Do you believe Revelation is literal, physical, spiritual, something in between, or just another completely different perspective! I would love to see your thoughts and your logic behind them.
John Wesley wrote of Revelation, “Oh how little do we know of this deep book! At least how little do I know!” (Journal, 4:540). Elsewhere he confessed, “I by no means pretend to understand, or explain all that is contained in this mysterious book” (Notes, 650).
John Wesley (1703–91) writes: “It is scarce possible for any that either love or fear God not to feel their hearts extremely affected in seriously reading either the beginning or the latter part of the Revelation. These, it is evident, we cannot consider too much; but the intermediate parts I did not study at all for many years; as utterly despairing of understanding them, after the fruitless attempts of so many wise and good men: and perhaps I should have lived and died in this sentiment, had I not seen the works of the great Bengelius. But these revived my hopes of understanding even the prophecies of this book; at least many of them in some good degree: for perhaps some will not be opened but in eternity.”
Adam Clarke (1762–1832): “I do not understand the book; and I am satisfied that no one who has written on the subject knows anything more of it than myself.”
Adam Clarke “I had resolved, for a considerable time, not to meddle with this book, because I foresaw that I could produce nothing satisfactory on it: but when I reflected that the literal sense and phraseology might be made much plainer by the addition of philological and critical notes; and that, as the diction appeared in many places to be purely rabbinical, (a circumstance to which few of its expositors have attended), it might be rendered plainer by examples from the ancient Jewish writers; and that several parts of it spoke directly of the work of God in the soul of man, and of the conflicts and consolations of the followers of Christ, particularly in the beginning of the book, I changed my resolution, and have added short notes, principally philological, where I thought I understood the meaning.”
And regarding the millennial reign of Christ, Wesley wrote these words in a letter,
“I have no opinion at all upon that topic. I can determine nothing about it. These calculations are far above, out of my sight, I have only one thing to do, to save my own soul and those that hear me.”
It stands out to me that Wesley's theological humility emerges particularly with regard to questions of eschatology, if only because I've engaged so very many people over the years who've held their eschatological views with no humility whatsoever. His posture here is commendable. He's humble enough to say: I don't know. And he's confident enough to point his hearers to what's most important, namely the flourishing of human beings in saving union with Christ. All that is not to say we should hold our theological views strongly. It's only to say we should cultivate some humility as we do.”
— Matt O’Reilly
R. H. Charles (1855–1931) reminds us that “school after school has essayed its interpretation, and school after school has in turn retired in failure from the task.” Charles was an Irish Anglican theologian, biblical scholar, professor, and translator from Northern Ireland.
The church father Jerome (AD 340–420) laments in Epistle 53:8 that it contains “as many mysteries as it does words.” Methodius (d. AD 311) in his Symposium 8:9 mentions “the greatness of the mysteries of the text.”
Gaius of Rome (d. 296) “For though I cannot comprehend it, I still suspect that there is some deeper sense underlying the words. And I do not measure and judge its expressions by the standard of my own reason, but, making more allowance for faith, I have simply regarded them as too lofty for my comprehension; and I do not forthwith reject what I do not understand, but I am only the more filled with wonder at it, in that I have not been able to discern its import” (Dion., Works 1:1:3).
“The book of Revelation is a fascinating book, and the debate regarding its interpretation will continue. Despite our various views, there are some common threads upon which Christians agree. {21}. All views believe that God is sovereign and in charge of all that occurs in history and its ultimate conclusion. Except for full preterism and some forms of idealism, all believe in the physical second coming of Christ. All views believe in the resurrection from the dead. All believe there will be a future judgment. All believe in an eternal state in which believers will be with God, and unbelievers will be separated from Him. All agree upon the importance of the study of prophecy and its edification for the body of Christ. Unfortunately, the debate among Christians has often been harsh and hostile. It is my hope that the debate would continue in a cordial, respectful manner which will challenge every believer to accurately study and interpret the Word. We all await the return of our Lord and together with the saints of all ages say, "Amen, come Lord Jesus!" (Rev. 22:20) — Four Views of Revelation, 4-Views-of-Revelation.
A preacher told me in an email: “In my opinion, the Book of Revelation is an expanded account (in primarily figurative language) of the A.D. 70 destruction of Jerusalem. When John wrote Revelation it was prophecy; from our perspective Revelation is history.”
Be careful with Revelation. It has confounded the minds of the greatest scholars.