Words and symbols

A Glossary of Symbolic Words

Blackwood’s Comprehensive Aids to the Study of the Bible · Vol. I, pp. 50–51

Begins on Vol. I, p. 50

And Phrases of the Inspired Writers.

The Word	Explanation	Text
Abaddon, Heb. Apollyon, Gr.	A name derived from the title of the Arabian kings, and applied to the Mohammedan powers, by whom the Christian Church in the East was sorely oppressed	Rev. ix. 11.
Abomination	1. Sin, in general	Isa. lxvi. 3; Ezek. xvi. 50, 51.
	2. Idolatrous rites of Popery	Rev. xvii. 4.
Abomination of Desolation.	The idolatrous ensigns of the Roman army.	Matt. xxiv. 15.
Adulteress, or Harlot	An apostate city or Church.	Isa. i. 21; Rev. xvii. 5.
Adultery	Idolatry and apostasy	Jer. iii. 8, 9; Rev. ii. 22.
Angels	1. Intelligent beings employed by God as ministers of His Providence	Ezek. x. 8, etc.; Heb. i. 4-7,14; Rev.iv.6; v.11.
	2. Apostate spirits	Matt. xxv. 41; Jude 6.
	3. Bishops or pastors of churches	Rev. i. 20; ii. 18, 12, 18.
Angel of the Lord	Jesus Christ	Zech. i. 11.
Arm	1. The omnipotence of God	Jer. xxvii. 5; xxxii. 17.
	2. The power and miracles of Christ	Isa. liii. 1; John xii. 38.
	3. Gracious influences of God	Isa. li. 9; lii. 10.
Armor	Spiritual graces	Rom. xiii. 2; Eph.vi.11.
Arrows	1. Judgments of God	Job vi. 4.
	2. Slanderous words	Ps. lxiv. 3.
Babes	Young or feeble Christians	1 Cor. iii. 1; Heb. v. 13.
Babylon	Papal Rome	Rev. xiv. 8; xvii., xviii.
Balaam	The errors and impurities of that apostate	2 Pet. ii. 15; Jude 11; Rev. ii. 14.
Beast	1. A heathen power	Dan. vii. 17.
	2. The Papal Antichrist	Rev. xiii. 2, 12; xvii. 3, 7, etc.
Beasts	The four living creatures, improperly called beasts	Rev. iv.
	They denote the cherubim described	Ezek. i. 10.
Black, Blackness	Afflictions	Jer. xiv. 2; Joel ii. 6.
Blasphemy	Idolatry, especially that of Popery	Rev. xiii. 1, 5, 6; xvii. 3.
Blindness	Ignorance of Divine Doctrine	Isa. xxix. 18; Rom. xi. 25; Eph. iv. 18.
Blood	Symbol of the Atonement by Christ	Matt. xxvi. 28; Heb. xiii. 20.
Body	The sanctified Church of Christ	1 Cor. xii. 13, 27.
Book	Symbol of the Divine Decrees	Ps. xl. 7; Heb. x. 7.
Book of Life	The heavenly register of the people of God	Rev. iii. 5; xx. 12, 15; xxii. 19; Matt. iii.16.
Bow	1. Vigorous health	Job xxix. 20.
	2. Symbol of evangelical conquest	Rev. vi. 2.
Bowels	Tender sympathy	Phil. ii. 1; Luke i. 78.
Branch	Christ	Isa. xi. 1; Jer. xxiii. 5; xxxiii. 15; Zech. iii. 8.
Bread, food	1. Divine Doctrine	Deut. viii. 3; Isa. lv. 2; Matt. iv. 4.
	2. Christian fellowship	1 Cor. x. 17.
Bride	The Church of Christ	Rev. xxi. 9.
Bridegroom	Christ, the Husband of the Church	John iii. 29; Rev.xxi.9.
Briers	Persons of pernicious principles	Isa. lv. 13.
Brimstone	1. Perpetual desolations	Job xviii.15; Isa.xxxiv. 9.
	2. Emblem of torment	Rev. xiv. 10.
	3. Pernicious doctrines	Rev. ix. 17.
Bulls	Violent men	Ps. xxii. 12.
Cedars	Eminent men	Zech. xi. 2.
Cedars of Leb.	Kings, princes of Judah	Isa. ii. 13.
Cedar, twigs of	Nobility, military chiefs	Ezek. xvii. 4.
