Some Important Introductory Matters
As I mentioned in part 1 of this introductory study of the Book of Revelation, this book is sadly and unquestionably the most neglected book of all of the sixty-six books of the Bible. In fact, it can be argued that the book of Revelation is the most controversial book in the Bible. Revelation has caused major divisions between denominations, churches and families. What makes this book so controversial? A promise of blessing is made in the very first chapter of the book to those who read and hear the words of this prophecy. However, as neglected as Revelation has been, the case can also be made that Revelation is the most the most important book in the Bible. Consider some of the following reasons:
First of all, Revelation is the ONLY book in the Bible in which God promises a special blessing to those who reads it, understands it and then does the things that are written (Rev. 1:3).
Along with Genesis, you can’t FULLY UNDERSTAND the Bible if you don’t understand Genesis and Revelation. Why? Because as I alluded to in part 1, the Bible is more than simply a collection of sixty-six books. But rather, the Word of God is an integrated design, or to put it more specifically, it is one big picture, or on big fully integrated story in which everything began in the book of Genesis and is consummated or climaxed in the book of Revelation.
Genesis and The Book of Revelation are the “LENS” through which we can understand the entire bible. (“Till Heaven and Earth pass away, not one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass away, till all things are fulfilled” Math. 5:18). Consider for example this brief Genesis Vs Revelation comparison chart:
The foundation of all of Biblical history and Doctrine is recorded in Genesis, the opening book of the this great redemptive saga. Everything that is to be developed throughout the remainder in scripture begins in Genesis and is climaxed in Revelation. Interestingly, Genesis is either quoted directly or alluded to more than 200 times in the New Testament.
Also, although the Book of Genesis is not a complete or universal history of mankind, it is however, the FIRST CHAPTER in the history of the saving of mankind from sin and eternal loss and the restoration of all things in the concluding chapters of the Book of Revelation.
Finally, I can not emphasize enough, that when you consider the “perilous times” that we are now living, it would seem that there has never been a better time than the present for believers to begin to develop a hunger for Revelation, and for pulpits and bible study groups to begin to unpack this all important book.
The Four Different Views or Interpretive Approaches to Revelation:
Arguably, next to the perceived confusion and disillusionment over the interpretations of all of the various symbolic imagery that is recorded in the book, it is the division among bible teachers over the theological and hermeneutical lens through which Revelation and end time eschatology should be viewed. In other words, there are essentially four primary competing interpretive views among Christians regarding how to interpret Revelation, as well as, three different opinions regarding the subject of the Millennium. These differences are summarized in the following two charts:
The different approaches that various people or groups use to understand the Book of Revelation (called “interpretive horizons”) are generally grouped under four major categories, with some subgroups. So just briefly, let me just give a brief synopsis of each of these competing views.
What is the right way to interpret Revelation?
Few biblical topics have captured the imagination of contemporary evangelicals like the book of Revelation. The recent unprecedented success of the Left Behind series is evidence of this popular fascination. Many evangelicals don’t realize that the futuristic interpretation of Revelation advocated in this popular series is only one of several interpretations evangelicals espouse. Here’s the major views scholars take of the book of Revelation.
The Preterist View
The term preterist comes from the Latin word praeteritus, which means, “gone by.” The preterist interpretation of Revelation holds that the events spoken of in this book were all specifically fulfilled in the first century. This view has precedent in the early church, but it did not become widespread until the nineteenth century. With the advent of the historical-critical method of biblical interpretation, it became the dominant interpretation among New Testament scholars, though it has been less popular among evangelical scholars. According to preterism, Revelation is a heavily symbolic, apocalyptic and prophetic book that was written primarily to warn readers of impending persecution, to encourage them to persevere in the face of suffering, and to reassure them that God is in control and will overcome evil in the end.
Preterists argue that most of the symbolic events in this book can be correlated with first-century figures and events. For example, “the beast” likely refers to Nero, whose “number” is 666 (the numerical value of “Nero Caesar” in Hebrew [NRWN QSR]). Similarly, the forty-two months of his horrifying reign (13:5) happen to be the exact duration of the Roman siege on Jerusalem beginning in A.D. 66. In defense of their position, preterists contend that we must not abandon sound hermeneutical principles when we consider Revelation. As with every book in the Bible, we must attempt to read Revelation from the perspective of the first-century Christians to whom it was originally written. Revelation was written to “the seven churches that are in Asia” (1:4) about matters that “must soon take place” (1:1) because “the time is near” (1:3, 22:6, 10).
