19 West – Doves and Grapes
Les Crawford – Donor
The ripening grapes on the vine depict the vital union of the believers with Christ and among each other while the Christian soul (the doves) is nourished by the grapes, prefiguring the consecration at the Lord’s Supper. A dove with a cluster of grapes is found in the Catacombs of Priscilla, IV sec. d.c., via Salaria Nova, Roma (with thanks to Rev. Dr. David Chisham).
See also: 8 East – The Vine; 18 West – Grapes; 33 West – Grapes.
Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. —John 15:4-5