Bible
Study of Prophecy and Symbolism
While reading the Bible, Christians and
others sometimes encounter challenges in interpreting the Scripture. We are advised
to remember the classic advice given by the Bible translator Myles Coverdale,
who said: ” “It
shall greatly help ye to understand the Scriptures if thou mark not only what
is spoken or written, but of whom and to whom, with what words, at what time,
where, to what intent, with what circumstances, considering what goeth before
and what followeth after. ” ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myles_Coverdale
) We also are to remember the advice
given by the Apostle Paul to his young protégé` Timothy, when he said: “ Study to
shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly
dividing the word of truth. (2 Timothy 2: 15) (Bold emphasis added) But often these and other guides are not enough.
Especially
during these latter times we are well-advised to read, study and understand “Bible
Prophecy”. Although there are many Scriptural statements regarded as “prophecy
/ prophetic”, I have chosen one specific area for the focus of this discussion. My aim is to encourage you to not be fearful when
you encounter symbolism, especially in prophecy. ” It doesn’t
have to be a daunting experience.
A general
definition of this concept pf prophecy can be found on the Internet. I chose the following: “a prophecy is
a message that has been communicated to a person (typically called a prophet) by a supernatural entity. Prophecies are a feature of many cultures and belief systems and usually contain divine will or law, or preternatural knowledge, for
example of future events. They can be revealed to
the prophet in various ways depending on the religion and the story, such
as visions, or direct interaction
with divine beings in physical form”. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prophecy ) (Underline
and Bold Emphasis added.)
There is also a definition of “symbolism” found on the
Internet that I chose, that says: “Symbolism is a literary device
used extensively throughout the Bible to convey deeper meanings and spiritual
truths. It involves the use of symbols—objects, figures, or colors—to represent
abstract ideas or concepts.” (Underline Emphasis added) (https://biblehub.com/topical/u/understanding_symbolism.htm ) . Many Christians and other Bible students are
familiar with Scriptural references to
our Lord Jesus as the “LION of the Tribe of Judah”, or the “LAMB
of God”, using the characteristics of these animals to convey certain of His
traits in a way that man might better understand.
Sometimes the Bible will quickly tell the reader the meaning
of the “symbol” in the Scripture itself, to facilitate understanding. At other times the reader should continue
reading because the Bible generally interprets itself.
The Bible’s use of symbolism in prophecy is most
prominent in the Books of Daniel, Ezekiel and Revelation. Interestingly enough, across these Books several
of the symbols are either identical or closely related even though they were
written many hundreds of years apart.
One of the most classic examples of symbolism is found in the
Book of Daniel. To provide some context for the prophecy of
Daniel, remember that this was the
same Daniel who had been captured as a young teen along with the people of the
Nation of Israel when they were conquered by the Babylonians in approximately
600 B.C. (Daniel Chapter One) But in his captivity, Daniel had received
high favor from God who gave him special revelations of prophecy. His revelation and interpretation of the “Great
Image” seen by Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar in his dream would outline
the events of the future of mankind, especially for the Gentile world, but
including Israel. (Daniel Chapter Two) I encourage you to read this Chapter at your
convenience.
For other examples, at the point in history of Chapters
Seven and Eight, Daniel was receiving a related, prophetic vision from
God. Here we see the use of some specific “animals / beasts” and their characteristics
as a recurring theme that crosses the Scripture. Some of these symbols are explicitly
explained in the Scripture, while others are left to the reader to investigate
their meaning. [As an aside, other than
the Scripture itself, the reference tool that has been most helpful to me in
this discussion is my “New Strong’s Expanded Exhaustive Concordance of
the Bible”. Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2010, Nashville, Tennessee, USA.]
In his vision, Daniel saw these animals / beasts that we see
as Symbols:
·
Lion – (Daniel 7-4) – Strong’s Hebrew Dictionary
# 738, 39): “lion; frequent figure of power and strength; lion of God, i.e.
heroic: lion-like men”
·
Bear – (Daniel 7: 5) – Strong’s Hebrew
Dictionary # 1678; (Revelation 13: 2) Strong’s Greek Dictionary #
715): “bear”
·
Leopard – (Daniel 7: 6) – Strong’s
Hebrew Dictionary # 5245); (Revelation 13: 2) Strong’s Greek Dictionary #
3917: “leopard”; …but note the following additional information provided in
that last Strong’s reference: “an animal characterized by swiftness of
movement and sudden spring, in Daniel 7: 6, symbolic of Alexander the Great,
and the formation of the Grecian kingdom, the third seen in the vision there
recorded. In Revelation 13: 2, the imperial power described there also as a
‘beast,” is seen to concentrate in himself the characteristics of those
mentioned in Daniel 7.” (Emphasis added)
Note the explanation and description of Alexander the Great and
his Greek kingdom as “the third seen in the vision”.
