Font Size
The Roman emperor Domitian banished John as a political prisoner to the penal colony on the island of Patmos. Domitian’s reign forced Christians to choose between following Christ or Caesar. Revelation raises the question: “What does the rule of Christ mean in a political situation of persecution and social stress?”
John’s audacity to send a book to churches on the mainland emerged from his empowering experience in the Spirit. His call came from heaven. Yet three bonds linked John’s call to his readers' experience: their common suffering, the sovereignty of Jesus over their lives, and their steadfast endurance. John endured distress brought about by external circumstances because the Spirit empowered him. The Spirit imparted the courage to obey God rather than a fallen human sovereign. John’s emphasis on the church and the kingdom of God as alternatives to Roman society parallels John Wesley’s concern to revitalize society through religious revival.