The King Ans I: The Historical SettingOf Revelation 1:9And The Apostle John On Patmos

Dr. Gordon Franz

EmperorDomitian, the self-proclaimed "Lord and God",' became moresuperstition toward the last few years of his life (AD 90-96). On the daybefore his murder, he consulted an astrologer. He also was consulting Apollo,the god of music and poetry, and in addition the god of light, truth andprophecy! The emperor minted coins depicting Apollo on one side and a raven, abird associated with prophecy, on the reverse side (Jones 1990:266) . One couldtell the future by watching this bird's flight (Kanitz 1973-74:47), so Domitianlooked to it to foretell his immediate future. Ironically, Suetonius, a Romanhistorian and senator, records, "A few months before he (Domitian) waskilled, a raven perched on the Capitalium and cried, 'All will be well,' anomen which some interpreted as follows: '... a raven ... could not say "Itis well," only declared "It will be."" (Domitian23:2; 1992:385). Emperor Domitian died soon after and all was well!

TheApostle John, exiled on the island of Patmos about AD 95, received a more sureword of prophecy. Not from a raven, nor Apollo, but from the Lord Jesus ChristHimself. The Book of the Revelation begins, "The Revelation of JesusChrist, which God gave Him to show His servants - things which must shortlytake place" (Rev. 1:1). He goes on to say, "Blessed is he who readsand those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which arewritten in it; for the time is near" (Rev. 1:3).

TheBook of the Revelation is a polemic (a controversial argument, as one againstsome opinion, doctrine, etc.) against Emperor Domitian and the Roman world.While Domitian looked to Apollo and the raven to foretell the immediate future,the Lord Jesus Christ, omniscient and infinitely greater than Domitian,revealed the future of the world in this book. He instructed John to"write the things which you have seen [the vision of the glorified Son ofMan (Rev. lfl, and the things which are [the situation of the seven churches inAsia Minor at the end of the first century AD (Rev. 2 and 3)], and the thingswhich will take place after this [all the future events recorded in Rev.4-22]" (1:19). This paper will examine several aspects of Domitian's reignand John's exile to Patmos.

Inthe nineteenth century, Bible scholars, linguists, pilgrims, travellers andsome military intelligence officers from America, England and the Continentbegan to visit the Holy Land and explore the Land of the Bible. In their booksthey described sites, recorded manners and customs, drew maps and sketchedlandscapes. This research began to open up the world of the Bible. A Book whichwas no longer a theological treatise, but a Book about real people, real eventsand real places. These explorers added a third dimension to Bible study forstudents back home. In addition they provided intelligence information for thecountries of Europe awaiting the collapse of the Ottoman Empire.

Inthe late 19th snd early 20th century Sir William Ramsay explored, excavated andwrote about Asia Minor. One of his monumental studies is his book, TheLetters to the Seven Churches. A more recent study on the setting of Rev. 2and 3 is Cohn Hemer's PhD dissertation under F. F. Bruce at the University ofManchester in 1969 entitled, The Letters to the Seven Churches of Asia inTheir Local Setting.

Inmy own simple way, I have tried to "follow in the footsteps" of thesegreat explorers. First, by reading the accounts of their travels; and second,by travelling to the places where they visited and making my own observations.

Theseobservations will help us consider the historical setting of Revelation 1:9 andunderstand the Apostle John's exile to the island of Patmos. I will begin withthe assumption that Revelation was written in AD 95 during the reign of EmperorDomitian, and not in the reign of Nero (Thomas 1994:185-202). Let us begin withEmperor Domitian.

EmperorDomitian had a definite ego problem! In Imperial Rome the senate would deify aemperor upon death. However, Domitian, like Gaius Caligula, could not waituntil death, so he deified himself. This is well attested to by the ancientwriters.

Suetoriius(AD 75 - Ca. 140),in his book Lives of the Caesars, wrote, "With no less arrogance hebegan as follows in issuing a circular letter in the name of his procurators,'Our Master and our God bids that this be done.'" ("Dominus et deusnoster hoe fieri iubet.") (Domitian 13:2; 1992:367). He alsodelighted in the adulation of the people in the amphitheater when they shouted,"Good Fortune attend our Lord and Mistress." ("Domino et dominaefeliciterl") (Domitian 13:1; 1992:367). A reference to himself andhis wife.

