Useful Bible Studies > Revelation Commentary > chapter 21
Revelation chapters 2 and 3 contain letters from Christ to 7 churches. At the end of each of those letters is a promise to those Christians who overcome. That is, they overcome their troubles in this world. They might suffer or even die because of their trust in Christ, but they remain loyal to God. The result is that evil forces cannot overcome them. Instead, they overcome the devil’s power. Revelation 12:11 explains how they do this. They overcome because of Christ’s death for them, and by their loyal words about him.
To those Christians, Christ makes the most wonderful promises. There are different promises in the letter to each church, but really all those promises are for all God’s people. Each of those promises is about the future; they are especially about the New Jerusalem. The New Jerusalem is the home for all God’s people. Even the weakest of them will be a citizen there; all God’s people overcome the devil’s power. None of them could do it by their own efforts; God’s work (and especially, Christ’s death) gives them success against their enemy, the devil.
Here in Revelation 21:7 is one final promise to God’s people who overcome. It is the most wonderful of all the promises. These things - all the things in the New Jerusalem - will be theirs; and they will receive them as their permanent possession.
That happens because they are the children of God (Romans 8:14-21). They have been God’s children ever since they accepted Christ into their lives (John 1:12-13). However, in the New Jerusalem, God will publicly declare them to be his children (Romans 8:19; 1 Corinthians 2:9; 1 John 3:2). Then, at last, they will receive their full rights as the children of God.
Next part: God warns people to turn from their evil deeds (Revelation 21:8)
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© 2016, Keith Simons.