The revelation of Jesus Christ to His servants through John (Part 1): Revelation 1–3

Jesus talked a bit about a reward in heaven. The book of Revelation gives us some idea of the type of thing He had in mind:

To the church in Ephesus:

^{Revelation 2:7} To everyone who is victorious I will give fruit from the tree of life in the paradise of God.

To the church in Smyrna:

^{Revelation 2:10-11} But if you remain faithful even when facing death, I will give you the crown of life. … Whoever is victorious will not be harmed by the second death.

To the church in Pergamum:

^{Revelation 2:17} To everyone who is victorious I will give some of the manna that has been hidden away in heaven. And I will give to each one a white stone, and on the stone will be engraved a new name that no one understands except the one who receives it.

To the church in Thyatira:

^{Revelation 2:26-28} To all who are victorious, who obey me to the very end, to them I will give authority over all the nations. They will rule the nations with an iron rod and smash them like clay pots. They will have the same authority I received from my Father, and I will also give them the morning star!

To the church in Sardis:

^{Revelation 3:5} All who are victorious will be clothed in white. I will never erase their names from the Book of Life, but I will announce before my Father and his angels that they are mine.

To the church in Philadelphia:

^{Revelation 3:12} All who are victorious will become pillars in the Temple of my God, and they will never have to leave it. And I will write on them the name of my God, and they will be citizens in the city of my God—the new Jerusalem that comes down from heaven from my God. And I will also write on them my new name.

To the church in Laodicea:

^{Revelation 3:21} Those who are victorious will sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat with my Father on his throne.

Is this message just for these seven churches, which are all in an area that’s now part of Turkey? Probably not. It’s written for anyone with ears to hear, which would be most of us:

^{Revelation 2:7} Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches.