Topical Encyclopedia
The concept of resemblance in the Bible often pertains to the likeness or similarity between individuals, objects, or spiritual truths. This theme is woven throughout Scripture, illustrating both physical and spiritual parallels that convey deeper theological meanings.
Old Testament UsageIn the Old Testament, resemblance is frequently used to describe physical likeness. For instance, in
Genesis 1:26, God declares, "Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness." This foundational verse establishes the resemblance between humanity and the divine, highlighting the unique position of humans in creation as bearers of God's image. This resemblance is not merely physical but encompasses moral and spiritual dimensions, reflecting God's attributes such as rationality, morality, and relationality.
The concept of resemblance also appears in the context of idolatry. In
Isaiah 40:18, the prophet asks, "To whom will you liken God? To what image will you compare Him?" This rhetorical question underscores the futility of creating idols that resemble the divine, emphasizing God's incomparability and the inadequacy of physical representations to capture His essence.
New Testament UsageIn the New Testament, resemblance often takes on a more spiritual and moral dimension.
Romans 8:29 states, "For those God foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers." Here, the resemblance is not about physical likeness but about being transformed into the character and holiness of Christ. This transformation is a work of the Holy Spirit, who sanctifies believers, making them more like Jesus in their thoughts, actions, and desires.
The theme of resemblance is also evident in the teachings of Jesus. In
Matthew 5:48, He instructs, "Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect." This call to perfection is a call to resemble the moral and ethical purity of God, a standard that believers strive toward through the grace and empowerment of the Holy Spirit.
Symbolic and Prophetic ResemblanceThe Bible also uses symbolic language to convey resemblance, particularly in prophetic literature. In
Daniel 7:5, Daniel describes a vision of a beast that "resembled a bear." Such imagery is symbolic, representing empires or kingdoms with characteristics akin to the animals described. These symbolic resemblances convey deeper truths about the nature and behavior of these entities in the unfolding of God's redemptive history.
In the book of Revelation, resemblance is used to describe the appearance of heavenly beings and visions.
Revelation 4:7 describes the four living creatures, each with a face that "resembled" different animals, symbolizing various attributes of God's creation and His sovereign rule.
Moral and Ethical ResemblanceThe Bible frequently calls believers to resemble Christ in their conduct.
Ephesians 5:1-2 exhorts, "Be imitators of God, therefore, as beloved children, and walk in love, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant sacrificial offering to God." This call to imitation is a call to moral and ethical resemblance, urging believers to reflect the love, sacrifice, and holiness of Christ in their daily lives.
In summary, the theme of resemblance in the Bible encompasses physical likeness, spiritual transformation, symbolic representation, and moral imitation. It serves as a reminder of humanity's unique creation in God's image, the call to reflect Christ's character, and the prophetic imagery that reveals God's sovereign plans.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
(
imp. & p. p.) of Resemble.
Greek
3666. homoioo -- to make like... homoios Definition to make like NASB Word Usage become like (1), comparable (1),
compare (4), compared (4), like (2), made like (1), picture (1),
resembled (1
...Strong's Hebrew
1823. demuth -- likeness, similitude... 1), figures like (1), figures resembling (1), form (4), like (4), likeness (8),
pattern (1), resembling (1), something resembling (1), which
resembled (1), who
...Library
Christ's Flesh in Nature, the Same as Ours, Only Sinless the...
... but he means us to understand likeness to the flesh which sinned, [7176] because
the flesh of Christ, which committed no sin itself,resembled that which had...
The Scourging of Jesus.
... These cruel men had many times scourged poor criminals to death at this pillar.
Theyresembled wild beasts or demons, and appeared to be half drunk....
Essay v. Whose Powers Shed Round Him in the Common Strife...
... latter circumstance he set an especial value, and, I may almost say, courted the
company and conversation of those whose pursuits had leastresembled his own...
In Jud??a and through Samaria - a Sketch of Samaritan History and...
... [1890] Although this state of mattersresembled that which had obtained in the original
kingdom of Israel, perhaps just because of this, Ezra and Nehemiah...
Editor's Preface
... Moreover, the pronunciation of the consonantsresembled that of the Hebrew consonants,
the transliteration of which has long since become conventional....
Fragment I.
... Fragment I. The most admirable Justin rightly declared that the aforesaid demons
[2636]resembled robbers."Tatian's Address to the Greeks, chap. xviii....
Preface
... If I am right, if Knox, both as a politician and an historian,resembled Charles
I. in "sailing as near the wind" as he could, the circumstance (as another of...
A Sermon of the Reverend Father Master Hugh Latimer, Preached in...
... Exivit qui seminat seminare semen suum; "He that soweth, the husbandman, the ploughman,
went forth to sow his seed." So that a preacher isresembled to a...
Book Seven the Conversion to Neoplatonism. ...
... For at that time my mind dwelt only with ideas, whichresembled the forms with which
my eyes are still familiar, nor could I see that the act of thought, by...
Smerdis the Magian.
... the Persian throne. This Smerdisresembled, it was said, the son of Cyrus
in his personal appearance as well as in name. The other...
Thesaurus
Resembled (18 Occurrences)...Resembled (18 Occurrences).
... (WEY). Revelation 1:14 His head and His hair were white,
like white wool--as white as snow; and His eyes
resembled a flame of fire.
...Blast (28 Occurrences)
... Revelation 1:10 In the Spirit I found myself present on the day of the Lord, and
I heard behind me a loud voice whichresembled the blast of a trumpet. (WEY)....
Ox (197 Occurrences)
... Revelation 4:7 The first living creatureresembled a lion, the second an ox, the
third had a face like that of a man, and the fourthresembled an eagle flying....
Resemble (15 Occurrences)
Dress (38 Occurrences)
... Itresembled the Roman "tunic," corresponding most nearly to our "long shirt," reaching
below the knees always, and, in case it was designed for dress occasions...
Quicken (16 Occurrences)
... Possibly the condition under considerationresembled what is sometimes idiomatically
styled in English "proud flesh," and was thought of as a peculiar...
Quick (49 Occurrences)
... Possibly the condition under considerationresembled what is sometimes idiomatically
styled in English "proud flesh," and was thought of as a peculiar...
Violently (92 Occurrences)
... Revelation 18:21 Then a single angel of great strength took a stone whichresembled
a huge millstone, and hurled it into the sea, saying, "So shall Babylon...
Zalmun'na (8 Occurrences)
... said to Zebah and Zalmun'na, "Where are the men whom you slew at Tabor?" They answered,
"As you are, so were they, every one of them; theyresembled the sons...
Nehemiah (9 Occurrences)
... The place of his death and burial is, however, unknown. "Heresembled Ezra in his
fiery zeal, in his active spirit of enterprise, and in the piety of his life...
Resources
Who is the beast of Revelation? | GotQuestions.orgWhat is the significance of the Negev in the Bible? | GotQuestions.orgWhat do angels look like? | GotQuestions.orgResembled: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
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