Christian symbols old and new

[JohnClay]

This is a site I've been working on:
The LineNum Source
It involves various symbols including Christian ones

I was wondering what Christians thought of the symbols

Also if there are grammatical problems

 

[crossnote]

This is a site I've been working on:
The LineNum Source
It involves various symbols including Christian ones

I was wondering what Christians thought of the symbols

Also if there are grammatical problems

Yes there should be an exclamation mark after the red cross lol.

 

[Josheb]

I don't think much about images like those posted at all. Historically both Judaism and Christianity have usurped and assimilated various symbols from diverse and otherwise theologically disparate cultures. I liken it to the idea we're worshiping Zeus or some other God at the winter solstice because Jesus wasn't born on December 25th. He probably wasn't but that doesn't mean we can take that day as our own and honor God's son instead of some fictitious pagan deity. I don't know any Christian who is worshiping Zeus and not Jesus at Christmas. I don't know anyone who puts undue importance on symbolic images or is doing anything spiritually untoward with them besides maybe flipping other drivers off while you've got an ichtus on your car bumper and thereby providing a poor witness .

I do think the website inappropriately mixes new age symbols with those associated with Christianity and gets the Christian symbols incorrect. For most what the site lists as a "tree of life" is to most Christians a mockery of the cross called the broken cross. I did a cursory search of symbols and icons and found only two examples (out of hundreds) that contained the image included at the website. The iconography of "living water" invariably includes the symbol of the cross and possibly flames of of the Spirit but that site includes neither. It appears non-Christian at best and sacrilegious by its absence at worst. Christians aren't typically big on creation "energies;" we worship the Creator, not the created. And I'm not sure what geometry has to do with any of it.

I also wonder if you've checked the forum's rules governing self-promotion. I suspect there are limitations on the ability to sell t-shirts her in CF. Pretty models, though.

 

[JohnClay]

About the tree of life symbol - it is similar to a fractal tree. Also it is green and I said some of the symbols are new. I'll reply more later.

 

[jahel]

I think Jesus was born on April fool’s day. As the lamb that was slain that is about the time a young lamb would have been at the time of His death.
According to Exodus 12:5 is the animal required to be

• less than one year old (but at least 8 days old),
• at least one year old (mature/adult),
• or a year old (older than zero, less than two, aka a "yearling")?

Exodus 12:5 Your [?] shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats.

Likewise you shall do with your oxen and your sheep. It shall be with its mother seven days; on the eighth day you shall give it to Me. -Exodus 22:30

When a bull or a sheep or a goat is born, it shall be seven days with its mother; and from the eighth day and thereafter it shall be accepted as an offering made by fire to the Lord. -Leviticus 22:27 (NKJV)

Therefore the sheep or goat for the Passover could not be younger than 8 days and not older than 1 year in age. As such, an animal 1 year and a day old would not be acceptable as it would no longer be "of the first year" but instead of its second year.​

But this movie does have some interesting perspectives (great movie on it’s own)

 

[JohnClay]

....I do think the website inappropriately mixes new age symbols with those associated with Christianity

What new age symbols? The green tree is very different from the upside down cross in the encircled peace sign

and gets the Christian symbols incorrect...

I invented some and they have a consistent number of lines and colours. More later

 

[Mathetes66]

Thanks for sharing your symbols and artwork, John! The four symbols you showed on your first post can be considered Christian symbols, the first being the symbol of eternity or the Triune God. The second one, a cross is obvious. The third one is often a symbol used in chat programs that represents a person raising their hands in praise to God. The fourth is obvious as a Christian symbol to represent the Holy Spirit coming down visibly out of heaven and resting on the Lord Jesus Christ at His water baptism by John the Baptist.

This is another symbol of Christianity that Christians used in times of persecution & identified them as a Christian to other Christians. You might try doing this one in a unique way. Icthys is the Greek word for fish & each letter stood for what it shows above: Jesus Christ God Son Savior.

Another one is the Alpha Omega symbols, the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet & symbolizing that God is the first and the last, the beginning and the end, the living eternal God.

The IX Monogram consists of the Greek letters iota (I) and chi (X). Iota is the first letter of the Greek word for “Jesus,” and chi is the first letter of the Greek word for “Christ.” Put together, they function as a shorthand for “Jesus Christ.”

The IH Monogram consists of the Greek letters iota (I) and eta (H), which are the first two letters of the word “Jesus” in Greek, and as such was a common shorthand for “Jesus.”

Hope that gives you some ideas on Christian symbols and how to uniquely represent them. Keep up the good work.

 

[JohnClay]

I'm on my phone and will reply more later

About the symbols being new age: the triangle isn't the same: in the 4 elements the triangle is upright or upside down, not on its side.

 

[Chesterton]

The anchor was also a secret symbol during times of persecution.

Hebrews 6:18-19

 

[JohnClay]

@Mathetes66:

Btw that fish symbol also has 2 lines and would involve red blood

 

[JohnClay]

....I do think the website inappropriately mixes new age symbols

I've updated the website to include "We had a fresh look at the four elements and seven chakras and scrapped them". (not sure if that has correct grammar)
I don't think any of the symbols or colors are related to new age symbols. Originally one of the symbols was an upright triangle though, which is the "fire" element.

with those associated with Christianity and gets the Christian symbols incorrect

In order to have the correct number of lines I had to cut some corners sometimes. (which was quite difficult to draw a dove with only 5 smooth lines)

For most what the site lists as a "tree of life" is to most Christians a mockery of the cross called the broken cross.

