The Revelation of Jesus Christ
The New Testament opens with the four Gospels telling of the FIRST coming of Christ. The Revelation closes the New Testament with the theme of the SECOND coming of Christ. Within the confines of the book, the Second Coming of Christ and the years immediately preceding it are revealed more graphically than in any other book in the Bible.
There are many ways Revelation has been interpreted:
1. The ALLEGORICAL or non-literal approach.
2. The PRETERIST approach: They regard the book as a symbolic picture of early church conflicts that have been fulfilled.
3. The HISTORICAL approach: They view the content of the book as a symbolic picture of church history in the present age.
4. The FUTURIST approach: They believe chapters 4 through 22 deal with future events. More specifically, they believe, with good reason, that chapters 4 through 18 describe the last seven years preceding the literal coming of Christ to the earth. Chapter 19 gives the most graphic portrayal of the Second Coming in the Bible, chapter 20 describes the millennial reign of Christ, and chapters 21-22 describe the eternal state.