He that Overcomes Revelation 2:11

After John the apostle saw the vision of Jesus in chapter one of “Revelation”, he began to write to the “seven churches in Asia”. He started with the church located in “Ephesus” and then addressed the “church of Smyrna” where He how Jesus told them, “Fear none of those things which you shall suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that you may be tried; and you shall have tribulation ten days: be faithful unto death, and I will give you a crown of life.” In chapter two and verse eleven of Revelation, John shared how Jesus told them, “he that overcomes shall not be hurt of the second death” where we read:

He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says unto the churches;

He that overcomes shall not be hurt of the second death.

The verse begins, “He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says unto the churches;” John began with the words, “he that has an ear” which means “the person who hold, owns and possesses the body part used for the faculty of hearing, perceiving, understanding and knowing with the mind”, “let them hear” or “allow and permit that person attend to, consider, understand and perceive” “what the Spirit” or “that which the third person of the triune God, the Holy Spirit who is coequal and co-eternal with the Father and the Son” “says” which refers to “speaks, utters, declares and proclaims” “unto the churches” or “toward the assemblies of Christians gathered for worship in a religious meeting”. Jesus called for everyone who is able to “listen” to God's “Spirit” to “hear” what He is “saying” to the “churches”.

The verse continues, “He that overcomes shall not be hurt of the second death.” John added the words, “he that overcomes” or “the person whether male or female who conquers, carries off the victory and comes off victorious” “shall not be hurt” which means “will not be damaged, wronged or violated” “of the second death” or “pertaining to the second separation and misery of the soul arising from sin which begins on earth but lasts and increases after the death of the body in hell”. Jesus promised the “church of Smyrna” if they would “conquer and be victorious” over their “troubles, trials and tribulations” they would not be “violated and damaged” by “death” the “second time”.

When we think through John's words in this verse, we see Jesus plea again for everyone who has “ears” to listen to what God's “Spirit” is saying. With the “church of Smyrna” who suffered so greatly, His exhortation was to be an “overcomer” because there was to be a benefit eternally for doing so. The “first death” is when the physical body dies, and “the second death” is eternal separation from God. Every person living shall suffer the “first death”, (“And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” Hebrews 9:27) but because of Jesus dying for the sins of the world, when a person believes and trusts in Him as their personal “Savior and Lord”, they shall not “suffer” the “second death”. In other words, when we “overcome” with Jesus in this life, we shall “not be hurt with the second death”, but woe be to the person who does not “overcome” through Jesus, for the “second death” is their pending fate.

Next time John begins to write, “to the angel of the church in Pergamos”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

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