Throughout the book, there is an urgency for the readers to respond quickly (2:16; 3:10–11; 22:6, 7, 12, 20). According to preterists, these statements require that we look for fulfillments in the lifetime of the original audience. (They argue the same for Jesus’ pronouncement of impending doom in Matthew 24 [and parallels], for Jesus explicitly states “Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened,” vs. 34). The spiritual themes of Revelation are timeless, Preterists scholars argue, but the specific events of which this book speaks were all fulfilled in the first century.
Historicist View: The Road Map of World History
The book basically deals with all of human history. The meaning of the symbols are to be found in the events of history. Some hold that the book deals more with the period prior to the present, some see it as unfolding in the present, and some emphasize the future more. All of the book is a symbolic account of the whole scope of world history, with the “beast” identified with various historical figures or peoples, from the Saracens, to Mohammed, to the Pope, to Adolph Hitler. This view arose in the Middle Ages, and was adopted by most of the Reformers in the 16th century, including Martin Luther who popularized the idea that the “beast” was the Roman Catholic Pope. In turn, Catholic theologians were convinced that Luther was the “beast.”
Church Historical view: The History of the Church
This is a modification of the previous position, and sees the book as only dealing with events associated with the church; it is an account of each of the individual seven churches as representing different periods of Church history. This was the view adopted by many Protestants following the Reformation. I will touch on this idea more when I get to the study of the seven churches. But in the meantime, the following chart gives a general breakdown of how the seven churches of Asia as being interpreted as a History of the Church Age. The primary rational for this view is the fact that there were many other Churches in this particular region, so why they ask, did God choose these particular Churches. Just for an example, the city of Colossae was only about 10 miles SW from Laodicea, so why did God not have John include Colossae they argue?
The Idealist View
Many Christians throughout history held to the idealist (sometimes called the spiritualist) interpretation of the book of Revelation, and many evangelicals today continue to support this view. What is most distinctive about the idealist interpretation is that it denies that the events and figures recorded in this book have a direct correlation either with events and figures in the past (as the preterist believes) or the future (as the futurist believes). To search for such specific fulfillments, they argue, is to fundamentally misunderstand the apocalyptic genre of this book. Revelation should be read as a heavily symbolic dramatization of the ongoing battle between God and evil.
According to the idealist view, Revelation is a spiritual paradigmatic work that summons Christians to faithful living in the face of persecution and reassures believers that, however dire their circumstances, God will win in the end and their perseverance will be rewarded. Hence, the multitude of symbols employed in this book, most of which are drawn directly from the Old Testament, are in various ways “fulfilled” whenever Christians find themselves in spiritual conflict.
Idealists defend their interpretation on a number of fronts. Most emphasize that the nature of the apocalyptic genre does not require and may actually rule out locating specific correlations with the symbols it employs. They frequently point out that attempts to find such fulfillments in the past, and even more so in the future, are guesses at best. They often argue that absurdity results from attempts to interpret Revelation literally (Rev. 6:13; 8:12; 12:4). Perhaps most importantly, they emphasize that the spiritual application of this book’s message does not hinge on and may even be compromised by trying to locate specific fulfillments for the dramatizations it presents.
The Futurist View
By far, the view that is the most plausible, and the view that I hold, is most consistent with normal rules of biblical interpretation. This view which is also the most popular view among the evangelical masses today is the futurist view (sometimes called the dispensational view). According to this view, almost all of Revelation (chapters 4–22)records events that will take place at the end of time and have yet to be fulfilled. While many early church fathers believed segments of Revelation concerned the end of history, the understanding that the bulk of this book concerns the end of history is almost without precedent until the nineteenth century.
A key verse for the futurist interpretation is 1:19, in which the Lord tells John, “Now write what you have seen, what is, and what is to take place after this.” According to most futurists, “what you have seen” refers to the vision recorded in chapter 1. “What is” refers to the seven letters written to the seven churches in Asia minor in his day, recorded in chapters 2 and 3. “What is to take place after this” refers to all the end-times events recorded throughout the rest of the book (chapters 4–22). While there is disagreement about this matter, the fact that the church is not mentioned in these chapters leads many futurists to conclude that these events will occur after the “rapture,” when, according to futurists, the church is literally taken out of the world (1 Thess. 4:16–17).
