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. I find it interesting that John gives no additional details about his identity. He considers his target audience (the members of the seven churches in Asia, i.e. what we now call western Turkey, which was across that portion of the Aegean Sea that separated Patmos and the other islands from the mainland) ... John considers them his brothers, assuming they know exactly who he is. There is extra-biblical evidence that John the Apostle (aka John the Elder, who wrote the Gospel of John and the three epistles of John) lived his final days in Ephesus, the first of the seven cities, so just the name John would have been sufficient identification for those in that city at least. John says he is their companion in tribulation; i.e. suffering, turmoil, extreme pressure. The word comes from the Greek for squeezing, as when grapes are squeezed in a wine press. Think of compression, as when we speak of someone being stuck between a rock and a hard place. It doesnt necessarily mean persecution, though that would be included. Being poor with many responsibilities and pressure to do things against our will, and having a heavy workload on us, and not enough funds to handle what people are demanding of us, etc. etc. could be some of the examples of tribulation. John understands what the people in Asia are going through, and he shares much of that pressure. John was on the Island of Patmos. (See below for a modern image of the island from space from Google maps.) Was John there in exile? The book of Revelation doesnt say, not in so many words, though that has been the traditional understanding. Who put him there? Again, we dont know, though the most popular view is that it was the Roman Emperor Domitian (or the Roman leaders serving under his command at that time). If it was Domitianus (24 October AD 51 to 18 September AD 96), he reigned from AD 81 to AD 96, being the third and last emperor of the Flavian dynasty that included his father and his brother. That would make it impossible that John was receiving a prophecy regarding the destruction of Jerusalem in Palestine, since we know Jerusalem was destroyed in AD 70 by Domitians brother and predecessor, Titus of Rome (30 December AD 39 to 13 September AD 81) who reigned from 79 to 81. (The Arch of Titus commemorating that victory was erected in Rome by Domitian in AD 81. It still stands to this day, being a very familiar landmark in Rome.) Titus succeeded his father Vespasian upon his death. (Titus was the first Roman Emperor to come to the throne after his own biological father.) Prior to becoming Emperor, Titus gained renown as a military commander, serving under his father in Judaea during the First Jewish-Roman War. The campaign came to a brief halt with the death of emperor Nero in 68, launching Vespasians bid for the imperial power during the Year of the Four Emperors. When Vespasian was declared Emperor on 1 July AD 69, Titus was left in charge of ending the Jewish rebellion. In 70, he besieged and captured Jerusalem, and destroyed the city and the Second Temple. If John was not exiled on Patmos by Domitian, then he may have been put there by Nero PRIOR to Neros death in AD 68, so the vision of John could have prophesized the destruction of Jerusalem. That seems unlikely, at least to me, since Nero was not the type of Emperor to send Christians into exile. He preferred to crucify them, or throw them to wild animals in the arena, or use them as human torches to light up his garden parties. Here is an excerpt from John Foxs Book of Martyrs that briefly describes Neros abuses (though some of the details are questionable): The First Persecution, Under Nero, A.D. 67 The first persecution of the Church took place in the year 67, under Nero, the sixth emperor of Rome. This monarch reigned for the space of five years, with tolerable credit to himself, but then gave way to the greatest extravagancy of temper, and to the most atrocious barbarities. Among other diabolical whims, he ordered that the city of Rome should be set on fire, which order was executed by his officers, guards, and servants. While the imperial city was in flames, he went up to the tower of Macaenas, played upon his harp, sung the song of the burning of Troy, and openly declared that he wished the ruin of all things before his death. Besides the noble pile, called the Circus, many other palaces and houses were consumed; several thousands perished in the flames, were smothered in the smoke, or buried beneath the ruins. This dreadful conflagration continued nine days; when Nero, finding that his conduct was greatly blamed, and a severe odium cast upon him, determined to lay the whole upon the Christians, at once to excuse himself, and have an opportunity of glutting his sight with new cruelties. This was the occasion of the first persecution; and the barbarities exercised on the Christians were such as even excited the commiseration of the Romans themselves. Nero even refined upon cruelty, and contrived all manner of punishments for the Christians that the most infernal imagination could design. In particular, he had some sewed up in skins of wild beasts, and then worried by dogs until they expired; and others dressed in shirts made stiff with wax, fixed to axletrees, and set on fire in his gardens, in order to illuminate them. This persecution was general throughout the whole Roman Empire; but it rather increased than diminished the spirit of Christianity. In the course of it, St. Paul and St. Peter were martyred. To their names may be added, Erastus, chamberlain of Corinth; Aristarchus, the Macedonian, and Trophimus, an Ephesian, converted by St. Paul, and fellow-laborer with him, Joseph, commonly called Barsabas, and Ananias, bishop of Damascus; each of the Seventy. After this initial persecution of Christians, there appears to have been a lull in the abuses, probably because of the shocking excesses of Nero. After Neros death the persecutions decreased to some degree, but then sprung up anew when Domitian came into power 10 years after his brother had sacked Jerusalem. Though still very cruel to the Christians, Domitian was not a mad man like Nero, so sending John into exile for being outspoken in his declaration of the Gospel and for defending the Word of God would be a typical response he would have taken. That is the conclusion I have personally drawn after studying the historical records. Others are welcome to try to defend their own positions, and none will be censored here.
Posted on: Sun, 24 Aug 2014 22:07:16 +0000
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