Chapter 5
Deciphering Symbols Using
Your Secret Decoder Ring
In This Chapter
_ Understanding why Revelation uses symbolism in the first
place
_ Surveying the major symbols that John uses in Revelation
The modern mindset is practical. After all, most people lead
extremely busy lives — so much so that when they want
information on something, they don’t want to have to jump
through hoops. When it comes to the most popular films of the
year, for example, the box-office winners are usually ones with a
straightforward plotline. Films rich in symbolism, abstract
concepts, and vague imagery usually play only to a few diehards
in the art houses.
Not surprisingly, then, people living in the twenty-first century
often have difficulty in getting a handle on the symbolic nature
of Revelation. The first five books of the New Testament are in a
clear narrative style as they depict the ministry of Jesus and the
early church. The next set of books — letters by Paul, Peter, and
other Apostles — are practical in nature, and you may very
easily see them as applicable to your life. But when you get to
Revelation, its symbolism can be a shock to the system.
In this chapter, we introduce you to the symbolism and imagery
of the book of Revelation. We start off by telling you why John
used apocalyptic symbolism. After that, we survey some of the
major symbols you encounter in the book.
Giving John’s Readers a Heads-up
People today live in a world of disclaimers. Before you
drink a hot cup of coffee, your cup displays The
beverage you are about to enjoy is extremely hot. Or if
you watch a full-screen DVD or video at home, you see
the following before the movie begins: This movie has
been modified from its original version. It has been
formatted to fit your screen.
In Revelation 1:1, John gives readers his own
disclaimer — that the letter that they are about to read
will contain symbolism. In the New King James
Version of the Bible, Revelation 1:1 begins, “The
Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to
show His servants — things which must shortly take
place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His
servant John [. . .]” .
People often used the Greek word semainein, translated
as “signified” (or “made it known” in the NRSV), when
talking about Delphic oracles in ancient Greece. Oracles
were prophetic decrees revealed by a priest or priestess,
communicated through symbols. The Septuagint (the
Greek translation of the Old Testament) uses the same
word in Daniel 2:45 when talking about the interpretation
of a symbolic dream.
In reading the word semainein, the original readers
would’ve known right off that John’s writing was going
to define and convey truth through figurative or
imaginative pictures rather than through plain text. In
other words, because God “signified” the message,
readers should expect God to communicate his message
through symbolism. This symbolism was not meant to
obscure truth but was simply the mode of
communication chosen to convey it.
Given that principle, some commentators go even
further in terms of how to interpret Revelation. They
suggest that in spotting semainein, the original readers
would have known, as a general rule, to interpret
Revelation figuratively until it’s plainly obvious that they
should do so literally.
Why Use Symbols?
The simple truth is that almost everyone today
would’ve preferred for John to be Captain Obvious,
laying out the Revelation of Jesus in as clear a
manner as possible. Understanding the point of the
book would be so much easier if specifics such as
these were used:
_ Jesus will be coming back on March 3, 2019. Be
there or be square.
_ Beware, the Antichrist will be named Gilligan. His
cohort will be known as the Skipper.
_ The Millennium is a figurative term meant to
represent the Super Bowl halftime show.
In other words, instead of Scripture, almost everyone
would prefer a glorified legal document that lists out
the complete facts of the last days. After all, with
such a document in hand, people wouldn’t need to
wrestle with the interpretations. If lawyers didn’t get
involved interpreting the obvious, you’d simply need
to decide what to do with the information John
presented in his book. But we have what we have.
So why exactly did John write Revelation with a heavy
dose of symbolism? We examine several possible
reasons in this section.
Following Biblical Tradition
Although Revelation may be best known for its use of
symbolism, the reality is that symbolism is present in
many parts of the Old and New Testaments.
In the Old Testament, God often speaks though the
prophets in symbols. The books of Daniel, Ezekiel,
and Zechariah make heavy use of apocalyptic
imagery, a literary device that employs wild and rich
symbolism to represent historical events, nations,
and persons.
