IMAGE - 20 Amazing Bible Words To Know: (eikon) - Part 1

IMAGE - 20 Amazing Bible Words To Know: (eikon) - Part 1

The idea of an image is very important to the followers of God. Images are important in how we relate to a God that we can’t see or hear. Image worship is strictly forbidden in the Bible yet it is rampant throughout almost every page. It surfaces early in the book of Genesis, dominates the books of history and the prophets and is front and center in the book of Revelation.

The New Testament uses several words to communicate the idea of an image. There are words for likenesses, types, characters, symbols, representations and reproductions but let’s zero in on just one of them: eikon. You recognize it in English as “icon” and it is generally translated in the Bible as “image”.

Eikon is unique. It always carries with it the presence of an original. In other words, an eikon is never a fabricated piece of art or a made-up character. It always represents an original object or person.

A reflection of a sunset on a lake is an “image” of the actual sun. A child is an “image” of his or her parent. A statue or a likeness is an “image” of the one it represents. An eikon is meant to be an imitation or a reproduction of something bigger and better. That has profound meaning for the people of God. But there is another way that “image” surfaces in the Bible.

Eikon is the word that the writers of the New Testament chose to identify the image of God that is in you. It is extremely significant to note that in the very first chapter of the Bible, God mentions that image.

Genesis 1:27

“God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.”

Tomorrow we’ll look at this concept of images and we will set our minds to understanding the connection between the image of God and images of false worship. Once you see the connection, you won’t forget it.