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Symbols In Bible Prophecy
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To understand prophecy, it is important to understand the symbols used.
The meaning of the symbols can be found in the covenant, the sanctuary, the feasts and the exodus.
The symbols used in prophecy are consistent. God does not use a symbol in one place and then change its meaning in another. So we will use Scripture to interpret Scripture:
We also find that God uses different sets of symbols to describe things in different ways.
Meaning | Symbols |
---|---|
Church | Woman, moon, stars, Israel, Zion, flock |
Leader, prophet | Man, star, horn, rock, tree |
Jesus | Shepherd, lamb, morning star |
People | Grass, sand, sea, hair |
Power | Beast, animal, head, horn, mountain, rock |
Sin, corruption | Darkness, Whore, fornication, abomination, unclean, wine, dregs, leaven, sea |
Sanctuary | Lamp, bread, grape drink, incense, blood, clean flowing water, salt |
Sacrifice | Circumcision, blood |
Separation | Door, fence, wall |
Judgment or trial | Measuring rod, scale, trumpets, cup |
Judgment executed | Bow, sword or any weapon of destruction |
War | Horses, locust |
Victory | White robes, crown, palm branches |
Our response | Eye, ear, hand, heart, forehead, tongue |
Symbols | Source | Good | Evil |
---|---|---|---|
The origin of a symbol is generally from these sources:
|
Creation | Earth, spring, river, mountain, sun, moon, star | Abyss, sea |
Creatures | Lamb, dove and clean animals | Dragon, frog, snake, dogs | |
Agriculture | Seed, season, wheat, barley, tree, grass, harvest, rain, planting | Weed | |
Sanctuary | Israel, Jerusalem, priests, altar, lamp, table of shewbread, altar of prayer, ark | False sanctuary | |
Covenant | Blessings | curses | |
Each symbol has one basic meaning. However, the meaning can be modified by the following requirements from the sanctuary:
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Color | White, blue, yellow, red, green, purple, orange | Black |
Action | Changing the color, location or association. War is the act of putting things back in their proper location. | Falling star | |
Association | Contamination occurs if a good symbol is mixed with a bad one, unclean, old. | Wine, vinegar, dregs | |
Defect | It is missing a required item or action. e.g. water must flow | Whore without the law | |
The origin and use of symbols are explained in more detail here.
How will it end?
|
Agricultural Symbols | |
---|---|
Green | Life |
Seed | Life |
Tree | Israel |
Withered Tree | Israel rejected |
Tree watered | Israel fed by God with life |
Grass | The living. People. |
Wheat | Good people |
Tares or weed | Evil people |
Vineyard | Earth |
Vine | Jesus |
Attached to the vine | Linked to the source of life |
Branches | People, king |
Fruit | Characters |
Wine press | Judgment |
Season | Expects fruit in autumn |
With Fruit | Good, affected by the Holy Spirit |
Without Fruit | Bad in some seasons |
Pruning | Building the perfect man |
Grafting | Added to the people of God |
Harvest | Gathering the fruits, separating food from weed. Judgment. |
Animal Symbols | ||
---|---|---|
Animal | Meaning | Region |
Clean animals | Nations of the world ( in a religious context) | All |
Unclean animals | Nations of the world | All |
Unclean birds | Liars | Heaven |
Dove | Holy Spirit | Heaven |
Eagle | Destroyer | Heaven |
Lamb, Bull | Jesus Christ | Earth |
Lion | Satan, the roaring lion | Earth |
Lion | Jesus, the lion of Judah | Earth |
Sheep | Good people | Earth |
Dog | Unclean sinful people (Gentiles) | Earth |
Goat | Clean sinful people (Jews) | Earth |
Scapegoat | Satan (the fallen clean one) | Wilderness |
Serpent | Satan (the deceiver) | Earth |
Dragon | Satan | Heaven and sea |
Frogs | Evil leaders | Earth and sea |
Fish | The wicked | Sea |
Symbol Modification | |
---|---|
Book or scroll | Message or record |
Eating the book | Understanding the message and doing the instructions |
Reading the book | Learning the message |
Opening the book | Revealing the message |
Sealing the book | Hiding the message |
Before Creation | Spiritual life declines | Millennium | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Abyss | Dragon | Sea | Darkness | Dragon | Moral Darkness | Sea | Abyss | Dragon | Sea | Darkness |
No physical life | Satan | Sin | Flood | Earth | Satan | Wicked Dead | Land of Sin |
Symbol Modification | |
---|---|
Symbol | Meaning |
Robe | Character |
White Robe | Christ's righteous |
Naked | No righteousness |
White Color | Clean, no sin |
Dirt | Unclean, sin |
Barefoot | No works of man |
Color | Meaning |