Jesus may not have used common apocalyptic
symbolism in the Gospels, but he did speak through
parables, which are, in effect, symbolic stories meant
to define and illustrate truth. In Luke 8:10, he says,
“To you it has been given to know the secrets of the
kingdom of God; but to others I speak in parables, so
that ‘looking they may not perceive, and listening they
may not understand.’” In other words, people who
genuinely want to discover his truth will do so, but
those who do not will somehow miss out on what
exactly he’s trying to say.
Those words from Jesus become even more
significant when you see the message that Jesus
gives to the seven churches in Revelation 2–3 at the
end of his personalized messages: “Let anyone who
has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the
churches.”
Adding Greater Meaning than Plain Text
You know the old saying a picture is worth a thousand
words. Well, in the same way, symbolism and imagery
can provide greater meaning to define truth than plain
words alone. Consider, for example, John’s use of the
name “Babylon” to describe a great evil power in
Revelation. To any Jew, the mere mention of Babylon
would have dramatic and emotional significance
given the history of what the real-life ancient Babylon
did to the Israelites in their history. Therefore, the
symbol of Babylon in Revelation had a much greater
impact on John’s original readers — Jew and gentile
alike — than if John would’ve left it as an unnamed
demonic force.
With a twenty-first century Western mindset,
symbolism is often considered a form of illustration.
In other words, people have a truth or fact and then
use a symbol to illustrate or help to explain the
concept. For example, consider the truth that,
according to the Bible, God sacrificed his son Jesus
because God loved the world. A Westerner may
explain this by coming up with a story about a father
who makes the agonizing decision to let his son die
while stuck on the train tracks instead of killing
everyone aboard the train by derailing it.
However, from John’s mindset, this thinking is
reversed. Instead, from a Middle Eastern perspective,
parables and symbolism actually define meaning and
truth; they don’t just illustrate truth. In other words,
you can glean real insight from discovering the
details and essence of the story instead of just trying
to summarize the main point of it.
Getting People’s Attention
The Old Testament prophets and Jesus himself
often used symbolism and parables to get the
attention of their listeners. Even today, the use of
symbolism and imagery gets people’s attention
more than straight text does. After all, in a church
sermon on Sunday morning, the congregation
always seems to pay more attention when the
pastor or priest provides an illustration or tells a
story instead of delivering a straight sermon of
bullet points.
Symbolism engages a reader’s head and heart. It
forces readers to take an image and interpret it by
actively considering it in light of their knowledge
base and personal experiences. In the process,
they make more mental connections and are more
likely to remember the image and the message
behind it.
John’s imagery certainly adds shock value to get
the churches out of complacency. For example,
describing Babylon as the harlot or prostitute in
Revelation 17 can provide a deeper impact than
merely writing, “Babylon represents something
really bad you need to watch out for.”
Reinforcing Unity
Symbolism works only if readers have the tools and
experience to interpret it. Thus, symbols can help
bond the reader and writer and provide continuity
among stories.
To the modern-day reader, John’s symbolism seems
strange and foreign. After all, the reader today is
removed in several ways from people of the early
church — culture, language, knowledge of the
popular literary genres of the day, and so on. In fact,
some scholars have compared the symbolism of the
modern political cartoon to that of Revelation. A
political cartoon, after all, makes little sense unless
you understand the symbolism and issues being
poked fun of.
In contrast, believers in the churches of Asia Minor
would’ve understood the symbolism because of
their knowledge of both the Old Testament and the
popular pagan myths of the day in the Roman
Empire. To the original readers, the symbolism was
not a special “Bible code” for which you needed
special expert knowledge.
.
Tying the Old and New Testaments Together
As Chapter 3 describes, the vast majority of symbols
that John uses in Revelation originally appeared in
the Old Testament from prophets such as Daniel and
Ezekiel. Therefore, when you look at the symbols in
the context of the entire Bible, then all of God’s
prophecy and plans begin to make more sense as one
cohesive message across the pages of the Bible.
Keeping Some Secrets
The book may be called Revelation, but symbols
provide enough ambiguity to keep it from being a tellall. Some level of mystery protected the original
readers and encouraged believers to continue to look
to God for guidance.
When you look at the political and social context of
most apocalyptic literature, you see that most of its
authors wrote in times of turmoil and distress.
