The book of Revelation to most people is a mystery. With its strange symbols and frightening descriptions many have wondered "what does it all mean?" and have gone ahead and put their own interpretations into it.  The Bible however, interprets itself, and you would have to look to other parts of the Bible to understand what is being said in Revelation.

Revelation in Summary

The Book of Revelation basically tells us how the Kingdom of God will be established on earth.  However before God’s Kingdom is established a revival of the Roman Empire will take place.  Ten leaders will come together to form an alliance (the beast with ten horns) together with a religious leader (the woman who rides the beast) to form this empire.  It will be politically and religiously powerful, thus known as Babylon the Great. 

During the reign of this Empire there will be turmoil and religious persecution like no other time before it.  Idol worship and sexual immorality will abound, thus God’s intervention to stop this entity (the seven seals).  There will be a battle between Christ and a mighty army (Armageddon).  Christ will defeat this army and destroy the ‘beast’ and God’s Kingdom will then be set up on earth – Jerusalem to be exact - to reign forever and ever.  

The Interpretation

Now Daniel and other books in the New Testament would give you the keys to unlocking the symbols in Revelation.  Daniel was told in chapter 12:8-9 that what was prophesied would be revealed in the time of the end.

“Go now Daniel, for what I have said is for the time of the end.  Many will be purified, cleansed, and refined by these trials.  But the wicked will continue in their wickedness, and none of them will understand.  Only those who are wise will know what it means.”(Daniel 12:9-10) 

The Seven Seals

The message of Revelation starts with the breaking of seven seals of a scroll held by Jesus Christ, to reveal seven symbols. 

The first six symbols were fully described by Jesus when he spoke with his disciples on the Mount of Olives in Matthew chapter 24.  He told them what the signs of his coming would be. 

The first four symbols are commonly called the four horsemen of the Apocalypse.

Rider 1.   False Christ

Revelation 6:2: …”I looked up and saw a white horse.  It’s rider carried a bow, and a crown was placed on his head.  He rode out to win many battles and gain victory.” Matthew 24: 23 – “then if anyone tells you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah’ or ‘There he is’, don’t pay any attention.  For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and perform great miraculous signs and wonders to as to deceive, if possible, even God’s chosen ones. 

(Read also Revelation 19:12-16)

Rider 2 - War

Revelation 6:4: And another horse appeared, a red one.  Its rider was given a mighty sword and the authority to remove peace from the earth.  And there was war and slaughter everywhere. Matthew 24:6-7: And wars will break out near and far, but don’t panic.  Yes, these things must come, but the end won’t follow immediately.  The nations and kingdoms will proclaim war against each other…” 

Riders 3 and 4 – Famine and Disease

Revelation 6:5-6: “…Come!” And I looked up and saw a black horse, and its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand.  And a voice from among the four living beings said, “A loaf of wheat bread or three loaves of barley for a day’s pay.  And don’t waste the olive oil and wine. Revelation 6:7-8: …Come!”  And I looked up and saw a horse whose color was pale green like a corpse.  And Death was the name of its rider, who was followed around by the Grave.  They were given authority over one-fourth of the earth, to kill with the sword and famine and disease…” Matthew 24:7: “and there will be famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world…” 

The 5^th Symbol - Persecution

Revelation 6:9-11: “And when the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of all who had been martyred for the word of God and for being faithful in their witness.  They called loudly to the Lord and said, ‘O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long will it be before you judge the people who belong to this world for what they have done to us? When will you avenge our blood against these people?  Then a white robe was given to each of them.  And they were told to rest a little longer until the full number of their brothers and sisters – their fellow servants of Jesus – had been martyred. Matthew 24:9-11:  “Then you will be arrested, persecuted, and killed.  You will be hated all over the world because of your allegiance to me.  And many will turn away from me and betray and hate each other.  And many false prophets will appear and will lead many people astray.

The 6^th Symbol – Divine Intervention

Revelation 6:12 -14: “I watched as the lamb broke the sixth seal and there was a great earthquake. The sun became as dark as black cloth and the moon became as red as blood.  Then the stars of the sky fell to the earth…and the sky was rolled up like a scroll and taken away.  And all of the mountains and all of the islands disappeared.” Matthew 24:29:

"Immediately after those horrible days end, the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give light, the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of heaven will be shaken.” 

The Seventh Seal 

The remainder of Revelation is about the Seventh seal.  This seal shows God’s wrath on an unrepentant world and His judgment known as the ‘Day of the Lord’  

The Seven Trumpets

The first four trumpets describes what would happen to the earth’s environment including the water supply. (Revelation 8:7-12). Notice the similarity to the plagues that God sent on Egypt when Moses tried to set his people free.  

The last three trumpets describes what would happen to the people when the refuse to repent of their sins.

The sixth trumpet (Revelation 9:13-19) describes a war that would kill one third of the earth’s population.  What John saw in his vision were weapons of mass destruction.  He could only describe these weapons using words of his time.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

The seventh and last trumpet announces the return of Jesus Christ (Revelation 11:14-17)

Now keep in mind that all these events are taking place during the reign of this new and powerful Roman Empire.

“And now in my vision I saw a beast rising up out of the sea.  It had seven heads and ten horns, with ten crowns on its horns and written on each head were names that blasphemed God.  This beast looked like a leopard, but it had bear’s feet and a lion’s mouth! And the dragon gave him his own power and throne and great authority.” (Revelation 13:1-3).  The Dragon here is the devil himself.

Daniel chapter 2 describes this same empire as a human figure in a dream by Nebuchadnezzar. 

The head of gold was Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom – the Babylonian empire which ruled from 625 BC to 539 BC.

The chest and arms of silver is the Medo-Persian Empire from 558 BC to 330 BC. 

The belly and thighs of bronze is the Greco-Macedonian Empire of Alexander the Great which reigned from 333 BC to 31 BC.

The legs of iron symbolizes the Roman Empire from 31 BC to 476 AD. 

The ten toes is the revival of the Roman Empire.  God will destroy this Empire and then set up His Kingdom.  (Daniel 2:31-45)

(Also read Daniel chapter 7).

In verse 41 of Daniel the ten toes also represent the ten horns of the Beast in Revelation 13.  These ten horns are ten nations or leaders who will come together to form an alliance and will be ruled by Satan (Rev. 13:2).  The system of governance will be similar to that of the first Roman Empire.

The Prostitute (Revelation 17)

The prostitute is a false religious figure who will rule together with the other political leaders. This is why she is depicted as riding the beast.  In the last Roman Empire power was shared with the leaders and Popes in Rome.  The leaders exercised their political power while the Popes their religious power. So a similar system will be established in the revival of this New Roman Empire.  The people who worship the beast will have a particular mark.  Those who refuse to worship him will be killed.

The Kingdom of God

Eventually God will destroy this Empire and its religious leader and set up his Kingdom which Christ and his resurrected followers will rule.  (Revelation 18 – 22).

Other Books of the Bible tell of this second coming of Christ.  Here’s one by Zechariah:

Watch, for the day of the Lord is coming when your possessions will be plundered right in front of you! On that day I will gather all the nations to fight against Jerusalem.  The city will be taken, the houses plundered, and the women raped.  Half of the population will be taken away into captivity and half will be left among the ruins of the city.  Then the Lord will go out to fight against those nations, as he has fought in times past.  On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which faces Jerusalem on the east.  And the Mount of Olives will split apart, making a wide valley running from east to west, for half the mountain will move toward the north and half toward the south.  (Zechariah 14:1 - 4)