To the one who is victorious
Revelation 3:21 - The promise of Jesus that believers will share in the throne testifies to His eternal abiding love for us!
Holy Monastery of Saint John the Theologian, Patmos, Greece. Image © 2018, Steven Sande
“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.”
Revelation 3:21 NIV
Revelation is an apocalyptic prophecy written in epistle form by the apostle John to seven churches in Asia Minor (now Türkiye). John was on the Greek island of Patmos, not that far away from the region where the churches were located. Those churches were in Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. It is to the last of these churches that Jesus directs His message, as captured by John.
The Lord was not happy with this church at all. In Revelation 3:16, He goes so far as to describe their faith as “lukewarm” and exclaims “I am about to spit you out of my mouth.” This church is apparently prosperous (in the material sense), yet Jesus advises them to use their wealth to “buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.” (Revelation 3:18)
Once Jesus is done rebuking the church, He goes on to say “Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent.” (Revelation 3:19) Jesus knows the Laodiceans are not living up to their potential, so He reminds them of what awaits them if they persevere and are victorious in their Christian life.
In this revelation to the churches as prophesied by John, Jesus emphasizes the concept of being victorious over sin, temptation, and the trials of life. The ancient Greek word here is νικάω (nikaō), which has this meaning (from Blue Letter Bible):
to conquer
to carry off the victory, come off victorious
of Christ, victorious over all His foes
of Christians, that hold fast their faith even unto death against the power of their foes, and temptations and persecutions
when one is arraigned or goes to law, to win the case, maintain one’s cause
The most likely usage here is 1.a.ii — overcoming difficulties not on their own, but through faith in Jesus Christ. This idea is found elsewhere in John’s writing, specifically in 1 John 5:4-5 where he states:
“for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.”
Next, Jesus promises that overcoming the world results in a reward: Sharing in His authority and victory, sitting with Him on His throne. In those days of kingdoms and kings, a throne was symbolic of authority, power, and ruling over a nation. This is not the only place in the New Testament that believers are given the message that they will participate in Christ’s reign. In 2 Timothy 2:12, we are reminded “if we endure, we will also reign with him. If we disown him, he will also disown us.” The Lord is providing assurance that believers have an ultimate destiny and reward.
Jesus reminds the church in Laodicea that He was victorious, overcoming sin, death, and the powers of darkness by His life, death, and resurrection. As Christians, we are called to emulate the quintessential example of surmounting evil and this world: Jesus. We know that He has been victorious and conquered the world, a firm foundation for our belief in our own ultimate victories.
The last phrase in the verse describes the exaltation of Christ after His resurrection, when He ascended into heaven and took His place at the right hand of the Father. The Ascension fulfilled the prophecy that first appears in Psalm 110:1: “The Lord says to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet,”” and is given affirmation in Hebrews 1:3:
“The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.”
The promise of Jesus that believers will share in the throne testifies to His eternal abiding love for us! This verse delivers a potent message of hope and encouragement to believers, and offers a powerful incentive to overcome spiritual apathy and to seek a deeper relationship with Christ.
Heaven On Wheels Daily Prayer:
Today’s prayer comes from Knowing Jesus:
Heavenly Father, I realise how easy it is to become complacent and lukewarm in our Christian walk, when we allow the passing things of this world to take our attention away from Jesus. May my heart be rooted and grounded in Him, and I pray that I may live a life that honours Your name so that I may overcome in all things and gain the promised reward of sitting with Christ on His throne in His coming kingdom. This I ask in Jesus’ name, AMEN.