1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:04,160 This is a timeline of Jesus's best friend and you will be 2 00:00:04,160 --> 00:00:07,960 shocked when you see why millions of people claim that he 3 00:00:07,960 --> 00:00:12,120 is still alive on earth today. You already know that John was 4 00:00:12,120 --> 00:00:14,800 the disciple who Jesus loved, but there's something you've 5 00:00:14,800 --> 00:00:18,480 probably never seen before. It's 30 AD and Jesus is on the 6 00:00:18,480 --> 00:00:20,320 cross. But now watch this. 7 00:00:20,360 --> 00:00:23,720 In one eyewitness account, Mark mentions a woman named Salome 8 00:00:23,720 --> 00:00:27,560 standing near the cross watching Jesus faithfully, whilst another 9 00:00:27,560 --> 00:00:31,080 account written by Matthew once again places her there at 10 00:00:31,080 --> 00:00:32,759 Calvary. Did you catch that? 11 00:00:32,759 --> 00:00:35,680 Because in a different account written by John, we're told that 12 00:00:35,680 --> 00:00:39,640 Jesus mother was standing by the cross alongside a woman simply 13 00:00:39,640 --> 00:00:43,480 described as her sister, but her name is never given. 14 00:00:43,760 --> 00:00:47,400 So why does some accounts name Salome while another mentions 15 00:00:47,400 --> 00:00:49,480 Mary's sister without naming her? 16 00:00:49,640 --> 00:00:53,120 Could it be that these are two descriptions of the same woman 17 00:00:53,160 --> 00:00:57,000 seen from different angles? Think about it, if Salome really 18 00:00:57,000 --> 00:01:00,760 was Mary's sister, that would mean her son's James and John 19 00:01:00,760 --> 00:01:04,760 weren't just disciples following Jesus, but possibly his cousins 20 00:01:04,760 --> 00:01:06,920 too. Which might kind of explain why 21 00:01:06,920 --> 00:01:09,600 John seems especially close to Jesus. 22 00:01:09,600 --> 00:01:13,480 And that also could be why he trusted John with his mother in 23 00:01:13,480 --> 00:01:17,080 his final moments because Mary was already his auntie. 24 00:01:17,240 --> 00:01:20,200 OK, so take all of that into your mind and now consider this. 25 00:01:20,440 --> 00:01:24,320 If John was born around six AD, that would make him a teenager 26 00:01:24,320 --> 00:01:27,320 or in his early 20s back in 26 AD. 27 00:01:27,480 --> 00:01:31,480 This is when Jesus calls him to leave his fish and follow him. 28 00:01:31,880 --> 00:01:34,520 Now here's the thing. Many people believe he grew up 29 00:01:34,520 --> 00:01:37,280 in Bethsaeder, a fishing town on the Sea of Galilee. 30 00:01:37,280 --> 00:01:41,320 But what people often miss is John didn't grow up poor. 31 00:01:41,320 --> 00:01:45,000 His father Zebedee ran a fishing business solid enough, as the 32 00:01:45,000 --> 00:01:47,800 Bible puts it, to employ hired workers. 33 00:01:47,920 --> 00:01:50,920 So jump forward a few years and we are in 27 AD. 34 00:01:51,120 --> 00:01:54,840 Around this time period, a lot of John's ministry takes place 35 00:01:54,840 --> 00:01:57,960 in areas near the Sea of Galilee, towns like Capernaum 36 00:01:58,080 --> 00:02:00,760 and Bethsaeder. Interestingly, archaeologists 37 00:02:00,760 --> 00:02:04,320 have uncovered 1st century fishing tools for salt houses 38 00:02:04,320 --> 00:02:07,640 and synagogue remains that fit the descriptions of the culture 39 00:02:07,640 --> 00:02:09,639 described in the Gospel accounts. 40 00:02:09,759 --> 00:02:14,520 Meanwhile, in 28 AD, John is witnessing Jesus heal folk, cast 41 00:02:14,520 --> 00:02:17,640 out demons, preached to growing crowds, and he is formally 42 00:02:17,640 --> 00:02:21,360 appointed by his master as one of the 12 disciples. 