Week 52 Revelation
I was looking at the progress reports John gave to the seven churches. Noticed that each one ended with a promise. But not a promise to the whole church. Only for people in each congregation who were (what he called) victorious.
John says if you’re victorious you will:
…eat from the tree of life (Ephesus)
…not be hurt by the second death (Smyrna)
…eat the manna in heaven (Pergamum)
…get authority over nations (Thyatira)
…be named in the Book of Life (Sardis)
…be a pillar in the temple of God (Philadelphia)
…sit with the Lord on his throne (Laodicea).
A kind of theoretical question came to mind about whether these rewards were for-real things that would literally happen or whether they’re stand-ins for something else. For example it’s plausible that people will literally eat from the tree of life…but not too likely they’ll become actual pillars in the temple.
Anyway that’s a secondary thing. My primary concern is the idea that not every member in the church is going to be victorious.
When I think of my church I think of us all being part of the project…all moving forward toward the finish line. But if some people will be victorious then that means that others won’t be victorious. We’re not all on par. Not all equal. There’s going to be winners and non-winners.
I’m in the church and that’s good. But it’s not a guarantee that I’m home free.
Note: quotes from Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 26, 3:5, 12, 21 (NLT)