The Pillar and the Throne in Revelation 3:12, 21

By Daniel K. K. Wong

[Daniel K. K. Wong is President and Professor of Biblical Studies, Truth Theological Seminary, Alhambra, California.]

Reference to a pillar in Revelation 3:12 is in Christ’s message to the church at Philadelphia (vv. 7–12), and reference to His throne in verse 21 is in His message to the church at Laodicea (vv. 13–21). The church at Philadelphia, though of little power, had kept the Word, resisted false teachers, and had not denied Jesus’ name. Because of her faithfulness, Christ promised to set before her an open door (v. 8),[1] to cause her enemies to bow down at her feet (v. 9), and to keep her from the hour of trial which will come on the whole earth (v. 10). Christ also exhorted her to hold fast what she had, in order that no one would take her crown (v. 11).

By contrast, the church at Laodicea, though materially rich, was apathetic, being neither hot nor cold, as well as spiritually poor, blind, and naked (vv. 15–17). Christ exhorted her to repent, and to find in Him true riches, purity, and spiritual sight (v. 18). To those who heed the Spirit’s warnings and “overcome,”

He promised the blessings of becoming a pillar in God’s temple and being inscribed with the name of God and the new Jerusalem (v. 12) and of sitting with Christ on His throne (v. 21).

It is profitable to inquire into the spiritual condition of those who eventually would stop keeping the word (v. 10), not repent (v. 19), and lose the crown (v. 11),[2] but the main purpose in this article is to address the background, nature, and people of each blessing.

The Pillar with a Name

“He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore; and I will write upon him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God, and My new name” (Rev. 3:12).

The Background of the Blessing

Farrer and Swete say that this verse alludes to the pillars Jachin and Boaz, which Solomon erected at the temple (1 Kings 7:21; 2 Chron. 3:15–17).[3] Hemer believes that the symbol is an allusion to the writing on Aaron’s forehead (Exod. 28:36–38).[4] Brütsch and Moffatt see in the pillar a reflection of Philadelphia’s sufferings from frequent earthquakes.[5] Which of these is more probable?

With limited information at hand, it is best not to be dogmatic about the answer. Since Revelation 3:12 refers to names being written on the overcomer rather than on a literal pillar, it is not difficult to see the writing on Aaron’s forehead as a possible background. At the same time, it is not unlikely that the inscribed columns outside Solomon’s temple are in mind, for Christ may have intended to contrast the temporal security of the earthly temple with the permanent security of the heavenly temple in the new Jerusalem.[6] The stability of the pillar may be seen in contrast to the earthquake of Philadelphia as well. The differing solutions then, are all possible, even though the last two are more probable.

The Nature of the Blessing

Christ said He will establish the overcomer as a pillar in His temple. What is the nature of this promised blessing? The pillar is not literal, since there will be no temple in the New Jerusalem (Rev. 21:22). Instead the pillar is a symbol to help the readers visualize a truth by analogy and thus more readily grasp the spiritual reality. What then is the spiritual reality the pillar is portraying? There are two possible answers to this question.

One answer is that the pillar speaks of the overcomer’s prominent position in eternity.[7] Supporting this is the fact that in Jewish literature a pillar describes important leaders among local communities (Philo, Quaestiones in Exodum 1.21; Joseph and Aseneth, 17:6) and in the New Testament (Gal. 2:9).

Another answer is that the pillar is a symbol of the overcomer’s absolute permanence or security in his eternal home.[8] This seems to be better for several reasons.

First, security is the point in the very next statement: The overcomer will never again go out (Rev. 3:12).[9] Second, several earthquakes had struck Philadelphia, causing its residents to flee to the countryside to find temporary abodes (cf. Pliny, Naturalis Historia 2.86.200; Tacitus, Historiae 2.47.3–4; Dio Cassius, Roman History 57.17.8; Strabo, Geography 12.8.18; 13.4.8, 10; Suetonius, Tiberius 48.2). This assurance of security for all eternity would thus have special significance to the believers in that city. Third, another contrast may be intended: People go in and out of temples in the present life, but the overcomers will never go out of the eternal temple.[10]

The prospect of being a pillar in the temple of God, then, probably suggests security. Just as the kingdom the overcomers will inherit cannot be shaken (Heb. 12:28), neither can they themselves be shaken. This blessing fits every saved person.[11]

The Significance of the Names

Besides establishing overcomers as pillars in His temple, Christ will also associate overcomers with Himself in a threefold writing of a name. What are the names He will write on them?

