Having been written using the symbolism of the Old Testament books of prophecy, the people of the first century church would have been quite familiar both with this method of writing, and the way it is to be interpreted. We aren't, so a few aids to understanding prophetic symbols and numerics are included here to help you unlock the Book's real meaning. Without an understanding of these symbols, reading the book of Revelation is like reading a foreign language. This might explain why there are so many far fetched interpretations floating around from people who have missed the relevance of the word "signified" in verse 1, or use a version of the Bible that leaves the word out altogether because the translator didn't realise its meaning or significance either.
I am in no doubt that the constant references in the Book of Revelation to those 'who have ears to hear what is being said to the churches' means those who recognise and use 'signature' or prophetic symbolism to determine what is being said. Such verses are saying, 'those of you who know to use prophetic symbolism take particular note of what is being said here'.
The key words and phrases in the book are therefore all symbolic and have symbolic meanings and should not be taken literally. For example, when it says 'Jerusalem', having being written in signs or symbols, it is not referring to the actual place but the symbol of what Jerusalem represents, that is, the place where God meets with His people. Take care not to interpret parts as symbolic and some as literal. Everyone agrees that the reference to the Beast in the Book of Revelation is symbolic, yet so many people expect the mark of the Beast to be a literal mark. A symbolic beast can't have a literal mark. Taking anything in the book of Revelation literally is to ignore this important key found in verse one - that it is all symbolic.
Every number in the book of Revelation has a symbolic meaning, so they, too, must not be taken literally. For example, when you see a reference to a third, interpret that as a reference to the Remnant - that small number who have searched for and found the truth - for that is what a third symbolised in the Old Testament prophetic texts, which were written in the same manner - "in signature".
For the benefit of readers who are unfamiliar with the symbols and numbers of prophecy and what they represent, we have included two lists of prophetic symbols - Symbols used in Bible Prophecy and Bible Numerics. At the bottom of each page in this Study are buttons to access them. Once you know what the symbols and numbers in the book represent, the Book of Revelation will come to life and make sense, as you will be reading it the way its author intended it to be read.
Chapter 3: The "Sevens" of the Book Of RevelationDesign by W3layouts
