Thread: Understanding Revelation

Understanding Revelation (Lesson 1)

When I was a young boy growing up I used to send my friends letters in code. We dreamed up elaborate encryptions for disguising our messages back and forth so that nobody but us could understand our communications. There were plenty of spy kits kids could get with the same thing in differing variations. I can still remember my secret decoder ring, ordered from a coupon off a box of breakfast cereal, it was used to translate coded messages into something understandable. Nobody else but us was allowed to know the real meanings of those top secret communications. I remember fondly the times when entire legions of imaginary troops would be dispersed in life and death struggles based on those communications with civilization as we know it hanging by a thread. Those were fun times to be sure. But what we need to take away from this is that first, my friends on the other end had the key to understanding my messages to them and vice versa. We knew how to de-code the encrypted language. And second, the coding of the message was for the purpose of concealing our messages from certain people. Those who did not know how to understand the messages would be utterly baffled as to the meaning and we could carry out our escapades of adventure and conquest right under their noses without them knowing anything about what was going on.

If we are going to have any hope whatsoever of unraveling the mystery of the Revelation, we are going to have to understand that it was written to an audience that would know what the message was and understand it the same as they did. God would no more write a letter to His children they could not understand than we would to our secret spy buddies in the spy games of our youth. The conditions surrounding the first readers of the Revelation were far more serious than any of those around which we as up and coming 007 spies had to contend with in the days of our youth growing up.

The first readers of John's Revelation were engaged in a life and death struggle against the forces of evil who were committed to their annihilation. Backing up and looking at this great book from a distance reveals that it is obviously a book of encouragement, perseverance and hope to an oppressed people. the general theme of the book is the bad guys lose and the good guys win. The book paints very vivid and horrific pictures of the fate that awaits the bad guys while likewise portrays the joy and happiness that rewards the good guys. Time and again, we are taken on a rollercoaster ride through the book with numerous scenes of God's wrath on His enemies and then His blessings and vengeful protection of his faithful children who are assured time and again that they will be victorious in the end and their enemies will suffer His eternal wrath.

The type of language used to write the Revelation is called "Apocalyptic". This word comes from the Greek word apokalupto (ap-ok-al-oop'-to), and simply means a "revealing" or to "reveal". This is where we get the word "Revelation". The book of Revelation is certainly not the only time God used this kind of language. The books of Daniel, Zechariah and others are instances where God used this kind of language in order to "reveal" what He wished to communicate. The words used in this kind of language have a symbolic meaning in the minds of the readers of the letter. For instance the word "Horn" is used in both Revelation and Daniel. To the Jews, the horn was an emblem of power (1 Kings 22:11). Samuel wrote, "and he shall give strength unto his king, and exalt the horn of his anointed" (1 Samuel 2:10). David wrote, "But my horn shalt thou exalt like the horn of an unicorn" (Psalms 92:10). The Jewish Christians who had converted from Judaism would be familiar with this and when they heard the word "horn" they would associate it with "strength and power" in their minds. So we see that the many words used as symbols in the Revelation have significant meanings to the people who would first read the letter. The symbolic meaning of the word "horn" would not be easily known to anybody who was not familiar with the Old Testament scriptures so those reading the letter would not be able to understand what it meant to the first readers of the letter. To you and I, a horn simply means the horn on some kind of animal like a rhinoceros or a water buffalo. So if we are to understand the Revelation, we must learn what the symbolic language contained therein meant to a particular group of the people who read the letter in the first century.

Why was Revelation written the way it was?

Language is symbolized in order to conceal it's meaning to all but to whom it is intended. The Christians at the time Revelation was written were undergoing severe persecution from their enemies. Just about everybody that was not a Christian was their enemy. Their enemies were viciously brutal and their lives hung in the balance on a daily basis. It was a crime against the laws of the government under which they lived to even be a Christian and the penalty for transgressing this law was often death.

In the book of Revelation, the Christians are told they will be victorious in the end and their enemies will be crushed in defeat. They are also told by God not to give in to their enemies and worship who they want them to worship, but to worship God and only God. The persecuting powers under which the Christians were living wanted them to give up the one true and living God and worship their false god. Along comes a letter from one of the most beloved leaders of the Christians telling them just the opposite and in addition to this, it spells out in detail the downfall, destruction and ultimate fate of their enemies. One must ask, what would have been the consequences faced by the Christians if this letter fell into the hands of the authorities and they could understand it? The persecution of the Christians would have become worse and all copies of the letter would have been denied to them. The authorities who were oppressing the Christians don't want them to have any hope. They wanted them to give in and worship who they wanted them to worship. John's message of hope, perseverance and victory would have been rounded up and destroyed before it was copied and distributed all across the known world. One could only imagine how horrible it would have been for a Christian to be found in possession of such a letter.

The Revelation had to be copied and distributed freely across the known world in order for it to be effective. In order for this to happen, it's meaning could not be easily understood by the oppressing authorities of the time. So with that in mind, the message of Revelation was "symbolized" or "signified" as we see it in the very first verse of the book so that its true message was revealed in such a way that it could only be understood by those to whom it was intended. How did God do this? By using language that meant things only a Christian with knowledge of and access to the rest of scripture could possibly know.

