dove soars directly above the head of Christ. Another, less common type, which existed with the data, depicts the Trinity in the form of three human figures.
	Christ Jesus This word actually means "anointed" and represents Greek translation Jewish mashiach (messiah). In times before the birth of Christ, the Jews expected to see in the Messiah a national leader, a deliverer from the power of the Romans, a righteous, invincible and eternal king from the house and city of David (in the era of the struggle between Jews and Rome, there were many false messiahs - political agitators on a religious lining. About the appearance of false Christs and false prophets were warned by the Savior himself). The first person who directly proclaimed Himself as the promised Messiah-Christ was the Divine Founder of the Christian religion, the greatest in its moral height and its historical significance, Jesus Christ of Nazareth of Galilee.
	Church In Christian symbolism, the church has several meanings. Its main meaning is the House of God. It can also be understood as the Body of Christ. Sometimes the church is associated with the ark, and in this sense it means salvation for all its parishioners. In painting, a church placed in the hands of a saint signifies that this saint was the founder or bishop of that church. However, the church is in the hands of St. Jerome and St. Gregory does not mean any particular building, but the Church in general, to which these saints gave great support and became its first fathers.
	Beads Thread with wooden, glass, bone, amber and other grains (balls) strung on it, topped with a cross. Their purpose is to serve as a tool for counting prayers and bows, as indicated by the very name of their "rosary" - from the verb "honor", "count". Their use in Orthodox Church assigned only to monastics of both sexes and bishops.

verbal, objective and other signs reflecting the highest spiritual reality. Greek the word sЪmbolon, a symbol, comes from the verb sumbЈllw, I connect. This etymology points to the role of S. as a type of communication designed to encode and transmit human experience and thought. In essence, any speech or system of conventional signs (for example, in mathematics) is symbolic. But in the realm of religion. C. is not an abstract idea or even an allegory; he himself is involved in that spiritual reality, to-ruyu reflects. Religious S. turns out to be necessary where an abstract, purely logical system is unable to express reality. “In a symbol, everything reveals a spiritual reality, and in it everything is necessary for its manifestation, but not all spiritual reality appears and is embodied in a symbol. A symbol is always in part, “for we know in part and we prophesy in part” (1 Cor 13:9), - for the symbol, by its very essence, connects incommensurable realities, of which one remains in relation to the other - "absolutely different" "(Prot. A. Schmemann). * Antinomy of the Bible. S. lies in the fact that they express the inexpressible. Therefore, by their nature, they are close to *mythologeme and dogma. In S., the words and images of temporal existence convey the secrets of eternal existence.

Verbal S. First of all, these include *Names of God, as well as *anthropomorphisms, *sociomorphisms in the Bible, as well as *biblical naturalmorphic images, designed to proclaim the Living God in the language of earthly ideas. Deeply symbolic are also the mysteries of metahistory, embodied in the *Prologue of the Book of Genesis, in *the prophets and in Revelation. Symbolic the language is characteristic of *pre-apocalyptic and *apocalyptic literature. Often a saint the authors resort to the paradoxes of *conceptual symbolism. The "spatial" images of Scripture are also symbolic (God abiding "in heaven", Christ "descending" into our world). S. do not pretend to adequately depict the mystery. Their main feature is the ability to convey the experience of the Beyond.

* Symbolic actions. These include special forms of prophetic preaching, *sacrifices and rites *of the sacraments of the Church.

Subject S. include belongings of old-fashioned. cult, for example, the Ark and the Tabernacle, which signify the presence of God among the people. The entire device is old-fashioned. Temple (candlestick, "copper sea", etc.) symbolizes the Universe filled with the Glory of the Lord. Symbolic are the elements of the rite in Christ. sacraments.

