Is the Book of Revelation Literal or Metaphorical?

In the book of Revelation they Speak of the Holy Army and The Antichrist and even a Battle between the beast and Jesus Christ in Armageddon Israel which has seen more battles in the last 4000 years then any other spot in the world. The 4 horsemen are important to, each meaning a different way of death. Is the happenings described in the book just a big metaphor for something else that is to come, or is this a realistic description of what the earth is soon to come about?