More than Conquerors

"REVELATION" MEANS THE uncovering of that which has so far been covered, the drawing back of a veil which has hung over a person or thing. The book before us is a revelation, not a mystery. A document St. John faithfully recorded for the instruction and comfort of the Church.

Meditating in his lonely Isle of Patmos St. John passed into a state of spiritual ecstasy and the glorified Redeemer Himself commanded the Apostle: “What you see, write in a book, and send it to the seven churches in Asia”.

A Conqueror

Seven churches are selected, the condition of which appeared most suitable to the purpose which the Apostle has in view, and these seven represent the Church of Christ in every country of the world, down to the very end of time and they are to be viewed as the representative of the whole Christian Church in all countries of the world, and throughout all time. Every letter ends with a message of appreciation or warning or rebuke or encouragement or command or reward or a combination of any of these. It is beyond the scope of this study to analyze the contents of the messages to the churches, but to it is to decide who would be victorious, why and what would be their reward.  The word ‘victory’ or ‘victorious’ occurs in every one of the seven letters. Besides, the importance of listening to what the Spirit says to each church is emphasized.

1) Revelations 2:7 This epistle is addressed to the church at Ephesus. “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what He is saying to the churches. To everyone who is victorious, I will give the fruit from the tree of life in the paradise

Those who repeatedly turn a deaf ear to God’s call eventually, turn into hard-hearted ones and the knowledge of God is lost in them. They are the vicious ones who have placed them beyond the reach of grace. In Jeremiah 6.10, the prophet asks “To whom shall I speak, and give warning, that they may hear? Behold, their ear is uncircumcised, and they cannot listen: behold, the word of the LORD is to them a reproach; they have no delight in it”. Jesus often concluded his teaching with the command “Let him that has an ear, hear”. Psalms 1:2 says about the believer, his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law, he meditates day and night. We see that those who listen to the Lord and obey Him will be victorious and will receive as their prize the fruits from the tree of life in the paradise of God.

2) Revelations 2.11 The church addressed is Smyrna. Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what He is saying to the churches. The Lord exhorts them not to be afraid of anything they are about to suffer—even death. ‘Life’ will be their reward for their faith and they will not be hurt by the second death.

The expression “the second death” clearly points to a death which is other than that of the body; it stands in contrast with the crown of life.  Revelation 20:14 and Revelation 21:8 make it  clear  that second death is the eternal separation from God, the death of the spirit, the decay or paralysis of the powers by which such a knowledge of God was possible, and the experience of the repulsiveness of a life which is “without God.” But those who understand what the Lord commands and do what He says will be victorious and will not be harmed by this terrible state of the second death.

3) Revelations 2:17 The third church is Pergamum. With the usual warning about listening carefully and obeying, the Lord proceeds to announce their prize. “To everyone who is victorious, I will give some of the manna that has been hidden away in heaven”.

Those who refused to indulge the fleshly appetite are promised gratifications far higher, and hidden from the gaze of sense; The reference to the manna is indeed obvious. Israel ate manna in the wilderness, and died; the Father gives the true bread from heaven that a man may eat and not die. Jesus is that bread of life. Read Jesus’ entreaty to a hostile crowd in John 48-51.

4) Revelations 2:26-28 The next church is Thyatira. “To all who are victorious, who obey me to the very end, to them I will give authority over all the nations.  They will rule the nations with an iron rod and smash them like clay pots. They will have the same authority I received from my Father, and I will also give them the morning star!

The promise is of authority (“the might of right, not the right of might”) to share in the shepherd-like sovereignty of the anointed King. (Compare the Messianic prophecy of Psalms 2:7-9) Those who refused to stoop to the customs around them and to gain influence by crushing or ignoring their convictions—those who, like their Master, refused to win power by doing homage to the wrong (Matthew 4:8-10), would share the nobler sway which He now established.

5) Revelations 3:5 The next one to be addressed is the church at Sardis. ‘All who are victorious will be clothed in white. I will never erase their names from the Book of Life, but I will announce before my Father and his angels that they are mine”.

All who are victorious shall be clothed in glistening white raiment, with a glistening appearance Dante, the renowned Italian poet described as “robed in the hue of living flame,” and the portraiture so frequent in the Pilgrim’s Progress—“the shining ones” transformed and transfigured into the likeness of Christ’s body. Philippians 3:21--He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like His own, using the same power with which He will bring everything under his control.

6) Revelations 3:12 The next church is Philadelphia. ‘’All who are victorious will become pillars in the Temple of my God, and they will never have to leave it. And I will write on them the name of my God, and they will be citizens in the city of my God—the new Jerusalem that comes down from heaven from my God. And I will also write on them my new name.

The New Jerusalem is the future dwelling of the people of God. The believers will have a new citizenship in God’s future kingdom. Everything will be new, pure and secure.

7) Revelations 3.21 The last church to be addressed is Laodicea. The Lord promises, amazingly, “Those who are victorious will sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat with my Father on his throne”.

1Peter 2:9 calls God’s children royal priests. In Matthew 19:28 Jesus asserts, “I assure you that when the world is made new and the Son of Man sits upon his glorious throne, you who have been my followers will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel”. With what will you compare a promise like this?

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We have examined different aspects of being victorious. St. Paul says in Romans 8:37 that the believers are “more than conquerors”. God wants us to be more than just “victorious”. The comparison Paul makes reveals the completeness of our victory. People of the world would place their enemies in subjection; they would destroy their foes and their resources; but as “more than conquerors” we convert our “defeated” foes into friends of God and promote their interests, by giving them the Gospel and rescuing them from the second death. (See above). Our victory is not just external and transient, but internal and permanent. Those who lead many unto righteousness will shine like stars in the sky.

                                
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