Since returning from galavanting around Greece and Turkey, I've often been asked what my favorite part was. It's a question that is nearly impossible to answer completely, but I find myself often mentioning the Island of Patmos as landing high on my list of favorites. It may have been partly the fact that it was absolutely beautiful.
It may be partly that we spent a longer time there, giving us an opportunity to explore and experience more.
Ancient customs observable today didn't hurt it either. (These men are harvesting hay with sickles.)
I think, though, that much of the reason that Patmos is a cherished memory has to do with its Biblical significance.
Patmos is actually only mentioned once in the Bible, in Revelations.
I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet saying, "Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea."
~Revelation 1: 9-11
That doesn't give a whole lot of information. Church History/tradition explains a little more.
According to tradition, the book of Revelation was written by the Apostle John who also wrote the gospel of John and the three epistles of John. All four of these books were likely written towards the end of the first century - the last of the New Testament to be completed. If tradition records all the activities of John between the cross and his imprisonment on Patmos, I'm afraid I'm not familiar with everything. However, it seems that at some point John went to Asia Minor (modern day Turkey) where he took a leadership role in the new churches springing up there - especially the church at Ephesus. John was the Bishop of Ephesus, and judging from the love and compassion demonstrated in his writings, he loved the people there. He cared for his "sheep."
Of course, at some point late in his life, the Romans, fearing and persecuting Christianity, banished him to Patmos. Patmos is a tiny island, less than 40 miles off the coast of Turkey (and about 60 miles from Ephesus, as the crow flies). On land, even at that time, that distance could have easily been covered in less than a week, and John could have been back with his beloved church. But with the sea intervening...such a distance was insurmountable. John would have seen nearby islands, maybe even the coast of Turkey, from his cave, but for him they would have been as unreachable as the moon.
As we sat on Patmos and talked about John it was easy to imagine his discouragement and despair. He had been busy all his life, serving God, sharing the gospel, offering counsel and encouragement to fellow Christians. And now he was separated from everyone and everything he held dear. His ministry opportunities were reduced to almost nothing. And, possibly worst of all, he knew he was the last apostle: the last of the generation that had actually known and walked with Christ. He attempted to pass on some of this knowledge in his writings, but he must have wondered, when all the apostles were gone, would the baby church survive? With persecution growing worse and no actual witnesses to the resurrection left, would it become easier and easier for believers to deny the faith when faced with death? And, with time, would this precious church slowly cease to exist?
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| Traditional site of St. John's Cave |
Surely such doubts assailed his mind from time to time while he was imprisoned on Patmos. But then something miraculous occurred. John was given just a glimpse of what the future of the Church would be. It wasn't all good. There was danger on every side. Even now the church was threatened, from within and without: bad doctrine, lovelessness, immorality, and persecution all posed problems. But far in the future a light shown brightly. However you chose to interpret Revelations, one thing is clear: in the end, God wins. The last enemies will be utterly defeated, and the Church will take her place as the Bride of Christ.
No wonder John's response was worship. What a joy it would be for him to know that in spite of all the bad in the world, and in spite of his own helplessness, God's plan would prevail and all would be made right. What joy to know that God cared enough about him to chose to send this encouraging message to him.
And I think this is an appropriate reminder as we head into the new year. So many people I know are suffering; though their circumstances may differ from John's, some of the discouragement is certainly repeated. But John's experience on Patmos serves as a reminder of God's love and grace in trials. And the message that went from Patmos, first to the seven churches, and then down through the ages to us, assures us that in the end, all the wrong will be righted. God has a plan, and He will triumph.
