Eugene Peterson uses the image of uncovering a pot of stew on a stove to explain these things in his book, Reversed Thunder . When a person enters the house, the smells are inviting, and he guesses at the ingredients. Only as he takes the lid off the pot and tastes the stew, are all the ingredients exposed. What was guessed is now known in detail and becomes food for a hearty meal. Apocalyptic literature always uses imagery, symbols, and metaphors to communicate God's truth.
References are sometimes obscure or opaque.
They are intended to tap the imagination and the senses in thinking about the truth of God, and that's what Revelation does. C. Remarks about interpreting Revelation. The images are strange and bizarre. This book of the Bible has given rise to more speculation than any other book of the Bible. There are basically four approaches that have been suggested to interpreting the book of Revelation.