Here's my take on the book of Revelation - mind you its an opinion based on who God is.
Revelation is unique In that it is the only book in the Scriptures that deals with what is yet to come. While OT is a historical record and NT is the new covenant established with the Blood of Jesus. Which has already taken place 2000 years ago, we as believers are assured our Salvation - its a free gift that is not earned.
Revelation is a warning! I do not doubt that. How we receive it is up to each one of us. "There is nothing to fear but fear it self". Prior to the second coming we should do all we can for the Kingdom of our God. Revelation brings up MARKERS - SIGNS in time - its the reality we live in called time. If we get Revelations wrong we know we can change our thinking and do it right. Some parts of this book I have a hard time understanding and yet others are out front in my face like where it says mark. Though I'm not sure if it a physical mark or one in our mind and heart of the spirit of truth which all believes do have, kind of favor the last. Its that hope desire to please God and proclaim His words as He said in the book called the Bible.
Mark 13: 36 lest, coming suddenly, he find you asleep.
Mark 16:15 And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature"
We should know what is to come so we can be effective servants of the Lord. I know when I travel I look at a map and look where I'm at and where I'm going - Turn left, go straight and turn left again. Any time I make a mistake I'm able to look at the map and make the necessary correction. No map and I'm LOST.
Your opinion of who God is might be slightly different than my own, same with salvation.
As while salvation is a gift that God gives to His own, I don't believe everyone will be saved, nor do I believe salvation is a magic sentence that you say in order to get into heaven. I believe the magic sentence people will be those whom Jesus said will say Lord Lord did I not prophecy in Your Name, to which He will say, I NEVER knew you, away from me evildoers..
This says a lot..it says, there are people who prophecy and even work miracles who believe they are saved so much they will argue they belong in heaven. Yet.. they aren't saved.. Jesus NEVER knew them..
When you are saved, it's so much more than a sentence, Jesus enters your heart, you become filled with the Holy Spirit, and these two events changes your entire life, and it shows, and shows naturally.
Revelation shows many things.. first, it shows us who are enemy is, and it's not the George Soros's of the world, it's our own selves..
Jesus came to set us free from sin.. free is free indeed. We are no longer slaves to sin.. we are free of the bonds of sin.
So we have something to overcome.. sin. We have something to fight, it's our own nature which is at odds with His nature.
What is sin? Anything that we put before Him, anything that we are a slave to.. What is worship? Putting something first before anything else.. it's a love that puts that thing first.. this is why people are said to worship money, it's possible to worship inanimate things due to their sheer importance in our hearts and minds.
The number of the beast IS the number of man.. not the number of A man.. but man.. our greatest enemy is ourselves.. often, we worship ourselves..
We are the temple of the living God.. we aren't waiting for a third temple, we ARE the temple of God.. the picture is beautiful when we all, from the first to the last of people who are and will be saved, make up that temple..
That temple is finished, with the very last soul God creates who will be saved in their lifetime, upon their salvation.
It's not a temple built with hands, it's not made from rock and stone.. We are the temple of the living God.. it's not a temple that can be destroyed, it's not a temple that Satan can prevail against, because it exists in the Kingdom of God - a Kingdom not of this world. (Live in the world, without being of the world) it's gates are always open, it's light is the light of God and it is never dark there..
So long as people look for worldly things, they are lost - and they will never see the end coming, because they are looking in the exact wrong direction.
I'm sure they will try to recreate that roadmap they so wish for.. but it cannot prevail, because it's from man, and not God..
God gave us a road map, and it's signs cannot be recognized when your looking for His Kingdom in the wrong place.