When asked to write this series on the book of Revelation, I thought of the great fascination that many have for the book. As the world hurtles towards the end of this current era, there is a growing interest in trying to understand the future as revealed by the eternal God.
However, this book frightens many people. There are two main reasons. First, the book has a mix of both symbolic language and literal descriptions, resulting in much debate about what it really means. Second, many of the events described are frankly terrifying, as we read about a time of great persecution and future judgement falling on Earth’s population.
If you are curious about this book’s message, but unsure how to unravel it, then I trust this series will help you discover that for those who trust in the Lord Jesus Christ the theme of the book is extremely positive. Whilst challenging, there is no reason to fear it. We will go on a journey of exploration, taking us back into the past, through the present, and into the future. The Revelation is not only about what is commonly called ‘end times’! It contains a lot that is directly relevant to us today.
How should we tackle it? As with any book of the Bible, it is worth trying to read it through in one go. It might take you a little more than one hour, but it is well worth it!
As you read, keep a pen and paper beside you, noting down things that seem strange, and phrases or things that seem to appear repeatedly.
When studying a book, we should note the reason why it was written. This book is the ‘Revelation of Jesus Christ’ and it also shows ‘things which must shortly come to pass’, 1. 1. The first part is the most important. Throughout the book, the Lord Jesus is being revealed, and what is revealed is revealed by Him. So, in every difficult passage we should look to see how He is being revealed and what we are learning about Him. That is much more important than trying to work out practical details of how future events will unfold!
We see that the book is written to seven literal, first century churches, v. 4, and as local churches in the twenty-first century, it is directly relevant for us. There is also a blessing for those who read, hear, and keep what is written, v. 3. This emphasizes that it is not just for our intellectual interest but should impact our behaviour.
It is important to learn how to interpret the many pictures that are painted for us in the book. My clear recommendation is this: when the literal interpretation makes sense, don’t turn it into some kind of symbol. The Bible is inspired of God, and His goal in communicating with human beings is to reveal Himself and provide clear guidance for our own good, not to confuse us. We can read Genesis literally, and we should read the Revelation literally, except where it is clear that the language is symbolic. John helpfully points this out on many occasions when he says that what he saw was ‘like’ something, indicating that it is not literal. The book talks about a literal sinful man who will be a great world leader, but when it describes him as a wild beast with seven heads and ten horns, 13. 1, we understand that this is symbolic, describing something about his origins and character. When interpreting symbolic pictures, we refer to other scriptures and avoid falling into idle speculation to fit our own preferred way of seeing things. Remember that John knew his Old Testament very well. Lots of the answers to difficult bits are hidden away there!
Some things might not make sense to us, but they will be very clear to the people alive at the time when they are happening. We should humbly accept that and pray for help to understand the relevance for us - just as with every other book of the Bible.
If we have the correct attitude - humility to accept our limits, faith to take God at His word, confidence that He has it all under control, and willing obedience to practise what we learn for ourselves - we will find that this book is rich, exciting, and challenging.
