Study the Bible by Topic
SYMBOLS and SYMBOLISM
COLORS (SYMBOLISM OF)

• GENERAL REFERENCES

  • Trees of life and knowledge
    Genesis 2:9, 17; 3:3, 24; Revelation 22:2

  • Rainbow
    Genesis 9:12, 13

  • Circumcision, of the covenant of Abraham
    Genesis 17:11; Romans 4:11

  • Passover, of the sparing of the firstborn, and of the atonement made by Christ
    Exodus 12:3-28; 1Corinthians 5:7

  • Of the divine presence, the pillar of cloud
    Exodus 13:21, 22; 14:19, 20; 19:9, 16

  • Thunder on Mount Sinai
    Exodus 19:9, 16

  • Darkness, of God's inscrutability
    Exodus 20:21; Leviticus 16:2; 1Kings 8:12; Psalm 18:11; 97:2; Hebrews 12:18, 19

• GENERAL REFERENCES

  • The rock that was struck, of Christ
    Exodus 17:6; 1Corinthians 10:4

  • The sprinkled blood, of the covenant
    Exodus 24:8

  • Wine, of the atoning blood
    Matthew 26:27-29; Luke 22:17, Mark 14:23-25; 18, 20

  • The bronze serpent, of Christ
    Numbers 21:8, 9; John 3:14

  • Sacrificial animals
    Genesis 15:8-11; John 1:29, 36

  • Waving the wave offering and lifting up the heave offering
    Exodus 29:24-28; Leviticus 8:27-29; 9:21

  • The whole system of Mosaic rites
    Hebrews 9:9, 10, 18-23

  • Tabernacle
    Psalm 15:1; Ezekiel 37:27; 9:1-12, Hebrews 8:2, 5; 23, 24

  • Sanctuary
    Psalm 20:2

  • Canaan, of the spiritual rest
    Hebrews 3:11, 12; 4:5

  • Salt
    Numbers 18:19, Colossians 4:6

  • Offering water to drink
    Genesis 24:13-15, 42-44

  • Lapping water
    Judges 7:4-8

  • Invitation to approach
    1Samuel 14:8-12

  • The bow shot by Jonathan
    1Samuel 20:21-37

  • The bow shot by Joash
    2Kings 13:15-19

  • Men meeting Saul
    1Samuel 10:2-7

  • Rain and thunder
    1Samuel 12:16-18

  • The torn altar
    1Kings 13:3, 5

  • The tearing of the curtain in the temple
    Matthew 27:51; Mark 1:38; Luke 23:45

  • Wounding
    1Kings 20:35-40

  • Praying toward the temple
    1Kings 8:29; Daniel 6:10

  • Harvest
    2Kings 19:29

  • Isaiah's children
    Isaiah 8:18

  • Nakedness
    Isaiah 20:2-4

  • Almond rod
    Jeremiah 1:11

  • Sticks and staves
    Zechariah 11:7, 10, Ezekiel 37:16, 17; 11, 14

  • Food
    2Kings 19:29; Isaiah 37:30

  • Shadow on Ahaz's sundial
    2Kings 20:8-11; Isaiah 38:7, 8

  • Cooking
    Jeremiah 1:13; Ezekiel 4:9-15; 24:3-5

  • Belt
    Jeremiah 13:1-7; Acts 21:11

  • Bottles
    Jeremiah 13:12, 19:1-2, 10

  • Breaking of a potter's vessel
    Jeremiah 19

  • Good and bad figs
    Jeremiah 24

  • Basket of fruit
    Jeremiah 24:1-3; Amos 8:1, 2

  • Wine
    Jeremiah 25:15-17; Matthew 26:27; Mark 14:23; Luke 22:17

  • Yokes
    Jeremiah 27:2, 3; 28:10

  • Jeremiah's deeds of land
    Jeremiah 32:1-16

  • The book thrown into the Euphrates River
    Jeremiah 51:63

  • Being mute
    Ezekiel 3:26, 27; 24:27; 29:21; 33:22; Luke 1:20-22, 62-64

  • A siege
    Ezekiel 4:1-3

  • Posture
    Ezekiel 4:4-8

  • Unclean food
    Ezekiel 4:9-17

  • Ezekiel's beard
    Ezekiel 5:1-4

  • Change of domicile
    Ezekiel 12:3-11

  • Eating bread with alertness
    Ezekiel 12:17-20

  • Eating and drinking in fear
    Ezekiel 12:18

  • Vine
    Ezekiel 15:2; 19:10-14

  • Death
    Ezekiel 24:16-19

  • A boiling pot
    Ezekiel 24:1-5

  • Mourning forbidden
    Ezekiel 24:15-18

  • Two sticks
    Ezekiel 37:15-28

  • Handwriting on the wall
    Daniel 5:5, 6, 16-28

  • Plumb line
    Amos 7:7, 8

  • Marrying a whore
    Hosea 1:2-9; 3:1-4

  • Roll
    Zechariah 5:2-4

  • Ephah
    Zechariah 5:6-11

  • Jonah
    Matthew 16:4; Luke 11:29, 30

  • The star in the east
    Matthew 2:2

  • Bread
    Matthew 26:26; Mark 14:22; Luke 22:19

  • Childhood
    Matthew 18:3; Mark 10:14, 15; Luke 18:16, 17

  • Manna
    John 6:31-58
    
    

