Patmos is just off the coast of present day Turkey not too far from the ruins of Ephesus. One of the tourist attractions in Ephesus is the house where Mary, the mother of Jesus, died. This would make sense as we recall that when Jesus was dying on the cross, he asked John to take care of his mother. And we know that the disciples of Jesus left Jerusalem and the surrounding areas because they knew of the destruction of it which Jesus prophesied while he was still with them.

John was supposedly an old man when he wrote Revelation. So it is very possible that Mary would have been close to John and may well have died in Ephesus around the time that John wrote this book in the nearby island of Patmos. Of course this flies in the face of the teachings of the Catholic Church who say that Mary was assumed into heaven just as Jesus was. Thus they celebrate the Feast of the Assumption. The reason they call it the Assumption is because they assume this happened. Is there any doctrinal proof for this or is it recorded anywhere in ancient writings? Of course not. This is merely a good example of the doctrines and traditions of men which transgress the truth of the Word of God. But that’s religion for you.

Please note that verse three of this first chapter informs us that whoever reads the words of this prophecy and whoever hears the words of this book, and takes to heart what is written, is blessed. This promise is reiterated again at the end of Revelation. This is the only book in the Bible where we are told that we are blessed if we read it or if we hear its words.

We are not told that we are blessed if we understand it. For it is hard to understand. But we receive a blessing when we read it or hear it read. For this alone, the book of Revelation is worth reading.

“Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.

Look, he is coming with the clouds,

And every eye will see him,

Even those who pierced him,

And all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him.

So shall it be! Amen.” Rev. 1: 4,5,7.

The Book of Revelation is a spiritual book. What we are dealing with here are spiritual matters. Although it deals with what is to happen upon earth in the coming Apocalypse, it also informs us of matters celestial and of things that occur in the heavenly realm. It talks of angels and spirits and demons and signs, miracles and wonders. If we are to learn any of its secrets, it will be only if these are revealed to us directly by the Lord himself. Whether or not we can unlock some of these mysteries remains to be seen.

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