Why is a 'fish' used to depict Jesus? Is He aka the Piscean? But isn't that Astrology, thus pagan?

Question

I'm very confused about this. Isn't astrology looked as a 'devilish practice or something?
Is my information all wrong?
Please don't tell me to 'read my Bible'....please just answer.

Answer 1

Ichthys (Greek: ἰχθύς; also transliterated and Latinized as ichthys, icthus, ichthus or ikhthus; ichthus, spelled: Iota Chi Theta Upsilon Sigma), is the Ancient and Classical Greek word for "fish." In English it refers to a symbol consisting of two intersecting arcs, the ends of the right side extending beyond the meeting point so as to resemble the profile of a fish, said to have been used by early Christians as a secret symbol and now known colloquially as the "Jesus fish." Ichthus (ΙΧΘΥΣ, Greek for fish) is an acronym or backronym of "Jesus Christ, Son Of God, Saviour (Ἰησοῦς Χριστός, Θεοῦ Υἱός, Σωτήρ)."

Fish in the Gospels

Fish are mentioned and given symbolic meaning several times in the Gospels. Several of Jesus' twelve disciples were fishermen. He commissions them with the words "I will make you fishers of men."

At the feeding of the five thousand, a boy is brought to Jesus with "five small loaves and two fishes". The question is asked "But what are they, among so many?" Jesus multiplies the loaves and fish to feed "the multitude".

In the Gospel of John, 21:11, it is related that the disciples fished all night but caught nothing. Jesus instructed them to cast the nets on the other side of the boat, and they drew in 153 fish. It has been observed that, like many other numbers given in the Bible, this number is associated with a mystic property, in this case the vertical ratio of the vesica piscis.

In the Gospel of Matthew, 13:47-50, Jesus compares God's decision on who will go to heaven or to hell ("the fiery furnace") at the end of this world to fishers sorting out their catch, keeping the good fish and throwing the bad fish away.

The early Christian Church

Societies of Christians in the early Roman Empire, prior to the Edict of Milan, protected their congregations by keeping their meetings secret. In order to point the way to ever-changing meeting places, they developed a symbol which adherents would readily recognize, and which they could scratch on rocks, walls and the like, in advance of a meeting. At the time, a similar symbol was used by Greeks to mark the location of a funeral, so using the ichthys also gave an apparent legitimate reason for Christians to gather[citation needed]. Another story suggests that the ichthys was used as a sort of secret handshake: one person would draw with a staff, or even a leg a single curve, (half of the ichthys) in the sand, and another person could confirm their identity as a Christian by completing the symbol. Alternatively, one would draw the symbol, and another person would confirm their faith by drawing an eye on it

Answer 2

WHen the Christians were being persecuted, there were some secret signs they used to identify other Christians. If one was a Christian and someone came and started talking to him, he or she would pick up a stick , or with their toe or something, and draw a half fish in the dirt - one of the arcs that make up the fish. If the person he or she was speaking to was also a Christian, they'd draw the other half of the fish. There was no astrology involved. If they didn't draw the other half of the fish, they didn't know the "secret code", or weren't Christian. Or Followers of Christ - I don't think the term "Christian" was coined until much later after the death of Christ.

This little fishy symbol was symbolic for a few miracles in Jesus' life. He got his first two apostles, James and Andrew from the fishing areas, "Come with me and I will make you fishers of men." and one of His early miracles was feeding people by multiplying loaves of bread and fish.

Answer 3

It wasn't a symbol to depict Jesus, but since there was much brutal persecution of the early Christians, particularly in Nero's day, they had to come up with a way to communicate with each other without being found out and killed. So they devised the ichthys or ichthus in order to protect their congregations and keep their meeting places secret. In order to let others know of meeting places, they would scratch this symbol on rocks, walls, etc., in advance of a meeting. Another version that the ichthys was used as a sort of secret handshake: one person would draw with a staff, or even a leg a single curve, (half of the ichthys) in the sand, and another person could confirm their identity as a Christian by completing the symbol. They used a fish because Christ told them to be "fishers of men".

Answer 4

Why would using a fish symbol automatically make it an astrological reference? Two things with one tiny point in common do not suddenly become identical.

Jesus taught his diciples that they were fishers of men, bringing souls to the Lord.

Whether astrology is "devilish" depends on the time and place. Historically there have been many periods where astrology was widely accepted in Christian society. Some popes even consulted astrologers.

the Bible says that divination (i.e. predicting the future) is bad. But true astrology doesn't predict the future...it just charts out influences that will be in play at certain points in time.

Answer 5

He did the "Sermon on the Mount" and took a few fish and loaves of bread and made enough to feed five thousand. " I will make you fisher's of men ". He told some of the apostles that after they brought in a poor catch of fish. There is a whole lot of this fish symbolism in the New Testament. I personally love Jesus and y'all too!

