Notes: Principles for Interpreting Revelation
Video lecture by David
Matthewson
Notes by David Feddes
Review: Revelation blends at least three literary types (genres):
- Apocalypse
- Prophecy
- Epistle/letter
E. D. Hirsch says, "Meaning is genre-bound." The kind of literature makes a difference in how it communicates meaning.
What principles should guide us in how we read and interpret Revelation?
Principles for Interpreting Revelation
1. We must interpret Revelation symbolically and not literally.
Dr. Matthewson says he grew up with the idea that we should interpret Revelation literally unless we find strong reason to interpret something symbolically. But he thinks that this should be reversed: we should interpret Revelation symbolically unless there’s good reason in the text to interpret something literally. There are some literal features in Revelations, such as references to nations and people. But most of Revelation uses symbolic language.
The symbols refer to actual persons and places and events, but like political cartoons, they describe those events in highly imaginative, symbolic, and metaphorical ways. For example, Revelation 13 describes a vision of a red, hideous, seven-headed beast with crowns. A first-century reader would associate that beast with the Roman Empire or its emperor. Even those who claim to interpret Revelation literally do not think the beast is a literal, actual beast but a bad empire or evil human. So they are interpreting the beast figuratively, not literally.
Revelation 1:20 provides the key to how we are to read the rest of the book: “The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and of the seven golden lampstands is this: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.” The stars and lampstands are symbolic of something else. That’s how we should read the rest of Revelation. Throughout the book, when something is described in a vision, we should ask, “What is this symbolizing?”
Revelation 1:12-17 describes a vision of Jesus, using images and symbols. For example, the sword coming out of his mouth is a symbol of judgment. It doesn’t mean that the exalted Jesus literally has a sword sticking out of his mouth.
In Revelation 1:20, John tells his readers how to interpret a couple of symbols, which is a clue that we should interpret the rest of the book symbolically. But most of the time, John doesn’t interpret the symbols for us.
How can we know what the images mean?
1. We should study the historical setting of Revelation.
2. We should recognize that most images in Revelation also appear in the Old Testament. So by understanding the Old Testament background, we can learn what Revelation means by those images.
3. Many of John’s images would also resonate with Greco-Roman background and literature. Studying that literature can help understand the symbols.
4. Many times John’s images evoke both the Old Testament and Greco-Roman background.
5. Use good commentaries on Revelation. Dr. Matthewson recommends commentaries by G. K. Beale, David Aune, Grant Osborne, G. B. Caird, and Richard Bauckham.
Example: A beast, dragon, or serpent figure was often used in the Old Testament to depict idolatrous, godless, oppressive foreign nations that oppose God and his people. John’s vision of a beast has similar meaning.
Focus on the theological meaning without getting too obsessed with identifying the exact person or event that Revelation is describing. Some symbols in Revelation are not familiar to us, but would have been recognized by John and his first readers.
Revelation is more like walking through an art gallery than watching a newscast. Several different pictures may depict the same event in different ways.
2. Realize that Revelation (as apocalyptic, prophecy, and letter) is about both the present and future, and even at times the past. The present element is most important. Revelation is trying to help the readers make sense of their present first-century situation by revealing the reality behind the scenes. Much of Revelation is describing first-century persons and events. Still, some parts of Revelation are clearly describing future events, such as the Second Coming of Christ.
Here's an example of reference to the past: Revelation 12:1-8 pictures a pregnant woman and a dragon in highly symbolic words. The woman gives birth to a child who will rule the nations. This passage is looking to the past: the birth of Christ and his triumph.
Revelation seems to cycle. A vision pictures the present, then the future. Then Revelation starts over by again describing the present with a new vision, then the conclusion of history. For example, Revelation 6:12-18 clearly refers to the final judgment and Second Coming. Chapters 7, 11, and 14 give images of final salvation and final judgment. Over and over, Revelation brings readers to the end of history, but then another vision starts over with another picture of the present situation followed by a picture of the end. Chapters 19 and 22 give a fuller description of the Second Coming, which earlier visions have already partially pictured.
