A mirage is an optical phenomenon that creates the illusion of water or a distant object, often seen in deserts or on hot roads, where light rays are bent due to temperature gradients in the air. While the Bible does not explicitly mention the term "mirage," the concept can be related to themes of illusion, deception, and the contrast between appearance and reality.

Biblical Context and Symbolism

In the Bible, the imagery of a mirage can be associated with the futility of false hopes and the deceptive nature of worldly promises. The Scriptures often warn against placing trust in things that are transient or misleading, much like a mirage that appears real but ultimately vanishes upon approach.

Isaiah 35:7 : "The parched ground will become a pool, the thirsty land springs of water. In the haunt of jackals, their lairs, there will be grass, reeds, and papyrus." This verse from Isaiah speaks of a transformation where barren land becomes fertile, contrasting the deceptive nature of a mirage with the genuine fulfillment of God's promises. The imagery here suggests a reversal of desolation, where God provides true sustenance and refreshment, unlike the false promise of a mirage.

Jeremiah 2:13 : "For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living water, and they have dug their own cisterns—broken cisterns that cannot hold water." This passage highlights the futility of relying on anything other than God for true satisfaction and sustenance. The broken cisterns symbolize the emptiness of human efforts apart from divine provision, akin to the illusion of a mirage that offers no real water.

Proverbs 25:14 : "Like clouds and wind without rain is a man who boasts of gifts never given." This proverb captures the essence of a mirage through the metaphor of clouds that promise rain but deliver none. It serves as a warning against empty promises and the disappointment that follows when expectations are not met.

Theological Implications

From a theological perspective, the concept of a mirage can be seen as a metaphor for the spiritual deception that leads individuals away from the truth of God's Word. Just as a mirage can lead a traveler astray in the desert, false teachings and worldly temptations can divert believers from the path of righteousness. The Bible encourages discernment and reliance on God's truth to avoid being misled by appearances.

Practical Application

In practical terms, Christians are called to seek the substance of God's promises rather than the fleeting allure of worldly desires. The mirage serves as a reminder to focus on eternal truths and the reality of God's kingdom, which offers genuine hope and fulfillment. Believers are encouraged to trust in God's provision and guidance, knowing that He alone can satisfy the deepest longings of the human heart.(n.) An optical illusion, seen frequently in deserts, looking like a pool of water due to total reflection of light at the surface common to two strata of air differently heated. The reflected image is seen, commonly in an inverted position, while the real object may or may not be in sight. When the surface is horizontal, and below the eye, the appearance is that of a sheet of water in which the object is seen reflected; when the reflecting surface is above the eye, the image is seen projected against the sky. The fata Morgana and looming are species of mirage.MIRAGE

me-razh' (sharabh, "heat-mirage"; Arabic sarab, from verb which means "to go forth," "to flow"; hence, "flowing of water"): "The glowing sand shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water" (Isaiah 35:7); the King James Version has "parched ground" and the Revised Version margin "mirage." The same Hebrew word is also used in Isaiah 49:10, "Neither shall the heat (margin "mirage") nor sun smite them." These are the only uses of the word in the Scriptures, although mirages are very common in the drier parts of the country. However, the context in both cases seems to justify the translation usually given, rather than "mirage."

Alfred H. Joy

8273. sharab -- burning heat, parched ground
... heat, parched ground. From an unused root meaning to glare; quivering glow (of the
air), expec. The mirage -- heat, parched ground. 8272, 8273. sharab. 8274 ...
/hebrew/8273.htm - 6k

Mirage or Lake
... MIRAGE OR LAKE. ... The Communication of this New Life turns Illusions into Realities.
'The mirage shall become a pool.' Life without Christ is but a long illusion. ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture h/mirage or lake.htm

Thirst and Satisfaction
... technical one which describes the phenomenon known only in Eastern lands, or at
least known in them only in its superlative degree; the mirage, where the ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture j/thirst and satisfaction.htm

The Battle of Life
... There is a most instructive little book, issued by the Religious Tract Society,
called The Mirage of life, which I think all young men should read. ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 62 1916/the battle of life.htm

Expositions of Holy Scripture
... THE RIVERS OF GOD. JUDGE, LAWGIVER, KING. MIRACLES OF HEALING. MIRAGE OR LAKE. THE
KING'S HIGHWAY. WHAT LIFE'S JOURNEY MAY BE. THE TRIUMPH OF FAITH. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/maclaren/expositions of holy scripture h/

The High Woods
... On our left the interminable low line of bright green mangrove danced and quivered
in the mirage, and loomed up in front, miles away, till single trees seemed ...
//christianbookshelf.org/kingsley/at last/chapter vii the high woods.htm

Last Week of Jesus.
... troubled them. At each step of the fatal road, the kingdom of God became
nearer or more remote in the mirage of their dreams. As ...
//christianbookshelf.org/renan/the life of jesus/chapter xxiii last week of.htm

Unsound Spiritual Trading
... cover a mud wall; crafty schemes which duped the public with profits never made,
and tempted them to advance to deeper speculations, even as the mirage of the ...
/.../spurgeon/sermons on proverbs/unsound spiritual trading.htm

July 18, 1890
... It makes me wonder what is Time. Time is but a mirage, a dream. Already God
sees us in glory, and rejoices in our everlasting bliss. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/therese/story of a soul/viii july 18 1890.htm

1 to Pray Does not Imply that Without Prayer God Would not Give us ...
... 7. The world is like a mirage, and the truth seeker, hoping to find something to
satisfy his thirsty spirit, starts off in search of it but meets with nothing ...
//christianbookshelf.org/singh/at the masters feet/section ii 1 to pray.htm

Opposition to Jesus.
... In his beautiful book, the "Words of a Believer," the most immoderate anger
and the sweetest relentings alternate, as in a mirage. ...
/.../renan/the life of jesus/chapter xx opposition to jesus.htm

Mirage (2 Occurrences)
... against the sky. The fata Morgana and looming are species of mirage. Int.
Standard Bible Encyclopedia. MIRAGE. me-razh' (sharabh ...
/m/mirage.htm - 8k

Parched (37 Occurrences)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary Parched ground. (Isaiah 35:7), Hebrews sharab, a "mirage",
a phenomenon caused ... See MIRAGE. James A. Patch. PARCHED CORN (GRAIN). parcht ...
/p/parched.htm - 20k

Pool (25 Occurrences)
... Isaiah (35:7) says, "The parched ground shall become a pool." This is rendered in
the Revised Version "glowing sand," etc. (marg., "the mirage, " etc.). ...
/p/pool.htm - 40k

Sand (40 Occurrences)
... GLOWING, SAND. glo'-ing, (Isaiah 35:11). See MIRAGE. SAND, GLOWING. glo'-ing.
See MIRAGE. Multi-Version Concordance Sand (40 Occurrences). ...
/s/sand.htm - 24k

Fountains (29 Occurrences)
... Isaiah 35:7 And the mirage hath become a pond, And the thirsty land fountains of
waters, In the habitation of dragons, Its place of couching down, a court for ...
/f/fountains.htm - 15k

Mire (21 Occurrences)

/m/mire.htm - 13k

Miraculous (54 Occurrences)

/m/miraculous.htm - 20k

Heat (104 Occurrences)
... horebh, "drought," Job 30:30 Isaiah 4:6; Isaiah 25:4 Jeremiah 36:30; sharabh, Isaiah
49:10, translated in the Revised Version margin "mirage"; zestos, "fervent ...
/h/heat.htm - 45k

Glowing (14 Occurrences)
... Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. GLOWING, SAND. glo'-ing, (Isaiah 35:11). See MIRAGE.
SAND, GLOWING. glo'-ing. See MIRAGE. Multi-Version Concordance ...
/g/glowing.htm - 11k

Pitying (4 Occurrences)
... Isaiah 49:10 They do not hunger, nor thirst, Nor smite them doth mirage and sun,
For He who is pitying them doth lead them, And by fountains of waters doth ...
/p/pitying.htm - 7k

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