Symbol, Symbolic, Symbolical, Symbolize, Symbolism!
Let us first
define what a Symbol is:
A symbol is something that represents something else
by association, resemblance, or convention, especially a material object used
to represent something invisible.
So a symbol is merely
something that represents something else, and that something else is the reality
of the symbol even if it is invisible.
Here are a few ground
rules regarding symbolism that must be mastered before anyone
makes an attempt for serious Bible study.
1. You have probably heard the
quotation by Saint
Augustine:
"The New Testament lies hidden in the Old Testament and the
Old Testament is revealed in the New Testament".
2. The New Testament is
hidden in the Old by a plethora of symbolism called typology.
3. Old Testament types (symbols) and even New
Testament symbolism always point to New Testament
realities as I will show soon.
4. An Old Testament
type never points to a New Testament symbol.
This is such
an important point, that I will reword it for emphasis. A symbol of the O.T.
never points to a N.T. symbol but always to the reality of what the symbol
represents.
5. A symbol of itself has no power to save. All power is reserved
for the much greater reality.
6. Here are some other terms, some of
which are in Holy Scripture, which are sometimes used as substitutions for
symbolism:
shadow, foreshadow, badge, emblem, figure, template, pattern,
token, foretoken, prefigurement, prefiguration, gesture, label, picture,
hint, sign, blueprint, image. As you can readily see, none are the reality of
what they represent.
We are made in the image of GOD (Genesis
1:26-27) but we are certainly not divine as is GOD.
Here are some
examples of symbolism versus reality...
*The Sabbath:
Colossians 2:16-17,
the Jewish Sabbath is but a shadow of good things to come. This is a
foreshadowing of the Christian Sunday worship. How much power does a shadow have
compared to what causes it to begin with?
Exodus 31:16-17, the Sabbath
is a sign or a token (the word used depends on the Bible) and
it is for the children of Israel.
*The Law:
Hebrews 10:1, the Law (the
first five books of the Old Testament) is but a shadow of good things
to come.
The "good things to come" is the New Covenant of Jesus Christ which
has obsoleted the Law, Hebrews 8:13.
*Animal sacrifice:
Hebrews 10:4,
the blood of oxen and goats cannot take away sins. Animal sacrifices were
symbolic of the New Testament reality of the Blood of Christ which could wash
away the sins of the world.
Ephesians 1:7, through the blood of His Son, we
are set free from our sins.
*The Holy Eucharist:
The manna in
the desert (the O.T. type) fed the body, but it could never feed
the soul, John 6:49.
The manna is the symbol for the Holy
Eucharist.
The only thing that could
feed the soul is the Body and Blood of Christ, the Holy Eucharist (the
N.T. reality), John
6:47-58.
Remember the basic rules of typology,
"An Old Testament type never points to a New Testament
symbol, but to its reality."
"A symbol of itself has no
power to save anyone. All power to save is reserved for the much greater
reality."
Now why do Protestants and Fundamentalists and other
non-Catholics bend and break the rules of typology by taking the whole
Bible literally except for chapter six of the Gospel of John for which they say
is symbolic? Doesn't it sound strange to you that all books of the
Bible are taken literally by them except for that one chapter in the Gospel
of John?
Isn't it reminiscent of Martin Luther who wanted to remove entire books
from the Bible simply because they were opposed to HIS teaching?
The answer
to why is simply
because none of them have a valid authorized priesthood which is able
to perform sacrifice as commanded by Holy Scripture that we must do
on a continuous daily basis. So, for them IT IS ONLY A
SYMBOL!
However, they have no right to say for the Catholic Holy
Eucharist, that it is only a symbolic gesture also.
For those
who deny the true presence in the Catholic Holy Eucharist, I must point out two
Bible references which fit all of the scoffers perfectly. I have
listed each of the two from different Bibles for
emphasis:
"But these people, like irrational animals born by
nature for capture and destruction, revile things that they do not
understand, and in their destruction they will also be destroyed,
suffering wrong as payment for wrongdoing.
2Peter
2:12-13
"These false teachers insult what they don't
understand. They are like animals, which are creatures of instinct that
are born to be caught and killed. So they will be destroyed like animals and
lose what their wrongdoing earned them. These false teachers are stains and
blemishes."
2Peter 2:12-13
"But these people revile what they
do not understand and are destroyed by what they know by nature like
irrational animals. Woe to them! They followed the way of Cain, abandoned
themselves to Balaam’s error for the sake of gain, and perished in the rebellion
of Korah."
Jude 1:10-11
"Whatever these people don't
understand, they insult. Like animals, which are creatures of instinct,
they use whatever they know to destroy themselves. How horrible it will be for
them! They have followed the path of Cain. They have rushed into Balaam's error
to make a profit. They have rebelled like Korah and destroyed themselves."
Jude 1:10-11
©
Written by
Bob Stanley, May 1,
2003
Updated October 17, 2004
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