Symbols of Revelation
Literal Meaning

Lorraine Day, M.D. 

Angel                                    
Messenger
Daniel 8,16 (1314); Luke 1:19, 26 (1488), Hebrews 1:14 (1757)

Ark of Testimony              
Ark of the convent/mercy seat where God dwell
Exodus 25:10-22 (127); Psalm 80:1 (917)

Babylon                         
Religious apostasy/confusion
Genesis 10:8-10 (14); 11:6-9 (15); Revelation 17:1-5 (1818)

Balaam, doctrine of 
Advancing our own interests, compromise, idolatry
Numbers 22:5-25 (259)

Beast                       
Kingdom, government, political power
Daniel 7:23 (1310)

Binding of Satan            
A symbolic chain of circumstances
Isaiah 14:12-20 (1041)

Black                             
Moral darkness, sin, apostasy
Exodus 10:21-23 (103): Jeremiah 4:20-28 (1112); 8:21 (1120);
Acts 26:18 (1641): John 12:35 (1573): Joel 2:1-10 (1334)

Blood                                  
Life
Leviticus 17:11 (191), Deuteronomy 12:23 (311)

Bottomless pit                 
Earth in chaos, torn up, dark & empty
Genesis 1:1, 2 (1); cf Jeremiah 4:23-28 (1112); Isaiah 24:1-4, 19 (1822)

Bow                                      
Success in battle against evil
Psalm 7:11-12 (863); Psalm 45: 4,5 (890)

Corrupt Woman                    
Corrupt, apostate church
Ezekiel 16:15-58 (1229); 23:2-21 (1245); Hosea 3:1 (13230)

Crowns                               
Kingship, victory
I Chronicles 20:2 (682), II Kings 11:12 (619), Ezekiel 21:26,27 (1242);
James 1:12 (1774); II Timothy 4:7,8 (1750); I Corinthians 9:25 (1679)

Cup                                       
Meted out suffering and judgments
Psalm 7:11,12 (866); 75:8 (912) Isaiah 51:17,22-23 (1088);
Jeremiah 25:15-17 (1146); 49:12 (1188)

Day                                       
Literal year
Ezekiel 4:6 (12:13), Numbers 14:34 (244)

Door                                     
Opportunity
II Corinthians 2:12 (1693); Revelation 3:20 (1804)
Probation
Luke 13:24,25 (1521)

Dragon                                 
Satan or his agency
Isaiah 27:1 (1053); Psalm 74:13,14 (911); Revelation 12:7-9
(1813), Ezekiel 29:3 (1256): Jeremiah 51:34 (1196)

Eagle                                    
Speed, power, vision, vengeance, protection
Deuteronomy 28:49 (337), Habakkuk 1:6-8 (1365), Revelation
12:14 (1813)

Eating the book             
Assimilating the message
Ezekiel 3:1-3 (1211); Jeremiah 15:16 (1131)

Egypt                           
Symbol of atheism
Exodus 5:2 (93)

Eyesalve           
Holy Spirit to help us see truth. Discernment to
understand word; Antidote for spiritual blindness
Ephesians 1:17-19 (1715), Psalm 119:18 (947); I John 2:20,27
(1791); John 16:7-13 (1578)

Faithful witness           
Christ
John 18:37 (1583); John 3:11 (1550); Revelation 1:5 (1800);
Revelation 3:14 (1804); 19:11 (1821)

False prophet           
Apostate Protestantism
Revelation 16:13,14 (1817); 13:13,14 (1814); 19:20 (1822)

Forehead           
Mind
Romans 7:25 (1656), Ezekiel 3:8-9 (1212)

Fornication           
Illicit connection between church & world
Ezekiel 16:15,26 (1229); Isaiah 23:17 (1050); James 4:4 (1777);
Revelation 14:4 (1815)

Four Beasts or Living Creatures                
Heavenly beings with special responsibilities
Revelation 5:8-10 (1805), 6:1-7 (1806), 14:3 (1815); 15:7 (1816), 19:4 (1821)

Four Corners of Earth                                    
Four directions of compass
Jeremiah 49:36 (1190)

Garments                            
Covering of righteousness
Genesis 35:2 (57), Isaiah 61:10 (1099), Isaiah 52:1 (1088)

Gold                                     
True riches of heaven, faith, scripture
Psalm 19:7-10 (871); Galatians 5:6 (1711); James 2:5 (1775);
Job 23:10 (839)

Hand                                     
Symbol of work
Ecclesiastes 9:10 (1013)

