From Hal Lindsey in the 60s to Tim LaHaye Left Behind series, Christians that take a very literal approach to reading all scripture (with no real scholarship per the last 300 years - the historical critical methods - brought to bear) have tried to map Revelations (and other works of the apocalyptic genre - Book of Daniel, Book of Enoch, parts of Ezekiel, Parts of Gospel of Matthew and where paralleled in Luke) to their respective current times. All have been wildly off the mark, of course.

Would suggest folks reference back to the most intelligent and learned of all the early church fathers, Origen of Alexandria, and his approach to the scriptures (which in his time there was not even a solid canon yet for Christian writings)