Regardless of whether John scribed Revelation
during the 60s or 90s CE, he certainly wrote during a
time of intense trouble and persecution.
Therefore, he may have used symbolism to mask his
message of hope from potential persecutors. If that’s
true, then those who really want to discover the truth
will do so, but skeptics will never understand.
Though commentators often fall into the trap of
trying to circumvent this fact, the ambiguity of
symbolism prevents people from pinning God down
on the exact details concerning the last days. After
all, consider the major interpretations of the book.
Preterists read Revelation and see its fulfillment as
having already taken place in first century.
Futurists look at the way the world is heading and
see its fulfillment as happening in the future.
Idealists point to cycles of evil throughout history as
proof of fulfillment. At the very least, this diversity of
opinion should humble people as they seek
answers.
Understanding Common Interpretations
A newcomer to Revelation’s imagery may conclude
that interpreting Revelation is as easy to do as trying
to learn to speak Kanji while you’re gagged and
blindfolded in a Turkish prison. In other words, pretty
difficult stuff! However, although some aspects are
challenging and prone to different interpretations (see
Chapter 4), there are some common perspectives on
many of the symbols you encounter as you read
through John’s book. Use the rest of this chapter to
get a bird’s eye view, and then dive deeper into the
symbolism in Part III.
Discovering the meaning
of the major symbols
We are largely devoted to exploring the symbolism of
Revelation. In fact, you can’t go a page or two in
reading Chapters 6–15 without coming across some
discussion of John’s imagery.
However, to get you started, we provide a brief
overview of many of the major symbols in Revelation.
Use Table 5-1 as your reference to where you can find
complete details on a particular symbol
The Scroll
The opening verse of Revelation 5 begins by talking about a
scroll: “Then I saw in the right hand of the one seated on the
throne a scroll written on the inside and on the back, sealed
with seven seals.” The scroll proves to be anything but an
ordinary document. It’s something like a last will and testament
because the information revealed on the contents describes the
eternal inheritance of those who believe in Jesus. But at the
same time, it’s a message for God’s people right now.
The Seals
In Revelation 6, the seven seals on the scroll are opened one at
a time. Therefore, the breaking of each seal is an event — a
judgment — that takes place before the reading of the scroll’s
“last will and testament.”
Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse
The breaking of the first four seals in Revelation 6 reveals four
horses, known collectively as the four horsemen of the
Apocalypse; they’re differentiated in part by their colors —
white, red, black, and pale green:
_ White horse: The rider on the white horse, equipped with a
bow and adorned with a crown, comes out to kick some booty.
Some take this rider to be Jesus himself, symbolizing the
spread of the Christian gospel across the world. Others contend
the rider is the exact opposite — the Antichrist, wearing the
disguise of white but bent on destruction.
_Red horse: The rider on a red horse is clearly a bad
dude, spreading violence and war wherever he goes.
_ Black horse: The rider on the black horse symbolizes
the famine and starvation that occurs because of the
economic inequality that exists
between the haves and the have-nots.
_ Pale horse: The rider of the pale horse is none other
than Clint Eastwood. Okay, seriously, the pale rider
symbolizes the death that follows in wake of the red
and black horses.
The Day of the Lord
The Day of the Lord is a key term to understand when
you look at Revelation as well as the Old Testament
prophets. It refers to judgment, the future time in which
God “holds court” and passes judgment on the world.
It’s also associated with the time in history in which
God’s will for the world will be fulfilled and complete.
The term itself appears 19 times in the Old Testament
and 4 times in the other New Testament books. In
Revelation, the Day of the Lord is associated with
Revelation 6:17 and 6:14
Silence in Heaven
When the seventh seal is opened in Revelation 8,
there’s silence in heaven for about half an hour. The
silence is noteworthy because it signifies a point of
no return for the existing world — the old is passing
away and the new is beginning. John reveals the
full details of that new world in Revelation 21. So
why 30 minutes? The jury’s still out on that one.
Some believe that the vagueness of the time “about
half an hour” implies that the exact time can’t be
discerned from the text.