Harlot                                               
Apostate church/religion
Isaiah 1:21(1025); Jeremiah 3:1-3, 6-9 (1109)

Heads                                   
Major powers, rulers, government
Daniel 7:6 cf Daniel 8:8,22 (1311); Revelation 17:3,10 (1888)

Hidden Manna                      
Christ
John 6:49,50,53 (1558); Matthew 13:44 (1419)

Horn                                      
Power and strength
Deuteronomy 33:17 (348); Zechariah 1:18,19 (1377)
King or Kingdom
Psalm 89:17,24 (923); Danies 8:5,21,22 (1311)

Horse                                   
Symbol of battle
Exodus 15:21 (112), Isaiah 43:17 (1076); Jeremiah 8:6
(1119); Ezekiel 38:15 (1273); Zechariah 10:3 (1385)
Special representatives/angels
Zechariah 1:8,10 (1376); 6:1-8 (1380)

Image                                               
A likeness
Exodus 20:4 (119); Genesis 1:26 (2); 5:3 (7); Deuteronomy
4:25 (296); Romans 8:29 (1657)

Incense                           
Prayers of God’s people
Psalm 141:2 (961); Revelation 5:8 (1805); 8:3,4 (1818)

Israel                                    
True followers of Christ
Romans 9:6-8 (1658); Romans 2:28,29 (1650); Galatians 3:29 (1710)

Jezebel                                
Immortality, idolatry, apostasy
I Kings 21:25 (593); II Kings 9:22 (615)

Key of David            
Power to open and close the sanctuary
Revelation 3:7,8 (1803); Isaiah 22:22 (1049)

Keys                                     
Control/jurisdiction
Isaiah 22:22 (1049); Matthew 16:19 (1425)

Lamb                                    
Jesus/sacrifice
John 1:29 (1547); I Corinthians 5:7 (1674); Genesis 22:7,8 (31)

Lamb’s wife                        
New Jerusalem
Revelation 19:7-9 (1821); 21:2,9,10 (1823)

Lion                                       
Strength and Jesus Christ
Genesis 49:9 (84); Revelation 5:4-9 (1805); Psalm 7:2 (862)

Locusts                               
Destructive/destructive agencies
Joel 1:4 (1333); Deuteronomy 28:38 (336)

Lord’s Day                          
The Sabbath
Isaiah 58:13 (1095); Matthew 12:8 (1415); Exodus 20:10 (120)

Man child                             
Jesus
Psalm 2:7-9 (860); Revelation 12:5 (1813)

Mark                                      
Sign/seal/mark of approval, or disapproval
Romans 4:11 (1652); Revelation 7:2,3 (1807); Ezekiel 9:4 (1220)

Measuring rod                 
God’s law
James 2:10:12 (1775); Ecclesiastes 12:13,14 (1016)
God’s word
Isaiah 8:19,20 (1034); II Timothy 3:16,17 (1750)

Merchants                          
Advocates of Babylon’s teaching
Isaiah 47:11-15 (1082); Nahum 3:16,17 (1363);
Revelation 18:3,11,15,23 (1819)

Moon                                    
Permanence
Psalm 89:39,37 (924)
Moses’ system of types and sacrifice
Hebrews 10:1,11 (1766)

Morning Star               
Jesus
Revelation 22:16 (1826)

Mountains                          
Political or religio/political powers
Isaiah 2:2,3 (1025); Jeremiah 17:3 (1133); 31:23 (1157);
Jeremiah 51:24,25 (1195); Ezekiel 17:22,23 (1234);
Daniel 2:35,44,45 (1298)

Mystery of God               
The gospel
Ephesians 1:9,10 (1714); 3:9 (1716); 6:19 (1721); Colossians 1:26,27 (1729)

New Jerusalem               
The Holy City of Heaven
Revelation 3:12 (1804); 21:2 (1823)

Oil                                          
Holy Spirit
Zechariah 4:2-6 (1378); Revelation 4:5 (1804)

Open Door                          
Unlimited opportunity
I Corinthians 16:9 (1689); Acts 14:27 (1618); John 10:7-9 (1567);
Hosea 2:15 (1322); Colossians 4:3 (1732)

Rainbow                              
Token of covenant keeping
Genesis 9:11-17 (12)

Red (color)                         
Sin, corruption
Isaiah 1:18 (1025); 26:21 (1053); Psalm 75:8 (912); Jeremiah 46:10 (1183)
Persecution
Ezekiel 32:6,11 (1260); Jeremiah 46:10 (1183); Nahum 2:3 (1362)

