Postcards from the Edge | Upsizing | Revelation 1:1-20 | Week 1

"The year was about AD 90, around two decades before the temple that stood in Jerusalem had been absolutely leveled.  Emperor Titus, along with his Roman army, came in and absolutely leveled the central spot of worship in Judaism.  In doing so, they started to remove even the very soul and heart of that religion.  They've never worshipped the same since that building was destroyed.  The Apostle John, at this point in time, is a friend of Jesus.  He's one of the only disciples still alive.  In fact, most people would say he's the ONLY disciple still alive, and he finds himself in exile.  He finds himself on this little island off the coast of what's now modern-day Turkey.  It's about 24 miles from the shore.  He's there as a prisoner of the empire of Rome.  Rome, in AD 90, is ruled by a man by the name of Domitian.  Domitian was the very first emperor that required that he was worshipped as both god and savior.  John refused to bow his knee.  Can you imagine standing before the emperor and being required to bow down to worship him as god?  John, this friend of Jesus, the one who cared for Jesus's mom after Jesus was crucified, risen . . . the one who leaned up against Jesus during the last supper meal he celebrated with his disciples. . . .this John.  This John refused to bow his knee.  Tradition says that Domitian got a pot of boiling oil and dumped it on the Apostle John to try to kill him.  It sort of backfired on him though.  The people there that were witnessing this 'murder' actually turned and started to follow Jesus because they saw that it didn't affect John in the way it should have.  Since he couldn't kill him, Domitian thought he'd put John on an island with other criminals....."