Friday, January 11
Read Ellen G. White, “Patmos”, pp. 568-577, in The Acts of the Apostles.
“The persecution of John became a means of grace. Patmos was made resplendent with the glory of a risen Saviour. John had seen Christ in human form, with the marks of the nails, which will ever be his glory, in his hands and his feet. Now he was permitted again to behold his risen Lord, clothed with as much glory as a human being could behold, and live.
The appearance of Christ to John should be to all, believers and unbelievers, an evidence that we have a risen Christ. It should give living power to the church. At times dark clouds surround God's people. It seems as if oppression and persecution would extinguish them. But at such times the most instructive lessons are given. Christ often enters prisons, and reveals himself to his chosen ones. He is in the fire with them at the stake. As in the darkest night the stars shine the brightest, so the most brilliant beams of God’s glory are revealed in the deepest gloom. The darker the sky, the more clear and impressive are the beams of the Sun of Righteousness, the risen Saviour”. - Ellen G. White, The Youth’s Instructor, April 5, 1900.
Discussion Questions:
John shares with the readers what he saw and heard on Patmos. As you read Revelation 1:12-20, what do you see and hear? What words of comfort can you take from the truths revealed in this vision?
In Revelation 14:7, the first angel urges the inhabitants of the earth at the time of the end to “worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water” (NKJV). This language is taken from Exodus 20:11. What does the first angel’s message tell us about the end-time significance of the Sabbath, as revealed in Revelation?
There’s a strange irony that many Christians face. The longer they are in the church, the easier it is for their faith to grow dim or even to die out. The opposite, though, should happen. After all, the longer we walk with Jesus, the more we should learn about Him and His love for us. How, then, can we keep the fire of faith not only burning, but burning brighter and brighter, as it should?