Reins                                    
Seat of will, affections
Psalm 7:9 (863); 16:7 (867); 26:2 (875); 73:21 (911); Proverbs
23:16 (993); Jeremiah 17:10 (1133

Seal                                      
Sign, mark and seal mean same thing
Romans 4:11 (1652); Revelation 7:2,3 (1807); Ezekiel 9:4 (1220)

Second Death            
Lake of fire
Revelation 21:8 (1824); 20:14 (1823)

Serpent                                
Satan
Revelation 12:7-9 (1813); Revelation 20:2 (1822)

Seven Candlesticks         
7 Candlesticks in Holy Place of Sanctuary
Exodus 25:31-40 (128
Seven Churches
Revelation 1:20 (1801)

Seven Heads                       
Seven political powers
Revelation 17:9,10 (1818); Isaiah 2:2,4 (1025); Jeremiah 17:3 (1133)

Seven Lamps                      
Jesus, Word of God
John 9:5 (1565); John 1:9 (1546); Psalm 119:105 (950);
Revelation 4:5 (1805)

Sickle                                   
Symbol of harvest – End of world
Matthew 13:39 (1419); Revelation 14:14 (1816)

Sodom                                 
Moral degradation
Ezekiel 16:46-55 (1231)

Stars                                    
Angels
Revelation 1:16,20 (1801); 12:4,7-9 (1813); Job 38:7 (854)

Sun                                       
Jesus and the gospel
John 9:5 (1565); Psalm 84:11 (920); Malachi 4:2 (1394);
Matthew 17:2 (1425); John 8:12 (1562)

Sword                                  
Bloodshed, destruction
Isaiah 3:25 (1028); 13:15 (1039); Acts 12:1,2 (1612); Jeremiah 48:2 (1185)

Testimony of Jesus           
Spirit/gift of prophecy
Revelation 19:10 (1821); 22:9 (1825); I Corinthians 13:2 (1684)

Thief                                     
Suddenness of Jesus coming
I Thessalonians 5:2 (1736); II Peter 3:10 (1789)

Time                                     
Literal year
Daniel 4:16,23,25,32 (1303); 7:25 (1311); 11:13 margin (1317);
Revelation12:6,14 (1813); cf 11:2,3 (1811)

Torment                              
Test, prove by trial
I Corinthians 3:13 (1672); Hebrews 12:29 (1772); Isaiah 33:14 (1062)

Twenty-four Elders           
A group redeemed from earth
Revelation 5:9,10 (1805); 4:4 (1804); 7:9,14 (1801)

Two-edged Sword                      
God’s word – Sword of spirit
Ephesians 6:17 (1720); Hebrews 4:12 (1760); Matthew 10:34
(1412); Isaiah 49:2 (1084)

Two Witnesses               
Old and New Testament
John 5:39 (1556); Zechariah 4:1-14 (1378); Psalm 119:130,105 (951);
John 12:48 (1573)

Waters                                 
Inhabited area – people, nations
Revelation 17:15 (1819)

White (color)                      
Purity
Psalm 51:7 (895); Isaiah 1:18 (1025)

White robes                        
Victory & Righteousness
Isaiah 61:10 (1099); Revelation 19:8 (1821); 3:5 (1803);
Zechariah 3:1-5 (1378); Revelation 7:14 (1808); Galatians 3:27 (1709)

Winds                                   
Strife, commotion, “winds of war”
Jeremiah 25-31, (1147); 49:36,37 (1190); 4:11-13 (1112);
Zechariah 7:14 (1382)

Wine                                      
False doctrine/teachings
Jeremiah 25:15-18 (1146); 51:7 (1194)
Jesus blood of atonement
Matthew 26:21-29 (1444)

Wings                                   
Speed
Habakkuk 1:6-8 (1365); Jeremiah 4:13 (1112); Exodus 19:4 (118)

Woman, Pure              
True Church
Jeremiah 6:2 (1115); cr Isaiah 51:16 (1088); II Corinthians 11:2
(1701); Ephesians 5:22-35 (1719)

Woman, Impure                      
Apostate church
Ezekiel 23:2-21 (1245); Revelation 14:4 (1815); Hosea 2:5 (1322);
Hosea 3:1 (1323); Ezekiel 16:15-58 (1229)

Wormwood                        
Sorrow/bitterness
Jeremiah 9:15 (1121); 23:15 (1142); Lamentations 3:19 (1205)

Wrath of God               
Seven last plagues
Revelation 15:1 (1816)