http://phoenixpreacher.blogspot.com/200 ... ation.html
Quote: It's important to keep in mind that each of these messages applies to all of the churches and the believers therein, including those in existence today.
"He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.�
The text contains seven exortations to be an "overcomer" or as the ESV translates it "one who conquers" This was not so much a test of spirituality as it was of faithfulness. In the end we will be forced to stand for Christ or bow to Anti-Christ.
Here is a excerpt from revelationcommentary.com that contains some important insights:
"Overcomes = this Greek verb nikan (from which we get our English word nike which means to conquer).
Nikan can refer in a metaphorical sense to either an athletic contest or military battle.
One can be an overcomer in two ways in the New Testament: (1) salvific and (2) sanctification. The difference is one of conditionality. John states in I John 5:4-5, "For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the worldâ€â€Âour faith. Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?" This is clearly salvific in nature. Our salvation is not conditional. 1 John 5:1 indicates that to be born of God, one must believe. Belief is not mere intellectual assent, but life transforming commitment to Jesus Christ. The result is eternal life.
However, the overcomer in Revelation is vastly different. The overcomer in Revelation is one who perseveres to the end. He remains faithful under difficult circumstances. "The overcomer is the individual Christian who enjoys special benefits in eternity for refusing to give up his faith in spite of persecution during life on earth." (J.C. Dillow, The Reign of the Servant Kings, 481) Revelation lists thirteen rewards for the overcomer:
(1) Authority over nations (2:26)
(2) Name not erased from book of life (3:5)
(3) Inherits the earth (21:7)
(4) New name on a white stone (2:17)
(5) Eat of hidden manna (2:17)
(6) Pillar in temple (3:12)
(7) Sits on Christs throne (3:21)
(8) Tree of life (2:7)
(9) Not hurt by second death (2:11)
(10) Morning star (2:28)
(11) White Garments (3:5)
(12) Name of God, city, and Christ written on him (3:12)
(13) Name confessed before the Father and His angels (3:5)
The rewards and the warnings make no sense unless some believers will not receive them because of their unfaithfulness. Why warn a person about something he cannot lose? We can debate what is lost, but there is no debate that something is lost with grave consequences to follow (See I Cor. 3:16 and I John 2:28).
Those individuals in the seven churches who are not overcomers are promised:
(1) War with the sword from the Lords month (2:16)
(2) To be thrown into the great tribulation (2:22)
(3) Children killed with the pestilence (2:23)
(4) To receive according to their deeds (2:23)
(5) Come like a thief (3:3)
(6) Spit out of the Lords mouth (3:16)
(7) Reproof and discipline (3:19)
The overcomer in Revelation can lose his reward. It is not eternal. To compromise in the face of physical danger will have severe consequences during the persecution by Antichrist and when one stands before the Lord in judgment.
The apostle Paul states in 2 Corinthians 5:10, "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad." Paul indicates a "pay back" for the "bad" done in the body. What the "pay back" is for bad deeds is not indicated, but there is a "pay back."
Tonight, I want to begin our study of the seven churches of Revelation 2&3. Before we begin, let me outline the presuppositions that I am bringing to the text, based on the context of this part of Scripture.
Quote: It's important to keep in mind that each of these messages applies to all of the churches and the believers therein, including those in existence today.
"He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.�
The text contains seven exortations to be an "overcomer" or as the ESV translates it "one who conquers" This was not so much a test of spirituality as it was of faithfulness. In the end we will be forced to stand for Christ or bow to Anti-Christ.
Here is a excerpt from revelationcommentary.com that contains some important insights:
"Overcomes = this Greek verb nikan (from which we get our English word nike which means to conquer).
Nikan can refer in a metaphorical sense to either an athletic contest or military battle.
One can be an overcomer in two ways in the New Testament: (1) salvific and (2) sanctification. The difference is one of conditionality. John states in I John 5:4-5, "For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the worldâ€â€Âour faith. Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?" This is clearly salvific in nature. Our salvation is not conditional. 1 John 5:1 indicates that to be born of God, one must believe. Belief is not mere intellectual assent, but life transforming commitment to Jesus Christ. The result is eternal life.
However, the overcomer in Revelation is vastly different. The overcomer in Revelation is one who perseveres to the end. He remains faithful under difficult circumstances. "The overcomer is the individual Christian who enjoys special benefits in eternity for refusing to give up his faith in spite of persecution during life on earth." (J.C. Dillow, The Reign of the Servant Kings, 481) Revelation lists thirteen rewards for the overcomer:
(1) Authority over nations (2:26)
(2) Name not erased from book of life (3:5)
(3) Inherits the earth (21:7)
(4) New name on a white stone (2:17)
(5) Eat of hidden manna (2:17)
(6) Pillar in temple (3:12)
(7) Sits on Christs throne (3:21)
(8) Tree of life (2:7)
(9) Not hurt by second death (2:11)
(10) Morning star (2:28)
(11) White Garments (3:5)
(12) Name of God, city, and Christ written on him (3:12)
(13) Name confessed before the Father and His angels (3:5)
The rewards and the warnings make no sense unless some believers will not receive them because of their unfaithfulness. Why warn a person about something he cannot lose? We can debate what is lost, but there is no debate that something is lost with grave consequences to follow (See I Cor. 3:16 and I John 2:28).
Those individuals in the seven churches who are not overcomers are promised:
(1) War with the sword from the Lords month (2:16)
(2) To be thrown into the great tribulation (2:22)
(3) Children killed with the pestilence (2:23)
(4) To receive according to their deeds (2:23)
(5) Come like a thief (3:3)
(6) Spit out of the Lords mouth (3:16)
(7) Reproof and discipline (3:19)
The overcomer in Revelation can lose his reward. It is not eternal. To compromise in the face of physical danger will have severe consequences during the persecution by Antichrist and when one stands before the Lord in judgment.
The apostle Paul states in 2 Corinthians 5:10, "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad." Paul indicates a "pay back" for the "bad" done in the body. What the "pay back" is for bad deeds is not indicated, but there is a "pay back."
Tonight, I want to begin our study of the seven churches of Revelation 2&3. Before we begin, let me outline the presuppositions that I am bringing to the text, based on the context of this part of Scripture.