Someone who was not a Christian, who had never studied the scriptures, whether old or new, would never understand the message of Revelation. To them it would be a meaningless mass of nonsensical writing that only confirmed in their minds that the Christians were a bunch of loony fanatics who followed after a mystical and hard to understand God that posed no real threat to them and their way of life. The Christians were given a message of hope, perseverance and ultimate victory over their enemies that only they could understand and that would not bring any added persecution to them because of it.

How effective was it?

The message of Revelation exists today. It was copied and distributed throughout the known world as directed by God. While many Christians were slaughtered for their faithfulness, Christianity as a whole survived and flourished and is still alive and vibrant today and will, as we are taught in scripture, continue to the end of time. History teaches us that persecution of Christians was no by no means limited to the first century. For thousands of years, Christians have been slain for their faithfulness by those who would force their way of life on others. Even today in some of the Muslim countries a proclamation of faith in the one true and living God is the equivalent of a death sentence.

Many denominations today have their own understanding of Revelation and it becomes painfully obvious rather quickly that they do not all agree. The real meaning of the Revelation was purposefully symbolic and hard to understand when it was written and it's obviously hard today in view of all the many interpretations of it from numerous writers of all times, especially in modern times where we see the emergence of the millennial beliefs and teachings.

What we need to take away from this study is that the Revelation was a message of hope, perseverance and triumph, written to a specific group of people at a specific time in history. The Revelation, being intended for them, was successfully understood by them. It was written in such a way that Jewish Christians of the first century familiar with the Old and New Testament scriptures would be able to understand its meaning.

In Summary

So with that said, we are going to look at the Revelation through the eyes of the first readers. We are going to examine their lives and the conditions under which they lived. We are going to discover and learn what all the figurative language meant to them through a thorough study of the rest of scripture both Old Testament and New. We are, to the best of our ability, going to learn how to look at John's Apocalypse through their eyes and understand it how they did. If we are to understand it correctly today, we must realize that what it meant to them at the time it was written is what it must mean to us today.

Thanks David; I hope that you have time to post all of your study here. It will reach out to a new audience!!!

Symbolic Objects in Revelation

As we go further in our study of the symbolism of Revelation let's keep in mind that the writer wrote his message primarily for the encouragement and edification of the Christians of his own time. We must make a close study of the church of that day and acquaint ourselves with the moral, religious, social, and political conditions of the day when the book was written and must understand the mind of the people as they faced all the perplexities of a government intent upon their annihilation.
In Revelation the ordinary rules of interpretation cannot be followed. Textural Criticism usually requires that the words of any passage of Scripture must be understood in their plain and natural sense unless there is some reason to take them figuratively. The presumption is always in favor of the literal meaning. If one interprets it otherwise, he must show the cause. This is not the case in Revelation. Because this book is presented in pictorial form, one must assume that the symbols are to be taken figuratively unless there is good reason for regarding them as literal. There are few places where literal language is used in the midst of symbolic language, but these stand out in the context just as Greek words stand out in a context of English.

When we read the Bible story of David and Goliath we see the boy, the giant, the armor, the sling and the victory. This is the entire story and while it teaches us that God was behind David's victory, the story does not have any symbolic references and is to be taken as a literal battle. But when we read in the seventeenth chapter of Revelation about a scarlet woman, riding on a beast with seven heads and ten horns we must see not just the story but what it symbolizes. We cannot take this as literal information concerning a literal woman on a literal beast, rather we must see that the scene symbolizes some fact or truth in the spiritual life or experience of Christianity. The interpreter who starts out to understand Revelation literally starts in the wrong direction, and the further he proceeds in this direction the less he will understand the book.

The writer uses these symbols to communicate his thoughts to those who will read and understand the symbols and at the same time in order to conceal his ideas from those outside the Christian circle. To us living in the present time this concealment of sensitive facts from outsiders may not appear to be of great importance, but the conditions of the day in which the work was written reveal that it was extremely important and necessary. The meaning of the greater part of the symbolism of Revelation is quite clear to the modern reader who is willing to see it. There are some symbols which are not so easily understood and where there is much room for diversity of opinion. About these one can ill afford to be dogmatic. The wise thing to do is to seek earnestly to find the most probable meaning of the symbol to those who first received the book and consider that as the most likely interpretation.

In order to understand the true meaning of Revelation, we must seek to grasp the visions or series of visions as a whole without pressing the details of the symbolism. It must be noted that many of the details are for the dramatic effect and not for adding to the minute meaning of a passage. The details of a vision may have significance, but in many instances they are used only to fill out the scenery. This same principle applies in the interpretation of parables and often in the books of poetry. For instance, observe verses 5 and 6 of the Psalm 91:

"You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, Nor of the arrow that flies by day,
Nor the pestilence that walks in darkness,
Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday."

Taken in connection with the whole purpose of the Psalm the details reflect the idea that the believer is always under the protective care of God. While this is true, taking any one of the details by itself and it is not true. Believers do fall in battle, and are ill with contagious diseases as well as others. The details of the Psalmist are not intended that way! They are for the cumulative effect to assure men that God cares for those who trust in Him.

