Can the book of Revelation be understood? Yes, it can. Its message can be summarized in one sentence: God rules history and will bring it to its consummation in Christ. If you read it with that main point in mind, you will be able to understand it. You will not necessarily understand every detail – neither do I. But it is not necessary to understand every detail in order to profit spiritually from it.

The same thing is true of all Scripture. Scripture is inexhaustibly rich, so that we can never plumb all its depths and mysteries. But the main points are clear, so we can know what to believe and how to act (Prov. 1:1-7; Ps. 19:7-13). Second Timothy 3:16-17 tells us not only that all Scripture is inspired, but also that is “useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” All Scripture, including Revelation, has practical value for exhortation, comfort, and training in righteousness. Paul underlines this point in 2 Timothy 4:1-5 by drawing a contrast between the solid teaching of the gospel and people’s desire to have teachers who “say what their itching ears want to hear” (4:3). God gave us Revelation not to tickle our fancy, but to strengthen our hearts.

The Clarity of Revelation⤒🔗

Revelation itself makes the same point in the first few verses, 1:1-3. It is “the revelation of Jesus Christ.” The word revelation, or unveiling, indicates that it discloses rather than conceals its message. This revelation comes in order “to show his servants” something. The word “show” implies that the book can bring its message home to its hearers. Revelation is addressed to “his servants” – not just prophecy buffs, Ph.D.’s, experts, or angels, but you. If you are a follower of Christ, this book is for you and you can understand it. The third verse says, “Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.” God knew that some of his servants would hesitate over this book. So he gives extra encouragement to our readers by pronouncing an explicit blessing. Revelation is the only book in the whole Bible with a blessing pronounced for reading it!¹

But the reading should not be an empty or rote reading, as the continuation makes clear: “take to heart what is written in it.” Revelation should not merely flit through our brain, or lead to vain speculations, but lodge in our heart and produce a practical response, a response of keeping it, just as we are to keep Christ’s commandments by obeying them. (The Greek word tereo, translated “take to heart,” is used in the Gospel of John for “keeping” Christ’s commandments.)

Why the Confusion?←⤒🔗

If Revelation is clear, why do so many people have trouble with it? And why is it so controversial? We have trouble because we approach it from the wrong end. Suppose I start by asking, “What do the bear’s feet in Revelation 13:2 stand for?” If I start with such a detail, and ignore the big picture, I am asking for trouble. God is at the center of Revelation (Rev. 4-5). We must start with him and with the contrasts between him and his satanic opponents. If instead we try right away to puzzle out details, it is as if we tried to use a knife by grasping it by the blade instead of the handle. We are starting at the wrong end. Revelation is a picture book, not a puzzle book. Don’t try to puzzle it out. Don’t become engrossed in the overall story. Praise the Lord. Cheer for the saints. Detest the Beast. Long for the final victory.

The truth is, some teachers of the book of Revelation set a bad example. They turn the book on its head; they turn it into a puzzle book. They preach obscurity instead of clarity, and of course people end up feeling incompetent.

Do the following responses sound familiar? “I’m confused.” “It’s so complicated.” “I’m lost.” “It’s all a puzzle, and only this expert teacher can make sense of it.” “I give up.”

But a few refuse to give up. Instead, they develop an unhealthy preoccupation. They search for a complicated new scheme to “solve” the puzzle. They end up tickling the fancy and missing the real point.

In contrast, people who have not been influenced by super-duper teachers do better with the book. Let me illustrate.

Once, when I was teaching Revelation, I noticed many children in the congregation. “I want you children to read Revelation, too,” I said. “If you are too young to read it for yourself, have your parents read it to you. You can understand it. In fact, you may understand it better than your parents.”

A boy about twelve years old came up to me afterwards. “I know exactly what you mean. A short time ago I read Revelation, and I felt that I understood it.”
“Praise the Lord!”
“I read it just like a fantasy, except that I knew it was true.”
I thought, “Precisely.”

This story was so good that I began using it when I taught Revelation in seminary classes. A student came up afterward.

“You know that twelve-year-old boy?” “Yes.”
“I know exactly what he meant. I can remember reading Revelation when I was about twelve years old, and understanding it. I have been understanding it less and less ever since!”

A group of seminary students finished playing basketball in a gym. They noticed the janitor in a corner, reading a book.

“What are you reading?”
“The Bible.”
“What part of the Bible?”
“Revelation.”

The seminarians thought they’d help this poor soul.

“Do you understand what you’re reading?”
“Yes!”
They were astonished. “What does it mean?”
“Jesus is gonna win!”

A charismatic pastor was praying in his study. “What should I preach on next?”
“Revelation.”
“Great! I’ll get out my seminary notes, dig in, whip up some diagrams, and show my stuff.”
“No.”
“What do you mean? What am I supposed to do?”
“Read it.”

Pause. “That’s crazy. I can’t just stand up there and read it. Isn’t a pastor supposed to teach? What good will I do?”
“Do it.”
(Reluctantly) “O.K.”

That congregation had the experience of a lifetime. The pastor dutifully read a paragraph, and similar responses followed – and so they continued through the book. The congregation found that, taught by the Spirit of Christ, they did know how to understand! But if the pastor had gotten out those seminary notes and lectured, the congregation might have sunk into a puzzle-book mentality.

There is a lesson here. If you are leading a group in studying Revelation, do not become “the expert” in a bad sense. Yes, you can get help with the details by utilizing scholarly resources. And, yes, you can help people over some things that seem mysterious to a modern reader. But do it in a context where ordinary people can experience the book firsthand and follow its powerful drama for themselves, engaging their own hearts in the pictures.