Symbols are “signs, types and foreshadows”: something that points to, or represents something else.
Let me say just a little about Revelation before we get to the chart on our subject. No one can understand Revelation if they do not know what it is about. It helps to understand what it is NOT about since we have had so many try to interpret it naturally. It is NOT a history book with historical significance. It is NOT a weird piece of literature written in New Testament times with no relevance for us. We have seen efforts that suggest many different personalities as THEE Anti-christ and everything cataclysmic to come, and they have all failed.
Revelation is in a nutshell, “The revelation or unveiling of Jesus Christ. We shall pray for grace…grace that we can see Jesus on every page of this epistle as it unveils Him to, in and through every over-comer, the overcoming sons on Mt. Zion as well as the man-child on the throne. When we do see Jesus in this book, to us, in us, and through us, we will truly grasp the meaning of the book: It is a spiritual drama of our own life in Christ Jesus.
I believe it is extremely important to understand that we do not need to concern ourselves with what we do NOT know about this epistle. Instead, we would concern ourselves with this: when God wants to open something in it to us, that we receive it. So, it always excites me when someone intent on being an over-comer gets interested in knowing what “Revelation” is all about as it is really written for kings and priest.
I know enough about Revelation to know that I will be studying it forever. I’ve spent over 2000 hours studying it’s pages and have barely scratched the surface, so I have no difficulty when asked the question “what does this mean” giving an answer of “I don’t know” when I do not know. But I have been thrilled to the depths of my being when it opens to me and I see what I had not seen before.
Revelation is the last epistle in the bible (although it is not the end of this world as we know it). We find the end is in 1st Corinthians 15:28. Revelation is ONE revelation! Notice there is no “s” as in many revelations. It is a revelation of Jesus Christ – to me, in me, and through me, therefore, it is alive to each one of us in our personal journey “TO KNOW HIM”. This is why in Ch. 4 of Revelation, we find the statement to “come up hither” is a personal word and has nothing to do with a “group” of people. If He has not spoken “come up hither” to you, pray that He does.
Paul said it is his determined purpose to know Him. Pause and think about this! The greatest teacher (imho) concerning spiritual matters has humbly stated that he has “one purpose”. It is not to be an apostle, even though he accepted that responsibility in Christ, but the purpose in his life was to KNOW HIM. What good would it be to serve God in ministry all your life and never really KNOW HIM. This happens! Oh, yes it does! And all too often!
Consider the scripture that says “Lord, did not we cast out demons in your name,” etc… and yet God said, depart from me you workers of iniquity for I never KNEW YOU. In other words, they had no relationship with the God they were serving. They functioned in His gifts, but a gift is given, a relationship is developed.
Revelation is ever living for the souls of those who are wanting to know Him.
My personal journey hit me square in the face concerning this book many years ago when the Spirit said to me, “You have been though all the churches.” I said, “What”?! So, I read the first three chapters of Revelation again, and sure enough, I found that indeed I had spiritually experienced all that was in those chapters.
Then He said to me, “Come up hither”. I went into a new dimension in the realm of Spirit as Holy Spirit opened up to me the Revelation of Jesus Christ in chapters 4-18. These chapters reveal a dimension of maturity concerning the sons of God; their training and execution of the ministry of service ahead that will bring the knowledge of the glory of God to the entire earth.
Without this understanding, the epistle is not the revelation of Jesus Christ, neither is it personal, but just becomes futile efforts to make it say something it doesn’t say. It will not be alive for us if we do that, but above everything else…. it will have nothing to do with the relationship we have with Him.
Revelation is full of symbolic language. When interpreted using the word to interpret the symbols, you will find yourself on a most exciting journey that will set your heart to rejoicing and your feet to dancing to the words and the music of His Song and not another.
One day (soon I hope), I will offer an article on just the symbols in Revelation. However, for this article, I am just setting the background for those who study to understand what Jesus meant, when he said: “My words are Spirit and they are LIFE!” John 6:63
SIGNS, TYPES and FORESHADOWS
We use the following definitions for the list of words covered in this article. These definitions are somewhat overlapping, but the point is that God speaks spiritually as the scripture above says in John 6:63.