Chaff	Worthless, irreligious persons	Ps. i. 4; Matt. iii. 12.
Clouds	Armies, multitudes	Jer. iv. 13; Isa. lx. 8; Heb. xii. 1.
Crown of life. —of glory	Immortality, felicity and glory of Heaven	Jas. i. 12; Rev. ii. 10.
Cup	1. Blessings of Divine Providence and Grace	Ps. xxiii. 5.
	2. Divine Judgments	Isa. li. 17.
Cup of salvation	Thankful acknowledgment of Divine Mercies	Ps. cxvi. 13.
Cup of blessing	Cup at the Lord's Supper, in allusion to the paschal cup	1 Cor. x. 16.
Darkness	1. Calamity and misery	Jer. xxiii. 1.
	2. Irreligion and ignorance.	Rom. xiii. 12.
Darkness of sun, stars, &c.	Disorders in the government	Isa. xiii. 10.
Day	1. A Year	Ezek. iv. 6; Rev. ii. 10; xi. 9; xii. 6.
	2. An appointed season	Isa. xxxiv. 8.
	3. A state of Evangelical knowledge	1 Thess. v. 5.
Death, Natural	Separation of the spirit from the body.	Gen. xxv. 1.
Death, Moral	Insensibility to the evil of sin, and to the duties and pleasures of the Divine friendship	Eph. ii. 2; Rev. iii. 1.
Death, Second.	Eternal banishment from God	Rev. ii. 11; xx. 14.
Dew	Power of Christ in the Resurrection	Isa. xxvi. 19.
Dogs	1. Gentiles, as sunk into impurity	Matt. xv. 26.
	2. Idle, luxurious ministers of religion.	Isa. lvi. 10.
	3. Caviling, unprincipled teachers	Phil. iii. 2; Rev. xxii. 15.
Doors	The entrance, or enlarged exercise of the gospel ministry	1 Cor. xvi. 9.
Dragon	A royal enemy—the king of Egypt	Ezek. xxix. 23.
	2. Satan actuating his agents	Rev. xii. 9.
	3. Dangers or difficulties	Ps. xci. 13.
Drunkenness	1. Emblem of folly	Isa. xxviii. 1-3; Jer. xiii. 13.
	2. Senselessness, the effect of Divine judgments	Isa. xxix. 9; li. 21.
Dust & ashes	Human nature	Gen. iii. 19; xviii. 27.
Eagle	1. A king or kingdom	Ezek. xvii.
	2. The Roman army, whose standards were eagles	Matt. xxiv. 28.
	3. Emblems of renewed strength	Ps. ciii. 3; Isa. xl. 31.
Earthen vessels	The human body	2 Cor. iv. 7.
Earthquakes	Political revolutions	Rev. vi. 12; Hag. ii. 6 & 7; Heb. xii. 26.
Egypt	Wickedness	Rev. xi. 3.
Elders, the twenty-four.	Eminent saints, perhaps patriarchal believers	Rev. iv. 10; Heb. xi. 2.
Eyes	I. Applied to the Almighty, denote,
	1. His Infinite Knowledge	Prov. xv. 3; Ps. xi. 4.
	2. His Watchful Providence	Ps. xxxii. 8; xxxiv. 15.
	II. Applied to Jesus Christ, they denote His Omnipresence	Rev. ii. 23; v. 6; Heb. iv. 13.
	III. Applied to man, they denote,
	1. The understanding, the eyes of the mind	Ps. cxix. 18; Eph. i. 18.
	2. A friendly counselor	Job xxix. 15.
	3. The whole man	Rev. i. 7.
	4. Human designs	Deut. xxviii. 54-56.
Face	The favor of God	Ps.xxxvi.16; Dan.ix.17.
Family	The Church of God	Eph. iii. 15.
Fat	1. The most excellent of everything	Ps. lxxxi. 16.
	2. Riches	Ps. xxii. 29; Jer. v. 28.
Father	God, whose we are by creation and gracious adoption	Mal. i. 6; ii. 10; Jer. xxxi. 9; Rom. viii. 15, 16; Eph. i. 5.
Fire	Destructive calamity	Isa. xlii. 25; lxvi. 15; Ezek. xxii. 31.
Flesh	1. Riches	Isa. xvii. 4.
	2. Mortal man	Isa. xl. 6.
	3. Human virtues or religious privileges.	Phil. iii. 3, 4.
Forehead	Public profession of religion	Rev. vii. 3; xiii. 16.
