Part 1 REVELATION 1:1 - 3:22 1 Key concepts 63 2 Symbol, metaphor and code 77 3 The letters to the seven churches of Asia 94 4 The letter to Ephesus 102 5 The letter to Smyrna 114 6 The letter to Pergamum 120 7 The letter to Thyatira 127 8 The letter to Sardis 141 9 The letter to Philadelphia 145 10 The letter to Laodicea 151 11 The letters to the churches - a historical dimension? 158 Part 2 REVELATION 4:1 - 7:17 12 The throne of God 171 13 The scroll, the seals, the Lion and the Lamb 203 14 The opening of the seals 218 15 The sealing of 144,000 from Israel and the innumerable crowd before the throne 235 Part 3 REVELATION 8:1 - 11:18 16 The opening of the seventh seal 251 17 The trumpets blow 261 18 A mighty angel descends from heaven to earth; Jerusalem trodden down; the two witnesses 281 Part 4 REVELATION 11:19 - 15:4 19 War in heaven 307 20 The sea monster - Antichrist? 318 21 The earth monster - the false prophet 337 22 The Lamb with 144,000 on Mount Zion 357 Part 5 REVELATION 15:5 - 19:10 23 The nature of God's glory and his wrath 385 24 The bowls of God's wrath 389 25 Who is Babylon and why must she be judged? 400 26 The wild monster 413 27 The ten horns - an international government? 418 28 Babylon judged yet mourned 432 29 The climax: praise for God's judgements 445 Part 6 REVELATION 19:11 - 22:21 30 The return of the Word of God 457 31 The millennial reign of Christ 467 32 The last rebellion 494 33 The new creation 506 Appendix 1 Kingdom 547 Appendix 2 Rapture 560 Notes 567 Index of Scripture references 597 Index of subjects 604.