THE OVERCOMER
HOWARD BARNETT
Jesus, as he approached the final hours with his disciples said, "Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone: and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me. These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation; but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world."1 To have ‘good cheer’ is to be ‘courageous’, for Jesus has already declared the victory over the world. As his followers, we are to be overcomers, even as He has overcome. "To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne."2 His throne represent divine authority, as He is king of kings.
"For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?"3 "We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not."4 "And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true; and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life."5 Knowing that Jesus is come and is with us now is the God given understanding. The present tense, which means today, now, not yesterday nor tomorrow, but NOW. Knowing that Jesus is in you is the testimony of His seed.
"For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist."6 So many have been deceived into believing only in a Jesus who was and a Jesus who will be. The absence of the Jesus who is come has opened the door for the antichrist to move in. He opposes the presence of Christ, knowing that a kingdom divided will fall. He is exalting himself in many temples in this hour, just as he has for the past two thousand years. As long as he can make you believe that Jesus left and will return some day, he has room to sit in your temple and shew himself as God. He will let you call him Holy Ghost. He will perform signs and lying wonders and many will take pleasure in this unrighteousness. He will and already is giving many a drunken joy as they revel in his image. He knows the name of Jesus and he knows the name of Paul, but who are you? As long as he keeps you from receiving Jesus by misdirecting your faith, you are powerless to cast him out. Praise God for those who have overcome!
"And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God."7 The word ‘victory’ refers to the same Greek word as ‘overcome’ in this scripture. To ‘stand on the sea’ represents the faith required to walk on the water which is the Fire of God. These represent the overcomers who have "eat of the tree of life"8 They are filled with Jesus, with His presence they "shall not be hurt of the second death (which is the lake of fire)."9
Paul said that his ministry was to see "Christ be formed in you"10 and he called it his "travail"10. We know that "Christ in us is the hope of glory."11 The tree of Life is Jesus. The "twelve manner of fruit"12 from him reflects the twelve levels of judgement to be over come by his body, the church. The tree is judged by the fruit that it bears.13 The overcomer is judged by this fruit that he has partaken from the body of Christ or the tree of Life.
The disciples in their ministry entered into a "village of the Samaritans to make ready for Jesus. The city did not receive him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem. And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elijah did? But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. For the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them."14 Jesus had revealed that the manner was a level of spirit along with understanding that his fire would bring salvation not destruction.
Isaiah when speaking of this time said, "In that day shall the branch of the Lord be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and comely for them that are escaped of Israel. And it shall come to pass, that he that is left in Zion, and he that remaineth in Jerusalem, shall be called holy, even every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem: When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of burning."15 The twelve manner of spiritual fruit given to the overcomer as we cleanse ourselves physically and spiritually include the right "to eat of the hidden manna", which comes with the "white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it."16 Isaiah spoke of a continuing creation, "they are created now, and not from the beginning; even before the day when thou heardest them not; lest thou shouldest say, Behold, I knew them. Yea, thou heardest not; yea, thou knewest not; yea, from that time that thine ear was not opened: for I knew that thou wouldest deal very treacherously, and wast called a transgressor from the womb. For my name’s sake will I defer mine anger, and for my praise will I refrain for thee, that I cut thee not off. Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction."17 God has reserved surprises in his creation that would have been misused before their time. The white stone with the new nature or name is a reserved surprise for the obtainer. The overcomer that "keepeth the works of Jesus unto the end, to him is also given power over the nations: And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father."18 Jesus had revealed, "this is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent."19
Many will claim John 3:16 and those that believe in this measure should not perish. But condemnation is measured by "believing in the name of the only begotten Son of God."20 Isaiah said "his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace."21 If we believe him to be all these, we are about our Father’s business. The hidden manna was symbolized by the manna placed in a golden bowl and set in the ark of the covenant by Moses. We have access to the real ark, "For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world."22 Many ‘cracker eaters’ don’t know the hidden manna, choosing to receive from the hand of man rather than to believe Jesus. "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. I am that bread of life. Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world."23
The overcomer will also receive the morning star. Peter said "we have a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day- star arise in your hearts."24 Jesus "is the bright and morning star"25 and he is ushering us into the great day of the Lord. John was told to write: "for these words are true and faithful. And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son."26
The Alpha and Omega is Jesus. The true church knows him as Father.
He that hath an ear to hear, let him hear.
REFERENCES
1 John 16:32-33
2 Revelation 3:21
3 I John 5:4-5
4 I John 5:18
5 I John 5:20
6 II John 7
7 Revelation 15:2
8 Revelation 2:7
9 Revelation 2:11
10 Galatians 4:19
11 Colossians 1:27
12 Revelation 22:2
13 Matthew 12:33
14 Luke 9:52-56
15 Isaiah 4:2-4
16 Revelation 2:17
17 Isaiah 48:7-10
18 Revelation 2:26-27
19 John 6:29
20 John 3:18
21 Isaiah 9:6
22 John 6:33
23 John 6:47-51
24 II Peter 1:19
25 Revelation 22:16
26 Revelation 21:5-7
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