What is important for us to know about the genre of apocalypse in the Bible?

from the old testament

• The apocalyptic genre began to become a full-fledged genre around the time Bel and the Dragon were written, which was 200–300 years after Daniel. That extra-biblical and non-inspired work has sometimes been used to assume that Daniel and Ezekiel, its contemporary, were a part of the apocalyptic genre. However, that later writing is both different in style and intent. Whereas Daniel relayed visions and their angelic interpretations, Bel and the Dragon is a fictional, imaginative story. Given their different purposes and the gap in time between them, one must be careful about overassuming that the cosmic language found in Daniel (e.g., Daniel 7) and Ezekiel (e.g., Ezekiel 1:4–28) is fanciful.
• Rather, it is presented as real, through limited human language. The authors generally provide clues that they are trying to explain what they saw using limited human language, such as Daniel's description of the beasts in Daniel 7 as “like a lion” (Daniel 7:4) or “like a leopard” (v 6). Similarly, when explaining the vision he had of God’s throne, Ezekiel said things such as “the likeness of a throne” (Ezekiel 1:26), “like the appearance of fire” (v 27), and “like the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud on the day of rain” (v 28).
• Markers such as “like” clue the reader in that Daniel and Ezekiel are explaining real things they themselves might not fully understand by comparing what they saw to something familiar to them and the reader.
• All biblical apocalyptic-style literature is like this. It's truth, relayed in a highly symbolic manner. But unlike symbols in poetry, which are intentionally artistic, biblical apocalyptic imagery tends to be the best word-picture an author can use to explain what he saw or experienced. That grounds books like Ezekiel and Daniel in reality while still leaving us with a sense of wonder as we try to picture what they saw.
• Not all of Daniel or Ezekiel are symbolic. Indeed, both have many clear truths and include narrative (historical), prophetic, and poetic genres. Thus, there is no one-size-fits-all for those books. For example, some clear truths we learn about the end time are that “one like a son of man” will have an eternal and righteous kingdom (Daniel 7:13–14), that evil will be destroyed (Daniel 7:11, 26), and that there is a bodily resurrection followed by eternal judgment (Daniel 12:2).

from the new testament

• The book of Revelation draws heavily on Old Testament imagery, including Isaiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel (e.g., Revelation 1:12–16; cf. Daniel 7:9–10; Ezekiel 1:4–28). Thus, interpreting it rightly requires understanding the intended meaning of the Old Testament background material.
• Additionally, even though it was written after apocalyptic literature became a formal genre, because it draws on writings from before that genre was formalized, the same care is needed not to assume it’s heavily symbolic simply to be stylistic. It’s grappling with previous imagery of hard-to-understand things while relaying new visions as best it can.
• The term “apocalyptic” is from the Greek word apokolupsis, which means “to reveal something.” It is used in Revelation 1:1: “The revelation [apokolupsis] of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place.” So, contrary to modern usage of the word “apocalypse,” the word did not inherently mean the destruction of the world. However, it became associated with that because the revelation of Jesus in the book of Revelation shows the end.
• Given that Revelation and the Old Testament’s backing material rely heavily on symbolic language, knowing exactly what each image means has proved difficult. That has been complicated by the existence of multiple frameworks through which serious believers differ in their understanding of end-times events. The three major traditions are premillennial, amillennial, and postmillennial. As they differ in the timing and method of Jesus' return, the interpretations of the symbols are affected.
• However, while disagreeing on the various pieces, they all agree on key realities behind the symbols. This includes Jesus returning to destroy His enemies (Revelation 19:19–21), resurrection and universal judgment (Revelation 20:11–15), destruction of unbelievers (Revelation 20:14–15), the eternal joy and reign of believers (Revelation 22:5), the recreation or renewal of the heaven and earth, as well as the end of death and sin (Revelation 21:1–4), and God dwelling with His people (Revelation 21:3).
• One important rule for interpreting the apocalyptic genre in the Bible is that the goal is not to transmit hidden messages or timelines. Books like Revelation are intended to show that God is bringing all things into submission under Jesus for His ultimate glory (1 Corinthians 15:24–28). It assures believers that there is such an end goal in God’s mind, and is useful for causing unbelievers to fear and repent before it’s too late.

implications for today

The cosmic themes and mysterious symbolism of biblical apocalyptic literature have inspired a wealth of movies, books, and games. And such intrigue is not just limited to fiction. Entire conferences have been dedicated to decoding and understanding end-times events, and scholars and laypeople alike throughout history have tried to link events in their day to apocalyptic writings.

God gave us this literature in Scripture to be profitable for us, so it is not wrong to try to understand it. It’s not even wrong to try to imagine what John or Daniel or Ezekiel saw. However, if we are not careful, we can lose the message in the imagination. While highly symbolic, they were written to teach us truths. So, the goal of studying biblical apocalyptic literature is no different than any other genre: we are looking for the author’s intended meaning and how to apply that to our lives today.

From these books, we learn that God has a decisive end in view for current history (Revelation 19:11–21; 20:7–10). We learn that Jesus is coming to establish an eternal and righteous kingdom (Daniel 7:13–14), that all sinners will be judged (Revelation 20:11–15), and that only those who accept God’s offer of peace now through repentance and faith in Jesus (Romans 5:1) will live eternally with Him in the new heavens and earth.

The symbols may, at times, be obscure. But don’t allow that to cause you to either avoid this biblical genre entirely or to lose hope that you can ever know the truth. The overall meaning is very clear even if the imagery isn’t!