THE EMBLEMS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

Wednesday 25 June 2025

There are dazzling emblems of the Holy Spirit, and they serve as symbols of His eternal and transforming character. Those emblems are pictorial objects used to represent His personality. They exemplify His wondrous attributes which He makes manifest in the life of every Spirit-filled Christian. 

Reference: Isaiah 63:9 Berean Study Bible (BSB)

"And the angel of His presence saved them. He redeemed them because of his love and compassion; he lifted them up and carried them all the days of the past."

The Holy Spirit is the Angel of God's presence. He manifests the presence of our heavenly Father and makes it a reality in our individual lives. As a Person, He dwells in us, communicates with us, and works through us to keep fulfilling God's good pleasure.

According to Jesus, the Holy Spirit is "another Comforter," denoting that Jesus is the first (see John 14:16 AMP). He's been sent to dwell in us and walk alongside us, as another Comforter, Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, and Standby, and will remain with us forever.

As Christians, we need the manifest presence of the Holy Spirit in our daily lives, in order to live and sustain an effectual Christian living, as we function at home, work, market place, in our meetings and in our environments. More so, being aware of the emblems I have emphasized below will help us to identify envincing essence of His attributes in our personal lives. 

Some of the emblems that uphold His glorious Characteristics are: 

1). The Dove - 

The Bible says in Matthew 3:16, "And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him." Notice that He is not a dove, but He descended like a dove would normally do. The Bible only used the dove to indicate the beauty and gentleness of the Holy Spirit. In Matthew 10:16, Jesus mentioned about the innocence of doves and this emblem is associated with the benign character of the Holy Spirit, which is also synonymous with His helpful nature. 

2). The Seal - 

A seal is an emblem that indicates the security offered by the manifestation of the Spirit. A seal is usually used to join two things together so as to prevent them from coming apart. The Holy Spirit binds us together with our inheritance in Christ. To that effect, Ephesians 1:13 (NIV) reads, "And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit" (see also Ephesians 4:30; 2 Timothy 2:19 and Revelation 7:3-8).

3) The Oil -

The oil indicates the Spirit's anointing and the illumination of His teaching. Acts 10:38 (ESV) reads, "how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him" (see also Luke 4:18; 2 Corinthians 1:21; 1 John 2:27).

4) The Fire - 

The fire indicates His work of purification. To that effect, Revelation 4:5 says, "And out of the throne proceeded lightning and thunder and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God."  The seven lamps of fire are the emblem that represent His seven fold nature (see also Acts 2:3; Matthew 3:11; Hebrews 12:29).

5) The Wind -

The wind indicates the searching and flowing nature of His power. John 3:8 (NIV) says, "The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit." The Holy Spirit moves like a sweet, gentle breeze in our lives. He also came in like a rushing mighty gale, the very day the disciples were all filled by Him in a room (Acts 2:1-2 ESV). 

6) The Dew - 

The dew indicates the refreshing and fertilising grace of His presence. Isaiah 18:4 (NLT) reads, "For the LORD has told me this: “I will watch quietly from my dwelling place- as quietly as the heat rises on a summer day, or as the morning dew forms during the harvest." (see also Psalm 133:3). 

7) The Water - 

The water indicates His sufficiency and unlimited supply (see John 4:14; 7:37-38). Jesus said that if we come to him and drink, he will satisfy this spiritual thirst through the Holy Spirit in us (John 7:37). This suggests that the Holy Spirit satisfies our spiritual thirst because deep down inside us, the Holy Spirit constantly flows like a "river of living water". These are few emblems that denote His depiction of flow in our lives. They also define the beauteous efficacy of His favour upon us, as we constantly yield to Him. 

Scripture Reading - Psalm 16:11; John 14:17; Romans 8:2; Hebrews 10:29.

Guided Prayer: 

Gracious heavenly Father and God, I honour you today on account of my appreciation and recognition of the gift and impact of your Spirit in my life. As I daily subject myself to be filled with your Holy Spirit, I'm strategically positioned and empowered to distribute His streams of living water that bring life and enduring transformation to everyone I encounter in my world, in Jesus' Name, Amen!