Bible S. in the early Christ. art. The fine arts of the ancient Church devoted much space to the symbolic. images borrowed from Scripture (especially from the OT and gospel *parables). Noah's dove symbolized the message of salvation, the lamb - Christ, the fish - the water of baptism (the word fish, ic (bj is also an abbreviation of the Greek words "Jesus Christ, God's Son, Savior"), the vine - the unity of the Church of Christ, fish and bread - the Eucharistic Meal, the Good Shepherd - the love of Christ. Sometimes ancient Christians also used pagan S. (for example, the image of Orpheus, interpreted as * a prototype of Christ taming evil forces) Despite the Old Testament prohibition of images, the art of late * Judaism also had its own pictorial symbolism. In particular, on the walls of ancient * synagogues, images of the menorah, the Ark and temple utensils are often found (see Art. Fine Arts and the Bible)

*A v e r i n c e in S.S., S., FES; *Bernfel'd S., Symbolism in Heb. literature, EE, v.14; Bishop * Gedeon Pokrovsky (Archaeology and symbolism of the Old Testament victims, Kaz., 1888; Golubinsky D.F., Analysis and refutation of the false opinion about the Kivot of the Testament, PTO, 1862, v.21; Debolsky G.S., Establishments of the Old Church and the Christian Church, for which the first served as models, St. Petersburg, 1898; Ivanov M., Language of the Bible, ZhMP, 1975, (8; e g e, Features of biblical terminology, ZhMP, 1975, (10; Losev in A.F., Sign, symbol, myth, M., 1982; F artusov V.D., Plans and facades of Noah's ark, the tabernacle of Moses, the first and second Jerusalem temples and Solomon's palace with drawings of their accessories, M., 1909; y P., Pillar and affirmation of the truth, M., 1908; e.g., From the theological heritage, BT, 1977, collection 17; Archpriest Schmeman A., Eucharist, Sacrament of the Kingdom, Paris , 1984; for foreign bibliography, see B o u r g u e t R. de, Early Christian Art, L., 1971; E l i a d e M., Images and Symbols, L., 1961; O n a s c h K., Liturgie und Kunst der Ostkirche, Halle, 1981; U l r i c h E., Lexikon christlicher Symbole, Innsbruck-W.-Munch., 1976; HTG, Bd.4, S.175; NCE, v.13, p.863.

7.3. Biblical symbolism

As for the symbolism, there are also quite a lot of nuances here, since the meaning of the symbols has been distorted over time, or even completely changed.

The most famous example is one of the main symbols of Christianity - the cross. Everyone knows that it appeared only in the fifth century AD, and before that, the symbol of Christ was the designation of a fish, understandable only to the initiated.

She was called I?khtis, from the Greek????? (i? hsis) - fish. This is an anagram of the phrase ??????? ??o? ????? ????? (Jesus Christ Se?u Is Soti?r) (Jesus Christ the Son of God Savior). The fish was also an ideal symbol from a biblical point of view, since Jesus fed the hungry with fish and many of his followers were ordinary fishermen.

When this symbol was replaced by the cross, at first it was not very common, but over time it settled in the life of every Christian. The cross is a designation of the crucifixion of Jesus for our sins, the Lord's forgiveness of people and purification.

An interesting fact is that initially Jesus on the cross was depicted alive and in clothes, sometimes rejoicing, but in the late Middle Ages he began to appear in a crown of thorns, agonizing or dead.

By the way, the cross is the most recognizable and widely used religious symbol in the world.

Many classic symbols during the early Christian period were taken from Hellenistic culture because they were understandable on an intuitive level to every person. For example, the phoenix meant rebirth, the rooster meant resurrection, the lion meant strength and power, the peacock meant immortality, and the olive branch meant peace. But along with them, there were symbols that are unique to Christianity and taken from the Bible, for example, the lily as a symbol of purity appeared thanks to the apocrypha, in which the Archangel Gabriel gives this flower to the Virgin Mary. A basket of bread and a vine were respected, which denote communion, the lamb - like Jesus Christ, the dove - a symbol of the Holy Spirit. These symbols are as popular today as they were many centuries ago.

This text is an introductory piece. From the book of the Old Testament. Lecture course. Part I author Sokolov Nikolai Kirillovich

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All Orthodox symbolism is the personification of the life of Christ the Savior: his crucifixion, resurrection, ascension.

Initially, the symbols were used as a secret script that helped Christians recognize each other during periods of hostile persecution.

Later, the images took on a deep philosophical meaning. Each sign has its own history of origin, its own meaning.

