Symbols of Revelation – Literal Meaning

Angel    Messenger
Daniel 8,16; 9:21 Luke 1:19, 26, Hebrews 1:14
Ark of Testimony

Ark of the convenant/mercy seat where God dwells, contains Ten Commandments
Exodus 25:10-22, Psalm 80:1

Babylon   Religious apostasy/confusion
Genesis 10:8-10, 11:6-9: Revelation 17:1-5
Balaam, doctrine of Advancing our own interests, compromise, idolatry
Numbers 22:5-25
Beast Kingdom, government, political power
Daniels 7:23
Binding of Satan A symbolic chain of circumstances
Isaiah 14:12-20
Black 

Moral darkness, sin, apostasy
Exodus 10:21-23: Jeremiah 4:20-28: 8:21: Acts 26:18: John 12:35: Joel 2:1-10

Blood

Life
Leviticus 17:11, Deuteronomy 12:23

Bottomless pit 

Earth in chaos, torn up, dark & empty, an empty abyss, where Satan "dwells"
Genesis 1:1, 2 Jeremiah 4:23-28, Isaiah 24:1-4, 19, Revelation 20:1-3

Bow

Success in battle against evil
Psalm 7:11, 12; Psalm 45: 4,5

Corrupt Woman 

Corrupt, apostate World-Wide Christian church
Ezekiel 16:15-58; 23:2-21; Hosea 3:1

Crowns

Kingship, victory
I Chronicles 20:2, II Kings 11:12, Ezekiel 21:26,27; James 1:12; II Timothy 4:7,8; I Corinthians 9:25

Cup

Meted out suffering and judgments
Psalm 11:5; 75:8, Isaiah 51:17,22-23; Jeremiah 25:15-17; 49:12

Day

Literal year (if Prophetic)
Ezekiel 4:6, Numbers 14:34

Door

Opportunity
II Corinthians 2:12; Revelation 3:20

Dragon

Satan or his agency
Isaiah 27:1; Psalm 74:13,14; Revelation 12:7-9, Ezekiel 29:3: Jeremiah 51:34

Eagle (Vulture)

Speed, power, vision, vengeance, protection
Deuteronomy 28:49, Habakkuk 1:6-8, Revelation 12:14

Eating the book 

Assimilating the message
Ezekiel 3:1-3; Jeremiah 15:16

Egypt

Symbol of atheism and sin
Exodus 5:2

Eyesalve God's Spirit to help us see truth. Discernment to understand word. Antidote for spiritual blindness
Ephesians 1:17-19, Psalm 119:18; I John 2:20,27; John 16:7-13
Faithful witness

Christ
John 18:37; John 3:11; Revelation 1:5; Revelation 3:14; 19:11

False prophet

Apostate Christianity
Revelation 16:13,14; 13:13,14; 19:20

Forehead

Mind
Romans 7:25 (1656), Ezekiel 3:8-9

Fornication

Illicit connection between church & state
Ezekiel 16:15,26; Isaiah 23:17; James 4:4; Revelation 14:4

Four Beasts or Living Creatures

Heavenly beings with special responsibilities
Revelation 5:8-10, 6:1-7, 14:3; 15:7, 19:4

Four Corners of
Earth

Four directions of compass - the whole earth
Jeremiah 49:36

Garments

Covering of righteousness
Genesis 35:2, Isaiah 61:10, Isaiah 52:1, Zechariah 3:3-5; Romans 13:14

Gold

True riches of heaven, faith, scripture
Psalm 19:7-10; Galatians 5:6; James 2:5; Job 23:10

Hand

Symbol of work
Ecclesiastes 9:10

Harlot 

Apostate Christianity: Same as the False prophet
Isaiah 1:21; Jeremiah 3:1-3, 6-9

Heads

Major powers, rulers, governments
Daniel 7:6 cf Daniel 8:8,22; Revelation 17:3,10

Hidden Manna

Christ
John 6:49,50,53; Matthew 13:44

Horn

Power and strength
Deuteronomy 33:17; Zechariah 1:18,19
King or Kingdom
Psalm 89:17,24; Danies 8:5,21,22

Horse

Symbol of battle
Exodus 15:21, Isaiah 43:17; Jeremiah 8:6; Ezekiel 38:15; Zechariah 10:3
Special representatives/angels
Zechariah 1:8,10; 6:1-8

Image

A likeness - having the same character
Exodus 20:4; Genesis 1:26; 5:3; Deuteronomy 4:25; Romans 8:29

Incense

Prayers of God’s people
Psalm 141:2; Revelation 5:8; 8:3,4

Israel

True followers of Jesus Christ
Romans 9:6-8; Romans 2:28,29; Galatians 3:29

Jezebel

Immortality, idolatry, apostasy
I Kings 21:25; II Kings 9:22

Key of David

Power to open and close the sanctuary
Revelation 3:7,8; Isaiah 22:22

Keys 

Control/jurisdiction
Isaiah 22:22; Matthew 16:19

Lamb

Jesus/sacrifice
John 1:29; I Corinthians 5:7; Genesis 22:7,8

Lamb’s wife

"New Jerusalem" the True Christian Revelation 19:7-9; 21:2,9,10

Lion

Strength and Jesus Christ
Genesis 49:9; Revelation 5:4-9; Psalm 7:2

Locusts

Destructive/destructive agencies
Joel 1:4; Deuteronomy 28:38

Lord’s Day

The Seventh-day Sabbath - Saturday Isaiah 58:13; Matthew 12:8; Exodus 20:10

Man child

Jesus
Psalm 2:7-9; Revelation 12:5

Mark

Sign/seal/mark of approval, or disapproval
Romans 4:11; Revelation 7:2,3; Ezekiel 9:4

