The Following Tables Take Inventory of Many Major Symbols As They Are Explained in Standard

The following tables take inventory of many major symbols as they are explained in standard dictionaries and encyclopedias of symbolism and are further illustrated in this book. This chapter provides only brief summaries for the reader’s convenience. Detailed definitions of these symbols, along with examples of how they are commonly employed in scripture, are found in the preceding chapters of this book.

ANIMALS

Ass / Representative of noncovenant
Bull / Symbolic of royalty, kingship, and protection. A standard symbol for Jehovah and his dependability and strength.
Calf/Cow / Symbolized God in Greek, Hebrew, and Egyptian cultures.
Camel/Hare / Representative of immorality.
Chameleon / A symbol for deceptive people. Some ancient sources also associate chameleons with the sinful practice of gluttony. The weasel, mouse, tortoise, ferret, lizard, snail, and mole are all included in this symbolic category.
Clean animals / Figures of Christ and his followers. Clean animals represent people who pore over the words of God (i.e., “chew the cud”) until those truths become part of their very being. They represent people who are more surefooted (i.e., “cloven-hoofed”) because of their gospel grounding and thus are less likely to slip into transgressions. Included in this symbolic category is any animal that chews the cud and “parts the hoof”: oxen, sheep, lambs, and goats.
Cormorant / A type for people who succumb to insatiable and unquenchable desires, who are enslaved by passions.
Divided hoof / A symbol for having faith in God and steadily pursuing a course in accordance with the commandments and will of God. Also an image of distinguishing between right and wrong, with the view to choose the right and avoid the opposite.
Divided hoof without ruminating / A representation of people who are heretical because they profess a faith in God but do not meditate upon his words, whether ancient or modern.
Dog / A symbol for hypocrisy, representing men who repeatedly cycle through the pattern of feigned repentance and a return to past sins. Dogs in Semitic cultures were linked with evil forces and were often depicted as the devil’s companion or an enemy of God.
Donkey / In Egypt a symbol for the god of evil. In numerous Hebrew writings the donkey symbolized the devil, evil, harm, and noncovenant people.
Dove / A symbol of the Holy Ghost, peace, purity, purification, the house of Israel, and constancy.
Dragon/the Serpent / A multifaceted symbol of evil, chaos, darkness, heresy, adversity, and destruction. The Latin and Greek words for “snake” and “dragon” are interchangeable.
Eagle / Sometimes a positive symbol, occasionally even representative of God or Christ. In the Hebrew Bible, however, the eagle can represent people who prey upon the weakness of others to get personal gain. Such do not work for their maintenance but rely on other people’s efforts or misfortunes to provide for their needs. Ravens, owls, hawks, swans, pelicans, storks, and bats are all part of this symbolic category.
Fish with fins and scales / Potentially symbols for faithful Israel, rebirth, baptism, the invisible presence of Christ, self-control, and the hope of God.
Fish without fins and scales / Fins and scales keep fish from being swept away by strong currents. Fish so endowed symbolize self-control. Fish that do not have fins or scales tend to swim near the bottom and not with the school, thereby symbolizing people who do not “swim” with the mainstream of the Church but instead endeavor to chart a new path or explore the dark waters of immorality, unethical behavior, and the “mysteries.” Those who follow them risk a greater degree of temptation and a heightened potential for apostasy or deception.
Goat / In Judaeo-Christian tradition, goats are alternately sacred and accursed. Apart from their evil connotations (e.g., Satan, the damned, sinners, lust), they can symbolize Christ burdened with our sins.
Grasshopper / Represents Church members who have overcome or risen above this world and its telestial temptations, cravings, and lifestyle.
Hare/Camel / Carries well-established symbolic connotations of immorality, adultery, fornication, and so on. This category of symbolism includes camels.
Hawk / Symbolizes people who prey on the weakness of others to get personal gain. Such do not work for their maintenance but rely on other people’s work or misfortunes to provide for their needs. Eagles, ravens, owls, vultures, swans, pelicans, storks, and bats are all part of this symbolic category.
Hyena / A symbol for immorality.
Lamb / Representative of Christ and his followers; also gentleness, innocence, meekness, purity, humility, and the surrender of personal will.
Lamprey / Symbolic of members who take exception to the norms of the Church, who gravitate toward alternate paths, seedy places, and dark things. Anciently, this fish symbolized people who were altogether ungodly. See “Fish without fins or scales” above.
Locusts / Symbolic of members who take exception to the norms of the Church, who gravitate toward alternate paths, seedy places, and dark things. Anciently, this fish symbolized people who were altogether ungodly. See “Fish without fins or scales” above.
Owl / Denotes scavengers who seek gain via the work and misfortunes of others; associated with darkness, death, evil, ingratitude, desolation, and mourning. The ancients held owls to be an omen for evil and impending death. See “Vulture” below.
Ox / Represents members of Christ’s church, particularly when coupled with an ass; also denotes obedience, sacrifice, strength of character, and deity. Oxen served as a symbol for the Messiah under the Mosaic sacrificial system.
Pig/Swine / A symbol of those who call upon or remember their God only in times of need, but when their life is going well, they forget their Maker; also symbolic of the quintessential hypocrite and of greed, gluttony, and unbridled passions.
Rabbit / Represents immorality, adultery, fornication, and so on. This category of symbolism includes camels.
Ram / A representation of Christ, resurrection, protection, and sacrifice.
Raven / A scavenger bird symbolizing evil, mortification, corruption, sin, wandering, unrest, uncleanliness, carrion, impurity, destruction, deceit, and death. See “Vulture” below.
Rumination / To “chew the cud,” or ruminate, was a symbol in ancient societies for meditating day and night on the words of God and being adorned with good works.
Ruminating but not parting the hoof / A symbol for members of the Church who have the words of God but do not heed them.
Serpent
/Snake / Sometimes refers to the Messiah and resurrection but can also represent the devil, temptation, evil, and sin.
Sheep / A typification of Christ and his followers; symbolizes gentleness, innocence, meekness, purity, humility, and surrendering personal will.
Snail / A symbol of deceit, laziness, and sin.
Undivided hoof / A figure of those who struggle to distinguish between good and evil; for early Christians a symbol for not being well grounded in the gospel or pursuing a course leading back to God.
Vulture / Represents those who prey on the weakness of others to get personal gain. Such do not work for their maintenance but rely on other people’s efforts or misfortunes to provide for their needs. Ravens, eagles, owls, hawks, swans, pelicans, storks, and bats are part of this symbolic category.
Weasel / A symbol for people who are deceptive or misrepresentative.
Wolf / A representation of evil, the devil, craftiness, heresy, bloodthirstiness, or the dark side of one’s personality.

