Though the book of Revelation is the last book contained in Holy Scripture, being written last by the last surviving apostle, and speaking of the last times, yet we are not to vainly imagine that this book speaks of future events foreign to us or of things different in substance and purpose from the rest of Holy Scripture. Verily then as the whole written word of God, inspired and authored by Him speaks of the sinfulness of man, of the law of God and of the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ; of the necessity of regeneration, of repentance, and of union with Christ by faith; of love for God, love for our neighbor, and good works; of the vanity of the creature, of the danger of heresy, and of the weakness of the flesh; of Christ’s dominion and glory, of His divine offices, and of God’s sovereignty over all things; and finally of His reserving wrath for the wicked and coming again to judge them, raising up the righteous with Himself to be glorified in heaven forever, and are all of them joined and tied together with application, comfort, exhortation, and general edification for the whole church of God, so also it must be that since such spiritual riches are undoubtedly found within the veins of Holy Writ, and infallibly so, (for there is not a book in scripture but speaketh of this perfect doctrine); are we to be surprised or astounded if these same precious truths are found in the Revelation (though it be shrouded in heavenly mystery, clothed in spiritual imagery, decked with expressions too grand for our minds to fully grasp, and wrapped in beams of light which no man can steadily gaze unto) which is nothing but a final testimony and solemn declaration of the culmination and fruition of all these things? For if the Revelation of John concerns the Lord Jesus Christ, which only the profoundest of fools are blind to, then it must be said that that which is spoken of in allegory is rightly interpreted to pertain to His blessed character, and to the glories of His coming kingdom. As He is called in the Book, “Alpha, Omega, The first and the last, He that was, and is, and is to come, The Word of God, The Lamb who is Worthy, and God Almighty.” So all other things must be in like manner reverently interpreted after a spiritual manner. And therefore we are not puffed up as if we are able by our own wit and sagacity to comprehend all these heavenly mysteries, nor are we so blind and dull as to pass by this book as if it were full of riddles, being confused and confounded when we turn to its pages, but with humbleness of mind and godly sincerity we read by the principle of the analogy of faith, knowing that God Himself will instruct us. For as Revelation speaks of last things, so it speaks of all Christian experience from the moment of conversion to the time of their departure from this world to be with Christ in heaven, and more predominantly of the latter. As also to the history of the church in the world until the time of the end. For this same apostle of the apocalypse writes in another letter saying, “we know it is the last time.” And Christ also testifies of this saying, “no man knoweth the hour of the coming of the Son of Man”.
Therefore if no man knoweth the last hour, this being hid from us by the inscrutable wisdom of God, and we know it is the last time, as the apostle by the Holy Spirit witnesseth, then all things written in this last book, being written for the church, must verily be of a higher and spiritual nature than can be interpreted by carnal minds, and he that wrests these truths, wrests also the other scriptures to his own destruction and eternal misery.
And therefore it behooveth the people of God in all ages, to mind the things that are written in this book, and take heed how we hear, to watch, to labor, to pray, to read, to hear the word with gladness, to meditate, to fight, and with great violence take the kingdom of heaven by force, as the patriarchs, prophets, apostles, and our Lord testified by their doctrine and their life, and which Christ Himself hath purchased for us by virtue of His own death and resurrection. Let us set our minds and hearts to this end, therefore, and abide there with Christ in heaven, lest we perish with the wicked upon His glorious return, which this book of Revelation affirms as imminent and approaching, and for which with thundering alarms, and unspeakable promises paves the way. Behold, He cometh quickly.