How to Read Revelation
By Matt Watson
When I was eight years old, I tried to draw a picture of Jesus from Revelation 1:12–16:
Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength.
It looked exactly like you think it looked. I didn’t know what a lampstand was, but it was when everyone had those tall halogen lamps, so he had seven of those in one giant hand and seven ninja-throwing stars in the other. He had a great big English longsword coming out of his mouth, and his eyes and hair looked like Raiden from Mortal Kombat. I finally got to use my gold crayon for his sash and his bronze feet.
Hermeneutics
I was too young to understand hermeneutics, the study of interpretation. In biblically faithful hermeneutics, there are several primary principles:
The meaning of a text is found in the author's intent, not in the reader's interpretation. We ask, “What did the author intend to communicate?” not, “What does this text mean to me?”
We use, among other things, a historical-grammatical method, which looks at the text within the context of its historical setting and the genre in which it was written.
We interpret Scripture with Scripture.
It’s about Jesus.
I had no concept of genre or apocalyptic literature at the time. While we should take all Scripture literally, we ought not always take it literalistically, where we are wooden and inflexible with our interpretation. There can be a fine line with this distinction, one that is easily crossed. I drew Jesus as he was literally described but missed the meaning of why he was described that way, missing the point.
Jesus is the Word of God (John 1:1ff), and he speaks the Word of God, which is also called the sword of the Spirit (Eph 6:17). Recall the children’s song, “He’s got the whole world in his hands….” He is so powerful and sovereign that he holds the churches in his hands as well as their representatives. His feet are like bronze because they are solid and firmly planted. Bronze has greater strength and resistance to crushing and corrosion than iron (that’s why we make statues out of it), and it is used elsewhere to describe heavenly beings (Ezek 1:7). He shines because he is in his exalted glory, not as a crucified body stuck on a cross or buried in a tomb; both are empty. This is a picture of Jesus in full royal regalia, not as a carpenter.
Practice
Below is a sample of questions to ask yourself while reading books like Revelation, Daniel, or Ezekiel:
What was going on when this text was written? What is the context?
What genre is the text? Poetry, narrative, history, a letter, prophetic, biographical?
How does this text fit in with the rest of the Bible?
What aspect of the fallen human condition does this passage speak to? Is there a sin or an effect of sin that is in mind or in the background?
How does this text point us to Jesus?
How does the gospel address the fallen human condition presented in the text?
Then, and only then, ask, “What is God telling me in this passage?” Application—our response—needs to come after we interpret its meaning, not before.
If this is new to you, don’t be intimidated! There is both an art and a science to reading ancient literature, which, in the case of the Bible, is also divinely inspired. Grab a study Bible or a good commentary to help work through these questions as you read. It is also helpful to work through the text with a brother or sister in Christ, so take this as a sign to join a discipleship group if you haven’t done so already!
Additional Resources
You don’t need a seminary degree to read the Bible. It is not written for the pastor or priest but for all of the people of God. However, you might need some help in reading it well. Here is a list of resources to help you dig deeper, whether you are reading the rest of Revelation or any other book of the Bible:
Books from Beginner to Advanced:
How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth: This book by Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart is in its fourth edition for a reason. It has helped many, many Christians gain a better understanding of Scripture and how it fits together.
40 Questions About Interpreting the Bible: Robert Plummer is a seminary professor of New Testament at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He was my professor for Greek and hermeneutics, and he writes approachably. These 40 questions are ones we have all had about the Bible.
A Basic Guide to Interpreting the Bible: Playing by the Rules: This was a hermeneutics textbook I still refer to often. New Testament scholar Robert Stein gets granular (but not unreadable) about the different "rules" to interpreting Scripture, such as how to interpret different genres, the literal vs. literalistic dichotomy, and so forth.
Where to Find Good Commentaries:
Not every commentary in a set is equal to another. I like to pick and choose commentaries from within three to five different series that I have found reliable.
How can you tell which commentary is a good one? First, ask your pastor or community group leader for recommendations. Chances are they have several. Additionally, look at the website Best Commentaries. It lists recommendations from Ligonier, The Gospel Coalition, John Piper, etc., and ranks the best-reviewed commentary for each book of the Bible. They also denote whether the commentary is technical (academic), pastoral, or devotional. If you had to choose, look for a pastoral one.
Like anything, interpreting the Bible well is a muscle to be built over time. It is a lifelong pursuit, developed by reading the Bible … a lot. This is also one reason why God gives us community to help us grow and sharpen as we mature in Christ. Read the Bible, pray the Bible, and meditate on the Bible, and you will grow exponentially.
This article was originally published by Matthew Watson with Awake! Put on strength!, and is used under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license.