88 Symbols of Prophecy

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The Book of Revelation has so many strange symbols and imagery. Have you ever wondered what they mean? The good news is that the Bible always explains itself! We don’t have to wonder! Today I’m sharing all about 88 symbols in the Book of Revelation and showing you exactly what they mean!

88 Symbols in the Book of Revelation and what they mean! + Free Printable @ AVirtuousWoman.org

Symbols of Revelation — Literal Meaning

Angel	Messenger	Daniel 8:16, 9:21; Luke 1:19,26; Hebrews 1:14
Ark of Testimony	Ark of covenant/mercy seat where GOD dwells	Exodus 25:10-22; Psalm 80:1
Babylon	Religious apostasy/confusion	Genesis 10:8-10, 11:6-9: Revelation 18:2,3; 17:1-5
Balaam, doctrine of	Advancing our own interests, compromise, idolatry	Numbers 22:5-25
Beast	Kingdom, government, political power	Daniel 7:23
Binding of Satan	A symbolic chain of circumstances	Isaiah 14:12-20
Black	Moral darkness, sin, apostasy	Exodus 10:21-23; Jeremiah 4:20-28; 8:21; Acts 26:18; John 12:35; Joel 2:1-10
Blood	Life	Leviticus 17:11; Deuteronomy 12:23
Bottomless Pit	Earth in chaos, torn up, dark & empty	Genesis 1:1,2; Jeremiah 4:23-28; Isaiah 24:1-4,19; Revelation 20:1-3
Bow	Success in battle against evil	Psalm 7:11,12; Psalm 45:4,5
Corrupt Woman	Corrupt, apostate church	Ezekiel 16:15-58; 23:2-21; Hosea 2:5; 3:1
Crowns	Kingship, victory	1 Chronicles 20:2; 2 Kings 11:12; Ezekiel 21:26,27; James 1:12; 2 Timothy 4:7,8; 1 Corinthians 9:25
Cup	Meted out suffering and judgments	Psalm 11:6; 75:8; Isaiah 51:17, 22-23; Jeremiah 25:15-17; 49:12
Day	Literal year	Ezekiel 4:6; Numbers 14:34
Door	Opportunity	2 Corinthians 2:12; Revelation 3:20
	Probation	Luke 13:24-25
Dragon	satan or his agency	Isaiah 27:1; 30:6; Psalm 74:13,14; Revelation 12:7-9; Ezekiel 29:3; Jeremiah 51:34
Eagle	Speed, power, vision, vengeance, protection	Deuteronomy 28:49; Habakkuk 1:6-8; Revelation 12:14
Eating the book	Assimilating the message	Ezekiel 3:1-3; Jeremiah 15:16
Egypt	Symbol of atheism	Exodus 5:2
Eye salve	Holy Spirit to help us see truth; Discernment to understand word; Antidote for spiritual blindness	Ephesians 1:17-19; Psalm 119:18; 1 John 2:20,27; John 16:7-13
Faithful witness	CHRIST	John 18:37; John 3:11; Revelation 3:14; 19:11
False prophet	Apostate Protestantism	Revelation 16:13,14; 19:20
Forehead	Mind	Romans 7:25; Ezekiel 3:8,9
Fornication	Illicit connection between church & world	Ezekiel 16:15,26; Isaiah 23:17; James 4:4; Revelation 14:4
Four Beasts or Living Creatures	Heavenly beings with special responsibilities	Revelation 5:8-10; 4:6-9; 6:1-7; 14:3; 15:7; 19:4
Four Corners of the Earth	Four directions of compass	Jeremiah 49:36
Garments	Covering of righteousness	Genesis 35:2; Isaiah 61:10; 52:1; Zechariah 3:3-5; Romans 13:14
Gold	True riches of heaven, faith, scripture	Psalm 19:7-10; Galatians 5:6; James 2:5; Job 23:10
Hand	Symbol of work	Ecclesiastes 9:10
Harlot	Apostate church/religion	Isaiah 1:21; Jeremiah 3:1-3, 6-9
Heads	Major powers, rulers, governments	Daniel 7:6; Daniel 8:8,22; Revelation 17:3,10
Hidden Manna	CHRIST	John 6:49,50,53; Matthew 13:44
Horn	Power and strength	Deuteronomy 33:17, Zechariah 1:18,19
	King or Kingdom	Psalm 89:17,24; Daniel 8:5,21,22
Horse	Symbol of battle	Exodus 15:21; Isaiah 43:17; Jeremiah 8:6; Ezekiel 38:15; Zechariah 10:3
	Special representatives/angels	Zechariah 1:8-10; 6:1-8
Image	A likeness	Exodus 20:4; Genesis 1:26; 5:3; Deuteronomy 4:25; Romans 8:29
Incense	Prayers of God’s people	Psalm 141:2; Revelation 5:8; 8:3,4
Israel	True followers of CHRIST	Romans 9:6-9; Romans 2:28,29; Galatians 3:39
Jezebel	Immorality, idolatry, apostasy	1 Kings 21:25; 2 Kings 9:22
Keys of David	Power to open and close the sanctuary	Revelation 3:7,8; Isaiah 22:22
Keys	Control/jurisdiction	Isaiah 22:22; Matthew 16:19
