John, the Holy Evangelist, Banished to the Isle of Patmos, in the Year 97

John, the apostle and evangelist, was a son of Zebedee, and the brother of James the Greater; he was born at Nazareth, and by occupation he was a fisherman. Matthew 4, verse 21. He was called by Christ while he was busy with his father and brother mending their nets for fishing. Verse 22. As soon as he heard the words of Christ, he immediately left the nets, the ship, and his father, and, together with James, his beloved brother, followed Christ. Chrysost., Homily 1, in Joh. [n124-1]

Afterwards he went from being a disciple to being an apostle of Christ, and was numbered with the twelve whom the Lord had specially chosen for His service. Matthew 10, verse 2.

He was greatly loved by the Lord, so that at the Supper he reclined on Christ's bosom, and leaned, or rested, on His breast. John 13, verse 23; John 21, verse 20. The Lord, moreover, had accepted him as one of His three most special friends, to bear witness of His works, not only in His conflict and suffering in the garden of Gethsemane, but also in His glory, in the raising of the daughter of Jairus, as well as in the showing forth of His majesty, when, on the holy mount, His face shone as the sun, and His clothing became white as the light. Matthew 26, verse 36; Luke 8, verse 51; Matthew 17, verses 1 to 4.

Out of an inward love, he followed the Lord not only into the house of the priest Caiaphas, but also to Mount Calvary, outside the city of Jerusalem, where the Lord was put to death. There the Lord, hanging on the cross, spoke to him, saying, "Son, behold your mother!" (John 19, verse 27).

He was so eager after the resurrection of Christ that, running to His grave with his fellow apostle Peter, he outran him, and so showed his affection for his Lord, who had died a shameful death, and was entirely forsaken by His other friends. John 20, verse 4.

Some years afterwards, in order to refute the errors of Ebion and Cerinthus, who denied the divinity of Christ, he wrote his Gospel, to the honor and magnifying of his Savior, beginning like this: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him nothing was made that was made." "And the Word was made flesh," and so on, John 1, verses 1 to 14. In these words he gives us to understand the true incarnation of the Son of God, to whom be praise and glory forever. Amen.

John is called throughout the Gospel the beloved of the Lord, or the disciple "whom Jesus loved;" because the Lord loved him so especially. John 13, verse 23; John 20, verse 2; John 21, verse 20.

But since it is the will of God to bring His children to glory through much tribulation and distress, this beloved friend of God, John, also could not escape, but was tried throughout his life with many kinds of tribulation, according to what the Lord had told him and his brother James: "You shall indeed drink of the cup that I drink of; and with the baptism that I am baptized with you shall be baptized," that is, you shall also be subjected to my suffering and distress. Mark 10, verse 39.

This was afterwards fulfilled in him in many ways; for, besides what ancient writers have recorded about it, namely, that at Rome he was put into a vat full of boiling oil, but was miraculously delivered out of it, the merits of which account we leave unquestioned; this much, according to the Scriptures, is certain, namely, that he spent a long time on the desert island of Patmos, where he had been banished, for the testimony of Jesus Christ. About this, John himself makes this declaration, Revelation 1, verse 9: "I, John, who am also your brother and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ."

But by whom, and in what manner, he was banished to that desert island is not stated in the Scriptures, except that he was in tribulation for the Word of God. Some of the ancient writers, however, state that he was banished by Emperor Domitian, about the year 97; who, in his wrath and displeasure, because he preached the Word of God, and confessed Christ as the Son of God, had him sentenced and banished there.

On this island, which lies in the Mediterranean, between Asia Minor and Greece, one hundred and twenty-five miles northwestward of Jerusalem, he was indeed forsaken by men, and had hardly any companionship except the poisonous and harmful animals that lived in the place; nevertheless, the Lord God dwelt with him with His heavenly consolation, and during his banishment presented and revealed to him very beautiful scenes and glorious visions concerning the condition of the church of God to the end of the world.

How he wrote his Apocalypse or Revelation, an excellent book, full of divine and true prophecies, taken from the visions and heavenly sights just mentioned; some of which are already fulfilled, and others remain to be fulfilled.

As the time of his deliverance began to draw near, the Lord spoke to him on this island, saying, "Behold, I come quickly, Amen." At this John replied with a well-comforted soul, "Even so come, Lord Jesus." Revelation 22, verse 20.

When the Emperor Domitian, who had banished him to the island just named, was dead, and Nerva reigned in his place, he was delivered and brought back to Ephesus, where he had previously been bishop of the church. This happened, according to history, about the year 99; and so his confinement there lasted two years. The ancients write that he still suffered much for the name of Christ, and was compelled to drink poison, yet remained unharmed, according to the promise of Christ; and that he finally died in peace at Ephesus, in the time of the Emperor Trajan, having served in the holy Gospel for fifty-one years, and being eighty years old; and so this great light rests in Asia. Joh. Gys., Hist. Mart., folio 14, column 2, from Euseb., Hist. Eccl., and Epiphanio.; Joh. Gys., in the same place, from Euseb., book 3, chapters 20 and 23; Niceph., book 3, chapter 4; Iren., book 3, chapter 3. Also, Konst tooneel, in the life of John. [n124-2] Also, Bybelsch Naemboeck, letter J. on the name John, folio 538, column 2, and folio 539, columns 1 and 2; also, folio 540, column 1. [n124-3]