43 00:02:21,560 --> 00:02:24,400 I can assure you of one thing, it wasn't a bed of roses for 44 00:02:24,400 --> 00:02:26,920 John. He at times struggled to grasp 45 00:02:27,120 --> 00:02:30,480 Jesus mission, for instance he once snitched on and tried to 46 00:02:30,480 --> 00:02:33,560 stop an outsider casting out demons in Jesus name. 47 00:02:33,720 --> 00:02:36,800 He joined his brother James in wanting a scary judgment to fall 48 00:02:36,800 --> 00:02:40,520 on a Samaritan village and he also joined the arrogant 49 00:02:40,520 --> 00:02:44,200 disciples who requested for the highest places in the Kingdom. 50 00:02:44,240 --> 00:02:47,560 I do wonder if these mistakes are the reason why Jesus gives 51 00:02:47,560 --> 00:02:51,520 John and his brother James the nickname Bo energies, meaning 52 00:02:51,600 --> 00:02:55,080 sons of Thunder, because they both had an impulsive character 53 00:02:55,200 --> 00:02:59,560 and a swiftness to judge others. However, John wouldn't always be 54 00:02:59,560 --> 00:03:03,160 hot headed and later we'll see him do some incredible things 55 00:03:03,160 --> 00:03:05,640 for the Lord. But right now John has a lot to 56 00:03:05,640 --> 00:03:08,320 learn. We pick up the story back in 29 57 00:03:08,360 --> 00:03:13,080 AD John is repeatedly included in Jesus smaller inner circle. 58 00:03:13,200 --> 00:03:16,160 He is present when Jairus's daughter is brought back to life 59 00:03:16,160 --> 00:03:19,240 in Galilee and later witnesses the Transfiguration. 60 00:03:19,240 --> 00:03:22,400 Which by the way, is believed by many Christian writers to be on 61 00:03:22,400 --> 00:03:25,320 Mount Table, although some modern scholars suggest Mount 62 00:03:25,320 --> 00:03:29,080 Hermon due to its height and proximity to Caesarea Philippi. 63 00:03:29,080 --> 00:03:31,120 Do I have permission to go on a little diversion? 64 00:03:31,120 --> 00:03:35,840 The appearances of Moses and Elijah alongside Jesus is very 65 00:03:35,840 --> 00:03:38,040 significant within Jewish theology. 66 00:03:38,120 --> 00:03:40,280 Why? Because it connected Jesus 67 00:03:40,280 --> 00:03:43,040 directly to the Law and to the prophets. 68 00:03:43,040 --> 00:03:45,640 Does that make sense? In other words, He was the 69 00:03:45,640 --> 00:03:48,280 missing piece of the puzzle. He was the Messiah that the 70 00:03:48,280 --> 00:03:51,880 prophets predicted would come, and he was the same Savior who 71 00:03:51,880 --> 00:03:55,880 would save them from the law. Because we as sinners, we can 72 00:03:55,880 --> 00:03:58,680 never keep that law. But He could keep all of it and 73 00:03:58,680 --> 00:04:00,920 its requirements. And though he was the only one 74 00:04:00,920 --> 00:04:03,880 who could rescue all of those who were trusting him from sin 75 00:04:03,920 --> 00:04:06,720 and the consequences that come from breaking the law. 76 00:04:06,720 --> 00:04:10,480 All right, we are. In AD 30, John has just been 77 00:04:10,480 --> 00:04:13,720 sent with Peter into Jerusalem to prepare the Passover meal. 78 00:04:13,720 --> 00:04:16,880 This would later be known in Christian tradition as the 79 00:04:16,880 --> 00:04:20,279 city's western hill, and it's now called Mount Zion. 80 00:04:20,360 --> 00:04:23,120 You might remember that during the meal, John reclines close 81 00:04:23,120 --> 00:04:25,760 enough to quietly ask Jesus about the portrayal. 82 00:04:25,800 --> 00:04:28,680 This might seem a little strange to you and I, but it was 83 00:04:28,680 --> 00:04:32,320 actually really quite common. 1st century dining custom to do 84 00:04:32,320 --> 00:04:35,040 this kind of thing. Later that night, John follows 85 00:04:35,160 --> 00:04:38,280 Jesus across the Kidron Valley to the Mount of Olives and into 86 00:04:38,280 --> 00:04:40,840 the olive Grove known as Gethsemane. 