Plinythe Younger (born AD 61 or 62- died before 113), wrote in his Panegyricusa tribute to Emperor Trajan, "He (Domitian) was a madman, blind to thetrue meaning of his position, who used the arena for collecting charges of hightreason, who felt himself slighted and scorned if we failed to pay homage tohis gladiators, taking any criticism of them to himself and seeing insults tohis own godhead and divinity; who deemed himself the equal of the gods yetraised his gladiators to be his equal." (33:4)

DioCassius, in his Roman History, wrote, "One Juventius Celsus, ...(conspired] ... against Domitian... When he was on the point of beingcondemned, he begged that he might speak to the emperor in private, andthereupon did obeisance before him and after repeatedly calling him 'master' (despoton)and 'god' (theon) terms that were already being applied to him byothers)" (Book 67:13:4). Later writers repeat the same claim and then goon to embellish it (Jones 1992:108). However, Statius in his Silvae1:6:83-84, claims Domitian rejected these titles.

Thereseems to be other contemporary evidence which backs up Domitian's claim todeity. Unfortunately, no inscriptions have been discovered with these titles onthem. Dio Cassius, again adds an important detail, when he wrote, "AfterDomitian, the Romans appointed Nerva Cocceius emperor. Because of the hatredfelt for Domitian, his images, many of which were of silver and many of gold,were melted down; and from this source large amounts of money were obtained.The arches, too, of which a very great number were being erected to this oneman, were torn down" (Book 68:1). Upon his death, the Roman Senate was,"...overjoyed ... (assailed] the dead emperor with the most insulting andstinging kind of outcries . ... Finally they passed a decree that hisinscriptions should everywhere be erased, and all record of himobliterated" (Suetonius, Domitian 23:1; 1992:385). This decree, thedamnatio memoriae destroyed all the statues and epigraphicalinscriptions of Domitian. Evidence of this can be seen in the arch atHierapolis, built by Domitian, as well as the dedicatory inscriptions for theTemple of the Sabastoi in Ephesus.

Theonly evidence not destroyed was the coins minted by Dornitian because it was impossibleto recall all of them. Numismatics is able to provide some evidence ofDomitian's boast of deity.

Dr.Ernest Janzen, of the University of Toronto, in an article entitled, "TheJesus of the Apocalypse Wears the Emperor's Clothes," provides for twolines of evidence from numismatics for Domitian's claim to deity. The first arecoins minted in AD 83 called the DIVI CAESAR ("divine caesar") coins.These coins, minted in both gold and silver, had the bust of Domitia, the wifeof Domitian, on the obverse with the inscriptions, "Dlvi CAESARMATRI" and "Dlvi CAESARIS MATER". On the reverse was theirinfant son who died in infancy. He is depicted as naked and seated on a zonedglobe with his arms stretched out surrounded by seven stars! The inscriptionsurrounding it said, "DIVUS CAESAR IMP DOMITIANI F". Translated itmeans, "the divine Caesar, son of the Emperor Domitian." The infantis depicted as baby Jupiter (Jupiter being the head of the Roman pantheon)."The globe represents world dominion and power, while stars typicallybespoke the divine nature of those they accompanied . ... the infant depictedon the globe was the son of (a) god and that the infant was conqueror of theworld" (1994:645-647). It does not take a rocket scientist to figure outthat if he is the son of a god, then who is god? Of course, his father,Domitian! I can not help but use my sanctified imagination and wonder if Johndid not have this coin in front of him when he penned, "and in the midstof the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down tohis feet ... He had in His right hand seven stars" (Rev. 1:13,16). Herefers back to this vision in the letter to the church at Thyatire when theLord Jesus identifies Himself as the "Son of God" (Rev. 2:18).

Thesecond bit ofnumismatic evidence comes from the coins withthe fulmen ("thunderbolt") on them. The fulmen is the divineattribute of Jupiter. Janzen points out, "In 84 Domitian struck reversetype Jupiter holding thunderbolt and spear. The first issue of 85 continuedthis type but the second issue witnessed the fulmen in Domitian's hand.He and Jupiter would 'share' the fulmen for the years 85-6 after whichJupiter remained as a regular type, only without fulmen From 87-96Domitian alone held the fulmen persuasive evidence of a developingmegalomania which place the fulmen in Domitian's hands and are clearlypatterned after the Jupiter with fulmen type" (1994:648, footnote55). One numismatic expert says this type "clearly suggests a parallelbetween himself and 'Jupiter tonaus' (the thunderer) or the father of thegods" (Mattingly, cited in Janzen 1994:648, footnote 55).

Martial,the first century Howard Stern of Rome, confirms this idea in his writings. Oneof his epigrams, written in AD 94, describing the Gens Flavia(Jones 1992:1, 199, footnote 1) says, "This piece of ground, that liesopen and is being covered with marble and gold, knew our Lord (domini ininfancy . ... Here stood the venerable house that gave the world what Rhodesand pious Crete gave the starry sky [Helios, the sun god, was born on Rhodesaccording to some traditions, and Zeus, the chief god, was born on Crete] . ...But you the Father of the High One did protect, and for you, Caesar,thunderbolt (fulmen and aegis took the place of spear and buckler" (9:20).Sometimes Martial even calls Domitian the "Thunderer" (7:99:1), atitle which usually belongs to Jupiter (Zeus) (9:91)! Domitian is puttinghimself on the same level as Jupiter.

