You’ve probably seen it on a necklace or a tattoo. It sounds mystical. It sounds ancient. "As above, so below." Most people associate it with the Emerald Tablet of Hermes Trismegistus, a cornerstone of occult philosophy. But then things get weird. People start asking about the as above so below meaning bible context, wondering if this phrase is actually hidden in the pages of Scripture or if it’s just a New Age overlap.
The short answer? It isn't there. Not word-for-word, anyway.
But that’s not the whole story. While the specific phrasing is hermetic, the concept of a mirror between the heavens and the earth is scattered all over the Old and New Testaments. It’s just framed differently. In the Bible, it’s not about an equal magical correspondence; it’s about authority, prayer, and the kingdom of God manifesting on the ground.
Where the Phrase Actually Comes From
Before we look at the Bible, let’s get the history straight. The phrase "As above, so below" is the opening of the Tabula Smaragdina, or the Emerald Tablet. It’s an Arabic text from the 8th century, though some claim it’s much older. The idea is that what happens on a cosmic or spiritual level is reflected on a physical or material level.
Think of a microcosm and a macrocosm.
If you understand how a single cell works, you understand the universe. If you understand the divine, you understand the human. It’s a very "oneness" focused philosophy. The Bible, however, tends to emphasize the distinction between the Creator and the creation. There is a "below," and there is an "above," and while they interact, they aren't exactly the same thing.
The Lord's Prayer: The Closest Biblical Parallel
If you’re looking for the as above so below meaning bible connection, the strongest candidate is the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6.
Jesus is teaching his disciples how to pray. He says: "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven."
That is essentially the biblical version of the concept.
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But notice the nuance. In hermeticism, the "above" and "below" are naturally reflective. In the Bible, the "below" (Earth) is currently out of sync with the "above" (Heaven). We have to pray for the "above" to manifest here. It isn't a passive reflection; it's a call for divine intervention.
On Earth, there is war, sickness, and death. In Heaven, according to the biblical narrative, there isn't. So, the goal of the Christian life is to bridge that gap through the Spirit. It’s a movement of restoration rather than just a cosmic law of symmetry.
Binding and Loosing on Earth
Another heavy-hitter for this topic is Matthew 16:19.
Jesus tells Peter, "And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."
This is wild. Honestly, it’s one of the most debated verses in the entire New Testament.
It suggests a direct, causal link between human actions and heavenly reality. If you act here, it registers there. This flips the "as above, so below" script. Usually, we think of the "above" dictating the "below." Here, Jesus implies that the "below" (the Church) has the authority to influence the "above."
Scholars like N.T. Wright often point out that for the 1st-century Jewish mind, Heaven and Earth weren't two separate locations millions of miles apart. They were two dimensions that overlapped. Think of two circles partially covering each other. The Temple was the place where they met perfectly. After the Temple was destroyed, that meeting point became the people themselves.
The Tabernacle as a Shadow
If you go back to the Old Testament, specifically Exodus, you find the instructions for the Tabernacle.
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God is very, very specific with Moses. He tells him to build everything "according to the pattern" shown to him on the mountain.
Hebrews 8:5 picks up on this later, calling the earthly sanctuary a "shadow" of the heavenly one.
- The golden lampstand? A shadow.
- The bread of the presence? A shadow.
- The Holy of Holies? A shadow.
This is where the as above so below meaning bible seekers find some meat. The idea is that the physical structures on Earth are physical representations of spiritual truths in the presence of God. The "below" is a copy. It’s a lower-resolution version of the "above."
But again, it’s not an equal exchange. The copy is always inferior to the original. The Bible warns against worshipping the shadow instead of the substance.
Romans 1 and the Mirror of Nature
Paul the Apostle makes a pretty famous argument in Romans 1:20.
He says that God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen through what has been made.
Basically, look at a mountain. Look at a sunset. Look at the complexity of a human eye. You’re seeing the "above" through the "below." Nature is a billboard for the divine.
This aligns with the hermetic idea that the physical world is a teacher. If you want to know the mind of the Artist, look at the art. It’s a logical step. If God is the creator, then the creation must bear his fingerprints.
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The Conflict with Occult Interpretation
Here is where we have to be careful. While the as above so below meaning bible search reveals these parallels, the intent is usually the opposite.
In many occult traditions, "as above, so below" implies that man is God. If I am the microcosm of the universe, and the universe is God, then I am divine in my own right.
The Bible doesn't go there.
It maintains a "Creator-Creature" distinction. You might be made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27), which is a reflection, but you aren't the source. You’re the mirror, not the light. This is a massive distinction. One leads to worship of the self; the other leads to worship of the Creator.
Why This Matters Today
Understanding this isn't just for theology nerds. It changes how you see your daily life.
If there is a connection between the two realms, then your mundane actions have cosmic significance. Your kindness to a stranger, your integrity at work, your private prayers—these aren't just "below" activities. They resonate "above."
The Bible presents a world that is "thin." The veil between the physical and the spiritual is porous. When you act in love, you are pulling the reality of Heaven into the reality of Earth. You are literally making the "below" look more like the "above."
Moving Forward with This Knowledge
If you’re trying to reconcile these ideas, don't get caught up in the linguistic trap. You don't need the phrase "as above, so below" to be in the Bible to appreciate the truth it points to.
- Audit your surroundings. Look at your life and ask: "Does my 'below' reflect the values of the 'above' I believe in?" If you believe in a God of peace, but your home is a war zone, there’s a disconnect.
- Study the Lord's Prayer again. Don't just recite it. Use it as a blueprint for bringing heavenly standards (justice, provision, forgiveness) into your physical space.
- Read the book of Hebrews. It is the best resource for understanding how the Old Testament physical rituals were meant to point to a higher, "above" reality in Christ.
- Recognize the limits. Be wary of any teaching that uses this phrase to suggest you have total control over the universe. Biblical "above and below" is about alignment with God's will, not bending the universe to yours.
The connection between the spiritual and physical is the heartbeat of the biblical narrative. From the Garden of Eden to the New Jerusalem, the story is about God bringing the two worlds together. We aren't just stuck down here, and He isn't just distant up there. They meet in the middle, and eventually, according to Revelation, they become one.