Title: John of Patmos (Revelation 1:9-20)
Contents
The book of Revelation is the word of God written by the Apostle John while he was exiled on the island of Patmos by the worst persecutor, Emperor Domisian. Patmos Island, now called Patmos, is one of about 3,000 islands in the Aegean Sea that connects the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea between Turkey and Greece. 1,000 people (as of 2002). The seemingly white houses are almost white, and half of the population lives in the village of Hora, on the high ground in the center of the island.
The Christian-related facilities that remain on the island of Patmos include the Cave of Revelation and the Monastery of John, which is known as the place where John received the revelation. It is an island so peaceful that it has nothing to do with Christianity on the outside, and it doesn't feel like an exile to the past. In the Cave of Revelation, a torch depicting John and Brogoro, the great writer, is hung, and on the innermost wall of the cave there is a hole the size of a human hand. It is said to be a place.
In this time, we will receive lessons from John, who was in exile on the island of Patmos, through the circumstances and the appearance and contents of the Lord revealed to him.
exile
Apostle John is known to have received a lot of love from Jesus because he belonged to a relatively young disciple of Jesus. How painful must it have been for John to be exiled to the island of Patmos and his main job was to work hard, making stones? When you look at the figure of John painted in front of the Revelation Cave, his bangs were particularly protruding because it is said that he fell on the ground and prayed a lot.
Even now, to get to Patmos Island, it takes about 4 hours from Kusadasi Port in Turkey. Especially halfway through, there is a very strong current flowing from the Black Sea in the north to the Mediterranean Sea, which causes the boat to shake violently. It is still the case today, but it is dizzying to think of John crossing the rough sea with a sailboat 2,000 years ago. It was a situation where I had to pray to God all of a sudden. Not only that, there was not much food to eat, so I don't know how hard life was as an exile. That is why John described himself as “a sharer in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus” (verse 9). In such a situation, all John could do would have been to kneel down before God and pray.
Today is the Sunday commemorating the 64th anniversary of liberation. It boasts that it is the only country that has achieved both democratization and economic development at the same time in 60 years after liberation, but what is more precious than that is the remarkable growth of Christianity in Korea. Everything is God's grace, but our nation was able to grow as it is today by praying hard to God in the midst of hardships during the 36 years of Japanese colonial rule, the Korean War, and extreme poverty. During the Babylonian captivity, the nation of Israel also edited the Pentateuch and built a synagogue to teach the Word to their children while developing a movement to live according to God's Word while repenting of their past mistakes. If you pray with faith in a moment of suffering, God will give you precious grace.
The fact that the book of Revelation, a precious revelation concerning the Second Coming of Jesus and the kingdom of heaven, was written in exile and praying in affliction, and not elsewhere, teaches us a special lesson. Even if we look at the story of pearl oysters that we know well, don't they say that if sand gets into the soft skin of the oyster, it releases secretions in the midst of soreness and pain to create beautiful pearls? If we too have difficulties, please stand upright in faith while praying so that we can receive God's grace more fully through those difficulties.
content of revelation
Revelation is a word used in the Bible to mean “the revelation of God or of Christ at the second coming of Christ.” The source of revelation is God, and it has been revealed to us through Jesus. In other words, God the Father is the planner of all providences, and Jesus the Son is the fulfiller of that work. He said, “He sent an angel to John to tell people what must happen soon, and he gave instructions” (verse 1). The revelations given to John can be divided into two broad categories, one is ‘things that are now’ (chapters 2-3) and ‘things that are to come’ (chapters 4-22).
‘Things Now’ contains the spiritual situation of all churches from the time of John as well as the early Christian era until the Second Coming of Christ, and the Lord’s teachings and teachings. And the ‘things to come’ are the visions of God’s wrath and judgment against the sinful world, the second coming of Christ, the end of this world, and the new heavens and new earth.
The day John received the revelation was today's Sunday. He said, “I was moved by the Holy Spirit” (verse 10), which means that I was in a state of ecstasy by the Holy Spirit. It is often said that it is a nightmare. It is said that ‘a loud voice came from behind, like the sound of a loud trumpet’, which indicates the authority and power of Jesus who reveals. He said, “Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches in the central and western regions of Asia Minor.” This should be taken as a universal message that applies to all churches, not just the words of the seven churches at the time. For example, the message to restore the first love is not only applicable to the church in Ephesus, but we must accept it as the voice given to us today. It means that we should live more centered on the Word while receiving reproof as a rebuke given to us, and receiving praise and encouragement as a compliment and encouragement given to us. If we do well, the church will grow, and if the church grows, the region and country will prosper, and each and every one of you must stand upright in faith, keeping in mind that God's will is done beautifully. Please become a believer.
Appearance of the Lord as Revelator
In verse 13 and below, the high priestly presence and the glorious figure of the Lord, who is the head of the church, are well shown. The expression of each part of the Lord's body, including the clothes he wears, is majestic, divine authority, honor and wisdom, deep insight and fierce wrath, God's presence and mighty judgment, power and protection, faithful witness and judgment, victory and excellence, etc. represents.
In short, it is a revelation to remind us that the churches that are being persecuted at that time are preserved through angels, and that they protect and defend them with their power. Therefore, it contains the lesson to be victorious by relying only on the Lord without being shaken in any situation.
When John saw this appearance of the Lord, he fell down like a dead man. This was the image the prophets took when the glory of God was revealed in the Old Testament times. When Paul heard the voice of Jesus on the road to Damascus, he fell to the ground similarly. Even though we do not bow down when we hear the word, we must receive it with the attitude that John received the revelation, with the same heart as the Old Testament prophets and Paul, with a heart to humbly obey the word. Because the Word is Jesus Christ Himself.
Even at this moment, the Lord, who appeared to the disciples who were trembling in fear at the sea and said, “It is I, do not be afraid” gives us the strength to overcome the harsh sea-like world. Therefore, we must humbly rely on the Lord alone. You must always bow down before the Word and obey it. The Word must always live and work in my life. Such is the Word-centered life.