The Bible uses several images to symbolize the Holy Spirit. The most common ones are the dove (Mark 1:10), fire (Acts 2:3), water (John 7:38–39), the wind (Acts 2:2), and oil (2 Corinthians 1:21). Each of these symbols carries with it a special significance.
The dove as the symbol for the Holy Spirit echoes back to the story of Noah and the Flood (Genesis 8:10–11). The dove in that story symbolized hope for a new creation. It was God’s message to Noah that he was doing something new inside of the creation that had become so corrupt—God was creating all over again. It was a sign that God was capable of taking the corruption in the world and restoring it to its newness, its innocent, and its purity. This is also what the Holy Spirit does. Like a dove, the Holy Spirit manifests the new creation in each person by restoring the innocence and purity of the human heart thereby making it as God had always intended (2 Corinthians 5:17).
The Holy Spirit, like fire, is purifying, illuminating, and warming. Like fire, the Holy Spirit ignites the love of God in our hearts to carry the light of truth and warmth into a dark and cold world. The Holy Spirit also ignites in people special abilities for serving as members of the body of Christ that have been set apart for the renewing work of God in the world (Isaiah 61:1–3).
The Holy Spirit, like water, is cleansing and nourishing (Psalm 1:3). The Holy Spirit as water reminds us that he’s constantly purifying, and nourishing our hearts as we serve as his Kingdom Ambassadors to the fallen world. How can someone as human as you and I possibly bring something pure into the world? It is only by the purifying power of the Holy Spirit that this is possible. Like the fish and the loaves (Mark 6:41), the Holy Spirit can take our humble offerings and make them pure and beautiful.
The Holy Spirit, like wind, cannot be seen (John 3:7–8), and is always present when God is doing something new (John 3:7–8 and Genesis 1:2). The Holy Spirit, like the wind, blows away the chaff of the human heart (Psalm 1:4). Like breath, the invisible Spirit carries the creating Word of God (i.e., Jesus) into the hearts of people (Psalm 51:10–12). The Spirit is where the Word is.
Oil is perhaps the richest symbol of all. Like the Holy Spirit, oil preserves (Luke 24:1), heals, nourishes, makes beautiful (Esther 2:12), cleanses, and illuminates as fuel for the fire.
There is an odd bit of scripture in Leviticus 14 that talks about a priest applying oil to the right ear lobe, the right thumb, and the big toe on the right foot of a priest (Leviticus 14:17). What’s the meaning of this? The Holy Spirit opens our ears to hear God clearly, cleanses our hands to do a beautiful work in the world, and illuminates the path on which our feet tread.
The death of Jesus makes it possible for believers to be filled with the Holy Spirit. These symbols make it clear as to why everything changed after Jesus died. Jesus’s death ushered in a new “Spirit Age” that manifests the powerful work of the Holy Spirit in all believers. Is He with you?