How do we understand symbols in Bible Prophecy? Part One

The Bible always explains it’s own prophetic symbols. Sometimes that occurs in the same passage that the prophecy is recorded in. For example, in Revelation chapter 1:12-16, John is given a vision of Jesus standing among 7 candlesticks, holding 7 stars in His right hand. Jesus, Himself, gave the explanation of the symbols of the stars and the candlesticks to John:

Revelation 1:20 The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of he seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thous sawest are the seven churches.

So here John is given a beautiful vision depicting Jesus walking amongst His churches, holding the angels (or messengers) to the churches in His hand. And the explanation for the symbols is given in the same chapter.

However, in other prophecies, the explanation of the symbols is given in a different passage, and sometimes even a different book of the Bible, but it is always provided by the Bible. For example, in Daniel chapter 7, Daniel is given a vision of various beasts that come up out of a sea.

Daniel 7:3 And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse from one another.

Daniel goes on to describe the first beast as like a lion with eagle’s wings. The second beast was like a bear and had three ribs between it’s teeth, the third beast was like a leopard with four heads, with had four wings like a bird. And the final beast was so horrible there was nothing in the natural world to compare it to, but it had iron teeth, ten horns and was very destructive.

The explanation of what a beast in Bible prophecy represents, is recorded in the same chapter.

Daniel 7:17,23 These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which shall arise out of the earth…The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon the earth and shall be diverse from all kingdoms…

So the beasts represent kingdoms and their rulers. But did you note that the vision showed the beasts coming up from a sea, and yet the explanation says that the four kings will arise out of the earth? What is the significance of the sea? Here we need to move to an entirely different book for find the explanation. Revelation chapter 17 records another vision given to John, and here is given the explanation of the sea.

Revelation 17:15 And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations and tongues.

So the four beasts of Daniel chapter 7, come to power in well populated areas (multitudes of people and nations). This is in contrast to the second beast of Revelation chapter 13 which is shown in vision to come out of the earth, out of a sparsely populated region (for an explanation of the other symbols in the prophecy of Daniel 7, please see the link below).

Sometimes the meaning of a prophetic symbol is determined from a non-prophetic passage in the Bible. For example, in Revelation 12:1-5,13-17, John is given a vision of a woman clothed with the sun, standing on the moon, wearing a crown with twelve stars, who then gives birth to a baby boy, that the great red dragon tries to kill. The woman is then given the two wings of a huge eagle to fly into the wilderness where she is looked after for a period of time.

So the question must be asked, who does the woman in this vision represent? Throughout the Bible, God likens His relationship to His church as one of marriage. He depicts His church as His bride.

Jeremiah 6:2 I have likened the daughter of Zion to a comely and delicate woman (Is 51:16 …Zion, thou art my people)

Jeremiah 3:14 Turn, O backsliding children, saith the Lord; for I am married unto you…

2 Corinthians 11:2 …I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ (see also Eph 5:22-25).

And, conversely, God depicts a disloyal church as a harlot or prostitute (see Rev 17).

Thus the woman in the prophecy of Revelation 12, depicts God’s true and loyal church (please see link below for a full explanation of all of the other symbols used in this prophecy).

So whether the description of a symbol in Bible prophecy is given in the same prophetic passage, in a different prophetic passage, or is a symbol used in the non-prophetic passages of scripture, the Bible always provides the meaning of the symbol. As 2 Peter 1:20-21 tells us, we are never to give Bible prophecy our own private interpretation.

To be continued…

For a fascinating depiction of the bride, the beast, and Babylon, this video explores the prophecies of Revelation chapters 12 and 17