Similarly in Revelation the details are added to make a tremendous impression of the things discussed. In Revelation 6:12-17 we have an overwhelming impression of approaching doom and human terror. This is sufficient without asking the minute symbolism of each falling star, the removal of the heavens, and the moving of each mountain. The safest policy is to consider the overall truth and let the details of the symbolism fit in to complete the picture in the most natural way.

As with numbers discussed previously, there are some objects used in the Revelation which carry with them a symbolic or figurative meaning. For instance, a lamb is used to represent Jesus Christ. Revelation 5:12, "...Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing." Following is a list of several objects used in the Revelation and what they represented in the minds of the first readers.



Ark of the Covenant:
It is called the "ark of His covenant" in Revelation 11:19. This is taken from the Old Testament as a symbol of God's covenant with mankind. In John's day, as it will be until the end of time, this was a direct reference to the New Covenant; Christianity.

Babylon:
was used by the apocalyptic Jewish writers to symbolize the seat of government where all evil befalling them emanated. Peter wrote: "The church that is at Babylon , elected together with you, saluteth you; and so doth Marcus my son." (1 Peter 5:13). It is obvious that Peter had Rome in mind when he wrote this. Mark was mentioned and had been summoned to Rome by the apostle Paul (2 Timothy 4:11). The first reference of Babylon in Revelation holds clues that positively identify it for the rest of the book: "And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication." (Revelation 14:8). The literal Babylon of the first century was nothing more than a military station. It was certainly not a great city that could force all the nations under her to worship the beast and his image (Revelation 14:9). Ancient Babylon had been utterly destroyed never to be rebuilt (Jeremiah 50).

Beast:
literally a wild savage jungle brute, was used by the Jewish apocalyptic writers to symbolize a ruler or his government. See Daniel 7:3 through 8:4.

Children of Israel:
is an Old and New Testament symbol representing God's people. The term "children of Israel" occurs 644 times in the King James version of the Bible with three of them in Revelation.

Clouds:
This word cloud or clouds occurs in the New Testament twenty seven times in the KJV. In all but a few, it is used in some relation to deity or of a divine appearance, often in judgment.

Color black:
is the general representation of death or impending doom and despair. "My skin is black upon me, and my bones are burned with heat" (Job 30:30). "Look not upon me, because I am black , because the sun hath looked upon me: my mother's children were angry with me; they made me the keeper of the vineyards; but mine own vineyard have I not kept" (Song of Solomon 1:6). "For this shall the earth mourn, and the heavens above be black : because I have spoken it, I have purposed it, and will not repent, neither will I turn back from it" (Jeremiah 4:28). Black is a dark color which is the opposite of light, which represents all that is good. Things that are described as being black or dark are in contrast with things that are light. "He that saith he is in the light and hateth his brother, is in the darkness even until now. He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is no occasion of stumbling in him. But he that hateth his brother is in the darkness, and walketh in the darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because the darkness hath blinded his eyes" (1 John 2:9-11).

Color red:
represents sin (Isaiah 1:18), the severity of death, warfare, and bloodshed. The dragon in Revelation was described as "red" The red horse in Revelation 6:4 went out to "take peace from the earth". The ancient sacrificial worship of the Israelites required that the blood of animals be shed for the sins of the faithful. Jesus' blood was also shed for the sins of the faithful of all time.

Color White:
symbolizes purity or victory. In Revelation 7:14 John portrays those who "washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." Isaiah wrote "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool" (Isaiah 1:18). At the mount of transfiguration with Peter, and James, and John, Jesus was "transfigured before them; and his garments became glistering, exceeding white, so as no fuller on earth can whiten them (Mark 9:2-3).

Crystal Sea:
is symbolic of a calm and tranquil setting of hope and assurance amid a storm of persecution and violence. The seas usually represent violent unrest but the sea of glass or of crystal is just the opposite, being smooth and quiet, representing in the minds of the first century people the peace which surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:7). Revelation 4:6 "and before the throne, as it were a sea of glass like a crystal;..." This crystal sea or sea of glass is a figurative barrier which stands between God's people on earth and the throne. In the end of Revelation, this crystal sea is not envisioned and the saved have a direct and perfect fellowship with God in heaven. In heaven, the saved do not need a calm crystal sea of assurance and hope amid a world of persecution and violence to stand upon, they stand in the presence of God.

"Defiled with women":
as used by OT writers carries with it the idea of spiritual fornication which was idolatry. However, the term woman must be taken in context with the symbolism to determine its use because the term woman can be used in different senses. Throughout the Revelation, the worshipping of false Gods was referred to as "fornication". Those who were never "defiled with women" and were "virgins" had never bowed themselves to idolatry. See Revelation 14:4

Diadems:
The diadem originated with the Persians and signifies royalty. Monarchs of ancient Persia wore a blue band interwoven or marked with white. In time a diadem came to be ornamented with gold and jewels and when worn identified one as a monarch or royalty. Diadems were worn by the figures which represent Satan in the Revelation. This is not to be confused with the "stephanos" crown of the victor which was worn by those who would win in the end. Satan never wears the this crown, rather he wears only the diadem because he never wins any permanent victories.

