John Is Called To Write the Prophecy -3
v.9 I, John, both your brother and companion in tribulation, and in the 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.
The fact that John the Apostle was chosen to write the Revelation speaks volumes about God’s ability to accomplish His purposes. Despite even the most adverse of circumstances, whether from natural causes, or the cunning devices of devil and man.
John, after all, was about ninety years old and therefore long past what might be considered a practical age for such an arduous task. Moreover, John’s work and ministry was meant be silenced when Rome banished him to the remote island of Patmos. In other words, given the circumstances, we might regard John the Apostle as an untenable choice, and the enemy surely saw him as an altogether improbable one.
Nonetheless, because God knew all along the time, the place, and the man by which, and to whom He would reveal the Revelation, nothing prevented Him (or ever will prevent Him) from accomplishing His own wise and holy ends. Oh, how sweet the words,
“There is no wisdom or understanding or counsel against the Lord” (Prov.21:30)
“For I know that the Lord is great, and our Lord is above all Gods, Whatever the Lord pleases He does, in heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deep places” (Ps.135:5-6)
v.10-11 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as a trumpet, saying, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last,” and, “What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia: to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.”
It is probably safe to say that the “Lord’s Day” was Sunday morning because the church gathered together on the first day of the week (i.e., Sunday) to have communion and collect tithes (Acts 20:7; I Cor.16:12). So it was on a Sunday while in deep meditation and worship that John received this command to record the Revelation. This is particularly noteworthy because there is nothing said to suggest that the elderly Apostle had been seeking or even expecting an extended ministry (it caught him unawares and surprised him). He was simply worshiping God when he was drawn into a place of spiritual joy and elation.
My Sunday school class is studying the book of Revelation and I’m using this as a help aid to even better understand.
That is so good, Elaine. Unfortionately, too few Christians ever study Revelation. May God truly bless you and your Sunday school class as you dig in to this awesome prophecy.
I have a question regarding the rapture, where in the bible does it describe this event?
Hi Sarah. Here are two: 1 Thessalonians 4:15-18 where Paul describes how we [Christians] will be “caught up” to meet the Lord in the air, and 1 Corinthians 15:51-52 where Paul said, “Behold, I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed—in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.” There are a number of others that allude to the rapture, but these two Scriptures are the most prominent. I also have an article on the repture you might want to read: Should Christians Expect the Rapture?. Hope this helps.