And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:
To him who overcomes and keeps Christ's works faithfully unto the end will be given power and authority over the nations, with ruling them with a rod of iron and receiving the morning star. It belongs to Christ's message to Thyatira, a church full of zeal, activity and charity yet endangered by false teachers, in which He reveals Himself as the searcher of reins and hearts who gives to everyone according to works. Overcoming is not easy because hereditary and cultivated tendencies to wrong are strong and self strives for mastery, yet no one is compelled, for the Lord presents the right way and leaves all free to receive or despise the light, with sure results following. This victory includes overcoming provocation to passionate words and deeds by becoming sweet in disposition, meek and gentle and lowly of heart through looking to Jesus, which is possible because grace in perfection is found in Christ who took human nature and was tempted in all points to succor all who are tempted. Keeping His works unto the end means earnest, faithful labor against false teachers today, following Christ the true Watchman, carrying forward His progressive work and establishing it in many places, remembering from whence fallen, repenting, doing the first works, holding fast, and serving with undivided heart true to principle and true to God.
Context and Promise
The messages to the churches in Asia portray the state of things existing in the churches of the religious world today. Their names are symbolic of the Christian church in different periods of the Christian era, and the number seven indicates completeness, so the messages extend to the end of time and are in force today. The figures used are symbolic of the state of God's professed people, with the wheat developing among the tares and truth standing on its own eternal basis in contrast with error.
This promise belongs to Christ's message to Thyatira, a church full of zeal, activity and charity yet endangered by false teachers. In it He makes Himself known as the searcher of reins and hearts who gives to everyone according to works. He weighs the character of all who take His name as Christians, for every individual is under His supervision and He is acquainted with the thoughts and intents of the heart as well as every word and act, knowing all about each religious experience and whom each loves and serves, which calls for close self-examination.
The one who overcomes and keeps His works faithfully unto the end will receive power or authority over the nations. The promise continues with ruling them with a rod of iron. It continues also with receiving the morning star. Faithfulness to Christ brings this promised reward.
With the first three chapters of Revelation, the verse belongs to the warning to prepare to meet the Lord in the clouds of heaven when He comes with power and great glory. That warning presses the evidence that the end of the world is right upon us against indifference to the signs foretold by Christ. What was shown on Patmos concerns what will be in these last days. Therefore the verse must be understood and used as Christ designed through close and critical study, calling for prayer for wisdom, for wakefulness, and for speaking intelligently about this last remnant of time rather than having a name to live while dead.
Victory and Faithful Living
Overcoming is not easy, for hereditary and cultivated tendencies to wrong are strong and self is masterful and strives for the mastery, yet the promises are given to him that overcomes. The Lord presents the right way but compels no one to obey, leaving those who have been given light free to receive or despise it, with sure results following their course because cause must produce effect. To be an overcomer is to be made strong in the Lord and kept faithful, so as to be found an overcomer when Christ comes.
Overcoming includes victory when sorely provoked to say or do passionate, weak things, becoming sweet in disposition, meek and gentle and lowly of heart instead of answering with angry words or actions. This promise is to be remembered in moments of provocation by looking unto Jesus for aid. Such victory is possible because grace in perfection is found in Christ without need of any human agency, for by His sacrifice He made provision to succor all who are tempted. Having taken human nature, He was tempted in all points as human beings are tempted, so that no one can plead that He does not know their temptations.
The promise is set before the tested church as a motive to remember from whence it has fallen, repent, do the first works, be watchful, and hold fast, serving God with an undivided heart, true to principle and true to God. Heeding it means seeking the Lord with all the heart, loving God supremely and neighbor as self, giving due respect for their works' sake to those who have borne the burden in the heat of the day, and humbling the heart before God. Then He cures littleness of faith, sees that it is safe to work with and for His people, and makes the truth prosper in their hands and go forth as a lamp that burneth. For He searches the reins and hearts and gives to everyone according to works, and to him who overcomes and keeps His works unto the end He will give power over the nations, with the morning star also given.
Keeping His works unto the end means earnest, faithful labor against the danger of false teachers today, for Thyatira was full of zeal, activity, and charity yet was endangered by false teachers. It means following Christ the true Watchman as the example, carrying forward His progressive work and establishing it in many places, instead of letting the third angel's message languish while worldly schemes and interests take up time and attention. The same promise lays a solemn obligation upon parents to conform to right habits of eating and drinking and to set simple, wholesome food before children while avoiding everything stimulating. A meat diet does not make nervous children sweet tempered and patient, but peevish, irritable, passionate, and impatient of restraint, so that virtuous practices are lost and corruption destroys mind, soul, and body.
Faithfulness to Christ brings the promised reward. The promise of authority over the nations is to be held before children as a reward for faithfulness to Christ's works unto the end. With it belongs the further promise that the overcomer will receive the morning star.
