REVELATION STUDY - 1:9-20 (part 1) If you spend too much time listening to talk radio and/orwatching the news and opinion programs on television, you probably have bouts of anxiousness, concern, worry, and possibly even depression. Some say the America we currently know will be long gone before the current political administration is done. The freedoms we have are being stripped away day by day. We all experience dark times in our lives when we feel likewe are being attacked and beaten down at every turn; times when one thing after another seems to get dropped on your shoulders. We go through periods of times and even seasons where it appears as if nothing is going your way. You feel lonely in the middle of a crowd of people you know and love, and at least for short spurtsof time, your life and your world don’t make sense. Let’s take things a step further; you are going through allof this when as best you know how you are following God’s call on your life; you are obeying the Lord’s commands, you are lining your life up with God’s Word, and everything falls apart in your view of things anyway. As much as you try not to question God and as much as you attempt to remain faithful through it all, questions flood your mind and your concept of God’s involvement in your life gets a little shaken if not jaded. I am sure many of you are shouting on the inside, “Been there, done that!”, or “I’m there right now!” But I am also sure that most, if not all, of you have also come through those dark times; and I am sure that some have also seen God use those times to give you a fresh vision orperspective on things. The Apostle John watched, as one by one, all of his fellow Apostles were martyred. John was the only one of the Twelve left on this earth; though not without many scars. But in the midst of this seemingly unfair treatment for being a faithful follower of Jesus Christ for some sixty to seventy years, John receives a great vision from the Lord; probably the greatest vision any human has ever received.At the very least, this vision rivals the visions of Isaiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel. Revelation 1:9a John identifies with those who are persecuted and going through difficult times by calling himself their brother and fellow partaker in the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance. The tribulation or suffering refers to all manner of trials, whether they are the daily difficulties and afflictions of life or they are severe persecution. John wants them to know that they are not alone in their distress; possibly reminding them of the words of Jesus when He said, “In the world you have tribulation” (John 16:33) – or possibly the words of Paul when he said, “Indeed, all who desire tolive godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Timothy 3:12). A quick application point for us is to understand that the struggles and trials we face are common among committed believers, and that our handling of these struggles and trials can be used by God to encourage and strengthen others (2 Corinthians 1:3-5). The kingdom reference is a word of encouragement to remind them of what lies ahead; to help them see the big picture and know their suffering is not in vain. The perseverance reference is to instruct them to endure to the end; to follow the example left for us by Jesus Christ to patiently endure anything that comes your way in this life. Revelation 1:9b Patmos is a rocky and somewhat barren island in the Aegean Sea between the coasts of Italy and Turkey. It is approximately eight miles long and four miles wide. There is no official record but it appears to have been some sort of natural prison-island/rock-quarry where the Romans dropped offenders off and left them there to eventually die. The vegetation and wildlife is sparse and the island is about forty miles from any other land mass. Most would die of starvation or from exposure to the elements within a relatively short period of time if indeedthey were exiled there with no help of any kind. If this was a penal colony of sorts where they were completely exiled, it is a mystery as to how John happens to have parchment and ink to write what we now know asthe Book of Revelation. It is also a mystery as to how this letter was then distributed to the seven churches as it states. These mysteries do not diminish the message or the authenticity of this Book but more so confirms that God’s hand was in this. It is obviously also possible that the Romans patrolled the island and at least gave some minimal provisions to those who were sent there, if only to prolong their agony on this uninhabited island. Revelation 1:9c The reason John is in exile on this rock jutting out of the sea is because he was preaching the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus. Did you get that? John is following thecommands of Scripture and he is exiled to die on this desolate island in the middle of nowhere. And we whine and moan when the temperature in the church is not quite where we would like it to be, or when the music is too loud or too soft or too upbeat or too mellow, etc. We gripe and grumble when things aren’t done the way we like it to be done or when the church leadership makes a decision you wouldn’t have made. How many would trade places with John? To be used by God the way John was even in the midst of horrendous circumstances, we all should be more than willing. We will pick things up in verse 10 next time
Posted on: Fri, 26 Jul 2013 18:38:32 +0000
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