Elsewhere in Martial'swritings he calls Domitian "lord" (7:2; 8:82; 9:20, 28, 66) and"lord and god" (5:8;- 7:34; 8:2). Interestingly, after the death ofDomitian, Martial repudiates these titles attributed to Domitian (10:72).However, I think he was reflecting the sentiments of the day while Domitian wasalive. He may not have believed it, but that's what Domitian wanted, so that'swhat he got.

Anotherinteresting sidelight, on some of Domitian's coins, the initial "PM"appear on the inscriptions. This stands for "pontifex maximus," thehigh priest as the head of the Roman religion. This title, Biblically, belongsonly to the Lord Jesus (Heb. 4:14).

Itappears that in AD 85/86 something triggered Domitian to openly claim deity.What is was, I do not know, but the response in Asia Minor was a templededicated to the Sabastoi (emperors)

The Sebastoi Templein Ephesus (Fig 1)

In1930, the Austrian archaeologist Josef Keil, began to excavate an artificialterrace near the southwest corner of the Upper Agora in Ephesus. As the excavationsprogressed, it became clear that this terrace, measuring 85.6 x 64.5 meters,supported the foundation of a temple, but which one (Friesen l993b:66)? (Forthose of you who have not converted yet, get with the program, metrics is awhole lot easier than feet and inches!]. In one of the vaults the "headand left forearm of a colossal, acrolithic male statue" was discoveredwhich lead the excavator to identify it as the Temple of the Sebastoi("emperors") (1993b:60). The structure was an octastyle temple of theIonic order which measured 34 x 24 meters at its base (1993b:63). "Thecelia had an interior measurement of about 7.5 x 13 meters" (1993b:64).East of the temple stood an altar (1993b:67). The north side of the terrace hada three-story facade. The top level had engaged figures of various deitiessupporting the terrace above. Originally the facade probably had 35-40 engagedfigures of eastern and western gods and goddesses. Today, only two figures,Attis and Isis, both eastern deities, have been restored (1993b:70,72)

Inthe last 125 years of research and excavations at Ephesus, 13 inscriptionsdedicated to the provincial temple in Ephesus have been discovered. Theserectangular marble blocks were set up by various cities of Asia Minor inrecognition of Ephesus being the "neokoros" (guardian, or caretaker)of this temple (1993b:29,35). These inscriptions have the name of Domitianchiselled out and in some cases have "Theos Vespansian" put in itsplace (1993b:37). The destruction of Domitian's name was the results of theRoman Senate's edict to erase any mention of Domitian.

Severalquestions should be asked regarding this temple. First, to whom was the Templeof the Sebastoi dedicated? For sure, Domitian, and possibly his wife Domitia(1993b:35). Most likely it also included the rest of the Flavians: Vespasian,who was Domitian's father, and Titus, his older brother.

Second,when was the temple fully functional? Friesen, doing careful detective workwith the inscriptions, suggests the date of Sept. AD 90 when the temple wasfully functional (1993b:44,48). Most likely the people began to build it afterDomitian began to express his opinion that he was a god in AD 85/86.

Third,whose head did the colossal statue represent? When this statue was first discoveredin 1930, the excavator identified it as Domitian. This identification was laterquestioned by Georg Daltrop and Max Wegner. Based on facial features fromportraits, they suggested it depicted his older brother Titus. However, otherart historians still think it belongs to Domitian (1993b:62). This acrolithicstatue, made of a wooden body, now disintegrated, and stone extremities, stood8 meters tall (ca. 25 feet) (Friesen 1993b:63; 1993a:32). The left hand had agroove in it in which a spear was placed. This accords historically withEphesian coins depicting the Temple of the Sebastoi with a statue in frontholding a spear (1993b:63)

Fourth, where was the statue placed in the templecomplex? Some have suggested thatit was outside in the courtyard, however, the problem with that suggestion isthat the torso was made of wood and would deteriorate in the inclement weather.Most likely it was inside the temple. Friesen notes that the back of the headwas not finished, thus "the statue could only have been displayed in frontof a wall where visitors were not expected to go behind it" (1993a:32).The most logical place would be inside the temple. Also inside, most likely,were similar statues of the other Flavians (1993b:62)

