Revelation Chapter 1
Verse 9 (God's WordTM)
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9I am John,
your
brother.
I share your suffering, ruling, and endurance because of Jesus. I was
{exiled}
on the island of Patmos because of God's word and the testimony about
Jesus.
I am John, your BROTHER. I share your
John could have claimed full rank and authority as the last apostle of
the original twelve, but he humbly says that he is one of us, a
brother.
- suffering,
Just because we are Christians and have the full power of God behind us
doesn't mean we won't face tough times. Christ says we will have
tribulations
- John
16:33; Paul, after being
stoned,
could say we would pass through many tribulations on our way into the
kingdom
of God - Acts
14:19-23; Paul felt
closer
(more complete) to Christ if he could share His sufferings - Colossians
1:24-29; and just living the Christian life will bring persecution
- 2
Timothy 3:12-15.
- ruling, and
We all receive this kingdom when we are washed in the blood of Christ -
Revelation
1:6. But there is another kingdom of which we are a part - Revelation
20:4-6 and
Revelation 22:5.
- endurance because of JESUS.
It is this endurance which makes the tribulation bearable as we wait
for
the final kingdom. One of the best indicators if a person truly is a
believer
is if he/she has endurance. It is an important attribute for the
"Church
Age". To the church at Ephesus, `I know ... how hard you have worked
and
how you have endured.' - Revelation 2:2.
To
the church at Thyatira, `I know ... [your] endurance - Revelation
2:19. To the church at Philadelphia, ` ... you have obeyed my
command
to endure,' - Revelation 3:10. To those
with
their name written in the book of life of the Lamb (true believers),
they
can face captivity and/or death `... with endurance and confidence.' -
Revelation
13:10. To those who refuse the mark of the beast by keeping the
commandments
of God and their faith in Jesus, they `... need endurance.' - Revelation
14:12.
Suffering tests and purifies the loyalty of a true believer.
Furthermore,
Christ's power is perfected in our weaknesses - 2
Corinthians 12:9.
I was {exiled} on the island of Patmos because of
- God's WORD and
- the testimony about Jesus.
The compelling need of John to proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior
got him exiled to the island of Patmos. Patmos is a small volcanic and
rocky island about 25 square miles located some 35 miles westsouthwest
of Miletus in the Mediterranean Sea. Emperor Domitian sent John there
in
AD 95 and Emperor Nerva released him some 18 months later according to
Eusebius, the historian.
These two reasons show one of the characteristics common to
the
"Church
Age", i.e. the time from Christ's ascension until the 'rapture' of the
Church (still to come). This characteristic is one of individual
witnessing
to the power of God's Word and to the acquisiton of eternal life
through
the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
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