If you look to scripture to help you interpret scripture, then one thing you might notice is God addresses individual people where ever they are at, leaders of nations, and the nations themselves. People whom simply entertain (ie tv / movie / music stars) or their ancient analogue are not a focus anywhere.

You may find this next part odd, but I'll preface with how I see the world (satan's plan) working out things to ignore or deny Christ (God's plan).

Basically, if Revelations is more literal than people give credit for, then Satan would need a deception (or alternative explanation) potent enough to continue to deceive people who are witnessing the unfolding of Revelations prophesies coming true in front of them. In many ways science (not by itself an issue) is utilized incorrectly by unbelievers to replace in their minds the position of God thus allowing them to exist without a creator ( in their minds) and thus they deny and ignore the Living God while holding onto their imperfect science.

The judgements (seals, trumpet, bowl) in revelation all describe fantastic and disturbing things happening in quick succession harming the earth and the creatures and people of the earth. What we see lately coming out of scientific study in archeology, in astronomy, in solar observation, in geology all point to a 6000 and 12000 year catastrophy cycle. The cycle is connected to what science identifies as natural recurring processes from the galactic center which involve a current sheet polarity shift of the galactic magnetic field our sun and planets are moving through. Although local to our sun, the solar magnetic field is prevalent, the sun's field which is expanded far out past Pluto by the steady stream of solar wind (charged plasma), the polarity shift the sun travels through about every 6000 years results in dusty plasma that rides on this galactic current sheet becoming far more dense and penetrating further into our solar system. The result ultimately in an accumulation of more material at the surface of the star leading to normal solar wind streams getting more or less stuck on the sun (choking the star). This cascades into a solar micronova (x1000- x10000) flare event sending a massive coronal mass ejection of the corona's shell in nearly all directions. So we would basically observe as this process keeps progressing ( since all the planets and the sun have shown many observed and measured changes to the magnetic fields and ionosphere independently of each other) and the sun flares and we have a darkening of the star before the flare, followed by flare, followed by massive amounts of plasma shell flying off the sun in our direction. The moon gets hit directly causing the surface to go molten red the stars are obscured in 1/3rd of the sky by all the debris and plasma, the earth is struck in the waters by wormwood, 1/3 of all living things basically die. Most every power grid fails in ways that will take decades to bring back online fully. The continents may well turn over 90 degrees on the surface of the earth ( Greenland and Antarctica are on the equator, the oceans may abandon their natural place for a short period as this continental shift is not matched to the normal intermediate stable rotation we experience today and like a basin of water that is shoved, the water first pushes forward and then sloshes back. For survivors, wars happen, crops fail, starvation and disease ensue worldwide, people having this science explanation reject God's revelation and choose to follow a "great" leader of their time whom has promised to get us through the cataclysm.

But that's ridiculous you might say, and to that, I would direct your attention to all the astronomical articles and papers in the last couple years documenting observed micro nova in stars that are core-ward (toward galactic center) from our relative position in the galaxy (especially in stars observed in our local group of the galaxy). Also recorded history on caves depicting strange things in the sky ( experimentally congruent with the collapse of the earth's magnetic field and broad level plasma interaction with the upper atmosphere (by the way, if / when the L-shells of our magnetic field collapse to ground level, plasma bolt energy discharges could carve the grand canyon in less than a minute out of the rock) and Noah and many other indications of a great flood 6000 years ago and other cataclysms in that same time range. Oh one more thing, the earth's magnetic field is weakening substantially and moving to flip polarity which in geologic history appears to also conclude with these solar events too.

Bottom line, I do not see Revelations as cryptic or apocalyptic ( ie not literal) literature in the Bible. Frankly, Satan also takes it far more literally than you suggest it is meant to be else there would be no need for science to discovery and observe in earnest lately these things that are heading toward our solar system. Why have a scientific explanation that says everything that is happening in revelation is a natural galactic process ready to go before things kick off? It would not be necessary if revelations was not being literal about the events and plagues.

From my perspective, God created this universe in time and set all things into motion that would correspond to His plan and timing for our time bound universe. Where God desired, He intervened in the universe directly altering his Creation's timeline as He saw fit for His purpose. Jesus ( the greatest example of God radically altering the timeline of Creation's path) is the author and finisher of our faith and He will return in the midst of these judgements to re-conquer the earth, subdue Satan and the fallen angels, and finally for those whom have believed and trusted him rid us of any/ all sin, suffering, and death.