Fifth,what was the symbolism of the temple complex? A visitor approaching the Templeof the Sabastoi from the Agora would notice the northern facade with theengaged deities supporting the temenos and wonder what was the intendedsymbolism. Friesen remarks, "The message was clear: the gods and goddessesof the peoples supported the emperors; and, conversely, the cult of theemperors united the cultic systems, and the peoples, of the empire. Theemperors were not a threat to the worship of the diverse deities of the empire;rather, the emperors joined the ranks of the divine and played their ownparticular role in that realm" (1993b:75). Ephesus, with its harbor, wasthe major commercial center of Asia Minor. The pilgrims and traders would mixtheir commercial ventures with their cultic worship of the emperors while inEphesus. I would like to suggest that first century Ephesus is the prototype ofthe future religious and commercial center predicted in Rev. 17 and 18 called"Mystery Babylon" controlled by the Antichrist. Interestingly, F. Farrar,in his monumental work, The Life and Work of St Paul says of Ephesus,"It's markets, glittering with the produce of world's art, were the VanityFair of Asia. They furnished to the exile (of] Patmos the local colouring ofthose pages of the Apocalypse in which hespeaks of 'the merchandise of gold, and silver, (Rev. 18:12,13)"(1888:355). The first century church could relate to this.

Inthe midst of all this commercial and cultic activities, the believers in theLord Jesus Christ took a stand for Him (Rev. 2:2,3). One of their elders, theapostle John, refused to participate in the emperor worship and preachedagainst it. Most likely, this lead to his banishment to the isle of Patmos(Rev. 1:9)

Iwonder if the Apostle John had ever seen the statue of Domitian in the Templeof the Sebastoi? If he had, I'm sure he refused to bow down and worship it, oreven burn incense to it. What a contrast between this lifeless stone statue ofa mere mortal man and the vision which John saw of the resurrected and livingSavior, the Son of Man in Rev. 1. On the isle of Patmos he saw, "One likethe Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about thechest with a golden band. His head and His hair were white like wool, as whiteas the snow (Domitian was bald!), and His eyes like a flame of fire; His feetwere like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound ofmany waters; He had in his right hand seven stars (as opposed to a spear inDomitian's left hand), out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and Hiscountenance was like the sun shining in its strength" (Rev. 1:13-16). WhenJohn saw this One, he fell down as dead (1:17a). He worshipped Someoneinfinitely greater than the mortal and dead emperors, he worshipped the One whowas the "First and the Last," and the One who lives, and was dead,and is alive forever more (l:17b,l8).

Isit any wonder that John also recorded the statement of the four livingcreatures, "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God (Kurios ho theos) Almighty. Who wasand is and is to come" (4:8)? The contrast of the "Lord God's"was obvious for any believer living in the first century. Domitian tried tolegislate public and private morality, yet he himself was immoral: an adulterer,involved in incest, responsible for murder (his niece, Julia, died as a resultof a botched abortion after he impregnated her), blasphemous and an animalabuser (he would sit in his room, catch flies, and stab them with a"keenly-sharpened stylus"). On the other hand, the Lord Jesus Christis "Holy, holy, holy." Dornitian called himself "Dominus DeusDomitianus" (D. D. D.). Yet the Lord Jesus is the "Lord GodAlmighty", the one who is El Shaddai! Domitian was born on Oct. 24, AD 51and murdered on Sept. 18, AD 96. He was cremated and his ashes mingled with hisniece Julia and buried in the temple of Gens Flavia built over the house wherehe was born. This house was located on the Quirinal Hill in the sixth Region(Jones 1992:1; Richardson 1992:181). Yet the Eternal Son of God is the One"who was and is and is to come!" Domitian reigned only 15 years(Sept. 13, AD 81- Sept. 18, AD 96), yet King Jesus will reign for a thousandyears as "King of kings and Lord of lords" (Rev. 20:4-6; 19:16).Believers in the Lord Jesus during the first century would be encouraged (andblessed) by reading the book of the Revelation.

Thereis one misconception regarding John's exile to Patmos which has appeared in thecommentaries and popular prophetic writings, it is that Patmos was a sort ofAlcatraz (Swindoll 1986:3) ; or for the British, a Botany Bay in New Holland(Newton 1875:223); or for the French, St. Helene where Napolean was exiled(Saffrey 1975:392). Part of this is due to 19th century travellers whodescribed the island in terms such as "barren, rocky, desolate-lookingplace" (Newton 1875:223) or as "a wild and barren island" (Geil1896:70). Unfortunately these nineteenth century realities were imposed on thefirst century text and island. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Inthe first century Roman world, Patmos was a very strategic island on the sealanes from Ephesus to Rome. The first stop on this line of communication andcommerce for a boat sailing from Ephesus to Rome would have been Patmos,because of its natural and protective harbor. The last stop for a boat comingfrom Rome would be Patmos. This island had a large administrative center,outlying villages, a hippodrome (for horse racing) and at least three pagantemples. Hardly an isolated and desolate place!

Letus examine the archaeological remains and the literary evidence in order topaint a more accurate picture of first century Patmos.

