The punishment may seem harsh to us, but it is because of how much we concentrate on the small picture. While the Passover is one of the most powerful elements of the Law of Moses when it comes to symbolically teaching of Christ, it certainly was not alone. Therefore thus saith the Lord; Behold, I will cast thee from off the face of the earth: this year thou shalt die, because thou hast taught rebellion against the Lord. Even today Latter-day Saints readily draw on this symbolic action to speak of the passing of a calling from one individual to another. Through interaction, people learn symbols and meanings that allow them to think. There are many reasons God teaches with symbols. How would they have perceived the various elements of the story? God spoke through the prophets in the following three ways: 1) Mimed actions with no verbal communication or words of any kind. Fourth, the dramatized action represents something other than what is visible to onlookers or participants. The hairiness of bears may have even played a further role, again denoting that God was served by hair-wearing creatures. As with visual aids used in the classroom, the prophetic drama served to make the harsh message of judgmentâor the sacred prophecy concerning Christâs Atonementâboth easier to understand and more memorable. The question is if we are listening and if we have learned the language of symbolism so that we can understand the messages they are screaming out to us. Objects don’t have meaning on their own. Donald W. Parry is professor of Hebrew Bible at Brigham Young University. said unto him, Abrahamâ (Genesis 22:1), Symbolic action: Abraham prepares to sacrifice Isaac, Prophecy: Looks forward to the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ (Jacob 4:5), Revelation formula: âAnd the Lord spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, sayingâ (Exodus 7:8), Symbolic action: Aaron casts down his rod, and it becomes a serpent, Prophecy: Points to the regal power and priesthood authority of Jesus, Object or person used as a symbol: Tree and waters, Symbolic action: Moses throws a tree into waters of bitterness, Prophecy: The tree typifies and points forward to Jesus Christ, who is the Tree of Life, Revelation formula: âAnd the Lord said unto Mosesâ (Exodus 17:5), Object or person used as a symbol: Water, rock, and rod, Symbolic action: Moses smites a rock, and water gushes out, Prophecy: All three symbolsâwater, rock, and rodâpoint to Jesus, Revelation formula: âAnd the Lord said unto Mosesâ (Numbers 21:8), Object or person used as a symbol: Serpent of brass on a pole, Symbolic action: Moses lifts a brazen serpent in sight of Israel, Prophecy: The future lifting of Christ on the cross and the subsequent healing of believers (John 3:14â15; Helaman 8:14â15; Alma 33:19), Revelation formula: âAnd the Lord said unto Joshuaâ (Joshua 8:18), Symbolic action: Joshua stretches the spear toward Ai, Prophecy: Joshua and his army will conquer the city, Object or person used as a symbol: New garment, Symbolic action: Ahijah rips the new garment into twelve pieces and gives ten pieces to Jeroboam, Prophecy: Jeroboam will soon take possession of the ten tribes as king, Object or person used as a symbol: Mantle, Symbolic action: Elijah casts his mantle upon Elisha, Prophecy: Elisha will succeed Elijah as prophet and wear the prophetic mantle, Object or person used as a symbol: Bow and arrow, Symbolic action: Elisha and Joash shoot an arrow, Prophecy: Joash will receive deliverance from Syria, Revelation formula: âThe Lord said unto [Isaiah]â (Isaiah 8:1), Object or person used as a symbol: Mahershalalhashbaz, Symbolic action: Isaiah writes the name Mahershalalhashbaz upon a scroll, unites with his wife (theprophetess), and she bears a son, whom they name Mahershalalhashbaz, Prophecy: With Isaiah 7:14â16, prophesies of the birth of Jesus Christ, Revelation formula: âSpake the Lord by Isaiah the son of Amoz, sayingâ (Isaiah 20:2), Object or person used as a symbol: Isaiah, Symbolic action: Isaiah removes his clothes and walks naked like a slave, Prophecy: The Assyrians will take the Egyptians and Ethiopians captive and cause them to walk naked, Messenger/Revelation formula: âThus saith the Lord unto me . Today, most Latter-day Saints easily see how the lamb without blemish symbolized Christ. Symbolism can give a literary work more richness and color and can make the meaning of the work deeper. He further ties the Passover into the death of Christ by writing of hyssop being used to give Christ vinegar while he thirsted on the cross. 