Revelation records the visions of John of Patmos and includes a number of letters written to churches in Asia Minor (Rev 2,3). Revelation is an example of Apocalyptic writing which is based, in part, on earlier Jewish Apocalyptic writings such as Daniel and Ezekiel. Such writings describe the ongoing battle between God and the forces of evil, and they tell how God will achieve the final victory in the end. But, in the meantime, those who follow God may face suffering or even be killed by the enemies of God. Apocalyptic writings use a number of symbols and colorful images—such as the beasts in Revelation 13—to provide a message that God’s people would understand but which would be confusing to their enemies. Another example of this “secret” type of imagery is the mention of the ancient city of Babylon (Rev 17:5–18:24). Christian readers in John’s day knew that this was really a reference to Rome, which they had come to see as the great enemy of God and God’s people. Revelation has violent scenes of God’s judgment, but the primary purpose of such books is to give hope and to encourage Christians to remain faithful in the midst of difficult times. The final chapters of the book provide a hopeful picture of the new heaven and new earth God will bring at the end of time.