Your first question surely is not inspired from my words when I said that John was not a prisoner himself on the Island, or even stranded or in exile as we know the words today. And I never said Patmos was a prison colony or not. Historically though, it was more of a supply logistical stop-over point, a very vital one back them. And there were many military and military supplies I suspect on the Island, moving through to either the East or the East, and South in the Mediterranean Sea.
And yes I agree the term tribulation was also for other things I never intended to list.
I do not know the answer the John's beheading and it relationship with his preaching, do you? I suspect he was getting on the locals' nerves at least to the point of anger.
And I too believe John was on the Island, primarily to preach the gospel and having the freedom to write and sent messages to the fledgling start up 7 churches in Asia Minor across to the mainland.
I do not know how John ate and what food supplies he had on hand. I suspect since it was a major supply point he had no problem acquiring food if he could pay for it.
It might be quite difficult to get his messages out to the 7 churches, the main audience of the Book of Revelation, if he was exiled without any outside contact don't you think.
And then again, he might not have written the Book, 1st hand, and had a revisionist or ghost writer to capture all his words....
You are going to have to provide some tangible proof that this island was a Roman base camp of operations, instead of an island where the Romans dumped off their citizens in exile, according to the historical record. There were also basilicas built on the island, one to remember John as being exiled there. There is nothing that I can find that declares Patmos was a Roman garrison that acted as a supply depot.
John was not held as a prisoner. The historical record states he had to live in a cave, and possibly with others exiled for political reasons.
I am saying, John was not a missionary to the island, but was there in exile. You made it sound like John was called to that Island to start a church. John was exiled there and history called that island a place were dissatisfied citizens of Rome were placed, so they would not cause revolt in their home cities. They were not prisoners, they were exiles. They were expected to die and never be remembered again.
Why would these people be left stranded on a seemingly lifeless island, if the island was also a Roman supply depot? Sounds like they would have ample opportunity to escape the Island, and even survive.
I never said John was beheaded. I said it was exile, because the Romans tried to kill John but failed. God was not ready for John to physically die, not even of old age on the island.
Missionaries don't go to the mission field for the sole purpose of being persecuted or martyred. They go to take the Gospel. So the tribulation was the reason John was on Patmos, not that God told John to go there and preach to those living on the island.