2. First, a prophet played a major role in the symbolic actions as prophecy. . Hananiah removed and broke a yoke that was upon the neck of Jeremiah, prophesying that God would break the yoke (bondage) of the kings who were subject to the governance of the king of Babylon. What lessons would not be taught without the actions you are reading of? and then makes several movements with the sword, moving it to the right and left and so on, Prophecy: In every direction that Ezekiel points and slashes with the sword, so will the Lord cause slaughter and destruction upon the people, Revelation formula: âThe word of the Lord came unto me again, sayingâ (Ezekiel 21:18), Object or person used as a symbol: Two roads, Symbolic action: Ezekiel marks out two roads and places a signpost where the two roads branch out, Prophecy: The king of Babylon will stand at the head of the two roads with his sword and choose through divination one of the two roads, Revelation formula: âAlso the word of the Lord came unto me, sayingâ (Ezekiel 24:15), Object or person used as a symbol: Wife of Ezekiel, Symbolic action: Ezekielâs wife dies, and he does not mourn for her, Prophecy: Just as Ezekiel does not mourn the loss of his wife, even so the children of Israel will not be permitted to mourn the loss of their spouses and children whom they will lose during wars and tribulations, Revelation formula: âThe word of the Lord came again unto me, sayingâ (Ezekiel 37:15), Object or person used as a symbol: Two sticks or two pieces of wood, Symbolic action: Ezekiel takes two sticks, writes upon them, and then joins them together in one hand, Prophecy: The Bible and the Book of Mormon will come forth together for the use of humanity; the two scriptures will result in the union of the twelve tribes of Israel with Jesus Christ as their king, Revelation formula: âThe beginning of the word of the Lord by Hosea. When we write letters and numbers, we’re using symbols for what we want to convey. Of course, the âpropheciesâ of neither âprophetâ were fulfilled. A judgment of God or divine retribution is the âprocess of Godâs meting out merited requitalâpunishment for evil or reward for good.â[5] For example, Isaiah was commanded by the Lord to âgo and loose the sackcloth from off thy loins, and put off thy shoe from thy footâ (Isaiah 20:2). Symbolic action can help us understand an important story that is typically powerful, and then either puzzling or repugnant to most Latter-day Saints. A big tree now means shade on a hot day with a potential for getting bit. No bones could be broken, as Christ would have no bones broken during his sacrifice. Elijah parted the Jordan River and passed to the other side along with Elisha. When we do, not only will the Old Testament teach us more powerfully, but so will our own ordinances, including the temple. It is evident, then, that Zechariahâs participation in the coronation of Joshua, the high priest, prophesied of the future coronation of Jesus Christ. In other words, this spirit animal meaning insists that you have the knowledge, wisdom, and wits to see everything through to its finish. God frequently had his prophets engage in symbolic action as a powerful form of prophesying. Other scriptural objects serve as symbols and representations: Jeremiahâs yoke signified bondage (see Jeremiah 27â28); Ezekielâs journey from home symbolized an exile of Israel (see Ezekiel 12:1â16); Hosea and his wife represented Jehovah and unfaithful Israel respectively (see Hosea 1; 3:1â5); Ezekielâs two sticks referred to the Bible and the Book of Mormon (see Ezekiel 37:15â28); Jeremiahâs book of evil represented the destruction that would come upon Babylon (see Jeremiah 51:58â64); and the serpent of brass pointed to Jesus Christ and His Atonement (see Numbers 21:6â9). In one instant God used a symbolic action that both taught Israel a needed lesson and moved these troubled youth to another phase of life where he would undoubtedly continue to work with them. Yet “God teaches with symbols; it is his favorite method of teaching.”, Shortly thereafter Elisha was accosted by several youth that mock him, calling him “baldy.”. The future action was the typological fulfillment of the first, original action. When someone from the ancient world encountered an inscription on a stone or temple most of them would not have been able to read it. Members of a modern Western mindset want things spelled out clearly and plainly. Bears, leprosy, plagues, and fissures in the earth are like intravenous needles inserted into the arm of a child: painful, but spiritually lifesaving. Language as Symbolic Action is divided into three parts: (1) Five Summarizing Essays (2) Particular Works and Authors and (3) Further Essays on Symbolism in General. to be a symbol of; stand for or represent in the manner of a symbol. For the sake of Israel God had to answer the challenge with a dramatic event that said something to all of Israel. Two false prophets,[4] Zedekiah and Hananiah, attempted to imitate the actions of the true prophets of God when they created dramatizations that did not originate with God. Read more about the color red. For John the image was so powerful that often it was the primary way he referred to the Savior. What would a symbolic silence have taught them, and what did the action teach them? He thought that every social action performed by an individual had a meaning … As he lifted up the brazen serpent in the wilderness on a pole, even so Jesus was lifted up on the cross. Examples of False Prophetsâ Nonverbal Prophecies, Messenger formula: âThus saith the Lordâ (1 Kings 22:11), Object or person used as a