Approaches to Interpret the Book of Revelation

Futurism is a Christian eschatological view that interprets the Book of Revelation and the Book of Daniel as future events in a literal, physical, apocalyptic, and global context.

The futurist view was proposed by two Catholic Jesuit writers, Manuel Lacunza and Francisco Ribera.

Check out the Origin of Futurism.

Preterism is a Christian eschatological view that interprets some (partial Preterism) or all (full Preterism) prophecies of the Bible as events which have already happened in 70 AD.

The Jesuit Priest Luis de Alcasar (1554–1613) wrote the first systematic preterist exposition of prophecy - Vestigatio arcani sensus in Apocalypsi (published in 1614) during the Counter-Reformation.

Check out the Origin of Preterism.

Almost all Reformers like Martin Luther, John Calvin, Thomas Cranmer, John Thomas, John Knox, and Cotton Mather from the Reformation into the 19th century and Intellectuals likes Isaac Newton and Joseph Mede held historicist views which state that the Papacy is the antichrist.

Check out Historicism.

Some of the events prophesied in Revelation are to happen in the immediate future as is mentioned in the following verses.

There is no need to wait 2000 years for the fulfillment of prophecies for THE TIME IS AT HAND.

Most of the Revelation prophecies had been fulfilled in the last 2000 years.

Revelation 1:3 - Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for THE TIME IS AT HAND.

Revelation 22:10 - And he said to me, Do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book, for THE TIME IS AT HAND.

Revelation is to be understood with continous historic fulfillment of prophecies.