Brief Note on Interpretation

It might be helpful to make a brief note in regards to method of interpretation when it comes to the book of Revelation.

As readers might know, there are some who interpret the entire book of Revelation in a wooden literal fashion. These literalists are confident that interpreting Revelation in this manner leads to the most consistent understanding of the book. However, as we will see when we interact with the text of Revelation, even literalists fail to interpret everything in Revelation in a wooden literal fashion. For example, when John sees a Lamb in Revelation, does that mean that Jesus will come in the future in the form of a Lamb? Perhaps Jesus changes form depending on which event in Revelation He is about to fulfill. Another example would be the New Jerusalem, which some literalists explain as being a satellite metropolis in order to accommodate its immense size that extends into the Earth’s exosphere. These are just a couple of examples that I am thinking of on the spot, which demonstrates that readers and hearers of Revelation are not meant to understand everything in Revelation in a strict wooden literal sense.

On the other end of the spectrum are those who attempt to interpret almost everything in a spiritual, figurative, allegorical sense. Proponents of this interpretative method will arrive at conclusions that all time indicators are to be taken in a figurative manner, such that “soon” means “an indefinite period of time in the distant future”, or that “42 months” means the same thing as the “millennium”. To be fair, some commentators such as G.K. Beale would argue that all the events in Revelation have begun to be fulfilled in John’s time, and therefore “soon” does mean “soon” in terms of the start of the fulfillment period. However, as we will see when we dive into the text itself, it appears that John is stating that all the events in Revelation, unless stated otherwise, will take place “soon”, that is, in the near, immediate future of John’s immediate audience. In fact, John uses near-term time indicators and also short time-frame references such as “42 months”.

Beale admits that there could be a dual nature to the events in Revelation, such that there is both a historical fulfillment (in the time period of John’s immediate audience) and a future, consummate fulfillment (at the time of Christ’s final coming). This supports the preterist understanding of Revelation, especially if we acknowledge that Revelation is better understood as being written prior to the destruction of the temple. God’s judgment on Israel was the historical fulfillment of Revelation, but this historical judgment foreshadows and points forward to the final judgment of God upon the unbelieving world (also hinted at in Revelation 20, which takes place after the millennium).

Therefore, I hope that readers will see throughout the course of this blog that the partial-preterist / redemptive-historical interpretation of Revelation fulfills the criteria within the book of Revelation itself that the events described therein must take place “soon” (in the time of John’s immediate audience), the events pertain to the situation in which John’s immediate audience found themselves in, and that the events which will soon take place will vindicate John’s immediate audience in light of the persecution and violence committed against them.

If it helps, it is fascinating to consider that John’s Gospel is the only one in which the Olivet Discourse (pertaining to the destruction of the temple and Jerusalem) is missing. As some commentators have suggested, perhaps the book of Revelation is John’s detailed/explicated version of the Olivet Discourse, considering all the Jewish elements found therein, and also considering the soon-to-take-place destruction of the temple at the time of writing of Revelation. Again, the old covenant is about to disappear. Even though Christ legally established the new covenant when He died and rose again, He historically established the new covenant over against the old covenant when He came in judgment against His old wife, Israel, and cast her out in fulfillment of the covenant curses written in His Law. The old has gone; the new has come.

Soli Deo gloria!