The most important message in the Revelation

[Zao is life]

I was battling to think of a title for this thread, and how to introduce it. So I just gave it a title (changed once), and a heading (deleted and replaced with the introduction paragraph below):

The words "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches" are repeated seven times at the start of the Lord's Revelation, and each time, the words "he who overcomes" is added, telling us what the Holy Spirit wants us to hear.

The words dominion and reign are closely linked. I believe we should consider the entire Revelation with God's purpose for sending the Son into the world in mind: Why did He come into the world? Why did He die?

Dominion:
Psalm 19
13 Keep back your servant also from arrogant sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression.
14 Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.

* Paul speaks about our deliverance from the dominion of sin in Romans 6:6-14: "For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under Law, but under grace.(Romans 6:14).

* Christ came as the sacrifice for our sins and to free us from bondage to sin (John 8:33-36; Romans 7:14-25).

Ephesians 1
4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love.

So I believe we should keep in mind the purpose of God in Christ freeing us from the dominion of sin when reading the statements in the Revelation that use the words "him who overcomes" and "reigning" in reference to the saints.

1. Ephesus: He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give him to eat of the Tree of Life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God (Revelation 2:7).

2. Smyrna: He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt by the second death (Revelation 2:11).

3. Pergamos: He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give to him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knows except he who receives it. (Revelation 2:17).

4. Thyatira: And he who overcomes and keeps My works to the end, to him I will give power over the nations. And he will rule them with a rod of iron, as the vessels of a potter they will be broken to pieces, even as I received from My Father. And I will give him the Morning Star. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. (Revelation 2:26-29).

5. Sardis: The one who overcomes, that one will be clothed in white clothing. 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. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. (Revelation 3:5-6).

6. Philadelphia: Him who overcomes I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will go out no more. And I will write upon him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, New Jerusalem, which comes down out of Heaven from My God, and My new name. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. (Revelation 3:12-13).

7. Laodicea: To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me in My throne, even as I also overcame and have sat down with My Father in His throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. (Revelation 3:21-22).

Lastly, Revelation 21:7-8: He who overcomes will inherit all things, and I will be his God, and he will be My son. But the fearful, and the unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, will have their part in the Lake burning with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.

IN SUMMARY​

THE PROMISES TO THOSE WHO OVERCOME:-

(1) They will eat of the Tree of Life (Revelation 2:7)
(2) They will not be hurt by the Second Death (Revelation 2:11)
(3) They will eat Hidden Manna and receive a New Name (Revelation 2:17)
(4) Their names will not be blotted out of the Book of Life (Revelation 3:5)
(5) They will be made a Pillar in the Temple of God (Revelation 3:12)
(6) They will inherit All Things (Revelation 21:7)

(7) They will sit with Christ in His Throne (Revelation 3:21)
(8) They will be given power over the nations (Revelation 2:26)

βασιλεύσει (He will reign) forever and ever: Revelation 11:15 (Christ).
βασιλεύσουσιν (they will reign) on the earth: Revelation 5:10 (those who overcome).
βασιλεύσουσιν (they will reign) with Christ a thousand years: Revelation 20:6 (those who overcome).
βασιλεύσουσιν (they will reign) forever and ever: Revelation 22:5.

Revelation 22:5 (new heavens & earth)
“And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads. And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God gives them light: and they will reign (βασιλεύσουσιν) for ever and ever.”

1. Who are "they" that Revelation 22:5 says will reign forever and ever?
2. Are they reigning now?
3. Will they only begin to reign after Christ returns?
4. How long will they reign?
5. Who or what are they reigning over?
6. Since Revelation 22:5 says they will reign forever and ever. do the words dominion and overcome have anything to do with the word reign in the "Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave to Him to declare to His servants things which must shortly come to pass. And He signified it by sending His angel to His servant John" (Revelation 1:1)?

 

[RandyPNW]

I was battling to think of a title for this thread, and how to introduce it. So I just gave it a title (changed once), and a heading (deleted and replaced with the introduction paragraph below):

The words "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches" are repeated seven times at the start of the Lord's Revelation, and each time, the words "he who overcomes" is added, telling us what the Holy Spirit wants us to hear.

