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What Does Water Represent In The Bible

Dreams About The Sound Of Water

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If you hear the sound of flowing water in your dreams, it is generally a good sign. It could be any sound for example, sink water, the sound of waves, a stream or a river. Even rainfall could be interpreted as a flowing water sound in dreams.

This dream is neither extremely positive nor an extremely negative. This dream means you are in a phase of deep thinking.

Perhaps, you are summarizing your decisions, actions and steps taken in life so far. You may also think about the future. The sound of flowing water symbolically represents your flowing thoughts. You feel relaxed, calm, but thoughtful.

This dream often occurs in people who have come to an end of something they were planning or working on, so they have to see if such things paid off and decide what to do next.

Dreams about the sound of flowing water are common in generally calm people, in moments of introspection and retrospection, as well as those related to future steps.

Water Is Symbolic Of Satisfaction And Prosperity

In the Bible, we find that water signifies such things as satisfaction and prosperity. The psalmist wrote.

May his reign be as refreshing as the springtime rainslike the showers that water the earth .

Since the rains were absolutely necessary for the survival of those people, they represented prosperity and satisfaction. Indeed, without the rains the people would have neither.

In the same manner, without the Spirit of God none of us can have spiritual satisfaction.

Isaiah the prophet records the Lord saying of how He will bring water to the barren places of the desert.

I will make rivers flow on barren heights, and springs within the valleys. I will turn the desert into pools of water, and the parched ground into springs .

This again testifies to the value of water. The Lord also said.

I am creating something new. There it is! Do you see it? I have put roads in deserts, streams in thirsty lands Isaiah 43:19 CEV).

Water is thus a fitting symbol for the person and work of the Holy Spirit. For only with Him, can one achieve satisfaction and prosperity in this life. Therefore from Scripture we find that water has a number of important symbolic meanings for the believer. Indeed, it is a wonderful symbol of the work of the Spirit of God in the lives of His people.

Symbol Of Eternal Damnation

At the end of age when the world we live in is destroyed and the judgement call is sounded, the Bible talks of sinners being thrown into the eternal fire. This is the destination of the evildoers, the angels of darkness, and the devil, their master.

This fire represents punishment and judgement, and it is eternal. That means it will continue burning forever and ever. In the book of Matthew 25:41, the Bible says:

Then he will say to those on his left, Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.

Revelation 19:20 talks of the lake of fire as the second death for the worshippers of the beast. It symbolizes punishment and eternal suffering.

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Seeing A Well Of Water

This passage is beautiful. Hagar was not blind, but God opened her eyes and He allowed her to see a well that she didnt see before. It was all by His grace. Its beautiful and joyous when our eyes are opened by the Spirit. Notice that the first thing that Hagar saw was a well of water. God opens our eyes to see the well of living water. With this water our souls are filled.

17. Genesis 21:19 Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water. So she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink.

The Pouring Of Water At The Feast Of Tabernacles

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At the Feast of Tabernacles, or Booths, the priest would pour water next to the altar as the final ritual of this feast. This event looked forward to the time the Messiah would come. Zechariah wrote of that great day when Messiah would come.

Then the survivors from all the nations that have attacked Jerusalem will go up year after year to worship the King, the LORD Almighty, and to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles .

Thus, the water symbolized the day of the Messiah, the Deliverer. We find this same truth taught in the New Testament. It is in this context, at the Festival of Tabernacles or Booths, that Jesus spoke of living water. We read of the following event in the life of Jesus.

On the last and most important day of the festival, Jesus stood up and shouted, If you are thirsty, come to me and drink! Have faith in me, and you will have life-giving water flowing from deep inside you, just as the Scriptures say. Jesus was talking about the Holy Spirit, who would be given to everyone that had faith in him. The Spirit had not yet been given to anyone, since Jesus had not yet been given his full glory .

Jesus claimed to be the fulfillment of the Messianic hope of the people. The Holy Spirit would be the evidence in the lives of believers that His claims were true. Out of their innermost being would come rivers or torrents of living or life-giving water. This was Jesus prediction of the coming of the Holy Spirit.

