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81 DOMITIAN BECOMES CAESAR
General Titus (41-81) succeeded his father, Vespasian (9-79), as the Roman emperor in 79. However, Titus' reign was short-lived, and his brother Domitian (51-96) succeeded him in 81. The early years of Domitian's reign were prosperous, and he was well liked. However, in 87, he began to demand that he be worshiped as lord and god. Christians were unwilling to submit to this decree. As a result, the emperor instituted a great persecution against the church. John's exile to the island of Patmos, where he wrote Revelation, was part of this persecution. Domitian's later conduct became increasingly erratic, and a group led by his wife assassinated him in 96.
—Complete Book of When and Where, The
90 THE RISE OF GNOSTICISM BEGINS
In the last part of the first century, a group of false teachers arose in the Christian church who taught that salvation comes through a secret knowledge (gnosis). The early church fathers claimed that this teaching originated with Simon Magus, who is mentioned in Acts 8. These "Gnostics," as they came to be known, taught a form of dualism in which spirit is good and material is evil. As a result, Gnostics denied Jesus' humanity. Their understanding of the material world caused them to become either extreme ascetics in order to avoid corruption by matter or extreme hedonists who thought that what happens in the physical world is irrelevant. Some of the later New Testament books— Colossians, 1 and 2 Timothy, Titus, 2 Peter, and 1, 2, and 3 John—combat the earliest forms of Gnosticism.
—Complete Book of When and Where, The
95 JOHN WRITES THE BOOK OF REVELATION
As part of Emperor Domitian's (51-96) persecution of the church, the apostle John was exiled to the tiny island of Patmos in the Mediterranean Sea. There, in about 95, he received four visions that he described in the book of Revelation (1:9-3:22; 4:1-16:21; 17:1-21:8 and 21:9-22:17). In the first vision (1:9-3:22), the glorified Son of God sends letters to seven churches in Asia Minor, revealing the blessings that will come to them if they are faithful, and the judgments that will come if they are unfaithful. The rest of the book (visions 2-4) spells out the details of these blessings and judgments.
—Complete Book of When and Where, The
EXILED TO PATMOS
September 18, AD 96
What was the apostle John doing on the island of Patmos?
He was there because of a man named Domitian. Domitian was the second son of Vespasian, who commanded the Roman army sent in February, AD 67, to put down the rebellion in Judea. Vespasian's army was so successful that by June, AD 68, only Jerusalem was left to be conquered. Then on June 9, Emperor Nero committed suicide, and Vespasian halted military operations to see what would happen next in Rome.
The following year, 69, was a year of civil war with a succession of four Caesars. Galba succeeded Nero and then was followed by Otho, Vitellius, and finally Vespasian. Vespasian turned the war against the Jews over to his oldest son, Titus, and concentrated his energy on defeating Vitellius. To stem the revolt of Vespasian's legions, Vitellius tried to take Domitian hostage. However, after two daring escapes, Domitian was able to reach his father's legions. After the death of Vitellius in December, the Roman Senate proclaimed Vespasian as Caesar, and Domitian returned in triumph to Rome.
Vespasian did not come to Rome for ten months, and during that time nineteen-year-old Domitian got a taste of ruling the empire. However, he became embroiled in arguments with a representative of his father, and exercising power became a frustrating experience.
During Vespasian's reign, Domitian was given only minor roles, while his older brother Titus functioned as his father's heir apparent. When Vespasian died in 79, Titus succeeded him. Since Titus was only forty at the time, Domitian again received no positions of authority, as it was assumed that Titus would rule for years to come. However, Titus suddenly died only two years later and Domitian became Caesar. As Caesar, Domitian was autocratic and cruel. He declared himself "lord and god" and demanded to be worshiped. Those refusing to acknowledge his deity were persecuted.
Domitian persecuted all classes of Christians: Roman citizens and noncitizens, male and female, slave and free. It was as part of this persecution that the apostle John, who had been living at Ephesus, was exiled to the island of Patmos. John tells us, "In Jesus we are partners in suffering and in the Kingdom and in patient endurance. I was exiled to the island of Patmos for preaching the word of God and speaking about Jesus" (Revelation 1:9).
In the Roman Empire, prisoners were commonly exiled to islands, and in John's case it was to Patmos, a desolate volanic island ten miles long and six miles wide, thirty-seven miles off the coast of Asia Minor.
In his later years, Domitian's behavior became so intolerable as to drive other pagans, including his wife, to plot a conspiracy against him. He was assassinated on September 18, 96, a few weeks before his forty-fifth birthday.
Nerva, the next caesar, proclaimed a recall of all of Domitian's exiles in 96, and John returned to Ephesus.
—Complete Book of When and Where, The
95 JOHN WRITES HIS GOSPEL
John, the son of Zebedee and brother of James, wrote the last of the four Gospels in about 95. His audience was not limited to one nation or people. Rather, he presents Jesus as the Savior and Lord of all nations of the world. John clearly states that his purpose in writing was to persuade his audience that Jesus is the Son of God and that, by believing, they would have life in Christ (20:31). The first part of the book consists of seven signs Jesus performed to prove his deity (chapters 1-12). The second section deals almost exclusively with Christ's final instructions to his disciples (chapters 13-17). The last section is a narrative of the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus (chapters 18-21).
