In biblical literature, the term "fissures" is not directly mentioned; however, the concept of fissures, or cracks and openings in the earth, can be inferred from various passages that describe geological phenomena, divine interventions, and symbolic imagery. Fissures, as natural formations, often serve as metaphors for spiritual truths or divine actions in the biblical narrative.

Geological and Symbolic Significance

Fissures in the earth are often associated with divine judgment or the manifestation of God's power. In the Old Testament, the earth's response to God's presence or actions is frequently depicted through dramatic geological events, including earthquakes and the splitting of the ground.

One of the most notable instances is found in the account of Korah's rebellion. In Numbers 16:31-33 , the earth opens its mouth to swallow Korah and his followers as a direct act of divine judgment: "As soon as Moses had finished saying all this, the ground beneath them split open, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them and their households, all Korah’s men and all their possessions. They went down alive into Sheol with all they owned. The earth closed over them, and they vanished from the assembly."

This event illustrates how fissures can symbolize God's immediate and powerful response to sin and rebellion. The opening of the earth serves as a physical manifestation of divine wrath and a warning to the Israelites.

Prophetic Imagery

Fissures also appear in prophetic literature, where they symbolize upheaval and transformation. In the book of Zechariah, the prophet describes a future day of the Lord when the Mount of Olives will be split in two, creating a vast valley. Zechariah 14:4 states, "On that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving to the north and half to the south."

This imagery conveys the magnitude of God's intervention in human history and the dramatic changes that accompany His coming. The splitting of the mountain signifies both judgment and deliverance, as the newly formed valley provides a way of escape for God's people.

Spiritual Implications

Fissures can also be understood metaphorically in a spiritual context. They may represent divisions or separations within the community of faith or within an individual's heart. The Bible frequently addresses the theme of spiritual division, urging believers to seek unity and wholeness in their relationship with God and one another.

In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul speaks to the Corinthian church about divisions among them, urging them to be united in mind and thought (1 Corinthians 1:10). While not explicitly using the term "fissures," the concept of division as a spiritual fissure is evident.

Conclusion

While the Bible does not explicitly mention "fissures," the concept is woven throughout Scripture in both literal and metaphorical contexts. Fissures serve as powerful symbols of God's judgment, prophetic fulfillment, and the spiritual divisions that can occur within the human heart and community. Through these images, the Bible communicates profound truths about the nature of God, His interaction with the world, and the call for unity and faithfulness among His people.

Down the Islands
... was to the same effect), is a deep hollow, longer than it is wide, without an outlet,
walled in by precipices and steep declivities, from fissures in which ...
//christianbookshelf.org/kingsley/at last/chapter ii down the islands.htm

The Demoniac
... The mountain-range of Amanus was full of fissures and ravines, and as he crossed
one of the deepest and darkest of these a strange and almost naked figure, as ...
/.../chapter vi the demoniac.htm

Be for Thou Art'
... drops and ripples in its course"it eddies round the foot of the rocks to which the
old man looks up, and sees the same dints and streaks and fissures in it ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture j/be for thou art.htm

The End of the Lenten Meditations.
... cleared away the rubbish, and endeavoured to conceal the effects of the earthquake
by placing planks and carpets over the chasms and fissures made by it in the ...
/.../the dolorous passion of our lord jesus christ/chapter lxvi the end of.htm

Of the Second Consideration of the Sacred, Holy Stigmata
... Now a few days afterwards, as St Francis was considering the formation of the mountain,
and marvelling at the great fissures and openings in the solid rock, it ...
/.../the little flowers of st francis of assisi/of the second consideration of.htm

Letter Lxxi. To Lucinius.
... You have left behind you the bitter waves, the salt tides, the mountain-fissures;
you have despised Leviathan who reigns in the waters. ...
/.../jerome/the principal works of st jerome/letter lxxi to lucinius.htm

John the Baptist's Person and Preaching.
... the Argob in the Old Testament, "an ocean of basaltic rock and boulders, tossed
about in the wildest confusion, and intermingled with fissures and crevices in ...
/.../mcgarvey/the four-fold gospel/xvii john the baptists person.htm

The Tomb of the Pharaoh
... water. Here the steep ramparts were divided by a tortuous cleft, which
wound back with many cross-fissures deep into the desert. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/miller/the yoke/chapter xxiii the tomb of.htm

Of the Parts of Man: the Eyes and Ears.
... For how little should we be able to see, if from the innermost recesses of the head
the mind should pay attention through slight fissures of caverns; as, if ...
/.../lactantius/on the workmanship of god/chap viii of the parts of.htm

Athor, the Golden
... left bade fair to enlarge by nightfall, for the swelling wedges were rending another
slab from its bedding with loud reports and the sudden etching of fissures ...
//christianbookshelf.org/miller/the yoke/chapter vii athor the golden.htm

Fissures (1 Occurrence)
... Multi-Version Concordance Fissures (1 Occurrence). Isaiah 2:21 to go into
the clefts of the rocks, and into the fissures of the cliffs ...
/f/fissures.htm - 6k

Fist (7 Occurrences)

/f/fist.htm - 8k

Vein (1 Occurrence)
... 4. (n.) A narrow mass of rock intersecting other rocks, and filling inclined or
vertical fissures not corresponding with the stratification; a lode; a dike ...
/v/vein.htm - 8k

Liver (16 Occurrences)
... the Vulgate: reticulurn iecoris. It extends from the fissures of the liver
to the curve of the stomach. Still others consider it ...
/l/liver.htm - 16k

Fishy (1 Occurrence)

/f/fishy.htm - 7k

Terrify (27 Occurrences)
... Isaiah 2:21 to go into the clefts of the rocks, and into the fissures of the cliffs,
from before the terror of Jehovah, and from the glory of his majesty, when ...
/t/terrify.htm - 13k

Trachonitis (1 Occurrence)
... Scanty vegetation peeped from the fissures in the rocks, or preserved a precarious
existence in the scanty soil sometimes seen in a hollow between opposing ...
/t/trachonitis.htm - 13k

Dike
... 4. (n.) A wall-like mass of mineral matter, usually an intrusion of igneous
rocks, filling up rents or fissures in the original strata. ...
/d/dike.htm - 7k

Dove (27 Occurrences)
... lustrous feathers. The rock dove swarmed over, through, and among the cliffs
of mountains and the fissures of caves and ravines. The ...
/d/dove.htm - 28k

Cliffs (10 Occurrences)
... Isaiah 2:21 to go into the clefts of the rocks, and into the fissures of the cliffs,
from before the terror of Jehovah, and from the glory of his majesty, when ...
/c/cliffs.htm - 9k

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