The words dominion and reign are closely linked. I believe we should consider the entire Revelation with God's purpose for sending the Son into the world in mind: Why did He come into the world? Why did He die?

Dominion:
Psalm 19
13 Keep back your servant also from arrogant sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression.
14 Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.

* Paul speaks about our deliverance from the dominion of sin in Romans 6:6-14: "For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under Law, but under grace.(Romans 6:14).

* Christ came as the sacrifice for our sins and to free us from bondage to sin (John 8:33-36; Romans 7:14-25).

Ephesians 1
4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love.

So I believe we should keep in mind the purpose of God in Christ freeing us from the dominion of sin when reading the statements in the Revelation that use the words "him who overcomes" and "reigning" in reference to the saints.

1. Ephesus: He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give him to eat of the Tree of Life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God (Revelation 2:7).

2. Smyrna: He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt by the second death (Revelation 2:11).

3. Pergamos: He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give to him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knows except he who receives it. (Revelation 2:17).

4. Thyatira: And he who overcomes and keeps My works to the end, to him I will give power over the nations. And he will rule them with a rod of iron, as the vessels of a potter they will be broken to pieces, even as I received from My Father. And I will give him the Morning Star. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. (Revelation 2:26-29).

5. Sardis: The one who overcomes, that one will be clothed in white clothing. 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. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. (Revelation 3:5-6).

6. Philadelphia: Him who overcomes I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will go out no more. And I will write upon him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, New Jerusalem, which comes down out of Heaven from My God, and My new name. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. (Revelation 3:12-13).

7. Laodicea: To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me in My throne, even as I also overcame and have sat down with My Father in His throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. (Revelation 3:21-22).

Lastly, Revelation 21:7-8: He who overcomes will inherit all things, and I will be his God, and he will be My son. But the fearful, and the unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, will have their part in the Lake burning with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.

IN SUMMARY​

THE PROMISES TO THOSE WHO OVERCOME:-

(1) They will eat of the Tree of Life (Revelation 2:7)
(2) They will not be hurt by the Second Death (Revelation 2:11)
(3) They will eat Hidden Manna and receive a New Name (Revelation 2:17)
(4) Their names will not be blotted out of the Book of Life (Revelation 3:5)
(5) They will be made a Pillar in the Temple of God (Revelation 3:12)
(6) They will inherit All Things (Revelation 21:7)

(7) They will sit with Christ in His Throne (Revelation 3:21)
(8) They will be given power over the nations (Revelation 2:26)

βασιλεύσει (He will reign) forever and ever: Revelation 11:15 (Christ).
βασιλεύσουσιν (they will reign) on the earth: Revelation 5:10 (those who overcome).
βασιλεύσουσιν (they will reign) with Christ a thousand years: Revelation 20:6 (those who overcome).
βασιλεύσουσιν (they will reign) forever and ever: Revelation 22:5.

Revelation 22:5 (new heavens & earth)
“And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads. And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God gives them light: and they will reign (βασιλεύσουσιν) for ever and ever.”

1. Who are "they" that Revelation 22:5 says will reign forever and ever?
2. Are they reigning now?
3. Will they only begin to reign after Christ returns?
4. How long will they reign?
5. Who or what are they reigning over?
6. Since Revelation 22:5 says they will reign forever and ever. do the words dominion and overcome have anything to do with the word reign in the "Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave to Him to declare to His servants things which must shortly come to pass. And He signified it by sending His angel to His servant John" (Revelation 1:1)?

This is a flashback to Man's original mandate, to "subdue the earth." God anticipated the possibility of Man's failure under satanic duress, in which case he could continue to prosper as long as he kept the things of the earth under his feet.

As Christians we can still be "sinners," generically, and still overcome sin. We can look to God in heaven, and ignore the condemned things of this earth, where evil works are done, and men are condemned for going their own way.

We can go God's way, and in so doing find a good nature and be able to exhibit the character of Christ in our lives. This is what is laudable to God, and what He expects from Christians.

Not all Christians will be so obedient, but those that do will participate in the reign of Christ to come, establishing peace on earth through the knowledge of God's Law.