The Trumpets
In Revelation 8, John tells of seven trumpets that
are played by seven angels. The trumpet was an
important symbol in the history of God’s people. It
was used to direct and lead the Israelites during
their desert wanderings as well as during wartime
battles. Not only was it a rallying call, but it was
also a reminder of God’s directing them and fighting
on their behalf.
The trumpets in Revelation 8 signify the
“amplification” of judgments in the last days
leading up to the Second Coming of Jesus; they
serve as a reminder that God is leading the fight.
Babylon
Babylon is a dominant military and political power
in Old Testament history, but it also appears in
Revelation 14. Some believe that readers should
take this reference literally, holding that ancient
Babylon will rise again in the Middle East as a
powerful force in the world and the seat of the
Antichrist’s power. Others see Babylon as
symbolic of first-century Rome. Another view is
that Babylon represents the capital of the
Antichrist’s empire.
The Bowls
Like the seals and trumpets that come before
them, the seven bowls in Revelation 16 symbolize
a set of judgments on humankind during the last
days. The seven bowls represent the final,
terrible, unprecedented stretch of activity just
before the Second Coming of Jesus.
The Millennium
In Revelation, John speaks of a 1,000-year reign of
Jesus, a timeframe that’s commonly referred to as
the Millennium. Here are the traditional
interpretations:
_ Premillennialists believe that this is a literal 1,000year period that will take place following the Second
Coming of Jesus. Many premillennialists are also
dispensationalists, who believe that human history
is divided into seven “dispensations” (eras), which
are represented by the seven churches of Revelation
2–3.
_ Amillennialists believe the Millennium is purely
figurative, referring to the current church age or the
reign of deceased saints with Jesus in heaven (or
perhaps both).
_ Postmillennialists believe the Millennium occurs
prior to the Second Coming of Jesus; it’s an age in
which the world will be transformed by the gospel.
Assembling the Cast of Characters
Within Revelation, John provides a memorable cast
of characters whose imagery often overpowers the
text and brings it to life. Here’s a brief look at some
of the most significant figures.
The Mystery Man (“One like the Son of Man”)
Early on in Revelation 1, John talks of a vision he
had in which a mysterious person stands in the
midst of seven lampstands. John describes him
in vivid detail:
“[He was] clothed with a long robe and with a
golden sash across his chest. His head and his
hair were white as white wool, white as snow; his
eyes were like a flame of fire, his feet were like
burnished bronze, refined as in a furnace, and his
voice was like the sound of many waters. In his
right hand he held seven stars, and from his
mouth came a sharp, two-edged sword, and his
face was like the sun shining with full force.”
(Rev. 1:13–16)
In this passage, John is speaking of Jesus. The
description seems like a rather scary picture of
Jesus until you understand the symbolism:
_ The robe and sash refer to the attire worn by
Jewish high priests.
_ The whiteness of his head and hair symbolizes
either Jesus’s purity and holiness or his wisdom
and dignity.
_ His fiery eyes depict divine omniscience
(complete knowledge) and judgment.
_ His bronze-like feet contrast with the soiled feet
of fallen humankind and the pagan gods’ feet of
clay.
_ His mighty voice symbolizes his sovereignty
and power.
_ The seven stars represent the angels of the
seven churches (Rev. 1:11), which are the chief
focus of Revelation 2–3.
_ The two-edged sword from his mouth
symbolizes the lethal power and penetration of
the words of Jesus.
_ The radiance of his face conveys his divine
nature.
The 24 Elders
Scholars have several theories about the 24
elders in Revelation 5. Some see them as glorified
people who represent the either the entire people
of God (Jews and gentiles) or else just the New
Testament church (Christians). Others believe
they’re angelic choirs singing praises to God in
heaven. A few contend that John is referring to a
24-point star god of ancient Babylonian
mythology.
The Mighty Angel
The mighty angel in Revelation 10 is a source of
debate. Some contend that the mighty angel is
Jesus because he’s described in terms usually
associated with God. Others counter, saying that
nowhere else is Jesus depicted as an angel.
Instead, they suggest that this reference is talking
about an archangel, maybe even Gabriel.
Archangels play an important role throughout
biblical history.
