From Trials to Triumph

Saved From the Boiling Oil

These words had their influence, and John was removed from the caldron by the very men who had cast him in. TT 299.2

Again by the emperor's decree, John was banished to the Isle of Patmos “for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus.” Revelation 1:9. Here, his enemies thought, he must die of hardship and distress. Patmos, a barren island in the Aegean Sea, was a place of banishment for criminals; but to the servant of God this gloomy abode became the gate of heaven. Shut away from the active labors of former years, he had the companionship of God and heavenly angels. The events that would take place in the closing scenes of earth's history were outlined before him; and there he wrote out the visions he received from God. The messages given him on that barren coast were to declare the sure purpose of the Lord concerning every nation on earth. TT 299.3

Among the cliffs and rocks of Patmos, John held communion with his Maker. Peace filled his heart. He could say in faith, “We know that we have passed from death unto life.” 1 John 3:14. TT 299.4

In his isolated home John was able to study more closely the book of nature. He was surrounded by scenes that to many would appear gloomy and uninteresting. But to John it was otherwise. While his surroundings might be desolate, the blue heavens above were as beautiful as the skies above his beloved Jerusalem. In the wild, rugged rocks, in the mysteries of the deep, in the glories of the firmament, he read important lessons of God's power and glory. TT 299.5