Thiscrescent-shaped island, 12.5 kilometers long, covers an area of some 34 squarekilometers and has a jagged coastline of some 65 kilometers. Pliny the Elder(AD 23- 79), in his book Natural History, says Patmos is 30 miles incircumference (4.12.69). In the center, nearest the narrowest point is theKastelli, the ancient acropolis (Fig: 2). This administrative center is locatedbehind the harbor, called Skela today. Remains of the wall and three towers canstill be seen today. The walls, up to 1.30 meters thick at points, and threetowers, still exist (Simpson and Lazenby 1970:47-52). This center has acommanding view of the harbor and the sea lanes to and from Patmos. I alsomight add, spectacular sunsets

Theliterary sources mention outlaying villages which probably engaged in fishingand agricultural activities. Three temples are known from the sources. Therewas an inscription found mentioning a temple to Artemis, the goddess of thehunt. Her main temple was in Ephesus and was one of the seven wonders of theancient world. Patmos was called Artemis' "most sacred island." Thetemple was probably located underneath the present day Monastery of St. Johnnear the village of Chora. The threshold stones of the iconostasis in thechapel of the Virgin is thought to be the remains of this temple. There isliterary evidence of a temple to Apollo, the brother of Artemis, and mostlikely located near the harbor of Skala. One nineteenth century travellermentioned, "at the wharf I observed four or five beautiful white marblecolumns, cut and carved in true Greek fashion, and once very likely standing inthe portico of some splendid temple to a heathen god, now used as mooringposts' (Geil 1897:73) Most likely this temple was the one dedicated to Apollo.There is also literary evidence of a temple to Aphrodite, the goddess of loveand beauty. This temple was probably built on the Kalikatsou rock.

Oneinscription mentions a hippodrome on the island. This has not been discoveredarchaeologically, but probably was located near modern day Skela. Again, usingmy sanctified imagination, I wonder if the Apostle John preached to theinhabitants of Patmos in this circus?

Unfortunately,most tourists visiting Patmos today, disembark at the port of Skala, hop on abus, zip up to the Cave of the Apocalypse, zing on up to the Monastery of St.John in Chora, and then zag down to the harbor of Skala for shopping and eatingbefore embarking on their cruise ship to sail off to another destination. Thereare more Biblically significant things to see and experience on this islandthan this typical four-hour tour wonder. Please do not misunderstand. These areimportant places to visit, but you should spend a couple of days on the island.

Closelyrelated with this misconception is that Patmos was described as a penal colony.Some commentaries quote Pliny, Natural History 4.12.69 as proof, but allthe passage gives is the circumference of the island! It says nothing aboutwhether it was a penal colony or not. (Hemer 1986:221, footnote 1). Myimpression is that John was exiled to Patmos because of its Artemis/Ephesusconnections. The proconsul of Asia Minor wanted to get John' away from the cityof Ephesus so he sent him to Patmos, which was within his jurisdiction. Hemersuggests the
island might be connected with Miletus some 70 km to the Eastnortheast (1986:28,222, footnote 8)

Thelength of John's exile on Patmos differs from tradition to tradition. Mostlikely he was only exiled for 18 months. Upon Domitian's death, John was freeto return to Ephesus. Dio Cassius wrote, "[Emperor] Nerva also releasedall who were on trial for maiestas (high treason) and restored the exile (RomanHistory 68:2). Eusebius adds, "The sentences of Domitian were annulled,and the Roman Senate decreed the return of those who had been unjustly banishedand the restoration of their property . ... the Apostle John, after hisbanishment to the island, took up his abode at Ephesus" (Eccl Hist3.20.8,9)

Accordingto church tradition, this book was written by Prochorus, the secretary to theApostle John. This is the Prochorus mentioned in Acts 6:5. Criticalscholarship, however, suggests it was written in the 5th century AD. If thereis any truth to the book, then John was just banished to the island, but notimprisoned. So much for the Alcatraz view.

The"Travels of St. John in Patmos" makes interesting reading. On the wayover to Patmos, a violent storm arose and a passenger is swept into the sea.John prays and a wave deposited the young man back on the boat. This miraclegave John an opportunity to preach the gospel. Once on Patmos, the Romangovernor, Laurentius, set John free. "Laurentius's father-in-law, Myron,offered the. Apostle lodging in his house, and soon Myron's house became thefirst church on the island. Apollonides, Myron's son, who was possessed by thedevil, was healed by St. John, and this miracle led to the conversion of bothChrysippe, Myron's daughter, and her husband, the Roman governor"(Meinardus 1979:7) John has a spiritual confrontation with Kynops, a famousmagician on the island, in which John is finally victorious. Kynops is drownedin the harbor and today a church is dedicated to that event (1979:9). Theresult of this victorious confrontation is the salvation of the rest of theisland. Before John left Patmos, the believers asked John to write an accountof the life of the Lord Jesus. According to one tradition, the gospel of Johnwas written on Patmos.

