To Him Who Overcomes

As Jesus writes to the seven churches of Asia, He offers each a promise. Good churches. Bad churches. Indifferent churches. All are offered a promise based on the same condition. He says, "To him who overcomes . . ."

Overcomes what? In the context, it is the overcoming of the evil and persecution which most of them were about to face, but in the larger context of the book of Revelation and its themes of good versus evil, Satan versus Christ and persecutors versus the church, the seven churches were being asked to overcome evil, living for Christ to the end, when victory would be claimed by Him and those who belong to Him. But what are those promises?

"To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the Paradise of God" (2:7). This promise, to the church at Ephesus, offers the overcomer an opportunity to share in what was lost so long ago when man first sinned. When Adam and Eve were cast out of the garden of Eden, they lost their ability to eat of the tree of life, meaning they would face death (Gen. 3:3, 22-24). Here, the church at Ephesus is offered an opportunity to regain admission to this tree, to live forever, not in the physical sense, but in the spiritual (see also Rev. 22:1-2).

"He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death" (2:11). The good church of Smyrna, which was about to face intense persecution, is promised something particularly poignant. In the previous verse, Jesus admonishes them to "be faithful until death" and it is clearly implied that some of them would be killed for their faith. Jesus asks them to remain faithful even if that be their fate, and in verse 11, He promises that the second death will hold no power over them. Just as their Lord had overcome death so as to live again, Jesus would grant those who overcome a power over the second death, which awaited the devil and the beast and death and Hades (Rev. 20:10, 14).

"To him who overcomes, to him I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and a new name written on the stone which no one knows but he who receives it" (2:17). The church at Pergamum receives this promise, containing the gift of hidden manna. When the Israelites hungered in the wilderness of Sin, they grumbled and God sent manna (bread) from heaven to feed them (Ex. 16). The promise of Jesus here is to feed them eternally with manna as yet unseen. There has been much debate and scholarly effort regarding the meaning of the white stone, but for our purposes, it is sufficient to say that whatever it is, it identifies the holder as belonging to Christ. It signifies His protection and His love.

"And he who overcomes, and he who keeps My deeds until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations" (2:26). Again, there is much debate as to what kind of authority is promised here to the church at Thyatira, but Jesus wants it to be known that by keeping His word and overcoming, they would ensure a place for themselves in His government, where He is Lord and His people have authority.

"He who overcomes shall thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father, and before his angels" (3:5). The church at Sardis would receive garments indicative of purity for overcoming, but the rest of their reward is even greater. Their names would be found in the book of life (see also Rev. 20:15), and their Lord would confess them before God and the angels. Imagine the joy of heavenly beings as they recognize one who had overcome evil.

"He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore; and I will write upon him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God, and My new name" (3:12). The church at Philadelphia's promise carries with it the ability to never go out from the presence of God, as well as the identifying marks of God, His city and His Son.

"He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne" (3:21). What an incredible promise to Laodicean overcomers. Imagine being able to sit with Christ on His throne.

These are the promises made to those who overcome. And we too, can claim those promises, if we overcome.