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are found in the book of the Revelation and it is the association of the
overcomer with that book that we are to consider.
Although the range of the Apocalypse is from heaven above to the
bottomless pit, although it takes in its prophetic embrace, Satan, Archangel
and demon, kings, armies and the habitable earth; although it speaks of the
four living creatures, Apollyon, the great white throne, the day of judgment,
the millennial kingdom, the new Jerusalem and the new heaven and the new
earth, we shall fail to appreciate its message and understand its method if
we forget that these vast and overwhelming subjects form after all a
background against which the little band of overcomers fight the good fight
and `overcome because of the blood of the Lamb, and because of the word of
their testimony' (Rev. 12:11).
Each of these seven churches, to which this book is addressed, is given
a special promise to the overcomer:
Ephesus
The promise `To eat of the tree of life' (Rev. 2:7).
Smyrna
The promise `Not to be hurt of the second death' (Rev. 2:11).
Pergamos
The promise
`To eat of the hidden manna' (Rev. 2:17).
Thyatira
The promise
`Power over the nations' (Rev 2:26).
Sardis
The promise
`Clothed in white raiment' (Rev. 3:5).
Philadelphia The promise
`Made a pillar in the temple'
(Rev. 3:12).
Laodicea
The promise
`To sit with Christ in His throne'
(Rev. 3:21).
In the last reference, Revelation 3:21, Christ Himself is set forth as
the Great Overcomer. `Even as I also overcame'.
The remaining references to the overcomer, divide into two
groups.
(1)
The True Overcomer.
This includes both the Lord and His people.
(a)
The Lord.
`The Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of
David, hath prevailed to open the book' (Rev.
5:5).
`The Lamb shall overcome them' (Rev. 17:14).
(b)
His People.
`They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb'
(Rev. 12:11).
`Them that had gotten the victory over the
beast' (Rev. 15:2).
`He that overcometh shall inherit all things'
(Rev. 21:7).
(2)
The False Overcomer.
`He went forth conquering and to conquer' (Rev.
6:2).
`The Beast ... shall overcome them' (Rev.11:7).
`To make war with the saints, and to overcome
them' (Rev. 13:7).
There are many things that one might have expected to find in the
Revelation which are not there; that expectation arises out of a false
conception of the scope of the book. It is not written to explain universal