Fox	Consummate hypocrisy and deceit	Ezek.xiii.4; Luke xiii.32.
Fruit	Religious virtues and enjoyments	Ps.i.3; xcii.14.
Furnace	Trying afflictions, or the place	Deut. iv. 20; Jer. ix. 7; xi.4.
Garments, White	Emblems of purity and joy	Isa. lii. 1; lxi. 10; Rev. iii. 4, 5; xix. 8.
Gates	Symbol of security	Ps. cxlvii. 13.
Gates of the daughter of Sion.	The ordinances of Divine worship	Ps. ix. 14.
Gates of death.	Imminent danger	Ps.ix.13; Job xxxviii.17.
Gog with Magog	1. Scythian powers in former ages	Ezek. xxxviii. 2.
	2. Infidel nations in the last days	Rev. xx. 8.
Gold	Gospel blessings	Rev. iii. 18.
Grapes	Virtues of religion	Isa. v. 2.
Grapes, Wild.	Sinful tempers and manners	Isa. v. 2.
Hail	The incursions of violent enemies	Isa. xxviii. 2; xxxii.19; Rev. viii. 7.
Hand, Right	Protection and favor	Ps. xviii. 35; lxxiii. 23.
Hand of the Lord on a prophet	Influence of the Holy Spirit	Ezek. viii. 1.
Harvest	Extreme judgment, or end of the world.	Joel iii.13; Matt. xiii.39.
Head	1. The understanding or governing principle in man	Isa. i. 6; Dan. ii. 28.
	2. Chief of a people	Mic. iii. 1, 9, 11.
	3. The metropolis of a country	Isa. vii. 8, 9.
Heavens	1. The powerful Providence of God	Dan. iv. 26.
	2. God	Matt. xxi. 25; Luke xv. 18.
	3. Political or ecclesiastical governments	Isa. xiii. 13; Hag. ii. 2, 21.
	4. The visible Church	Rev. xii. 7, 9.
Hell	1. The general receptacle of departed souls	Isa. xiv. 7; Rev. i. 18.
	2. The place of eternal torment for the impenitent	Ps. ix. 17; Matt. x. 28; xxiii. 33.
Horn	1. Strength	Rev. v. 1.
	2. Divine protection	Ps. xviii. 2; Amos iii. 14; Luke i. 69.
	3. Royal power	Jer. xlviii. 25; Zech. i. 18, 21; Dan.vii. 20,22.

Continues on Vol. I, p. 51

(Concluded from preceding page.)

The Word	Explanation	Text
Horse	Emblem of conquest, the work of its rider	Joel ii. 4; Hab. i. 8; Jer. iv. 13.
Horse	White, emblem of happy conquest; red, of bloody war; black, of disease and pestilence; pale, of famine and misery.	Rev. vi. 2, 8; Zech. vi. 2.
House	Church of God	Isa. ii. 2; 1 Tim. iii. 15; Heb. iii. 6.
Hunger and Thirst.	1. Natural desires after happiness	Prov. xix. 15; Isa. lv. 1; Rev. xxii. 17.
	2. Spiritual desires	Amos viii. 11; Matt. v. 6; Luke i. 53.
Idolatry	1. Covetousness	Col. iii. 5.
	2. An object excessively beloved	1 John v. 21.
Image of gold, silver, brass and iron.	The four universal monarchies—Assyrian, Persian, Macedonian, Roman.	Dan. ii. 31, 45.
Incense	Devotional exercises	Rev. v. 8.
Infirmities	1. Bodily weakness	Matt.viii.17; Isa. liii. 4.
	2. Spiritual weakness	Rom. viii. 26.
Jerusalem	1. Church of God	Ps. cxx. 6; Isa. lxv. 18; lxvi. 13.
	2. Heavenly glory	Heb. xii. 22; Rev. iii. 12; xxi.; xxii.; Gal. iv. 24, 26.
Keys	1. Power and authority	Rev. i. 18; Isa. xxii.
	2. Commission of the Gospel ministry.	Matt. xvi. 19.
Laborers	Gospel ministers	Matt. ix. 37, 38; 1 Cor. iii. 9.
Lamb	The Messiah, typified by the paschal lamb and the daily Israelitish sacrifice.	Ex. xii. 11; xxix.38, 41.
Lamp	1. Profession of religion	Matt. xxv. 3, 4.
