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REVELATION - Behold, I am Coming Soon
Studies in the Book of Revelation
BOOK 7 - YES, I AM COMING SOON! (REVELATION 19:11 - 22-21)
PART 7.5 - THE NEW WOLRD OF GOD (REVELATION 21:1-8)

7. He Who Overcomes Shall Inherit All Things; and He Shall be God's Child (Revelation 21:7)


REVELATION 21:7
7 He who overcomes, I will give him these things. I will be his God, and he will be my son.

He Who Overcomes: The Father in heaven makes the consolidation of the witnesses of Jesus in His undeserved grace dependent on the fact that they overcome their fear of death, particularly in times of persecution. The churches in Minor Asia were in danger of being silent when faced with the upcoming emperor cult and resorting to secret meeting places or to catacombs. Jesus, however, had already impressed earlier on his followers, “And do not fear them who kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.” (Matthew 10:28.32-33)

The lord expects from all His followers a spirit-guided, bold and wise witness of the prince of life, who gives the water of life freely to everybody coming to him. Whoever has access to the fountain of the water of life is asked to overcome his inhibitions and his fear in the name of Jesus and to offer to everybody the grace of everlasting life. Over and over again we should contemplate that the witness of Jesus is not any of those billions of daily announcements in the media, on the contrary it is the message full of the Holy Spirit and power and creates everlasting life in everybody who believes in it (John 6:63.68; Acts 1:8; 1 Peter 1:23; James 1:18; and other verses). Among the thousand commandments of Jesus Christ in the four gospels, in the Acts and in the Book of Revelation the commandments for preaching the gospel to all nations have the highest priority. Whoever does not witness Jesus refuses to obey orders and will become stunted in his fear.

Whoever overcomes himself by the power of the spirit of life, will inherit all things which God will create in His new world. Apostle Paul being undaunted by death wrote, “What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that did not spare his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?” (Romans 8:31-32). Who received the life from God and is sharing it with other people, will be legally appointed an heir of God. “The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.” (Romans 8:16-17). By means of these words Paul, the Torah-jurist, emphasized the promise of God by which He had promised his children the all-embracing inheritance. (Galatians 4:6-7).

I will be His God, and he Shall be My Son: In His fourth self-revelation of “I will be” God elevates His promise to a new level. At the beginning of chapter 21 we have already read that the Almighty God will dwell with His people, “God himself shall be with them and they shall be his people.” (Revelation 21:3) In the extension of this promise in verse 7 this term of the collective childhood which originates from the Old Testament (Exodus 4:22; Deuteronomy 32:6; Isaiah 63:16; Jeremiah 3:4; 31:9; Hosea 11:1; Malachi 1:6; and other verses) has been deepened. Here, each one who believes in Christ is called son or daughter of God (Matthew 6:4.6.18; Luke 8:48 and other verses).

Jesus was condemned to death because he called not only the people of Israel as an entity as Son of God, but himself as the incarnation of the living God (Matthew 26:63-64; 27:43; John 10:24-26 and other verses). Paul assigns to us our adoption by God by means of juridical words and at the same time confirms our spiritual rebirth. Both become apparent by the fact that the Holy Spirit cries in us, “Abba! Father!” (Galatians 4:5-7; see also John 3:3-5; Romans 8:14-17 and other verses.). This “spiritual quantum leap” from an unclean and guilty sinner to a justified and holy child of God we owe to the love of God, the Father, the crucified Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit. No man is worthy to call God his father on his own! However, for Jesus' sake we are entitled to name this holy name in a childlike and confident manner. The Son has revealed to us the name of our heavenly Father (Matthew 11:27; John 17:4.6 and other verses) and let us take part in his own right as Son. He has translated us from this time into eternity, from death into life and from condemnation into the glory of the Father (1 John 3:1-2). We are called to serve on the completion of His salvation plan (Matthew 13:43; 25:34; Luke 22:29; Romans 5:1-2 Colossians 1:27 and other verses). For that we owe Him everlasting thanksgiving. How does our thanksgiving practically look like? God is our Father! Let us all go “home” and see our Father in heaven (Luke 15:11-31).

PRAYER: Our Father in heaven, we worship to You and rejoice, because You are our Father legally and spiritually through beloved Christ. We love You from the bottom of our hearts and we give thanks for Your Fatherhood and ask You to grant us strength and wisdom to spread Your Fatherly name and the privilege of our reconciliation to You through Jesus' atonement among those who do not know You that they may surrender themselves to You to edify them and give spiritual birth to them as You did to us. Amen.

QUESTION:

  1. How can you testify that you are a child of God?

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