Saved From the Boiling Oil

These words had their influence, and John was removed from the oil by the very men who had thrown him in.ULe 208.6

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 Christ” (Revelation 1:9). Here, his enemies thought, he will surely die of hardship and distress. Patmos, a barren island in the Aegean Sea, was a place to banish criminals, but to John this gloomy spot became the gate of heaven. Shut away from the active work of his younger years, he had the companionship of God and heavenly angels. They outlined before him the events that would take place in the closing scenes of earth’s history, and on that island he wrote out the visions he received from God. The messages given him on that barren coast were to reveal the established plans of the Lord concerning every nation on earth.ULe 208.7

Among the cliffs and rocks of Patmos, John had fellowship with his Maker. Peace filled his heart. He could say in faith, “We know that we have passed from death to life” (1 John 3:14).ULe 209.1

In his isolated home John was able to study the book of nature more closely. He was surrounded by scenes that many would think were gloomy and uninteresting. But to John it was not so. While his surroundings might be desolate, the blue heavens above were as beautiful as the skies over his beloved Jerusalem. In the wild, rugged rocks, in the mysteries of the sea, in the glories of the sky, he read important lessons of God’s power and glory.ULe 209.2