First, He will write “the name of My God” (cf. Exod. 28:36; 33:19; Num. 6:27; Jer. 33:16; Ezek. 48:35). Revelation 3:12 does not say exactly what it is. Whatever the name, however, it definitely stands for the fullness of the glory God Himself will manifest to each overcomer.

Second, Jesus will write “the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven,” on each overcomer. According to 21:9 the name of God’s city is “the bride, the wife of the Lamb.” In Revelation 21–22 the “bride” is, of course, a designation for the abode of all the redeemed. And in 19:7, the bride consists of all the citizens of that city. Though all believers in Christ already have their citizenship in heaven (Phil. 3:20), they will be granted access to the New Jerusalem (Rev. 21:27; 22:14) and will enjoy the benefits of citizenship there for all eternity (21:7).

Third, Jesus will write His “new name”[12] on each overcomer. Again 3:12 does not say what that name is. However, it is reasonable to assume that it is a name that is consistent with His person and work. Overcomers will bear that name because they are forever identified with Him.

What then is the significance of Jesus’ writing these three names on the overcomers? This is probably the Lord’s way of laying claim to His possession (Eph. 1:13; Rev. 1:4–5; 5:9–10; 7:14). To possess these names, then, is tantamount to forever belonging to and being identified with God, the city of God, the Son of God, and all that is consistent with their names. This blessing, again, fits well with every saved person.

The People of the Blessing

Several factors suggest that those who will receive these blessings are all believers, rather than some believers. First, as pointed out earlier, the nature of the blessing here fits every saved person. Second, the promises to the overcomer in the overall context are common privileges for all the saved (Rev. 2–3; 21:6–7).[13] Thus it is reasonable to understand the promises to the overcomers in Philadelphia as also pointing up common blessings for all believers. Third, John used the expression ὁ νικῶν to describe the winner who receives the reward. This expression has virtually the same meaning as ὁ πιστεύων (“he who believes,” 1 John 5:1, 5; Rev. 21:7–8)[14] and appears elsewhere in John’s writings as a description of all born-again persons (1 John 2:13–14; 4:4; 5:4–5; Rev. 2:7, 11, 17, 26; 3:5, 21; 12:11; 15:2; 21:7).[15] Fourth, the connection between the hearing formula (3:13)[16] and the promise to the overcomers (3:12) shows that an overcomer who receives the reward is one who hears and obeys what the Spirit says to the churches.[17] This characteristic of hearing and obeying, of course, is not limited to a special group of saved individuals; it is true of all believers. For throughout the Apocalypse, obedience to God’s Word marks all who are genuinely born again (1:3, 9; 3:8, 10; 6:9; 12:11, 17; 14:12; 20:4; 22:7, 9, 11).[18] Elsewhere in John’s writings, the person who does not obey God’s Word is not a Christian (1 John 2:4; 2 John 9). By contrast, the genuine “sheep” hear and follow Christ in an ongoing way (John 10:27–28; cf. 1 John 2:3, 5; 3:22–24; 5:2–3; 2 John 9).[19] Fifth, the winner who receives the reward is one who is kept from “the hour of testing” which is about to come on the whole world (Rev. 3:10). This assurance refers to the removal of the church from the wrath of Daniel’s seventieth week by the pretribulational rapture.[20]

Several points support this view that the church will not go through the Tribulation. (a) “The hour of trial” refers to the “time of Jacob’s trouble” (Jer. 30:7), that is, Daniel’s seventieth week (Dan. 9:27; 12:1). Jesus spoke of it (Matt. 24:15–21), and Revelation 6–9 discusses it in great detail (cf. “the great tribulation,” 7:14). (b) The “trial” is not for the church but for “those who dwell on the earth” (3:10). This phrase in the Apocalypse refers to a special group of God-opposers, left on earth to face God’s wrath during the tribulation (6:10; 8:13; 11:10; 12:12; 13:8, 12, 14; 14:6; 17:2, 8). (c) “I will keep you” (3:10) fits well with “I am coming quickly” (v. 11), that is, the Lord will keep the church when He comes (cf. 1 Thess. 4:16–17). (d) The word ἐκ (“from”) more precisely means “out from.”[21] This means that the promise of keeping here is that of protection from outside the hour of trial (cf. Prov. 21:23; John 12:27; 17:15; Acts 15:29; Heb. 5:7; James 5:20). God delivered Lot (2 Pet. 2:7, 9) by taking him out of (ἐκ) Sodom. He removed Lot from Sodom; He did not keep him safe in Sodom. Noah and his family are another example of this principle (Gen. 7–8; 2 Pet. 2:5).

