In the past, God has used one family through which to develop the principles of his kingdom, but self-centered humanity misunderstood the reason for this it was to make them a light to the world through which to spread his principles everywhere that he did that. It was not that he considered them inherently superior. Any group that becomes exclusive about God’s blessings or favor will incur his displeasure.
Humanity was made in the image of God, and all the people of the earth are his children. Further, the matter of skin tones, often linked to this issue, should not be part of the question at all when you realize how genetics reveal European ancestors had dark skin.
The following excerpts from my book, Nautical Allegories of Scripture, demonstrate how nature provides proof of this and that God has sent a message for the modern age in which he knew this would be an issue, written in the bottom of the sea. The symbolisms also showcase how God predicted computer technology thousands of years before it was ever developed.
Mollusca Metaphors
The exquisite grace and beauty of sea creatures, such as squid and moluscs, shows they were designed by the Creator’s loving hand. The chambered nautilus is a member of the cephalopod family with squid and octopus and, as previously mentioned, its shell bears the signature of God within. There are several symbolisms hidden within this class of creatures which reveal God’s handiwork.
Many of them catch fish for prey, matching the symbolism Jesus widely employed to represent bringing people into his kingdom (Matthew 4:19). The giant squid’s long feeding tentacles grasp onto fish. This could resemble praying hands and thus portray how souls are won to Christ through prayer. Though people won’t always listen to our words, we can envelop them with our prayers for God’s healing influence to bless their lives.
Another element of the squid provides a remarkable analogy. Its internal shell, called the gladius, or “squid pen,” is the shape of a feather quill pen. And this is quite astonishing when you consider squids are known for squirting ink. How do you suppose it could be pure coincidence that an ocean-dwelling invertebrate holds within its body the likeness of both…
…feather pen and ink?
Surely, this is no random occurrence. Rather, it’s one of many examples of God showing his playful sense of humor in hiding things for us to discover. But instead of on page 12 of a magazine contest, this pen is hidden in the bottom of the sea.
The squid’s vintage feather pen and ink point us to an ancient hand-written document… the Bible. The Word of God is the ink we need to hide within our hearts and use in our defense when troubles come (Psalm 119:11). This finding within the creature’s body also points to Christ’s incarnation, as the Word made flesh (John 1:14). When he was born, he embodied the principles of God’s written Word in his life and character. And in this we’ve come full circle to see how the squid, just as the lion, can represent either Satan or Jesus, depending on how you look at.
But this clue is far from an ordinary needle in a haystack. It’s as if it were the very pen God used to write his signature, since the idea of “ink” clearly links to “pigment,” such is what is found in chromatophores, the primary pigment cells in cephalopod skin. The squid’s feather pen and ink carry an unmistakable message for a world that’s easily inclined to doubt. It’s a divine acknowledgement of authorship of the miraculous ability that ink-producing cephalopods have to swiftly change colors.
It’s funny that as humans we think so highly of our technology, even with so many examples of how “nature did it first.” The skin of many cephalopod species can display luminescence and color on a level that rivals computerized screens, and they even use it for communication. Cephalopods are living, breathing color monitors.
Even in scientific literature, the comparison between cephalopod skin and screen pixels is often made. But the resolution of their skin far exceeds that of any manufactured screen. Cuttlefish possess the highest chromatophore density, reaching 200 cells per square millimeter of skin (47). With 645 square millimeters in a square inch, that puts them at an astounding 129,000 dots per inch (DPI). For comparison, any screen you can buy will typically range between 100 and 1200 DPI and lacks the ability to change texture or provide sensory-neuro input.
Besides chromatophores, cephalopod skin contains other cell types that contribute to different hues, providing reflective and backlit qualities. These cells, under muscular control, enable them to create static and dynamic patterns, such as strobing light bands. Giant cuttlefish put on some of the most breathtaking displays, combining multicolor fluorescents with zebra stripes and spots.
But you don’t have to put on scuba gear to see that God is just as capable of screen technology as we are. Every time you close your eyes at night, picture stories run through your mind. You can see, hear, and interact with people in real time. You walk through storylines that reflect your inner feelings, with your mind effortlessly generating the details. Scenes appear out of nowhere with no retakes or video edits. The brain is designed to produce the images of your thoughts in dreams.
Bigger than the largest screen we could ever make, the sky displays its multicolored hues by high-resolution light scattering through suspended gas and moisture particles for infinite DPI. At night, the ethereal curtain disappears, revealing a crystal-clear view of the universe. It requires no electric cords or computer parts to function.