	2. Divine illumination and comfort	2 Sam. xxii. 29.
Leaven	Corrupt principles and practices	Matt. xvi. 6; 1 Cor. v. 6, 8.
Leopard	1. A subtle, rapacious enemy	Dan. vii. 6.
	2. Antichristian power	Rev. xiii. 2.
Life	1. Immortal felicity	Ps. xvi. 11.
	2. Evangelical doctrine	John vi. 33.
	3. A state of justification	John v. 24; Col. iii. 3.
	4. Christ, the source of life, natural, spiritual and eternal	John i. 4; xi. 25; xiv. 6; Col. iii. 4.
Light	1. Joy, peace and prosperity	Esth. viii. 16.
	2. Evangelical knowledge and holiness.	Isa. viii. 20; Eph. v. 8; 1 John i. 7.
Lion	1. An emblem of fortitude, the ensign of the tribe of Judah	Gen. xlix. 9.
	2. A title of Christ	Rev. v. 5.
Locusts	Teachers who corrupt the gospel	Rev. ix. 3.
Manna	The felicities of immortality	Rev. ii. 17.
Mountain	1. A kingdom, state, republic or city	Isa. ii. 12,14; Zech.iv.7.
	2. The kingdom of Christ's Church	Isa. ii. 2; xi. 9; Dan. ii. 35.
Mystery	A thing or doctrine unknown until revealed	Rom. xvi. 25; 1 Cor. ii. 7; Col.i.26; Rev.i.20.
Naked	Destitute of the garment of holiness	Rev. iii. 17.
Night	Ignorance, error, adversity	Rev. xxi. 25.
Number two	A few	1 Kings xvii.12; Isa.vii. 21.
Number three, or third	Excellency	Isa.xix.24; Zech.xiii.9.
Number four	Universality	Isa. xi. 12; Ezek.vii. 2.
Number seven.	Perfection	Rev. i. 4-xxii.
Oaks	Princes	Isa. ii. 13.
Olive, Wild	Sensual man	Rom. xi. 17.
" Cultivated.	The Church of Christ	Rom. xi. 24.
Palm	An emblem of joy and victory	Rev. vii. 7.
Paradise	Heaven, the residence of the Redeemed.	Luke xxiii.43; Rev.ii.7.
Passover	Jesus Christ	1 Cor. v. 7.
Physician	Jesus Christ	Matt. ix. 12.
Pillar	1. The chief support of a family, city or state	Gal. ii. 9.
	2. A monument of grace in the temple of glory	Rev. iii. 12.
Rain	1. Emblem of saving doctrine	Deut. xxxii. 2.
	2. Spiritual influences	Isa. xliv. 3.
River	1. The irruption of an invading army	Isa.lix. 19; Jer.xlvi.7,8.
	2. An emblem of exuberant blessings	Job xxix.6; Ps.xxxvi.8.
	3. Overflowings of Divine love and grace	Rev.xxii. 1; Ezek.xlvii.
Rock	A secure refuge	Ps. xviii.2; Isa. xvii. 10.
Rod	1. Powerful authority	Ps. ii. 9.
	2. Divine faithfulness	Ps. xxiii. 4.
Salt	1. The principles and virtues of Christians	Matt. v. 13.
	2. The wisdom of Christian prudence	Col. iv. 6.
Sea	The remote islands and countries of the Gentiles	Isa. lx. 5.
Seal, Sealed	1. Symbol of security	Song Sol. iv. 12.
	2. Symbol of secresy	Isa. xxix. 11.
	3. Token of special commission	John vi. 27.
	4. Emblem of peculiar interest	Eph. i. 13; iv. 30; Rev. vii. 2-4.
Seed	Evangelical Doctrine	Luke viii. 5-11; 1 Pet. i. 23; 1 John iii. 9.
Serpent	Satan, the devil	Gen. iii. 1; 2 Cor. xi. 3; Rev. xii. 9.
Sheep	The disciples of Christ	Zech. xiii. 7; John x. 11, 16; 1 Pet. ii. 25.
Shield	Faith in the Divine promises	Eph. vi. 16.
Sleep	1. Death	Dan. xii. 2; John xi. 11; 1 Thess. iv. 14.
	2. Carnal security	Rom. xiii. 11.
Sodom and Gomorrah	An apostate, wicked city	Isa. i. 10; Rev. xi. 8.
Sores	Spiritual maladies	Isa. i. 6; liii. 5.
Sower	A gospel preacher	Matt. xiii. 3, 37.