—Complete Book of When and Where, The
General Titus (41-81) succeeded his father, Vespasian (9-79), as the Roman emperor in 79. However, Titus' reign was short-lived, and his brother Domitian (51-96) succeeded him in 81. The early years of Domitian's reign were prosperous, and he was well liked. However, in 87, he began to demand that he be worshiped as lord and god. Christians were unwilling to submit to this decree. As a result, the emperor instituted a great persecution against the church. John's exile to the island of Patmos, where he wrote Revelation, was part of this persecution. Domitian's later conduct became increasingly erratic, and a group led by his wife assassinated him in 96.
—Complete Book of When and Where, The
90 THE RISE OF GNOSTICISM BEGINS
In the last part of the first century, a group of false teachers arose in the Christian church who taught that salvation comes through a secret knowledge (gnosis). The early church fathers claimed that this teaching originated with Simon Magus, who is mentioned in Acts 8. These "Gnostics," as they came to be known, taught a form of dualism in which spirit is good and material is evil. As a result, Gnostics denied Jesus' humanity. Their understanding of the material world caused them to become either extreme ascetics in order to avoid corruption by matter or extreme hedonists who thought that what happens in the physical world is irrelevant. Some of the later New Testament books— Colossians, 1 and 2 Timothy, Titus, 2 Peter, and 1, 2, and 3 John—combat the earliest forms of Gnosticism.
—Complete Book of When and Where, The
95 JOHN WRITES THE BOOK OF REVELATION
As part of Emperor Domitian's (51-96) persecution of the church, the apostle John was exiled to the tiny island of Patmos in the Mediterranean Sea. There, in about 95, he received four visions that he described in the book of Revelation (1:9-3:22; 4:1-16:21; 17:1-21:8 and 21:9-22:17). In the first vision (1:9-3:22), the glorified Son of God sends letters to seven churches in Asia Minor, revealing the blessings that will come to them if they are faithful, and the judgments that will come if they are unfaithful. The rest of the book (visions 2-4) spells out the details of these blessings and judgments.
—Complete Book of When and Where, The
EXILED TO PATMOS
September 18, AD 96
What was the apostle John doing on the island of Patmos?
He was there because of a man named Domitian. Domitian was the second son of Vespasian, who commanded the Roman army sent in February, AD 67, to put down the rebellion in Judea. Vespasian's army was so successful that by June, AD 68, only Jerusalem was left to be conquered. Then on June 9, Emperor Nero committed suicide, and Vespasian halted military operations to see what would happen next in Rome.
The following year, 69, was a year of civil war with a succession of four Caesars. Galba succeeded Nero and then was followed by Otho, Vitellius, and finally Vespasian. Vespasian turned the war against the Jews over to his oldest son, Titus, and concentrated his energy on defeating Vitellius. To stem the revolt of Vespasian's legions, Vitellius tried to take Domitian hostage. However, after two daring escapes, Domitian was able to reach his father's legions. After the death of Vitellius in December, the Roman Senate proclaimed Vespasian as Caesar, and Domitian returned in triumph to Rome.
Vespasian did not come to Rome for ten months, and during that time nineteen-year-old Domitian got a taste of ruling the empire. However, he became embroiled in arguments with a representative of his father, and exercising power became a frustrating experience.
During Vespasian's reign, Domitian was given only minor roles, while his older brother Titus functioned as his father's heir apparent. When Vespasian died in 79, Titus succeeded him. Since Titus was only forty at the time, Domitian again received no positions of authority, as it was assumed that Titus would rule for years to come. However, Titus suddenly died only two years later and Domitian became Caesar. As Caesar, Domitian was autocratic and cruel. He declared himself "lord and god" and demanded to be worshiped. Those refusing to acknowledge his deity were persecuted.
Domitian persecuted all classes of Christians: Roman citizens and noncitizens, male and female, slave and free. It was as part of this persecution that the apostle John, who had been living at Ephesus, was exiled to the island of Patmos. John tells us, "In Jesus we are partners in suffering and in the Kingdom and in patient endurance. I was exiled to the island of Patmos for preaching the word of God and speaking about Jesus" (Revelation 1:9).
In the Roman Empire, prisoners were commonly exiled to islands, and in John's case it was to Patmos, a desolate volanic island ten miles long and six miles wide, thirty-seven miles off the coast of Asia Minor.
In his later years, Domitian's behavior became so intolerable as to drive other pagans, including his wife, to plot a conspiracy against him. He was assassinated on September 18, 96, a few weeks before his forty-fifth birthday.
Nerva, the next caesar, proclaimed a recall of all of Domitian's exiles in 96, and John returned to Ephesus.
—Complete Book of When and Where, The
95 JOHN WRITES HIS GOSPEL
John, the son of Zebedee and brother of James, wrote the last of the four Gospels in about 95. His audience was not limited to one nation or people. Rather, he presents Jesus as the Savior and Lord of all nations of the world. John clearly states that his purpose in writing was to persuade his audience that Jesus is the Son of God and that, by believing, they would have life in Christ (20:31). The first part of the book consists of seven signs Jesus performed to prove his deity (chapters 1-12). The second section deals almost exclusively with Christ's final instructions to his disciples (chapters 13-17). The last section is a narrative of the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus (chapters 18-21).
—Complete Book of When and Where, The