Understanding the Revelation of Jesus Christ: Interpretative Views and Structural Patterns
Most would agree that the book of Revelation is a challenging book on many levels. Even an informed reader and student of the book will sometimes find it difficult to discern the function of various passages in the book as a whole. The greatest challenge in studying the Revelation is to allow God to say what He says and not try to spiritualize or allegorize the text. Therefore it is strongly recommended that you consider performing your own inductive study prior to consulting a commentary.
The Four Main Schools of Interpretation
There is considerable disagreement on how the book of the Revelation should be interpreted. Before you consult any commentary, it is important to recognize that there are four schools of interpretation of the Revelation and it is critical to know which view the commentary you are consulting espouses. More importantly you should strive to have a good foundation from your own inductive study otherwise you will almost certainly be confused by the wide diversity of interpretations of the same passage!
As noted in the historical setting of Revelation, the four views of interpretation are summarized as follows:
| Interpretative View | Core Perspective |
|---|---|
| Preterist | Holds that the Revelation deals with events that were fulfilled in John's time and that it was written primarily to provide hope and comfort to the first century church. |
| Historicist | Interprets the book as a symbolic representation of the entire course of church history. |
| Futurist | Assigns chapters after chapter 4 to a very limited period of history yet to come. |
| Idealist | Views the book as a symbolic depiction of the ongoing struggle between good and evil. |
Regarding the specific Preterist view, it holds that through the use of symbols and allegory, the Revelation deals with events that are "past." In short, preterism holds that all prophecy in the Bible is really history. This aspect of preterism can easily lead to a belief in replacement theology, making it essentially the antithesis of futuristic interpretation.
Structural Elements and the Seven Churches
In Revelation 1-3, some structural elements are straightforward enough. Revelation 1 introduces the book and prepares the way for Revelation 2-3. In the seven letters, interpreters commonly observe seven basic elements. The Thyatira letter is clearly the central letter of the seven, while the second (Smyrna) and sixth (Philadelphia) letters have obvious parallels to one another. These observations create hints of a chiastic structure for these letters.
The Series of Plagues and Interludes
In Revelation 4-16, the structure of the book appears to revolve around three series of seven plagues, that is, the seals, the trumpets, and the bowls. However, John does not progress straight through these 21 judgments, but he places three interludes in the book:
- The first interlude follows the sixth seal (Rev. 7).
- The second interlude follows the sixth trumpet (Rev. 10:1-11:13).
- The third interlude (Rev. 12-14) follows the first part of the seventh trumpet (Rev. 11:14-19).
The first interlude introduces the sealed people of God and then launches into a vision of the people of God in the New Jerusalem. The seventh seal and seventh trumpet have two functions: they introduce the next set of seven plagues and provide a preview of the final plague, the second coming of the Lord Jesus. By proceeding in this way, John unites the 21 plagues into one series with an interlocking structure.
Judgment and Salvation in the Final Chapters
Revelation 17:1-22:5 contains alternating visions of judgment for elements of the Dragon’s kingdom and of salvation for the kingdom of God. In this unit, the description of Babylon and her fall is parallel to the description of the New Jerusalem that descends from heaven. Revelation 19:11-21 describes the much-anticipated coming of Jesus. Finally, the book closes with an epilogue (22:6-21) that has parallels to several aspects of the introduction in Revelation 1:1-8.
The Role of Foreshadowing
The book contains several examples of foreshadowing where a verse or passage anticipates a fuller description that will come later in the book. For instance, the two short descriptions of the seventh plague with the seventh seal and the seventh trumpet anticipate the fuller description that occurs with the seventh bowl. Understanding these patterns is essential because a full understanding of the book of the Revelation is virtually impossible without an accurate understanding of the foundation of prophecy.