The term "cup" in the Bible is rich with symbolic meaning and is used in various contexts to represent both literal and metaphorical concepts. It often signifies one's portion in life, whether of blessing or judgment, and is frequently used in prophetic and poetic literature to convey deeper spiritual truths.

1. Cup as a Symbol of God's Blessing and Provision:
· In Psalm 23:5, the psalmist declares, "You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows." Here, the cup symbolizes abundance and the overflowing blessings provided by God to His faithful servant.
· Psalm 16:5 states, "The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup; You have made my lot secure." This verse highlights the cup as a metaphor for the divine inheritance and the secure provision from God.

2. Cup as a Symbol of Suffering and Judgment:
· In the prophetic literature, the cup often represents God's judgment. Isaiah 51:17 warns, "Awake, awake! Rise up, O Jerusalem, you who have drunk from the hand of the LORD the cup of His wrath, who have drained to its dregs the goblet that makes men stagger." The cup here is a vivid image of divine retribution and the consequences of sin.
· Similarly, in Jeremiah 25:15, the LORD instructs the prophet, "Take from My hand this cup of the wine of wrath, and make all the nations to whom I send you drink it." This passage underscores the cup as an instrument of God's judgment upon the nations.

3. Cup in the Context of Jesus' Suffering:
· In the New Testament, the cup takes on profound significance in the context of Jesus' passion. In Matthew 26:39, during His prayer in Gethsemane, Jesus prays, "My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me. Yet not as I will, but as You will." The cup here symbolizes the impending suffering and crucifixion that Jesus is about to endure, representing the weight of humanity's sin and the wrath of God.
· Jesus also refers to the cup during the Last Supper, as recorded in Matthew 26:27-28: "Then He took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, 'Drink from it, all of you. This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.'" The cup in this context signifies the new covenant established through His sacrificial death.

4. Cup as a Symbol of Fellowship and Communion:
· The Apostle Paul, in 1 Corinthians 10:16, speaks of the cup in the context of Christian fellowship: "Is not the cup of blessing that we bless a participation in the blood of Christ? Is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ?" Here, the cup represents the shared experience of believers in the redemptive work of Christ, fostering unity and communion within the body of Christ.

Throughout Scripture, the imagery of the cup serves as a powerful symbol, reflecting the dual themes of divine blessing and judgment, the suffering of Christ, and the communal aspect of the Christian faith.Genesis 40:11
And Pharaoh's cup was in my hand: and I took the grapes, and pressed them into Pharaoh's cup, and I gave the cup into Pharaoh's hand.
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2 Samuel 12:3
But the poor man had nothing, save one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and nourished up: and it grew up together with him, and with his children; it did eat of his own meat, and drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was to him as a daughter.
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1 Kings 7:26
And it was an hand breadth thick, and the brim thereof was worked like the brim of a cup, with flowers of lilies: it contained two thousand baths.
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Matthew 23:25
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.
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Concerning the Lord's Supper
... "I read," he says, "that the cup was broken ... I know that neither he, nor even a general
council, has ... opportunity of evading the teaching of the whole Scriptures. ...
/.../luther/first principles of the reformation/concerning the lords supper.htm

Concerning the Sacrament of Penance
... the promise of the Bread and the Cup has been ... works and in examples taken from the
Scriptures, where we ... and fasting; while all, under one general delusion, say ...
/.../first principles of the reformation/concerning the sacrament of penance.htm

Solitude, Silence, Submission
... your case, next, to study the Scriptures concerning your case ... thou mayest wash the
outside of thy cup and platter ... they have done it in such general and insincere ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 42 1896/solitude silence submission.htm

The Consensus and Dissensus of Creeds.
... 3. The final coming of Christ. 4. General resurrection. ... 3. The withdrawal of the
cup from the laity. ... II. Other differences concerning the Scriptures. ...
/.../ 115 the consensus and.htm

The Second Helvetic Confession, AD 1566.
... Augustine has much disputed from the Scriptures against the ... died not only for men
in general, but also ... We disapprove of the withdrawal of the cup contrary to ...
/.../ 55 the second helvetic.htm

Concerning the Communion, or Participation of the Body and Blood ...
... own inventions, to strain and wrest the scriptures to tie ... For though in a general
way, as every religious action in ... Now for his calling the cup the cup of the ...
/.../proposition xiii concerning the communion.htm

The Tome of St. Leo.
... have received with heedful attention that general Confession common ... by the prophets
in the Holy Scriptures, concerning his Son ... both with a Laver and with a Cup. ...
/.../schaff/the seven ecumenical councils/the tome of st leo.htm

Faustus Denies that the Prophets Predicted Christ. Augustin Proves ...
... drunk of His own vine that cup which could ... still deny that Christ is foretold in
the Scriptures. ... When Faustus, instead of the vague general accusation which he ...
/.../faustus denies that the prophets.htm

From the Close of the General Conference of 1828 to the Beginning ...
... of life for altering the sacred Scriptures in this ... the gospel, in the lives and general
deportment of ... by presenting to him the intoxicating cup, and enticing ...
/.../chapter 10 from the close.htm

The Means of Grace
... or eating of that bread and drinking of that cup. ... and was only confirmed by reading
the Scriptures: But it was observed above, that under the general term of ...
/.../wesley/sermons on several occasions/sermon 16 the means of.htm

Should wine or grape juice be used for communion? | GotQuestions.org

What did Jesus mean when He said, “This is my body, broken for you”? | GotQuestions.org

What is the importance of the Lord's supper / Christian Communion? | GotQuestions.org

Cup: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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