Door: Used symbolically in Revelation 3:8; 3:20 and 4:1. "Behold, I stand at the door , and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." (Revelation 3:20). The symbol "door" is expressive of Christ's patient, persistent and affectionate appeal to men. The overall symbolic meaning of the word is the means by which something worthwhile is obtained or opportunity.

Dragon:
Symbolized of Satan, the devil. This is one of those figures that is identified within the Revelation in more than one place. "And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him" (Revelation 12:9). "And he laid hold on the dragon , that old serpent, which is the Devil , and Satan, and bound him a thousand years," (Revelation 20:2). The dragon was never anything but Satan in the Revelation.

Eagle:
was used by the ancient mystic writers to represent two different concepts - (1) swiftness or speed (see 12:13; Lev 11:13) and (2) as a bird of ill omen (see Jeremiah 49:22; Hosea 8:1).

Earthquake:
is a familiar Old Testament figure used to describe God's judgment against the enemies of His people. Against the enemies of Judah, God said, "Thou shalt be visited of the LORD of hosts with thunder, and with earthquake , and great noise, with storm and tempest, and the flame of devouring fire" (Isaiah 29:6). Joel said that "the heavens and the earth shall shake" when God, "shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem" (Joel 3:16).

Fire:
Represented a number of things in scripture. Predominantly it was used as a purification process. There were the burnt sacrifices, the incense was burnt. In Zechariah 13:9 fire is used symbolically to refine or to purify like silver is purified. Fire also is a symbol of divine wrath in destruction or punishment (Genesis 19:24, Exodus 9:23). Fire in the Old Testament is especially associated with the divine presence (Genesis 15:17, Exodus 3:2, Exodus 13:21, Exodus 19:18)

Frog:
as seen in seen in Revelation 16:13. "The unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet." Verse 14 goes on to explain what the unclean spirits were. It is significant to note that it was not frogs that came out of the mouths of satan and his servants. The subject of this vision is the unclean spirits. The Jewish people under the old law were commanded to view frogs as an abomination. "These shall ye eat of all that are in the waters: whatsoever hath fins and scales in the waters, in the seas, and in the rivers, them shall ye eat. And all that have not fins and scales in the seas, and in the rivers, of all that move in the waters, and of any living thing which is in the waters, they shall be an abomination unto you:" (Leviticus 11:9-10). Anything that would be described like a frog would be loathsome to a Jew who lived in the first century, therefore the unclean spirits would have been an abomination to them.

Gog and Magog:
are of Old Testament derivation (Ezekiel 38 ) and were used by the Jewish apocalyptic writers as symbolic of enemies of the Messiah. The terms were used primarily to identify someone who rallied with the devil and contaminated the worship of the saints.

Horn:
symbolizes power or authority. The common figurative use of "horn" is taken from the image of battling animals as seen in Daniel 8:7 to denote aggressive strength. In Zechariah 1:18-21 "horns" stand for power in general. In Habakkuk 3:4 the "horns coming out of his [God's] hand" represent His power. When, in Daniel 7:7-24; 8:3,8-9,20-21; Revelation 13:1; 17:3,7,12,16, many horns are given to the same animal, they symbolize successive nations or rulers. But the seven horns in Revelation 5:6; 12:3 denote the completeness of the malevolent or righteous power. In Revelation 13:11, however, the two horns of the lesser beast point to power, but not to the degree of the power of the greater beast, nor of God.

Horse:
represents strength, war or the consequences thereof. The horse is referred to figuratively in Zechariah as well as Revelation. A chariot and horses of fire take Elijah up to heaven (2 Kings 2:11 f). In Psalms 20:7; 33:17; and 76:6, the great strength of the horse is recalled as a reminder of the greater strength of God. In Job 39:19-25 we have a magnificent description of a spirited war-horse.

Incense:
Figuratively, incense was a symbol of ascending prayer. The multitude were praying while Zacharias offered incense (Luke 1:10), and in Revelation 5:8; 8:3, the incense in the heavenly temple is connected and even identified (5:8) with "the prayers of the saints."

Isle or Islands:
The islands represented to the 1st century people the outer reaches or most remote lands and far away possessions of a nation. At the fall of Tyre, God said the islands would shake, "Thus saith the Lord Jehovah to Tyre: shall not the isles shake at the sound of thy fall, when the wounded groan, when the slaughter is made in the midst of thee?" (Ezekiel 26:15) "Now shall the isles tremble in the day of thy fall; yea, the isles that are in the sea shall be dismayed at thy departure" (Ezekiel 26:18)

Keys:
The key or keys in scripture imply power and authority, either within the subject individual or delegated by another. Each time keys are claimed or used, they imply the exercise of power from without, or may be used to open from the outside.

Lake of fire and brimstone:
is a New Testament symbolism for hell. Used in Revelation as the "lake of fire burning with brimstone" (Revelation 19:20). Later in Revelation 20:10 we learn that this lake will be a place of torment "forever and ever", and will be where the devil, the beast and the false prophet will spend eternity. Death and Hades will be cast into the lake of fire, (Revelation 20:14).

