The Heirs

To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son. (Revelation 21:6b-7, NIV 1984).

My Musings – The heirs of new earth are the overcomers of the old earth.  This includes all those addressed at the end of each of the seven letters to the churches (Revelation Chapters 2 and 3) as well as the martyrs who overcome through the blood of the Lamb (Revelation 12:11).  As John pointed out in his first epistle, all true believers are overcomers. “Everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.” (1 John 5:4–5, NIV 1984).  So, this promise is not just for the spiritually elite. Because all who are children of God, shall inherit “all this.” All what? All that God has made new. Not to mention becoming sons and daughters.

People living in most developed countries do not think much about water.  But it was a major concern in John’s day. No doubt John himself, working in the Roman mines, knew the meaning of thirst. Tortured saints throughout the ages would certainly identify with this wonderful promise from the Lord – free and abundant living water for all.  As is quite evident, this refers not to physical thirst but to a desire for spiritual blessings, a thirst that will be quenched. “Indeed, the water I give [them] will become in [them] a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (John 4:14, NIV 1984).

This is the only place in John’s writings in Revelation where son is used to refer to the relationship of man to God. This expresses the intimate relationship between the saints and God in the eternal state. An intimacy not known since the fall. “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.” (John 1:12–13, NIV 1984).

My Advice – To those “born of God,” we have it now. But not until that day, when we meet Jesus face to face, will we even begin to realize just how much that really entails. If you are not an overcomer reading this, there is still time to makes this your future hope as well. If not, you will have all eternity to regret what might have been. Don’t let that happen.

Resources:

Cabal, T., Brand, C. O., Clendenen, E. R., Copan, P., Moreland, J. P., & Powell, D. (2007). The Apologetics Study Bible: Real Questions, Straight Answers, Stronger Faith (pp. 1914–1916). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.

Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 2, p. 622). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

Walvoord, J. F. (1985). Revelation. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, p. 985). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

Vincent, M. R. (1887). Word studies in the New Testament (Vol. 2, p. 564). New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons.