symbolism

 Symbols in Scripture may be used because of the complexity of what they represent. 

How could you give a vision of a future nation defeating another nation except by using symbolism and then explaining what that symbol means?

In a vision of past, present, and future kingdoms, symbolism can portray all the kingdoms at once for simplicity and consistency of revelation, such as with the revelations of kingdoms in Daniel and Revelation.

I was considering, suddenly a male goat came from the west, across the surface of the whole earth, without touching the ground; and the goat had a notable horn between his eyes. ⁶ Then he came to the ram that had two horns, which I had seen standing beside the river, and ran at him with furious power. Daniel 8:5-6

The male goat grew very great; but when he became strong, the large horn was broken, and in place of it four notable ones came up toward the four winds of heaven. ⁹ And out of one of them came a little horn which grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the Glorious Land. Daniel 8:8-9

Look, I am making known to you what shall happen in the latter time of the indignation; for at the appointed time the end shall be. ²⁰ The ram which you saw, having the two horns—they are the kings of Media and Persia. ²¹ And the male goat is the kingdom of Greece. The large horn that is between its eyes is the first king. ²² As for the broken horn and the four that stood up in its place, four kingdoms shall arise out of that nation, but not with its power. Daniel 8:19-22

²³ "And in the latter time of their kingdom, When the transgressors have reached their fullness, A king shall arise, Having fierce features, Who understands sinister schemes. ²⁴ His power shall be mighty, but not by his own power; He shall destroy fearfully, And shall prosper and thrive; He shall destroy the mighty, and also the holy people. Daniel 8:23-24

Symbols can be used to emphasize certain characteristics of an object or to represent a spiritual condition. A spiritual reality can be represented by clothing and the condition of the clothing.

​¹ Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the Angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to oppose him. …

³ Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and was standing before the Angel.

⁴ Then He answered and spoke to those who stood before Him, saying, "Take away the filthy garments from him."

And to him He said, "See, I have removed your iniquity from you, and I will clothe you with rich robes."

⁵ And I said, "Let them put a clean turban on his head." So they put a clean turban on his head, and they put the clothes on him. And the Angel of the LORD stood by. Zechariah 3:1-5

Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?" ¹⁴ And I said to him, "Sir, you know." So he said to me, "These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. ¹⁵ Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And He who sits on the throne will dwell among them. Revelation 7:13-15

The marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready." ⁸ And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. Revelation 19:7-8

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 chapter 7. that were represented as a leopard, bear, and lion. 

I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name. ² Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority. ³ And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast. ⁴ So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, "Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?" Revelation 13:1-4

"I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the Great Sea. ³ And four great beasts came up from the sea, each different from the other. ⁴ The first was like a lion, and had eagle's wings. I watched till its wings were plucked off; and it was lifted up from the earth and made to stand on two feet like a man, and a man's heart was given to it. ⁵ "And suddenly another beast, a second, like a bear. It was raised up on one side, and had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. And they said thus to it: 'Arise, devour much flesh!' ⁶ "After this I looked, and there was another, like a leopard, which had on its back four wings of a bird. The beast also had four heads, and dominion was given to it. ⁷ "After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, exceedingly strong. It had huge iron teeth; it was devouring, breaking in pieces, and trampling the residue with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns. ⁸ I was considering the horns, and there was another horn, a little one, coming up among them, before whom three of the first horns were plucked out by the roots. And there, in this horn, were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking pompous words.  Daniel 7:2-8

He was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months. ⁶ Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven. ⁷ It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation. Revelation 13:5-7

It's possible that 5 of the 7 heads of the beast in Revelation 13 correspond with the 4 nation-divisions of Nebuchadnezzar's dream image in Daniel 2. The dream image of Daniel 2 and the beasts of Daniel 7—especially the fourth beast--and the 7 headed beast of Revelation 13 with its 10 horns all have a relationship to one-another.   Daniel's fourth beast vision includes a "little horn" that corresponds with the particular beast-man of Revelation 13 that corresponds to the 7th head that speaks pompous words and persecutes the saints of God.

³⁶ "This is the dream. Now we will tell the interpretation of it before the king. … you are this head of gold. ³⁹ But after you shall arise another kingdom inferior to yours; then another, a third kingdom of bronze, which shall rule over all the earth. ⁴⁰ And the fourth kingdom shall be as strong as iron, inasmuch as iron breaks in pieces and shatters everything; and like iron that crushes, that kingdom will break in pieces and crush all the others. ⁴¹ Whereas you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter's clay and partly of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; ... ⁴⁴ And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever. Daniel 2:36-44

The "beast" in Revelation 13 is a composite representation.  The beast has 7 heads, and yet there is a future 7th head, and we are told in Revelation 17 that the 7th head is also an 8th head, and so the 7th head are two stages of the kingdom represented, and the 7th head stage has 2 phases. It is the 7th head that dies and comes to life again, can corresponds to the particular beast and little horn that speaks pompous words and persecutes the saints. 

⁹ "Here is the mind which has wisdom: The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits. ¹⁰ There are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, and the other has not yet come. And when he comes, he must continue a short time. ¹¹ The beast that was, and is not, is himself also the eighth, and is of the seven, and is going to perdition. ¹² "The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast. ¹³ These are of one mind, and they will give their power and authority to the beast. ¹⁴ These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings. Revelation 17:9-14

The end of the Daniel's 4 beast and the final phase of Nebuchadnezzar's image and the final phase Revelation 13's beast--all these are revelations of the same ruler and kingdom--will be at the Second Coming of Christ who will defeat the beast's kingdom and the armies of the nations who have gathered for battle ("Armageddon").

It seems that the complexity of the things represented, and for simplicity and consistency of the revelation, symbolism works best.

Updated 4/7/25