The Futurist View of Church History
In short, there is another branch of the futurists view of Revelation which centers around the Seven Churches in Chapters 2 and 3. This view argues that the seven churches were to be representative of seven periods of church history. The case is based on the fact that there were many other churches in the region that did not get mentioned. For example, the city of Colossae was only five miles sw of Laodicea. So the often asked question that is asked is, why did God chose these specific churches to have John address? Most Christians who hold that the seven churches represent seven periods of church history, presupposes that the only possible answer has to be that God intended for these Churches to represent seven periods of history. And according to this presupposition, we would now be living in the “Laodicean period”.
Futurists insist that Revelation is first and foremost a prophecy (1:3). The things that will take place are literal events that have yet to be fulfilled. Indeed, futurists argue that many of the events prophetically recorded in this book are such that they could not have taken place before modern times.
I personally follow the futurist or sometimes referred to as the “pre-tribulation rapture” perspective. I believe most of Revelation (chapters 4-22) is prophecy, or pre-written history. And prophetically and historically speaking, John was an eye-witness of future events that are yet to happen sometime in the future. Bible Prophecy is not to be relegated to the fringe of Christian thought. The purpose of Bible Prophecy is to authenticate the truthfulness and inspiration of the entire Bible. But it also has a practical purpose to speak ‘edification, encouragement, and comfort to men’ (1 Cor 14:3). It is my prayer that you will read and study the Book of Revelation to bolster your faith in the truths of the Bible and encourage you to live a godly life in anticipation of the soon return of Jesus Christ.
Finally, another theological point that has kept many Christians at theological odds, is the various interpretations of the Millennium. But while there is still much disagreement among many sects, these three views are much more easily defined and understood by most Christians, regardless of your position, thereby requiring less explanation. The following chart summarizes the three primary views about the Millennium:
I need to make it clear, that it is note my assignment or purpose here to create controversy or to promote a particular viewpoint. My main purpose for this series of lessons and is to encourage and motivate to you to develop more of a deep seeded hunger to become more of a serious student who will develop a passion to increase your understanding of God’s word in general, and the book of Revelation in particular. In addition, it is my purpose to share some basic tools and a basic framework in order to understand the book of Revelation, and to dispel the myth that has dominated the Church that says that the Book of Revelation is just to difficult to understand.
Purpose of the Writing
The Revelation of Jesus Christ was given to John by God “to show his servants what must soon take place.” The Book of Revelation is the culmination of the prophecies about the end times, beginning with the Old Testament. This book is filled with mysteries about things to come. It is the final warning that the world will surely end and judgment will be certain. It gives us a tiny glimpse of heaven and all of the glories awaiting those who keep their robes white. Revelation takes us through the great tribulation with all its woes and the final fire that all unbelievers will face for eternity. The book reiterates the fall of Satan and the doom he and his angels are bound for. We are shown the duties of all creatures and angels of heaven and the promises of the saints that will live forever with Jesus in the New Jerusalem. Like John, we find it hard to describe what we read in the book of Revelation.
For example: The description of the antichrist mentioned in Daniel 9:27 is developed fully in chapter 13 of Revelation. Outside of Revelation, examples of apocalyptic literature in the Bible are Daniel chapters 7-12, Isaiah chapters 24-27, Ezekiel chapters 37-41, and Zechariah chapters 9-14. All these prophecies come together in the Book of Revelation.
Brief Summary of Revelation
The Revelation is lavish in colorful descriptions of the visions which proclaim for us the last days before Christ’s return and the ushering in of the new heaven and new earth. The Revelation begins with letters to the seven churches of Asia Minor, then goes on to reveal the series of devastations poured out upon the earth; the mark of the beast, “666”; the climactic battle of Armageddon; the binding of Satan; the reign of the Lord; the Great White Throne Judgment; and the nature of the eternal city of God. Prophecies concerning Jesus Christ are fulfilled and a concluding call to His Lordship assures us that He will soon return.
Revelation: “The Unveiling” • The consummation of all things. • The only book promising a special blessing to the reader. • 404 verses containing over 800 allusions from the Old Testament. • It presents the climax of God’s Plan for Man.
