WATERS: Rev 17:12-15. Waters represent peoples, multitudes, nations and languages. The great prostitute of Rev 17:1 was said to sit on many waters. Thus her foundation is built on a large number of people of various nationalities and languages. Also see River, which is a torrent of water. Water may represent spirits, including angels.

WHITE ROBES: Rev 6:11, 7:9, 13. White robes are the garments (possibly symbolic) worn in heaven by the redeemed believers. The robes were white because they had been washed in the blood of the Lamb, Jesus Christ, and thus been made pure, Rev 7:14, 22:14. Rev 6:9-11 describes the tribulation saints in heaven as wearing white robes. Verse 9 says that they are souls. This indicates that they had bodies and had thus been resurrected and given their new glorified bodies. A soul always has a body and the Bible tells us that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God. A soul cannot exist without a body, since the soul is the combination of a body and spirit according to Gen 2:7. Glorified bodies seem to be given to believers at a rapture event. This tells me that those in white robes had been raptured to heaven. It seems to have taken place for the two witnesses and 144,000 who had already been killed, in the fifth judgment, five months after the middle of the tribulation period.

WILD BEASTS OF THE EARTH: Rev 6:8. Wild beasts are the means of a judgment seen as being administered during the fourth seal judgment by the rider on the black horse. Wild beasts seem to represent the animal kingdom. But how can animals be a significant killer of humans in a modern society? There is certainly a way and it is already with us today. How about a flu pandemic caused by bird flu spreading from infected chickens? How about the West Nile virus spread by mosquitoes? How about mad cow disease? Who knows what lies in the future and how it might be manifested in the tribulation.

WIND, FOUR WINDS: Rev 7:1-3, 9:1-6, Dan 7:1-3, Zech 6:5. The term four winds may represent “from one end of the earth or the heavens to the other,” Matt 24:31, Mk 13:27. In Zech 6:5 the term represents four spirits who had just come from being in the presence of God. These may be the four living creatures who are seen surrounding the throne of God in heaven in Rev chapter 4. In Zech chapter 6 they are said to be four chariots each pulled by a different colored horse. They are going throughout the world, seemingly making way for the rebuilding of the millennial temple in Jerusalem. Zech 6:12-15 says that the one called the Branch, representing Jesus, will sit on the throne in the temple as both king and priest. This is obviously in the millennium and the four spirits seem to be preparing the way for this to happen in the end times. Since these four spirits are associated with four sets of horses of different colors, it is possible that they may represent the four horsemen of the apocalypse of Rev chapter 6. Both sets of four different colored horses are accomplishing the same thing; bringing forces into play which will result in God’s plan being enacted in the end times. Thus it seems possible that the four horsemen of Rev chapter 6 may be the four winds of Rev chapter 7. From Dan 7:1-3 we see that four winds seemed to represent four spirits from heaven who were assigned to go throughout the world stirring up the mass of humanity so that the four major empires or beasts could emerge from them at the proper time, We see that they churned up the sea, representing the peoples of the earth. In Rev 7:1 we see four winds being held back by four angels. Winds in this case may be referring to the destructive forces that will be unleashed during the last 3 ½ years of the tribulation. The four restraining angels of Rev chapter 7 may be the restrainer mentioned in 2 Thess 2:5-10, who holds back the antichrist or beast from doing his work until God’s proper time. Rev 9:1-6 describes a restrainer who prevents the Nephilim and evil angels who are apparently released from the Abyss and Tartaros from harming those who have been sealed by God. This happens just at the beginning of the fifth judgment, Rev 9:1, which appears to be right after the mid-point of the tribulation period.

WOES, THE THREE: Rev 8:13. The last three judgments of the tribulation period, specifically pointed to as the last three trumpet judgments. These seem to take place in the second half of the tribulation period and start right at the midpoint. These are the destructive forces that are used in what is called the great tribulation, and said by Jesus in Matt 24:21 to be unequaled from the beginning of the world and never to be equaled again.

WOMAN, STAR-CROWNED: Rev 12. Rev 12 chapter speaks of a woman with twelve stars on her head, who gave birth to Jesus and was being pursued by Satan and his cohorts after they were thrown down to earth in the tribulation period. The tribes of Israel are symbolically called “stars” in Gen 37:9:10. The twelve tribes are the star studded crown of Israel, so to speak. For the last three and one half years of the tribulation period God supernaturally protects the woman by taking her to a place where he does not allow Satan to go. Where is that place and who is the woman? The woman is obviously Israel and she is defined as the wife of God in Isa 54:4-8. The place is puzzling. It is a place where Satan cannot reach the woman. It appears that Satan sends a flood of his evil angels, those just released from the Abyss (water represents spirit) to overcome the remnant of Israel in hiding. The earth (the Abyss) swallows up the river (evil spirits) to thwart Satan’s plan to eliminate Israel. This will require supernatural intervention on God’s part. Many believe the desert hiding place will be current Petra in Jordon (Bozrah in Bible times; see Jer 49:13-14, Isa 33:13-16, 41:17-20, Micah 2:12, Matt 24:15-21). The end of chapter 12 says that when Satan finds out he cannot overcome the remnant of Israel that is in hiding he goes off to make war against the rest of Israel’s offspring, the new believers in the world. Another possible interpretation is that Israel is evacuated by a “great eagle,” a large military power, who flies her people to a place where they can be cultivated (desert), or made ready to accept Jesus as their Messiah. See the discussion of Desert and Eagle for other possibilities.

 WOMAN WHO RIDES THE BEAST: See great prostitute, mystery Babylon.