And the Winner Is . . .
He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame, and sat down with My Father on His throne. Revelation 3:21 NASB
Overcomes – Imagine what it will be like to sit on the throne with the Messiah! Imagine the joy, the thrill, the overwhelming gratitude to be invited into the presence of the King of all kings, the Ruler of all rulers – and then to sit with Him. O, happy day!
In order to have this privilege, the risen Messiah says that we must overcome, just as He overcame. Ah, there is so much hidden in that verb. The Greek verb is nikao (ah, yes, the basis of the shoe company Nike). It means “to conquer, to overcome, to have victory.” In the LXX it is used to describe military engagements and sometimes to describe victory over inner passions or moral temptations. But the most frequent use of the verb is in this book, Revelation. While evil has temporary victory, it is finally defeated in the ultimate triumph of the Lamb. Both John and Paul use this semantic domain in rather striking ways. 1 John 5:4 uses the word as a synonym for faith itself. Faith is conquering! And Paul uses the word in Romans 8:37 (in the rare form hypernikao) to describe followers of the Way as more than conquerors.
But all of this begs the question, “What is conquered? What is overcome?” If I don’t understand the battle plan, how can I be a conqueror?
The key to answering this question is found in the parallel “as I also overcame.” What is the risen Lord describing with this phrase? What did He overcome? Certainly He overcame temptation. Perfectly. Without sin. Unfortunately that doesn’t describe us, does it? He overcame death, but that isn’t on our list of accomplishments either. He overcame the “strong man” (ha-satan). Perhaps we can list this, but we would have to include our defeats as well. He overcame the resistance of some of His own people, His family, His environment. We could perhaps list these, but just about any man could do the same. There is nothing spectacularly spiritual about this kind of victory. Where are we going to find an answer that fits?
Notice the next verse. It should remind you of the same words in the gospels. When are these words used? Most often when Yeshua is giving a parable, a dark saying that requires serious reflection and personal engagement in order to understand it. And that’s what we have here. What does overcoming mean? You and I are asked to think deeply about this matter. To open our ears. To listen to the voice of the Spirit. Perhaps overcoming is intensely personal. Perhaps what you have to overcome is precisely designed to be your special version of hell. Perhaps this little parable is different for each one of us – and you know exactly what mountain you and only you need to climb.
What we all know is this: until you conquer your personal mountain, you will not sit on the throne.
Topical Index: overcome, conquer, nikao, parable, throne, Revelation 3:21
“What we all know is this: until you conquer your personal mountain, you will not sit on the throne.”
““What is conquered? What is overcome?” If I don’t understand the battle plan, how can I be a conqueror?”
Hi Skip,
I like the word “overcome,” because each day on an emotional/physical/spiritual level
I feel like I must overcome the negative emotional/physical/spiritual experiences
Or I am overcome by those negative experiences
With nausea or allergies for example
Sometimes I’m effected by the weather, my demanding dog Max, or the pain in my knees etc
On a spiritual level, I tend address most of the issues with the Lord’s Prayer
Our Father who is in heaven
Hallowed be your name
Your kingdom come
Your will be done
On earth, as it is in heaven
Give us this day our daily bread
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass
against us
And lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil
Amen
On a clear cool day when I’m feeling good
I am much more inclined to say the Lord’s Prayer
and mean it
Than when I’m feeling bad, on a gloomy day
Walking a demanding dog with pain in my knees
That must be my personal mountain 🙂
Of course my Dog and God
Have some things in common
On reading these verses my thoughts immediately go to those written by Paul in Philippians 3:8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ
9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;
10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death,
11 if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.
12 Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.
13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead,
14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Rabbi Sha’ul makes an interesting conclusion at one point in his letter to the Romans (chapter 8). He writes,
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers,
39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord
More !!! . . . than conquerors. Why is this so?
31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?
33 Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies.
34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died–more than that, who was raised–who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?
Did you notice? “If God is for us who can be against us?”
One of the problems of contemporary Christendom is that it no longer challenges Pietism’s change of emphasis from “Christ FOR us” to “Christ IN us” – an unhealthy shift from objective reality to subjective experience.
Yes, a very unhealthy shift that began with Melanchthon’s suggestion about Hebrew 11:1 to Luther. I wrote about this some years ago.