Body Parts

Arm / A symbol for power or strength, both human and divine. When folded, arms symbolize submission; when upraised, they connote prayer.
Blood / A multifaceted symbol for life, humanity, mortality, sin, impurity, sacrifice, and death.
Bosom/
Breast / A figure for favored status or the nonsexual intimacy of a relationship; also represents a place of security, protection, or nurturing.
Bowels / Symbolize compassion, feelings, or emotion; also occasionally associated with the loins and thus with reproduction or fertility.
Ear / A symbol for a person’s receptivity and obedience, what we choose to hearken to or obey.
Eye / A representation of light, knowledge, insight, and revelation; can also represent what we desire or long for. Multiple eyes symbolize omniscience or godliness.
Foot / A figure for how we live and what path we choose to follow. Feet also represent having power over someone (i.e., those under our feet are in subjection to us).
Forehead / A symbol for what we think about, love, or desire; secondarily a symbol for thoughts, which in antiquity were associated with the heart.
Hair / This symbol, although complex, was traditionally associated with life and health, both spiritual and physical.
Hand / A figure of our actions or pursuits. Clasped hands symbolized solidarity or covenantal relationship, while the placement of one’s hand on another’s was traditionally a symbol for the conferral or transfer of power or authority.
Head / A representation of that which governs the body. When crowned, it was a symbol for authority, royalty, or ruling power; also an emblem of the entirety of the person.
Heart / A symbol for the seat of knowledge, receipt of revelation, omniscience, true inner man, and so on.
Horn / A symbol for power or strength, both good and bad.
Knee / A representation of the state of one person in relation to another (e.g., bowed knees represent submission).
Loins / The primary symbol for offspring, reproductive powers, and omnipresence. A secondary meaning is preparedness.
Neck / An outward symbol of the state of our heart. When bowed, the neck is a symbol of humility, submission, or mourning. When stiff or erect, the neck is a symbol of pride, obstinacy, or disobedience.
Nose / A figurative representation of anger or temperament.
Shoulder / A symbol for labor, burdens, and responsibilities.
Throat / As related to our voice, the throat represented power and omnipotence, and more specifically priesthood power or the ability and right to command.
Wing / A symbol for a being’s power to move and to act.

Colors

Black / The traditional color of grief, sorrow, and mourning. Also carries overtones of foreboding, negativity, sin, evil, death, judgment, corruption, darkness, and destruction.
Blue / Most often a symbol of godliness, spirituality, and the heavenly nature of a thing.
Brass / A symbol of judgment.
Brown / In contrast with green, brown represents judgment, damnation, and death.
Gold / A representation of wealth, temporal power, and worldliness; also implies the celestial, divine, or godly nature of a thing.
Green / A standard symbol for life, including eternal life.A standard symbol for life, including eternal life.
Pale Green / An image of impending death.
Purple / Among the ancients, this color invoked images of wealth, power, royalty, and majesty.
Red/
Scarlet / Both colors represent a host of interrelated ideas, including sin, blood, atonement, war, violence, and death.
Silver / A symbol for redemption and moral purity.
White / Symbolizes purity, righteousness, holiness, innocence, victory, light, and revelation; also occasionally associated with happiness and the Spirit.