John, the Author. • The Gospel of John. • Three Epistles (1 John, sermon on love; 2 John, personal letter to Mary(?); 3 John, personal note to Gaius). • The Apocalypse.
John was born at Bethsaida to Zebedee and Salome and was a Galilean fisherman; partner with Peter and Andrew. He was an early disciple of John the Baptist and seemed to be well connected (High Priest, Nicodemus, John 18:15). John was one of the inner circle, Mt. Transfiguration (Mt 17); raising of Jairus’ daughter (Mt 9:18); Olivet Discourse (Mt 24); Gethsemane (Mt 26:37); Assigned care of Mary (John 19:26); ultimately retires to Ephesus after his exile.
John Exiled to Patmos, Revelation 1:9-11
According to historical sources, John was the leader of the church at Ephesus. Eventually, he was captured in a persecution campaign by the Roman Emperor Domitian. John was ultimately sentenced to Patmos (Revelation 1:9). When Rome had exiled John to Patmos, he was the last remaining member of the Twelve Disciples of Jesus Christ. John was born 6 A.D. He was a close follower of Christ who was also called the Disciple that Jesus loved. John was a prisoner on Patmos because he was preaching about Jesus and that He, Jesus, had been raised from the dead. John had the visions described in Revelation about AD 95. Patmos was a small, rocky and barren area where many criminals of Rome were sent to serve out their prison terms in harsh conditions. The Island of Patmos is a volcanic, treeless, rocky island about 9km by 50 km or 6 by 30 miles.
There were mines on the island that the criminals were forced to work. John was a prisoner on Patmos because he was preaching about Jesus and that He, Jesus, had been raised from the dead. John was sent to the island for the same reasons because the early Christians were considered a strange cult group who were known for causing trouble within the Empire. It was where the Romans put the criminals they did not want to escape. It was a lonely, isolated place. After John had arrived, he began to have visions that were written into the Book of Revelation of the Bible that were addressed to the seven churches located in Asia Minor. John was one of the few apostles who died a natural death at a great age and that was about AD 98. John was one of the few apostles who died a natural death at a great age and that was about AD 98.
Religious and Political Setting at the Time of Revelation
Within the confines of the ancient Roman Empire, Christianity began in an era of relative peace. The emperors of the time generally followed a policy of liberal religious toleration. This enabled early Christians like the Apostle Paul to evangelize far and wide, both throughout and beyond the empire. But the situation gradually changed. The Romans introduced and enforced emperor worship in the empire. Suddenly Christians found themselves in an intolerable situation. Jesus, not the emperor, was their ultimate master. They understood that the Scriptures prohibited the worship of anything or anyone besides the true God and His Son, Jesus Christ.
Soon incredible pressures were brought to bear on them to participate in the holidays, games and ceremonies honoring the reigning emperor as a god. Pressures that included, ridicule, physical torture, death, and imprisonment. Even more problematic, was the fact that their refusal to participate in emperor worship put them into direct conflict with t he authorities at all levels of the Roman hierarchy. By the time Revelation was written, many Christians had already been executed because of their beliefs and their refusal to participate in Emperor worship.
Adding to Christians’ plight, Roman officials, after Jerusalem’s destruction in A.D. 70, ceased to view Christians as just another sect of the Jews. The religious tolerance Rome had extended to them disappeared. Christians were now often regarded as a subversive and potentially dangerous religious group. Rome saw their teachings of a coming kingdom and a powerful new king as a threat to the stability of the empire. By this time Emperor Nero had already falsely branded Christians as the perpetrators of the great fire in Rome. Their future looked grim.
The apostle John, imprisoned on the island of Patmos near the coast of Asia Minor during a later wave of persecution near the end of the first century, explained that he also was suffering persecution, that he was their “companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ” (Revelation 1:9). John fully understood the stress they endured. Yet he reminded them of their goal the Kingdom of God. He emphasized the patience and faith they must exercise to endure opposition and abuse until the return of Jesus the Messiah to permanently deliver His servants from persecution and grant them salvation. This is the context in which Jesus revealed to John when and how this satanic persecution, already responsible for the murder of loyal and faithful servants, would be permanently stopped.