To him who overcomes and keeps Christ's works faithfully unto the end will be given power and authority over the nations, with ruling them with a rod of iron and receiving the morning star. It belongs to Christ's message to Thyatira, a church full of zeal, activity and charity yet endangered by false teachers, in which He reveals Himself as the searcher of reins and hearts who gives to everyone according to works. Overcoming is not easy because hereditary and cultivated tendencies to wrong are strong and self strives for mastery, yet no one is compelled, for the Lord presents the right way and leaves all free to receive or despise the light, with sure results following. This victory includes overcoming provocation to passionate words and deeds by becoming sweet in disposition, meek and gentle and lowly of heart through looking to Jesus, which is possible because grace in perfection is found in Christ who took human nature and was tempted in all points to succor all who are tempted. Keeping His works unto the end means earnest, faithful labor against false teachers today, following Christ the true Watchman, carrying forward His progressive work and establishing it in many places, remembering from whence fallen, repenting, doing the first works, holding fast, and serving with undivided heart true to principle and true to God.
Context and Promise
The messages to the churches in Asia portray the state of things existing in the churches of the religious world today. Their names are symbolic of the Christian church in different periods of the Christian era, and the number seven indicates completeness, so the messages extend to the end of time and are in force today. The figures used are symbolic of the state of God's professed people, with the wheat developing among the tares and truth standing on its own eternal basis in contrast with error.
This promise belongs to Christ's message to Thyatira, a church full of zeal, activity and charity yet endangered by false teachers. In it He makes Himself known as the searcher of reins and hearts who gives to everyone according to works. He weighs the character of all who take His name as Christians, for every individual is under His supervision and He is acquainted with the thoughts and intents of the heart as well as every word and act, knowing all about each religious experience and whom each loves and serves, which calls for close self-examination.
The one who overcomes and keeps His works faithfully unto the end will receive power or authority over the nations. The promise continues with ruling them with a rod of iron. It continues also with receiving the morning star. Faithfulness to Christ brings this promised reward.
With the first three chapters of Revelation, the verse belongs to the warning to prepare to meet the Lord in the clouds of heaven when He comes with power and great glory. That warning presses the evidence that the end of the world is right upon us against indifference to the signs foretold by Christ. What was shown on Patmos concerns what will be in these last days. Therefore the verse must be understood and used as Christ designed through close and critical study, calling for prayer for wisdom, for wakefulness, and for speaking intelligently about this last remnant of time rather than having a name to live while dead.
Victory and Faithful Living
Overcoming is not easy, for hereditary and cultivated tendencies to wrong are strong and self is masterful and strives for the mastery, yet the promises are given to him that overcomes. The Lord presents the right way but compels no one to obey, leaving those who have been given light free to receive or despise it, with sure results following their course because cause must produce effect. To be an overcomer is to be made strong in the Lord and kept faithful, so as to be found an overcomer when Christ comes.
Overcoming includes victory when sorely provoked to say or do passionate, weak things, becoming sweet in disposition, meek and gentle and lowly of heart instead of answering with angry words or actions. This promise is to be remembered in moments of provocation by looking unto Jesus for aid. Such victory is possible because grace in perfection is found in Christ without need of any human agency, for by His sacrifice He made provision to succor all who are tempted. Having taken human nature, He was tempted in all points as human beings are tempted, so that no one can plead that He does not know their temptations.
The promise is set before the tested church as a motive to remember from whence it has fallen, repent, do the first works, be watchful, and hold fast, serving God with an undivided heart, true to principle and true to God. Heeding it means seeking the Lord with all the heart, loving God supremely and neighbor as self, giving due respect for their works' sake to those who have borne the burden in the heat of the day, and humbling the heart before God. Then He cures littleness of faith, sees that it is safe to work with and for His people, and makes the truth prosper in their hands and go forth as a lamp that burneth. For He searches the reins and hearts and gives to everyone according to works, and to him who overcomes and keeps His works unto the end He will give power over the nations, with the morning star also given.
Keeping His works unto the end means earnest, faithful labor against the danger of false teachers today, for Thyatira was full of zeal, activity, and charity yet was endangered by false teachers. It means following Christ the true Watchman as the example, carrying forward His progressive work and establishing it in many places, instead of letting the third angel's message languish while worldly schemes and interests take up time and attention. The same promise lays a solemn obligation upon parents to conform to right habits of eating and drinking and to set simple, wholesome food before children while avoiding everything stimulating. A meat diet does not make nervous children sweet tempered and patient, but peevish, irritable, passionate, and impatient of restraint, so that virtuous practices are lost and corruption destroys mind, soul, and body.
Faithfulness to Christ brings the promised reward. The promise of authority over the nations is to be held before children as a reward for faithfulness to Christ's works unto the end. With it belongs the further promise that the overcomer will receive the morning star.