Buy Gold Refined by Fire/LAODICEA - A Throne for the Conquerors

Jesus speaks of a further reward, saying:  "To the one that conquers I will grant to sit down with me on my throne, even as I conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne." (Revelation 3:21)   In fulfillment of David's words,  at  Psalm 110:1, 2, the integrity-keeping Jesus, having conquered the world, was resurrected in 33 C.E. and exalted to sit down with his Father on His Heavenly throne.  (Acts 2:32, 33)  In another crucial year, 1914, Jesus arrived to sit down on his own Messianic throne as King and Judge.  The judgment evidently began in 1918 with professed Christians. Anointed conquerors who died before that time would then be resurrected and join Jesus in his Kingdom.  (1 Peter 4:17)  He had promised this to them when instituting the Memorial of his death, saying to his disciples:  "I make a covenant with you, just as my Father has made a covenant with me, for  kingdom, that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones to judge the twelve tribes of Israel." - LUKE 22:28-30.

What a marvelous arrangement-to sit with the reigning King during "the re-creation  " and share with him, on the basis of his perfect sacrifice, in raising the world o obedient mankind to Edenic perfection!  (Matthew 19:28; 20:28) As John informs us, Jesus makes those who conquer to be "a kingdom, priests to his God and Father," to occupy thrones around Jehovah's own magnificent throne.  (Revelation 1:6; 4:4)  Let all of us-whether of the anointed or of the new earth society that hopes   to share in restoring Paradise-to take heart the words of Jesus to the Laodiceans! - 2 PETER 3:13; ACTS 3:19-21.

As with previous messages, Jesus ends this one with words of exhortation:  "Let the one who has an ear hear what the spirit says to the congregations." (Revelation 3:22)   We are living deep in the time of the end.  The evidence is all around us that Christendom is cold as far as love in concerned.  In contrast, may we as true Christians respond fervently to Jesus' message to the congregation in Laodicea, yes, to all seven of our Lord's messages to the congregations.  This we can do by having a vigorous share in the fulfillment of Jesus' great prophecy for our day: And this good news of the kingdom will  be preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come." - MATTHEW 24:12-14.

Jesus' counsel to the seven congregations is ended.  He does not speak to John again in Revelation until the final chapter; but he participates in many of the visions, for example, in executing Jehovah's  judgments.  Let us now join the John class in examining the second remarkable vision revealed by the Lord Jesus Christ. 

Materialism Verses Wisdom

Back in 1956, a news columnist wrote:  "It is estimated that  a century ago the average man had 72 wants, of which 16 were  regarded as necessities.  Today, the average man is estimated to have 474 wants, 94 of which are regarded as necessities.  A century ago, 200 articles  were urged upon the average man by salesmanship-but today there are 32,000 articles which require sales resistance.  Man's necessities are few-his wants, infinite."  Today, people are bombarded with the idea that material wealth and possessions are the principal thing in life.  Thus, many come to ignore the wise advice of Ecclesiastes 7:12: "Wisdom is for a protection the same as money is for a protection, but the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom itself preserves alive its owners. 

Next time: The Magnificence of Jehovah's Celestial Throne

From the  jw.org publications