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Water Speaks To Us Of Spiritual Life

In Genesis 2 we read of the perfect conditions of the garden of Eden. This garden was watered by a river . Without water, the garden would have died, as plants, animals and humans cannot survive without water. It seems to me that this river is a beautiful picture of the life that Christ gives to His children through the Spirit of God. Consider the following verses that speak of this:

Exodus 17:6Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.See All… Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses do so in the sight of the elders of Israel.

Isaiah 12:2-3 Behold, God is my salvation I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song he also is become my salvation. Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.See All… Behold, God is my salvation I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song he also is become my salvation. Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.

Biblical Meaning Of Dreams About Water Interpretation And Meaning

Water gives life, but it also possesses unimaginably destructive power. It could breathe life into millions of living souls on Earth, but, in a matter of second, it could devastate the same life to the ground.

Water is, perhaps, the most valuable matter on our planet, the one with immeasurable biological, physical, material, spiritual and symbolic value.

In Biblical terms, it is the essence of life, as well, but also a powerful destroyer.

Water symbolism is vast and full of meanings. Just as many other words and terms, water is used as a metaphor in many of the Bibles verses. Of course, water is also mentioned in its original meaning.

The dry climate and lack of proper water sources in ancient Biblical lands were the main reason for great appreciation of water in cultures of the area.

Almost all life of Ancient Israel was dependant on rainfall. All ponds and wells, all sorts of natural and artificial water sources were a common symbol for life and existence.

Ancient people would, of course, store water for their needs, filling large basins, pools and tanks with precious water, but also everyone knew the true importance and beauty of living and moving fresh water rivers or lakes have always been considered precious and important for human life.

Not only water was used to plant crops, to cool down or to satisfy thirst and hunger, but also it has always been an important element of many rituals and both spiritual and religious practices.

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Water Speaks To Us Of The Word Of God

In Ephesians 5:26That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,See All…, concerning the church we read, “That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word.” The Psalmist in Psalm 119:9Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.See All… writes “Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.” Reading the Bible has a cleansing effect on the reader. Christians would do well to sit and read, study and meditate together on the word of God. In the Tabernacle in the Old Testament, we read in Exodus 30:18Thou shalt also make a laver of brass, and his foot also of brass, to wash withal: and thou shalt put it between the tabernacle of the congregation and the altar, and thou shalt put water therein.See All… that Moses was to make a laver of brass and put water in it. This was to be situated between the Tabernacle and the altar. The priests were to wash their hands and feet in this when they went into the Tabernacle “that they die not”. They needed to purified. The Lord was telling them that they constantly needed to have their feet cleaned. We see a picture of this in John 13. The Lord Jesus washes the disciples feet. They were already washed, but needed their feet washing.

The Subject Of The Gospel Of John

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To answer this question, we first need to see the subject of Johns Gospel.

Each of the four Gospels presents a different aspect of our Lord Jesus. Taken together, they form a complete biography. The New Testament Recovery Version provides the subject of every book, including those of the four Gospels:

  • Matthew: The Gospel of the KingdomProving That Jesus Christ is the King-Savior
  • Mark: The Gospel of GodProving that Jesus Christ is the Slave-Savior
  • Luke: The Gospel of the Forgiveness of SinsProving that Jesus Christ is the Man-Savior
  • John: The Gospel of LifeProving that Jesus Christ Is God the Savior Coming as Life to Propagate Himself

The emphasis of the Gospel of John is life. When we consider the details in Johns account of the Lords crucifixion, we have to keep that emphasis in mind.

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Symbols Describe Something Unfamiliar Special Or Even Dangerous

If you saw something youd never seen before and you didnt know what it was, how would you describe it to a friend? Youd probably compare it to something similar-looking that was familiar to your friend. Otherwise, explaining it literally would be ineffective.

There may also be a time you would want to describe a new concept to a friend, but you didnt want to give it away at the beginning. You knew theyd understand it better if they figured it out for themselves. This reasoning for symbolism is also common throughout fictional literature.