Whetherone believes these accounts is a matter of debate. However, there are subtlehints in the book of Revelation that John had freedom of movement while on theisland.

Whileexiled on Patmos, John experienced things which reflect life on the island. Theweather pheriomenons recorded in Revelation are common to the island. Whiteclouds (14:14); thunder and lightening (11:19; 14:2); great hail (8:7; 11:19;16:21) and rainbows (4:3; 10:1). From the peak of what is called Mt. Eliastoday, sitting 883 feet above sea level, one has a spectacular view of theislands of the Aegean Sea and the mountains of Asia Minor (western Turkeytoday) to the east. There are at least 22 references to the 'sea" in thebook of Revelation (4:6; 5:13; 7:1,2,3; 8:8,9; 10:2,5,8; 12:12; 13:1; 14:2,7;15:2; 16:3; 18:17,19,21; 19:6;20:13; 21:1). In Revelation6:14 and 16:20 John describes theislands and mountains disappearing. As oflast summer (1997), I can personally attest that they are still there awaitingfuture fulfillment.

Onlyone spring exists on the island at a place called Sykamia, it is on the roadleading from Chora to Groikos. Tradition has it John baptized some of hisconverts in a baptistry nearby. What a contrast this small spring was to the"pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throneof God and of the Lamb" (22:1) in the New Heaven and New Earth (21:1).

InRev. 13:1, John wrote that he "stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw abeast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on hishorns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name." Awhile back, afriend asked me who I thought the beast was in this verse. I responded, "Ihaven't the foggiest idea, but I can tell you exactly what beach John stood onwhen he saw that vision. It was the Psili Ammos beach." In Greek, the wordmeans "fine sand", and indeed this light, fine golden sand is theonly beach on the island which has no stones or pebbles (Stone 1981:83,84). Incontrast, the visitor to the island is impressed by the colored pebbles on theLambi beach. The other beaches have rocks on them.

Johnhad the opportunity to walk to this isolated beach some 45 minutes to an hourwalk from the harbor of Skela. He probably went to the Psili Beach to get awayfrom the noise and the crowds at the harbor or to meditate on the Word of Godand spend time in prayer. The impression I am left with is that John hadfreedom of movement on the island.

The Volcano at Thera(Santorini)

Fromthis beach one could see an eruption of the volcanic island of Thera,Santorini. In 1888, an interesting but highly imaginative article appeared inthe journal The Nineteenth Century entitled "What St. JohnSaw. on Patmos" by J.Theodore Bent. In it he proposed that the Apostle John saw a volcanic eruptionof Thera (Santorini) in AD 60. This eruption of Thera, as the Greek name implies,was the "beast" of Rev. 13:1. He suggested that "St. John madeuse of (this] phenomena which he saw with his own eyes, to prophetically depicta destruction of another kind" (1888:813). What that was, he does not say.

At the outset,there are several major problems with this thesis. First, Bent rejects the AD95 date for the writing of Revelation and follows the "consensus of modernopinion" (for 1888) that it was written between AD 60 and 69. Second, heassumes there was an eruption of Thera in the year AD 60. This, however, isbased on a secondhand, and probably unreliable, source. The authority, Georgeof Syngelos, probably confused it with the AD 46-47 eruption.

Therewas a very catastrophic eruption between 1520- 1460 BC which some geologistshave suggested was the largest eruption in historical times. This destroyed theMinoan civilization and might be the basis for the "Atlantis" legend.Strabo described and eruption in 197 BC (Geography 1:3:16). Pliny mentions onein AD 19 and several Roman historians record the AD 46-47 eruption.

Thestudent of Bible prophecy should be careful not to "throw the baby outwith the bath water" on some of Bent's observations. In the article hecompares "passages in Revelation with extracts from medieval and modernaccounts given by eye-witnesses of the eruptions of Thera" and notes theymake "many remarkable parallels" (1888:813). Let us examine threeexamples.

First,the sixth seal (Rev. 6:12-17). "There was a great earthquake; and the sunbecame black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood. And thestars of heaven fell to earth, as a fig tree drops its late figs when it isshaken by a mighty wind . ... and every mountain and island was moved out ofits place." All these phenomenoris; an earthquake, a dark sun and moonlike blood, "stars" falling from heaven and movement of land massesare associated with a volcanic eruption. The volcanic cloud in the atmospherewould darken the sun and make the moon appear blood red. The mention of latefigs may give us a chronological indicator as to when this eruption takesplace, August or September (Boronski 1987:37, 38, 115)

