“I, John, both your brother and companion in the tribulation and Kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called Patmos for the Word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet, saying, ‘I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last,’ and, ‘What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia: to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamum, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.'”     Revelation 1:9-11 NKJV

The last book in the Bible is known as “The Revelation of Jesus Christ.” It is the record of the Apostle John’s supernatural experience, which outlines the end times. Today I want you to notice the circumstances surrounding this vision.

You will find that John was in three key positions anyone preparing for the return of the Jesus Christ should imitate.
First, he was experiencing the tribulation that comes as a result of testifying faithfully to the truth of God’s Word. Imprisoned on an island off the coast of modern day Turkey, John was in a Roman penal colony, most likely forced to do hard labor in the granite mines located there. The name of this place, “Patmos,” interestingly enough, means “my killing!” Yet, even in the midst of such a physically demanding situation, he was able to remain patient and focused on the Lord!

Second, John is not just found praying there, but rather he was specifically in “the Spirit” of prayer. This means he had pushed passed the limitations of the natural body and mind, taken hold of the Holy Spirit’s leading and crossed over into a place of the conscious awareness of God. This is what you find described by Jude (verse 20) and Paul (1 Corinthians 14) as necessary for a believer in building a supernatural lifestyle. John wasn’t just religious he was truly spiritual in that he was willing to do in secret what he preached in public!

Finally, this apostle serves as a great example for us as last day believers by being found in a position of a faithful messenger. Jesus could assign the work of God’s Kingdom to him knowing he would carry it out, even from prison! So, the first revelation for us from “The Revelation” illustrates how to live in a constant state of readiness to meet Jesus!