To the Churches in Asia…
The Revelation is presented overall in the form of a letter to seven churches in the province of Asia. These were seven literal and physical churches that had been established by the Apostle Paul in one of his three missionary journeys recorded in the Book of Acts, which actually existed at the time of Johns exile, who themselves are each given an individual message in letter form from the Lord. When we speak of Asia we are not, of course, referring to the continent of Asia that we know today, but the Roman province which we now know as Turkey. It comprised the western (Mediterranean) sea-coast of Asia Minor with Phrygia, Mysia, Caria and Lycia. Its administrative capitol and seat of the Roman governor was the great city of Pergamos (also called Pergamon or Pergamum, close to modern-day Bergama, Turkey).
As I alluded to above, the seven churches that are named; Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, Laodicea, are by no means the only churches that we know of in the Roman province of Asia. The Bible also tells us of churches in Colossae, Hierapolis, Troas and Miletus. From the letters of Bishop Ignatius of Antioch, we learn that there were also churches at Magnesia and Tralles. Why then should only seven be selected and why this particular selection?
One reason may be that the particular churches chosen were situated on a kind of ring-road around the centre of the province. William Barclay says that they could be regarded as the centres of seven postal districts and that letters sent to these cities could easily then be circulated around the whole province. Undoubtedly the purpose of the letter was that it should be read in all the churches so that all believers might know the Lord’s message. Even the individual letters to the seven churches were intended to be read by all. The churches of Asia Minor, and indeed all the churches of the Roman world, were going through great trauma as a result of the Domitian persecution. However, it must have been of comfort to them to know that the Lord himself knew precisely what their problems were as well as the solution to them.
Key Verses:
Revelation 1:19, “Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later.”
Revelation 13:16-17, “He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name.”
Revelation 19:11, “I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war.”
Revelation 20:11, “Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them.”
Revelation 21:1, “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.”
Purpose and Theme
• The purpose of the Revelation is to jolt those Christians who are compromising with idolatry out of their spiritual anesthesia so that they will perceive the spiritual danger they are in and repent.
• It is also designed to comfort and encourage the faithful, witnessing church in its struggle against the forces of evil.
• Assurance is given that: God sees their tears (7:17; 21:4);
• Their prayers rule the world! (8:3-4); death ushers them into a glorious heaven (14:13; 20:4);
• Their final victory is assured (15:2); their Christ lives and reigns forever, who governs the world in the interest of His church (5:7-8);
• And that He is coming again to take his people to Himself (chapters. 21-22).
• The ULTIMATE THEME of the book is the victory of Christ and of His church over the dragon (Satan) and his helpers. The theme is stated in 17:14: “They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with Him are called and chosen and faithful.”
Structure and Outline
The book seems to be divided into seven sections which can easily be distinguished from each other.
1. Christ in the midst of the Seven Golden Lampstands (chapters 1-3) a. Christ the eternal One (chapter 1) b. Letters to the Seven Churches (chapters 2-3) 2. The Scroll with the Seven Seals (chapters 4-7) 3. The Seven Trumpets of Judgment (chapters 8-11) 4. The Seven Mystic Figures (chapters 12-14) 5. The Seven Bowls of Wrath and Judgment of Babylon (chapters 15-18) 6. The Consummation (chapters 19-20) 7. The New Heavens and the New Earth (chapters 21-22)
Keys to Interpreting Revelation
Finally, as I conclude part two of this study, I would just like to suggest a few basic hermeneutic principles or keys to be able to easily interpret and understand Revelation:
One of the central or primary principles for studying any book in the Bible or any biblical doctrine, especially when it comes to issues of eschatology (the study of the end times) and Revelation, is to rely on our own human understanding, but rather, we should always allow scripture to interpret scripture. We are warned in 2 Peter that, “no prophecy of the scriptures is of any private interpretation” (2 Peter 1:20). Paul also instructs us that, “all scripture is given by the inspiration of God (God breathed)” (2 Timothy 3:16). In future articles, I will be pointing out several examples of this, allowing scripture to interpret scripture theme, but for know, I’d like to point to just one example: In Revelation 1:12-13, we are first introduced to the ” seven stars and the seven golden candlesticks.” Amazingly, I have heard a number of debates or arguments over, what or who are the seven stars and the seven candlesticks? However, most of those arguments were completely unwarranted, because if those debating would just simply continue reading the text, they would have seen that the ANSWER TO THE QUESTION is directly and specifically given by Christ Himself in Verse 20 when Christ reveals that, “The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven candlesticks are the seven churches” (Revelation 1:20). It just can not get more plain, clear and simple than that. There is no confusion, ambiguity or vagueness what so ever. This is actually a prime example of allowing scripture to interpret scripture. It is also an example of what you will see time and time again as you continue to study Revelation.
