8 Prophetic Meanings of Flies in Your House (Spiritual and Biblical Meanings of Flies)

Part of being in the Christian ministry is addressing what would otherwise be considered superstitious beliefs. When I was undertaking religious studies, a few of my friends brought up the issue of flies in the house and what it meant.

Their views sparked my curiosity, and I wondered if there were prophetic meanings of flies in your house.

In this article, I will look into the spiritual and biblical meanings of flies and what they symbolize in different cultures. I invite you to join me as I uncover the meaning of having a dream about flies in your house, what flies symbolize in different cultures and the biblical symbolism of flies, among other nagging questions. Read on!

What is the biblical symbolism of flies?

Flies are mentioned in a few instances in the Bible. In many of those cases, it is a form of punishment for those who do not heed God’s word.

Exodus 8:21-22 implies that God sent a message to Pharaoh through Moses that if he did not free the Israelites, he would send a swarm of flies to the houses of his officials and people: “If you do not let my people go, I will send swarms of flies on you and your officials, on your people and into your houses. The houses of the Egyptians will be full of flies; even the ground will be covered with them. ‘But on that day I will deal differently with the land of Goshen, where my people live; no swarms of flies will be there, so that you will know that I, the Lord, am in this land.'”

The plague would exempt the land of Goshen, where the Israelites lived.

Psalms 78:45; “He sent among them swarms of flies which devoured them; and frogs which destroyed them.” Here, the Bible still refers to the plagues that God sent to the Egyptians.

In the original text, the swarm of flies is referred to as Beelzebub or Baalzebub, which directly translates to the lord of flies. And Baal is speculated in the Bible to be a false god.

The Bible associates flies with evil. It speculates that they were used to torment people and are an instrument of God’s wrath.

Therefore, Christians view flies negatively due to their association with impurity and their depiction in the Bible.

What is the spiritual meaning of flies?

According to spiritrestoration.org, flies have two spiritual meanings: positive and negative. The positive meaning of flies is that you need to be patient.

This is indicated by the idea of flies constantly buzzing around you and making you irritated. They push you to be persistent, as many a times, the urge to give up is strongest when you are about to reach a breakthrough.

They are telling you to adjust and adapt to the changing situations in life.

The negative meaning varies, but they all are associated with your emotional relationships with others and yourself. They could mean hatred, blame, or regret. If not from within, then from those you hang around.

Flies can be a suggestion that the people or things you spend time with are impacting you in the wrong ways. They also help you comprehend your feelings and decisions that you’ve made in the past or are about to make in the present.

What do flies symbolize in different cultures?

Ancient Egypt

One of the most common ancient Egyptian beliefs about flies is that they symbolize the human soul moving into the afterlife.

Egyptian priests believe that when a fly lays eggs on a deceased body after it has been put to rest, the adults that spring from the body have a connection with the deceased’s soul. Therefore, the flies are a way for the dead to interact with the living.

Flies also symbolize bravery. A gold chain with three pendants that are shaped like flies was found in the tomb of Queen Ahhotep. The chain is believed to have been a gift she had received from her sons as a token of her support in the fight for liberation against the Hyksos.

The ancient Egyptian soldiers of the New Kingdom were given golden amulets with the fly symbol as a sign of their persistence and bravery.

The amulets were also placed on mummies to reunite the dead bodies with their souls. So for the ancient Egyptians, flies symbolized bravery and connection to the afterlife.

Ancient Greece

The Greeks believed flies were immortal since they didn’t age like humans. Therefore, they passed information between mortals and gods and between mortals and other mortals.

Flies also symbolized sexuality and passion. Due to their life cycle, they represented creation and destruction.

Celtic Beliefs

Flies are rarely mentioned in Celtic mythology. However, in old doridic legends, maggots are mentioned regularly. Since they feed on dead and decaying matter, many people stay away from them and are afraid to even come into contact with them.

They are associated with filth, and others that feed on crops are deemed destructive. Despite these negative traits, they are associated with growth and progress. Maggots essentially spring out of lifeless things like carcasses and places considered rotten.

They, however, adapt to their environment and grow in number.

Some Celtic people, therefore, associate maggots and flies with resilience and the ability to blossom from difficult situations. They associate them with progress and see their presence as a motivation to focus on the positive and use it to grow.

