The Glorified Lord reveals the blessedness of the glorified saints.
In urging every saint in every assembly to press on in faith, whatever they may be facing, the Lord reminds them of the glory that awaits them. This glory will be the reality for those that “overcome.” This Greek verb is the same one used in Revelation 6:2.
And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.
This is what John saw when the Lamb opened the first seal.[1] The significance here is that when the Glorified Lord urges His servants to “overcome,” He has in mind gaining a great victory, as one might expect in a pronounced battle. To put it into perspective, it is the same Greek verb that Paul uses in Romans 8:37-39.
37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
In this passage the verb has the prefix “hyper” [ὑπερ] attached to it. It suggests the reading: “We are WAY MORE than mere conquerors….” Then we are given a list of things that cannot conquer us: death, life, angels [demons], principalities, powers, things present, things to come, height, depth and any other creature.
Thus, the Glorified Lord is not urging His servants in the assemblies to barely get through “by the skin of their teeth.” And, any saint that has this Glorified Lord for his/her Redeemer and Savior IS more than a conqueror. He/she is a Hyper-Conqueror! This is an enormously blessed state to experience in this fallen world. But the Glorified Lord is saying that what lies ahead for all such servants is infinitely greater!
Such hyper-conquerors will:
1. Eat of the tree of life in the paradise of God [2:7]
2. Not be hurt of the second death [2:11]
3. Eat of the hidden manna and receive a white stone with a new name written on it [2:17]
4. Be given power over the nations and given the morning star [2:26-29]
5. Be clothed in white raiment, name not blotted out of the book of life but confessed by the Glorified Lord before His Father [3:5]
6. Be made a pillar in the temple of God, going out no more, and have the name of God, the New Jerusalem and the Glorified Lord’s new name written upon him/her by the Glorified Lord [3:12]
7. Granted the privilege of sitting with the Glorified Lord in His throne [3:21][2]
Whatever all of these aspects of the lives of the glorified saints actually mean, it is clear that this is speaking of blessedness that none of us have ever experienced in our sojourns through this dark and fallen world. How very true it is that:
Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.[3]
The Glorified Lord leaves open the door of invitation to all in each assembly.
In every epistle the Glorified Lord directly admonished the recipients, “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches.” It is very clear from numerous passages in scripture that just because men have ears, that is no guarantee that they “will hear.”
In sending Jeremiah unto Israel, the LORD said:
Declare this in the house of Jacob, and publish it in Judah, saying, Hear now this, O foolish people, and without understanding; which have eyes, and see not; which have ears, and hear not:[4]
This is a recurring theme in the prophetic writings of the O.T.[5] But, the LORD had much to say about this same truth about 550 years after Zechariah’s ministry.
13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.
14 And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:
15 For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted,
and I should heal them.
16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.[6]
So, when the Glorified Lord spoke these words to the assemblies here in The Revelation, He was challenging all that would read or hear them to respond in faith and submission. But, as has been the case throughout human history, the vast majority of men that are exposed to God’s Truth choose to reject or ignore it. Sadly, this has been the case with many in the churches. May it not be so among us.
It ought to be emphasized that this doorway of divine invitation comes to men through God’s assemblies. This divine Revelation of the Glorified Lord was given to God’s assemblies, nowhere else. God did not give it through Caesar, or through any governmental office. There were no ecclesiastical hierarchies through which this Truth was propagated. It was entirely and only through God’s assemblies. While God is free to use whatever instrumentality He chooses to propagate His Truth, He has made it forever clear that His assemblies are:
The pillar and ground of the truth…[7]
In fact, the Glorified Lord, as He closes out this entire Revelation of Himself, plainly states:
I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches.[8]
It is clear that the Glorified Lord is on the throne of the churches.
Every assembly is answerable directly to the Glorified Lord. Every messenger is answerable directly to the Glorified Lord. Every believer in the assemblies is answerable directly to the Glorified Lord.
Whatever form of “church polity” any given assembly may follow, the statements in the above paragraph hold true. The ultimate authority is the Glorified Lord. It is when the hierarchy takes precedence over the Glorified Lord that assemblies [indeed entire “denominations”] move away from biblical polity.[9]
[1] We will see more of this verse when we come to chapter 6.
[2] These truths are powerfully evangelistic truths, especially if contrasted with what awaits the lost!
[3] 1 Corinthians 2:9.
[4] Jeremiah 5:20-21.
[5] See for example, Zechariah 7:11-13.
[6] Matthew 13:13-16.
[7] 1 Timothy 3:15.
[8] Revelation 22:16.
[9] Failure to see the Glorified Lord as He actually is opens the way for men to co-opt God’s assemblies for their own ends.