Windows are mentioned many times throughout the Bible, often carrying symbolic meaning beyond their literal purpose as openings in walls or structures. Windows provide light, visibility, and access, so they naturally lend themselves to rich metaphorical significance. Let’s explore some of the key ways windows are used symbolically in Scripture.
Introduction
In the Bible, windows represent spiritual truths, revelation, prophecy, warnings, hope, and more. Here are some key takeaways on the symbolic meaning of windows in Scripture:
- Windows represent spiritual vision, light, revelation, and insight.
- God speaks through windows as a means of revelation.
- Windows can represent prophetic visions and dreams.
- Windows warn of danger and temptation.
- Windows symbolize hope and salvation.
- The shut or opened window indicates receptivity to God.
- Windows connect earthly and heavenly realms.
- Jesus is depicted as a window between God and man.
As architectural features providing visibility, illumination, ventilation, and access, windows readily lend themselves as metaphors to elucidate spiritual realities. Let’s explore some specific examples of how windows convey deeper symbolic significance in the biblical text.
Windows as Symbols of Spiritual Vision
Windows represent spiritual vision, light, revelation, and insight in Scripture. Through windows, light enters and illuminates what was previously hidden in darkness. This makes them apt symbols of spiritual enlightenment and discernment.
For example, in the Book of Malachi, God rebukes His people for questioning His love. He reminds them that He graciously restored them from exile and says in Malachi 3:10 (NKJV):
“Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this,” Says the Lord of hosts, “If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it.”
Here, the windows of heaven represent God opening up divine revelation, spiritual vision, and blessings to His people. When our hearts are receptive, God can open the window of spiritual understanding.
The windows of heaven opening also connects to rainfall, as in the Flood narrative of Genesis 7-8. Rain pours through the windows of heaven, symbolizing the outpouring of blessing and revelation.
Windows as Means of Divine Revelation
In Scripture, God often reveals Himself or communicates through windows. For instance, after the flood in Genesis, God appears to Noah through the window of the ark in Genesis 8:6 (NKJV):
So it came to pass, at the end of forty days, that Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made.
This window offers a portal for God’s communication, representing spiritual vision, insight, and revelation.
Similarly, God comes to the prophet Daniel in a night vision and talks to him through his upper room window in Daniel 6:10 (NKJV):
Now his windows being open in his upper chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.
The open window opens revelation from God, symbolically depicting spiritual receptivity.
When windows are mentioned in connection to divine visions and revelations, they often represent an opening into heavenly realms, or spiritual dimensions beyond the physical.
Windows as Visions and Dreams
Windows can also represent prophetic visions, dreams, and revelations. The prophet Zechariah has a series of night visions where he sees angelic messengers coming through different-colored windows in Zechariah 1:8 (NKJV):
I saw by night, and behold, a man riding on a red horse, and it stood among the myrtle trees in the hollow; and behind him were horses: red, sorrel, and white.
The windows here act as screens or mediums for the prophetic vision, representing heavenly access points for divine messages.
Similarly, when Ezekiel has his inaugural vision of God’s glory, he describes seeing:
the windows of heaven were opened” (Ezekiel 1:1 NKJV)
The opened windows represent entry into the heavenly realm of vision, prophecy, and revelation.
Windows as Warnings and Hope
In addition to positive visions, windows also convey warnings, judgments, and danger. For instance, when the prophets warn of God’s impending judgment, they describe Him peering through the windows of heaven in dismay at people’s sin, such as in Isaiah 24:18 (NKJV):
And it shall be That he who flees from the noise of the fear Shall fall into the pit, And he who comes up from the midst of the pit Shall be caught in the snare; For the windows from on high are open, And the foundations of the earth are shaken.
However, even in judgment, the windows represent hope and the possibility of repentance. This is seen in the Genesis flood account when Noah sends out a dove who returns with an olive branch in its mouth as a sign of hope and new life after judgment. Genesis 8:6 (NKJV) records:
So it came to pass, at the end of forty days, that Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made.
Despite preceding judgment, the window signals the restoration of God’s mercy and hope.
As another example, when the prophet Malachi rebukes Israel for their faithless sacrifices, he declares that God will come in judgment, but adds in Malachi 3:10 (NKJV):
Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this,” Says the Lord of hosts, “If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it.
The windows of heaven represent hope and blessings available if the people will repent. So windows symbolize God’s impending judgment, but also His mercy in providing an open window for restoration.
The Shut or Open Window
In correlation with windows representing spiritual receptivity and access to God, the shut or open window often indicates whether someone is open or closed to receiving divine revelation and relationship.
For instance, when God pronounces judgment on Jezebel, it comes in the form of being thrown out of a window to her death in 2 Kings 9:30-33. This symbolizes being shut out from spiritual light and relationship with God.
In contrast, Cornelius in Acts 10:9 (NKJV) has a vision of an angel after:
the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God coming in and saying to him, “Cornelius!” and when he observed him, he was afraid, and said, “What is it, lord?” So he said to him, “Your prayers and your alms have come up for a memorial before God.
The vision came while Cornelius’ window was open, representing his spiritual openness to receive this divine messenger.
So the shut or open window profoundly symbolizes whether someone is receptive or closed off to God’s spiritual light and relationship.
Windows Connecting Earthly and Heavenly
Windows also symbolize a connection, passageway, or portal between the earthly and heavenly realms. As openings in a wall or barrier, they represent access points between the physical and spiritual worlds.
For instance, when God appears to call the prophet Jeremiah, Jeremiah describes God touching his mouth and saying in Jeremiah 1:9 (NKJV):
Behold, I have put My words in your mouth. See, I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms, To root out and to pull down, To destroy and to throw down, To build and to plant.
This prophetic call came as Jeremiah saw the branch of an almond tree, symbolizing God’s watchful vision through the window. The window represents a meeting point between heaven and earth.
Similarly, when Peter has his rooftop vision of the sheet descending from heaven containing animals to eat in Acts 10, it occurs as he goes to the rooftop to pray at the sixth hour. The window connects earthly and heavenly realms, facilitating this divine revelation.
So windows represent thin veils, portals, and access points between natural and supernatural dimensions intersecting.
Jesus as the Window Between God and Humanity
Finally, Jesus Himself is depicted as a window between God and humanity. Jesus says in John 14:9 (NKJV):
He who has seen Me has seen the Father
This indicates that looking at Jesus provides a glimpse of seeing the Father, like a lit window into the throne room of heaven.
Jesus also says in Revelation 3:20 (NKJV):
Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.
Here, the door or entryway that Jesus stands at represents a window into communion with God through Christ. Jesus is the window or opening to access the Father and heavenly realms.
In summary, windows in Scripture symbolically represent revelation, spiritual vision, prophecy, warnings, judgments, hope, and access between heaven and earth. Most importantly, Jesus Himself embodies the window between God and humanity, serving as the transparent medium through which we can access, see, and know God. As we seek increased closeness with Christ, He opens the eyes of our heart and lifts the veil into glory.
So in your times of prayer and stillness, envision Jesus as a window into the throne room of heaven, providing a passageway into deeper revelation, relationship, and wonder. Allow Him to illuminate your inner vision so your eyes can behold brilliant truths and perspectives that renew your mind. May you walk in ever-increasing spiritual sight as you gaze at the Father through the window of Jesus Christ.
