There is no hard and fast rule to differentiate between what is to be taken literally and what is to be interpreted as symbolic / figurative. It is sad that what is believed popularly becomes the truth, no matter who introduced it (Darby?) or who popularised it (Scoffield?). Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. - 2Pet 1:20. (“suya thottramaai” in Thamizh Bible which means “as it is” / “obvious”).

No man can determine what is literal and what is symbolic unless it is revealed by the Author, the Holy Spirit. True, but the Holy Spirit never contradicts Scripture against Scripture. And when the Lord was talking about this to His disciples in Matt Ch 24 and Luke Ch 21, most of it was plain talk except about the fig tree (where He mentions that it is a parable). So, if such parallels are found in Prophecy, they must be taken literally. The Holy Spirit would not support the attempts of the so-called modern Bible scholars who try their best to interpret Scripture according to their whims and fancies or according to the news running around. (Note, the media is in the hands of the devil who would not want facts that align with scripture, publicised).

Even when the Lord interpreted prophecy, He interpreted it symbolically many times. When He read “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; He hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised. – Luke 4:18, He meant the poor in the spirit (humble), sorrowful, prisoners to sin, who could not see the truth and those who have critically wounded themselves by their evil living. In fact, the Lord expects the reader of Revelation to interpret it spiritually as it is written in sign language. (Please read the content under “His-story revealed ahead of time – again”).

The MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH (comprising of peoples, multitudes, nations and tongues) might well be the Unites States of America that is drunk with the blood of the saints and the martyrs of Jesus. The USA has led the “kings of the earth” to commit fornication by enticing them with worldly riches so that they would fall at Satan’s feet and worship him. Mammon (money) has become god and even the “saints” have left their “Beloved” to cleave to this abominable “lover”. Sadly, all nations (that) have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth (that) have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth (that) are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies would witness the “great” fall of this “whore” that has become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. They would stand afar off and lament on the fall of the “great city”. But here is a clarion call: “Come out of her, My people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues”. (Rev Ch 17, 18).