Jesus’ promises “To the one who conquers” from Revelation Chapters 2,3 -
"I will grant him to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise
of God."
"He will not be hurt by the second death."
"I will give him some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white
stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one
who receives it."
"To he who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority
over the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron, as when
earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received authority
from my Father. And I will give him the
morning star."
"He will be clothed in white garments, and I will never blot his name
out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before
his angels."
"I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go
out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city
of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven, and
my own new name."
"I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and
sat down with my Father on his throne."
Those who keep God’s works to the end, who have been united to Christ by faith and who die in Him are the ones who conquer. In this life we are conquering, in death the full victory is suddenly realized. (see Romans 8:37-39)
The word conquer can also be translated ‘overcome’ as in Jesus words -
The word conquer can also be translated ‘overcome’ as in Jesus words -
“Be
of good cheer, I have conquered the
world”
And as in 1 John 5:4-5 -
“For everyone who has been
born of God conquers the world. And
this is the victory that has conquered the
world—our faith. Who is
it that conquers the world except
the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?”
“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth,
for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no
more. And I saw the holy city, new
Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for
her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the
dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be
his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away
every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be
mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed
away.”
And he who was seated on the throne said,
“Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these
words are trustworthy and true.” And he
said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the
end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without
payment.
The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will
be my son.”
We may look
at death in deep sadness– those feelings are right, because ‘it was not so from the beginning’. Death often comes in tragedy - we lose a friend, we lose a Kingdom warrior, we lose a loved one, and we do not understand God's purposes in the loss.
We lose, but
through Christ they have gained the victory.
It is not their loss, but their promotion - from daily battles in this
weary world to a seat with Christ on his throne, ruling and reigning with Him
until he comes.
Hats off to
the ones who have conquered, may we, by faith, keep God's works until the end and follow in their footsteps.
