The Conquerors, Part 3

Outline

Big Idea:

The Tree of Life - Revelation 2:7.

The Second Death - Revelation 2:11.

The Hidden Manna, White Stone, and New Name - Revelation 2:17.

The Authority Over Nations and the Morning Star - Revelation 2:26.

The White Garments, Book of Life, and Confessions - Revelation 3:5-6.

The Pillar and Inscription of Names - Revelation 3:12-13.

The Granting of Fellowship and Relationship - Revelation 3:21-22.

Introduction

Review

First Two Promises to the Conquerors…

They will be granted the right to eat of the Tree of Life

They will not be hurt by the second death.

We will be given the hidden manna, a white stone, and a new name. We will be given Christ. Permanently satisfied, sealed, and identified with Him.

Body

The Authority Over Nations and the Morning Star - Revelation 2:26-29.

Who is the fourth Church?

Thyatira

What were they known as?

The Tolerant Church

WORSE than merely tolerating sin in their midst without doing anything about it…

Thyatira embraced it. They tolerated it. Even justifying and rationalizing it.

What was the promise to those who OVERCOME tolerance of sin?

Revelation 2:26–29 ESV

26 The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations, 27 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. 28 And I will give him the morning star. 29 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’

Two things.

AUTHORITY OVER THE NATIONS

THE MORNING STAR.

Authority over the Nations

Authority References

Rev 2:26-27 quotes Ps 2:8-9.

Let me read the whole chapter so you get the context of what we are considering.

Psalm 2:1–12 ESV

1 Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? 2 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against his Anointed, saying, 3 “Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us.” 4 He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision. 5 Then he will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury, saying, 6 “As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill.” 7 I will tell of the decree: The Lord said to me, “You are my Son; today I have begotten you. 8 Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession. 9 You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.” 10 Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth. 11 Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. 12 Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.

Psalm 2 - The authority to rule is God’s.

We think we rule (in this life) but only God truly does rule.

One he gives to the Son.

One the son will apparently share with us.

The promise is most likely entirely future.

Most likely referring to the Millennial kingdom.

We will discuss this more in future, but after the Tribulation, Christ will come to earth and establish his earthly reign. He will rule for 1000 years, while Satan is bound in the pit, unable to exercise his influence over the world.

It will be a time of perfect justice.

Everyone going INTO the millennium will be believers, the rest having been wiped out in the battle of Armageddon at the end of the Tribulation.

However, new children born during the tribulation will have the opportunity to either accept or reject Christ.

Some will reject.

Nations and peoples will rebel against Christ during this time, but he will rule and lead with perfect righteousness and justice.

We will rule with Him.

Consider the following.

Luke 19:11-19.

Luke 19:11–19 ESV

11 As they heard these things, he proceeded to tell a parable, because he was near to Jerusalem, and because they supposed that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately. 12 He said therefore, “A nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and then return. 13 Calling ten of his servants, he gave them ten minas, and said to them, ‘Engage in business until I come.’ 14 But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We do not want this man to reign over us.’ 15 When he returned, having received the kingdom, he ordered these servants to whom he had given the money to be called to him, that he might know what they had gained by doing business. 16 The first came before him, saying, ‘Lord, your mina has made ten minas more.’ 17 And he said to him, ‘Well done, good servant! Because you have been faithful in a very little, you shall have authority over ten cities.’ 18 And the second came, saying, ‘Lord, your mina has made five minas.’ 19 And he said to him, ‘And you are to be over five cities.’

Those who are faithful with what they have been given to steward, will be given more and will be given authority to rule.

Point is that God will grant authority to rule with Him. He will do so by how well we prove to be faithful and reliable with that which he gives us.

Rev 5:9-10.

Revelation 5:9–10 ESV

9 And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, 10 and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.”

The twenty-four elders in heaven sing…

And in their song they declare…

Jesus is worthy. He was slain, ransoming a people for God making them priests and giving them authority to rule.

And in Daniel 7, we have reference to this kingdom being given to Christ and His saints.

Daniel 7:15–18 ESV

15 “As for me, Daniel, my spirit within me was anxious, and the visions of my head alarmed me. 16 I approached one of those who stood there and asked him the truth concerning all this. So he told me and made known to me the interpretation of the things. 17 ‘These four great beasts are four kings who shall arise out of the earth. 18 But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, forever and ever.’

Daniel 7:21–27 ESV

21 As I looked, this horn made war with the saints and prevailed over them, 22 until the Ancient of Days came, and judgment was given for the saints of the Most High, and the time came when the saints possessed the kingdom. 23 “Thus he said: ‘As for the fourth beast, there shall be a fourth kingdom on earth, which shall be different from all the kingdoms, and it shall devour the whole earth, and trample it down, and break it to pieces. 24 As for the ten horns, out of this kingdom ten kings shall arise, and another shall arise after them; he shall be different from the former ones, and shall put down three kings. 25 He shall speak words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High, and shall think to change the times and the law; and they shall be given into his hand for a time, times, and half a time. 26 But the court shall sit in judgment, and his dominion shall be taken away, to be consumed and destroyed to the end. 27 And the kingdom and the dominion and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High; his kingdom shall be an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.’

The kingdom will be given to Christ and to His saints who shall possess it forever and ever.