3. Interpretations of Revelation must be something that John could have intended and his first-century readers could have understood.
We should reject any interpretation that John couldn’t have had in mind or that his readers in a pre-technology situation couldn’t have understood. We should get rid of the notion that nobody could have understood Revelation until today. We should not think that we now have the key because we’re seeing what John was referring to, whereas first-century readers could not have understood what John was writing about. Rather, we should realize that those first-century readers understood Revelation, and we are the ones in the dark who need to do hard work to understand the book.
As a letter, Revelation was addressing the situation of its original readers and was meant to be understood by them at that point in history: “Then he told me, ‘Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this scroll, because the time is near” (Revelation 22:10). Daniel had been told to seal up his book until a distant future (Daniel 12:4, 9). But John is told not to seal up the prophecy of Revelation, because it applies to a time close to when John is writing.
This doesn’t mean Revelation is only relevant to the first century; Revelation continues to speak to God’s people throughout history until Christ returns. But we must begin with what John was saying to his original readers.
4. We must read Revelation as intended to encourage and exhort God’s people.
Revelation provided encouragement and comfort to a persecuted church suffering for allegiance to Jesus, and it provided exhortation and warning to a compromising, complacent church. Any interpretation that ignores this will miss the main point. Obsession with predicting the future, or trying to match John's visions with the 21st century political situation, or trying to determine how close we are to the end, will miss the call to worship God and the Lamb no matter the consequences.
5. Interpreting Revelation requires a good dose of humility.
We must be willing to admit that we could be wrong or that we’re not sure. We must consider and listen to other ways of reading Revelation. It is a difficult book, and the church throughout history has disagreed on many points of interpretation. Listen carefully to some of the best commentaries to help guide you through the book.
Summary: Principles for Interpreting Revelation
1. Interpret Revelation symbolically and not literally.
2. Realize that Revelation (as apocalyptic, prophecy, and
letter) is about both the present and future, and even about the past in some
passages.
3. Interpretations of Revelation must be something that John
could have intended and his first-century readers could have understood.
4. Read Revelation as intended to encourage and
exhort God’s people.
5. Interpreting Revelation requires a good dose of humility.
Additional thoughts about Principle #1: symbolic numbers
Revelation is a book full of numbers. Sometimes interpreters who understand much of Revelation symbolically still take the numbers literally. But symbolic interpretation should apply to numbers as well. For example, 1:12 pictures the Son of Man among seven lampstands and holding seven stars. Seven occurs often in Revelation. It symbolizes completeness, perfection.
- Three and a half years, “time, times, half a time.” Revelation is not talking about a literal, temporal period of 3.5 years of 365 days each. This should be understood as half of seven. Seven is perfection, so three and a half falls short of seven. It refers to an intense period of time that is cut short. No matter how intense that period may be, it will not last.
- Four probably symbolizes the entire earth. For example, “the four corners of the earth.” Four living creatures does not mean there are literally four such creatures. The number four symbolizes the entire earth.
- Six probably signifies imperfection. It falls short of seven.
- Seven signifies completion and perfection (probably based on seven days of creation in Genesis 1-2.
- Ten and its multiples signify wholeness or completion.
- Twelve and its multiples (24, 144, and 144,000) signify the people of God (modeled after the twelve tribes of Israel in the Old Testament and the twelve apostles in the New Testament).
- Fractions (one half, one third, one fourth) symbolize a fragment, or what is partial or limited. When it speaks of “a third of the earth” or “a fourth of the people,” Revelation is not giving an exact proportion.
We should not interpret numbers for their literal mathematical or temporal value, but for their symbolic meaning.
Upcoming lectures will dig into Revelation itself, starting with Revelation 1 and going through the book passage by passage.