There have been many books written in attempts to interpret the Revelation. Rather than interpret, I would like to demonstrate just a few of the characteristics, patterns, structures and clues found in this wonderful concluding book of the Bible. I will not attempt to interpret or provide commentary on the Revelation, but my hope and prayer is that what I present will enable you to better understand it.

Please allow me to begin by noting that the correct title of the last book of the Bible is “The Revelation of Jesus Christ.” It is not the Revelations. There are many Revelations within this book, but a shortened version of its title is The Revelation.

When reading commentary on the Revelation, it is very helpful to understand the perspective of the author. There are generally three methods of interpretation of the Revelation.

Preterist – this title is based on the Latin word for “past” and considers all Bible prophecy to be history. They believe the Revelation was completed in 70 A.D. at the Destruction of Jerusalem. This is difficult to understand because most scholars believe the Revelation was written about 95 A.D. It does not seem that the Revelation can be a prophecy of something that had already occurred in 70 A.D. Better than that, the Lord Jesus said the Revelation was to show us “things which must shortly come to pass,” not a history of past events.

Historic – Brother B. W. Johnson and many others have traced fascinating parallels between the Revelation and history from the time of the Lord Jesus. However, they run into difficulties at chapter nineteen with the Return of the Lord Jesus in victory. Here they must change their interpretation from historic to interpreting Scripture on a spiritualized or figurative basis.

Futurist – this view of the Revelation considers chapter one to be an introduction, and the seven churches of chapters two and three to be representative of the “Church Age,” the time from the establishment of the Church to the beginning of the time of Tribulation. After chapter three, basically all is prophecy.

Within this Futurist view are different interpretations, Pre-Millennial (the Lord will return before the thousand year reign of Jesus), Post-Millennial (the Lord will return after the thousand year reign of Jesus), Amillennial (there is NO thousand year reign of Jesus). The Post-Millennial and Amillennial views require a spiritualized interpretation of the Revelation.

The problem with Post-Millennial and Amillennial interpretations is that they believe that many prophecies have been literally and physically fulfilled and are believed to be true, like the birth of Jesus, but prophecies that have not been fulfilled, like the prophecies found in the Revelation, they believe will not be literally fulfilled. I am sure that those who follow this interpretation have an explanation for this, but in my opinion it appears to be a schizoid method (defined as having inconsistent or contradictory elements) of looking at the Word of God.

There is a telling characteristic of the Revelation. Two words are only found in chapter one and chapter twenty-two of the Revelation. Those words are “grace” and “peace.”

Grace appears in the first chapter and the last chapter. Otherwise, there is no Grace found in the Revelation. The “Age of Grace” will have ended.

Peace is only found in the first chapter. Peace is taken from the earth in chapter six. Peace is not found in the prophecies given in the Revelation. There will be no peace for those dwelling on earth.

“… Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come …” – Revelation 1:4

“The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.” – Revelation 22:21

The Seals, Trumpets and Bowls of Wrath are major components of the prophecy of the Revelation. There is a structure found in each of these groups of seven items. Between the sixth and seventh items there is a pause. The first pause after the Sixth Seal is found in chapter seven. The second pause after the Sixth Trumpet is in chapters ten and eleven. The final pause after the Sixth Bowl is in chapter 16.

This structure of pauses has implications on the much larger millennial structure of human history. At the time of Jesus, the rabbis and then also the early Church, which was Jewish, believed that the seven days of Creation indicated that human history would be seven millennial days long. (A day is as one-thousand years. – II Peter 3:8)

The Revelation confirms this millennial structure. The pauses after each sixth event foreshadow a pause after the Sixth Millennium. That pause in human history is the Tribulation, when the justifiable wrath of God is demonstrated. According to Bible chronology, we are at or near the end of the Sixth Millennium. The Lord will change His method of dealing with mankind after six-thousand years. The Tribulation is the pause after the sixth millennium and will usher in the change.

There is much more to be found in the Revelation. Praise the Lord for His revealing of prophecy of the Last Days. The Lord deserves all honor and praise!