(e) The “saints” in Revelation 6–18 are never called “the churches” or “the church” of a certain area, as in Revelation 2–3. This suggests that the church will no longer be present on earth in the Tribulation. If the church is present on earth in the Tribulation, why this difference between chapters 2–3 and 6–18? (f) First Thessalonians 4:13–18 refers to the rapture of the church into heaven. If the rapture is posttribulational and the church is to turn right around in the air and come back to earth immediately, what is the point of the rapture? (g) Christ’s “bride,” the church (Eph. 5:25–26), is seen in heaven already with Christ before His coming at the end of the tribulation period (Rev. 19:7–9). This indicates that the rapture will have already taken place.

The promise to the overcomer in 3:10 and 3:12, then, must inevitably be for all believers (i.e., church saints). To see it as a privilege for only a special class among the saved is tantamount to arguing for a partial rapture, which Scripture nowhere teaches (cf. 1 Cor. 15:51–57; 1 Thess. 4:13–17).

Some may ask, “If all believers are sure to win and receive the reward mentioned in Revelation 3:12, why does verse 11 warn against losing the crown?”[22] The blessing mentioned in verse 11, as seen in the context of the seven letters, is “the crown that consists of eternal life” (2:10).[23] It is a general reward Christ will give to every saved person. And so the truly saved will not lose it.

Furthermore, the immediate context shows that those surely saved have kept the Word and therefore will be kept out from the hour of trial (3:10). This implies that they will respond to the exhortation of 3:11 to persevere, hold fast what they have, and not lose the crown.

The objection, “If all believers are winners and will receive the reward, it is difficult to see how the warnings in verse 11 as well as in Revelation 2–3 have any relevance to them,”[24] can be countered. This objection wrongly assumes that if overcomers are all the saved, the warnings of the Spirit addressed to the churches are nullified. However, the concept that all believers are winners (1 John 5:4–5) does not nullify the relevance of the Spirit’s warnings or pleadings. It simply recognizes that His urgent words come to churches where real believers and false believers mingle together.[25] The truly saved live by faith that overcomes in a life marked by purity (1 John 3:3; Rev. 3:4), and so they will enjoy the blessings that are for all believers (2:7, 11, 17, 26; 3:5, 12, 21; 21:7). To them, the warnings are a reminder to endure and a guide on what to do and what to avoid. At the same time the warnings call them to a sharpened sensitivity to be alert to the perils that can wreck others and to be aroused to help them. Some believers, who are ensnared in sin and living like the unsaved, are challenged to repent. Their poor testimony at the moment does not necessarily mean they have never had any fruit as overcomers. And their repentance from carnal living can itself be indicative that their claim as Christians is real.

Even when the warnings come to professing Christians (i.e., nonbelievers) they can become overcomers if they turn to Christ in faith, thereby making their profession genuine (1 John 5:1–5; cf. 1 Cor. 14:23–24). But if they do not repent, they will forfeit the offer of salvation as well as rewards that potentially might have been theirs and will receive the judgments announced by the Lord (Rev. 2:16, 22–23; 3:3, etc.). So in spite of the fact that all believers are winners (1 John 5:4–5) and will receive the promised blessings, the warnings in Revelation 2–3 do have relevance. The warnings serve to encourage the truly saved to be faithful or, if need be, to deal with sin; they encourage some professing believers to become overcomers by making their profession genuine; and eventually they separate genuine believers from professing unrepentant believers (i.e., the unsaved).

The Throne

“He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne” (Rev. 3:21).

The Background of the Blessing

The blessing in this verse seems to refer to the promise that the saints will reign with Christ in the future (Dan. 7:27; 2 Tim. 2:12; cf. Matt. 19:28; Luke 22:30; 1 Cor. 6:1–3). Coreigning with the Lord, stated elsewhere in the Scriptures, is here specified as sitting with Him on His throne.

