Nikē, in Greek, means victory
or victorious. Nikē’s phonetic pronunciation is nee-kay. Thus, we can say the conquest
of the task at hand was victorious; we overcame the challenge. For the subject,
victory concerns overcoming through perseverance, patience, and labor. Moreover,
we do not grow weary because of the trials of life.
Nevertheless, the victory of our crown’s assurance is in question because of leaving our first Love, namely, the family of God and Christ himself. Therefore, it is no wonder Christ exhorts us to repent, remember, and return to him and restore that which we have forsaken, specifically Christ sitting on the throne of our hearts. Christ needs to rule and reign in our hearts, or he may remove our place of use in his kingdom here and now. This is not a question of losing our salvation but rewards lost and forsaken because of the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life that so easily entices each of us when we lose sight of our Lord. May we hear what the Spirit of God says that we may eat from the tree of eternal life.
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B. The
Message to Ephesus: The Church That Is Orthodox (Doctrinally Correct) but
Without Love, 2:1–7 |
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1. The recipients’
a. The messenger of
the church b. The Ephesian
churchhDS1 2. The
speaker: Jesus |
Unto the angel of the church of
Ephesus write, These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his
right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks; |
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3. The
commendation a. For works &
labor b. For
steadfastness c. For not tolerating
evil people, d. For testing &
rejecting false apostles |
2 I
know thy works, and thy labor, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear
them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles and
are not, and hast found them, liars: |
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e. For persevering &
not growing weary |
3 And
hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name’s sake hast labored, and hast
not fainted. |
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4. The
complaint: They had left their first Love—Love for Christ &
for the people |
4 Nevertheless,
I have somewhat against thee
because thou hast left thy first Love. |
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5. The
counsel: Remember & repent—return to your first works &
former service 6. The
warning a. Your church, the
lampstand, will be removed |
5 Remember
therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or
else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of
his place, except thou repent. |
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b. Your doctrinal
purity is not enough |
6 But
this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitanes, which I also
hate. |
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7. The
promise: To the overcomers a. The tree of life b. Paradise |
7 He that hath an ear let him hear what the Spirit saith unto
the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life,
which is in the midst of the paradise of God.[2]
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7. The Charge (Revelation 2:7)
“He that hath an ear let him hear what the Spirit saith
unto the churches” (Revelation
2:7). This is a charge for good stewardship of spiritual privileges.
This charge to listen to the message of the Spirit is made to all seven of the
churches (Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, 22).
• The manner of the charge. “He that hath an
ear let him hear.” This means to listen attentively, respectfully,
and earnestly to the message of the Word of God.
• The message of the charge. “What the Spirit
saith unto the churches.” The Spirit’s message is not a TV sporting
event or some other entertainment show. It is a message from the Word of God (“the sword of the Spirit”—Ephesians 6:17).
8. The Compensation (Revelation 2:7)
“To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of
life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God” (Revelation 2:7). Compensation is promised to those
in the churches who overcome evil in their churches (Revelation
2:7, 11, 17, 26; 3:5, 12, 21). The compensation for the overcomers in
Ephesus is: “To
him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the
midst of the paradise of God” (Revelation
2:7).
• The prerequisite for the
compensation. “To him that overcometh.” Overcoming means conquering
the evil that is in the church. Here it would be to conquer the evil of the
loss of their first Love and get back their “first love” (Revelation
2:4). So, it will involve “remember,” “repent,”
and “do the
first works” (Revelation 2:5).
The promised compensation reminds us that God usually gives some noble
worthwhile incentive to obey His commandments. The command to “remember,”
“repent,” and “do the first works” is a
difficult one to fulfill, but the reward is more than adequate compensation.
• The particulars of the
compensation. “Eat of the tree of life” (Revelation 2:7). In the Garden of Eden, the “tree of life”
was located “in
the midst of the garden” (Genesis 2:9).
But because of man’s sin, God drove man out of the Garden and placed a Cherubim
with a flaming sword at the entrance of the Garden to keep man from entering
the Garden and eating of the “tree of life” and living forever (Genesis 3:22, 24). Now, however, the overcomer is
permitted to freely eat of this tree if he overcomes the evil in the church at
Ephesus. Whatever is involved in eating of this tree must be considered a
tremendous blessing and a great incentive to overcome the present evil.
