“To him who overcomes …” (Rev. 3:21, NKJV)
With the last teaching our understanding of the garden of Eden has been deepened even more. In short, we now have a better grip on the words of 2 Cor. 12:19: “We speak before God in Christ” and what it means in symbolic terms, from Eden up until the New Jerusalem.
Perhaps for the sake of perspective it is necessary to point out that Eden and the New Jerusalem are conceptually different spaces, but that there is indeed an important distinction to be made between them. The garden of Eden represents the “beginnings” of God’s plan, the core of His perfect will. The New Jerusalem is in turn the fulfilment of God’s plan, the perfect fruit of His perfect will. Transponated to the symbolism of Aaron’s rod we find Eden as the almond blossom on the rod, and the New Jerusalem as the ripe almond (Num. 17:8). It however remains one rod! Between these two defined points lies overcoming. We could refer to this as the almond blossom in the middle of the rod.
In the book of Revelation the entire tapestry of preceding types, symbolism, prophesies, pointers, promises, etc, that are found right across the Bible, are woven together into their most fulfilling form. Within this alone lies a manifold studies, “which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen” (John 21:25)!
On a cryptic level Revelation chapters 2 to 3’s refrain “to him who overcomes” contains a golden thread that works across a number of levels, but which, for the sake of illustration, one wants to link to just one group of relations. Remember – each of these cities are symbolic maps of the spirit that each believer needs to be able to overcome:
- To the overcomers in Ephesus the original scope of the salvation plan that started in the garden of Eden (in Genesis), is returned: “To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life …”
- To the overcomers in Pergamos the hidden manna (of Exodus) is returned (Rev. 2:17)
- To the overcomers in Thyatira the royal throne of David is returned (Rev. 2:26-27)
- To the overcomers in Philadelphia the key of David is returned (Isa. 22:22; Rev. 3:7)
- To the overcomers in Laodicea the Amen (in other words the Corner stone of the New Jerusalem – Rev. 3:14) confirms that everything has now been fulfilled, and that we’re back in paradise, back at “the Beginning of the creation of God”!
The New Jerusalem is thus he who overcomes, rooted in the MIND OF CHRIST (1 Cor. 2:16, ASV).
- Selah: Ponder the implications of what the overcomer in Christ inherits.
- Read: 133-135.
- Memorise: 133.
