If you would understand the book of Revelation, you could do worse than spend a day meditating on the first half of verse 9: "I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus..."
Tribulation. Kingdom. Endurance.
For now, tribulation and kingdom go together! These are present realities for John. And they are all present in Jesus. Some people want to say that Tribulation comes first – and then Kingdom. But John says that he is already a partner with us in Tribulation and Kingdom – and patient endurance... in Jesus.
Jesus is King. And his kingdom comes in the context of tribulation and suffering. How did Jesus' kingdom come? Through the cross. How does Jesus' kingdom continue to come? As we bear the cross.
How do we participate in the kingdom? We conquer by not compromising our faithful witness in the midst of trials. We conquer by defeating sin in our lives – and walking faithfully with Jesus until the end!
That's why John calls it the tribulation and kingdom and endurance that is in Jesus.
The Christian life is a long obedience in the same direction. Which direction? The way of the cross. And we see this illustrated in John himself...
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