BREAKING THE CODE

BREAKING THE CODE REVISED EDITION:
UNDERSTANDING THE BOOK OF REVELATION

Breaking the Code Revised Edition

978-1-5018-8150-3

978-1-5018-8151-0 eBook

Breaking the Code: DVD

978-1-5018-8154-1

Breaking the Code: Leader Guide

978-1-5018-8152-7

978-1-5018-8153-4 eBook

For more information, visit www.abingdonpress.com.

BRUCE M. METZGER

REVISED AND UPDATED BY DAVID A. DESILVA

BREAKING
THE
CODE

UNDERSTANDING THE BOOK OF
REVELATION

BREAKING THE CODE REVISED EDITION

Understanding the Book of Revelation

Copyright © 1993, 2019 by Abingdon Press

All rights reserved.

No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, except as may be expressly permitted by the 1976 Copyright Act or in writing from the publisher. Requests for permission can be addressed to Permissions, The United Methodist Publishing House, 2222 Rosa L. Parks Blvd., Nashville, TN 37228-1306 or e-mailed to permissions@umpublishing.org.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication data has been requested.

ISBN 978-1-5018-8150-3

Unless noted otherwise, Scripture quotations are from New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. http://nrsvbibles.org/

Scripture quotations noted RSV are from Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1946, 1952, and 1971 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. http://nrsvbibles.org/

Scripture quotations noted Apocrypha are from Revised Standard Version of the Bible, Apocrypha, copyright © 1957; The Third and Fourth Books of the Maccabees and Psalm 151, copyright © 1977 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. http://nrsvbibles.org/

19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 — 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

MANUFACTURED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

In memory of Isobel Mackay Metzger
(1918–2016)

CONTENTS

Preface to the Revised Edition

Preface to the First Edition

1. Introducing the Book of Revelation

2. John’s Vision of the Heavenly Christ (1:1-20)

3. Prophetic Words to the Churches (2:1-29)

4. More Prophetic Words to Churches (3:1-22)

5. John’s Vision of God and the Lamb (4:1–5:14)

6. Opening the Seven Seals of God’s Scroll (6:1–8:5)

7. Sounding the Seven Trumpets (8:6–11:19)

8. The Satanic Counterfeit: The Dragon and the Two Beasts (12:1–14:5)

9. The Seven Bowls of God’s Wrath (14:6–16:21)

10. Babylon the Great: Toppling Empire and Its Evils (17:1–18:24)

11. The Final Victory and the Last Judgment (19:1–20:15)

12. John’s Vision of the Heavenly Jerusalem (21:1–22:21)

For Further Reading