symbol: Iron horns, Symbolic action: Zedekiah makes iron horns, Prophecy: Prophesies (falsely) that kings Ahab and Jehoshaphat will conquer the Syrians, Messenger formula: âThus saith the Lordâ (Jeremiah 28:11), Symbolic action: Hananiah removes the yoke from the neck of Jeremiah and breaks it, Prophecy: Prophesies (falsely) that God will break the yoke of the kings from the captivity of King Nebuchadnezzer. Thus we should expect God to use symbolic actions as a way of teaching ancient Israel because it was a language they would look for and understand. The prophecy was probably fulfilled in 667 B.C. As a result, firms and their managers may favor symbolic rather than substantive practices (Suchman, 1995). When Elijah ascended to heaven, his prophetic successor Elisha accompanied him. The scripture begins with the formula âAnd the word of the Lord came unto me, sayingâ (Zechariah 6:9). historically transmitted pattern of meaning embodied in symbols, a system of inherited conceptions expressed in symbolic forms by means of which men [and women] communicate, perpetuate and develop their knowledge about and attitudes toward life The Rain (By William H. Davies) “I hear leaves drinking rain; I hear rich leaves on top. Alma tells us that high priests were ordained in a way that made it so we could understand more about Christ and his mission. Such was the case with Ezekiel, of whom the Lord explained, âFor I have set thee for a sign unto the house of Israelâ (Ezekiel 12:6). The Old Testament is full of a number of stories that seem strange to us because we are not attuned to symbolic action. Israel is created as a nation as they go through this re-enactment of the creation of the world: dry land appearing in the midst of the water. As Joshua succeeded Moses as the leader of Israel, he and all his people must have realized he had very big shoes to fill. When Nephi continually referred to the Messiah as the “Lamb of God” he was able to use only a few words to convey an entire story of deliverance and associate it with the Messiah. He drew a picture of Jerusalem upon a tile (see Ezekiel 4:1â3); lay on his left and right side (4:4â8); baked bread that contained dung (4:9â17); trembled as he ate and drank (12:17â20); sighed, groaned, and beat his breast (21:6â7); and made sweeping movements with a sword (21:8â17). The Lord interpreted these strange acts by drawing direct parallels between the three portions of Ezekielâs cut hair and the inhabitants of Jerusalem: âA third part of [the inhabitants of Jerusalem] shall die with the pestilence, and with famine shall they be consumed in the midst of thee; and a third part shall fall by the sword round about thee; and I will scatter a third part into all the windsâ (Ezekiel 5:12). The Savior, as they were partaking of a meal designed to help them remember the Passover Lamb, instead told them to remember him. One symbol can teach each person a different thing, allowing God to personalize his messages for each individual. The Passover itself was a potent symbolic action. Everything one does throughout their life is based and organized through cultural symbolism. On occasion, the prophet himself served as the symbol. One of the things about symbolic action is that as one becomes part of the message by acting it out, the message imbeds itself deeper, reaching an emotional commitment level that goes beyond that reached from just reading. It’s the most widely-used symbol in flowcharting. To God, death merely represents moving from one phase of our existence to another. When children are engaged in symbolic … The judgment upon the Egyptians and Ethiopians is but one of many prophecies connected with divine retribution. We don’t want hidden meanings and we want everyone to come away with the same understanding if they have read or seen the same thing. John the Baptist would also draw on this symbol of prophethood, wearing leather and hair similar to Elijah’s. This struggle is not cause for alarm or dismay about reading the Old Testament. Dramatized action can be much more shocking than the spoken wordâone prophet marries a harlot, and another one breaks a vessel while the public watchesâcausing the audience to pay great heed to the actions being performed. Symbolism is often used by writers to enhance their writing. Isaiahâs walking naked and barefoot was an unspoken prophecy, in the form of an action, that pointed to the time when the Egyptians and Ethiopians would be taken captive by the Assyrians, who would lead them away like slaves, without clothing or footgear. This symbolism was drawn on again during the days of Joshua. the city, . The basic notion of symbolic interactionism is that human action and interaction are understandable only through the exchange of meaningful communication or symbols. This mindset does not lend itself to seeing and understanding symbolism. If God did nothing, many Israelites would not have accepted Elisha as Elijah’s successor. And the word of the Lord came unto me the second time, sayingâ (Jeremiah 13:1, 3), Object or person used as a symbol: Linen girdle, Symbolic action: Jeremiah