Seemingly everything about apocalyptic literature is symbolic. Interpret the following symbols of Revelation in light of your knowledge of the book's historical context: the twenty-four human elders; the whore of Babylon; and the number of the Beast, 666.

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The Answer is The twenty-four human elders in Revelation appear to represent the twelve tribes of Israel and the twelve apostles; the whore of Babylon represents Rome, who persecutes "the saints" (in Jewish tradition, "Babylon" is typically code for the enemy of God's people; the reference to seven hills also implies Rome). The art of calculating the number of a person's name is known as "gematria." The number of the Beast, 666, most likely refers to the Roman emperor Nero Caesar. The Sybilline oracles pick out Nero as the Beast based on the total of his name being 616. However, when his name is spelled in Hebrew, the total comes out to 666. This interpretation fits with the symbolism in Revelation revealing Rome as "the whore of Babylon" supported by Satan and the archenemy of God.

Seemingly Everything About Apocalyptic Literature Is Symbolic