87 00:04:41,320 --> 00:04:45,280 I can promise you this, no one was more faithful to Jesus on 88 00:04:45,280 --> 00:04:48,560 the road to the cross than John, and you're about to see why. 89 00:04:48,680 --> 00:04:51,800 In the early hours after Jesus was arrested, John and Peter 90 00:04:51,800 --> 00:04:55,640 follow him to the high priest courtyard and John gains access 91 00:04:55,640 --> 00:04:59,520 through a prior connection. Then it happens later on that 92 00:04:59,520 --> 00:05:03,960 same day as Jesus crucified outside the city walls at a site 93 00:05:04,000 --> 00:05:08,080 early on known as Golgotha. John remains nearby whilst most 94 00:05:08,080 --> 00:05:11,160 of the other disciples flee. And as we've already discussed, 95 00:05:11,320 --> 00:05:14,760 Jesus entrusts his mother Mary into John's care in that very 96 00:05:14,760 --> 00:05:17,400 moment. It's worth noting that Jesus 97 00:05:17,400 --> 00:05:21,600 talking to John on the cross was consistent with Roman practices 98 00:05:21,600 --> 00:05:24,720 that allowed observers to be within sight and hearing 99 00:05:24,720 --> 00:05:27,560 distance of the one who was put on the cross. 100 00:05:28,000 --> 00:05:30,960 Can I ask you what goes through your mind when you hear that 101 00:05:31,320 --> 00:05:34,760 here we have the Son of God crucified, and he's thinking 102 00:05:34,800 --> 00:05:37,880 about his best friend. He's thinking about his precious 103 00:05:37,920 --> 00:05:40,280 mother. But listen to me, He's also 104 00:05:40,280 --> 00:05:44,600 thinking about you and I too. The Bible says He is the 105 00:05:44,600 --> 00:05:48,760 propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but for the 106 00:05:48,760 --> 00:05:52,680 sins of the whole world. You see, when Jesus paid the 107 00:05:52,680 --> 00:05:56,680 ultimate price 2000 years ago, He was paying the price for your 108 00:05:56,680 --> 00:05:59,760 sins and for mine. He was fully God, so He knew 109 00:05:59,760 --> 00:06:02,880 everything, even the wrongdoing you would commit in the 21st 110 00:06:02,880 --> 00:06:05,240 century. And yet He was fully man. 111 00:06:05,240 --> 00:06:09,080 And that is why He alone was the one who was able to save men and 112 00:06:09,080 --> 00:06:12,360 women who put their faith in Him, because He became one of 113 00:06:12,360 --> 00:06:15,600 us. OK, A few days later, still AD 114 00:06:15,680 --> 00:06:20,200 30, John runs to a rock cut out tomb just outside Jerusalem, a 115 00:06:20,200 --> 00:06:23,040 burial style that was well documented in 1st century 116 00:06:23,040 --> 00:06:25,840 archaeology. He sees the grave clothes lying 117 00:06:25,840 --> 00:06:29,480 separately and believes before seeing Jesus alive. 118 00:06:29,600 --> 00:06:33,040 So just a minute, Joe, if the cross involves us, well, what 119 00:06:33,040 --> 00:06:35,840 about the resurrection? Well, I'm so glad you asked 120 00:06:35,880 --> 00:06:39,400 because here's the truth. Jesus was also resurrected for 121 00:06:39,400 --> 00:06:42,880 you and I so that we can be raised back to life when we die 122 00:06:42,880 --> 00:06:46,360 and we can spend eternity with this same Jesus in heaven if we 123 00:06:46,360 --> 00:06:50,120 repent and believe on his name. Now here's where our story 124 00:06:50,120 --> 00:06:53,760 starts to slip into mystery. In the weeks that follow, John 125 00:06:53,760 --> 00:06:57,400 returns N to Galilee and by the Sea of Tiberius, also known as 126 00:06:57,400 --> 00:07:00,680 the Sea of Galilee, he is the first to recognize the risen 127 00:07:00,800 --> 00:07:04,080 Jesus standing on the shore. He then alerts Peter, who dives 128 00:07:04,080 --> 00:07:05,920 into the water to greet the risen Lord. 129 00:07:05,960 --> 00:07:09,120 But during this period, Jesus makes a statement about John 130 00:07:09,160 --> 00:07:12,520 that no one can explain, a statement that led to rumours 131 00:07:12,520 --> 00:07:14,560 that John was going to be immortal. 