18. And alive and was dead, and behold I am living for ever and ever and have the keys of death and of hell.
19. Write therefore the things which thou hast seen, and which are and which must be done hereafter.
20. The mystery of the seven stars, which thou sawest in my right hand and the seven golden candle sticks. The seven stars are the seven angels of the seven churches. And the seven candlesticks are the seven churches.
9. "For the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus refers to sufferings which St. John endured for his faith. Thus the martyrs were slain "for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held."[1] This interpretation is confirmed by the fact that the Apostle shared in the sufferings of his brethren; he was "a partner in their tribulations. He was even then suffering the hard ships of exile in Patmos.
Many authors take the words of St. John to mean that he was on the Island of Patmos for the purpose of receiving the "word of God" and to give testimony by his writing. But in the Apocalypse St. John does not use the Greek word "dia" in connection with the "word of God" to express a purpose. It always means "for the sake of" or "in consequence of." No doubt, St. John would also look upon his banishment as an act of divine Providence preparing him for these great revelations.
Toward the end of Domitian's reign, St. John was brought to Rome and cast into a cauldron of boiling oil.
- ↑ Apocalypse vi, 9.
