They may be used to portray future events which can't be viewed literally because they do not exist. How could you give a vision of a future nation defeating another nation except by using a symbol and then explaining what that symbol means? In a vision of past, present, and future kingdoms, it would seem best to use symbolism for all the kingdoms for simplicity and consistency of revelation, such as with the revelations of kingdoms in Daniel and Revelation.
Symbols can be used to emphasize certain characteristics of an object or to represent a spiritual condition. The physical features of the "beast," in Revelation 13, as that of a leopard, bear, and lion draw our attention to other nations in the book of Daniel that were represented as a leopard, bear, and lion. The "beast" in Revelation 13 is a composite representation: It has a two-fold meaning: broadly, it is the anti-God worldly power; narrowly, it is one particular kingdom with a two-fold manifestation. (George Eldon Ladd)
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