Second,the first trumpet (Rev. 8:7) describes hail and fire mingled with blood werethrown to earth. This destroyed one third of the trees and burned up all thegrass. Bent recounts N. Delenda's account of the eruption of 1707 where"flames ... issued out of the sea, and of the damage done to the vines andtrees by the noxious vapours and by the terrible crashing of the volcanicbombs" (1888:817)

Third,the second trumpet (Rev. 8:8,9). "And something like a great mountainburning with fire was thrown into the sea, and a third of the sea became blood;and a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the shipswere destroyed." Father Richard, observing the eruption of Thera(Santorini) in 1573 writes, "even when the volcano is quiescent, the seain the immediate vicinity of the cone is a brilliant orange colour, from theaction of oxide iron" (Bent 1888:817). N. Delenda observed after aneruption of Thera in 1707 the sulphurous vapours mixed with the sea, turned itwhite and the fish of the harbour died (Bent 1888:817). The destruction of onethird of the ships would be caused by a tsunami. Interestingly, geologistcalculate the tsunami (tidal wave) after the eruption of Thera between1520-1460 BC, was initially 42 meters high (Pararas-Carayannis 1992:122). Thatwould surely wreck havoc on any navies in the area!

Earthquakesare always associated with volcanos. The book of Revelation records at leasttwo earthquakes (Rev. 6:12; 16:18). A careful reading of the text seems toindicate that these are major earthquakes in which God directly intervenes inthe judgment of humanity.

Asany good geologist knows, there has actually been a decrease in thenumber of earthquakes. That should not surprise the student of Bible prophecybecause no verse in the Bible says there will be an increase in thenumber of earthquakes before the Lord Jesus Christ returns!

Morestudy needs to be done on the seal, trumpet and bowl judgments in Revelation.These are all natural phenomenon on a supernatural scale. The Lord is directlyintervening in the affairs of human history. These are not humanly contrivedevents, be they MX missiles, black helicopters, etc. Nations can explain, warnand defend against missile attacks. On the other hand, these naturalphenomenon: volcanoes, earthquakes and weather patterns can not be predicted,nor prevented by scientists. As a result of not having control over them, theywill cry out blasphemies toward God (Rev. 16:21)

The Third Seal (Rev. 6:5.6)

TheApostle John describes the opening of the third seal in this way: "When Heopened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, 'Come and see.'And I looked, and behold, a black horse, and he who sat on it had a pair ofscales in his hands. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four livingcreatures saying, 'A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barleyfor a denarius; and do not harm the oil and the wine'." (6:5,6)

NogahHareuveni, the founder of Neot Keduniim, the Biblical Landscape Reserve inIsrael, has a wise arid appropriate statement regarding the interpretation ofScripture. He says, "Let's look for the obvious!" There is no need tospiritualize, allegorize, or devotionalize the interpretation of the thispassage, or any passage relating to agriculture or nature in the MediterraneanBasin, and the Land of Israelin particular.

Inthis seal, the rider on the black horse is trying to sell wheat and barley atan expensive price due to a shortage of grain, but is not to touch the oil andwine.

Ona recent visit to the island off Patmos, a combination of an unusual weatherpattern and an upcoming Jewish holiday triggered the "obvious" in thispassage. One afternoon during our stay, a rainbow appeared over the eastern endof the island. While that, in and of itself, was not unusual, because John hadseen two rainbows while he was on the island (Rev. 4:3; 10:1) the timing wassignificant. Rainbows are always connected with rainstorms and the day itappeared was Friday, June 6, 1997. On the Jewish calendar, Shavuot, thefeast of weeks, also called Pentecost, fell on Wednesday, June 11. For theJewish farmer, Shavuot was the beginning of the wheat harvest (Ex.23:16; Num. 28:26). Helen Frenkly, the present director of Neot Kedumim, pointsout, "The Hebrew for Feast of Harvest is Hag Ha-Katzir.Katzir means harvest of grain and since the barley harvest begins onPassover, Shavuot is the start of the wheat harvest" (personalcorrespondence, Aug. 24, 1997)

The third sealhas been interpreted by most commentators as famine which resulted fromconflicts and wars mentioned in the first two seals (Rev. 6:1-4). Some alsosuggest the oil and wine were luxury items of the rich. The firstinterpretation is plausible, but the second is not true. There is a betterexplanation from the agricultural background, weather pattern and Scripture forthis seal.

