REWARDS FROM REVELATION

Sometime around A.D.  95, the Apostle John wrote the Book of Revelation, and in it, he provided a key to understanding it.  Revelation 1:19 says the vision  is divided into three parts:  the things which he had already witnessed (Ch. 1); the things that existed at that time (the Church Age - Ch. 2-3); and the things yet future (Ch. 4-22).  Because it is clear that we are still living in the Church Age, the events to follow, The Rapture of Born Again Believers (4:1); The Tribulation (Ch. 6-19 - a.k.a. Daniel's Seventieth Week - Dan. 9:24-27; and The Time of Jacob's Trouble - Jer. 30:7); and Christ's Second Coming to establish His Millennial Kingdom (Ch. 19-20) have not yet begun.

Today, I want to look at what John wrote concerning our present age.  Chapters 2-3 list seven churches which were located in Asia Minor (modern day Turkey).  Many students of the Bible believe these seven churches are a picture of the history of the Church Age.  I have written about this on numerous occasions, so I will not elaborate here.  What I do want to focus upon is the statement at the end of John's comments to each church.  To each of the seven churches, there is the statement containing the word "overcometh," followed by a promised reward.  In other words, the reward is conditional; it will be granted only to those who are overcomers.  They are:

*  2:7 - "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God."
*  2:11 - "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death."
*  2:17 - "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it."
*  2:26-28 - "And he that overcometh, and keepeth My works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of My Father.  And I will give him the morning star."
*  3:5 - "He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before My Father, and before His angels."
*  3:12 - "Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, which is New Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from My God: and I will write upon him My new name."
*  3:21 - "To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with Me in My throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with My Father in His throne."

While each of these promises is made to an individual congregation, all born again believers will receive all seven.  Revelation 21:7 says, "He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be My son."

Obviously it is extremely important for those who claim to be Christians, to be overcomers!  So what does God's Word say believers are to overcome, and how is that to be accomplished?  The answer is found in 1 John 5:4, which says:  "For whosoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith."

A person becomes a born again believer when he or she believes the good news of the Gospel:  "Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures; And that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures!"  (1 Cor. 15:3-4).  We are born again ("saved") when we, by faith, accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior (Rom. 10:9-10, 13; Eph. 2:8-9)!

Trust in Jesus today, and He will make you an overcomer!