The Nature of the Blessing

The reward here seems to be that of sharing royal honor, victory, and authority with Christ in His future millennial kingdom and eternal order. Several facts point to this conclusion. First, Matthew 19:28; Luke 22:30; and 2 Timothy 2:12, which refer to saints reigning with the Lord, place it in the future beyond the present age. Second, the bestowal of the blessing here is still future (as the tense of δώσω, “I will grant,” specifies). Third, θρόνος, “throne,” is used figuratively of sovereignty or dominion.[26] Fourth, elsewhere in the Apocalypse, believers, when seen in association with Jesus’ throne, are always said to be engaged in judging, serving, or reigning (Rev. 5:9–10; 20:4–6; 22:1–5; cf. Dan. 7:27). Fifth, this blessing is portrayed in the final chapters of the book as occurring only after Christ’s return and thus in the millennium (Rev. 20:4–6) and the eternal state (22:5).

The People of the Blessing

The promise of Revelation 3:21 is a reward for all believers. For in 20:4–6 all who belong to the first resurrection are depicted as sitting on thrones and they will reign with Christ for a thousand years.[27] Further, all who participate in the blessing are in sharp contrast with followers of the beast (v. 4), who are the unsaved. This leaves no ground for a third category (i.e., a group of nonovercoming, defeated believers). Also, all whom the Lord purchased with His blood are part of the kingdom and are priests (5:10), destined to reign with Christ on the earth. In addition, since all the redeemed reign even in this life (Rom. 5:17), it is reasonable that they will reign in the next (1 Cor. 6:2; 2 Tim. 2:12; Rev. 22:5). Also all the justified are more than conquerors through Jesus (Rom. 8:37).

Summary

The investigation of the background, nature, and people of the rewards God has promised to the overcomer in the churches at Philadelphia and Laodicea yields the following three findings. First, in the message to the church at Philadelphia Christ promised that He will establish overcomers as pillars in God’s temple, and He will give each of them a threefold name. The picture of this promise seems to have its source from either the two pillars Jachin and Boaz, which Solomon erected before the temple, or in contrast to Philadelphia’s sufferings from earthquakes. The nature of the blessing seems to be that of the overcomers’ permanent security in eternity, as well as their privilege of forever belonging to and being identified with God, the city of God, the Son of God, and all that is consistent with their names.

Second, in the message to the church at Laodicea Christ promised the overcomers that He will have them sit down with Him on His throne. This promise seems to derive from all the promises concerning the saints’ future reign with the Savior. It portrays the sharing of royal honor, victory, and authority with Him in the millennial kingdom and the eternal state.

Third, the people who will receive these blessings are all true believers. The many lines of evidence from the text and context, as well as the nature of the rewards promised, point consistently to this conclusion.

