If the first nine days of 2025 are any indication of what lies ahead, we are in for a wild ride. It was popular at the start of this century to ask, "What would Jesus do?" As we view pictures of the devastation left by the fires in Southern California, perhaps it might better to ask, "What would Jesus say?" about our day.
I believe we already have the key points of what the Lord might say today to His redeemed; we find them in His letters to seven churches, which John recorded late in the first century AD. Even though the substance of each letter varies widely, striking similarities exist in all of them.
In chapters 2 and 3 of Revelation, we have His specific messages to seven churches that existed late in the late first century AD.
Though His content varies with each letter, there’s one common theme among all of them:
Jesus concludes each one with a reminder of the glories of eternity that await all believers.
Is it not more than a little significant that regardless of the state of each body of believers, the Lord encourages faithfulness by providing the redeemed with a glimpse of the glory that awaits them in eternity?
PARADISE
The Lord concludes His message to the church in Ephesus with this comforting assurance:
To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God. (Revelation 2:7)
The phrase, “to the one who conquers,” occurs at the end of all His letters to the churches. This doesn’t refer to a higher level of spirituality, but rather applies to all believers without exception. 1 John 5:4 provides us with the needed context for the Jesus’ words:
For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.
The promise to the saints at Ephesus is that of spending forever in “paradise,” which John describes with much detail at the end of the apocalypse. He records seeing the “tree of life” in his vision of the New Jerusalem (22:1), our eternal dwelling.
As with all the promises Jesus makes to the seven churches, the last chapters of Revelation provide us with a more comprehensive understanding of the reassuring words of hope that He gives us in each letter.
ETERNAL LIFE
Jesus’ ends His note to the church in Smyrna ends with these comforting words:
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death. (Revelation 2:11)
As He does at the end of all His letters, the Lord applies His message to all believers. To the saints at Smyrna who faced the prospect of martyrdom, Jesus reminded them of His promise of eternal life. They wouldn’t “be hurt by the second death,” which John later describes as the White Throne Judgment in Revelation 20:11-15. Instead, they will be among the redeemed who would spend eternity enjoying life to its fullest in paradise.
Regardless of the level of persecution we might face, as believers we know we will never by judged for our sins, but we will someday experience all the wonders of eternal life.
Perhaps the most unusual guarantee in all the seven letters is the one that Jesus gave to the church in Pergamum:
To the one who conquers I will give 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. (Revelation 2:17).
Pastor and Bible commentator John MacArthur provides us with this understanding of the white stone’s significance:
It seems best, however, to understand the white stone in light of the Roman custom of awarding white stones to the victors in athletic contests. A white stone, inscribed with the athlete’s name, served as his ticket to a special awards banquet.[1]
Might this “white stone” be our formal invitation to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb? I think so. We read about a great celebration later in the book of Revelation:
And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.” (Revelation 19:9)
All believers will stand before Jesus at His Bema Seat and after that, we will joyously celebrate with the Savior at a special banquet in our honor. As to confirm the wonder of this occasion, the angel stats that “these are the true words of God.” John’s eyewitness account of the end time events are not just his thoughts, but indeed God’s words to us.
REIGNING WITH JESUS
Notice the exceptional assurance Jesus gave to His saints at Thyatira:
The one who conquers and 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. (Revelation 2:26-27)
The promise in these verses is that of ruling with Jesus in His kingdom. The reference to Jesus ruling with a “rod of iron,” first recorded in Psalm 2:7, occurs again in John’s magnificent account of Jesus’ spectacular return to earth:
From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. (Revelation 19:15)
When Jesus comes to claim His inheritance of the nations (please read Psalm 2:7-9), we will not only be with Him, but we will later reign alongside Him in His kingdom. Wonder of wonders, Jesus will share His authority over the nations with us. In our immortal and sinless state, we will act as judges (1 Corinthians 6:2) in His realm.
Might this “white stone” be our formal invitation to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb? I think so. We read about a great celebration later in the book of Revelation.
He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. (Revelation 19:13-14)
We will be with Jesus as He rides back to earth in the most dazzling display of power and glory ever seen upon the earth. Our “fine linen, white and pure” marks our participation in the most prophesied and glorious event in all of Scripture and the what will be the most dramatic event in all of human history. It’s mind boggling to imagine that Jesus would bless us in such a way!
A FOREVER HOME IN THE NEW JERUSALEM
Jesus assurance to the faithful in Philadelphia might seem a bit unusual at first glance:
The one who conquers, 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. (Revelation 3:12)
Of course, He’s not saying that we will become inanimate marble columns; Christ’s words here depict our future stability and permanence. Not only will He come for us before the Tribulation (3:10-11a), but He also assures us of a forever home in the New Jerusalem. The writing of His name on us signifies an intimate relationship that will never end.
We read about the wonder of the New Jerusalem later in the book of Revelation (21:9-22:5). It’s the city where Jesus is now preparing a place for us (John 14:2-3). This will be our forever home in a glorious city whose beauty lies far beyond any mental image we might have of its splendor. And no one will be able to take it away from us; we will forever reside amid beauty beyond what we can only faintly imagine.
2 comments:
The key element when Trump returns to office - will he heed God's warning to those who divide up the land of Israel or will he slip back into the two state solution mode? I remember the first time five years ago when he released his two state solution the earth shook under Mar-a-Lago rattling his front door knockers. Followed by the disintegration of his presidency and the great harm brought to this country since. He has a second chance - what say you Donald Trump, to be or not to be a two state solution?
Really does not matter what Trump has to say. The question was what would Jesus say? Unless he adds something, I think he has said it all already.
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