You mean this one? 😉
https://skipmoen.com/2010/08/15/melanchthon%E2%80%99s-mistake/
That’s a good one, but this is the one I had in mind
https://skipmoen.com/2010/01/26/theological-psychology/
Skip,
That theological-psychology blog is a real gem!
I urge everyone to take the time to read and re-read it
Thanks
Over to the east of Etowah, TN is an area called the knobs. It is a long stretch of small very steep unifom ridges that continues for several miles. If you were walking toward the real mountain on further to the east, you would have to walk up and down all these ridges. It seems that life compares to walking up and down these ridges. I conquer an obstacle in my life by climbing the ridge, and then I drift off the slope and come face to face with another ridge or obstacle right there in front of me. Some of these ridges are very steep and rocky which makes them extreamly difficult to climb. The victory does not come easy. The easy victories are quickly forgotten, but the memories of the difficult ones stick with you through life. There are days when I am climbing the ridge, and when I am victorious and get to the top I can see the real mountain there in front of me. When I slide off the slope down into the depression between the ridges, I can’t see the mountain that is my real destination. There have been times when I forgot what the real mountain looked like. But then I am prodded to gather my resources to conquer another of lifes obstacles and begin to climb another ridge. When I get to the top, I will again be able to see the mountain, the ultimate victory. But to get to the real mountain, I have to keep conquering these ridges that seem to keep popping up in front of me. Some day soon I will be at the foot of the big mountain, and the only way I will be able to conquer it is with the help of the one who helped me conquer all those small ridges in my life. Without God’s help nothing in this life is possible. Many people in this world spend their whole life in the depression between the ridges where the sun rarely shines except at mid day. They never look up and climb up the ridge to see the sun (Son) rise over the big mountain and bask in its glory.
It is a beautiful 18 degree morning in East Tennessee today. The sun came up over the ridge, and I am basking in its glory. MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL.
I think that the addition of “You may also like…” on your website’s new format is a winner, a very good idea.
Sorry, but I don’t know what you are referring to. Can you be more specific?
I’m sorry, Skip. My post was indeed vague. At the top of this page, to the right of your message, is a column titled, “You may also Like,” which lists suggested Today’s Words and Articles for further reading. I have found these very interesting and helpful. I guess I should have made my comment somewhere else, and not in this place of discussion. I’m still trying to find my way around the computer.
Regarding today’s message, faith as conquering is a much-needed way of looking at overcoming. Thank you.
OK, got it now. thanks
My mountain. His conquering help.
I was addicted to drugs and alcohol when I received my salvation.
I figured, now maybe, I could shake my problem.
Wrong.
But the journey began.
I read the Word daily. Prayed as continually as I could.
And never lost faith. I trusted God had a plan for me.
One scripture in particular stuck with me, 1 John 1:7. . .
“But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have
fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ
His Son cleanses us from all sin.”
The Word never said how long that walk in the light would be.
Neither did it specify how long and how high the mountain was.
Days turned into months, months into years. On occassion, that
mountain peak seemed attainable. It seemed so close.
But on my own, it just wasn’t within reach. Ask any addict.
One day, on God’s appointed day, 1 John 1:7 became true!
I was particularly sensitive to being basked in His light, and
overwhelmed by His presence. What made this day extraordinary
was hearing His voice, as He spoke words only I could hear.
I had not been previously ready, willing or able to hear Him until
that day. When He finished, I was finished! Finally, I was able to
completely surrender. Total submission. Whole hog!
The short story: He delivered me completely from every single,
stinking, rotten urge for any substance ever again! It happened
instantly! One moment, an addict. The next, a free man!
What I could not conquer, He did. With His blood.
Now, everyday, I’m vitally conscious of His cleansing blood
and the fellowship of His nature and character keeping me in
the light as He is in the light. My walk is very different!
“You are the God who does wonders;
You have declared your strength among the peoples.” Ps 77:14
Thank you, Lord Jesus!!!
Fabulous Word, Skip.
We do have mountain/s to overcome, or be overcome by it/them!
As we progress along our individual journey, exciting, surprising and inspirational, it may be, we come across issues we need to face, to resolve.
Such issues may be caused by our ignorance and pride, mainly, and also through misconstrued perspectives.
Question- is stubbornness a result of pride? :- )
When we could look into these issues, perhaps we could overcome better, submitting to ABBA’s gracious dealings as He reveals to us.
Shalom!