Why fish is a symbol of Christianity

Ichthys (fish) - an abbreviation that appeared when translating the expression "Jesus Christ God's Son the Savior" from Greek, by adding the first letters.

Near Jesus were many apostles - fishermen. He called them "catchers of men", and associated himself with Alpha and Omega (the beginning and end of all life). Depicting a fish, Christians preached their faith and recognized fellow believers.

According to some sources, the fish has become a symbol due to its easy availability.

What does the anchor represent

The sign appeared at the beginning of our era. In Greece, it was depicted on coins as a hope for a brighter future. AT Ancient Rome- personified the return home after a long journey.

The amulet with the image of a dolphin and an anchor was very famous: the dolphin is a sign of speed, the anchor is restraint.

Saints sign

The attributes of the saints were clothes, animals, various objects depicted side by side.

The holy martyrs were painted with the instrument of their torture or execution, or with animals that appeared to them in a dream.

Some saints in different paintings were depicted in different ways. This is explained by the fact that many stories and legends could go about one saint.

Trinity Christian symbol

Many people confuse the concepts of "Trinity" and "Three-faced". How are they different?

God is one, but has 3 persons: Father, Son, Holy Spirit. And the Holy Trinity is a single merger, where one smoothly turns into three, and three becomes one.

Previously, the symbol was a circle, inside of which there was a triangle. The same sides of the figure meant the trinity and eternal life. Sometimes the image was in the form of three hares, whose ears were connected in a triangle. The modern sign of the Trinity is an ornament woven into a circle.

Dove in Christianity

There is a story about how a dove flew to Noah during the Flood, holding an olive branch in its paws. Having announced God's mercy, the bird has become a symbol of peace and goodness.

Another legend says that evil spirits can dress in anyone except a dove. Therefore, it symbolizes purity and hope, truth and integrity.

Values:

a bird with an olive branch - a new life that has known Jesus Christ;
a flock of doves - believers;
white dove - a saved soul that has gone through the stages of purification;
a pair of doves - love and a strong family.

Early Christian symbols

Their number is not as small as it seems: an olive branch, a peacock, a ship, ears of bread, etc. Consider the most famous.

Cross "Vine"

This is an eight-pointed cross with the image of thin branches of grapes. Sometimes the Savior may be depicted in the center.

Grapes are the personification of wisdom and immortality. The ministers of the church are branches, and the clusters are a sign of Communion. Leaves and berries symbolize Christ's sacrifice for the sake of people. Such a cross will always be a reminder of God's love for everyone who believes in it.

bible symbols

The most common:

antichrist is the devil;
white clothes - the righteousness of Christ;
stay awake - keep the faith;
throwing dust to the sky - indignation;
crown - reward;
wind - war;
the gate is the place of judgment;
clay is a person;
holey wallet - vain acquisitions;
the star is an angel;
the serpent is Satan;
lion - strength;
flesh and blood - human understanding.

Symbol of Jesus Christ

The main symbol of Jesus Christ is the "cross". To atone for the sins of all mankind, Jesus sacrificed himself. The cross is the personification of the sacrificial victory over evil deeds.

Unbelievers believe that the worship of the cross is the worship of the instrument of execution. But believers know - this is a symbol of life, the salvation of mankind.

Icon painters often draw the Mother of God and John the Theologian near the cross. The skull at the foot is a sign of death. The image is filled with grace-filled power, honoring it, a person praises God.

Symbols of the apostles

Each apostle is depicted with a certain attribute.

For example, the apostle Peter is depicted with keys in his hands.

They were given by Jesus, they open the gates of the Kingdom of God.

The Apostle Paul is depicted with the instrument of his execution. Bartholomew, a preacher of Christianity, was martyred in one of the cities of Armenia - they flayed his skin, then crucified him. Attributes - own skin and a knife.

James the Elder is a disciple of Christ who lost his life in Jerusalem. Coming to his grave, pilgrims took shells with them. This meant that they had reached their destination. So they began to depict him with a staff, in a hat and with a shell.

Thomas - drawn with a spear, which was pierced. Judas holds a bag of money in his hands. He helped the poor, but he was greedy. He is depicted with a red beard - this is the color of cowardice and betrayal.