Why was the book of Revelation written? As mentioned before, the book's
very name means to reveal —to unveil, to open to understanding
what otherwise could not be comprehended. Yet most people believe that
this final book of the Bible cannot be understood at all—that its
language and symbols are too confusing to make sense.
Revelation puts many of the earlier prophecies of the Bible into an understandable
context and reveals a much-needed framework for prophecies relating
to the end of the age. It accomplishes this partly through the use of symbols
and figurative language that relate directly to some of the Bible's other
prophetic writings.
For example, the prophetic book of Daniel uses similar language and symbols.
Many of its visions and figures of speech are clearly explained. But God
revealed to Daniel that the meanings of others were to remain mysteriously
obscured until the time of the end. Then they, too, would be understood.
Revelation contains many fundamental keys to that understanding, and
the book of Daniel contains keys that help us understand the book of Revelation.
Notice Daniel's explanation of one of his visions: "Although I heard,
I did not understand. Then I said, 'My lord, what shall be the end of these
things?' And he said, 'Go your way, Daniel, for the words are closed
up and sealed till the time of the end" (Daniel 12:8-9, emphasis added
throughout unless otherwise noted).
Contrast this with God's purpose for the book of Revelation. God the
Father gave the prophecies contained in the book of Revelation to His Son,
Jesus Christ. He passed it to Christ in the form of a scroll sealed
with seven seals (Revelation 5:1). But as John—who wrote the book
under God's inspiration—tells us in his concluding chapter, an angel
specifically commanded him, "Do not seal the words of the prophecy
of this book …" (Revelation 22:10).
