"John lived to be very old. He witnessed the destruction of Jerusalem and the ruin of the stately temple. The last survivor of the disciples who had been intimately connected with the Saviour, his message had great influence in setting forth the fact that Jesus was the Messiah, the Redeemer of the world. No one could doubt his sincerity, and through his teachings many were led to turn from unbelief. AA 569.1"
"That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;"
The EGW passage speaks of John's role as a witness to Jesus, emphasizing his direct connection to the Savior. This aligns with the emphasis in 1 John 1:1 on the apostle's firsthand experience of the Word of life. The connection is thematic, focusing on John's eyewitness testimony.
"kept ringing in the ears of the people. In order that the miracles and teachings of Jesus might be forgotten, the voice of the bold witness must be silenced. AA 569.2"
"And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus."
Both passages deal with the silencing of witnesses for Christ. The EGW quote speaks of the desire to suppress the teachings of Jesus, while Acts 4:18 describes a direct command to stop speaking in Jesus' name. The parallel lies in the opposition faced by those proclaiming the gospel.
"John was accordingly summoned to Rome to be tried for his faith. Here before the authorities the apostle's doctrines were misstated. False witnesses accused him of teaching seditious heresies. By these accusations his enemies hoped to bring about the disciple's death. AA 569.3"
"And set up false witnesses, which said, This man ceaseth not to speak blasphemous words against this holy place, and the law:"
Both passages describe false accusations against religious figures. While not a direct quote, the theme of false witnesses is present in both.
"Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake."
Both passages describe false accusations and persecution faced by believers. The EGW quote details John being falsely accused of sedition, while Matthew 5:11 speaks generally of being reviled and falsely accused for Christ's sake. The connection is thematic, highlighting the common experience of persecution.
"John answered for himself in a clear and convincing manner, and with such simplicity and candor that his words had a powerful effect. His hearers were astonished at his wisdom and eloquence. But the more convincing his testimony, the deeper was the hatred of his opposers. The emperor Domitian was filled with rage. He could neither dispute the reasoning of Christ's faithful advocate, nor match the power that attended his utterance of truth; yet he determined that he would silence his voice. AA 569.4"
"For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist."
The EGW passage describes John's wisdom and eloquence being unmatched by his adversaries, which echoes the promise in Luke 21:15. The confidence is slightly increased.