Symbols are drawn from different departments--from angelic life, human
life, animal life, and inanimate creation. But in every case there
is in the selection and use of the symbol a proper correspondence of
character and quality.

[Sidenote: Twofold object of symbols]

The deciding factor in the original selection of a symbolic object
is the nature of the thing to be symbolized. In the field of Bible
prophecy the general design is in the main twofold--the representation
(1) of the affairs of the church and (2) of the political history of
those nations and kingdoms which were to exert an important influence
on the life and development of the church. It is evident that in the
divine estimation the church and its welfare is of infinitely greater
importance than the affairs of nations and kingdoms. Therefore we may
reasonably expect that, according to the nature of symbolic language,
symbols designed to represent the church will be found to be of the
most exalted type, whereas those representing political things will be
found to be selected from an inferior department. In accordance with
this fundamental classification we shall find that symbols drawn from
angelic life and human life invariably refer to the department
of ecclesiastical affairs, while those drawn from animal life or
inanimate nature represent political things. The only apparent
exception to this rule is that certain inanimate objects formerly
consecrated to the service of God and thus associated with the
department of the church are sometimes used to represent spiritual
things, because the analogy is obvious. Bearing in mind this
fundamental distinction between the representation of things political
and things ecclesiastical, we are prepared to understand other shades
of distinction.

Nations may be peaceful or tyrannical and oppressive, and churches
may be good or apostate; but the exact character can be analogously
represented by the symbolic object. A vicious wild beast stamping and
devouring would naturally represent a cruel, tyrannical government;
and a good woman represents the true church, while a vile harlot
represents the church apostate. But whatever the nature of the symbol,
whether beast, locust, lion, horse, temple, angel, or man, we may
know at once from the nature of the symbol where to look for its
fulfilment. This important guide in the study of prophetic truth--a
guide overlooked by most of the commentators--relieves us of much of
t