Lamb:
is a religious symbol representing absolute purity or goodness. The lamb is used in the New Testament to symbolize Christ. "The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." (John 1:29). Jesus was compared to a lamb in prophecy, (Isaiah 53:7) with this particular prophecy being explained to the Ethiopian Eunuch by Philip, (Acts 8:32).

Lightning, voices and thunders:
Are terror-striking signs showing the latent power of the individual to which they are attributed. See Exodus 19:16. Lightning and thunder are representative of the power of God and His might. "The thunder of his power who can understand?" (Job 26:14); "The God of glory thundereth" (Ps 29:3). God's foes were "visited of Jehovah of hosts with thunder" (Isaiah 29:6). Thunder was regarded as the voice of God "God thundereth with the voice of his excellency" (Job 37:4), and God spoke to Jesus in the thunder (John 12:29).

Revelation 11:19
"And there was opened the temple of God that is in heaven; and there was seen in his temple the ark of his covenant; and there followed lightnings, and voices, and thunders, and an earthquake, and great hail."

Lion:
represents great strength, boldness and bravery. Lions are mentioned in the Bible for their strength (Judges 14:18), boldness (2 Samuel 17:10), ferocity (Psalms 7:2), and stealth (Psalms 10:9; Lamentations 3:10). It is said of certain of David's warriors (1 Chronicles 12:8) that their "faces were like the faces of lions." David's enemy (Psalms 17:12) "is like a lion that is greedy of his prey." "The king's wrath is as the roaring of a lion" (Proverbs 19:12). God in His wrath is "unto Ephraim as a lion, and as a young lion to the house of Judah" (Hosea 5:14). "The devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour" (1 Peter 5:8).

In Revelation Jesus is represented as the "Lion of the tribe of Judah" (Revelation 5:5). The beast in Revelation 13:2 had the "mouth of a lion" which represented great strength and boldness.

Moon:
carries two symbolic meanings. It indicates a ruler or magistrate of lesser rank than the major authorities, less than a star, but still significant (Revelation 12:1, Ezekiel 32:7).

Mountains:
were a symbols of permanence and unmovable strength. They represented the very foundation of the earth. To the Biblical writers they are symbols of eternity (Genesis 49:26; Deuteronomy 33:15; Job 15:7; Habakkuk 3:6). They are strong and stedfast, but they too are the creation of God, and they manifest His power (Psalms 18:7; 97:5; Isaiah 40:12; 41:15; 54:10; Jeremiah 4:24; Nahum 1:5; Habakkuk 3:6.

One hour:
was used by ancient mystic writers to indicate a short period of time. Today, we would use the expression "in a little while" or "in a minute" to portray this same idea.

Palm leaf:
Seen in Revelation 7:9, this is an Old Testament symbol taken from the Feast of Tabernacles and represents the joy resulting from deliverance and the peace which comes from assurance of future preservation. The feast of the tabernacles was the most joyous of all Jewish festivals. This feast occurred in the fall of the year after the harvests of fields and fruits. It followed the annual atonement when the sacrifices were offered for the sins of the people (Leviticus 23:26-32, 39-44). On the first day of this week, the people were to take the branches of palm trees and boughs of other trees, and "rejoice before Jehovah your God seven days" (Leviticus 23:30).

Rainbow:
represents hope or mercy. God used a rainbow to signify He would never again destroy the earth with a flood in Genesis 9:13-17. God told Noah that when he saw the rainbow, he "will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh. And the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh." The foundation for the interpretation of the bow in this way seems to be that while His bow is hung in the sky God must be at peace with His people. The glory of God is likened to "the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain" (Ezekiel 1:28).

Sea:
In the tradition of the early Jewish people, the sea represented uncontrollable chaos. The sea represented something that could appear calm but from which could come terrible storms and unpredictable bad circumstances. The sea came to signify the powers of evil and the powers of darkness.

Seal:
represents that the item under question belongs to the one who sealed the item (2 Corinthians 1:22). In some instances a seal is used to indicate that which is hidden from view as in the sealed scroll in Revelation 5:1-4.

Sickle:
was a old testament symbol for judgment. Seen in Revelation 14:14-19. Explained in Joel 3:13; "Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get you down; for the press is full, the fats overflow; for their wickedness is great."

Star or stars:
Occurring fourteen times in Revelation represented a major ruler or authority. In Isaiah 13:9-11 we read of God coming in judgment on the evil world. He says that the "stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light:" (Isaiah 13:10). The stars are not literally going to stop giving light, obviously the rulers or authorities are in view here. This same imagery is used by Jesus when warning His disciples of the impending destruction of Jerusalem in Matthew 24:29.