Before continuing with the list of these animals / beasts, it
is important to recognize that the Bible Scripture identified the “symbols” but
in these instances did not clarify their meanings, except for the “leopard”. However,
as we continue reading in Chapter Eight, we see some
clarification:
· Ram – (Daniel
8: 3-4) – Strong’s Hebrew Dictionary # 352) “ayil”: “a ram (from its
strength); Many passages use “ayil” as a figure of despot or mighty men. …The
king of Babylon deported Judah’s kings, princes, and the ‘mighty of the
land’.” Note this reference to the “ram” as symbolic of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon who defeated
Israel and captured Daniel in approximately 600 B.C. As we continue reading the Chapter, the Bible
informs us that the Angel Gabriel explains the symbol of the ram in Verse
20, saying:” The ram which thou sawest having two horns are the kings
of Media and Persia.” We
know from Bible history that the Medes under King Darius defeated the
Babylonians, and then the Persians under Cyrus continued to rule over Israel. (Daniel Chapters 5 and 6)
(Emphasis added)
·
Goat – (Daniel 8: 5, 8) – Strong’s
Hebrew Dictionary # 5795, #6842): “male goat”; As noted above, the Angel
Gabriel further explains the symbol of the goat, in Verses 21and 22,
saying: “And the rough goat is the king of Grecia: and the great
horn that is between his eyes is the first king. 22 Now
that being broken, whereas four stood up for it, four kingdoms shall stand up
out of the nation, but not in his power.” Whereas
we noted above the symbol of the “leopard” referring to Alexander the
Great, we see in this vision of prophecy that the “goat” is also his
symbol as the king of Greece. The language of Verse 22
helps confirm this symbol because we also know that when King Alexander died
(his “horn” broken) his kingdom was left under the control of his four
generals. (See: https://biblehub.com/topical/t/the_four_successors_of_alexander.htm )
In the process of describing these various animals / beasts as
symbols used in prophecy, we also encounter other symbols. For example, the use of the word “horn”
appears many times.
· Horn - (Ezekiel 29: 21; Daniel’s Chapters 7 and 8)
– Strong’s Hebrew Dictionary : # 7161, -62; - (“horn; a peak of a mountain; figuratively “power”; (Luke 1: 69; Revelation Chapters 5, 9, 12,
13, and 17) - (Strong’s Greek Dictionary # 2768; - “a mount” (mountain)
in Palestine. These references to both a
‘mountain” and “power” is often considered a reference to a “kingdom” among
“lesser hills”. Note in the Scripture
cited above related to the symbol of the “goat”, the Angel Gabriel said: “…the
‘great horn’ that is between his (king of Grecia) eyes is the first
king.” This symbol is a reference to
a king and his kingdom.
As another example, in his prophetic vision of heaven, the
Scripture recorded the Apostle John (the Revelator) saying” …there were seven lamps of
fire burning before the throne (of God) , which are the seven Spirits
of God.” (Revelation 4: 5) One of my teachers (Les Feldick) noted that this symbolism was
consistent with the words of the Prophet Isaiah who described the coming
of our Lord Jesus approximately 700 years before His Advent. (Isaiah 11: 1-2)
In another example, the Book of Ezekiel, Chapter 37 is sometimes
referred to as the “Dry-Bones Chapter”. As you read that Chapter with its reference
to “dry bones”, you note that the “bones” are similar to those of a skeleton that has
been left in the hot, dry sun for a long period of time. It isn’t until Verse 11, and beyond that
you are told that those bones are symbols of the twelve tribes of the
Nation of Israel that had been scattered / displaced from their homeland. The prophecy
is that the LORD will give the 12 Tribes new life as a Nation, and restore them
to their homeland. [ You will recall that Israel declared its independence and became
an Independent State in May 1948. (https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/May-14/state-of-israel-proclaimed ; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israel )]
Most of Bible prophecy has not yet come to reality. But we should be knowledgeable about where we currently
stand at this point of Bible history, and what lies ahead. As “Ambassadors for
Christ” we need to be able to accurately inform others what the Scripture has
told us.
Again I encourage you to use these examples, and the
reference resources of the Strong’s Expanded Concordance Dictionaries, the Internet, and others references (as long
as they are consistent with God’s word), to supplement the Bible Scripture
itself. As we study, we will continue to
encounter symbols, both within and outside of the Bible’s many prophetic
statements. The key is to embrace
the opportunity to investigate their meaning to better understand God’s messages
to mankind.
Dr. W. A. (Bill) Robinson
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