Lesson 5: Introduction to Genre
NT Genres: Revelation
The book of Revelation does not fit neatly into any other genre category found either in the Bible or in the ancient world. Revelation blends several genres, including: letter/epistle, prophecy, and apocalypse (which uses vivid imagery to set the present ungodly systems of the world in sharp contrast with the coming kingdom of God).¹
Because so many pastors and teachers have used Revelation as the fodder for much debate and speculation concerning the end times, many other Christians have simply ignored Revelation as too hard to understand and too fraught with danger. As a result, whether through the misuse of Revelation or by avoiding it altogether, we can miss the intended blessing that this book explicitly offers.
Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near. —Revelation 1:3
We will consider how to use and obey Revelation rightly in Lessons 8 and 9. But before we can obey it, we must understand it.
The Primary Message
Andy Naselli helpfully summarizes the theological message of Revelation,
The Lamb will consummate his kingdom for God’s glory by saving his people and judging his enemies. God wins! The purpose of Revelation is not to confuse you or entertain you or intrigue you or give you a train schedule for future events. It’s to comfort and encourage and exhort Christians by revealing future events and providing a heavenly perspective on present earthly realities. —Andy Naselli, How to Understand and Apply the New Testament, 33.
We can summarize Revelation's message with an even more explicit focus on Christ with the words of Pastor George Robertson:
We may not understand every single word of the Book of Revelation, but by the end of it we will understand this: There is a King, named Jesus Christ, who sits on the throne, who rules and reigns and demands allegiance. And in the end will ask: “Were you for me or against me?” And those who were for him will have eternal life, and those who were against him, even by mere passivity, eternal death. —From “The King,” preached by Pastor George Robertson
Symbolism: An Interpretative Challenge
One of the challenges to interpreting Revelation is its extensive use of symbolism. In fact, much of the theological debate concerning Revelation is rooted in how we are to interpret the symbolic imagery. The Bible itself is our best guide. Two sources within the Bible serve to define and explain the symbolism in this book: (1) the book of Revelation itself, and (2) The Old Testament.
At several points, Revelation explains its own symbols and visions. Consider how Jesus reveals the meaning of the symbolic stars and lampstands in Revelation 1:19–20. When we encounter symbols in this book, we should consider how Revelation itself uses these symbols and search for places in which the book itself defines what particular symbols mean (for example: Revelation 1:19–20).
We also need to look to the Old Testament to interpret Revelation’s symbols rightly. For example, the tree of life cited in Revelation 2:7 alludes to the original tree of life in Genesis 2:9. The rich symbols in Revelation find their source primarily there in the OT. As G.K. Beale writes,
No other book of the NT is as permeated by the OT as is Revelation. Although its author seldom quotes the OT directly, allusions and echoes are found in almost every verse of the book. —G.K. Beale and Sean M. McDonough, “Revelation,” in Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament, 1081.
Keys to Interpreting Revelation:
- Interpret the parts in light of the whole.
- Remember the primary message: King Jesus (and his faithful people) win!
- Determine where a passage fits in the overall flow and visions of Revelation.
- Consider how the book‘s opening and closing visions help clarify your passage.
- Identify symbols and interpret the symbols
- Search Revelation. Consider how the book itself uses and explains the symbol.
- Look to the OT. This takes time and careful reading across the whole OT. As you read more and more of the OT, you will stock the cupboards of your mind with its language and imagery. And then, as you read Revelation, that storehouse will supply a fruitful understanding of Revelation.
- Heed its own instruction
- Read and reread the whole book. Read it aloud as well.
- Trust its message regarding the victory of Jesus and his faithful people.