Chart of Symbols
By using symbolic images and prophetic pictures, God is able to condense thousands of years of history into a very small space. Each prophetic symbol is clearly explained in Scripture. Once you understand the meaning of the symbol, Bible prophecy becomes plain. To help you in your understanding, study the chart below. The left-hand column lists the symbol as it appears in Bible prophecy. The center column lists the text which explains the symbol. The right-hand column gives the meaning of the symbol.
| Symbol | Clarifying Text | What the Symbol Means | ||
| Metals in Daniel 2—gold, silver, brass, iron | Daniel 2:38-40 | Four successive world empires beginning in Daniel’s day | ||
| Head of gold in Daniel 2:38 | Daniel 2:31-32 | Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom—Babylon | ||
| Toes of image in Daniel 2:41 | Daniel 2:41 | A divided kingdom | ||
| The rock cut out without hands in Daniel 2:34 | Daniel 2:44, 45 | God’s eternal kingdom | ||
| The tree in Daniel 4:10 | Daniel 4:20-22 | King Nebuchadnezzar | ||
| The cutting down of the tree in Daniel 4:14 | Daniel 4:24, 25 | King Nebuchadnezzar’s loss of his throne to temporary insanity | ||
| The band of iron and brass around the tree’s stump in Daniel 4:15 | Daniel 4:26 | Nebuchadnezzar’s empire preserved | ||
| The mysterious writing on the wall of Belshazzar’s banquet hall in Daniel 5:5 | Daniel 5:26-28 | God’s judgment pronounced upon Babylon | ||
| Four winds in Daniel 7:2 | Jeremiah 49:36, 37 (See also Revelation 7:1, 2) | Winds equal devastation and destruction. The number four symbolizes the directions of the compass—North, South, East, and West. | ||
| Sea in Daniel 7:2 | Revelation 17:15 | Multitudes, peoples, nations | ||
| Beasts in Daniel 7:3 | Daniel 7:17, 23 | Empires or kingdoms | ||
| The lion, bear, leopard, and dragon-like beast in Daniel 7:3-8 | Daniel 7:4-7 | Four successive world empires of Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome | ||
| Ten horns in Daniel 7:7-8 | Daniel 7:24 (first part) | Ten kings or kingdoms—divisions of power | ||
| Little horn in Daniel 7:8 | Daniel 7:24, 25 (last part) | A diverse or different power; one that is not political, but religious in nature | ||
| Eyes like a man in Daniel 7:8 | Ephesians 1:18 | Eyes equal understanding or wisdom. Eyes like a man indicate a system based on human, rather than divine, wisdom | ||
| Clouds of heaven in Daniel 7:13 | Matthew 16:27; Revelation 1:7 | Angels | ||
| A prophetic day | Numbers 14:34; Ezekiel 4:6; Genesis 29:27 | One year | ||
| Time, times, and half a time in Daniel 7:25 | Revelation 12:6, 14 | 1,260 prophetic days or 1,260 literal years | ||
| Son of man in Daniel 7:13 | Luke 19:10; Luke 21:27 | Jesus Christ | ||
| Ram in Daniel 8:3 | Daniel 8:20 | Media-Persia | ||
| He goat in Daniel 8:5 | Daniel 8:21 | Greece | ||
| Prince of the Host in Daniel 8:11 | Daniel 9:25, 10:13, 12:1; Isaiah 9:6 | Jesus Christ | ||
| Transgression in Daniel 8:12 | 1 John 3:4 | Sin is the transgression, or breaking, of God’s law | ||
| Transgression or abomination of desolation | Daniel 11:31, 32 | Open rebellion against God, His word, and His law—the Ten Commandments | ||
| 2300 prophetic days in Daniel 8:14 | Ezekiel 4:6; Numbers 14:34 | 2,300 literal years | ||
| Seventy weeks in Daniel 9:24 | Ezekiel 4:6; Numbers 14:34 | 490 literal years | ||
| Messiah the Prince in Daniel 9:25 | Matthew 1:21 | Jesus Christ | ||
| The covenant in Daniel 9:27 | Matthew 26:28 | God’s plan of salvation through the blood of Christ | ||
| The prince of the kingdom of Persia in Daniel 10:13 | John 12:31 | The prince of this world, or Satan | ||
| King of the South in Daniel 11:5 | Exodus 5:2 | Spiritual Egypt, anti-God powers, atheistic powers | ||
| King of the North in Daniel 11:7 | Revelation 14:8, 9; 18:1-5 | Spiritual Babylon, or false religious powers which, under the guise of religion, deceive with false teachings | ||
| Tidings from the east in Daniel 11:44 | Matthew 24:27 | The message of Christ’s soon return | ||
This chart is taken from It Is Written Bible Study of "Unsealing Daniel's Mysteries." Click here.