clothes himself with a linen girdle, removes the girdle, and then hides it in the hole of a rock, Prophecy: Just as the people of Judah were once whole like the linen girdle, so will they become marred and rotten like the girdle that was placed in the rock, Revelation formula: âThe word of the Lord came also unto me, sayingâ (Jeremiah 16:1), Object or person used as a symbol: Jeremiah, Symbolic action: Jeremiah was commanded to refrain from marrying and having children and from feasting in a joyous manner, Prophecy: Israel will be destroyed and not enjoy familial relations, and they, like Jeremiah, will be unable to mourn for the loss of family life, Revelation formula: âThe word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord, sayingâ (Jeremiah 18:1), Object or person used as a symbol: Potter and his clay, Symbolic action: In the presence of Jeremiah, the potter creates two separate vesselsâone marred and one pleasing in the eyes of the potter, Prophecy: God is the potter, and Israel is like clay in His hands. [7] Joshua, the high priest, has reference to Jesus, the âgreat high priestâ (Hebrews 4:14; see also 3:1). The Branch identified in the passage is Jesus (see Jeremiah 23:5â6; Isaiah 11:1â5; Zechariah 3:8â10). The bears served as a symbol of God’s protection of Elisha and thus became a symbolic action statement that God really had called Elisha. . The most powerful lessons of the Old Testament are usually carried in stories, stories that have deep symbolic meaning. The process is not difficult, it just requires time and willingness. Second, the prophetic symbolic action originated from God. Symbolic anthropology studies the way people understand their surroundings, as well as the actions and utterances of the other members of their society. Again, as ancient Israel looked up at the serpent and were healed of the poison of the fiery serpents and thereby retained physical life, âeven so as many as should look upon the Son of God with faith, having a contrite spirit, might live, even unto that life which is eternalâ (Helaman 8:15). Some have even seen the insult of “baldy” to be a refusal to accept the passing of the hairy mantle that symbolized Elijah’s prophethood. In a world so oriented towards symbolic action, insulting someone who was newly called as a prophet, even questioning his wisdom, would have been seen as a test as to whether or not God was with Elisha. Within this system of ordinances are numerous movements, gestures, and actions (for example, the laying on of the hands, burial in water, the anointing with consecrated oil) that coincide in an approximate manner with the sacral movements of religious individuals of the Old Testament. symbolic: [adjective] using, employing, or exhibiting a symbol. This would have been problematic not just for those mocking youth, it would have been tragic for all of Israel, for they would need to follow Elisha in the coming days. Table 1. “Coming to understand Israelite culture helps make some sense of them. The children represent different aspects of the Lordâs relationship with Israel, Revelation formula: âThen said the Lord unto meâ (Hosea 3:1), Object or person used as a symbol: Hosea and Gomer, Symbolic action: Hosea is once more commanded to demonstrate love to his wife, the adulteress, Prophecy: As Hosea once more shows love for his wife, so the Lord will once more show love to Israel, Revelation formula: âAnd the word of the Lord came unto me, sayingâ (Zechariah 6:9), Object or person used as a symbol: Gold and silver crowns, Symbolic action: Zechariah makes crowns of silver and gold and sets them upon Joshua the high priest and others, Prophecy: The coronation of the Branch, who is Jesus Christ, Table 2. Fifth, prophetic symbolic actions often required the participation of two or more individuals, or, if there were no actual participants, the symbolic action may have been conducted in the presence of an audience. Zechariah is commanded to âtake silver and gold, and make crowns, and set [one] upon the head of Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest; and speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, saying, Behold the man whose name is The Branch; and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of the Lord: even he shall build the temple of the Lord; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throneâ (Zechariah 6:11â13). One obvious purpose of prophetic drama is that dramatic acts serve to pique the interest of the participants in the action, the audience of the action, or subsequent generations who would learn of the action. Symbolic interactionism as a social theoretical framework starts from the presupposition that our social world is constructed through the mundane acts of everyday social interaction. Clearly God saw these situations from a perspective far above ours and acted accordingly. Finally, the individual daily actions, movement, and posture of each member of the Church prophesy in a real sense what will become of that individual in the eternities. In literature, symbolism can take many forms, including: 1. Excluding