Nature Miracles

Nature Miracles


Basic Info


The Bible recounts God’s power over nature in both the Old and the New Testaments. In the New Testament, Jesus is the instrument of the miracles. In the Old Testament, some human beings (e.g., Moses) seem to be close enough to God that

God effects nature miracles through them.


These miracles tend to have three components: faith, the power of God, and abundance of life in God. Occasionally they are symbols of the death that occurs without true faith.


Some specific nature miracles are addressed in their own sections, but if you come across an artwork that does not fall into these categories, an analysis can be done based on more general principles.


What to Look For


  • Whether the person “performing” the miracle is shown as being close to God in some way
  • The “faith” aspect of the story (prayer, looking upward toward God, reaching toward Jesus or the heavens, etc.)
  • Indications of God’s power
  • The abundant life aspect of the story (food, salvation from physical peril, an opportunity to live closer to God, etc.)
  • Or, if it is one of the darker nature miracles (e.g., the withered fig tree), whether the death symbol is overtly connected to the faith life of the people


Questions to Focus a General Interpretation


Does the artwork tend to emphasize the faith aspect of the story, God’s power, the abundant life aspect of the story, or the peril that exists in the absence of faith?


Questions to Guide a Personal Interpretation


Does the peril that preceded the nature miracle have a parallel in your life? Does the artwork’s depiction of faith touch you in any way that addresses your peril?

What about the artwork attracts you? What repels you? What might that say about what is going on in your life right now?


Questions to Suggest a Historical Interpretation


What might have been going on at the artist’s place and time that might have made the miracle depicted especially inspiring of faith? or might have symbolized a grateful celebration of abundant life?

What sinful excesses may have been commonly practiced at the artist’s time and place that would inspire the artist or the patron to focus on this nature miracle?

At certain points in history, the Church has been understood as being the mediator of God’s power. How might the institutional Church’s relationship with the people or the political or economic powers of the artist’s day be reflected in the artwork?


There isn't a separate interpretation page for all of the miracles in scripture but a few of them are common enough in the art that they were worth doing separately. Click the links to dive deeper.




Go to Jesus Christ in the Bible Go to Bible Stories Return to Interpretations Return to Engaging the Art
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