1. Signs: A word or number, in the written word of God which points to something else.
Example: The #12 or any derivative of 12 points to the Government of God. This is what we see in the tribes on Mt. Zion. 144,000 is not a literal number… it represents the Government of God.
2. Types: A person who represents something, indicated by his name and history.
Example: King Uzziah represents pride. Isaiah 6:1: In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord high and lifted up. What keeps us from seeing the Lord? – PRIDE……
3. Foreshadows: Something natural that depicts a spiritual reality.
Example: We find our growth experience in Christ Jesus throughout the 3 Old Testament main Feasts that Jewish people celebrated.
In our chart below, we will also be adding a few phrases with explanations and idioms.
Before we get to the list, we want to share the bible example Jesus gave us for interpreting signs, types and foreshadows.
Matthew 13:1-9 The same day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea side. And great multitudes were gathered together unto him, so that he went into a ship, and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore. And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow; and when he sowed, some seeds fell by the wayside, and the fowls came and devoured them up: some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth; and when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them: but other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
Now, you can read in verses 18-23 where Jesus himself goes on to explain the types he uses in this parable.
1. Sower – Preacher/Teacher of scriptures
2. Seed – Word of God
3. Fowls – Devil
Jesus illustrated how to interpret words from the natural to the spiritual. Can you now understand the scripture that says “seeing they do not see, and hearing, they do not hear”? It is because all the natural man sees is the Sower – Seed – and Fowls. He has no enlightenment to see or hear in his spirit to grasp the spiritual understanding of these words and the bible is full of them. It is how the word is hidden to the flesh man for he cannot understand it.
Sometimes words have double meanings and must be understood in context to know which meaning applies.
Ok, so let’s look at signs, types, some phrases/idioms, and foreshadows that will help us see and hear what Jesus saw and heard as a human being.
Chart: Signs, Types, Phrases/Idioms and Foreshadows
1. 1st Feast – Washed in the blood of the lamb – Passover”
2. 2 Lamp stands – Written AND spoken word: word/Word
3. 2 Olive trees – Oil and Light (Prophetic ministry and present truth anointing)
4. 2 Women – 1. Babylon, a harlot and an abomination of the earth –
2: Virgin bride of Christ.
5. 2nd Feast – Sanctification – Pentecost
6. 3 Unclean spirits – Dragon – Beast – False prophet
7. 3rd Feast – Tabernacles – 3rd day from Christ – 7 days from Adam
8. 7 Churches – The entire church realm throughout Pentecost
9. A new name – A new nature
10. A new song – A revelation
11. Another – One who is the same
12. Antichrist – False religious spirit
13. Ark of the covenant – Christ in you – God’s character and majesty
14. Armaggedon – Final battle within – Believer’s Gethsemane
15. Babylon – Confusion, heresy, and malignity
16. Bottomless Pit – Carnal mind
17. Beast from the earth – Religion
18. Beast from the sea – Wicked humanity
19. Beastly System with 10 horns and 7 heads – All the outward systems of uncontrolled humanity in Politics, Religion and Economies
20. Bowls – Vials – Revelation of Christ through sons of God
21. Cain’s offering – Self works – the best the flesh can do
22.Chosen Generation – A generation out of all generations who become manifested sons of God.
