The book of Revelation was written at a time when severe persecution was upon the infant Church -- near the close of the first century, probably A.D. 93-96, during the reign of the Emperor Domitian.

John, at the time of the vision, was a prisoner, exiled to the Isle of Patmos, a penal colony of those days -- an island almost uninhabitable, rocky, barren.  The crime for which he suffered this banishment was his faithfulness as a mouthpiece of the Lord.

The messages of our glorious Lord, sent through the Apostle John, are as truly the Savior's messages as those uttered during his earthly ministry and those subsequently sent us through the apostles.

Is Revelation Literal or Symbolic?

While the messages given to the seven churches specified in the Revelation were doubtless applicable to them, they properly have a still wider application to the entire Gospel Church, the number seven representing completeness.  The Book of Revelation is a book of symbols, which our Lord "sent and signified [told it in signs and symbols] by His angel unto His servant John." (Revelation 1:1)  Bible students know that the book abounds in symbols, or signs; and we are satisfied that this is the rule, and that the literal is the exception, being used only when unavoidable.

What Does Revelation Tell Us?

The first three chapters contain the messages to the churches, referring to seven different epochs in the Church's history.  Each of the messages closes with an exhortation, "To him that overcometh, I will grant"....  All the intervening chapters between the 3rd and the 20th deal with conflicts between good and evil and evidently cover the entire period of this Gospel age; yet, in all of these presentations, the evil is shown to be triumphant, and the people of the saints of the Most High God are worn out and cry from under the altar.

It is at the conclusion of this book of symbols, from the 18th to the 22nd chapters, that the close of this Gospel age and the inauguration of the Millennial age is pictured and the triumph of the Lord and of his saints is shown.  The introduction of that reign of righteousness, Christ's Millennial Kingdom, is shown, marked by wonderful events connected with our Lord's second advent, the glorification of his Church, the binding of Satan, the rising of the Sun of Righteousness, the blessing of the world, the scattering of its darkness and ignorance.

One would think that, even with no knowledge of the symbols of Revelation, no thinking Christian should have any difficulty in realizing that the book portrays trouble for the Church throughout this Gospel age and the triumphant Millennial reign at its close.

Understanding Revelation

We are told, "Blessed [is] he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein:  for the time [is] at hand." (Revelation 1:3)  The very reading of it will bring a blessing, and, as its mysteries gradually unfold, the understanding thereof will bring still additional blessing.

How can we read these things and understand them if they have a symbolic meaning?  The symbolic must always bend in interpretation to the plainer, more literal statements, as soon as their symbolic character is recognized.  Whenever a literal interpretation would do violence to reason, and also place the passage in direct antagonism to plain statements of Scripture, such passage should be considered figurative, and its interpretation as a symbol should be sought in harmony with obviously plain and literal passages, and with the general character and object of the revealed plan.  By recognizing and thus interpreting the symbols in this case, the beautiful harmony of all the statements are manifest.

As we proceed to set forth our understanding of the symbols of the Revelation, we wish to state most emphatically that we are saying nothing whatever against godly Christians anywhere, at any time, whether in any church or out of any church.  We have nothing to say respecting people.  We discuss PRINCIPLES, DOCTRINES, ALWAYS; individuals, NEVER!  God has not commissioned us to discuss people; it is ours to discuss His Word.

If you would like to know more about the Book of Revelation, we offer a booklet entitled "Revelation" in our Catalog page which will help the sincere seeker of truth find a way to study Revelation so that it provides real, reasonable, Scriptural, and historical sense in its interpretation.

Hartford Bible Students * P.O. Box 493 * Manchester, CT 06045

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Last modified: 09/19/09