The apostle John was exiled to the island of Patmos because he refused to stop preaching. It says in my bible that according to tradition, John, was the only one of the disciples who was not killed for the faith.
Another cool thing about John was that he was acquainted with the ability to write in an apocalyptic style. For those of you who don't know what that means, apocalyptic writing is a type of literature that uses symbolic imagery to communicate hope (the ultimate triumph of God) to those in the midst of persecution.
This post will contain a lot of scripture and that is what's most powerful. My hope is that you are able to reevaluate the way you think of Jesus as you read through not only this passage, but all of the Bible. Allow his powerful presence to transform your life.
Revelation will challenge your mental picture of Jesus Christ. I am curious to what forms your impression of him right now-famous paintings, movies, Sunday school? It's easy to let those things portray what we think Jesus Christ looks like since we haven't actually seen him. But John, saw him and describes what he looks like.
I, John, your bother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. On the Lord's day I was I the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, which said: "Write on a scroll and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyra, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodecia."
I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man, dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In his right hand he held seven starts, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining all its brilliance.
When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: "Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.
"Write therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later. The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and of the seven golden lampstands in this: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches." (Revelation 1:9-20)
There are a couple of things I encourage you to take away from this:
1. Like I mentioned above - The way you think about Jesus. Allow his powerful presence to transform your life. Remember these words that John used to describe what Jesus Christ looked like and don't forget. There is so much power in that.
2. How the book of Revelation came to be. The scripture I just shared with you is the story of how it happened. John was exiled and then Christ appeared in the presence of the Holy Spirit. I find it helpful to know that as we begin this journey through Revelation together.
3. John was isolated and all alone on an island. He was in Spirit and was listening for things that might be said to him. There were no distractions in his life at the current moment in time and look what happened. I wonder what it would be like for us to eliminate distractions from our lives on a daily basis. I am not saying every day we should eliminate everything that distracts us. I am encouraging you to eliminate distractions when you have Jesus time so that you are more aware of what the Spirit is trying to teach you.
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