• OF THE HOLY SPIRIT:

  • WATER:

    • General References
      John 3:5; 7:38, 39

    • Cleansing by
      Ezekiel 16:9; 36:25; Ephesians 5:26; Hebrews 10:22

    • Vivifying
      Psalm 1:3; Isaiah 27:3, 6; 44:3, 4; 58:11

  • FIRE:

    • General references
      Matthew 3:11

    • Purifying
      Isaiah 4:4; Malachi 3:2, 3

    • Illuminating
      Exodus 13:21; Psalm 78:14

    • Searching
      Zephaniah 1:12; with 1Corinthians 2:10

  • WIND:

    • General references
      Songs 4:16

    • Incomprehensible
      John 3:8; 1Corinthians 12:11

    • Powerful
      1Kings 19:11; with Acts 2:2

    • Sensible in its effects
      John 3:8

    • Reviving
      Ezekiel 37:9, 10, 14

  • OIL:

    • General references
      Psalm 45:7

    • Healing
      Isaiah 1:6; Luke 10:34; Revelation 18:13

    • Comforting
      Isaiah 61:3; Hebrews 1:9

    • Illuminating
      Zechariah 4:2, 3, 11-13; Matthew 25:3, 4; 1John 2:20, 27

    • Consecrating
      Exodus 29:7; 30:30; Isaiah 61:1

  • RAIN AND DEW:

    • General references
      Psalm 72:6

    • Fertilizing
      Ezekiel 34:26, 27; Hosea 6:3; 10:12; 14:5

    • Refreshing
      Psalm 68:9; Isaiah 18:4

    • Abundant
      Psalm 133:3

    • Imperceptible
      2Samuel 17:12; with Mark 4:26-28

  • A dove
    Matthew 3:16

  • A VOICE:

    • General references
      Isaiah 6:8

    • Speaking
      Matthew 10:20

    • Guiding
      Isaiah 30:21; with John 16:13

    • Warning
      Hebrews 3:7-11

  • A SEAL:

    • General references
      Revelation 7:2

    • Impressing
      Job 38:14; with 2Corinthians 3:18

    • Earnest
      Ephesians 1:13, 14; 4:30; 2Corinthians 1:22

  • Cloven tongues
    Acts 2:3, 6, 11

• Ablutions, a symbol of purity

  • See ABLUTIONS , PURIFICATIONS
    
    

• COLORS, SYMBOLISM OF:

  • Black, a symbol of affliction and calamity
    Job 3:5; 10:20-22; 30:26; Psalm 107:10, 11; 143:3; Isaiah 5:30; 8:22; 9:19; 24:11; 50:3; Joel 2:6, 10; 3:14, 15; Amos 5:8; Nahum 2:10; Zephaniah 1:14, 15; Matthew 8:12; 22:13; 25:30; 2Peter 2:4; Jude 1:13; Revelation 16:10

  • Blue:

    • A symbol of deity
      Exodus 24:10; 25:3, 4; 26:1; 28:28, 37; 38:18; 39:1-5, 21, 24, 29, 31; Numbers 4:5-12; 15:38-40; 2Chronicles 2:7, 14; 3:14; Jeremiah 10:9; Ezekiel 1:26; 10:1

    • A symbol of royalty
      Esther 8:15; Ezekiel 23:6

  • Crimson, red, purple and scarlet:

    • Used in the symbolisms of the tabernacle furnishing and priestly vestments and functions, as types and shadows of the atonement
      Exodus 25:3-5; 36:8, 19, 31, 36; 35, 37; 27:16; 28:4-8, 15, 35:5-7, 23, 31, 33; 25, 35; 39:2, 3, 38:18, 23; 5, 29; Leviticus 14:4, 6, 49, Numbers 4:7, 51, 52; 19:2, 8, 13; 5, 6; Isaiah 63:1-3; Hebrews 9:19-23

    • Symbols of various ideas:

      • Of iniquity
        Isaiah 1:18; Revelation 17:3, 4; 18:12, 16

      • Of royalty
        Daniel 5:7, Judges 8:26; 16, 29; Matthew 27:28

      • Of prosperity
        2Samuel 1:24; Proverbs 31:21; Lamentations 4:5

      • Of conquest
        Nahum 2:3; Revelation 12:3

  • White, a symbol of holiness:

    • The high priest's holy garments were made of white linen
      Leviticus 16:4, 32

    • Choir singers were arrayed in white
      2Chronicles 5:12

    • Scriptures employing the symbol
      Psalm 51:7; Ecclesiastes 9:8; Isaiah 1:18; Daniel 7:9; 11:35; 12:10; Matthew 17:1, 2; 28:2, 3; Mark 9:3; Revelation 1:13, 14; 3:4, 2:17; 5, 18; 4:4; 6:2, 11; 7:9, 13, 14; 19:8, 15:6; 11, 14; 20:11

  • See also ALLEGORY, INSTRUCTION BY SYMBOLS, INSTRUCTION OF CHILDREN, INSTRUCTION IN RELIGION