Celestial scenes by day reveal the likeness of Christ’s second coming; constellations by night tell the stories of the Bible. The message is written in pictures rather than words, to be universally understood (Psalm 19). The connection between constellations and Bible stories, known as “the Gospel in the Stars,” is based on scriptural references to messages in the heavens, such as Psalm 19 and Job’s mention of the “Mazzaroth” (zodiac). Prior to their association with pagan and mystical ideas (Isaiah 47:13, Deuteronomy 18:10-11), its purpose was to reveal and remind of biblical themes for those who didn’t have access to the written scriptures. The Bible is the clearest source of inspiration (13), but there’s no harm in studying evidence in the natural world that matches its stories.
But as far as technology goes, we shouldn’t fail to notice that all nature runs on electricity, completely off-grid. Cardiac cells, nerves, and muscles are just a few examples. And many animal species have even been found to have electroreception capabilities. Some dolphins, for example, can locate prey in murky water by detecting low-voltage electricity from muscle movements (49). And we have another fish to thank every time we pick up a battery-operated device, the electric eel. Batteries were originally inspired and developed through studying this creature.
But the discovery that squid contain a vintage feather pen and ink elevates them from simple mollusks to symbols of language and literature. And with the metaphor connecting to high-definition screen displays, and correlations between their pigments and internal ink wells to printing, we find the symbolism expanding to every known form of written communication. Thus, we find the humble invertebrates to be emblems of all recorded human history.
This speaks of how God’s watchful eye has been upon the human race since its very inception. He foresaw all that would happen and wrote his predictions on the creatures in the ocean’s depths. These mementos of civilized life on Earth mark human progress like entries in a ship’s log, with one key difference…
…they were written before the journey began.
These tokens also illustrate the means God has used to reach the human family with the story of his incarnation throughout the years. Among those are the Bible, Christian books, pamphlets, and printed tracts he has inspired people to write and share. It encompasses everything from Paul the Apostle’s books and parchments (2 Timothy 4:13) to modern believers sharing memes on social media. Martin Luther’s 95 theses, William Tyndale’s first Bible translation, and books at your local Christian store are all included.
How cephalopods use their colors and ink for defense and hunting confirms how the battles of the Lord are often fought through written words. Especially in the digital era, there are many things we can share to be uplifting or relate truths through online interactions. It’s wise to practice caution in situations where persecution could arise, of course, and seek to avoid offense as far as possible. Still, there’s a holy boldness among those who love God and their fellowman, which won’t concede to the sentiment that Christian sharing should be considered taboo or shameful.
It’s rare for just one symbolism to come out of God’s handiwork. He packs so much significance into his created works that you can keep finding more meaning as long as you study. This is all part of the evidence for the divine authorship of creation. And, as we’ve been seeing so far, God is clearly up on the issues. Even if it was thousands of years ago that he made these creatures, he placed within them pertinent messages just for our times.
Mysteriously, most cephalopod species are color blind. Because of this, it’s unclear how they make their displays, whether through thermal sensitivity or other means, since they don’t seem capable of perceiving color when tested. But there’s important significance to this as well. It seems to correlate to how, as human beings, we can’t perceive the spiritual realm. Those who know God and radiate his love to others are unaware of just how beautiful they are in his sight.
It also speaks of how Christians should be colorblind toward skin tones. How different are chromatophores from melanocytes, after all? Especially when you consider that the concept of colors links to human skin tones, along with the fact that the “ink” of cephalopods is actually…
…melanin.
There are different elements to the signature of God. As an artist signs the bottom of a canvas, God has placed his signature in these creatures that dwell in the ocean depths, taking credit for his created works. Cephalopods have the golden spiral in the chambered nautilus, as well as the feather pen, ink, and colors that signify God’s creative power and redemptive work. But what we’re also seeing here is that…
…God signed his name with the ink of melanin.
The colors of every living thing on Earth, including the wide variety of human skin tones, are God’s signature artwork. He doesn’t write on paper, the whole world is his canvas. He writes on land, sea, sky, animals, and people. If God cares enough for the mollusk in the sea to endow it with splendid emblems of beauty and significance, how much more does he care for every human being?
Humanity is God’s crowning work of Creation. The value of innate human worth above all other creatures is made clear in the Bible in how it says we were made in his image (Genesis 1:27) and that Jesus gave his life to redeem us (Galatians 1:4). As Jesus said, “Ye are of more value than many sparrows,” (Matthew 10:31b). Every human life bears the signature of God. We are created as if by his handwriting. And then, to take it one step further, he says that through his death and resurrection he has inscribed us upon his hands (Isaiah 49:16).
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The above excerpt is from my book, Nautical Allegories of Scripture, now available in paperback and eBook formats on Amazon.com.