Do you have destination disease? As a kid, I was told that happiness was specifically located in the great state of Texas. The only problem was we never lived in Texas after I turned one year old. How could I be happy if I was not in Texas? My dad’s service to Uncle Sam took us to amazing places. But they weren’t Texas. Then someone explained this to me, “No matter where you are, there you are.” Truth!
John found himself in exile on the island of Patmos. He didn’t want to be there, but the authorities put him there because he preached the word of God and testified about Jesus. What do you do while you are in exile? John wrote the revelation of Jesus Christ down. Good news: even on Patmos, John was in Jesus. In Jesus, he faced tribulation, shared in the kingdom, and found patient endurance.
Thankfully, John discovered that he was not alone. On the Lord’s day, a Sunday, he was in the Spirit. So on Patmos, John was in Jesus, in the Spirit, when he heard a voice like a trumpet blast. The voice told him to write what he saw to seven churches. Seven is the number of completion. I traveled in 2001 to the seven cities where the churches were located. Make no mistake, these were real churches that represented the fullness of the church in the world. This whole book is written to the churches in the first century and also to all churches of all time.
There on Patmos, John saw Jesus as he had never seen him before. My prayer for us as we read Revelation together is that we will see Jesus as we have never seen him before. Jesus still walks in great power and understanding among his churches. I am certain that he has something he wants to say to us. As we bow in worship before him, Jesus himself will touch us. Get ready!