Throne:
Represents something from which emanates power, authority and majesty. It symbolizes:
(1) The exalted position of earthly kings, rulers, judges, etc., their majesty and power (of kings: Genesis 41:40; 1 Kings 2:19; Job 36:7)
(2) The majesty and power of God as the true king of Israel; He "is enthroned above the cherubim" (1 Samuel 4:4); Solomon's throne is really God's throne (1 Chronicles 29:23).
(3) The rule of Jesus in everlasting glory and righteousness. He "shall rule upon his throne" (Zechariah 6:13)
(4) The matchless glory, power and absolute sovereignty of God (and Christ); Micaiah "saw God sitting on his throne" (1 Kings 22:19). Isaiah and Ezekiel had similar visions (Isaiah 6:1; Ezekiel 1:26); compare also Daniel 7:9 and Revelation 4:2 (and often); in trying to depict the incomparable greatness of the King of kings, the Bible tells us that His throne is in heaven (Psalms 11:4, etc.) and, moreover, that heaven itself is His throne (Isaiah 66:1; Matthew 5:34).

Thunder:
"And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder..." (Revelation 14:2). Thunder signifies authority, power and volume. "Lo, these are parts of his ways: but how little a portion is heard of him? but the thunder of his power who can understand" (Job 26:14). See also Exodus 19:16.

Trumpet:
was used as a symbol for announcing important events or actions. In Revelation 1:10 Jesus was said to have a voice "as of a trumpet". It was clear, it was audible, easy to hear and it signified a call to attention. Something important is about to be spoken. "And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder, Moses spake, and God answered him by a voice" (Exodus 19:19). The first century Christians familiar with Moses and the reception of the Levitical law would associate the sound of a trumpet as heralding the voice of God.

Winds:
are an Old Testament symbol which was symbolic of divine retribution. See Jeremiah 4:11-12;18:17;49:32,36; Ezekiel 5:2; 12:14; Psalm 106:27; Job 38:24; Isaiah 41:16.

Winepress:
was an old testament figure of a method of punishment by God where He was said to tread His enemies out in the winepress of His wrath. "I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment" (Isaiah 63:3).

Understanding the Numerical Symbolism in Revelation

With symbolic language, words visualize something other than what their literal definition is to people familiar with the imagery. Words with symbolic meanings are used to paint a picture on the imaginations or convey a meaning shrouded in obscurity. By using this form of communication, God was able to express what He wanted the first Christians to know while keeping the meaning of his message hidden from those who would condemn the Christians because of it.
There is symbolic language throughout the scriptures both Old Testament and New. By familiarizing oneself with the symbolism in other parts of the Bible and applying the meaning of that imagery to its corresponding use in Revelation, one can begin to unravel the cryptic meaning and gain an understanding of what God was communicating to His people. People who were not Christians would have little to no understanding of what the symbolic language meant while Christians who were familiar with and had access to the scriptures and studied them had the key to solving the mysteries of the Revelation right within their hands all the time. Today, we have the same scriptures to draw upon so we can understand what God was communicating to them. So with that said, we'll begin a study of what the symbolic language meant to the first readers of the letter while keeping in mind that God wrote them a letter he meant for them to understand and whatever that message meant to them is what it must mean today.

Another important thing to keep in mind is that even though Revelation is "signified" or "symbolized" (Revelation 1:1) that does not mean that every single usage of a number or an object which has a symbolic meaning attached to it necessarily demands that it must carry the symbolic meaning. This is where it gets interesting and there is no perfect system I know of for deciding whether or not something is to be taken literally or symbolically. There are some guidelines I use to help me along and while they are applicable in most instances, they cannot be considered an infallible system for interpretation. The basic guidelines I use are:

Does it force something into a literal reality something that could not possibly be? There are no animals in existence that have 7 crowned heads and ten horns (Revelation 12:3)

Does a literal understanding cause a direct conflict with God's word? There can not be a literal 1000 year reign of Christ on earth when scripture plainly tells us that the earth will be destroyed the next time Jesus comes (2 Peter 3:10-12, Hebrews 12:25-27).
Are we literalizing one element amidst a whole host of obviously figurative objects or numbers? An angel with a figurative set of keys and a figurative chain is going to come down and bind Satan, represented by a figurative dragon and imprison him for a literal thousand years? Picking one element out of a figurative scene and literalizing it is not going to be the most logical form of interpretation. However...

The language is not always exclusively literal or symbolic. Sometimes it bears elements of both. "And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings" (Revelation 17:12). The Roman Empire was a provincial government and at the time of the writing of Revelation it really did have ten imperial provinces each one with its own ruler. So one must keep in mind that there are occasions of literal and symbolic language in the same context.

The symbolic animals and some objects are for the most part consistent. For instance, the dragon always represents Satan no matter where he is mentioned in Revelation. The four beasts around the throne of God introduced in Revelation 4:6 are the same as the four beasts spoken of again in Revelation 5:6; 5:14; 6:6; 7:11; 14:3; 15:7; and 19:4. So when one determines what the 4 beasts are, they can be reasonably assured that this will apply consistently throughout the rest of the book. This can be also be applied to the 24 elders around the throne of God. There are exceptions, for instance candlesticks, which are introduced in Revelation 1:12, explained in Revelation 1:20 and meaning something different in Revelation 11:4. The radiant woman in Revelation 12 is certainly not the same thing as the scarlet woman in Revelation 17.