---|---|
Red | Sacrifice, blood, death |
Orange | Perfection under fire |
Gold | Perfect character |
Green | King, life |
Blue | Law |
Purple | Priest |
White | Righteousness and purity |
Black | Sin and separation from God |
North Wall | - | People in the Outer Court | East | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
West Wall | Most Holy Place | Holy Place | |||
South Wall |
Location | Cross | Meaning |
---|---|---|
Outer Court | Lamb on the altar | Jesus was the lamb of God who was killed for the sins of the world. |
Holy Place | Table, Altar, Lamp | Jesus suffered the curse. Vinegar to drink, prayers not heard, darkness over the cross |
Most Holy Place | Ark of the covenant | Jesus as the ark. He kept the law and was perfect. Blood and water came from His side |
Passover | First death avoided | Jesus died for us |
Yom Kippur | Second death avoided | God judged in favor of us |
Judgment | Satan was judged | |
Tabernacles | Presence of God | The resurrection and the people resurrected with Christ |
Prophetic Time | Real Time |
---|---|
Day | 1 year |
Month | 30 years |
Year | 360 years |
Time | 360 years |
Hour | 15 days |
Half hour | 7 or 8 days |
Symbol | Meaning |
---|---|
Door | Separation |
Open door | Opportunity |
Knocking | Invitation |
Closed door | Separation |
The Effect of Fire | |
---|---|
God | His physical form |
Church | Trial for perfection |
Evil | Death |
Cities and Places | |
---|---|
Jerusalem | City of Peace. Home of God's righteous people |
Israel, Zion, Pleasant Land | The righteous nation |
Gog and Magog | The wicked nations |
Sodom | Place of immorality |
Egypt | Place of Idolatry |
Babylon | Place of forced false worship |
Symbols of Life | ||
---|---|---|
Region | Pure form | Corrupted form |
Heaven | Breath, wind | Smoke |
Sea | Flowing fresh water | Sea, stagnant water |
Agriculture | Seed, green, fruit, bread | Bread with leaven |
Animals | Giving blood | Drinking blood |
Symbols of Good and Evil | ||
---|---|---|
Region | Light | Darkness |
Heaven | Sun | Night |
Earth | Lamb | Goat |
Secondary Source | Candle, lamp, moon, church | Hiding or destroying a source of light. |
Message from God | Bible, Word of God, Jesus | Deceiver |
Character | White robes | Other colors, naked |
Judgment | |
---|---|
Cup | Filled with bitter fluid |
Scales | Weighed |
Measuring stick | Measured |
People Symbols | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Region | All | God | Righteous | Wicked | |
Heaven | Stars | Sun | Sun, moon | Stars | Fallen star |
Sea | Water | Cloud | Spring, fresh water | Cloud, rain | Sea, flood |
Earth | Grass | Smoke | Tree | Wheat, seed | Tares, weed |
Creatures | Animals, horn, hair | Lamb, dove | Shepherd | Sheep, flock | Dogs, goat, frogs, fish, scapegoat, serpent, dragon |
Church | Woman | Groom | Good Woman, bride | Prostitute |
War Places and Battles | |
---|---|
Heaven | Satan against Michael |
Armageddon | Last battle |
Abyss | Place of exile |
Hell | Place of punishment |
1260 year persecution | War against the saints |
War Weapons | |
Rock | Destroys the idolatrous nations |
Bow | Weapon |
Sword | Word of God |
Horses | Vehicle |
Darts, arrows | Attack by Satan |
Shield | Defence against Satan |
Armor of God | Defence against Satan |
Victory Symbols | |
Wreath | Winning the race |
Crown | Crown of righteousness |
Palm branches | Celebration with the King |
Symbol | Meaning |
---|---|
Woman | Church |
Virgin | Obedient church |
Whore | Unfaithful church |
Number | Meaning | Example |
---|---|---|
1 | God | God is 1 |
4 | All directions, everywhere | 4 corners of the world |
5 | A judgment cycle ends | 5 curses, 5 bars holds the sanctuary |
6 | Man's total time | 666 |
7 | God's time | Sabbath |
8 | Beginning of a new cycle of seven | Eighth day. Day of circumcision |
12 | People of God | 12 tribes and disciples |
40 | God's people's time | 4 X 10 |
49 | God's time | Sabbath of Sabbaths |
50 | Beginning of a new cycle of 49 (7 x 7) | Jubilee, pentecost |
X 10 | Total time of trial | 40, 70, 490 |
Squared | Temporary judgment time. Freedom for people who are judged. | Jubilee, 144,000 |
Cubed | Heaven (Permanent place for people who are free) | Cubed city of the New Jerusalem |
God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God. Romans 8: 28 | Time: 100 minutes Print: 26 pages |
Copyright
Updated : August 16, 2002. January 25, 2004
Author: Laverna Patterson. Editor: Credits: Information received in Bible study classes How to understand the End Time Prophecies of the Bible - LaRondelle, Hans Some supporting texts from the Presents of God Ministry whose original source was the Revelation Seminars |