Being Conformed to His Image

       Prior to this Revelation vision, John wrote that even though we are children of God, “it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is” (1 Jn. 3:2). Thanks to this vision, we now have a glimpse of what we will be like in our glorified bodies!
        Jesus promised His disciples that He would be with them always, even until the end of the age (Mt. 28:20). Yet we know He ascended to Heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father, making intercession for us (Heb. 7:25). How, then, is He with us? Through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. We continue His earthly ministry, being empowered by the gifts of the Spirit. We have direct access to His power and anointing, for He has revealed His Word to us (Mt. 10:1, 7-8).
        “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord” (2 Cor. 3:18). To the extent that we pursue God’s truths in His Word, and renew our minds accordingly, we are transformed bit by bit into our Lord’s image.
         Chapters 2 and 3 of the Revelation contain letters addressed to the various churches in Asia Minor that John oversaw. Each passage reveals some aspect of Christ. Each passage contains a promise to overcomers. Each passage addresses a common shortfall in our journey of being transformed by His Word. In a sense, they are generic letters, much like the other New Testament epistles. They were meant to be read by all believers, as a reminder of what we face while we exist in this world, even though we are actually citizens of heaven (Phil. 3:20).
        Just as Jesus prayed in His priestly prayer in John 17, we are not isolated from the world. We are to keep ourselves from the evil one (resisting Satan). We should realize we are not of this world, even as Jesus is not of this world. We are to be sanctified by His truth, for God’s Word is truth. This is how we become better ambassadors and witnesses for Christ during our earthly calling (2 Cor. 5:20).
         The point here is not to get so caught up in the specific historical conditions during John’s time that are described in the 7 letters. These two chapters are not meant to be a court case, judging what the churches were doing right or wrong necessarily. Instead, they describe the human condition of the Church on the earth but not yet fully perfected at the resurrection. They remind us that sin can mar our witness.
         The primary point to be understood is the hope of our calling—what we shall experience when we are gathered together, the Head and the Body united as one new Man. Our focus should be the promises, for we shall overcome death through resurrection, even as Jesus did! Eph. 1:12 reminds us “that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.”
        What are we promised as overcomers? To eat from the Tree of Life forever. We shall not be hurt by the second death (eternal damnation). We shall eat of the hidden manna. We shall receive a white stone with a new, personalized name. We shall be given power over the nations as part of the heavenly court. We shall be given the morning star—Christ Jesus as our beloved. We shall be clothed in white garments of righteousness. Can I get an “Amen” here?
         And that’s not all. Our name shall not be blotted out from the Book of Life. Our Lord Jesus shall confess our name before the Father and all the angels. We shall be made a pillar in the temple of God; it shall be our eternal dwelling place. The name of God shall be written on us, along with the name of the city (the heavenly Jerusalem) and Jesus’ new name. It shall be granted to us to sit with Jesus on the throne. It doesn’t get any better than that!
         END-TIME LESSON: When our Bridegroom comes to gather us to Him, we shall be completely transformed and sanctified, not only in our spirit, but also in our soul and body (1 Thess. 5:23). This is the hope of our calling. Then and only then will we walk in the light of His Word perfectly. “For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power” (Col. 2:9-10). We will shine like stars in His hands (Rev. 1:16)!
       This is the comfort of His coming. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.” (1 Thess. 4:16-18, emphasis added).
      God’s Word is both timeless and timely! We are meant to understand His times and seasons so we know what we are to do (1 Chron. 12:32).