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!
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:
- Jesus as the Passover Lamb
- The Father of Deception
- War in Heaven
- The Seven Seals of Revelation
- Exodus: A Parallel for the End Times
- The Second Coming of Jesus Christ: A 3 Part Series
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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