• The place of the compensation. “Which is in the midst of the paradise of God” (Revelation 2:7). The Garden of Eden was simply a foreshadowing of a greater paradise that God has created for His own. “To an Oriental mind, ‘Paradise’ is the expression and sum of blessedness” (Walter Scott). The believer has a great future. Whether “paradise” is the new Jerusalem, as some think or whatever it is, it will be a “paradise” compared to anything this earth offers, for it is “the paradise of God,” not one created by man. The place of the reward says the reward will be in eternity, not in time. The best rewards from God are those we get in eternity.[3]
7 (2:7) Promise—Overcomers—Victory: there
is the promise to the overcomers. The word overcomer
has the idea of conflict and struggle. An overcomer
is a person who overcomes and conquers and gains victory. He is the victor and
conqueror. What is it that he is to overcome? Everything that
pulls his heart and love away from Christ and attaches it to the world.
Whatever possessions, whatever pleasures, whatever it is that has dampened the
believer’s first Love for Christ—it is that thing that the believer must
overcome.
Note that the promise is made to individual believers; therefore, all believers are to hear the messages to the churches. A church as a whole may go astray, but it is the believer who must personally overcome. How? Let him who has an ear hear what the Spirit says, and let him heed and do what the Spirit says. If he does, then he will be an overcomer.
Here are the glorious promises to the overcomer.
1. The overcomer shall be allowed to eat of the
tree of life. This is the tree of God, the tree that gives life, both the
fullness of life and eternal life.
The tree of life is first seen
in the Garden of Eden. Adam lost his right to eat of it because of his sin and
disobedience to God. Thus, he was banished from the garden and cut off from
eating of the tree (Ge. 2:9, 16–17; 3:22–24).
Now, the tree of life is given to the faithful and victorious follower of
Christ, but it is not guaranteed. Only some have a right to it (Re. 22:14), and the tree may be taken away (Re. 22:19).
“And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is
pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of
the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil” (Ge. 2:9).
“And the Lord God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to
know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the
tree of life, and eat, and live forever” (Ge. 3:22).
“She is a tree of life to them that lay
hold upon her: and happy is everyone that retaineth her” (Pr. 3:18).
“The fruit of the righteous is a tree
of life, and he that winneth souls are wise” (Pr.
11:30).
“Now, when I had returned, behold, at
the bank of the river were many trees on one side and on the other.… And by the
river upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, shall grow all
trees for meat, whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof be
consumed: it shall bring forth new fruit according to his months, because their
waters they issued out of the sanctuary: and the fruit thereof shall be for
meat [food], and the leaf thereof for medicine” (Eze.
47:7, 12).
“He that hath an ear let him hear what
the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat
of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God” (Re. 2:7).
“In the midst of the street of it, and
on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve
manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree
were for the healing of the nations” (Re. 22:2).
“I am the living bread which came down
from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever: and the bread
that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world” (Jn. 6:51).
“Wherefore do ye spend money for that
which is not bread? and your labor for that which satisfieth not? hearken
diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight
itself in fatness” (Is. 55:2).
2. The
overcomer shall become a citizen of the paradise of God. Paradise is heaven,
the very dwelling place of God, the place …
• of eternal bliss and ecstasy
• of eternal perfection and life
• of eternal fulfillment and
completeness
• of eternal Love and joy
• of eternal peace and control
• of eternal work and pleasure
• of eternal duty and honor
• of eternal service and satisfaction
On and
on the list could go. All that life is and was ever meant to be—that is what
will be in the paradise of heaven. This is the glorious promise to the
overcomer.
“And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say
unto thee, today shalt thou be with me in paradise” (Lu.
23:43).
“How that he was caught up into
paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to
utter” (2 Co. 12:4).
“He that hath an ear let him hear what
the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat
of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God” (Re. 2:7).