Living Water In The Bible

Living water is a phrase that can be found in different books throughout the Bible. We see it twice more during Old Testament times and then two new ones when Jesus comes along with his ministry, but there are four main instances of this words interesting use:

In the first instance we find living or flowing waters as mentioned by God to Moses at Mount Sinai . The text says specifically the Lord said unto him I will give you for a law.

One of the early examples of living water in the Bible comes from Jeremiah 2:13 where God says, My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.

Later in Jeremiah 17:13, Jeremiah says of God, Lord, you are the hope of Israel all who forsake you will be put to shame. Those who turn away from you will be written in the dust because they have forsaken the Lord, the spring of living water.

In these two passages, God is referred to as the spring of living water, who His people have abandoned to try and do things their own way by digging their own cisterns and turning away from Him. The passages show that God gives His people everything they need, like water, and that when they turn away from Him, they are lost and hopeless.

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Symbols Add Color Feeling Or Emphasis

For example, rather than just saying, Satan is evil, the devil is referred to as roaring lion who prowls around, looking for someone to devour. Hes also described as a dragon in Revelation.

These visuals create a more memorable, lasting effect. You might find yourself automatically applying traits of those creatures to the devilinsatiable hunger and violent disregard like a lion powerful and destructive like a dragon.

Symbolism Can Protect An Important Message

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In other cases, sometimes Bible authors had to find a way to widely share information that would have been difficult, dangerous, or even impossible for people to understand while in their current political situations. When explaining events, or prophecies of the future, these authors had to hide the message in symbolism, so people who wanted to understand it could, but otherssuch as oppressive political authoritiescould not.

One example of this is the book of Revelation.

The books author, John, was describing the astonishing visions of the future he received from God. The prophecies in this book connected his current time to the end of time: when Jesus Christ would return to Earth, stop the man-made madness, and take His believers with Him to heaven.

Revelation covers the power struggle of nations throughout history, and the effects of each of those paradigm shifts on the rest of the world. It shows how the forces of good and evil are constantly warring against each other all through the ages. Kings and kingdoms are represented by various animals that symbolized different traits, or by horns growing out of the heads of great beasts.

To further understand the purpose of these crazy, biblical symbols, imagine if a prolific author wrote something like that todaywithout using symbolism!

Can you imagine the chaos?

This was the case in Johns day, and symbolism served as a form of protection.

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Other Symbolism For Water In The Bible

In other passages of Scripture, the following are said to symbolize water:

Gods judgment

And I will make justice the line, and righteousness the plumb line and hail will sweep away the refuge of lies, and waters will overwhelm the shelter.Isaiah 28:17

Mans words

The words of a mans mouth are deep waters the fountain of wisdom is a bubbling brook. Proverbs 18:4

Mans purposes

The purpose in a mans heart is like deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it out. Proverbs 20:5

An adulterous woman

Stolen water is sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant. Proverbs 9:17

A persons posterity

Hear this, O house of Jacob, who are called by the name of Israel, and who came from the waters of Judah, who swear by the name of the LORD and confess the God of Israel, but not in truth or right. Isaiah 48:1

You may enjoy this brief video about water in the Bible by the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews.

Check out one of our recommended resources to learn more about water in the Bible:

What did you find most interesting about the symbolism of water in the Bible? Did you learn anything new? Id love to hear about it. Drop a comment below and let me know!

Because He Lives,

Water In The Bible As A Symbolism For Salvation Or Eternal Life

Isaiah talks about the wells of salvation.

With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. Isaiah 12:3

In revelation, Jesus says:

And he said to me, It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. Revelation 21:6

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Water As The Word Of God

The prophet Ezekiel in the Book of Ezekiel 36:25 says of God:

I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols.

In this and many other passages, water symbolizes the word of God because of its power to cleanse Christians from their guilt and sin.

In some verses of scripture, water has been mentioned with some mystery behind as in 1 John 5:7-9 where the Bible talks of the spirit, the water, and the blood. This is often interpreted as the tri-fold work of God in salvation.

Bible Verses About Water As A Symbol Of Life

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Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink.He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

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