We also find in the law of the Nazarite, in his separation, that pigeons were delineated for sin and burnt offerings.

10 And on the eighth day he shall bring two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, to the priest, to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation:
11 And the priest shall offer the one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering, and make an atonement for him, for that he sinned by the dead, and shall hallow his head that same day." Numbers 6:10-11:

The importance of Luke 3:22 is that Jesus had the Holy Spirit descend upon him and that God the father was well pleased with Jesus. While God selected for the Holy Ghost to appear in a bodily form like a dove, this is not the emphasis of this passage. Indeed in Acts 2, the Holy Ghost takes an entirely different form:

2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance (Acts 2:2-4).

 

Nowhere in the Bible can one find a command to use the dove as a symbol or picture of the Holy Ghost. Nor can one find any command to use anything else as an image or symbol of God. As a matter of fact, such acts are outright prohibited.

2 I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:
5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me (Exodus 20:2-5).

 

As so often is the case, mankind ignores the commands of God and simply begins to take the course of action they think is right in their own minds. Even before the church had reached its first century of existence, this problem had already began to manifest itself in the church:

22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:
25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.

 

The dove has appeared as a symbol in Christian art work throughout the history. Some denominations show the dove in normal flight or with wings spread as if hovering. Others show an upside down or descending dove, like Trinity Broadcasting Network, the United Church in Canada, Brunswick church of the Nazarene, The New Zealand Methodist Conference, and the Presbyterian Church U.S.A.

The Ordo Templi Orientis uses the descending dove in its logo. The O.T.O uses the dove as a symbol form kabbalah. The dove in kabbalah is a symbol for Bat Kol (god’s voice). Bat Kol is calling to consciousness from outside the divine world itself. In this sense the O.T.O refers to the dove as a symbol of a "holy spirit." This however is not the Holy Spirit of the Bible. The Bible commands us, "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world" (1 John 4:1)

Many in the O.T.O. were fans of Theosophy. Helena Blavatsky, founder of the Theosophical Society, identified the Holy Spirit as Lucifer in her writings. Freemason Albert Pike wrote, "the body of the Holy Spirit, the universal Agent, [is] the Serpent..." A large number of other occultists echo the same message.

Since the 1960’s the dove was also associated with the peace-hippie movement, as is evident in the logo for the Haight Ashbury Free Clinic. Haight Ashbury still serves as a center of the Bohemian lifestyle promoted by hippies during the 1960’s. Later the Occultic activities of areas such as Haight Ashbury mingled with the Jesus Movement. The Jesus People Movement began in 1967 with the opening of a small storefront evangelical mission called the Living Room in San Francisco's Haight Ashbury district.

New Agers promote the heretical teachings of the Bogomils and Cathars that Michael came to earth when Jesus was baptized in the Jordan, the Holy Ghost, which was Michael appeared as a dove, and Jesus became the Christ. The Cathars revered the dove and became known as the "Faithful of the Dove." The spirit symbolized by the dove assumes the role of an advocate or comforter, much the genuine Holy Spirit of the Bible. Among other heresies the Cathars preached the Gnostic doctrine of self-fulfillment that had so alarmed the fathers of the early church. While the Cathars, or Albigneses used the New Testament as a basis for their ideas, the heretical ideas that they formulated resembled the dualistic and ascetic ideas of the Gnostic and Manichaean movements. The Albigenses believed that there was an absolute dualism between Christ, the good son of God who made the souls of men, and Satan the bad son, who was given a material body after he was cast out of heaven. Following his expulsion, Satan made the visible world. Historically the teachings of the Cathars can be traced to the Manacheans, an ancient Persian Gnostic religion.

Mani was born sometime between 210-276 AD. Mani first encountered religion in his early youth while living with an ascetic group known as the Elkasites, an ancient Jewish-Christian sect. Mani received a revelation in his youth from a spirit whom he later called the Syzygos or Twin, who taught him the divine truths of the religion. Mani was influenced by Mandaeanism. Mandaeism or Mandaeanism is a monotheistic religion with a strongly dualistic worldview. Its adherents, the Mandaeans, revere Adam, Abel, Seth, Enosh, Noah, Shem, Aram, and especially John the Baptist. They describe Abraham, Jesus, Moses, and Muhammad as false Prophets. Mandaeans consider John the Baptist to be God's most honorable messenger. Like certain other Gnostics, they identify the God of the Bible as evil.