132 00:07:14,720 --> 00:07:18,240 But more on that later. It's AD 31 and everything 133 00:07:18,240 --> 00:07:20,800 changes. John is frequently at the temple 134 00:07:20,800 --> 00:07:23,680 complex, one of the largest religious structures in the 135 00:07:23,680 --> 00:07:25,960 ancient world. Whilst entering the temple with 136 00:07:25,960 --> 00:07:29,280 Peter, John witnesses the healing of a man who has been 137 00:07:29,280 --> 00:07:32,480 unable to walk since birth. This was a public miracle that 138 00:07:32,480 --> 00:07:35,640 draws massive attention in a busy pilgrimage area. 139 00:07:35,760 --> 00:07:39,240 This then leads to the arrest of Peter and John by the temple 140 00:07:39,240 --> 00:07:42,160 authorities, particularly by the Sadducees. 141 00:07:42,160 --> 00:07:45,240 You remember that ruling group of people who were known for 142 00:07:45,240 --> 00:07:48,480 rejecting the belief in the resurrection Well after Peter 143 00:07:48,480 --> 00:07:51,080 and John were questioned, they were later released. 144 00:07:51,440 --> 00:07:54,680 Let's glide ahead. A few years to 42 AD, John 145 00:07:54,680 --> 00:07:58,040 begins writing what will become known as the Gospel of John. 146 00:07:58,120 --> 00:08:01,720 While scholars debate the exact year it's first put into words, 147 00:08:01,760 --> 00:08:05,520 evidence from early manuscript fragments show us that copies of 148 00:08:05,520 --> 00:08:09,160 the Gospel were circulating widely from the early 2nd 149 00:08:09,160 --> 00:08:11,640 century. For example, a tiny piece of the 150 00:08:11,640 --> 00:08:15,680 Gospel of John called the Rylands Papyrus P52 was found in 151 00:08:15,680 --> 00:08:19,320 Egypt and is one of the oldest surviving New Testament pieces 152 00:08:19,320 --> 00:08:21,840 we possess. This teaches us that John's 153 00:08:21,840 --> 00:08:25,080 story of Jesus had already spread far from the place of its 154 00:08:25,080 --> 00:08:29,880 origin by 125 AD, and even some historians claimed that this 155 00:08:29,880 --> 00:08:34,280 particular manuscript was written as early as 90 AD. 156 00:08:34,280 --> 00:08:37,679 This fragment is so small that it fits in your hand, but it 157 00:08:37,679 --> 00:08:40,480 contains part of the conversation between Jesus and 158 00:08:40,480 --> 00:08:43,640 Pilate and proves that the Gospel was written early enough 159 00:08:43,679 --> 00:08:46,400 to travel across the entire Roman world. 160 00:08:46,480 --> 00:08:50,240 It now lives in the John Rylands Research Institute and Library 161 00:08:50,240 --> 00:08:53,440 in Manchester, England, alongside other ancient texts 162 00:08:53,440 --> 00:08:56,960 from early Christianity. I was so taken aback when I saw 163 00:08:57,040 --> 00:08:58,920 this. On the Joe Rogan Experience, 164 00:08:58,920 --> 00:09:02,480 Canadian apologist Wes Huff presented Joe Rogan with a 165 00:09:02,480 --> 00:09:07,160 framed self-made replica of the John Ryland's Papyrus 52 166 00:09:07,160 --> 00:09:09,080 manuscript. The very one we're talking 167 00:09:09,080 --> 00:09:12,280 about, and the very one that I've seen with my own two eyes 168 00:09:12,480 --> 00:09:15,200 in Manchester. Let's sweep across to the spring 169 00:09:15,200 --> 00:09:18,040 of 44AD. Trouble hits the early church 170 00:09:18,040 --> 00:09:21,120 when Herod Agrippa begins hating on the believers. 171 00:09:21,440 --> 00:09:23,760 James, John's older brother and another of the original 172 00:09:23,760 --> 00:09:27,520 apostles, pays the ultimate price by sword, making him the 173 00:09:27,520 --> 00:09:30,280 first apostle to be removed from the earth. 174 00:09:30,480 --> 00:09:34,000 Peter is arrested too, but ancient historians like Eusebius 175 00:09:34,000 --> 00:09:37,040 record that he is miraculously freed from prison. 176 00:09:37,360 --> 00:09:42,120 It's 64AD, and John is living in Ephesus, a major city in Asia 177 00:09:42,120 --> 00:09:44,120 Minor. Here he writes his three 178 00:09:44,120 --> 00:09:47,320 letters, 1 John, 2 John and three John. 179 00:09:47,480 --> 00:09:50,840 These short letters are meant to support early believers. 