The context of it being taken away from wicked rulers and given to saints also reveals that they will have authority and rule over it.

Furthermore, we are told in 1 Corinthians 6:2-3, we will judge the world and even angels.

1 Corinthians 6:2–3 ESV

2 Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you incompetent to try trivial cases? 3 Do you not know that we are to judge angels? How much more, then, matters pertaining to this life!

Rev 3:21 - God is the one who gives us the authority to rule.

God will give us the authority to rule UNDER him in the future Millennial kingdom that will follow the tribulation.

There will be many needs, many roles, many places this will get carried out. And God will grant us the right and the authority to rule under Him.

One commentator did note this though…

Revelation g. Promise to Conquerors (2:26–28)

It is possible, however, that the focus isn’t on ruling but on destroying one’s enemies (see Weima 2021: 153–54). After all, in

Though this might well be possible, I suspect that, given all these other passages, there does seem to be a rule element involved as well.

At the very least, I suspect it is a little of both.

For in ruling with Him, we WILL rule with AUTHORITY and we WILL rule in such a way that we “shatter” and crush those who stand opposed to Christ. They will not survive.

The Psalm 2 passage is very destructive in it’s description.

Psalm 2:9 ESV

9 You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.”

So, this observation may not be all wrong, though I do suspect that this judgement for man’s rebellion will come the hands of the saints (at least partially) as we rule with Him.

This ruling with Him will not likely extend beyond that, for when all sin and the unrepentant are eternally dealt with in Hell, there will be no need to rule with him, having nothing to rule.

That is why I believe this is entirely the millennial kingdom we are dealing with here.

Why is (or should) this promise be encouraging to us as the church?

It shows us as overcomers.

It shows justice and righteous rule WILL win out in the end, in a world of injustice.

Those who overcome will experience the fulfillment of perfect justice as we rule with Him.

The Morning Star

Who or what is this morning star?

Several possibilities.

The one most commonly accepted and thought of is drawn from several passages that also speak to a bright star.

Jesus, Himself.

2 Peter 1:19.

2 Peter 1:19 ESV

19 And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts,

This passage which is closely connected to the word, would seem to point to Christ as the ultimate fulfillment.

We would do well to hold to the prophetic word UNTIL THE MORNING STAR, the one to whom the word points, rises in our hearts.

The word SHOULD PROPEL us towards Christ. It should STRENGTH and SUSTAIN us until the full reality of THE LIVING WORD, Christ, is made fully manifest in our hearts.

Revelation 22:16.

Revelation 22:16 ESV

16 “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.”

Jesus Himself calls himself the bright morning star.

THUS, this close connection strongly suggest that perhaps this morning star is Jesus Himself

That, the promise to conquerors is that we will be given Jesus Himself.

However, the wording of the verse might suggest against it.

Revelation 2:28 ESV

28 And I will give him the morning star.

I (Jesus) will give to the conqueror, the morning star.

If he is referring to Himself, it is an awkward phrasing by which to do so.

Thus, some of speculated that maybe the morning star, instead of being Jesus Himself is actually a promise that in the kingdom, the righteous will shine like stars.

Allusion to this can be seen in Daniel and Matthew.

The Righteous

Dan 12:1-4.

Daniel 12:1–4 ESV

1 “At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book. 2 And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. 3 And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever. 4 But you, Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book, until the time of the end. Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.”

Matthew 13:43.

Matthew 13:43 ESV

43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.

These two texts suggests that maybe the morning star is alluding to the righteousness themselves who will shine like stars, who will reflect HIS glory through themselves.

When we live like Christ, for Christ, we reflect brightness and light to others.

Truthfully, it may be hard to discern the true meaning. Despite the awkward reading of Christ saying he would give us the morning star (himself)…Rev 22:16 seems to be the clearest expression we have for how to understand what the bright morning star is.

Rev 22:16 makes clear WHO the morning star is. The conqueror then is being promised JESUS. Yes, we will shine like His glory and we will reflect his glory but this points are secondary. The conqueror is being promises Jesus Himself.

Like so many things, the full reality of what it means may not be fully revealed or understood until sometime future.

Perhaps it is some combination of all of these things.

Point is, either way…it is a good thing.

WE WILL have Christ.

We WILL shine like Him in full brightness

And we WILL have his word shining in our hearts, clear and desirable to us.

All of these things, all of these possibilities will certainly be true in that day, for which we can be so thankful.

Those who conquer WILL HAVE the morning star and will shine with Him.

The Pillar and Inscription of Names - Revelation 3:12-13.

Revelation 3:12–13 ESV

12 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. 13 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’

Pillar References

Rev 21:1-7, 10, 22 - (see also Eph 2:19-22; 1 Peter 2:4-10)

No temple because it was not necessary

God is the temple

His dwelling is made with us

The one who conquers is granted Father/Son relationship with Him. INCREDIBLE!!

What is Jesus’ new name? No scripture tell us (Rev 19:12) but we know the Bible uses names to show character and authority. Will Jesus’ new name show His authority and character? Or maybe it will give us a fuller picture of His character? (Probably both in truth) Whatever it means, what a privilege it will be to have it (Rev 14:1). The title Christian means “little Christs.” and his goal for us is to become conformed to His image!

The consequences of not being a conqueror is rejection.

Conclusion

Application