“The Churches, Seals, and Trumpets all have introductory passages. The Seals have two complete chapters (4 & 5). The Trumpets have only five verses (8:2-6). The Churches have as their introduction one half of Revelation’s opening chapter in which Jesus presents himself with all of those characteristics which will both comfort and strengthen the saints during all seven periods of the Church.

Revelation Chapter 1

VERSE 9 “I, John, both your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.”

I, JOHN:

JOHN comes from the Hebrew (Yehochanan) which means Yahweh Has Been Gracious. Throughout Revelation, John serves as a stand-in for the entire Church. That is to say John represents the Church, especially the last living members of this little flock found at the end of the age, the feet of him. What he sees and hears, we see and hear. As the messages to the Seven Churches are being introduced, John’s involvement becomes our involvement. True, he was the scribe of this prophecy, but symbolically WE ALSO WRITE. (See Rev 10:4 for an example of this concept) To write is to record for learning and profit.

When John is told to “write NOT,” it is the same as telling the Church not to get involved. The seven thunders —controversies in the world —which follow A.D.1799, are things which WE are to ignore even if they do so captivate the world. Therefore, when John writes, we (the Church) are making mental notes for our spiritual development and profit.

YOUR BROTHER AND COMPANION IN THE TRIBULATION AND KINGDOM AND PATIENCE OF JESUS CHRIST:

Here John is stressing what is mentioned above. He (regardless of his special station) is part of a body —all of whom are mentioned in this prophecy.

“Brother” stresses the unity of the body.

“Fellow partaker in tribulation” stresses that the whole Church must suffer.

“Kingdom” stresses the outcome of that suffering.

“Perseverance” encourages us to suffer so that we can, indeed, reign. This is the epitome of the book of Revelation —encouragement to fellowship in sufferings and victory.

JOHN WAS ON THE ISLAND THAT IS CALLED PATMOS:

This was a penal colony.

If we knew the etymology (which the seminaries do not seem able to supply), we would be richer since places equal conditions in the Bible. Perhaps the Lord wishes us only to know the qualities of this place. We can deduce the conditions of separateness (island) of John (and, therefore, of us), and the conditions of rejection (a penal colony) which all of the Church experience at some time —“the wilderness.” The blessing, of course, is that, while there, John “hears” (Verse 10) something which is a great blessing. Thus our separateness brings revelations to us. (Some claim that in Israeli, Patmos means “mortal”.)

FOR THE WORD OF GOD AND FOR THE TESTIMONY OF JESUS CHRIST:

These are consistently the two things which set the true Church apart from the apostate church.”

For a little more insight on this verse we present the same text as it is explained in the “Keys of Revelation”

“No doubt John only partially understood the meaning of the many and varied apocalyptic visions he witnessed. However, it was manifestly clear to him that the symbolism’s did portend surprising developments: Trouble and hard experiences lay ahead for the true Church of God. For the benefit and solace of all Christians throughout the age, John purposely identifies himself as having patiently endured much persecution in his day. Though he was an apostle, he was also a fellow member (“brother”) and a sympathetic participant (“companion”) in the same sufferings that Christ left behind for the body’s sake—the necessary prerequisites to Kingdom honor (Col. 1:24).

John had already been severely persecuted. According to tradition he was cast alive into a cauldron of boiling oil from which he was miraculously delivered. Whether this experience was literal or figurative is not certain. In any event, it indicates the zeal and energy with which John Boanerges, meaning the son of thunder (Mark 3:17), pursued the unpopular cause of Christianity.

Because of his faithful espousal of the truth of the gospel, John was exiled at a very advanced age (in his nineties) to a little island in the Mediterranean Sea called Patmos, the “Devil’s Island” of that day. There political and religious dissidents, as well as hardened criminals, were banished with little or no hope of escape because of the distance of the isle from the mainland.

Prior to the exile of the aged and infirm John, the demand for the counsel and services of this sole surviving apostle was such that the brethren very willingly carried him about in a litter from place to place to obtain optimum benefit from his physical presence in their midst. However, God had other plans for John. It was necessary for him to be relieved and separated for a time from his accustomed schedule of pastoral duties. Therefore, it was Divine Providence, and not merely his faithful sufferings for Christ, that directed him to Patmos. That the Apostle himself fully realized this experience was providential is evidenced by his referral to Verse 2; namely, that his placement on the isle was to “bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ.” With remarkable modesty, John neither mentions his previous service for the truth nor concentrates on the attendant persecution; he merely attributes his being on Patmos to Divine Providence and overruling.

The Book of Revelation was written at a time when severe persecution was upon the infant Church—near the close of the first century, probably A.D. 93–96 in the reign of the emperor Domitian, though some date it nearly thirty years earlier in the reign of Nero. In either case, the book was written at a time of special peril and severe persecution. Although John received the visions in Patmos and perhaps recorded them there, the past tense “was in…Patmos” indicates that he finished the book—at least the introductory remarks prefacing the work—after his release. This completion, therefore, occurred between the persecutions of Domitian and Trajan, the latter having begun in A.D. 100.

To some degree, John typifies or represents the last living members of the Little Flock, as shown by Jesus’ statement, “If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee?” (John 21:20–23). Though John did not tarry till the return of Christ, he nevertheless did tarry, outliving the other apostles and, apparently, all his contemporary brethren. Thus John illustrates a class who will tarry till the Second Advent: the tarrying members of the body of Christ.

This class will see, that is they will understand (comprehend) the visions and revelations that John saw in symbols in a trance.

To the extent that John’s exile symbolized ostracism (isolation from others and treatment accorded prisoners), the Lord’s followers may expect similar ostracism in the close of this age. However, much comfort comes from the thought that just as the Lord’s favor and revelations to John more than offset his persecutions, so for the Lord’s people the opening of their eyes of understanding and the granting to them of greater lengths and breadths and heights and depths of knowledge and appreciation of the Lord and His plan will far more than offset the various experiences His providence may permit. God assures us that all things shall work together for good to those who love Him, to those who are called according to His purpose (Rom. 8:28). Whoever rests his faith securely upon this promise may indeed, with the Apostle Paul, count all tribulations as loss and dross for the Excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus (Phil. 3:8).

We will continue with Verse 10 in our next post.