180 00:09:50,840 --> 00:09:54,360 They warn against false teachers and encourage them to live lives 181 00:09:54,360 --> 00:09:58,600 marked by love and truth. But listen, that's only half the 182 00:09:58,600 --> 00:10:01,920 story. It's now 67 AD, and Roman 183 00:10:01,920 --> 00:10:04,800 legions under Titus close in on Jerusalem. 184 00:10:04,920 --> 00:10:08,360 The early church is facing a crisis and and again ancient 185 00:10:08,360 --> 00:10:11,960 Christian historians like Euseobus record that John and 186 00:10:11,960 --> 00:10:15,040 other believers leave the city ahead of its destruction, 187 00:10:15,120 --> 00:10:18,440 heading east to the city of Pella in what is now known as 188 00:10:18,440 --> 00:10:21,720 modern day Jordan. Pella is confirmed on historical 189 00:10:21,720 --> 00:10:25,800 maps as a refuge for Jews who are fleeing conflict, and its 190 00:10:25,800 --> 00:10:29,080 position east of the Jordan River made it a logical place to 191 00:10:29,080 --> 00:10:31,880 regroup and plan the next stage of ministry. 192 00:10:31,920 --> 00:10:35,760 Here we see John beginning to think ahead and he starts to 193 00:10:35,760 --> 00:10:39,680 focus on communities in in Asia Minor as the church starts to 194 00:10:39,680 --> 00:10:44,760 grow and spreads outwards. Decades later in around 95 to 96 195 00:10:44,840 --> 00:10:48,440 AD, John's witness attracts the attention of Roman officials 196 00:10:48,440 --> 00:10:51,720 during what we might call the Christian hatred period under 197 00:10:51,720 --> 00:10:55,640 Roman Emperor Domitian. Early Christian writers such as 198 00:10:55,640 --> 00:10:59,480 Tertilian tell a famous story that John was condemned in Rome 199 00:10:59,600 --> 00:11:02,760 and thrown into a cauldron of boiling oil. 200 00:11:03,000 --> 00:11:06,440 As you can imagine, this should have ended his life, but he 201 00:11:06,480 --> 00:11:10,120 apparently emerged unharmed, astonishing those who saw it and 202 00:11:10,120 --> 00:11:13,880 reportedly leading even some of those in the crowd to convert to 203 00:11:13,880 --> 00:11:16,720 Christianity. After this, tradition says he 204 00:11:16,720 --> 00:11:20,560 was exiled to a rocky island of Patmos in the Aegean Sea, a 205 00:11:20,560 --> 00:11:24,040 place Romans often used as a prison for political or 206 00:11:24,040 --> 00:11:27,720 religious troublemakers. Archaeologists and historians 207 00:11:27,720 --> 00:11:31,840 today confirm that Patmos has ancient quarries and a historic 208 00:11:31,840 --> 00:11:34,880 cave above the port of the town called Scala. 209 00:11:35,000 --> 00:11:39,200 In Scala, there is a cave known as The Cave of the Apocalypse, 210 00:11:39,200 --> 00:11:42,720 which has been venerated for centuries as the spot where John 211 00:11:42,720 --> 00:11:45,840 received the visions recorded in the Book of Revelation. 212 00:11:46,080 --> 00:11:49,720 The text itself says on the island of Patmos because of the 213 00:11:49,720 --> 00:11:53,600 Word of God and the testimony of Jesus, showing that his exile 214 00:11:53,600 --> 00:11:57,280 was directly connected to his commitment to speak out boldly 215 00:11:57,280 --> 00:12:01,080 for Jesus Christ. After Damitian's death in 96 AD, 216 00:12:01,280 --> 00:12:05,120 the Roman Senate reportedly cancelled many of the harsher 217 00:12:05,120 --> 00:12:09,280 decrees, and John is freed from exile and returns to Ephesus, an 218 00:12:09,280 --> 00:12:13,240 ancient port city in what is now known as western Turkey. 219 00:12:13,320 --> 00:12:15,760 This is where he spends his final years. 220 00:12:15,920 --> 00:12:19,440 Early church tradition, recorded by writers like Irenaeus and 221 00:12:19,440 --> 00:12:23,120 preserved by historians, places John in Ephesus as a leader who 222 00:12:23,120 --> 00:12:26,880 continued to teach the church, edit the gospel, and help shape 223 00:12:26,880 --> 00:12:30,600 the early Christian Canon, which was the collection of texts that 224 00:12:30,600 --> 00:12:32,960 would later be known as the New Testament. 