12 of the Greatest Metaphors in the Bible

Discover the poetry God has woven into the fabric of earth

Jul 27, 2016

Man does not create metaphors — he merely discovers them. And there may be millions of metaphors yet undiscovered in this vast universe in which we live. Many of the greatest metaphors, however, have been revealed through special revelation. I will share twelve. Be sure to click each link to learn more about the reality and the representation.

Twelve of the Greatest Metaphors in the Bible.

The Breath of Life: Without breath, a person can live three minutes. The Bible uses breath as a metaphor for eternal life through the Holy Spirit. Read more about the Breath of Life.
The Shelter of Life: In harsh climes a person can live 3 hours without shelter. God's word reveals that Christ is our eternal shelter, and He clothes us with His righteousness. Read more about the The Shelter of Life.
The Water of Life: A normal person can live only three days without water. The Bible reveals that Jesus Himself is living water which would spring up into eternal life. He spoke of the Holy Spirit, which would be given at Pentecost. Read more about The Water of Life.
The Bread of Life: The average person can live about three weeks without food (bread). The Old Testament had its Manna, which nourished the body. But it only looked forward to Christ, the Bread of Heaven, that would nourish our souls for eternity. Believers sup upon Him in the Lord's Table. Learn more about The Bread of Life.
The Light of Life: If the sun were to stop giving its light, global temperatures would drop, plants would die, trees would vanish, and all life would cease to exist on earth. In light we see the reality of the world around us; we see truth. The Bible teaches that Jesus is the Light of the world, even the Sun of Righteousness. Read more about The Light of Life.
The Tree of Life: Trees provide life-giving nourishment, beauty, and shade. In the Garden, God planted a special tree. After man fell, God would not allow man to eat its fruit and live forever in their state of sin. But God promised a seed, who would be born of a virgin. This seed hung on a tree of anguish so He could be planted into the ground through death. Three days later, He raised up into the tree of life with leaves that would bring healing to all the nations. Read more about The Tree of Life.
The True Vine of Life: Grapes nourish the body and wine brings joy to the heart. Christ not only nourishes us so we can bear fruit, He is also the great joy-giver. Read more about The True Vine of Life.
The Oil of Life: The olive tree was once a primary source of oil for food and light. Oil represents gladness and abundant life. It is also a picture of the Holy Spirit in the parable of the virgins. Elsewhere, Jesus is revealed as the source of the oil. All men must be grafted into His olive tree in order to have eternal life. Learn more about The Oil of Life.
The Spice of Life: Spice provides flavor for bland food, healing for sick bodies, and fragrance for perfumes. Spice has a two-fold use in the Bible. It is represents holiness to the Lord and judgment of sin. To those who are perishing, Christ is the fragrance of death (judgment), and to those who believe, He is the fragrance of life (holiness). Read more about The Spice of Life.
The Rest of Life: After three days of no sleep, the average person begins to hallucinate. We need downtime to regenerate, recuperate, and revitalize the human flesh God has given us. The Bible teaches that Jesus in the true rest from all our labors. We can rest now by trusting Him with our daily cares, and we can rest eternally by trusting Him with our soul. Read more about The Rest of Life.
The Blood of Life: The Bible teaches that the life of the flesh is in the blood. And science shows that a severed artery can cause death in less than one minute. But there is a greater blood that was shed on our behalf, the blood of Christ. This blood restores us to the God who created us. Christ's blood gives life unto eternity through the forgiveness of sins. Learn more about The Blood of Life.
The Walk of Life: Walking is such a fundamental part of life that Dire Straits sang about it. We're born. We crawl. We walk. That is the natural state of life. The Bible teaches about another type of walk: the Christian walk. And there is only one who ever walked perfectly on this earth: Christ Jesus. Read more about The Walk of Life.