Revelation as Literature
Revelation falls into three genres of literature: letter, prophecy, and apocalyptic. Revelation is a letter written by John to the seven churches of Asia and follows the typical pattern of first century letter writing with the exception of its length and lack of thanksgiving at the beginning of the letter. (See Paul the Letter Writer) But we are more concerned about the prophetic and apocalyptic elements of Revelation. Twice, John refers to Revelation as a book of prophecy. (Rev. 1:3, 22:18-19) Biblical prophecy has its roots in the Old Testament with the 17 books of the Major and Minor Prophets. The prophets had a Word from God, the Word usually forewarned of impending judgment on sinful Israel and Judah. Old Testament prophecy the framework in understanding Revelation as prophecy. John’s message in Revelation is word from God signaling the final judgment of the sinful and God’s ultimate victory over evil. The final genre that Revelation belongs is apocalyptic literature. Apocalyptic literature was a form of literature well known to Jews and Christians from 200 BC to AD 200. Apocalyptic literature speaks of supernatural inspired events that will take place at the end of time. These supernatural events are cloaked in symbols, images, and numerology that were obvious to the ancient reader but difficult for the modern reader. By its very nature, Revelation is a book that deals with end times.

Old Testament
Revelation contains more Old Testament references than any other New Testament book. Revelation relies heavily on Old Testament books such as Psalms, Isaiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel. While John does not quote an Old Testament passage directly, the book is filled with references, symbols, and allusions found in the Old Testament. The Old Testament is a valuable tool in unraveling the mystery of Revelation.
Numbers, Numbers, Numbers
Numerology is another important aspect of Revelation that plays a key role in its interpretation. Rarely are numbers to be taken literally in Revelation. The following list is not comprehensive of the all numbers found in Revelation but offer a guide in helping decipher numbers found in revelation.
One: Number of Unity Two: Number of Witness (See Deut. 19:15, John 8:17) Three: Divine Number Four: Earth Number Five, Ten: Completeness Six: Number of Man Seven: Perfection, Completeness Eight: New Beginnings or Rebirth Twelve: Government Number