225 00:12:33,160 --> 00:12:36,880 His connection to Ephesus was so strong that a 4th century 226 00:12:36,880 --> 00:12:40,440 basilica was built there over a tomb that was traditionally 227 00:12:40,440 --> 00:12:44,360 identified as his burial place on the a asolic hill. 228 00:12:44,360 --> 00:12:47,680 This shows us the early Christians revered this site and 229 00:12:47,680 --> 00:12:51,000 remembered him as the last of the original apostles. 230 00:12:51,200 --> 00:12:55,600 You probably knew that John's death is often cited AS100AD, 231 00:12:56,160 --> 00:12:59,680 but brace yourselves because we're about to take a very 232 00:12:59,840 --> 00:13:02,560 unexpected turn. The unavoidable conclusion is 233 00:13:02,560 --> 00:13:05,760 there are quite literally millions of people who claim 234 00:13:05,760 --> 00:13:09,600 that the Apostle John is still alive somewhere on this earth 235 00:13:09,680 --> 00:13:13,680 that we are on right now. So let's answer the question Did 236 00:13:13,680 --> 00:13:16,920 John actually die? This is a question that has 237 00:13:16,920 --> 00:13:21,080 puzzled readers for centuries, and it starts with one quietly 238 00:13:21,080 --> 00:13:24,160 mystifying line. Near the end of John's gospel, 239 00:13:24,720 --> 00:13:27,880 after the resurrection, Jesus appears to the disciples on the 240 00:13:27,880 --> 00:13:30,600 shore of Galilee. Peter, never able to leave 241 00:13:30,600 --> 00:13:34,120 things alone, looks at John and asks Jesus what about him? 242 00:13:34,360 --> 00:13:39,160 And Jesus replies, if I want him to remain alive until I come 243 00:13:39,160 --> 00:13:43,720 again, what is that to you? That sentence alone started a 244 00:13:43,720 --> 00:13:45,600 huge rumor. Why? 245 00:13:45,640 --> 00:13:48,080 Because early believers took it very literally. 246 00:13:48,080 --> 00:13:51,560 Whispers spread that John might never die, that he could remain 247 00:13:51,560 --> 00:13:54,920 on earth until Jesus returned. John himself, though, steps in 248 00:13:54,920 --> 00:13:58,120 in the very next verse and clarifies that Jesus never 249 00:13:58,120 --> 00:14:01,000 actually said that. But that didn't stop the idea 250 00:14:01,000 --> 00:14:04,440 from growing legs of its own. OK, but if you thought that 251 00:14:04,440 --> 00:14:07,040 raised a few eyebrows, wait until you hear this. 252 00:14:07,080 --> 00:14:11,000 Some of you already know that every apostle pays the ultimate 253 00:14:11,000 --> 00:14:14,400 price for believing and preaching Christ to a world that 254 00:14:14,400 --> 00:14:17,200 hated Christianity. Our church tradition remembers 255 00:14:17,200 --> 00:14:20,360 these men, and rightly so. But when it comes to John, 256 00:14:20,680 --> 00:14:24,800 history goes strangely quiet. I almost hesitate to say this, 257 00:14:24,800 --> 00:14:28,600 but just to clear up a common mix up, it was John the Baptist 258 00:14:28,600 --> 00:14:32,160 who was taken out by Herod Antipus, not John the Apostle, 259 00:14:32,160 --> 00:14:35,600 the author of the Gospel of John and also the author of 260 00:14:35,600 --> 00:14:38,120 Revelation. Now I'm not going to lie, if the 261 00:14:38,120 --> 00:14:42,320 story about John surviving the cauldron of boiling oil, if that 262 00:14:42,320 --> 00:14:46,120 is really true, it certainly does add an ounce of credibility 263 00:14:46,120 --> 00:14:48,720 to this theory. But I am interested to know what 264 00:14:48,720 --> 00:14:51,720 do you think because I'm about to share some Bible verses with 265 00:14:51,720 --> 00:14:54,880 you and I want to know, do these convince you that he's still 266 00:14:54,880 --> 00:14:58,120 alive before I share my final conclusion? 