Understanding Revelation

It is important in interpreting Revelation that we follow the same rules as for any other book of the Bible. There are few basic rules for understanding Scripture.

First, examine the context. One way to do this is to answer a few questions about the passage. Who is speaking? When are they speaking? About what are they speaking? Why are they speaking? What is their motive? The Bible quotes a lot of different people. Recently someone shared with me a statement by a well known TV preacher. This preacher used a passage from Job as proof for his statement. By looking at the context of this passage, it was easy to see that what he was using as "proof" was just one man's opinion, not something that God had said.

Another rule for interpretation: if the simple sense makes sense, seek no other sense. Do not make the Bible more complicated than it needs to be.

Also, when you are studying a passage of Scripture that uses symbols, look for other passages of Scripture that use the same symbol. For example, leaven is used as a symbol of sin throughout the Bible.

Finally, compare your interpretation with what other passages in the Bible teach. Especially, use non-symbolic passages to help you understand passages that use symbolism. The Bible is a unit. It does not contradict itself. The more we learn about the Bible, the easier it becomes to understand it. One section of Scripture will shed light on other parts of the Bible.

There are other rules for interpretation, but these are some of the most important. They will help us to understand Revelation, just as they would help you to understand any other book of the Bible.