Notes

1. There are two views as to the meaning of this door. One view is that it refers to opportunities to witness. The church at Philadelphia did continue through the centuries with an “open door” (John F. Walvoord, The Revelation of Jesus Christ [Chicago: Moody, 1966], 85) in that because of the area around Philadelphia, the city had an “open door” from the sea into the great central plateau of Asia Minor. This view is supported by the fact that the New Testament uses the figure of an “open door” to depict opportunities to extend the gospel (1 Cor. 16:9; 2 Cor. 2:12; Col. 4:3). However, the figure is also used of an entryway or admission into a place or condition (John 10:7, 9; Acts 14:27; Rev. 3:20; 4:1). A second view is that the door refers to the future kingdom. Christ will open this door to His own and will close it to self-imagined but not genuine “children of the kingdom” (Isbon T. Beckwith, The Apocalypse of John [reprint, Grand Rapids: Baker, 1919], 480). Only those with true righteousness may enter (Matt. 5:20). Three arguments support this view. First, the reference to an “open door” in Revelation 3:8 refers back to verse 7 where the phrase is eschatological (cf. Matt. 25:10–12). Second, the fact that no one can shut it implies opposition in which hostile Jews wanted to shut the door of the kingdom to Gentiles (Rev. 3:7–9; cf. Luke 11:52). Third, the strong eschatological flavor of this letter favors this second view.
2. For a detailed discussion on the spiritual condition of those who would stop keeping the word (v. 10), lose the crown (v. 11), and not repent (v. 19) see Daniel K. K. Wong, “The Johannine Concept of the Overcomer” (Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1995), 171–81.
3. Austin M. Farrer, The Revelation of St. John the Divine (Oxford: Clarendon, 1964), 81; and Henry B. Swete, The Apocalypse of St. John (reprint, Grand Rapids: Kregel, 1980), 57. Also see Donald G. Barnhouse, Revelation: An Expositional Commentary (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1971), 78; E. W. Bullinger, Commentary on Revelation (Grand Rapids: Kregel, 1984), 204; and William R. Newell, The Book of the Revelation (Grand Rapids: Grace, 1941), 73.
4. Colin J. Hemer, The Letters to the Seven Churches of Asia in Their Local Setting, Journal for the Study of the New Testament Supplement Series 11 (Sheffield: Sheffield Academic, 1989), 166.
5. Charles Brütsch, Die Offenbarung Jesu Christi (Zurich: Zwingli, 1970), 1:188; James Moffatt, “The Revelation of St. John the Divine,” in The Expositor’s Greek Testament, ed. W. Robertson Nicoll (reprint, Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1983), 5:368–69. Also see F. F. Bruce, “Revelation,” in The International Bible Commentary, rev. ed. F. F. Bruce (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1986), 1604; Wilfrid J. Harrington, Revelation, Sacra Pagina (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical, 1993), 71; William Hendriksen, More Than Conquerors (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1986), 75; Alan F. Johnson, “Revelation,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1981), 12:455; Sean P. Kealy, The Apocalypse of John (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical, 1990), 103; Bruce M. Metzger, Breaking the Code (Nashville: Abingdon, 1993), 43; George E. Montague, The Apocalypse (Ann Arbor, MI: Servant, 1992), 74; and John R. W. Stott, What Christ Thinks of the Church (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1985), 113. Bousset, Lilje, and others have suggested that the pillar may allude to the custom in which the provincial priest of the imperial cult at the close of his tenure of office erected in the temple area a statue of himself with his name inscribed on it (Wilhelm Bousset, Die Offenbarung Johannis [Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 1906], 230; Hanns Lilje, Das Letzte Buch der Bibel [Hamburg: Furche-Verlag, 1955], 96–97; Heinrich Kraft, Die Offenbarung des Johannes, Handbuch zum Neuen Testament [Tübingen: Mohr, 1974], 82–83; E. Lohmeyer, Die Offenbarung des Johannes, Handbuch zum Neuen Testament [Tübingen: Mohr, 1953], 37; Martin Kiddle, The Revelation of St. John, Moffatt New Testament Commentary [London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1963], 53–54). This suggestion, however, is to be rejected for three reasons. First, as Hemer points out, the provincial temple of the imperial cult did not exist in Philadelphia until about A.D. 213 (Hemer, The Letters to the Seven Churches of Asia in Their Local Setting, 166). Second, Revelation 3:12 refers to a pillar, whereas the imperial custom involved a statue. Third, while Revelation 3:12 is mainly concerned with the name of God, the practice of the imperial cult was concerned with the name of the priest. Still another custom is proposed by Wilkinson, who says the pillar suggests the coronational rites practiced in ancient Israel and the surrounding nations, not necessarily known to the original readers of Revelation (Richard H. Wilkinson, “The Στῦλος of Revelation 3:12 and Ancient Coronation Rites,” Journal of Biblical Literature 107 [September 1988]: 498-501). The weaknesses of this proposal, however, are its lack of attention to the background of the original recipients (ibid., 500), Wilkinson’s own acknowledgment that it is “somewhat out of place in this setting” (499), the fact that in the example cited (2 Kings 11:14) the king is distinct from the pillar whereas in verse 12 the overcomer himself is the pillar, and the fact that the emphasis of the pillar in Revelation 3:12 is not on a coronation.