The Two Witnesses
Revelation 11 introduces readers to “two
witnesses” who will prophesy for 1,260 days
while wearing sackcloth. John then refers to
these two individuals as “two olive trees” and
“two lampstands.”
Some interpret the two witnesses as the ongoing
witness of the church. Others interpret the
passage more literally and see them as two
preachers preaching to Jews in Jerusalem. Of
course, exactly who that dynamic duo is leads to
further debate.
Some options include Zerubbabel and Joshua the
high priest, the Law and the Prophets, Peter and
Paul, Israel and the church, Enoch and Elijah, and
Moses and Elijah.
The 144,000
The 144,000 in Revelation 7 has long been a
subject of debate and resentment.
Some people believe that this group of people
symbolizes all Christians.
Others think that this refers to Jewish
Christians because the passage
mentions the tribes of Israel. A final
interpretation is that the 144,000 is an
elite group of Christians (perhaps martyrs)
who have special status because
of their devotion.
Pregnant Woman
John describes the pregnant woman in
Revelation 12 as being “clothed with the sun,
with the moon under her feet, and on her head
a crown of twelve stars.” Once again, people
have various perspectives on who exactly this
woman symbolizes. Some see her as the
people of God since the very beginning
(ancient Israel and the church).
A second view is that the imagery is a
Christianized version of ancient myths. A third
view is that the pregnant woman is Domitia,
the mother of the Roman emperor Domitian’s
son; he declared her to be the “mother of
God.” Some Catholics hold that the pregnant
woman is the Virgin Mary, mother of Jesus.
Red Dragon
The symbolism of the pregnant woman in Revelation
12 is subject of much discussion, but there’s little
debate over the red dragon that’s menacing the
woman. The red dragon, adorned with seven heads
and ten horns, is Satan himself.
The Wings of a Great Eagle
When reading about the wings of a great eagle in
Revelation 12, you may wonder whether J.R.R.
Tolkien picked up on this imagery when writing The
Lord of the Rings. Some see the creature as the same
eagle referred to in Revelation 8:13. If so, then John
is talking about an angel providing protection for
faithful believers during the last days. Another take is
that John is actually speaking of a powerful kingdom
that uses an eagle as a symbol.
The Beast and His Mark
In Revelation 13, John writes about two of the most
intriguing symbols in all the book: the beast and the
mark of the beast. According to Revelation, the beast,
who is a false prophet, will require his followers to
receive a number stamped on their right hands or
foreheads; the mark is required for surviving in the
world economy. That mark, says John in Revelation
13:18, is 666.
Many have long speculated on whether 666 is a
literal number or a symbol for something else.
Some futurists have speculated that Social
Security numbers, bar codes, microchip implants,
or some other identification technology is the mark
of the beast. Others see 666 as pointing to an
address, area code, or the numeric value of a
person’s name.
Since the early days, many have speculated on the
identity of the beast, identifying him as Nero
Caesar, Napoleon Bonaparte, and Hitler, as well as
modern leaders ranging from Ronald Reagan to Bill
Clinton.
Most scholars do believe that the beast symbolizes
an actual person.
However, they maintain that 666 is symbolic,
especially because the number six appears
elsewhere in Scripture as a sign of imperfection
and fallenness.
CHAPTER 5 REVIEW QUESTIONS:
Please place your name on this sheet, photocopy
your questions and answers on a separate sheet of
paper and turn in at the beginning of class:
1 - What is the significance of the Scroll with seven
seals? [Rev 5:1]
2 - Why did John cry when no one in all of creation
was found worthy to open the scroll and lose its
seals? [Rev 5:2-4]
3 - Who was it that held the scroll and who was it that
took the scroll? [Rev 5:2-7]
4 - Why did the four living creatures and the 24 elders
worship and praise Jesus after He took the scroll?
[Rev 5:8]
5 – How many angels, living creatures and elders
were worshipping around the grand throne? [Rev
5:11-13]
6 - Please explain why every creature in heaven, on
the earth, under the earth and in the sea would
worship God the Father and Jesus. Would this
include even those that are not saved, even those in
hell? [Rev 5:13]