Clothing

Apron / A symbol with many applications, including fertility, reproduction, priesthood, and work.
Armor of God / A scriptural motif for the sources of protection that God has provided us and by which we can resist evil and ensure our exaltation.
Bows / A representation of the marriage covenant between man and wife and thus between God and his church.
Breastplate of
righteousness / A symbol for controlling our thoughts and desires.
Breeches / An emblem of the glory that God, Christ, and all celestial resurrected beings possess. According to the Apostle Paul, it is also a symbol for the flesh of Christ.
Cap/Crown/Hat / A figurative representation of authority, victory, wisdom, and power.
Coat of skins / See “Garments” below.
Footwear / See “Shoes/Sandals/Slippers” below.
Garments / An emblem of the glory that God, Christ, and all celestial resurrected beings possess. According to the Apostle Paul, it is also a symbol for the flesh of Christ.
Girdle of truth / A symbol for using truth to not be deceived by the temptations and traps associated with immodesty and immorality.
Helmet of salvation / A symbol of the importance of controlling and limiting what enters our body, heart, mind, and being. Figuratively, the helmet suggests that salvation will be had only if we protect our eyes, mind, ears, and mouth from things forbidden by God.
Robes / An image of priesthood power.
Sackcloth / Traditionally worn by mourners as a token of their grief, humiliation, repentance, or dismay.
Sashes / In certain periods, the wearing of a sash symbolized chastity, virginity, or faithfulness.
Shield of faith / A symbol of protection from spiritual death through our ability to deflect temptations and evil assaults through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Shoes/Sandals/
Slippers / Can represent enslavement and poverty when absent, and entrance into a hallowed place when removed (though the removal of shoes can also suggest a covenant in which one party gives up a place of residence in the hope of inheriting a better one). Having our feet shod “with the preparation of the gospel of peace” implies that the gospel is sound, trustworthy, and safe, giving those who rely on it a sure footing or stability in life.
Swaddling clothes / Symbolic of parental care and compassion, and also impending death.
Sword of the Spirit / A representation of the reality that the scriptures, covenants, and teachings of the living prophets, combined with the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost, will ensure our safe return from the spiritual battle that currently rages.
Veils / Three significant symbolic connotations of a veiled face are chastity, virtue, and modesty; submission, obedience, or commitment; and divinely recognized authority or power possessed by the veiled person.

Directions

East / Traditionally associated with the presence of God or his influence. To face east was to face God. To move eastward was to move toward him. An attack from the east symbolized receipt of the wrath of God.
North / Its literal meaning in Hebrew is “dark,” “hidden,” “gloomy,” and “left-handed” (i.e., “noncovenant”); thus it is a very negative symbol representative of apostasy.
South / In Hebrew it is associated with the covenant or covenant making because when we face east, south is at our right hand. In Greek, south is associated with that which is from heaven, such as heaven-sent refreshment or revelation.
West / A very negative symbol associated with sorrow, chaos, undesirability, evil, darkness, the kingdom of the devil, and death.

Numbers

1/3 or 1/3 Part / A symbol for the idea that bounds have been set and power is limited.
1 / A token of unity between the members of the Godhead, the Church, or any specified group. It can also symbolize God as the origin of all things.
2 / As a layered symbol, it implies opposition, separation, and good versus evil. In Hebrew it represents the life force, creative power, and the combination of male and female. Under the law of Moses, it related to the canonical necessity of two witnesses in order to sustain a charge against someone.
3 / A symbol of the Godhead and divine involvement, backing, or influence. For this reason, it is heavily associated with the atonement of Christ (e.g., Golgotha’s three crosses, three hours of darkness, three days in the tomb).
3 1/2 / Being half of seven, it symbolizes something that has been arrested midway in normal course.
4 / This number implies geographic fulness or totality, the earth, and the universality of divine acts.
5 / Evokes images of divine grace and man in a fallen or mortal state.
6 / A negative symbol conveying the idea of deficit, imperfection, or failure to attain completeness.
7 / The most common of all symbolic numbers, it represents fulness, completion, wholeness, spiritual perfection, and totality. In Egypt it symbolized eternal life.
8 / A symbol of resurrection, new beginnings, rebirth, baptism, and Christ.
9 / This symbol evokes images of judgment, finality, and completion (in a negative sense).
10 / Denotes “all of a part,” or a whole or complete unit existing within a greater whole.
11 / A rare symbol for sin, transgression, peril, conflict, disorder, imperfection, and disintegration.
12 / Representative of priesthood, including its power and right to govern.
13 / Rare in scripture, it foreshadows apostasy and is an evil omen.
24 / As with any multiple of twelve, it symbolizes fulness of priesthood or making one’s calling and election sure.
40 / Suggests a period of trial, testing, probation, or mourning.
42 / Carries the same connotation as 3 1/2 and 1,260: arrested midway in normal course.
144 / As with any multiple of twelve, it symbolizes fulness of the priesthood or making our calling and election sure.
666 / With six as the symbol of imperfection, the triple repetition of the number six is commonly seen as a “trinity of imperfection,” symbolic of Satan, the great and abominable church, and the anti-Christ—all imperfect and all setting themselves up as divine.
888 / Represents Christ.
1,000 / A symbol for completion. When associated with another number, it serves to magnify the symbolic meaning of the other number.
1,260 / Carries the same connotation as 3 1/2 and 42: arrested midway in normal course.
144,000 / As with any multiple of twelve, it symbolizes fulness of the priesthood or making one’s calling and election sure.

Other Symbols