Revelation 3:21 - Printer Friendly

ESV: The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne.

NIV: To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne.

NASB: The one who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat with My Father on His throne.

CSB: "To the one who conquers I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne.

NLT: Those who are victorious will sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat with my Father on his throne.

KJV: To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.

NKJV: 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.

Jesus continues His promise to whoever responds to His call for a cordial welcome, thereby overcoming lukewarm faith. He promises to give that repentant overcomer the honor of sitting with Him on His throne. Jesus mentions that He sat down with His Father on His throne.

Hebrews 8:1 describes Jesus' present position as that of sitting at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven. Someday, however, Jesus will leave the throne in heaven and occupy a throne on earth. The angel Gabriel told Mary that her child Jesus would "be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to Him the throne of His father David, and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end" (Luke 1:32–33). Undoubtedly, the promise to the repentant overcomer at Laodicea anticipates the privilege of participating in Jesus' kingdom administration.

Revelation 3:14–22 is Jesus' final and most strident message, addressed to the church at Laodicea. We learn from this assessment that the Laodicean church was lukewarm, smug, and self-satisfied. It boasted about its wealth and need of nothing. But the church deceived itself. In terms of its spiritual condition, it was wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. Jesus urged the church to turn to Him, as He was positioned outside the church, inviting whoever heard His voice to open the door and welcome Him. Laodicea is the only church of seven which receives only criticism, and no positive remarks.

These final letters symbolize Church history from AD 1500 to the Rapture, the event that transports the Church from earth to be with Jesus. Sardis had a good reputation, but it was actually spiritually dead. Philadelphia had a good opportunity to spread the gospel, and it had kept Jesus' word and had remained loyal to Him. As such, Jesus promises to reward this church's conquerors. Laodicea was proud of its wealth, but was spiritually lukewarm, a characteristic that Jesus detests. He promises to fellowship with anyone in the church who would heed His voice and welcome Him. Laodicea is the only church given no praise by Christ.

This chapter concludes the letters Jesus instructed the apostle John to write to seven churches in Asia Minor. Those messages began in chapter 2. This passage ends the section of Revelation that describes the things that are (Revelation 1:19), meaning the things which existed in John's lifetime. Chapter 1 describes what John had seen (Revelation 1:19), and chapter 4 begins John's account of what was to take place in the future (Revelation 1:19).

The word ''revelation'' means ''an unveiling or disclosure.'' This writing unveils future events such as the rapture, three series of judgments that will fall on the earth during the tribulation, the emergence of the Antichrist, the persecution of Israel and her amazing revival, as well as Jesus' second coming with His saints to the earth, the judgment of Satan and his followers, and finally, the eternal state. This content, combined with the original Greek term apokalypsis, is why we now refer to an end-of-the-world scenario as ''an apocalypse.''

Accessed 12/18/2024 7:08:08 PM