Lamb	Jesus/Sacrifice	John 1:29; 1 Corinthians 5:7; Genesis 22:7,8
Lamb’s Wife	New Jerusalem	Revelation 19:7-9; 21:2,9,10
Lion	Strength, Jesus Christ	Genesis 49:9; Revelation 5:4-9; Psalm 7:2
Locusts	Destruction/destructive agencies	Joel 1:4; Deuteronomy 28:38
Lord’s Day	Sabbath	Isaiah 58:13; Matthew 12:8; Exodus 20:10
Man Child	Jesus	Psalm 2:7-9; Revelation 12:5
Mark	Sign/seal/mark of approval or disapproval	Romans 4:11; Revelation 7:2-3; Ezekiel 9:4
Measuring Rod	God’s Law	James 2:10-12; Ecclesiastes 12:13,14
	God’s Word	Isaiah 8:19,20; 2 Timothy 3:16,17
Merchants	Advocates of Babylon’s teachings	Isaiah 47:11-15; Nahum 3:16; Revelation 18:3,11,15,23
Moon	Permanence	Psalm 89:35-37
	Moses’ system of types and sacrifices	Hebrews 10:1,11
Morning Star	Jesus	Revelation 22:16
Mountains	Political or religio/political powers	Isaiah 2:2,3; Jeremiah 17:3; 31:23; 51:24,25, Ezekiel 17:22,23; Daniel 2:35,44,45
Mystery of God	The Gospel	Ephesians 1:9,10; 3:9; 6:19; Colossians 1:26-27
New Jerusalem	The holy city of Heaven	Revelation 3:12; 21:2
Oil	Holy Spirit	Zechariah 4:2-6; Revelation 4:5
Open Door	Unlimited opportunity	1 Corinthians 16:9; Acts 14:27; John 10:7-9; Hosea 2:15; Colossians 4:3
Rainbow	Token of covenant keeping	Genesis 9:11-17
Red (color)	Sin, corruption	Isaiah 1:18; 26:21; Psalm 75:8; Jeremiah 46:10
	Persecution, destruction	Ezekiel 32:6,11; Jeremiah 46:10; Nahum 2:3
Reins	Seat of will, affections	Psalm 7:9; 16:7; 26:2; 73:21; Proverbs 23:16; Jeremiah 17:10
Seal	Sign, mark and seal mean the same thing	Romans 4:11; Revelation 7:2,3; Ezekiel 9:4
Second Death	Lake of fire	Revelation 21:8; 20:14
Serpent	satan	Revelation 12:7-9; 20:2
Seven Candlesticks	7 candlesticks in Holy Place in sanctuary	Exodus 25:31-40
	Seven Churches	Revelation 1:20
Seven Heads	Seven political powers	Revelation 17:9,10; Isaiah 2:2-4; Jeremiah 17:3
Seven Lamps	Jesus, Word of God	John 9:5; 1:9; Psalm 119:105; Revelation 4:5
Sickle	Symbol of harvest – End of world	Matthew 13:39; Revelation !4:14
Sodom	Moral degradation	Ezekiel 16:46-55; Jeremiah 23:14; Genesis 19:4-14
Stars	Angels	Revelation 1:16,20; 12:4, 7-9; Job 38:7
Sun	Jesus and the Gospel	John 9:5; Psalm 84:11; Malachi 4:2; Matthew 17:2; John 8:12
Sword	Bloodshed, destruction	Isaiah 3:25; 13:15; Acts 12:1,2; Jeremiah 48:2
Testimony of Jesus	Spirit/gift of prophecy	Revelation 19:10; 22:9; 1 Corinthians 13:2
Thief	Suddenness of Jesus’ coming	1 Thessalonians 5:2; 2 Peter 3:10
Time	Literal year	Daniel 4:16,23,25,32; 7:25; 11:13 margin; Revelation12:6,14; 11:2,3
Torment	Test, prove by trail	1 Corinthians 3:13; Hebrews 12:29; Isaiah 33:14
Twenty Four Elders	A group of redeemed from earth	Revelation 5:9,10; 4:4; 7:9-14
Two-edged Sword	God’s Word – Sword of Spirit	Ephesians 6:17; Hebrews 4:12; Matthew 10:34; Isaiah 49:2
Two Witnesses	Old and New Testamentsq	John 5:39; Zechariah 4:1-14; Psalm 119:130,105; John 12:48
Waters	Inhabited area – people, nations	Revelations 17:15
White (color)	Purity	Psalm 51:7; Isaiah 1:18
White Robes	Victory & Righteousness	Isaiah 61:10; Revelation 19:8; Zechariah 3:1-5; Revelation 7:14; Galatians 3:27
Winds	Strife, commotion, “winds of war”	Jeremiah 25:31-33; 49:36-37; 4:11-13; Zechariah 7:14
Wine	False doctrine/teachings	Jeremiah 25:15-18; 51:7
	Jesus blood of atonement	Matthew 26:21-29
Wings	Speed	Habakkuk 1:6-8; Jeremiah 4:13; Exodus 19:4
Woman, Pure	True Church	Jeremiah 6:2; Isaiah 51:16; 2 Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 5:22-35
Woman, Impure	Apostate Church	Ezekiel 23:21; Revelation 14:4; Hosea 2:5; 3:1; Ezekiel 16:15-58
Wormwood	Sorrow/bitterness	Jeremiah 9:15; 23:15; Lamentations 3:19
Wrath of God	Seven Last Plagues	Revelation 15:1

For further study, you might enjoy:

Plus, there are many more Articles, Bible Studies,and Devotions here on A Virtuous Woman.

