Extracts and comments from Revelation Chps. 2,3,12,21 & 22
2.7
(c)He that hath an ear, let him hear what the (d)Spirit says to the (Ecclesia) Churches; to him that (a)OVERCOMETH will I give to eat of the (b)tree of life, which is in the Paradise of God".
(a) The tribes of Israel, when they finally entered the Promised Land under Joshua (Jesus Greek), were instructed to avoid mixing with the local tribes, and particularly not to engage in the pagan practices they would encounter. They were promised that Jehovah would be with them and that they would "OVERCOME" their enemies when they honoured Jehovah, and witnessed to His Being, the One True God. The "OVERCOMING EMPOWERING" was always contingent on their faithfulness and fidelity to Jehovah. In this, as is recorded in O.T., they failed! In this case and the other Ecclesia (Churches) of this Chapter and Chapter 3, faithfulness and fidelity is again being requested and tested, and where the Ecclesia successfully honour their Lord, power is given for OVERCOMING. This is reminiscent of Acts 2, and the empowering of the Holy Spirit, for the purposes of witness etc., to the Jews first! The strict principles of "First Love;" i.e. of Christ-Messiah, and of Jehovah, are to be re-established. This establishment allows the candlestick to operate (i.e. glow, illuminate, oil flow), so that holding first principle (first love) is the enabling of OVERCOMING Satan's subtle lies and infiltration into individual and group.
3.21
(a)To him that OVERCOMETH will I grant to sit with Me in My throne, even as I also OVERCOME, and am sat down with My father in His throne.
(a) Here again the emphasis on OVERCOMING the Enemy and all his wiles etc., which their forefathers failed to do as the "Chosen People", and the “firstborn son”! The OVERCOMING principle will be easy for the Jewish groups to understand and to accept, as they are even now racked with guilt in their SIN. Jews, both the lay and the religious, are constantly trying to justify their position re. Jesus Christ. The religious in particular using mainly the "Wisdom Writings" which have been produced since Ezra and Nehemiah and which try to salve their conscience on "sin"! Christ railed against these writings produced by the "elite" of Israel, and showed their corruptions. This is one of the reasons Jesus was rejected by them!
The profound reality shown in the "Churches"/Ecclesia of Revelation, is that with the Spiritual help of the Risen Jesus Christ, which will be given on request, as it was in the Old Testament to Moses and many others, all the failures of Israel will be possible to be “OVERCOME". The profound nature of the reward for the OVERCOMERS is shown by their extreme elevation, as described, as they shall sit with Christ in His throne, which certainly is the Millennial throne. This gives the sense to Matt. 20, where the sons of Zebedee are requesting an un-authorised future position by their mother. The Lord's answer gives the profound gravity of the conditions prevailing at the time of Revelations enactment. (See notes 19:5 (a)).
And they (a)OVERCAME him (b)by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their life unto death.
(a) "OVERCAME"; here again is the great emphasis of this time. These people, Jew and Gentile (Rev. 7:9-17) are the "OVERCOMERS", of earlier reference. Many are already in Heaven, mostly by persecution (Rev. 6:9-11), but may also include the Body of Christ (the true Church as opposed to Christendom), which in the many opinions has at this stage been translated (1Cor. 15:51- 52). There can be no doubt that the OVERCOMERS are brethren to the Body, but not of it (Rev. 7:15), and therefore their voices possibly included in that "great voice", of V.10, in great joy. An interesting possible implication in Revelation regarding the "OVERCOMERS", is that at their death, they appear to go straight to Heaven, whereas Christians in this Age must await the translation (1Thess. 4:13-17), which certainly is prior to this period (1Thess. 1:10), all of which is "the harvest", of which our Lord was the "first fruits", (1Cor. 15:20-23).
(b) "By the blood of the Lamb"; (Rev. 7:14).
(a)He that OVERCOMETH shall inherit these things; and I will be His God, and he shall be My son.
(a) See Chp. 20:5-12, and notes. Rev Chapter 20.
(a)Blessed are they that do (b)(His commandments), (wash their robes) that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in by the gates of the city.
(a) This clearly refers to at least the "OVERCOMERS", see Rev. 7:14.
(b) The words in the A.V., "His commandments", are disputed, and vary in the translations. The 1611 is shown. The R.S.V., "those who wash their robes". Interlinear, "doing His commandments”. Strongs no. 1785, "authoritative prescription", "commandment", "precepts". J.N. Darby, "wash their robes". Dr. Bullinger, Comp., comments; "the text reads (wash their robes), but it is probable that the reading of the Received Text (Interlinear) is correct (above)”.
Moffat, (Martin Kiddle, Revelation), "wash their robes". Revised Authorised Version, "do His commandments", the word "His", is underlined, because the R.S.V. does not give a capital H to the pronoun! The recent translation from the PshittA by Victor Alexander, shows "His Commandments". This is particularly interesting as it is the first Translation directly from that ancient "A" document by an ancient languages scholar using the ancient Aramaic. All the previous had used modern Aramaic. The NKJV has “wash their robes”.
And the Spirit and the (b)Bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that thirsts come. (a)Whoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
(a) This applies to all the ones mentioned as OVERCOMERS in the Revelation Age, and in the Lamb's Book of Life!
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