Sometimes Revelation is its own best interpreter. It is important not to get lost in the imagery and overlook something significant in the text. For instance in Revelation 17 we are introduced to a woman who is described as the "mother of harlots". John reveals a whole host of her undesirable characteristics and qualities and then at the end of the chapter in verse 18 identifies her as the "great city that reigneth over the kings of the earth." There are several other instances where the imagery is explained to John as in (Revelation 1:20). Attention to the text is key.
Don't get caught up in the symbolism and let it obscure the meaning of the overall message. Often times symbolism is used to make a tremendous impression of the things being discussed.

And finally, we must have a clear understanding of precisely who the villains of Revelation are. Once we have determined who the enemies of God and His children are, we can match the characteristics of the symbolic villains in the Revelation to their counterparts in history.

So with these basic guidelines established we'll begin a study of what the symbolic terms in Revelation meant to the first readers. In the end, we will all have to agree that there is no definitive system in place for the interpretation of the symbolic language and we need to bear in mind that it was purposefully written this way in order to mask its true message from the oppressors of the first readers. The language is chosen to appeal largely to the imagination of the reader. There will be times when we are going to be faced with things like gold crowned locusts, shaped like horses with men's faces, women's hair, lion's teeth, wings and scorpion's tails (Revelation 9:3-10), and we'll just have to step back, look at the big picture and remember that the basic message of the Revelation is: God is running the show, Jesus is our champion, the good guys win everything and the bad guys lose it all.

First of all, we're going to look at the numbering system and what meanings the Jewish Christians associated with certain numbers. Revelation is full of numbers so a study of the symbolic meanings these numbers had for the first readers will help us to correctly understand what the message to them was all about.

The number 1 in a symbolic sense represented the idea of unity or oneness. For example in Revelation 17:13 we read "These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast." Obviously those in view here did not all literally share the same literal mind. The use of the number one here represented in the minds of the first reader the idea of unity. The scriptures are full of references to the "oneness" or "unity" of the Godhead. Jesus quoted, "I and my Father are one" (John 10:30). See also John 17:11, John 17:21, Romans 15:6, 1 John 5:7.

In Revelation the number 2 is used twelve times in the King James version. In other scripture as well as Revelation The number two symbolically represents strength and confirmation. Notice Revelation 11:3-4, "And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth. These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth." Looking in other scripture we see that "Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up. Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone? And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken" (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12). The Mosaic law required the testimony of two or more witnesses before one could be convicted of a crime (Deuteronomy 17:6; 19:15; 2 Corinthians 13:1). Jesus sent out His disciples "two and two" (Luke 10:1).

In Revelation the number 3 is used eleven times. This number carried the symbolic meaning of God or the perfect divine. There are three persons in the Godhead - God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19, Mark 1:9-11). Three angels were sent by God to pronounce "woe" to the earth (Revelation 8:13). God used three plagues against some of mankind (Revelation 9:18). When the great city was destroyed it was broken into three parts, which symbolized to the minds of the first readers that God was behind these events.

The number 3 1/2 appears in Revelation in a variety of forms. It is half of 7 which symbolizes the perfection of God on earth. We will discuss the symbolic meaning of the number 7 in detail later. The number 3 1/2 symbolizes that which is incomplete. Since seven is complete, then three and one-half is incomplete and represents something indefinite. This number appears disguised in different forms in the Revelation. In Revelation 11:2 it is represented as forty two months, which is 3 1/2 years. In Revelation 12:6 it appears as 1260 days which is also 3 1/2 years. In Revelation 12:14 it appears as "time and times and half a time". This is undoubtedly an indefinite period of time. 1 time and/plus 2 times, and/plus half a time is 3 1/2 times. In Daniel 7:25 we read almost the exact same wording when he is prophesying about the Roman Empire, "and they [the saints] shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time." All of these forms of 3 1/2 are symbolic of an indefinite period of time and a time of uncertainty and unrest such as we find in Revelation 11:11 and context when, from the perspective of God's enemies, it looked like the forces of evil had won and Christianity had been utterly stamped out. But as we will see in future studies, this was only for an indefinite period of time.

In Revelation the number 4, used thirty times, was symbolic of the world in which we live. In the old testament scriptures, four was used to depict the "four corners of the earth" in Isaiah 11:12 which contextually meant the whole earth. The words "four winds" are found in Jeremiah 49:36, Ezekiel 37:9, Daniel 7:2; 8:8; 11:4, Zechariah 2:6. Jesus used these words in Matthew 24:31 to refer to the entire earth. In Jeremiah 49:36 the words "four quarters" are used to describe what was going to happen to the nation of Elam when it was prophesied they would be scattered across the earth. So it is apparent that to the readers of the Revelation, when they saw the number four used, they would then associate it with all life on this earth. In Revelation 4:6, all of created life is represented by four living creatures. In Revelation 7:1, four angels stand "at the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth." In Revelation 20:8, all of the people on earth are represented by the nations "in the four corners of the earth."

The number 5 is half of 10 and represented human incompleteness or limited power. Where ten represented human completeness or complete power, 5 fell short of that perfection.

