This last book of the Bible is sometimes difficult to understand!

Revelation is a letter: 1:4-7, 22:21 - Can you find the characteristics of a letter? (also read the short notes on how to read letters)

Revelation is a prophecy: 1:3, 22:18-19 – it is God’s word for the present situation of the first readers! (also read the short notes on how to read prophecy)

Revelation is apocalyptic literature (like Ezekiel 38-39, Joel 2-3, Zechariah 9-14, Daniel 7-12): The Greek word “apokálypsis” means “revelation”, something that was hidden being brought into the open. This type of literature often employs dreams, visions, the end of history, pseudonyms and numerical symbols.
Disadvantages:
•    we are not used to it like people in the first century
•    it’s full of symbols, numbers, animals
•    all that often leads to wild creativity (= misuse of the Bible)
•    sometimes it also leads to rejection (people rather leave it alone)
Advantages
•    For a change, it’s not like a Pauline letter at all (in which one step logically follows the other)
•    It’s more like a film which conveys images and leaves an impression
•    the overall impression is important

There are 4 main opinions on how to interpret Revelation

1.    It’s all about the first decades of the Church – but what does it have to say to us, then?
2.    Starting from 4:1 it’s all about the last years just before Christ returns. Often this leads to an interpretation which always says “Jesus will definitely come back in the next couple of years” (Allegedly there was a best-selling book called “88 reasons why Jesus will come back in 1988)
- but what did it tell the first readers then? And (if Jesus doesn’t come back) what does it tell us?
3.    It’s a chronology of Church history complete with the most important events in Church history. But, unfortunately, this reconstruction looks different every 10 years. (For example, when the European Union only had 10 members it was quite obvious that 13:1 with it 10 horns just had to mean the EU)
4.    It’s all about ideal principles and eternal truths – but those pictures sure have some meaning, don’t they?

How to read it then?

It might be best to read Revelations as telling us about the whole span of time between the 1st and 2nd coming of Jesus, but without trying to read historic events into it. The one exception is Christ’s victorious return. It’s all about how God stays in control and keeps his people safe although there is much suffering.
The main message can be summarized like this “Jesus is gonna win”. Jesus Christ and his Church win against Satan and evil. The purpose of that book was to comfort Christians in their struggles with evil and to encourage them.

Remember the basic steps of reading and understanding texts:
1.    Read and read again!
2.    What is the meaning of the individual words?
3.    Ask A LOT MORE questions
4.    What is the context?
5.    What is the main point?
6.    What do other Christians say?
7.    How can I apply this to my life?
These steps apply to the Revelation as well, so do them and you’ll be on a good track!
Start with pictures that are explained by John himself: 1:13, 1:17-18, 1:20, 12:9, 17:9, 17:18

A tricky example: Revelation 7:1-17
Which of the following interpretations can you justify from the text?
•    There are 2 classes of saved people before the throne (how does that fit into the rest of the New Testament?)
•    It talks about Jews and Gentiles who are saved (how does that fit in with Ephesians 2:14-16?)
•    It only talks about 1 group of people, but from two perspectives (can you compare this to 5:5+6 as respect to another instance where John first hears one thing and then sees another, but they are the same?)