THE ISLE OF PATMOS by Rev. T. A. T. Hanna

Seventh-day Adventist Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Sep 9, 1880

THE ISLE OF PATMOS.

By Rev. T. A. T. Hanna

The name of this island would never have been heard beyond the archipelago in which it stands if John had not been banished thither. Some prisons are famous, as it were, in themselves; that is, by a long succession of illustrious prisoners they have a great part in history. The Mamertine in Rome, the Wells of Venice, the Bastile in Paris, and the Tower of London are of this kind. There are other places not originally meant for prisons which have become famous by some one illustrious captive. So, the rock of Masada, where the Jewish zealots slew themselves to escape the vengeance of the Romans. So, the Isle of Sainte Marguerite, where languished the man with the iron mask. So, the Castle of Chillon is renowned for Bonivard alone. So the obscure fastness in Austria, where Richard of England was for a time eating his lion-heart away. Such was Wartburgh Castle, where God's providence allowed Luther to be imprisoned, that he might have leisure to translate the Scripture for all German folk. And though Bedford Gaol was a gaol, it would hardly emerge into the atmosphere of history till John Bunyan spends his twelve years there. The rock of St. Helena would be little heard of as its compeer, Ascension Island, but for that mighty Shade, "the conqueror and the captive of the earth," who spent his last six years there.

Thus "the isle that is called Patmos" has no record whatever in history, save that it became the place of exile for a persecuted apostle of our Lord. And we may note that the inspired John makes no reference whatever to any of his sufferings during his banishment. What unearthly dignity and continance is this! Here are no sighs and wailings over human injustice and the hard lot of the exile. How different from other exiles!

The poet Ovid was banished among barbarians because of his immoral poetry. He takes up his guilty harp to mourn in doleful strains on his pitiful plight among a cruel and savage people. Silvio Pellico is immured for political offences, and he makes the world sympathize with him by his pensive thoughts in "My Prison." But John has a mind lifted up above itself. The Spirit of Christ that was in him deigned not to make mention of his trials. "His mind to him a kingdom was." Patmos was a cheerless rock, but it was enough to stand upon. He could stand there and see all space and all time unrolled before him. He was shut out from the society of earth, but he "looked, and behold a door was opened in heaven." As Daniel, the exile, kept his window open toward Jerusalem, John had a spirit divinely lighted, and a window in it opened toward the Jerusalem above.—Rev. T. A. T. Hanna.