Chapter Forty-Two - A New Heaven and a New Earth

The Ones Conquering

Those who drink of the refreshing "water" must also conquer, as Jehovah goes on to say:  'Anyone conquering will inherit these things, and I shall be his God and he will be my son." (Revelation 21:7)  This promise is similar to the promises found in the messages to the seven congregations, hence, these words must apply in the first place to anointed disciples.  (Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 26-28; 3:5, 12,  21)  Christ's spiritual brothers throughout the ages have eagerly anticipated  the privileges of being part of New Jerusalem.  If they conquer, as Jesus conquered, their hopes will be realized.-John 16:33. 

The great crowd out of all nations also look to this promise.  They too must conquer, loyally serving God until they come out of the great tribulation.  Then they will enter into their earthly  inheritance, 'the kingdom prepared for them from the founding of the world.' (Matthew 25:34)  Theses and others of the Lord's  earthly sheep who pass the test at the end of the thousand years are called "holy ones."  (Revelation 20:9)  They will enjoy a sacred and filial relationship with their Creator, Jehovah God, as members of his universal organization. -Isaiah 66:22; John 20:31; Romans 8:21.

With this grand prospect in view, how important it is that Jehovah's Witnesses now remain clean from the defiling things of Satan's world!  We need to be strong, resolute, and determined that the Devil will never drag us down into the company that Jehovah himself describes:  "But as for the cowards and those without faith and those who are disgusting in their filth and murders and fornicators and those practicing spiritism and idolators and all the liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulphur.  This means the second death."  (Revelation 21:8) Yes, the would-be inheritor has to avoid the practices that have befouled this old system of things. He has to conquer by remaining faithful in the face of the pressures and temptations. -Romans 8:35-39. 

Christendom, though, she claims to be the bride of Christ, is characterized by the disgusting practices that John here describes. So she goes down to eternal destruction with the rest of Babylon the Great.  (Revelation 1 8:8, 21) Likewise, any of the anointed or of the great crowd who take up the practice of such evildoing, or start encouraging  it, face everlasting destruction.  If they persist in these actions, they will not inherit the promises. And in the new earth, any who try to introduce such practices will be destroyed speedily, going into the second death without hope of a resurrection. -Isaiah 65:20. 

Outstanding as conquerors are the Lamb, Jesus Christ, and his bride of 144,000, New Jerusalem.  How fitting,  then, that Revelation should be brought to a sublime climax by a final transcendent view of New Jerusalem!  John now describes one last vision.

Next time: Chapter Forty-Three - The Resplendent City

From the book of Revelation