Thought 1. The promises to the overcomer throughout this passage are meaningful. They are a dynamic challenge, a challenge to conquer whatever it is that keeps us from living for Christ.[4]
“Anyone who is willing to
hear should listen to the Spirit and understand what the Spirit is saying to
the churches. Everyone who is victorious will eat from the tree of life in the
paradise of God.” 2:7 NLT Each
of the seven letters ends with the exhortation. Anyone who is willing
to hear should listen to the Spirit and understand what the Spirit is saying to
the churches. The words of the Spirit are the words of Christ. Note
that all the letters were to be read to all the churches. Those who “hear” what
is read should then “listen to the Spirit” in order to understand what the
Spirit is saying and to know what should be done. Those who listen and do what
the Spirit leads them to do will be victorious
(also translated as “overcome”). Those who are victorious will remain faithful
to Christ no matter what the cost.
Those victorious ones will eat from the tree of life in the paradise of God. The Garden of Eden contained the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:9). Eating from the tree of life brought eternal life with God; eating from the tree of knowledge brought the ability to discern good and evil and, therefore, to choose evil. When Adam and Eve ate from the tree of knowledge, they disobeyed God’s command. So, they were excluded from Eden and barred from eating from the tree of life (Genesis 3:22). Eventually, evil will be destroyed, and believers will be brought into a restored paradise. In the new earth, everyone will eat from the tree of life and will live forever (22:2, 19). Eating from the tree of life pictures the gift of eternal life (John 6:51). In paradise, God will restore the perfect fellowship that existed in the Garden of Eden before sin entered and ruined the relationship between people and God.[5]
Rewards For Overcomers [6]
Spiritual
Food Revelation 2:7
7
“He that hath an ear let him hear what the Spirit saith
unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of
life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.” [7]
A New Name Revelation 2:17
17
“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to
the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna to
eat. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone, a new name written
which no one knows except him who receives it.”
’[8]
Authority Revelation 2:26
26
“And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to
him I will give power over the nations.” [9]
Robes of Righteousness Revelation 3:5
5
“He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and
I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life, but I will confess his name
before My Father and before His angels.” [10]
A Memorial Pillar Revelation 3:12
12
“He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple
of My God, and he shall go out no more. 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 out of
heaven from My God. And I will write on
him My new name.” [11]
Enthronement Revelation 3:21
21
“To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My
throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.” [12]
A Testimony Revelation 12:11
11
“And
they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and
they did not love their lives to the death.” [13]
An Eternal Inheritance Revelation 21:7
7 “He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God, and he shall be My son.” [14]
Striving
for a Crown (Rewards)
24 “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. 25 And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. 26 Therefore, I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus, I fight not as one who beats the air. 27 But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.” [15]
Revelation 2:7 The Promise: To the Overcomers “To Him That Overcometh Will I Give to Eat of The Tree of Life,”
[1] Leadership Ministries Worldwide. 1996. Revelation. The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible. Chattanooga, TN: Leadership Ministries Worldwide.
DS
Deeper Study
[2] Leadership Ministries Worldwide. 1996. Revelation. The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible. Chattanooga, TN: Leadership Ministries Worldwide.
[3] Butler, John G. 2010. Analytical Bible
Expositor: Revelation. Clinton, IA: LBC Publications.
[4] Leadership Ministries Worldwide. 1996. Revelation.
The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible. Chattanooga, TN: Leadership
Ministries Worldwide.
NLT Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by
permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All
rights reserved.
[5] Barton, Bruce B. 2000. Revelation.
Edited by Grant R. Osborne. Life Application Bible Commentary. Wheaton, IL:
Tyndale House Publishers.
[6] Thompson, Frank Charles. 1997. Thompson Chain
Reference Bible: Topical Index. Kirkbride Bible Company.
[7] The Holy Bible:
King James Version. 1995. Electronic ed. of the 1769 edition of
the 1611 Authorized Version. Bellingham WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
[8] The New King James
Version. 1982. Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
[9] The New King James
Version. 1982. Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
[10] The New King James
Version. 1982. Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
[11] The New King James
Version. 1982. Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
[12] The New King James
Version. 1982. Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
[13] The New King James
Version. 1982. Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
[14] The New King James
Version. 1982. Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
[15] The New King James Version.
1982. Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
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