Measuring rod

God’s law
James 2:10:12; Ecclesiastes 12:13,14
God’s word
Isaiah 8:19,20; II Timothy 3:16,17

Merchants

Advocates of Babylon’s teaching

Isaiah 47:11-15; Nahum 3:16,17; Revelation 18:3,11,15,23

Moon

Permanence
Psalm 89:39,37
Moses’ system of types and sacrifice
Hebrews 10:1,11

Morning Star

Jesus
Revelation 22:16

Mountains 

Political or religio/political powers
Isaiah 2:2,3; Jeremiah 17:3; 31:23; Jeremiah 51:24,25; Ezekiel 17:22,23; Daniel 2:35,44,45

Mystery of God

The gospel - the Good News - Universal Restoration
Ephesians 1:9,10; 3:9; 6:19; Colossians 1:26,27

New Jerusalem

The "Holy City" of Heaven - True followers of Christ
Revelation 3:12; 21:2

Oil

God's Spirit of Holiness - mistranslated as Holy Spirit
Zechariah 4:2-6; Revelation 4:5

Open Door

Unlimited opportunity
I Corinthians 16:9; Acts 14:27; John 10:7-9 ; Hosea 2:15 ; Colossians 4:3

Rainbow 

Token of covenant keeping
Genesis 9:11-17

Red (color)

Sin, corruption
Isaiah 1:18 ; 26:21; Psalm 75:8 ; Jeremiah 46:10; Persecution
Ezekiel 32:6,11; Jeremiah 46:10; Nahum 2:3

Reins

Seat of will, affections - inward being
Psalm 7:9 ; 16:7 ; 26:2; 73:21; Proverbs 23:16 ; Jeremiah 17:10

Seal

Sign, mark and seal mean same thing
Romans 4:11; Revelation 7:2,3 ; Ezekiel 9:4

Second Death

Lake of fire
Revelation 21:8 ; 20:14

Serpent

Satan
Revelation 12:7-9 ; Revelation 20:2

Seven Candlesticks

7 Candlesticks in Holy Place of Sanctuary
Exodus 25:31-40
Seven Churches
Revelation 1:20

Seven Heads

Seven political powers
Revelation 17:9,10; Isaiah 2:2,4 ; Jeremiah 17:3

Seven Lamps

Jesus, Word of God
John 9:5; John 1:9; Psalm 119:105; Revelation 4:5

Sickle

Symbol of harvest – End of world
Matthew 13:39; Revelation 14:14

Sodom

Moral degradation
Ezekiel 16:46-55; Jeremiah 23:14; GENESIS 19:4-14

Stars

Angels
Revelation 1:16,20; 12:4,7-9; Job 38:7

Sun

Jesus and the gospel
John 9:5 (1565); Psalm 84:11; Malachi 4:2; Matthew 17:2; John 8:12

Sword

Bloodshed, destruction
Isaiah 3:25; 13:15; Acts 12:1,2; Jeremiah 48:2

Testimony of Jesus

Spirit/gift of prophecy
Revelation 19:10; 22:9; I Corinthians 13:2

Thief

Suddenness of Jesus coming
I Thessalonians 5:2; II Peter 3:10

Time

Literal year
Daniel 4:16,23,25,32; 7:25; 11:13 margin; Revelation12:6,14; 11:2,3

Torment

Test, prove by trial
I Corinthians 3:13; Hebrews 12:29; Isaiah 33:14

Twenty-four Elders

A group redeemed from earth
Revelation 5:9,10; 4:4; 7:9,14

Two-edged Sword

God’s word – Sword of spirit

Ephesians 6:17; Hebrews 4:12; Matthew 10:34; Isaiah 49:2

Two Witnesses

Old and New Testament
John 5:39; Zechariah 4:1-14; Psalm 119:130,105; John 12:48

Waters

Inhabited area – people, nations
Revelation 17:15

White (color)

Purity
Psalm 51:7; Isaiah 1:18

White robes

Victory & Righteousness
Isaiah 61:10; Revelation 19:8; 3:5; Zechariah 3:1-5; Revelation 7:14; Galatians 3:27

Winds

Strife, commotion, “winds of war”
Jeremiah 25-31-33; 49:36,37; 4:11-13; Zechariah 7:14

Wine

False doctrine/teachings
Jeremiah 25:15-18; 51:7

Jesus blood of atonement
Matthew 26:21-29

Wings

Speed
Habakkuk 1:6-8; Jeremiah 4:13; Exodus 19:4

Woman, Pure

True Church
Jeremiah 6:2; cr Isaiah 51:16; II Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 5:22-35

Woman, Impure

Apostate church
Ezekiel 23:2-21; Revelation 14:4; Hosea 2:5; Hosea 3:1; Ezekiel 16:15-58

Wormwood Sorrow/bitterness
Jeremiah 9:15; 23:15; Lamentations 3:19
Wrath of God Seven last plagues
Revelation 15:1

God's Wrath Romans 1:18,24-28

 


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