Answer 6

2 Very Important aspects to this Q. 1A) Jesus' birth, when & where? 2B) Where is Jesus when the astrologers find him? A- Why do Joseph & Mary travel to Bethlehem? Romen Empire Ceasar Augustus, decreed every1 return to city of your birth, to register. Surely, it was 2 God's direction that Ceasar Augustus made his registration law. This made it possible for Jesus to b born in Bethlehem, the city the Scriptures had long before foretold would be the birthplace of the promised ruler. A- What marvelous things happen the night Jesus is born? Out in the fields a bright light gleams around a group of shepards. It is Jehovah's glory! And Jehovah's angel tells them: "Have no fear, for, look! I am declaring to you good news of a great joy that all the ppl will have, bc there was born to you today a Savior, who is Christ the Lord, in David's city. And this is a sign for you: "you will find an infant bound in cloths and lying in a manger." A- How do we know that Jesus was not born Dec 25th? December is a rainy, cold season in Bethlehem. Shepards would not be out in the fields overnight w/ their flocks at that time of year. Also, the Roman Ceasar Augustus would not likely have required a ppl who were already inclined to revolt against him to make a trip in the dead of winter to register. Evidently Jesus was born sometime in the early autumn of the year. B- What shows that the star the astrologers saw was no ordinary star? While they were at home in the East, they saw a new star, and they have followed it hundreds of miles to Jerusalem. When they arrive in Jerusalem*, they ask: "Where is the 1 born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when we were in the east, and we have come to do him obeisance." When King Herod @ Jerusalem hears about this, he is very upset. So he calls the chief priests & asks where the Christ is to be born. Now, when they leave, an amazing thing happens! The star they had seen in the east, travels ahead of them. Clearly, this is no ordinary star, but it has been specially provided to direct them. They keep following it until it stops right above the house** where Joseph & Mary are staying. When they enter into the house**, they find Mary w/ her **. B- Why do we know that Satan provided the star that guides the astrologers? Who do you think provided the star that moved in the sky to guide the men from the east? Remember, the star did not guide them directly to Jesus in Bethlehem. Rather, they were led to Jerusalem where they came in contact w/ King Herod, who wanted to kill Jesus. And he would have done so if God had not stepped in & warned the astrologers not to tell Herod where Jesus was. It was God's enemy, Satan the Devil, who wanted Jesus killed, and he used that star to try to accomplish his purpose. Matt 2:1-12; Micah 5:2. Did anyone take notice of the fact that when God had His angels declaring the birth of the Savior?; Nothing is said about the star. That Jehovah did have the birth of His Son, the Savior of the world announced. He would have no use, nor purpose for the men from the east. * Did you make the connection? Jesus was born in Bethlehem; the star lead them to Jerusalem~~ to King Herod... Not to Jesus. ** Did you Notice? By the time the men from the east, found Jesus 1-he was not a baby, and 2- not in the manger @ his birth; but in a house. Even Satan the Devil can turn himself into an angel of light.

Answer 7

Read the Wikipedia:

"Ichthus (ΙΧΘΥΣ, Greek for fish) is an acronym, which is a word formed from the initial letters of the several words in the name. It compiles to "Jesus Christ God's Son is Saviour""

"Another story suggests that the ichthys was used as a sort of secret handshake: one person would draw with a staff, or even a leg a single curve, (half of the ichthys) in the sand, and another person could confirm their identity as a Christian by completing the symbol"

Answer 8

Where to begin?
First, nothing in the ancient world is explicitly "Christian" or "Pagan." That is a misconception. All ancient religions included common elements, and every ancient religion had distinct characteristics. Pagans believed in God - does that mean that Christians cannot believe in God without being Pagans? Of course not. By modern definitions, Christianity was entirely a Pagan religion.

We call ancient cosmology "astrology," which it was not. There is cosmology, metaphysics, and astrology. All three employ a common set of symbols. Astrology is a form of divination, cosmology is a map of the heavens (i.e. astronomy), and metaphysics deals with the fundamental structure of reality. In the ancient world, all three disciplines employed the same symbolism.

Ancient Christianity employed "astrological" (or cosmological) symbolism from head to toe. Every aspect of Christian ritual and iconography reflected this symbolism. The same was true for ancient Judaism. And Jesus was associated with the fish as much for its connection with the Omphalos at Delphi as for its connection to the Piscean Age.

Answer 9

This is a good question, I'm always wondering if Jesus was a Pisces, because Kurt Cobain was a Pisces, and they both had longer hair.

It depends on when Jesus was born, if you believe the Christmas story or......Pisces are more February people. I don't really think Jesus, our savior, was born in crappy February.

The fish though, I think they use that in lieu of the cross, which is depressing. I have 3 theories for why they chose the fish:

1.Jesus was a fish catching teacher
2.Jesus loved fish tacos
3. Jesus evolved from a fish

It's one of those I'm sure. Maybe a little of all of those.

Answer 10

The fish symbol hasn't got anything to with pisces to the best of my knowledge. Ichthus (ΙΧΘΥΣ, Greek for fish) is an acronym or backronym of "Jesus Christ, Son Of God, Saviour (Ἰησοῦς Χριστός, Θεοῦ Υἱός, Σωτήρ)."