Seven Letters to…

1. Ephesus (2:1)2. Smyrna (2:8)3. Pergamum (2:12)4. Thyatira (2:18)5. Sardis (3:1)6. Philadelphia (3:77. Laodicea (3:14)

General pattern of the seven letters…

1. Description of Jesus – “The words of Him who…”

2. Commendation – “I know your…”

3. Condemnation – “But I have this against you…”

4. Admonition – “Remember, therefore…”

5. Warning – “If now, I will…”

6. Conclusion

7. Promise – “To the one who conquers…”

“To the one who _______”

nikaō

Louw-Nida – “to win a victory over – ‘to be victorious over, to be a victor, to

conquer, victory.’

BDAG

“to win in the face of obstacles”

“to overcome someone”

“To the one who _______”

nikaō

1 Corinthians 15:57…but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 John 5:4For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.

To the one who wins the victory…

“…I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.”

Re-admittance back into the Garden of Eden

Genesis 322 Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever—” 23 therefore the Lord God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. 24 He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life.

Revelation 221 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

14 Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates.

To the one who conquers…

“…I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.”

Re-admittance back into the Garden of Eden

the Paradise of God

Luke 23 – Jesus to the thief on the cross43 And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”

2 Corinthians 12 – Paul’s vision2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows. 3 And I know that this man was caught up into paradise—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows…

To the one who conquers…

“…I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.”

Re-admittance back into the Garden of Eden

the Paradise of God

“tree”

dendron – “a living, growing tree”

xulon (Acts 5:30; 10:39; 13:29;

Gal. 3:13; 1 Pet. 2:24) – Jesus’ cross!

To the one who conquers…

“…will not be hurt by the second death.”

Revelation 2014 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.

Revelation 218 But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”

To the one who conquers…

“…I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one

who receives it.”

Hidden manna

Exodus 16 – The People’s Compaint2 And the whole congregation of the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness, 3 and the people of Israel said to them, “Would that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the meat pots and ate bread to the full, for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”

Exodus 16 – God’s Response12 “I have heard the grumbling of the people of Israel. Say to them, ‘At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread. Then you shall know that I am the Lord your God.’” 13 In the evening quail came up and covered the camp, and in the morning dew lay around the camp. 14 And when the dew had gone up, there was on the face of the wilderness a fine, flake-like thing, fine as frost on the ground. 15 When the people of Israel saw it, they said to one another, “What is it?” (Hebrew: manna) For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, “It is the bread that the Lord has given you to eat.

To the one who conquers…

“…I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one

who receives it.”

Hidden manna (i.e. Jesus – Jn. 6)

A white stone

“It is said that in ancient courts of justice the accused were condemned by black pebbles and acquitted by white”

--Homer Hailey, A Commentary on Revelation, 134

To the one who conquers…

“…I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one

who receives it.”

Hidden manna (i.e. Jesus – Jn. 6)

A white stone

Acts 26:10 And I did so in Jerusalem. I not only locked up many of the saints in prison after receiving authority from the chief priests, but when they were put to death *I cast my vote against them.

(*lit – I gave against them my pebble)

To the one who conquers…

“…I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one

who receives it.”

Hidden manna (i.e. Jesus – Jn. 6)

A white stone

“The white stone was given to a man who had been tried and justly acquitted. He carried it as a sign that he was free of the charge of crime which had been placed against him.”

--Ray Summers, Worthy is the Lamb, 116

To the one who conquers…

“…I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one

who receives it.”

Hidden manna (i.e. Jesus – Jn. 6)

A white stone

A new name on the stone

Genesis 17 – Abram’s new name (Abraham)

1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless, 2 that I may make my covenant between me and you, and may multiply you greatly.” 3 Then Abram fell on his face. And God said to him, 4 “Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations. 5 No longer shall your name be called Abram (i.e. exalted father), but your name shall be Abraham (i.e. father of a multitude), for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations.

Genesis 17 – Abram’s new name (Abraham) Genesis 17 – Sarai’s new name (Sarah)

15 And God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai (i.e. princess), but Sarah (i.e. princess) shall be her name.

Genesis 17 – Abram’s new name (Abraham) Genesis 17 – Sarai’s new name (Sarah) Genesis 32 – Jacob’s new name (Israel)

28 Then he said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob (i.e. , but Israel (i.e. he strives with God), for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed.”

Genesis 17 – Abram’s new name (Abraham) Genesis 17 – Sarai’s new name (Sarah) Genesis 32 – Jacob’s new name (Israel) John 1 – Simon’s new name (Peter)

42 He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “So you are Simon the son of John? You shall be called Cephas” (which means Peter) (i.e. petros means rock).

Genesis 17 – Abram’s new name (Abraham) Genesis 17 – Sarai’s new name (Sarah) Genesis 32 – Jacob’s new name (Israel) John 1 – Simon’s new name (Peter) Saul of Tarsus to Paul the Apostle

To the one who conquers…

“…I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one

who receives it.”

Hidden manna (i.e. Jesus – Jn. 6)

A white stone

A new name on the stone