Star	1. A prince or ruler	Num.xxiv.17; Rev.xxii. 16.
	2. Eminent pastors of churches	Rev. i. 20.
Stone	1. Jesus Christ	Ps.cxviii.22; Isa.xxviii. 16; Matt. xxi. 42.
	2. A true believer	1 Pet. ii. 5.
Stone, White	Seal or token of full absolution	Rev. ii. 17.
Sun	1. The Lord God	Ps. lxxxiv. 11.
	2. Jesus Christ	Mal. iv. 2.
Sun and Moon	States, civil and ecclesiastical	Joel ii. 31; Acts ii. 20.
Swine	Unclean, infidel persons	Matt. vii. 6.
Sword	1. The symbol of destruction	Deut. xxxii. 41, 42.
	2. The word of God—the weapon of a Christian	Eph. vi. 17.
Tabernacle	The human body	2 Cor.v.1; 2 Pet.i.13,14.
Talents	The gifts of God bestowed on man	Matt. xxv. 15.
Tares	Wicked infidels	Matt. xiii. 38.
Teeth	Symbols of cruelty	Prov. xxx. 14.
Thorns	1. Worldly cares, riches and pleasures.	Luke viii. 14.
	2. Perverse unbelievers	Ezek. ii. 6.
Throne	1. Government or kingdom	Gen. xli. 4; 2 Sam. vii. 12, 16.
	2. An order of angels	Col. i. 16.
Thunders	Prophecies	Rev. x. 4.
Trees	Good or bad men	Ps. i. 3; Matt. iii. 10.
Vine	1. The Hebrew Church	Ps. lxxx. 8; Jer. ii. 21.
	2. Christ, the Head of the Church	John xv. 1.
Vineyard	The Church of God	Isa. v. 1, 6; Jer. xii. 10.
Vipers	Wicked children of wicked parents	Matt. iii. 7; xii. 34.
Walk after the flesh, to	To be guided by sensual appetites	Rom. viii. 1.
Walk after the Spirit, to.	To follow the motions of the Holy Spirit and the counsels of the Word of God.	Rom. viii. 1.
Walk with God, to.	To live in communion with God, acting as in his sight to please and glorify him	Gen. v. 24; vi. 9.
Wash Washed Washing	Purification 1. Moral	Ps. xxvi. 6; lxxiii. 13.
	2. Spiritual	Ps. li. 2; Ezek. xvi. 9.
	Pardon and sanctification	1 Cor. vi. 11; Rev. i. 5; vii. 14.
Water	The grace of the Holy Spirit	Isa. xliv. 3; John iii. 5; iv. 10.
Waters	1. Afflictions and troubles	Ps. lxix. 1.
	2. Multitudes of people	Isa. viii. 7; Rev.xvii.15.
	3. Evangelical ordinances	Isa. lv. 1.
	4. The blessings of the Holy Spirit	Isa.xliv.3; John vii. 37.
Week	Seven years. Seventy weeks of years are four hundred and ninety years	Dan. ix. 24.
Wilderness	1. General desolation	Isa.xxvii. 10; Jer.xxii.6.
	2. This world of trial	1 Cor. x. 5,6; Isa.xli.18.
Wind	1. The operations of the Holy Spirit	John iii. 8.
	2. Divine judgments	Isa. xxvii. 8.
	3. Desolation	Jer. li. 1; iv. 11, 12.
Winds, Four	General destructions	Jer. xlix. 36; Dan. vii. 2; Rev. vii. 2.
Wine	1. Temporal blessings	Hos. ii. 8; Ps. iv. 7.
	2. Gospel provision	Isa. xxv. 6; lv. 1.
	3. Divine indignation	Ps. lxxv. 8; Rev.xvi.19.
Witnesses	Persecuted churches or their pastors	Rev. xi. 3-6.
Wolf, Wolves.	1. Fierce, irreligious men	Isa. xi. 6; lxv. 25.
	2. Bitter persecutors	Luke x. 3.
	3. Avaricious men, professedly Christian ministers	John x. 12; Acts xx. 29.
Women	1. A state or city	Ezek. xxiii. 2, 3.
	2. The Church of Christ	Rev. xii. 1.
Yoke	1. Oppressive servitude	Deut. xxviii. 48.
	2. Painful religious rites	Acts xv. 10; Gal. v. 1?.
	3. The delightful service of Christ	Matt. xi. 29, 30.
	4. Moral restraints	Lam. iii. 27.