🦁 Bible Encyclopedia

The first tree to blossom each spring — a sign of God’s watchfulness, and the budding of true authority.

The place of sacrifice where heaven and earth met — built wherever people drew near to God.

The tiny insect Proverbs holds up as a teacher of foresight, diligence, and self-discipline.

The gold-covered chest that held the covenant and marked the very presence of God among Israel.

The famed healing resin of Gilead — a symbol of remedy, and a haunting question about a wound unhealed.

A powerful and dangerous predator — an image of ferocity, danger, and brute imperial strength.

The stinging swarm and its sweet harvest — an image of both fierce enemies and the goodness of God’s word.

The colossal land beast of Job — a monument to the untameable power of the Creator’s works.

The thorny scrub of the wild — worthless fuel and false king, yet also the bush ablaze with God.

The huge bronze basin in Solomon’s temple — a great reservoir for the washing that worship required.

Twelve loaves set before God continually — Israel ever in his presence, and a hint of the true Bread.

The desert beast of burden and wealth — and the figure in Jesus’ sharpest sayings about riches.

The towering, fragrant timber tree — the gold standard of strength, height, and majesty.

The firepan for burning incense — instrument of intercession, and of presumption that brought judgment.

The foundational stone that aligns the whole building — the rejected stone become the head of the corner.

A circlet of honour — royalty and victory, set against the crown of thorns.

A Roman silver coin equal to a labourer's daily wage — the everyday money of the Gospels.

The humble, hardworking mount of common folk — and, surprisingly, of a king coming in peace.

A gentle bird signalling peace, purity, and the presence of the Holy Spirit.

A great bird of prey picturing strength, swiftness, and God's protective care.

The high priest’s sacred vestments — bearing the names of all Israel into the presence of God.

The smallest copper coins of daily life — pennies that frame both God’s care and the demand of justice.

A staple fruit tree and a living emblem of peace, prosperity, and the nation of Israel.

Daily food, the trade of the first disciples, and an early secret symbol of the faith.

The fragrant white resin burned in worship — a gift of pure devotion, and a gift fit for a king.

The creature of the second plague — a swarming nuisance turned into a sign of judgment and false spirits.

A common herd animal and sin offering — central to the Day of Atonement and the picture of judgment.

The proverbial finest gold of the ancient world — the standard of supreme value, set below the worth of wisdom.

The fast-growing vine God raised over Jonah — a lesson in misplaced comfort and divine compassion.

The animal of war and royal power — and a warning against trusting strength instead of God.

A humble aromatic herb used to apply blood and water in rites of cleansing.

Fragrant smoke rising before God — the Bible's enduring picture of prayer.

The sacrificial animal at the heart of Israel's worship — innocence, gentleness, and substitution.

The seven-branched golden lamp that gave light in the sanctuary — an emblem of God's light and his people.

The hidden agent that spreads through dough — a vivid double symbol of corruption and of growth.

The swift, spotted predator — an emblem of sudden speed, a fixed nature, and watchful judgment.

The dreadful sea-monster of Job and the Psalms — chaos and terror that God alone can master.

The wildflower Jesus pointed to as proof of God's lavish care and a cure for anxiety.

The apex predator of the ancient Near East — a symbol of royalty, power, and both menace and majesty.

The swarming insect that could darken the sky and strip a land bare — a picture of devastation and of judgment.

The mysterious bread from heaven that fed Israel daily in the wilderness for forty years.

The heavy grinding stone of daily bread — and an image of crushing judgment and final downfall.

The polished metal mirror of antiquity — a figure for partial sight now, and for self-examination.

The small destroyer of cloth — a quiet emblem of decay, frailty, and the worthlessness of hoarded wealth.

The tiny seed Jesus used to picture the surprising growth of the kingdom and the power of small faith.

The bitter, fragrant resin of anointing and burial — perfume of love and spice of the tomb.

Olive oil poured out to set people and things apart for God — a standing symbol of the Holy Spirit.

The long-lived source of oil for food, light, and anointing — a symbol of peace and of God's people.

The powerful work animal of the farm — strength harnessed for ploughing, threshing, and sacrifice.

The tall date palm of the oasis — a sign of flourishing righteousness, victory, and rejoicing.

Small boxes of Scripture bound to the body — a command to remember turned by some into a show of piety.

The silver coin a woman lost and searched for — Jesus’ picture of heaven’s joy over one sinner found.

The towering column that guided and guarded Israel — the visible, abiding presence of God on the journey.

The seed-filled fruit of abundance — adorning the priest’s robe and the temple as a sign of fruitfulness.

The clay shaped on the wheel — the Bible’s great image of God’s sovereign right over what he makes.

The unit of money in the parable of the pounds — equal trust given, and faithfulness rewarded with rule.

The migrating birds God sent as meat in the desert — provision granted, and provision abused.

The bow set in the clouds after the Flood — God’s covenant sign of mercy and a glimpse of his throne.

A black scavenging bird, unclean by law — yet an instrument of God’s surprising provision.

The frail marsh plant bending in the wind — an image of weakness, false support, and tender mercy.

The shepherd’s and ruler’s wooden staff — tool of guidance and defence, sign of authority and miracle.

Coarse cloth and ashes worn in grief and repentance — the body’s outward language of a broken heart.

A precious preservative and seasoning — a sign of covenant, purity, and faithful witness.

The ruler’s staff of authority — sign of kingship, of grace extended, and of the coming royal Messiah.

The venomous creature of the wilderness — a byword for hidden danger, painful harm, and spiritual evil.

The Bible's most charged animal — deceiver and destroyer, yet also an image of healing.

The defining livestock of the Bible lands and the Scripture's favourite picture of God's people.

The standard silver weight of Hebrew money — the temple tax, and the betrayal price of Christ.

The common little bird sold for next to nothing — Jesus’ proof of the Father’s care for the smallest life.

The weapon of war and justice — and the Bible’s image for the piercing, living word of God.

The broad, low-branched fig tree of the lowlands — humble fruit, and the tree a tax collector climbed.

The portable tent-sanctuary where God dwelt among Israel — a moving sign that he comes to live with his people.

The largest unit of money in the Bible — a staggering sum that gives Jesus' parables their punch.

The weed that mimics wheat until harvest — Jesus’ picture of good and evil growing together until the end.

The prickly weeds of cursed ground — a standing symbol of the curse, hindrance, and suffering.

The coin from the fish’s mouth — the temple tax paid by a miracle, and the question of who owes whom.

The ram's-horn trumpet that summoned, warned, and announced — a sound tied to God's decisive acts.

The mysterious means kept in the breastplate by which the high priest sought God’s guidance.

The heavy curtain barring the way into God’s presence — torn in two at the death of Christ.

The cultivated grapevine — a picture of joy, of Israel, and of union with Christ.

Life-giving and cleansing in a parched land — a rich symbol of purification, the Spirit, and salvation.

The great sea creature that swallowed Jonah — a sign of death, deliverance, and resurrection.

The chief grain of daily bread — and Jesus’ image of death that yields life and of the final harvest.

The smallest coin in circulation — and, in a poor widow's hand, the Bible's measure of true giving.

The cunning predator of the flock — the Bible’s standing image for false teachers and violent enemies.

The intensely bitter herb — Scripture’s byword for bitterness, sorrow, and the gall of judgment.

The wooden beam joining oxen to pull together — an image of servitude, partnership, and submission.