Because Revelation is mostly prophecy, then the keys to understanding prophecy has to be in affect. This all starts with understanding exactly what bible prophecy is. Succinctly put, bible prophecy is “history written in advance.” To put it another way, when we learn about historical events like the American Revolution for example, we read about the events AFTER the events have transpired. Bible prophecy is exactly he same, except we are reading about the events are specifically described in the bible BEFORE the events ever happen. And this could be thousands of years before the events.
Because the Book of Revelation represents the conclusion or the climax of God’s big picture story of redemption and restoration that started in Genesis, and because bible prophecy is best understood when we allow scripture to interpret scripture, and because prophecy is defined as, “history written in advance,” then it is key to remember that when you come across an allegory or symbolic illustration in Revelation, and if the answer or interpretation of the symbolism is not directly or specifically given somewhere in the text itself, then we should look for the answer or interpretation in previously fulfilled history.
Again, I will be pointing out specific examples later, but for now, I would like to just point to one example: In Revelation 17 we pick up the story of the “Mystery woman and the Beast”. And again, we can see the mystery being explained to John. First we read in verse 7. “Then the angel said to me: “Why are you astonished? I will explain to you the mystery of the woman and of the beast she rides, which has the seven heads and ten horns” (Revelation 1:7 NIV). Notice in verse 7, that the angel specifically says that, “I will explain to you the mystery of the women”. Then in verses 9 and 10, we read the following explanation of the mystery given by the angel: “This calls for a mind with wisdom. The seven heads are seven hills on which the woman sits. 10 They are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; but when he does come, he must remain for only a little while” (Revelation 17:9-10). The Angel here references “seven kings.” He then says that, “Five are fallen, one is right now, and one shall come later”.
Now, you will notice that these seven kings are not mentioned by name, so who could they be? Well the answer is simple. Remembering that prophecy is history written in advance, then it also stands to reason that when it comes to interpreting prophecy as it relates to history, then we have to factor into our interpretation of prophecy, any relatable history that has already been fulfilled. With that in mind, from a historical perspective, there had been precisely five previous empires or Kingdoms that has had an historical and prophetic impact on the Nation of Israel, which were: Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, and Greece. All five of those empires eventually fell to the succeeding one. Next, the angel tells John that, “one now is”.
This is also an obvious reference to the Roman Empire that was in existence and in power at the time. These were literal and actual historically verified world empires that existed in real time. And then the angel says that, “one shall come later.” This again is and obvious reference to the Anti-Christ kingdom that is yet in the future, and that was also prophesied in the Book of Daniel. Again, this is as much detail that I will go into at this point. However, the point that I just want to reiterate that when it comes to interpreting Revelation especially, it is important that we eliminate all of our human or worldly perspectives, presuppositions and denominational biases, and allow the text itself to interpret itself.
4. In summation, you can succinctly understand the above interpretive concepts and avoid the “human factor” by following this simple principle: The biblical text as literal, UNLESS it is clear and obvious that the text is an allegory or symbolism, in which case, you should look for the primary interpretation of that allegory or symbolic reference within the confines of scripture itself or from already related fulfilled prophecy, as is in the case of Revelation 17.
Other Important Key Words and Facts to Remember:
Finally, now that I have dealt with some of these introductory matters in the first two lessons, in part 3 of this study, I will begin overviewing the chapter outlines of the book of Revelation more specifically. However, I’d like to close this section by offering just a few other important key words and key ideas that will help you in your own individual discovery as you embark into this awesome book. By the way, I would be remise if I did not mention that following my prescribed principles of interpretation will in no way guarantee that you will get every jot and tittle correct 100% or that you will be able to completely avoid controversy. But what these principles will ensure, is that by taking the human element out of it, by looking at the text outside of all of our human and denominational biases and presuppositions, and allowing scripture to interpret scripture, you will be able to as closely as possible, see the big picture and view the text through the lens of the original Author.
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