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The Dove
 
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To be a real Hero one must pocess LOVE!
A symbol is a picture that stands for an idea. One very special symbol is the dove. It stands for the idea of peace and love. Sometimes an artist will add a dove to a picture to say "Peace on Earth".
The dove has been a symbol for a long, long time. In an ancient Greek myth, Aphrodite was the goddess of love. She kept a dove as a pet. The dove became a symbol for love.
Later, Christians used the dove to symbolize the Holy Ghost. Artists often painted a dove above Christ's head. Here's an example. This is part of a picture that was painted over 500 years ago. It's called "The Baptism of Christ".
Clefts of the rocks
2:21 To go into the clefts of the rocks, and into the tops of the ragged rocks, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth.
Dove - In the wild doves generally build their nests in the clefts of rocks, but when domesticated "dove-cots" are prepared for them (Cant. 2:14; Jer. 48:28; Isa. 60:8). The dove was placed on the standards of the Assyrians and Babylonians in honour, it is supposed, of Semiramis (Jer. 25:38; Vulg., "fierceness of the dove;" comp. Jer. 46:16; 50:16). Doves and turtle-doves were the only birds that could be offered in sacrifice, as they were clean according to the Mosaic law (Ge. 15:9; Lev. 5:7; 12:6; Luke 2:24). The dove was the harbinger of peace to Noah (Gen. 8:8, 10). It is often mentioned as the emblem of purity (Ps. 68:13). It is a symbol of the Holy Spirit (Gen. 1:2; Matt. 3:1; Mark 1:10; Luke 3:22; John 1:32); also of tender and devoted affection (Cant. 1:15; 2:14. David in his distress wished that he had the wings of a dove, that he might fly away and be at rest (Ps. 55:68).There is a species of dove found at Damascus "whose feathers, all except the wings, are literally as yellow as gold" (68:13). (From Eastons Dictionary)
In the Keyboards for Christ Music Program the symbolic bird is the "dove". For many years this bird has been my favorite.
I can tell you one day that I was so beat down with the storms that I listened outside my bedroom window to the sound of a rain dove. And to this day when I am down God reminds me in such ways that are only from him. On another day I went outside and wanted just to Shout out as we all want to sometimes and I looked up into the sky and beheld a dove painted in the clouds. My neighbor saw it and was amazed. April 29, 2004
My son, forget not my law;
but let your heart keep my commandments:
She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her:
and happy is every one that retains her. (Proverbs 3:1, 18)
The olive tree read more about it click on the banner below.
  Doves were first mentioned in The Bible at the time of the great flood--"Then he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters had subsided from the face of the ground; but the dove found no place to set her foot, and she returned to him to the ark, for the waters were still on the face of the whole earth. So he put forth his hand and took her and brought her into the ark with him. He waited another seven days, and again he sent forth the dove out of the ark; and the dove came back to him in the evening, and lo, in her mouth a freshly plucked Olive Leaf ; so Noah knew that the waters had subsided from the earth. Then he waited another seven days, and sent forth the dove; and she did not return to him any more." (Genesis 8:8-12 RSV)
There are numerous references to doves in The Bible, both literal and symbolic, here are just a few:
The Lord used doves in an analogy, "Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves." (Matthew 10:16 RSV)
In some translations of The Bible, the word dove is sometimes used interchangeably with the word pigeon:
In one of the most famous incidents of Bible History, Jesus Christ drove out those who were selling doves and exchanging money within the Temple area-- "And when He entered Jerusalem, all the city was stirred, saying, "Who is this?" And the crowds said, "This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth of Galilee." And Jesus entered the Temple of God and drove out all who sold and bought in the Temple, and He overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. He said to them, "It is written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer'; but you make it a den of robbers." (Matthew 21:10-13 RSV)
Columbbids occupy a prominent and generally revered position in most cultures and religions. Doves have been historically important in both Protestant and Catholic religions.
Doves are harmless, peaceful birds which came to be used as a symbol of The Holy Spirit: "And when Jesus was baptized , He went up immediately from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and alighting on Him." (Matthew 3:16 RSV)
The Turtle Dove is not the only species of dove mentioned within The Bible.
When Jesus was Baptised
Mathew 3: 13-16
Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. John would have prevented him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?" But Jesus answered him, "Let it be so now; for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he consented. And when Jesus was baptized, he went up immediately from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and alighting on him; and lo, a voice from heaven, saying, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased."
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