6. Aune seems to have overlooked this possible contrast when he asserts that “the phrase ἐν τῷ ναῷ, ‘in the temple,’ excludes any allusion to the external freestanding pillars of the Solomonic temple, Jachin and Boaz” (David E. Aune, Revelation 1–5, Word Biblical Commentary [Dallas: Word, 1997], 241).
7. Richard R. Benedict, “The Use of Νικάω in the Letters to the Seven Churches of Revelation 2 and 3” (Th.M. thesis, Dallas Theological Seminary, 1966), 37; Friedrich Bleek, Vorlesungen über die Apokalypse (Berlin: George Reimer, 1862), 192; Ludwig H. Kohler, Die Offenbarung Johannes (Ansbarch: Eisner, 1911), 58–59; Gerhard A. Krodel, Revelation, Augsburg Commentary on the New Testament (Minneapolis: Augsburg, 1989), 139; Ulrich B. Müller, Die Offenbarung des Johannes (Wurzburg: Echter, 1984), 132; Pierre Prigent, L’ Apocalypse de Saint Jean, Commentaire du Nouveau Testament (Paris: Delachaux & Niestle, 1981), 71; Jurgen Roloff, Die Offenbarung des Johannes (Zurich: Theologischer, 1984), 62; Joseph Sickenberger, Erklärung der Johannesapokalypse (Bonn: Peter Hanstein, 1940), 61; and Alfred Wikenhauser, Die Offenbarung des Johannes, Regensburger Neues Testament (Regensburg: Friedrich Pustet, 1959), 47.
8. Aune, Revelation 1–5, 242; G. R. Beasley-Murray, The Book of Revelation, New Century Bible Commentary (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1992), 102; Johannes Behm, Die Offenbarung des Johannes (Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 1935), 26; Lohmeyer, Die Offenbarung des Johannes, 36–37; Robert G. Bratcher and Howard A. Hatton, A Handbook on the Revelation to John, UBS Handbook Series (New York: United Bible Societies, 1993), 76; Bruce, “Revelation,” 1604; G. B. Caird, A Commentary on the Revelation of St. John the Divine, Harper’s New Testament Commentaries (New York: Harper & Row, 1966), 55; David Chilton, The Days of Vengeance (Fort Worth: Dominion, 1987), 130; Jacques Ellul, L’ Apocalypse, architecture en mouvement (Paris: Desclee, 1975), 140; Charles H. Giblin, The Book of Revelation (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical, 1991), 63; Catherine G. Gonzalez and Justo L. Gonzalez, Revelation (Louisville: Westminster/Knox, 1997), 34; Harrington, Revelation, 71; Hemer, The Letters to the Seven Churches in Their Local Setting, 166; Hendriksen, More Than Conquerors, 75; Ernst W. Hengstenberg, Die Offenbarung des heiligen Johannes (Berlin: Ludwig Oehmigke, 1850), 1:185; Philip E. Hughes, The Book of the Revelation (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1990), 62; Johnson, “Revelation,” 455; Kealy, The Apocalypse of John, 103; George E. Ladd, A Commentary on the Revelation of John (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1993), 63; Edward Lohse, Die Offenbarung des Johannes, Das Neue Testament Deutsch (Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 1983), 33; Alfred Loisy, L’ Apocalypse de Jean (Paris: Emile Nourry, 1923), 115; Metzger, Breaking the Code, 43; Robert H. Mounce, The Book of Revelation, New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1977), 120; Stott, What Christ Thinks of the Church, 113; Robert L. Thomas, Revelation 1–7: An Exegetical Commentary (Chicago: Moody, 1992), 292; Walvoord, The Revelation of Jesus Christ, 88; and Bernhard Weiss, Das Neue Testament (Leipzig: T. E. Hinrichs, 1907), 2:405.
9. The Greek emphasizes this fact by using the double negative οὐ μή (cf. John 10:28).
10. The temple is real (though not materially physical) in the spiritual realm. Revelation 21:22 states that in the New Jerusalem there will be no temple of stone or wood, for “the Lord God, the Almighty, and the Lamb, are its temple.” The overcomer will abide in God, his true dwelling place (Ps. 91:1), just as he abides in Christ now (John 6:54, 56).
11. Even if importance or prominence is what the pillar symbolizes, the blessing still relates to all believers. All the saved are to be priests forever and are to reign with Christ (Rev. 5:10; 22:3–5).
12. This name could be “The Word of God” (Rev. 19:12–13), “King of kings, and Lord of lords” (19:16), or “the Lamb” (5:6). But none of these can be affirmed with certainty.
13. For a detailed discussion of this see Wong, “The Johannine Concept of the Overcomer,” 224–92.