Christianity

Christians’ view of flies is different from other cultures. The symbolism of flies in Christianity is grim, considering they are used to represent negative things, as implied in the Bible.

God sent a swarm of flies to the Egyptians as a punishment for disobeying His command, as suggested in Exodus 8:21-31. Flies aren’t soothing insects, nor do they appeal to the eye.

This is why they were sent as a form of punishment: because the buzzing sounds would irritate the Egyptians. Also, since flies feed on rotten flesh, they would contaminate their food.

Biblical scholars have also suggested that the devil is named the lord of flies. So flies are entirely viewed negatively in Christianity, even though, just like all other of God’s creations, they are also deserving of respect.

Far Eastern Philosophy

In Asia, some people believe that flies hold the restless souls of the dead. The constant buzzing of flies shows how disturbed the souls are since they are unable to move on.

They believe feeding fermented rice to the flies appeases the troubled souls, and the gesture helps them move on. Some parts of China believe in the myth that humans evolved from maggots. They, therefore, view flies as a symbol of life.

Mesopotamian Philosophy

The Mesopotamians have different beliefs about what flies symbolize based on their gods and goddesses. Some associate flies with death since their god of death, Nergal, was depicted as a fly in ancient seals.

Nergal stood for plagues, war, and death and was in charge of the underworld.

Other parts of Mesopotamia that believe in the goddess Ishtar see flies as a symbol of fertility. Ishtar was not just a goddess of war but also of sexual love. Her devotees usually create beads in the shape of flies to create euphoria.

So to them, flies symbolize fertility since that is what the goddess Ishtar represented.

Native American Beliefs

Native American tribes have different beliefs about flies. Flies do not appear often in the myths of the Native American culture, but in the few instances that they are mentioned, they are associated with diseases, dirt, dark magic, and curses.

Some tribes do, however, perceive flies in a positive light. The Navajo tribe, for instance, sees flies as messengers from their ancestors and a connection to people who lived before.

The Hopi tribe, on the other hand, sees flies as a symbol of the fertility of their women.

The Hopi people use a kachina to represent Sohonasomtaka, a legendary warrior fly that punished rogue clown kachinas. The kachina that represents Sohonasomtaka was used during Hopi rituals to keep outsiders from intruding.

Flies are mentioned in the legends and myths of Native American cultures, where they are perceived as either good or bad guardians. Generally, Native Americans see flies as a symbol of change and new beginnings.

Sumerian Symbolism

The Sumerians derive their beliefs about flies mostly from an infamous poem passed down in cuneiform. According to the poem, the goddess Inanna descended to the underworld to save her husband.

In her quest, she was assisted by a fly. Flies, therefore, symbolize a helping spirit for many Sumerians.

8 Prophetic Meanings of Flies in Your House

The presence of flies in your house could mean they are attracted to a particular scent, perhaps from shampoo, perfume, or an air freshener. Sometimes it simply means it is the season when flies are reproducing in large numbers, and you need to find a way to get rid of them.

However, if the presence of flies persists to the point that it is considered abnormal, then the chance that a prophetic meaning is attached to it is high.

Let’s look at some of the most common meanings of flies in your house, as believed across different cultures all over the world.

An indication that something bad is about to happen

Many cultures derive positive meanings from flies hovering around them. However, negative meanings are also common across all these cultures.

Depending on what you associate flies with, having them around your house constantly could mean that something bad is about to happen. This is commonly the case if you find the flies repulsive and irritating.

If, however, you perceive them as a symbol of a good thing, it could mean that they are trying to warn you of a bad thing that is about to happen so that you can prepare yourself to deal with it or change course.

This is the case, especially for those who believe that flies are a way through which ancestors speak to them.

You are hanging around troublesome people

The presence of flies around your house will likely trigger irritation and frustration. The constant buzzing and flying around nags you to take action.

It is believed that this symbolizes the presence of people or things in your life that are doing you more harm than good. The effect the flies elicit that frustrates you is the same effect that such people cause.

It is, therefore, important to focus on what is going wrong in your life and look at what might be causing it so that you can deal with it. You can do this by cutting off or creating boundaries with such people or things so that you can focus on living a much better life.

Motivation to continue being persistent

In this case, there are two ways in which flies offer motivation. According to millersguild.com, the first instance is if there is a possibility that you want to give up on something because you lack the motivation to continue, perhaps because of the obstacles you are facing.

