Posted by John on July 01, 2020 at 05:06:41:
Revelation 1:9
“I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ”.
One should not think that John had an easy and cushy life on Patmos. He was in exile there, under the cruel and corrupt, Roman Empire, because of his loyalty to, and belief in, Jesus Christ. Rocky and foreboding, the small Island of Patmos, 10 by 6 miles long and wide respectively, was and still is located in the Aegean Sea, south west of Ephesus.
According to an early Church author (Victorinus) he was forced to work in the copper mines on Patmos, even though he “most likely” was well into his eighties or even nineties. He too, (like us now), was isolated from family, friends, many acquaintances, and also from Church fellowship while on Patmos.
A well-known reference book on New Testament Martyrs states that as punishment for being a believer in Christ he was thrown into a cauldron of boiling oil. "From Ephesus he was ordered to be sent to Rome, where it is affirmed he was cast into a cauldron (big pot) of boiling oil. He escaped by miracle, without injury. The Roman Emperor Domitian afterwards banished him to the Isle of Patmos”.
The book Revelation was written by John, “as instructed”, while suffering (persecution) for the Gospel and for Jesus Christ. A very moving and sad set of circumstances, for the elderly disciple that Jesus loved, and probably a most “heart rending experience” for him, in his twilight years. Later, according to tradition, after being exiled, John was allowed to return to Ephesus, (probably after the death of the Emperor Domitian), to live out the remaining portion of his life. Tradition also has it, that he died sometime close to 100 a.d.
To-day we are extremely “fortunate enough” to read and study in Revelation, what he was “instructed”, to write down.
We do well, if I may say so, to take careful note of what is being said here, on this website, about the book Revelation because of the greater and broader understanding it brings of the historical facts and time measures relating to the Revelation amongst other things, and also because there is a threefold blessing to those who “read” and” hear”, the book Revelation:
Revelation 1: 3
Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and
blessed are those who hear it, and
take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.
The other blessings in Revelation:
Rev 14:13 Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.
Rev 16:15 Blessed is he who stays awake (for the Lord’s coming).
Rev 19:9 Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb.
Rev 20:6 Blessed and holy are those who have part in the first resurrection.
Rev 22:7 Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy in this book.
Rev 22:14 Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life.
If you’d like to (“hear”),(“listen”) to the book Revelation (free), more often, during the lock down, in your own home;
Type “Bible gateway” into your computer browser
Select audio Bibles
Select the Bible and narrator you want (drop down arrow) (e.g. NIV by Max Mclean)
Select the book of the Bible you want – Revelation (drop down arrow)
Select the chapter you want (drop down arrow)
(If you seem to get stuck – just click on the open space on the right)
Finally: Click – “start passage” or the “side arrow”, whichever appears (it’s automatically set on continuous audio play – chapter by chapter)
(It takes about 1 hour and 20 minutes to “listen” to the whole book of Revelation)
Or
(One can “listen” to one or a few chapters per day, and “receive a blessing” every day).
The Bible doesn’t lie.
Perhaps, you’d like to “(listen” to) or (“hear”) Chapter 17, what has just been written about in the previous post by the author, below.
For the audio Bible, there is no sign up, no registration, no donation requested, no nothing, no purchase and no anything. I only use it as part of my Bible resources, and I’m not involved with them in any way, except to use their formidable resources.
God has also equipped “man” to make “good” things. This is one of them!
May God truly Bless you all, and keep you safe.