The Word of God is amazing! I pray that this chart is a help to you. You can look up the verses and study their meanings.

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18 Comments

Karan says:

January 22, 2014 at 3:31 pm

Where are the matching scriptures?

1. melissa says:
  
  May 12, 2014 at 2:16 pm
  
  This is a fabulous site...Thank u for sharing!!!!!
  
  1. Melissa Ringstaff says:
    
    May 12, 2014 at 3:17 pm
    
    Melissa, you're so sweet to say that! Thank you. {Love your name by the way. } :)
Nichole says:

July 14, 2014 at 9:36 pm

Can I ask what religion you and your husband belong to?

1. Melissa Ringstaff says:
  
  July 14, 2014 at 11:37 pm
  
  Hi Nicole! My husband and I are Christians. If you're asking which denomination we belong to, we are Seventh-day Adventists. I was raised Southern Baptist but joined the SDA church in 2000 {14 years ago}. If you have any other questions feel free to ask! Thanks so much for stopping by!
  
Judy says:

August 19, 2014 at 4:03 am

Thank you for the symbols. It makes studying prophecy much easier.

1. Melissa Ringstaff says:
  
  August 20, 2014 at 3:56 pm
  
  Judy, you're so welcome!
  
Marlen says:

February 10, 2015 at 1:49 pm

Hi Melissa, Can I ask a question? Why you moved ADS from southern baptism church?.. I know it non of business about this. Lol.. I m so curious about this.. Thank you about 88 symbol of prophecy. I will read this. But the way I m deaf and trying to understand read the bible. I m glad finding this symbols! I need this!! Ya ya .. Thank u so much.. God blessing y'all. ... I hope u understand read this.. I m not good with grammar. Lol

1. Melissa Ringstaff says:
  
  February 10, 2015 at 4:56 pm
  
  Hi Marlen! I joined the SDA church because I realized that the Bible says that the seventh-day {Saturday} is the Sabbath of the Lord God - not Sunday. You can find this in Exodus 20:8-11. God sanctified the Sabbath day and made it holy on the seventh day of creation.
  
  1. Jarret Palmer says:
    
    May 22, 2017 at 5:04 pm
    
    Amen !!!!
  2. Kimmi says:
    
    October 20, 2022 at 8:44 am
    
    you're absolutely correct.
Leah says:

March 26, 2015 at 3:50 pm

I'm going to respectfully disagree with Egypt=atheism here. Egypt was anything BUT atheistic. They were polytheists. Yes, you are correct in the seventh day being the Sabbath. I'd love for more Christian denominations to realize that and go back to worshipping on the 7th day. Unfortunately, there are not any Spirit-led churches in our area that worship on the Sabbath. We do set it apart as a family day, though. Seems God's original intent was for His people to rest and enjoy family on Shabbat. :)

Sensational Samuel says:

March 15, 2016 at 11:25 am

I had been reading symbols of prophecy but this I must say is superb. I always feel proud and happy for being a Sabbatarian. Can you please educate me on what actually the mark of the beast is because I've heard a lot and I dont know the exact thing though I am in a business of studying bible prophecy. Thank you for a good work done and more grease to your elbow.

Jimmy says:

October 8, 2019 at 2:22 am

Am blessed by these.God bless you big woman of God.Thank you.

Irene says:

April 12, 2022 at 4:49 am

Thankyou so much for sharing with me. Am extremely encouraged and inspired by the message.God bless you.

Paula says:

April 13, 2022 at 6:27 am

Finally, a list! I appreciate the is all in alphabetical order, list!

Berenice says:

October 15, 2022 at 10:45 am

Thanks so much Melissa. I have searched this topic and yours are set out just the way I can use in my studies because it's easy reference. I'm also a Sabbath Keeper but according to Bible evidence, Sabbath is kept from Dawn on the Seventh Day, Saturday, until Dawn on the First Day, Sunday.

1. Melissa Ringstaff says:
  
  January 7, 2023 at 7:49 pm
  
  Hi Berenice! It's always wonderful to meet another Sabbath keeper. In Genesis, we are told that the evening and the morning was the first day. The Jewish people have always celebrated Sabbath from sundown on Friday night until sundown on Saturday night because of the Creation account. So that's my understanding of when Sabbath begins. :)

Symbols of Revelation — Literal Meaning

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Symbols of Revelation — Literal Meaning

For further study, you might enjoy:

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