Smoodock's Blog

In Revelation 2:7 the Lord is speaking to whomsoever has his ears tuned into the Spirit of God. He speaks to all seven of the churches, their leaders and all the brethren therein. However, his words imply that his message is particularly for those believers in the seven churches who are listening to the Spirit of God. Perhaps they felt intimidated by the disobedient among them. Perhaps they hadn’t spoken out, because they disliked being seen as different, but it is to these listeners among the believers of the seven churches that the Lord is especially speaking.

Jesus tells everyone in the churches to repent (Revelation 2:5) and do their first works, and he makes a promise to each of the seven churches, but the promises are of no effect upon anyone except for those who overcome. John tells us that he who overcomes the world is he who believes Jesus is the Christ—i.e. the Messiah, Lord of all (1John 5:5). In other words those who recognize Jesus as the Head and submit to their Head are they that overcome. We overcome the world through our faith (1John 5:4) or trust in Jesus’ leadership and his love for his people.

Notice that Jesus tells those who have ears to hear to listen to what he says to the (seven) churches. In other words, Jesus makes seven promises to those who not only have ears to hear but who also overcome.

1. They will eat of the Tree of Life, which is in the paradise of God (Revelation 2:7).
2. They will not hurt by the second death (Revelation 2:11);
3. They will be given the hidden manna, and a white stone, and a new name written on the stone which no one knows but he who receives it (Revelation 2:17);
4. They are given authority over the nations, and they will shepherd them and break them in pieces as a potter’s vessel, and they are given the morning star (Revelation 2:26-28);
5. They are clothed in white, and their names are not blotted out of the Book of Life, but, rather, are confessed before the Father and the angels (Revelation 3:5);
6. Each one is made a pillar in the Temple of God and remain there; moreover, Jesus will write upon those pillars the name of God and the name of the city of God (new Jerusalem), Jesus’ new name (Revelation 3:12);
7. They will sit with Jesus on his (the Messianic) throne (Revelation 3:21).

Many see these promises as things, which need, yet, to be fulfilled, 2000 years after Jesus walked this earth. For them the Tree of Life is a literal, physical tree with healing powers, and since there is no such tree on earth, today, we can assume these promises are still in our future. Nevertheless, if these promises are spiritual in nature, there is nothing that would prevent their being in effect today. That is, the promises have been fulfilled with the establishment of the New Covenant cir. 70 AD. The nations, though still violent, are much better off today than in the first century AD. In other words they are being healed.

Although some would try to convince us that when we die we cease to exist until the resurrection, there are many who would say we go to be with the Lord and are consciously aware of him. This would mean the second death has no power over us. This promise, too, has been fulfilled. The New Covenant Scriptures tells us that believers are the New Jerusalem (Galatians 4:26; Revelation 21:1-4), so it is implied, at least, that once the Old Jerusalem was taken out of the way (cir. 70 AD), then the New Jerusalem would be exposed for all to see. Then there is the promise that this New Jerusalem would be lit up with the light of God. Isn’t that what folks see about us when we truly preach Christ to the world? Don’t they see the light of God? The fifth promise is that our names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. Is there a believer who doesn’t assume his or her name isn’t written there, or that he or she isn’t part of that Body, which is the Bride of Christ? If God and the Lamb are our Temple, meaning we live and move and have our being in God, do we not, even now, have his name written in our foreheads? Are we not always constantly aware of him? Finally, the 1000 year reign was the reign of a generation (cir. 40 years in the first century AD). Nevertheless, it was not a position of rulership for the believer, but a submission to the reign of Christ. Believers reigned **in** Christ throughout that generation, and we, today, reign **in** Christ throughout our lives on this earth. Our power over the nations is our power or authority to preach the Gospel, which alone changes them, and causes them to further and further submit to Christ. Thus, spiritually speaking, these seven promises have been already fulfilled.