The number 7 came to symbolize the meaning of totality or completeness associated with God's authority on the earth. It is believed by many that the number 7 is a product of adding the number 3 which represented the complete divine, to the number 4 which symbolized the whole earth. Solomon wrote in Proverbs 30:18-29 that there were three things which were good and wonderful and go well, but then there are four things upon the earth that are set in contrast to the things described by the number three. Solomon repeated this imagery four times in these verses of scripture. In the first two chapters of Amos we read of God's prophecy of wrath on Damascus, Tyrus, Edom, Moab and Judah. In every instance He used the words "for three transgression and for four". It is obvious from a reading of the book of Amos that the transgression of these nations were far more than seven. This is an obvious symbolic use of the number seven arrived at by adding three and four. The sins of these nations were complete, being against the divine and on earth.

Naaman dipped in the Jordan river seven times before anything happened (2 Kings 5:14). The Israelites marched around Jericho seven times before the walls fell (Joshua 6:20). The Israelite tabernacle worship was replete with repetitive rituals done seven times, for example, blood was sprinkled on the alters seven times (Leviticus 8:11). In the KJV the word seven appears 448 times in all. It is very obvious that this number held a very significant meaning in the minds of the Israelites. David wrote "The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times." (Psalms 12:6). Revelation was addressed to "the seven churches of Asia." (Revelation 1:4). God most certainly had more than seven churches in a land mass the size of Asia at that time but He used the number seven to represent them all including the rest of the churches throughout the earth. When Revelation 5:1 speaks of a scroll with seven seals, the first readers immediately thought it was perfectly and totally sealed by the authority of God.

The number 6 came to represent something that fell short of the perfection of seven. The definition of sin is to miss the mark, or to fall short. In Proverbs 6:16 we read "These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:" Solomon goes on to list seven things that God hates. What is important to keep in mind is that God purposefully associated the number six with the sins He hated the most regardless of how many of them there actually were. The number six was used to indicate something evil, as this number fell short of the perfect number seven. The saints of the first century considered this number to be evil and to represent that which is evil and when they encountered this number it would cause them to associate evil with whatever the number was represented with. Therefore when a man is identified by the number 666 as in Revelation 13:18, he is understood in the minds of the first century readers as being an exceedingly evil individual. Especially when one notices that the number for the evil man is used three times which means the divine. This would seem to suggest a person of an exceedingly evil nature, who being in a position of great power and authority, considered himself to be divine but fell short.

The number 10 represented human completeness (fullness or power). In the ancient times, life was difficult and making a living for one's family was a constant struggle not to mention all the wars that ensued along the way. It is that way in many places on earth today. It was not at all uncommon to see people who were missing fingers or entire limbs from their bodies. Someone who had all their fingers and toes, ten each, were considered to be complete and the number ten came to represent human completeness. Jesus told the church in Smyrna that she would be persecuted for ten days (Revelation 2:10). This period of time symbolically means for a complete period of time but they were not told exactly how long that period of time would be. The number is not be understood as a literal period of ten days. In Revelation 12 we see the dragon appearing with ten horns. The horn is a symbol of power and with the number ten, this dragon which represents Satan, had complete power over the people of the earth.

The number 12 came to represent organized religion or religious completeness. There were twelve Patriarchs (Genesis 35:23-26). Each patriarch fathered one of twelve tribes. There were twelve original apostles (Luke 6:14-16). Judas who betrayed Jesus, fell by transgression and was replaced by Matthias (Acts 1:26). These twelve apostles were responsible for the beginning the preaching of the kingdom. Whenever the first century Christians heard the number twelve they would instantly associate it with the patriarchs or the apostles who were both highly significant in both Judaism and Christianity. In Revelation 12:1 we see a woman with "a crown of twelve stars on her head" which symbolically represented all of God's people.

The number 1000 is prominent in the Revelation. Symbolic numbers were multiplied by themselves or by other symbolic numbers in order to add emphasis or give the allusion of larger numbers than would be evident. For instance a thousand, being a multiple of 10 would carry the significance of the number 10 but would obviously represent a larger sum than just the number ten. The number 1000 is ten multiplied by itself three times, which means God is behind it. So when the 1st century Christians saw the thousand years in the Revelation, they would realize that it meant a large span of time sufficient to complete the divine will of God.

We also see the number 12,000 in the Revelation. This is the number 1000 which represents ultimate divine completeness multiplied by the number 12 which was symbolic for organized religion on earth. Each tribe of the Israelites were represented by 12,000 individuals. This would be the complete number of all the saved members of each tribe which surely meant more than a literal 12,000 in number.

The 144,000 is mentioned in Revelation 7:4 is twelve multiplied by itself for emphasis and then multiplied by the number for ultimate completeness through God. This number is not in any way literal but simply represents the total number of the saved in the kingdom of God. Mentioned again in Revelation 14:1-3 we see that this number of people represented those "which were redeemed from the earth". In Revelation 14:4 we see read, "these were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb." Obviously being the first fruits in the first century, there were going to be more to come making a literal interpretation of this number impossible.