1600-5 Church

REVELATION 2:8-11
comfort and strengthen us to be faithful. He will help us to stand fast against all the trials and temptations of
life.
“But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value
than many sparrows” (Mt.10:30-31).
“Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not” (2 Cor.4:1).
“And in nothing terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition,
but to you of salvation, and that of God. For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to
believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake” (Ph.1:28-29).
“Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is
that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee” (Dt.31:6).

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(2:10-11) Promise—Overcomer: there is the promise to the overcomers. (See note—Rev.2:7 for more discussion.) The
promise is twofold.
1. The overcomer shall receive a crown of life. This simply means the reward of eternal life, of life that goes on forev-
er and ever. Persecutors may take our life on earth, but quicker than the eye can blink, God transfers us to heaven. Men can
kill the body, but they cannot kill the soul. They cannot extinguish our lives. If we are faithful to Christ, God takes us home
to heaven to live with Him eternally. He crowns us with eternal life.

“And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:
that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life” (Jn.3:14-15).
“He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see
life; but the wrath of God abideth on him” (Jn.3:36).
“Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting
life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed” (Jn.6:27).
“And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck
them out of my hand” (Jn.10:28).
“He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life
eternal” (Jn.12:25).
“And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom
thou hast sent” (Jn.17:3).
“And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life” (1 Jn.2:25).

2. The overcomer shall be delivered from the second death. What is the second death? Scripture clearly tells us.

“And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death” (Rev.20:14).
“But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and
sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and
brimstone: which is the second death” (Rev.21:8).

The second death is the lake of fire, the judgment of eternal hell and torment from the presence of God forever and ever.
The believer who overcomes in persecution shall escape the second death, the lake of fire and torment. The believer may
have to pass through physical death, but he will never go through the second death. He shall be transported immediately into
the presence of God to live forever and ever.
Note the exhortation: he who has an ear, let him hear what the Holy Spirit says to the churches. It is the duty of every be-
liever and every church to hear this message. We must all stand fast against the persecution of the world: ridicule, mockery,
abuse, being bypassed and overlooked, neglected and ignored, being imprisoned and killed. We must be faithful. The prom-
ises are too great to lose: we shall receive the crown of life and never suffer the second death.

Thought 1. Note the certainty of this point: there is to be a second death. There is no question, no equivocation
about the matter. It is stated simply and in a straightforward manner. There is to be a second death, a death from
which all men should escape. How? By being faithful to the Lord Jesus Christ through all the trials and temptations
of this life. We must be faithful to God’s Son even if it means standing firm in the midst of persecution.

“And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted wor-
thy to suffer shame for his name” (Act 5:41).
“And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the
jailor to keep them safely: who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison,
and made their feet fast in the stocks. And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises
unto God: and the prisoners heard them” (Acts 16:23-25).
“The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: and if
children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him,
that we may be also glorified together” (Ro.8:16-17).
“For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding
and eternal weight of glory” (2 Cor.4:17).
“Therefore I endure all things for the elect’s sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation
which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory” (2 Tim.2:10).
“For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, know-
ing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance” (Heb.10:34).
“Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had re-
spect unto the recompence of the reward” (Heb.11:26).
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