Read Revelation 1:12-15 

Son of Man

When is a god a god?

When Julius Caesar ruled over Rome he was worshipped as god, but his successor, Augustus, although more careful about the practice, still accepted the titles of “Saviour” and “Son of God.”

Worshipping successive Emperors as god largely depended on their personality and the size of their ego. Some rejected it while others accepted it, but the cult of Emperor worship still grew. However, by the time Domitian ascended the throne in 81AD, it went to a whole new level because not only did he demand his subjects to worship him, he truly thought he was god!

Because of his faithful witness to Jesus, around 95-96AD, at the age of 90, the Apostle John was exiled to the island of Patmos. Patmos was a rugged, tiny island 64 kilometres offshore from modern day Turkey. John’s exile was brutal. Not only did he endure harsh manual labour overseen by a cruel Roman guard, at night he slept on the bare ground of a cave. Such conditions are hard enough at any age but imagine being sentenced to this at 90!

What kept John going?

I believe it’s the vision he recorded in what we now call the Book of Revelation. The first thing John describes is his vision of Jesus Who he describes as “the son of man.” This is a significant name because it echoes back to Daniel’s vision of a heavenly Person Who is given an eternal kingdom.

John seems to be saying, “Domitian may think he is god, but there is only one true God, His name is Jesus and He reigns forever!”

Perhaps you are in a difficult situation now, and it feels like you’re in exile. Be encouraged by this then:

Jesus is still on the Throne and He is there to give you the strength you need to endure it!