There are four main interpretive approaches to the book of Revelation: 1) preterist (which sees all or most of the events in Revelation as having already occurred by the end of the 1st century); 2) historicist (which sees Revelation as a survey of church history from apostolic times to the present); 3) idealist (which sees Revelation as a depiction of the struggle between good and evil); 4) futurist (which sees Revelation as prophecy of events to come).
Kuna mbinu nne kuu za tafsiri kwa kitabu cha Ufunuo: 1) Wale ambao wanaoyaona matukio yote au wingi wa matukio katika Ufunuo kama kuwa tayari yametokea mwisho wa karne ya 1, 2) Wanahistoria (ambao wanaona Ufunuo kama utafiti wa historia ya kanisa kutoka nyakati za mitume hadi sasa); 3) Wale ambao wanaona Ufunuo kama picha ya mapambano kati ya mema na mabaya), 4) Wale ambao wanaona Ufunuo kama utabiri wa matukio yatakoyo kuja.