the symbolic interaction – the subjective meaning a human places on an action – whether to smoke or not has a simple answer: no. God spoke to them through symbolic action in a way that often puzzles us unless we realize that Israel read most actions as a kind of symbol. Every year Israel celebrated the Passover, being reminded again and again of God’s delivering power as they acted out each year the most important part of that deliverance, the part that reminded them of freedom from death and bondage. Parry, Donald W., âSymbolic Action as Prophecy in the Old Testamentâ in Sperry Symposium Classics: The Old Testament, ed. If we look at the big picture, the way we spoke of in the last column, it feels differently. However, in a society that sees things in terms of symbolic action, mocking a newly called prophet and getting away with it would be seen as a statement that the prophet was not called of God. Presumably those who made the covenant remembered most of what they had said and done. At the same time, most of them would have understood the basic purpose the inscription when it was accompanied by some kind of iconic drawing, which they usually were. In another example, Zechariahâs actions connected with the making of the crowns are replete with Christ-centered symbolism (see Zechariah 6:9â15). These symbolic actions are known as rituals. In most cases, the scriptural record sets forth in a straightforward manner that the prophets received direct revelation from God. A figure of speech where an object, person, or situation has another meaning other than its literal meaning 2. To us, death is a terrible ending, and thus the story of youth being killed seems like a senseless tragedy. The color of passion and energy. Before that, though, the first step is to understand how God used symbolic action in the Old Testament and why. . A symbolic action is an action that has no, or little, practical effect but symbolizes, or signals, what the actor wants or believes. Understanding that God helps bring His children home to Him through methods that will be most effective for them, regardless of how painful those methods may be, helps make more sense of them. Once a few basic tenets are understood, all we need to do is slow down enough to recognize the symbols and then take the time to unpack them and think through what they might mean. Other types of prophecy include single fulfillment (the prophecy has but one legitimate fulfillment or accomplishment), multiple fulfillment (the prophecy has more than one legitimate fulfillment or accomplishment), conditional (the prophecy is not absolute but contains a condition or stipulation), unconditional (no conditions are attached to the prophecy), and type (a symbol that looks forward in time and is attached to a typological meaning). For now, we will focus on the symbolism of the sacrificial lamb. . Red draws attention like no other color and radiates a strong and powerful energy that motivates us to take action. Symbolic play is a stepping stone to literacy and numeracy. Most Latter-day Saints find themselves in a world that is increasingly divorcing itself from symbolism. In any case, it is clear that these wild, hairy creatures served as symbols of God’s power and his ability and willingness to protect his servants. An instance of judgment that was prophesied against a nation occurred when Jeremiah wrote in a book of the destruction that would come upon Babylon. However, in a society that sees things in terms of symbolic action, mocking a newly called prophet and getting away with it would be seen as a statement that the prophet was not called of God. Yet the next generation was not going to be able to sit down and read the account of what their forefathers had done. Instead try the following three steps: 1) Stop, think about it, unpack the symbols. He developed social action theory, the purpose of which was to find out why individuals function in certain ways. In all of these situations God teaches us through symbolic action. So, for example, Ezekiel was asked to shave his hair and burn a third of it, stab a third of it, and scatter the other third in the wind. His action signified impending judgment against Babylon, pointing to the time when Babylon would be destroyed (see Jeremiah 51:58â64). It is colorful, vivid, and three-dimensional. For example, Moses and Joshua removed their shoes while standing upon holy ground (see Exodus 3:5; Joshua 5:15); Saul cut up two oxen and sent the pieces throughout Israel as a warning that individuals who failed to rally around the king would be similarly destroyed (see 1 Samuel 11:7); Solomon spread his hands toward heaven during the dedicatory prayer of the temple (see 1 Kings 8:22); Elijah divided the waters of the Jordan River by smiting them with his mantle (see 2 Kings 2:8); Elisha cast salt into a spring to heal its bitter waters (see 2 Kings 2:19â21); and Abraham took a heifer, a she-goat, and a ram and âdivided them in the midst, and laid each piece one against anotherâ (Genesis 15:10), after which he may have passed through the two parts (see Jeremiah 34:18).