Flies usually keep buzzing no matter how much you try to swat them away. That is your cue to not focus on the obstacles that you are facing and continue forging ahead.

The irritation you get from flies shows that it takes struggle to attain true success.

The second instance is the motivation that comes from within. In this case, the flies are the obstacles that you are facing. Despite all the noises and the irritation they cause you, you don’t pack up and flee; instead, you find a way to deal with the obstacles.

This is one of the positive prophetic meanings of flies, and it cuts across many cultures.

An indication that someone is trying to get your attention

As you might already know, some ancient Egyptian cultures believe that flies are messengers between mortals and mortals and mortals and gods.

So, flies in your house could mean someone has been trying to communicate with you, but they have repeatedly gone unnoticed. The person does not have to be a stranger.

They could be people who you haven’t talked to in a while and are trying to reconnect with you. It could also be a secret admirer or someone who wants to have a platonic relationship with you.

You should also be aware of stalkers and people who don’t necessarily have your best interests at heart. You need to look into yourself and those around you to be sure that whoever it does not pose a threat to your well-being.

A signal of death

Generally, flies have negative connotations in the Bible and across many cultures. The book of Exodus 8:20-30 suggests that flies symbolize evil and terror. Flies are also associated with carcasses and decaying matter.

This is why it is no news that some people believe that having flies in your house is a sign to alert you that death is approaching.

It is by far the most frightening meaning associated with flies. However, not every instance suggests death. It is difficult to know if death is the actual meaning or not.

Most of the time, people realize the essence of the sign after the outcome.

Also, it does not always mean the death of someone. It could mean the end of something you held dear, like a business or a habit.

It could also mean the end of an era in your life or an emotional transition. It symbolizes the end of one thing and the start of something new.

Fear of losing somebody

Flies are manifestations of emotions like guilt, frustration, irritation, and fear. So, if they are in your house, it could mean that they are mirroring your fear.

It could be that you are uncertain about a particular situation in your life, and you do not know which direction to go concerning it.

It could also mean that you fear losing someone or something and are disturbed by how losing it would impact your life.

In such cases, the best way to deal is to take positive measures to curb the threat, just in case it happens. Having an insurance policy helps reduce your fear of the unknown.

Abundant success

This belief is not as popular as the others. Only a few people believe in it. Flies are usually associated with dead flesh. Now, it is not all the case that the things that symbolically die in our lives are good.

Sometimes the negative things die, and we remain with the positives. This belief is rooted on that.

This belief is mostly popular with ancient Greeks. They also believed that the more flies someone has in their house, the higher their success is.

The flies mark the end of their failures, after which all that they engage in become a success.

End of relations

Many relationships end due to a lack of communication between the two parties. Many people believe that speaking out about the faults of those they care about will hurt them.

Atshg.org suggests that this results in unsaid truths and emotions that build up into misunderstandings. In this case, flies symbolize these emotions.

Though the flies could symbolize that the relationships in the house are over, they could also mean that there is a need to communicate better. If this is the case, the relationship can be salvaged in time.

If not, it is better to walk away rather than to stay in a toxic place.

What does it mean when you dream about flies in your house?

Dreaming about flies has different meanings depending on your cultural beliefs. It is sometimes difficult to place the exact meaning of a dream about flies.

It could mean that you are letting go of something that you should be holding on to or holding on to the wrong things that drains your energy, and it is time to let go.

Another meaning is that there is a looming death, but not necessarily of a person. It could be the end of a business, relationship, or venture that you wanted to undertake but was not beneficial to you.

A dream about dead flies could suggest that you are about to walk out of a difficult time in your life. It means you have overcome a difficult situation and can finally look forward to a stress-free time ahead.

The accuracy of these symbolisms isn’t exact, and it isn’t worth focusing all your energy on trying to decipher the meaning. Sometimes, dreaming about flies in your home has zero impact on your waking life.

What does it mean spiritually when flies keep following you?

It is one thing to have flies in your house: it is quite another different thing to have them follow you around. The most common belief about flies following you is that a stranger is about to enter your life, and they are eager to meet you.

Other people believe that it is a symbol of good luck. This belief is, however, not shared by everyone, as some people see it as a bad omen.

Flies are associated with all evil things, including death, so to have one follow you could mean that misfortune is coming your way.

It is, however, not all bad because receiving a sign beforehand helps you change the course of action to avoid it before the actual bad thing happens.