Thefour foods: wheat, barley, (olive) oil and wine, should draw the Bible studentsmind to a phrase used throughout the Hebrew Scriptures for the essential foodsof daily life. This phrase, "grain, oil and wine" is used at least 17times in the Bible (Deut. 7:13; 11:14; 12:17; 14:23; 18:4; 28:51; 32:13,14; IChron. 9:29; II Chron. 2:15; 31:5; 32:28; Neh. 5:11; Ps. 104:15; Jer. 31:12;Hosea 2:8, 9,22; Joel 2:19; Hag. 1:11). These four foods were the mostimportant ones of the "seven varieties" (Deut. 8:7-10). The figs,pomegranates and date honey are the other three. What is common to all seven ofthese is that their fate is determined by a delicate weather balance betweenPassover and Shavuot (Hareuveni 1980:30-45)

An observantJewish farmer living in the Land of Israel during the Talmudic period wouldremember this phrase every time he recited Deut. 11 and had a Shabbat meal. Onthis "table of man" on Friday night would be placed the hallah breadmade from grains, wine from grapes, and the oil lamp which used olive oil.

BetweenPassover and Shavuot the farmer prays for the right winds to blow at theappropriate time. The rabbis say, "The northern wind is beneficial towheat when it has reached a third of its ripening and is damaging to olivetrees when they have blossomed. The southern wind is damaging to wheat when ithas reached a third of its ripening and is beneficial to olives when they haveblossomed. This is symbolized for you by (placing] the table in the north (sideof the Tabernacle and the Temple] and the menorah in the south (side of theTabernacle and Temple]..." (Baba Batra 147a; cited inHareuveni 1988:21)

The north windusually brings rain (Prov. 25:23) and is beneficial in the first third of theripening of the wheat and barley. Yet this same rain would ruin the buds of theolive trees or grapes vines if they are opened because it would wash away thepollen so the tree or vine will not be pollinated and fertilized. The southernwind is good for the pollination process of the olive and grapes if they comelater in the 50 days. If it comes early, then the grain will not fill withstarch and the crop will be decimated (cf. Gen. 41:6). The farmer prays to theLord that the winds would come at the right time. Even if the winds come at theright time, but the rains come after "its season" it will ruin thegrain crop (Lev. 26:4; Deut. 11:14; 28:12).

Someoneonce said, "The best commentary on the Bible is the Bible itself."Another example of the third seal judgment, albeit on a smaller scale, isrecorded in I Sam. 12. Heavy rains during the wheat harvest would bringdisaster for the wheat farmer. This is illustrated by the account in I Sam. 12."Is today not the wheat harvest? I (Samuel) will call to the LORD, and Hewill send thunder and rain, that you may perceive and see that your wickednessis great, which you have done in the sight of the LORD, in asking a king foryourselves" (12:17). The people cried out, "Pray for your servants tothe LORD your God, that we may not die..." (12:19). People do not die fromthunder and rain! However, as Nogah Hareuveni has pointed out, "The ripe,heavy-eared wheat can suffer from a downpour not only through physical damagefrom the force of the wind-driven rain, but also by rotting from the suddenmoisture combined with the high temperatures that prevail in Israel by Shavuot(in late May - early June). This is why the Israelites, cried out to Samuel to'pray ... to save us from death' (I Samuel 12:19) - from death by starvationthat would follow the destruction of the grain crop" (1988:25). Mildew isone of the results of disobedience to the Word of God (Deut. 28:22; I Kings8:38 II II Chron. 6:28; Amos 4:9; Hag. 2:17; Boronski 1987:158-160)

AdamSmith's law of supply and demand is a valid principle for interpreting thethird seal judgment. There was an untimely rainstorm during the wheat harvestwhich destroyed a good portion of the crop. The demand for wheat, plus theshortage in supply, led to higher prices. The olive trees and grapevines, the"oil and wine", were not affected by this rainstorm because they hadalready been pollinated. In fact, the water might even help them. This is the"obvious" interpretation.

Ithas been the purpose of this paper to put Revelation 1:9 in its historical andgeographical context (setting) John was exiled to Patmos because he took astand for the Word of God and the God of the Word. Even with the temple to theself-proclaimed deified emperor in his back yeard, John refused to bow down tohim. Yet when he saw the glorified Son of Man in a vision on Patmos, he felldown as dead. Because of his stand, the proconsel removed John to Patrnos. Onceon Patmos, John was free to move about the island. I can not help but imagineJohn standing on the piers in the harbor of Patmos passing out gospel tracts tothe sailors coming and going from the island. On at least one occasion he tookadvantage of a boat heading back to Ephesus to send along the Book ofRevelation, which he received while on the island. It probably went back withthe seven messangers who came to visit him from seven churches in Asia Minor.

Thisbook would have encouraged the believers in the Lord Jesus who were goingthrough difficult times to take a stand for the Lord and to realize that Godhas a plan and a purpose for what they are going through. One day He would setthings in order. The redeemed, those who have trusted solely upon the LordJesus Christ. and His finished work on Calvary, will one day gather around theThrone of God and worship the Lamb of God by saying, "Worthy is the Lambwho was slain to receive power and riches aand wisdom, and strength and honorand glory and blessing" (Rev. 5:12). Might we be encouraged by this samemessage.