14. As Robertson says, ”nikao,, [is] a common Johannine verb.. .. Faith is dominant in Paul, victory in John, faith is victory” (A. T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament [Nashville: Broadman, 1933], 6:300). Swete concurs: “The note of victory is dominant in St John, as that of faith in St Paul; or rather, faith presents itself to St John in the light of a victory” (The Apocalypse of St. John, 29). Leon Morris (The Book of Revelation, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries [Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1988], 62), and J. B. Smith (A Revelation of Jesus Christ [Scottdale, PA: Herald, 1961], 65) make the same observation.
15. For a detailed discussion of these passages see Wong, “The Johannine Concept of the Overcomer,” 132–82.
16. Christ used the same basic formula in applying His teaching to individuals (Matt. 11:15; 13:9, 43; Mark 4:9, 23; Luke 8:8; 14:35, etc.). And it is clear from the opening words in each of the seven messages in Revelation 2–3 that what the Spirit says to the churches is the same as what the Lord says. This attests to the harmonious unity of the second and third persons of the Trinity.
17. Robert H. Mounce, What Are We Waiting For? (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1992), 7.
18. There could be varying degrees of obedience and even different stages of spiritual growth within these groups who are described, yet believers are in view, that is, all the saved within a given group at a given time or who have passed through a common experience such as martyrdom (6:9–11).
19. The words “hear,” “follow” (John 10:27), “keep His commandments” (1 John 2:3; 5:2), and others are in the present tense, which can speak of a customary trend.
20. Some writers say Revelation 3:10 refers to a posttribulational rapture (Robert H. Gundry, The Church and the Tribulation [Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1973], 54, 58; George E. Ladd, The Blessed Hope [Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1956], 86; Douglas J. Moo, “The Case for the Posttribulation Rapture Position,” in The Rapture: Pre-, Mid-, or Post-Tribulational? [Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1984], 169–212); J. Barton Payne, The Imminent Appearing [Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1962], 77–79; and Alexander Reese, The Approaching Advent of Christ [London: Marshall, Morgan, & Scott, 1937], 205. For a detailed response to this view see Gleason L. Archer, “Response,” in The Rapture: Pre-, Mid-, or Post-Tribulational? 213–22; Thomas Edgar, “Robert H. Gundry and Revelation 3:10, ” Grace Theological Journal 3 (Spring 1982): 19-49; Paul D. Feinberg, “The Case for the Pretribulation Rapture Position,” and “Response,” in The Rapture: Pre-, Mid-, or Post-Tribulational? 34–86, 222–32; Alva J. McClain, The Greatness of the Kingdom (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1959), 465; J. Dwight Pentecost, Things to Come (Grand Rapids: Dunham, 1958), 197; Charles C. Ryrie, “The Church and the Tribulation: A Review,” Bibliotheca Sacra 131 (April-June 1974): 173-79; Thomas, Revelation 1–7, 283–90; Jeffrey L. Townsend, “The Rapture in Revelation 3:10, ” Bibliotheca Sacra 137 (July-September 1980): 252-66; John F. Walvoord, The Blessed Hope and the Tribulation (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1976), 137–38; and D. Winfrey, “The Great Tribulation: Kept ‘Out of’ or ‘Through’?” Grace Theological Journal 3 (Spring 1982): 3-18.
21. Walter Bauer, William F. Arndt, and F. Wilbur Gingrich, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 2d ed., rev. F. Wilbur Gingrich and Frederick W. Danker (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1979), 233; Henry G. Liddell, Robert Scott, and Henry S. Jones, A Greek-English Lexicon (reprint, Oxford: Clarendon, 1968), 498–99; and Feinberg, “The Case for the Pretribulation Rapture Position,” 64–69.
22. Harlan D. Betz, “The Nature of Rewards at the Judgment Seat of Christ” (Th.M. thesis, Dallas Theological Seminary, 1974), 36; Joseph C. Dillow, The Reign of the Servant Kings (Miami Springs, FL: Schoettle, 1992), 479; and G. H. Lang, The Revelation of Jesus Christ (London: Oliphants, 1945), 93.
23. Ladd, A Commentary on the Revelation of John, 45, 63; Morris, The Book of Revelation, 65, 79; Walvoord, The Revelation of Jesus Christ, 63–64; and Wong, “The Johannine Concept of the Overcomer,” 247–54. Cf. A. T. Robertson, A Grammar of the Greek New Testament in the Light of Historical Research (Nashville: Broadman, 1934), 298.
24. Dillow, The Reign of the Servant Kings, 478. See also Lang, Revelation, 91–92; and Benedict, “The Use of Νικάω in the Letters to the Seven Churches,” 2–3.
25. For a discussion of this see Wong, “The Johannine Concept of the Overcomer,” 155–82; and Charles C. Ryrie, Biblical Theology of the New Testament (Chicago: Moody, 1959), 355–56.
26. Bauer, Arndt, and Gingrich, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 364; and Joseph H. Thayer, Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1962), 292.
27. Revelation 22:5 shows that they will reign with Him in the eternal state as well.