The book of Revelation may be regarded as divided into seven portions, embracing the following general points:――The introduction, chap. i.; the epistles to the seven churches, chap. ii., iii.; the preparatory vision, chap. iv.; the relation of the church to the external world, embracing the outward or secular aspect of things as bearing on the church, chap. v.‒xi. 1‒18; the internal state of the church, embracing the rise and destiny of Antichrist――or, the internal history of the church until the overthrow of that formidable power and the permanent and triumphant establishment of the kingdom of Christ, the last temporary apostasy, and the general judgment, chap. xi. 19; xii.‒xx.; the final condition of the righteous in their state of triumph and glory, chap. xxi., xxii. 1‒5; and the epilogue or conclusion, chap. xxii. 6‒21. This plan, as pursued in this attempt to explain the book, may be seen more in detail in the ANALYSIS on the following pages. {lvi} ANALYSIS OF THE BOOK OF REVELATION OF ST. JOHN. SHOWING THE DESIGN AND ARGUMENT OF THE BOOK SHOWING THE DESIGN AND ARGUMENT OF THE BOOK ┌ I. GENERAL │ I. The title and design of the book, chap. i. 1‒3. INTRODUCTION, │ CHAP. I. │ II. Dedication to the seven churches of Asia, │ chap. i. 4‒8. │ │ III. Vision of the Redeemer, chap. i. 9‒18. │ │ IV. Commission to write to the seven churches, │ chap. i. 19, 20. └ ┌ II. EPISTLES TO │ I. Epistle to the church at Ephesus, chap. THE SEVEN │ ii. 1‒7. CHURCHES OF │ ASIA, CHAP. │ II. Epistle to the church at Smyrna, chap. ASIA, CHAP. │ ii. 8‒11. II. III. │ │ III. Epistle to the church at Pergamos, chap. │ ii. 12‒17. │ │ IV. Epistle to the church at Thyatira, chap. │ ii. 18‒29. │ │ V. Epistle to the church at Sardis, chap. │ iii. 1‒6. │ │ VI. Epistle to the church at Philadelphia, │ chap. iii. 7‒13. │ │ VII. Epistle to the church at Laodicea, chap. │ iii. 14‒22. └ ┌ III. PREPARATORY│ I. The scene laid in heaven, chap. iv. 1, 2. VISION, │ CHAP. IV. │ II. The vision of God, of the elders, and of the │ living creatures, ch. iv. 3‒8. │ │ III. The worship rendered to God, chap. iv. 9‒11. └ ┌ IV. THE EXTERNAL│ I. The Sealed book, containing the record of