267 00:14:58,440 --> 00:15:03,240 Jesus once said in Luke 9 verse 27, some standing here will not 268 00:15:03,320 --> 00:15:06,160 not taste death before they see the Kingdom of God. 269 00:15:06,440 --> 00:15:09,360 Well, here we've got John stood there listening to these very 270 00:15:09,360 --> 00:15:11,000 words. Again, it's important to 271 00:15:11,000 --> 00:15:14,360 remember most Christians believe that Jesus is referring to the 272 00:15:14,360 --> 00:15:17,400 transfiguration, the resurrection or Pentecost. 273 00:15:17,560 --> 00:15:22,440 But a minority have wondered, could John fit that description? 274 00:15:22,560 --> 00:15:25,160 After all, he outlived all the other apostles. 275 00:15:25,280 --> 00:15:27,720 He survived that ordeal by the Romans. 276 00:15:27,800 --> 00:15:30,880 And these same people who pushed this theory claim that John's 277 00:15:30,880 --> 00:15:33,720 death account is missing. There are no documents, there's 278 00:15:33,720 --> 00:15:36,040 nothing to verify that he actually died. 279 00:15:36,160 --> 00:15:39,480 So it's no surprise that this speculation feeds into another 280 00:15:39,480 --> 00:15:42,400 mystery. The two witnesses of Revelation 281 00:15:42,400 --> 00:15:44,000 11. Traditionally, they've been 282 00:15:44,000 --> 00:15:47,880 identified as Enoch and Elijah, the only biblical figures who 283 00:15:47,880 --> 00:15:49,960 never experienced a normal death. 284 00:15:50,080 --> 00:15:53,600 But a small group has suggested that John himself could be one 285 00:15:53,600 --> 00:15:55,560 of them. I mean, he is the one who wrote 286 00:15:55,560 --> 00:15:57,160 about them in the Book of Revelation. 287 00:15:57,320 --> 00:16:00,720 The logic goes like this. Scripture says it is appointed 288 00:16:00,720 --> 00:16:03,240 for man wants to die and after that the judge. 289 00:16:03,720 --> 00:16:07,240 So if John never really did die, then theoretically he could 290 00:16:07,240 --> 00:16:10,720 return to fulfill that role. Oh, and then there's Revelation 291 00:16:10,720 --> 00:16:14,760 one verse 9 where John writes, I John, am your brother and 292 00:16:14,760 --> 00:16:18,480 companion in the tribulation. Now most of us as Christians 293 00:16:18,480 --> 00:16:20,920 would read that as spiritually as if John is saying, you know, 294 00:16:20,920 --> 00:16:23,720 I'm sharing in your daily trials in some way. 295 00:16:24,040 --> 00:16:25,880 But others read it more literally. 296 00:16:25,960 --> 00:16:29,480 They ask if John were already in heaven or if he was dead, how 297 00:16:29,480 --> 00:16:31,840 could he be with believers during the seven-year 298 00:16:31,840 --> 00:16:34,680 tribulation itself? But I can hear exactly what some 299 00:16:34,680 --> 00:16:37,240 of you are thinking. Joe, you said millions of people 300 00:16:37,240 --> 00:16:39,440 believe this. Who are these people? 301 00:16:39,720 --> 00:16:42,960 Well, firstly, there were medieval theologians like Thomas 302 00:16:42,960 --> 00:16:47,440 Aquinas, Cornelius Lapidae, and Francis de Sales who entertained 303 00:16:47,440 --> 00:16:50,400 the idea that John might be reserved for a final 304 00:16:50,400 --> 00:16:54,040 confrontation with evil. Much like Enoch or Elijah. 305 00:16:54,120 --> 00:16:57,480 They imagine that John might be hidden away, preserved somewhere 306 00:16:57,480 --> 00:17:00,480 until the end of the age and then centuries later on, 307 00:17:00,480 --> 00:17:03,240 biblical movements like the Church of Latter Day Saints 308 00:17:03,320 --> 00:17:07,800 interpreted John 21 as meaning that John was granted power over 309 00:17:07,800 --> 00:17:11,280 death, that he really is still alive today, he's travelling the 310 00:17:11,280 --> 00:17:14,079 world and he's quietly bringing souls to Christ. 