There are 8 verses in Revelation that speak of the OVERCOMER: 2:7, 11, 17, 26; 3:5, 12, 21; and 21:7. The “overcomer” in all these verses is the “believer in the Lord Jesus Christ.” We see this in 1st John 5:1, 4-5: “Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God…For whatever is born of God OVERCOMES THE WORLD. And this is the victory that has OVERCOME THE WORLD—our FAITH. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God” (NKJV). We learn here that it is FAITH in Jesus Christ, the Son of God” that makes one an “overcomer.” It is NOT by what we do (our good works, our character, our attendance at church meetings, our observance of the Lord’s Supper, etc.) that causes God to call us an overcomer; it is solely through Christ’s finished work on the cross for our sins (1st Corinthians 15:3 WITH John 19:31) and our faith in Him and His work.

We will now quote Revelation 20:4 (where the word “overcomer” is not even mentioned): “And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and REIGNED WITH CHRIST FOR A THOUSAND YEARS.” I believe there are “3 classes of believers” here: 1) Old Testament believers and believers who lived during the Church Age, 2) believers who were martyred during the first half of the seven-year Tribulation Period, and 3) believers who lived and died during the second half of the Tribulation Period for refusing to worship the beast. All of these believers will “reign with Christ” during His 1,000-year kingdom (which we call “the Millennium”).

Now we will look at verses listed in the first sentence where Jesus specifically promised believers that they will reign with Him in His coming kingdom.

Revelation 2:26 says, “To him who OVERCOMES, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give POWER OVER THE NATIONS.” When Christ does reign, it will be over all the nations of the world and believers will reign over the world as well. How do we know this verse refers to Christ’s coming kingdom? We will read the next verse and then compare it with Revelation 19:11-16. “He (Christ) shall rule them with a rod of iron; they shall be dashed to pieces like the potter’s vessels” (verse 27). “Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True…on His head were many crowns…He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood…And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should STRIKE THE NATIONS. And HE HIMSELF WILL RULE THEM WITH A ROD OF IRON…And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.”

Revelation 3:21 states, “To him who OVERCOMES I will grant to SIT WITH ME ON MY THRONE.” This, again, speaks of the privilege the believer will have to “reign with Christ” when He establishes His Millennial Kingdom and sits on His throne. In Matthew 25:31 Jesus spoke on this blessed event, “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will SIT ON THE THRONE OF HIS GLORY.”

What a day that will be when Christ “sits on His throne” and believers will “sit on thrones with Him,” ruling over the nations of the world. Will my reader be there? If you will take your place as a lost sinner and “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, as your Savior” (Matthew 16:16; John 6:66-69; 1st John 4:14-16), you will be an OVERCOMER and you will “live and reign with Christ for 1,000 years.”  (DO)  (589.5)