The saved will do their laundry in blood and after death will end up crying out from under the altar in heaven. Locusts with women's hair will attack the earth. Obviously this graphic language is to be taken symbolically. No prophecy of the Scripture is of any private interpretation. So all of the symbols used must be interpreted from within Revelation or the rest of the Bible.
Many symbols come from the history of Israel.
Nations are often represented as beasts, just as this type of symbolism is used today. You may wonder why God inspired the writing of Revelation in a code using so much symbolism. If He had not done so, this book would not be here today because its truths have stood in opposition to the corrupt political and religious systems throughout the ages. It emphasizes also that truth will triumph. In the 20 study guides of the Snapshots of Revelation Bible study, you will discover the meaning of a large part of this book.