Regardless of these dangers our ancestors in the faith did include apocalypses in the Bible, and readers over time have found them to be life-giving.  They are indeed life-giving, not because they tell us when Russia will invade Israel to hasten the second coming, but because they wrench us out of our mundane doldrums to see creation from a cosmic perspective, replete with esoteric symbols and all.  

Apocalyptic contains symbols that evoke a different reality, a truer reality that allows readers to see their present situation in a supernatural perspective, from the vantage point of life after death, life over death - from a place of faith without fear.  The change in consciousness changes our experience, reminding us of the past, and assuring us of the future.  

The same was true for Daniel (as an example).  This vision in chapter 7 contains bold and fiery imagery for God, and you can see the author struggling with human words and images to paint the Ancient of Days as transcendent and other.  This majestic God, ruler of all creation, destroys four beasts who represent four kingdoms who oppressed Israel - the Babylonians, the Persians, the Medes, and the Greeks.  In the vision, those four kingdoms ultimately come to ruin in the hands of the living God who anoints a human king (one like a "son of man") to be the protector of Israel, the heavenly guardian angel who guarantees that, no matter who runs Jerusalem, in the end, Israel will be vindicated as God's chosen kingdom. 

Daniel's vision also predicts the actual future of the readers who needed a good vision because they were feeling the pains of exile and persecution for their peculiar religion that separated them from their rulers.   These people had their world destroyed, literally, and they needed to be reminded of the hope they had - that God alone was king, and one day, would restore the kingdom of Israel.

So do we.  We desperately need a change in perspective, that God rules, not us.  That allows us to stop explaining things and start seeing them for what they are because of what they will be.

It's the change in perspective that comes when we envision God no longer as Santa Claus, or a tame gray-haired old man cradling us in his arms like a lamb.  Instead we see God like Daniel does - as the fiery, flaming Lord whose presence pierces your eyes like blindingly white snow or flaming fire.  

It's the change in perspective that comes when we no longer see ourselves as the subversive outsiders bent on destroying (or restoring) the Anglican Communion or the Empire.  Instead we see ourselves as God's faithful witnesses who strive to hear God's word and keep it, trusting that the One who comes on the clouds of heaven will help us be God's faithful priests whose job is not to win but to serve.