23. Cloud – God
24. Clouds – People
25. Come up hither – Spiritual invitation to ascend to a greater glory
26. Confusion – Mixture
27. Cyrus – Type of Christ – King of kings
28.Darkness in 5th plague – No light left in man-made religions – error – unbelief – ignorance
29. Dragon power – Religious soul power
30, Door – Jesus Christ
31. Drying up the river Euphrates – Removal of Babylon influence
32. Earthly Governments – Wild beasts of prey
33. Ecclesiastical Babylon – Your own religious kingdom; indoctrinating, isolating, denominating, and dominating – An unholy union – religion
34. Egypt – Tyranny, Oppression – Flesh
35. Elect – Chosen, Firstborn
36. Euphrates River – Head of human reasoning
37. Everlasting gospel – Gospel of the age
38. Falling stars – Sinful leadership exposed and disgraced
39. False leaders – A bride imposter
40. Financial Babylon – Putting finances over God
41. Fire – A word that consumes sin – Place of correction in God
42. Flying in the midst of heaven – Operating in the Spirit
43. Free will choice – A choice between 2 opposing influences
44. Gentiles – Fleshly, worldly ways
45. Giving – A free will offering from a happy heart
46. Gold – Divinity
47. God’s wrath – Love’s severity with correction to ultimate goodness
48. Good ground – Someone bearing fruit
49. Gospel – Evangel – Good news
50. Gospel of Salvation – Good news for the unsaved
51. Gospel of the Kingdom – Good news for maturing the saved
52. Grievous sore – Spiritual defect
53. Hail – A hard word that is ultimately corrective and redemptive
54. Heart – Man’s spirit and soul – must see in context to discern which or could possibly be both in scripture.
55. Heaven, Earth, and Sea – 3 realms of life… (A) Heaven: Spirit man (B) Earth man: Religious man (between heaven and sea (C) Sea: Wicked
56. Holy City – People of God
57. I heard a soft voice – Wisdom from above – A message to mankind
58. Israel – All of God’s people in Christ
59. Jerusalem – Bride of Christ
60. Labor – Study
61, Lightnings – Revelations
62. Linen garments – Glorified bodies
63. Little “w” – Written word
64. Man-child – A fully matured child at the point of his birth
65. Mountain – Kingdom
66. Noah’s Ark – Salvation
67. Over-comer – A mature son living by faith
68. Partake – Communicate as in the Garden of Eden when they “ate”
69. Pentecost – Fifty – in-part realm
70. Pergamos – High place of the carnal mind – elevated – citadel
71. Political Babylon – Politics devoid of God
72. Quiet – intimacy
73. Rain – Spiritual blessing and a life-giving power
74. Reed like a rod – Jesus (S) – sons
75. Sackcloth – Repentance – humility – brokenness
76. Scorpions – A dangerous people – Sea man – Lowest realm of life and consciousness – depravity
77. Seals – Revelation of Christ “to us”
78. Seasons – Signifies a beginning and an end
79. Silver – Salvation
80. Smoke – Deception
81. Sodom – Soulical sensuality
82. Soul – Female where it fits – sometimes it means heart/soul and spirit.
83. Stony ground – No root – endures for only a while
84. Spirit – Male where it fits – sometimes it means heart/spirit and soul
85. Street – Jesus
86. Tail – False prophet
87. The knowledge of good and evil – The Law
88. The Old Man – Flesh man – Carnal mind
89. The scriptures in Revelation – 1 revelation – Christ unfolding Himself in a people.
90. The Virgin Bride – An “organism” who follows her lover whitersoever He goes.
91. Thorns – Someone who carries care, is fooled by money, and is unfruitful.
92. Throne – Dominion
93. Thunder – Power to speak by revelation
94. Tithe – Old testament law of giving 10% of all you own to the priests
95. Treasure in earthen vessels – Jesus within
96. Trumpet – Message
97. Trumpets – Messages
98. Two witnesses – The word of God and the Holy Spirit
99. Two-edged sword – The Bible and the spoken word alive in you
100. Vials, Bowls – Revelation of Christ through believers
101. Voice of an Angel – Spoken Word of God
102. Water – word
103. Wrath – Loves severity seeking ultimate goodness
104. Zion – Mountain/Kingdom of sonship
There is so much more…1000’s. I’ve chosen a few to use as you study. My heart’s desire is to go through Revelation verse by verse and give you the symbols. A task I intend to start immediately. What a trip that will be! Wish me Bon Voyage!
I SURE HOPE THIS HELPS SOMEONE
This blessed me and encouraged me. Thank you for sharing.
Katherine: You are so welcome. Bonnie