311 00:17:14,359 --> 00:17:18,280 Guys, this whole situation gets even more insane in modern times 312 00:17:18,280 --> 00:17:21,480 because there are rumours, there are alleged sightings, and there 313 00:17:21,480 --> 00:17:25,280 is even a social media figure called John Davis who has 314 00:17:25,280 --> 00:17:28,600 convinced his followers that he is the real apostle John. 315 00:17:28,760 --> 00:17:31,560 Whilst other spiritual writers and travellers claim that they 316 00:17:31,560 --> 00:17:35,600 have had encounters with ancient men in remote places. 317 00:17:35,800 --> 00:17:39,320 Alright everyone, now take a deep breath and let us all 318 00:17:39,320 --> 00:17:45,160 remember one key fact. None of this, none of this is 319 00:17:45,160 --> 00:17:47,240 verifiable. The fact is this. 320 00:17:47,240 --> 00:17:50,400 The Bible never promises immortality to John. 321 00:17:50,480 --> 00:17:53,520 In fact, the very passage that caused the rumour is corrected 322 00:17:53,520 --> 00:17:56,200 by John, as I've already said in the very next verse. 323 00:17:56,400 --> 00:18:00,040 Secondly, no ancient eyewitnesses claim that John 324 00:18:00,040 --> 00:18:02,640 lived beyond the 1st century. Quite the opposite. 325 00:18:02,640 --> 00:18:05,760 Early church historians all remained consistent. 326 00:18:05,800 --> 00:18:10,000 Writers like Irenaeus, Yuseobus and Polycrates of Ephesus say 327 00:18:10,000 --> 00:18:14,040 John lived into old age and died peacefully in Ephesus during the 328 00:18:14,040 --> 00:18:18,680 reign of Emperor Trajan around 98 to 117 AD. 329 00:18:19,040 --> 00:18:23,960 They use the phrase he sleeps, a common ancient and biblical way 330 00:18:23,960 --> 00:18:27,000 of saying he died. We've also seen that archaeology 331 00:18:27,000 --> 00:18:30,560 likely backs up John's death with our 4th century basilica in 332 00:18:30,560 --> 00:18:33,600 Ephesus, which was long believed by early Christians to be the 333 00:18:33,600 --> 00:18:36,120 site of John's tomb. And can I say this? 334 00:18:36,160 --> 00:18:39,640 Even John surviving the cauldron incident doesn't mean eternal 335 00:18:39,640 --> 00:18:42,120 life. Tertilian's boiling oil account, 336 00:18:42,160 --> 00:18:45,640 If it is true, prove it was divine protection but not 337 00:18:45,640 --> 00:18:48,560 immortality. So come on now, did John live 338 00:18:48,560 --> 00:18:50,960 forever? Is John still alive? 339 00:18:51,080 --> 00:18:56,080 Well, yes and no Personally, I'm very doubtful that he's still 340 00:18:56,080 --> 00:18:57,880 mooching around somewhere on earth. 341 00:18:58,080 --> 00:19:00,720 But I do believe he's alive in a deeper sense. 342 00:19:00,720 --> 00:19:03,560 Because he trusted in the one who was not only his best 343 00:19:03,560 --> 00:19:07,560 friend, but his Savior and Lord. Because he trusted in that man. 344 00:19:07,560 --> 00:19:10,560 That means that ultimately he and anyone else who makes that 345 00:19:10,560 --> 00:19:13,680 same choice, anyone who puts their trust in Jesus Christ, 346 00:19:14,080 --> 00:19:18,200 puts their faith in him, in Yeshua, they also, like John, 347 00:19:18,200 --> 00:19:21,680 will live forever and have a real hope beyond the grave. 348 00:19:21,920 --> 00:19:24,480 But what about this life, Joe? I know you're talking about 349 00:19:24,480 --> 00:19:27,000 heaven now, but but what about this life right now? 350 00:19:27,120 --> 00:19:30,080 Well, I personally believe that Jesus will also restore this 351 00:19:30,080 --> 00:19:33,600 earth in a new way. And fascinatingly, one place I 352 00:19:33,600 --> 00:19:37,360 believe he's going to restore in the future is Iran, a country 353 00:19:37,360 --> 00:19:40,240 that we've been hearing an awful lot about in the news right now. 354 00:19:40,280 --> 00:19:43,200 If you want to hear the Bible's script and prediction for what's 355 00:19:43,200 --> 00:19:46,760 going to happen in Iran, you better click here right away.