Have you ever opened your Bible to the book of Revelation and felt like you stepped into a dream you couldn’t quite understand?
Dragons, beasts, and a slain Lamb—it reads more like a fantasy novel than a devotional. And for many of us, the instinct is to skip it. It’s too strange. Too mysterious. Too hard to figure out.
But what if the strangeness isn’t meant to shut us out? What if the symbols are actually God’s invitation to draw closer?
Revelation isn’t the only part of Scripture that uses symbolic language. Throughout the Bible, God uses symbols to help us grasp truth that might otherwise be too large, too holy, or too invisible to explain directly.
So why symbols?
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They make the invisible visible. We can’t see spiritual conflict with our eyes, but a “dragon” lets us picture it. We can’t fully describe Jesus’ redemptive work, but a slain Lamb points us there.
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They speak across time and culture. Long after a historical reference might be forgotten, an image still resonates. A throne means power. A scroll means purpose. A crown means authority.
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They invite us to meditate, not just understand. Symbols slow us down. They ask us to sit with truth, not just skim past it. Revelation isn’t designed for quick answers. It’s designed for deep reflection.
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They align with the way Jesus taught. “I am the vine.” “You are the light.” “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed.” These aren’t riddles. They’re relational, emotional, and deeply theological metaphors that stick with us longer than a lecture ever could.
The truth is, we use symbolic language every day: We carry burdens. Chase light. Feel broken.
God knows that our hearts respond to more than data. And in Revelation, He doesn’t use symbols to hide the truth. He uses them to help us feel it. See it. Live in light of it.
Put It Into Practice
Pay attention to symbolic language in Scripture.
What image or metaphor stands out to you? Pause there. Let it speak.
Don’t rush through confusing passages.
Ask: What truth is this symbol trying to reveal? Not every image has a one-to-one answer, and that’s okay.
Embrace mystery with trust.
God isn’t trying to trick you. He’s drawing you into a deeper kind of understanding—one shaped by faith, not formulas.
