The Revelation
This is the island of Patmos. It is where John, the apostle, was exiled almost two thousand years ago and where he had the Revelation of Jesus Christ.
I was blessed to visit this island last year. I even went to the grotto, the actual cave, where John is believed to have lived at the time of receiving the Revelation.
I remember this visit as being significant. I know that God’s Spirit is available to us wherever we are, but there is something quite special about being physically present in a place that has so much meaning to you spiritually. I would love to visit Israel for this reason too.
The cave is popular for pilgrims and tourists, and I remember it being really busy the day I was there with lots of groups passing through. But as if God gave me a gift, I remember the final group leaving and there being no one else in the cave. A chance to sit and to open to the words that John received, asking God for a sense of His presence.
This Revelation of Jesus is one of the most profound parts of the Bible for me. John’s description of what Jesus is like is really powerful. This is how he describes it:
“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last …”
Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw … One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to His feet and girded about the chest with a golden band.
His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire;
His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters; He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength.
And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death” Revelation 1:11-18.
“… and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength” – wow, what an amazing description, our God is awesome!
If you’d like to see more of this trip to Greece and Turkey, I put together a slideshow at the time, click here.
Although we were not able to take photos inside the cave, the photo below is from the site and shows a depiction of John dictating the Revelation to Prohorus.
Wow Birgit, what a wonderful gift the Lord gave you with that trip. And to be alone for a moment or two….divine. I pray that He will provide for you a way to Israel. It’s a passion of my husband as well…
Have a very blessed day in His pressence.. :)
Thanks so much Debs, lovely to hear from you. Yeah, I think it would make parts of Jesus’ life and ministry come to life in the most amazing way, being in Israel. Thanks for prayers. Have a blessed day too :)
I just want you to know that I love you! Plain and simple! I praise God for you and thank Him for allowing us to “meet” through blogging. You encourage me so much!
Praise God for divine encounters that you’ve had and praise Him for the ones to come. He will never withold a divine encounter with Him from those who earnestly and diligently seek His face.
Have a blessed day!
I love you too gchyayles :), and that is the loveliest message, thank you! Your love for God and the amazing things He has done, and is doing in your life, are truly an inspiration. You are such blessing. And yes, this experience with Him and being on Patmos really was special. God bless today too :)
Oh sweetness, I’m a terrible photographer but I am going to Greece and Israel in late November for two weeks. I will take photos and email them to you, with great abounding love. :)
Oh wow Hope that is so lovely. What an amazing time you’re going to have, Greece and Israel! Truly, I am so looking forward to seeing the photos and hearing about your experiences. I know with your love for God, that He will really speak to you through your time in these countries. God bless with love :)
I yearn to see Israel. Of course, with the signs of the times, we may be there quicker than we realize. ;)
Me too :) I hope God fulfils this for you. I am praying about the possibility of visiting some time in the next few years. It really would be an amazing experience! God bless Michelle.
I would love to visit this place..and read Revelations..I too am fascinated and love Revelation..what a letter to the church? huh?
Hi Darla, lovely to see you :) I know what you mean about Revelation. I find it quite confusing as a whole but that parts really stand out and are really powerful. I love the adoration and worship of God by the angels and elders and four living creatures for example.
I looked at it with a study Bible today and that helped quite a bit. It is an amazing letter!
Interesting about the seven stars in his hand – the minorah? and the two edged sword from his mouth??
Christianity:
The belief that some Cosmic Jewish Zombie can make you live forever if you symbolically eat his flesh and telepathically tell him that you accept him as your master, so that he will remove an evil source from your soul which is only present because a rib-woman was convinced by a talking snake to eat from a magical tree.
Hi Ryan, Thanks for stopping by. This is obviously something you’ve thought about, thanks for leaving your comments and wishing you all the best.
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Hi Aunty Lorraine, great to hear from you :) The two-edged sword coming from His mouth is His Word, the Bible. It’s an amazing picture of the power of His Word, and is described in the Bible as “living and powerful … piercing even to the division of soul and spirit … a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).
I wasn’t sure about the seven stars in His right hand, but then later on in that passage Jesus refers to these seven stars as the “angels/messengers of the seven churches” (Revelation 1:20). These churches are referred to one by one through chapters 2 and 3, and each receive an apocalyptic letter from Jesus, through John. Lots of love.
“I was blessed to visit this island last year. I even went to the grotto, the actual cave, where John is believed to have lived at the time of receiving the Revelation.
I would be so jealous if I didn’t know that jealousy was a sin. ;-)
Hee, hee, hee :) Great to hear from you totaltransformation :).
What a beautiul experience you received. I think that at certain times and places we can feel a special closeness to God that register as mountain top moments. Thanks for sharing yours and the beautiful pictures. Bryan
Hi Bryan, lovely to hear from you, welcome. I know what you mean about moments where we share a special closeness with God. I’m really thankful for these times, and do see this time on Patmos as one of them :)