They also are 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?
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 a leopard, bear, and lion portray characteristics that were used to represent other nations in the book of Daniel (that characterized those nations). 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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