Encouragement

There seems to be much eschatological investigation in our time which excludes routinely any notion that many of the 1st-century Christians experienced these things:

"persecution", "punishment", "imprisonment" and "death"

from the hands of those who are influenced by the beast/false prophet/dragon conglomerate of the Book of Revelation.

Let us observe the following scriptures from the Apostle ...

It is clear that John the Revelator was "in the Spirit" when he "saw" the immortal Lord Jesus Christ on Patmos Island:

Rev. 1
9I, John, your brother and fellow partaker in the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance which are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.
10I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like the sound of a trumpet,
...

Should it be said!

This week I started my weekly journal,
instead of doing the digital web book
Based on reading through Genesis. It was
decided to start simplifying the book
by making it a Journal by amen corner.
Having studied one word that came to my
memory, or if I was truthful my Spiritual
man. The word was “Rhetorical” that is
what the heading is at the top of the page.
Not being a well educated person in
Grammar, ...

Yep.

There is indeed a reason for the "first resurrection"--and that reason has to do with the reality that the saints in this verse (in bold below):

Rev. 1
8“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
9I, John, your brother and fellow partaker in the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance which are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God

...

I'm sure that we all remember the reasons for Judah's captivity in Babylon to begin with:

II Chron. 36
15 The LORD, the God of their fathers, sent word to them again and again by His messengers, because He had compassion on His people and on His dwelling place;
16 but they continually mocked the messengers of God, despised His words and scoffed at His prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against His people, until there was no remedy.
17 Therefore

...