And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:
Parallel translations
- WEB He who overcomes, and he who keeps my works to the end, to him I will give authority over the nations.
- BSB And to the one who overcomes and continues in My work until the end, I will give authority over the nations.
- NKJV And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations—
- NASB The one who overcomes, and the one who keeps My deeds until the end, I will give him authority over the nations;
- NLT To all who are victorious, who obey me to the very end, To them I will give authority over all the nations.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
To the one who overcomes and keeps Christ's works to the end, he promises authority over the nations. It matters because faithful believers will share in Christ's reign.
Overview
Perseverance in Christ's works to the end marks the true overcomer. The promise of authority over the nations draws on Psalm 2, where the Messiah rules the peoples. Believers are promised a share in Christ's own royal rule.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 30
- Rev 3:21To 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.
- Dan 7:27And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.
- Rev 2:7He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.
- Rev 20:4And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
- Ps 2:8Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.
- Rev 22:5And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.
- 1 Jn 5:5Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?
- John 6:29Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.
- Matt 24:13But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
- Dan 7:22Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom.
- Rev 2:11He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.
- Dan 7:18But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever.
- Rom 2:7To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life:
- Rev 3:12Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.
- Jas 2:20But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
- Rom 8:37Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
- 1 Jn 3:23And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.
- Rev 2:17He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.
- Heb 10:38–39Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.
- 1 Cor 6:3–4Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?
- Rev 21:7He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.
- John 8:31–32Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;
- Ps 49:14Like sheep they are laid in the grave; death shall feed on them; and the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning; and their beauty shall consume in the grave from their dwelling.
- Luke 22:29–30And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me;
- Luke 8:13–15They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away.
- Matt 19:28And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
- Heb 3:6But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.
- 1 Jn 2:19They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.
- Rev 3:5He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.
- 1 Th 3:5For this cause, when I could no longer forbear, I sent to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter have tempted you, and our labour be in vain.
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Christ at the center
Revelation ends the story with the slain-yet-standing Lamb who is worthy, the Lion of Judah, the Alpha and Omega, the returning King who makes all things new and dwells with his people forever.
How Revelation 2:26 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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