Staff
Summary:
The Staff as a Symbol of Power: A staff or rod, frequently mentioned in the Word, spiritually signifies power. This symbolism originates from its function as a physical support for the hand and arm, which themselves represent power and correspond to that principle in the "Grand Man" (the universal human form of heaven). The text asserts the hand is the principal symbol, while the staff is its instrumental extension. This symbolic meaning was also known to ancient Gentiles, evidenced by the staffs ascribed to magicians in their fables.
Divine Power in the Miracles of Moses: The staff's representation of power is most clearly demonstrated through the miracles performed by Moses. He was commanded by God to use his staff to turn water into blood, summon plagues of frogs, lice, hail, and locusts, and to strike a rock to bring forth water. Reinforcing this connection, miracles were also performed when Moses simply stretched out his hand, such as parting the Red Sea or holding it up for victory against Amalek. The text clarifies that the power was not infused into the physical object; rather, the staff and hand were external representatives of the Lord's Divine omnipotence.
Prophetic Interpretations of Power: Numerous prophetic passages confirm that the "staff" symbolizes power, which can be either divine or corrupt depending on its source. Isaiah speaks of a "staff of bread" (power from good) and a "staff of water" (power from truth), while also warning against the "staff of Asshur" or "staff of Egypt" (the fallacious power of worldly reasoning and knowledge). Similarly, Jeremiah mentions a "staff of strength" (power from good) and "staff of beauty" (power from truth), while David finds comfort in God's "rod and staff" (the power of Divine truth and good).
Royal Power and Divine Truth: The symbolic meaning of the staff extends to the scepters of kings. A scepter, as a form of short staff, signifies the power belonging to royalty. Because kings, in a representative sense, embody the Lord's Divine truth, their scepters symbolize the power of that truth. This connection underscores the principle that true royal authority should derive not from personal dignity but from the rule of Divine truth, which for Christians originates from the Lord.
Key Ideas:
A staff or rod symbolizes power in a spiritual sense.
This symbolism is based on the staff's role as a support for the hand and arm, which correspond to power in the spiritual world.
The miracles of Moses, performed with a staff or outstretched hand, illustrate the representation of Divine omnipotence.
Power is not inherent in the physical object (staff/hand) but resides in the divine spiritual reality it represents.
Prophetic writings use "staff" to denote different kinds of power, such as the power of truth, the power of good, the power of fallacious reasoning, or the power of wickedness.
A king's scepter is a type of staff signifying the power of Divine truth, which is the basis of true royalty.
Unique Events:
Moses was commanded to lift his staff to perform miracles.
Moses' staff turned the waters of Egypt to blood.
Moses' staff brought forth frogs from the streams.
Moses' staff turned dust into lice.
Moses' staff brought hail from heaven when stretched toward the sky.
Moses' staff brought a plague of locusts.
Moses' outstretched hand brought thick darkness over Egypt.
Moses' outstretched hand parted the Sea of Suph (Red Sea).
Moses' outstretched hand caused the waters of the Sea of Suph to return.
Moses smote the rock of Horeb with his rod, and water flowed out.
Moses held up his hand with the rod of God for Israel to prevail against Amalek.
A staff is frequently mentioned in the Word, and it is surprising that scarcely anyone at this day knows that anything in the spiritual world was represented by it, as where Moses was commanded that whenever miracles were wrought, he was to lift up his staff, and thereby they were wrought. This was known among Gentiles also, as is evident from their fabulous tales in which staffs are ascribed to magicians. That a staff signifies power, is because it is a support; for it supports the hand and arm, and through them the whole body; wherefore a staff takes on the signification of the part which it immediately supports, that is, the hand and arm, by both of which in the Word is signified the power of truth. Moreover it will be seen at the end of the chapters that in the Grand Man the hand and are correspond to this power.
[2] That by a staff was represented power, appears, as just said, from what is related of Moses, in that he was commanded to take a staff (or rod), with which he was to do miracles; and that he took the rod of God in his hand (Exod. 4:17, 20); that when smitten by the rod, the waters in Egypt became blood (Exod. 7:15, 19, 20); that when the rod was stretched out over the streams, frogs came up (Exod. 8:1-11); that when the dust was smitten by the rod, it became lice (Exod. 8:16-20); that when the rod was stretched out toward heaven, there was hail (Exod. 9:23); and that when the rod was stretched out over the land, locusts came up (Exod. 10:3-21). As the hand is the principal, by which power is signified, and a rod is the instrumental, therefore miracles were also wrought when his hand was stretched forth (Exod. 10:12, 13); when his hand was stretched forth toward heaven, there was thick darkness over the land of Egypt (Exod. 10:21, 22); and when his hand was stretched forth over the sea Suph, by an east wind the sea was made dry land; and on again stretching forth his hand, the waters returned (Exod. 14:21, 26, 27).
[3] Moreover when the rock of Horeb was smitten with the rod, waters flowed out (Exod. 17:5, 6; Num. 20:7-10). When Joshua fought against Amalek,
[4] That in the spiritual sense, a staff is power, appears also from many passages in the prophets, as in Isaiah:
[5] Again in Isaiah:
[6] In like manner in Zechariah:
[7] In Jeremiah:
[8] In Hosea:
