Cup
In Scripture, a cup often symbolizes a person’s appointed portion from God, whether blessing or judgment. It can also refer especially to the cup Jesus received in His suffering and the cup of the Lord’s Supper.
At a Glance
In Scripture, a cup often symbolizes a person’s appointed portion from God, whether blessing or judgment. It can also refer especially to the cup Jesus received in His suffering and the cup of the Lord’s Supper.
Description
In biblical usage, the cup is a recurring symbol for one’s allotted portion, especially as given under God’s sovereign rule. Depending on the context, it can represent blessing, salvation, fellowship, suffering, or judgment. The Old Testament often uses the image of a cup for God’s wrath poured out on the wicked, while other passages speak of the cup as a sign of blessing from the Lord. In the New Testament, Jesus spoke of the cup He was to drink as referring to His appointed sufferings in accomplishing the Father’s will, and the cup in the Lord’s Supper signifies participation in the benefits of Christ’s sacrificial death and the new covenant. Because the image carries several related meanings, the specific sense should be determined by the immediate context.