The symbol you are talking about involves an upside-down broken cross with a circle around it and I don't think it is Biblical. My green colored symbol is similar to this:

It involves a fractal pattern - a modern concept.

Here is a more common version of a fractal tree pattern but I didn't like it as much even though it also involved 3 lines

I did a cursory search of symbols and icons and found only two examples (out of hundreds) that contained the image included at the website.

The "LineNum" symbols are a fresh look at things - i.e. some might be new.

The iconography of "living water" invariably includes the symbol of the cross and possibly flames of of the Spirit but that site includes neither.

I'm basing this on the Bible not on other people's interpretations. When the "living water" is mentioned it doesn't closely refer to the cross. I guess on the internet when people have a "living water" symbol on its own it needs to remind people that it is Christian. But my 5 Christian symbols have a Christian context. Also to be internally consistent I could only use 4 lines for the water symbol. And it would be a bit weird to have another cross in the water symbol.

It appears non-Christian at best

The symbol titles are:
Triune God
Slain Lamb
Tree of Life
Living Water
Holy Spirit
So you're saying that it can't possibly be Christian?

and sacrilegious by its absence at worst. Christians aren't typically big on creation "energies;"

Thanks for the feedback - I revised the site and put "energies" in quotes, etc.

we worship the Creator, not the created.

Yes... BTW I was going to point out that there is a connection between the one line symbol ("yellow sun energy") and the "Triune God" symbol - it is bright like the sun. I was considering calling it "golden light energy".

And I'm not sure what geometry has to do with any of it.

It is an objective connection between numbers and symbols (based on the number of lines). On the other hand Hebrew letters have an arbitrary connection between letters and numbers (gematria)
Significance of numbers in Judaism - Wikipedia

 

[JohnClay]

@Mathetes66:
BTW another 1 line symbol that is related to God is the infinity symbol.

 

[JohnClay]

BTW when I came up with most of this yesterday I had started wearing this T-shirt: (and wore it today too)
Be Still and Know Adult T-Shirt ™
"Be still and know that he is God"
I originally got that (and one about an eagle and another about the lion of Judah) when I was in the mental ward at the start of the year. I like how it says "He is God" rather than "I am God"

Since I had 6 ECT treatments I had been a lot worse cognitively, and lately it has been really bad... sometimes I was barely aware of my surroundings and had trouble walking around the shops. Two mornings ago I told my super-liberal priest friend, who is the most liberal Christian I know... she asked if I prayed and I said that I hadn't prayed for a long time (though on second thoughts I did pray when people asked me to). The priest said to say "Renew my mind in Christ". Maybe that has helped me think about these Christian symbols. I think I'm lost and think Jesus probably died for me. I just don't believe much of the Bible is factual.

 

[JohnClay]

....Hope that gives you some ideas on Christian symbols and how to uniquely represent them. Keep up the good work.

I'm trying to come up with highly meaningful objective symbols. The I + X symbol only works with a particular language. Same with the I + H. The fish symbol (the 2 lines, not the letters) is good because it is pictorial. BTW the I + X has 3 lines and I + H has 4 lines.

 

[Dave-W]

Here is a modern artwork of a very ancient symbol:

ancient examples:

 

[JohnClay]

Here is a modern artwork of a very ancient symbol:

.......

ancient examples:

It seems to be called something like "The Messianic Seal of the Church of Jerusalem".

If the fish has no eye I'd say that it involves 10 lines because the fish lines are part of the star of David. - or 12 lines if the fish lines are separate.

 

[JohnClay]

....But this movie does have some interesting perspectives (great movie on it’s own)

Hi I've seen it and have a copy of it around somewhere. I'm going to watch it again but I think my comments might be pretty critical.

 

[JohnClay]

I'm quite convinced I've been guided by an intelligent force - hopefully a good one, not a demonic deceptive force.

For the new Christian symbols they match up with the previously thought up "energies" (and line numbers) 5 out of 5 times. Note that I've updated the site to point out that I don't believe these "energies" are literal mystical forces in the universe. BTW before yesterday I had only thought up the symbols for 1 and 2. (the non-cornered trinity symbol, and the cross).

Today I also realised that the first two basic shapes are "noughts and crosses"!

Another syncronicity:
I saw that this guy (shown with my T-shirt design) had the same triangle tattoo that is in my symbols... then in his second video I saw that he also has a cross tattoo on his wrist....

So 2 out of 2 tattoos are very meaningful.

 

[JohnClay]

Here is the incredibly complex Tree of Life symbol in Jewish mysticism that my site talks about:

Some Christians think it is very useful but after I looked into the translations I came to think it is complete nonsense. (but some of my target audience might be fans of it)

 

[Dave-W]

Here is the incredibly complex Tree of Life symbol in Jewish mysticism that my site talks about:

Some Christians think it is very useful but after I looked into the translations I came to think it is complete nonsense. (but some of my target audience might be fans of it)

Not a fan, but i am aware of it. But are there not supposed to be 12 circles? Before he passed from a respiratory illness, my brother in law was in the process of formal conversion with the Chabad Lubavitch. He went all over this symbol which are the “12 emanations” of the Divine.

I agree that it is nonsense.