Prophetic language will often employ visionary language to convey literal truth. Symbolic imagery must be interpreted within the context of the prophet's writings, and within the grammatical/historical/chronological/canonical context of the passage in accordance the whole counsel of Scripture.
An example of obvious symbolic biblical imagery is the identification of Jesus as the Lamb of God and the Lion of Judah. Jesus is not a literal lamb or lion, but the names reveal more about Jesus than literal language could convey.
Jesus offered his life as a sacrificial lamb on the altar of God on behalf of sinners. Jesus was born of the tribe of Judah in the flesh. Jesus will return in power and glory like a lion to execute God’s judgment on earth. Prophetic language will often employ visionary language to convey literal truth.
The book of Revelation is the revelation of Jesus Christ. The prophetic book contains some expressed symbolic imagery within a larger prophetic, chronological account of literal events that will take place at the end of this present age and introduce the age to come. God gave the revelation to Jesus to show his servants things that must soon take place.
The revelation was made known to the apostle John who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ. John received the revelation while he was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day during his exile on the island called Patmos. In a time of great persecution of Christ's followers, John had been sent into exile on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus (Rev 1:9-10).
After Jesus’ direct message to the seven churches in Asia Minor (Revelation 2-3) and prior to the commencement in Revelation 6 of the progressive judgments that will shortly fall upon the earth during the final period (70th week) of Israel’s history, John records what Jesus revealed to him of events taking place in heaven (Revelation 4-5).
Read the following two chapters in Revelation that record what Jesus showed John in a vision of heaven. In the vision, make note: How many were worthy to take the scroll that was in the right hand of God who is seated on the throne?
Rev 4:1
¶ After this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.”
Rev 4:2
At once I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne.
Rev 4:3
And he who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian, and around the throne was a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald.
Rev 4:4
Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones were twenty-four elders, clothed in white garments, with golden crowns on their heads.
Rev 4:5
From the throne came flashes of lightning, and rumblings and peals of thunder, and before the throne were burning seven torches of fire, which are the seven spirits of God,
Rev 4:6
and before the throne there was as it were a sea of glass, like crystal. ¶ And around the throne, on each side of the throne, are four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind:
Rev 4:7
the first living creature like a lion, the second living creature like an ox, the third living creature with the face of a man, and the fourth living creature like an eagle in flight.
Rev 4:8
And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say,
“Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty,
who was and is and is to come!”
Rev 4:9
¶ And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever,
Rev 4:10
the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying,
Rev 4:11
¶ “Worthy are you, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
and by your will they existed and were created.”
Rev 5:1
¶ Then I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals.
Rev 5:2
And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?”
Rev 5:3
And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it,
Rev 5:4
and I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it.
Rev 5:5
And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.”
Rev 5:6
¶ And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.
Rev 5:7
And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne.
Rev 5:8
And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.
Rev 5:9
And they sang a new song, saying,
“Worthy are you to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God
from every tribe and language and people and nation,
Rev 5:10
and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God,
and they shall reign on the earth.”
Rev 5:11
¶ Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands,
Rev 5:12
saying with a loud voice,
“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might
and honor and glory and blessing!”
Rev 5:13
And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying,
“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!”
Rev 5:14
And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshiped.
How many were found worthy to take the scroll from God’s right hand?
One: Jesus Christ, Lamb of God, Lion of the tribe of Judah, Root of David.
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