Reefs, while not explicitly mentioned in the Bible, are natural formations that can be associated with the broader biblical themes of creation, danger, and divine power. In the ancient world, reefs would have been known as hazardous obstacles to navigation, often lying just beneath the surface of the water, unseen and potentially destructive to ships. This characteristic of reefs can be metaphorically linked to various biblical teachings and narratives.

Creation and the Natural World

The Bible frequently speaks of God's creation, emphasizing His sovereignty over all the earth, including the seas and everything within them. In Genesis 1:9-10 , God commands the waters to gather, revealing dry land, which includes the formation of various geological features, potentially encompassing reefs. The intricate design and ecological importance of reefs reflect the majesty and wisdom of the Creator, as seen in passages like Psalm 104:24-25 : "How many are Your works, O LORD! In wisdom You made them all; the earth is full of Your creatures. Here is the sea, vast and wide, teeming with creatures beyond number, living things both great and small."

Symbolism of Danger and Hidden Perils

Reefs, due to their hidden nature and potential to cause shipwrecks, can symbolize unseen dangers and the need for vigilance. This symbolism is echoed in the New Testament, where spiritual vigilance is a recurring theme. In 1 Timothy 1:19 , Paul warns Timothy about those who have "suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith," using nautical imagery to describe the spiritual peril of abandoning a good conscience and sincere faith.

Similarly, Jude 1:12 uses the imagery of hidden reefs to describe false teachers: "These men are hidden reefs in your love feasts, shamelessly feasting with you but shepherding only themselves. They are clouds without water, blown along by the wind; fruitless trees in autumn, twice dead after being uprooted." Here, the metaphor of hidden reefs serves as a warning against those who pose spiritual danger within the community, appearing harmless but capable of causing great harm.

Divine Power and Protection

The Bible also emphasizes God's power over the natural world, including the seas and their hidden dangers. In Psalm 89:9 , the psalmist declares, "You rule the raging sea; when its waves mount up, You still them." This divine authority over the seas reassures believers of God's ability to protect and guide them through life's hidden perils, much like a skilled navigator avoiding unseen reefs.

In the New Testament, Jesus demonstrates His authority over the natural world in the calming of the storm, as recorded in Mark 4:39 : "Then Jesus got up and rebuked the wind and the sea. 'Silence!' He commanded. 'Be still!' And the wind died down, and it was perfectly calm." This miracle underscores the belief in Christ's power to safeguard His followers from both physical and spiritual dangers.

In summary, while reefs are not directly mentioned in the Bible, their characteristics and implications resonate with biblical themes of creation, hidden dangers, and divine protection, offering rich metaphorical insights for understanding spiritual truths.4694. spilas -- a ledge of rock (over which the sea dashes), ie a ...
... Word Origin a prim. word Definition a ledge of rock (over which the sea
dashes), ie a reef NASB Word Usage hidden reefs (1). spot. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4694.htm - 6k

Monos
... Mr. Hill attributes the poisonous quality, in many cases, to the foul food which
the fish get from coral reefs, such as the Formigas bank, midway between Cuba ...
//christianbookshelf.org/kingsley/at last/chapter vi monos.htm

Introduction.
... in all the ways God's commandments point you; and make faith the mighty cable, and
you will be towed safely past the dangerous rocks and reefs and threatening ...
/.../orr/food for the lambs or helps for young christians/introduction.htm

General Conclusion.
... Amid these reefs and inlets, amid these shallows and straits of idolatry, Faith,
her sails filled by the Spirit of God, navigates; safe if cautious, secure if ...
/.../tertullian/on idolatry/chapter xxiv general conclusion.htm

The Rewards of the Trading Servants
... are to make character, and that we have to do with the material and the transient
only, in order that, like the creatures that build up the coral reefs, we may ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture e/the rewards of the trading.htm

To Olympias. Having Risen from the Very Gates of Death I Address ...
... and anoint the combatants for the contest, and whilst the sea is thus raging round
you, and the billows are rising to a crest, and crags and reefs, and rocky ...
/.../chrysostom/on the priesthood/to olympias having risen from.htm

To Innocent, Bishop of Rome, Greeting in the Lord.
... For in proportion as the billows mount higher, and concealed reefs increase, and
the hurricanes are many does your vigilance wax stronger: and neither the ...
/.../chrysostom/on the priesthood/to innocent bishop of rome.htm

That the Glorious virgin Died by an Extremely Sweet and Tranquil ...
... For as we see great rivers boil and leap, with a mighty roaring, in rough places
where the rocks make shoals and reefs to oppose and prevent the flowing of the ...
/.../francis/treatise on the love of god/chapter xiv that the glorious.htm

Letter Xliii. To Marcella.
... journeyed for much of our life through a troubled sea, and that our vessel has been
in turn shaken by raging blasts and shattered upon treacherous reefs, let us ...
/.../jerome/the principal works of st jerome/letter xliii to marcella.htm

On the Jubilee of the London Missionary Society.
... Now islands of tne blest. Shine, for the glory of the Lord. Your coral-reefs surrounds:
Sing, for the trumpet of His word. O'er all your ocean sounds. ...
/.../montgomery/sacred poems and hymns/hymn cclxi on the jubilee.htm

Exposition of the Present State of the Churches.
... We see, as it were, whole churches, crews and all, dashed and shattered upon the
sunken reefs of disingenuous heresy, while others of the enemies of the Spirit ...
/.../basil/basil letters and select works/chapter xxx exposition of the.htm

Reefs (1 Occurrence)
... Multi-Version Concordance Reefs (1 Occurrence). Jude 1:12 These are hidden
rocky reefs in your love feasts when they feast with you ...
/r/reefs.htm - 6k

Coral (3 Occurrences)
... a tree. Great coral reefs and coral islands abound in the Red Sea, whence
probably the Hebrews derived their knowledge of it. It ...
/c/coral.htm - 12k

Qualm (1 Occurrence)
... Jude 1:12 These are hidden rocky reefs in your love feasts when they feast with
you, shepherds who without fear feed themselves; clouds without water, carried ...
/q/qualm.htm - 7k

Late (24 Occurrences)
... Jude 1:12 These are hidden rocky reefs in your love feasts when they feast with
you, shepherds who without fear feed themselves; clouds without water, carried ...
/l/late.htm - 14k

Winds (35 Occurrences)
... Jude 1:12 These are hidden rocky reefs in your love feasts when they feast with
you, shepherds who without fear feed themselves; clouds without water, carried ...
/w/winds.htm - 18k

Twice (44 Occurrences)
... Jude 1:12 These are hidden rocky reefs in your love feasts when they feast with
you, shepherds who without fear feed themselves; clouds without water, carried ...
/t/twice.htm - 19k

Rocky (14 Occurrences)
... Jude 1:12 These are hidden rocky reefs in your love feasts when they feast with
you, shepherds who without fear feed themselves; clouds without water, carried ...
/r/rocky.htm - 10k

Reef (1 Occurrence)

/r/reef.htm - 7k

Reeked (1 Occurrence)

/r/reeked.htm - 6k

Plucked (46 Occurrences)
... Jude 1:12 These are hidden rocky reefs in your love feasts when they feast with
you, shepherds who without fear feed themselves; clouds without water, carried ...
/p/plucked.htm - 21k

What is a love feast? | GotQuestions.org

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