In his mid-twenties, Mani decided that salvation is possible through education, self-denial, vegetarianism, fasting and chastity. Mani later claimed to be the Paraclete promised in the New Testament, the Last Prophet or Seal of the Prophets. Mani presented himself as a saviour and an apostle of Jesus Christ. In the fourth century Manichaean Coptic papyri, Mani was identified with the Paraclete-Holy Ghost and he was regarded as the new Jesus. This false holy ghost is what occultist like the O.T.O. mean when they say that the dove represents the holy ghost.

Mani's "paraclete" is no different than the 'spirit' referred to by many occultists. The history of this heretical teaching traces through various countries including Egypt, Eastern Iran, Palestine, Syria, Northern Arabia, North Africa, Asia Minor, Central Asia, Armenia, Gaul, Spain and Italy. The teachings are also traced into China, there having openly survived at least until the 17th century. In fact, in some areas "...only from the 6th century onward does the religion disappear, though continuing to exert its influence under different guises in other sectarian circles.

The dove is a prominent feature on some renditions of the Ace of Cups Tarot Card. Tarot Cards are used by Occultists, such as the O.T.O and the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn for divination purposes. In the Occult the Ace of Cups means: love, peace, patience, harmony, assurance, tranquility, compassion, and acceptance. The dove is a common spiritual icon with symbol meanings indicating hope, purity, aspiration, and ascension. In Greco-Roman mythology, the dove is a sacred creature to Aphrodite/Venus, and therefore is a powerful symbol of love. Featured on the ace of cups, it is a promising symbol. Note the dove (in the Rider-Waite version) is pointing down. This is a second-pass message indicating: "whatever goes up, must come down." In other words, fly high, but ground yourself first.

It should come as no surprise that White Dove International, a New Age group selling materials on human potential, higher self and offering stress reduction seminars uses the dove as their logo. Aphrodite's Dove, a New Age and spiritual store, located in Jenkintown, PA, on the outskirts of Philadelphia also uses the dove in its logo. Historians of the occult know of the well established connection between the O.T.O, through the Thule Gesellschaft to the German Nazi movement. It is no mistake that a Nazi propaganda poster makes a direct Christological comparison of Hitler. Just as a dove descended on Christ when he was baptized by John the Baptist, so what looks to be an eagle hovers against the light of heaven over an idealized Hitler.

Clearly Christians should avoid using the dove as a symbol because of its obvious Occult meaning. No doubt many Christian groups use the dove as a symbol without giving much consideration to its actual meaning. However, any group that uses the dove as a symbol or logo should be closely examined. Historical evidence shows that Occultists deliberately use terms such as "Holy Spirit" or "Holy Ghost" when defining the meaning of the dove, when they actually mean something quite different from the Biblical Holy Ghost or Holy Spirit. Indeed many Occultists are wolves masquerading in sheep’s clothing as they peddle their New Age teachings under the guise of Christianity. Historically this trend may be traced to almost the very beginning of the Church.

The pentagram is a very widespread sacred symbol used since ancient times in many areas including Egypt, India, Persia and Greece. It is one of the most powerful and popular symbols used by many occultist, including those involved in Wicca and Ceremonial Magic. The symbol is used to decorate magical tools. It represents feminine energy relating to the Goddess. It is worn symbolically for protection and to signify that the wearer is involved in the world of magic and divine wisdom. When pointed upwards it is supposed to indicate positive energy, and when pointed downward it is to present negative energy.

 

Some uses of the Pentagram

 

Constant used the upright pentagram to represent the race of man created by god, while he used the inverted pentagram to represent the demonic race created by the Angel Samael and Lilith. In The Secret Doctrine Helena Petrovna Blavatsky explains that "Lucifer represents...Life...Thought...Progress...Civilization...Liberty...Independance...Lucifer is the Logos...the Serpent, the Savior" (pages 171, 225, 255 of Volume II). In short, she and other occultist view Lucifer as both a good and bad god. This is the god Constant and Freemasons considered as Grand Architect of the universe or the Supreme Being. On the right is Constant’s inverted Pentagram depicting Lucifer as the Bamphomet