45. “He That Overcometh Shall Inherit All Things”

The theme of the book of Revelation is that God will triumph over the devil and those who follow him will be blessed. Symbols of beasts, angels, men, and the number seven combine to foretell the story.
Blessings Promised to the Church of Christ

“Why Is the Book of Revelation called ‘The Apocalypse’?” Richard D. Draper and Michael D. Rhodes, BYU New Testament Commentary
The word apocalypse comes from the Greek ποκάλυψις which means revelation or disclosure. This title is quite fitting since one of the main signatures of apocalyptic literature is that it reveals or discloses heavenly secrets to its readers.
“For whom was the book of Revelation written and why?” Richard D. Draper, BYU New Testament Commentary
The Acts of the Apostles is the story of what Jesus continued to do after his resurrection as he worked through his servants via the Holy Spirit. Revelation continues that story through the end of time. It shows the active involvement of the Lord in the ongoing progress and, unfortunately, regress of his Church and its people. Fortunately, it also tells of its restoration and describes its mission in the last days. Thus, Revelation was not just for John and the Saints of the seven Churches but for other Saints then and now. Indeed, as we will see, the book speaks to our period even more than that of the seven churches.
“Revelation 1:6 and Priesthood,” Richard D. Draper and Michael D. Rhodes, BYU New Testament Commentary
Revelation 1:6 focuses on the end result of the resurrection and supremacy of the Lord: he is able to make his followers kings and priests unto God. The seven servants mentioned twice in Revelation (1:4, 20) had apparently achieved these ranks and attendant blessings. They were not the only ones. “John said he was a king,” Joseph Smith reported. The kingdom to which the Seer and the others belonged was to endure forever, and those who became members therein were, therefore, eternal heirs of glory.
“In Revelation chapter 4, John describes certain animals that inhabit the throne room of God. What are these animals and what is their function?” Richard D. Draper and Michael D. Rhodes, BYU New Testament Commentary
The description of the animals with their various faces like a man, an ox, a lion, and an eagle is highly symbolic. John seems to epitomize the orders of beings—mankind, domestic animals, wild animals, and fowl, and thus all living things—through the representation of the creatures’ faces. The living creatures, as the text of Revelation stands, form the first of the concentric circles around God’s throne, the Elders the second.
“Facing the Future with Hope,” Lowell M. Snow, Ensign, December 2007
With a testimony of Christ, Satan can be overcome. In this article, Lowell M. Snow uses his experience flying small airplanes to teach about trials as a necessary part of mortality. He says, “the tender mercies of a loving Father and His Only Begotten feel after us seeking to lift us out of this fallen world back into the heavens. The gospel of Christ draws us to Him so we can be perfected in Him.”
Chart 17-1: “The Number Seven in the Revelation of John,” Charting the New Testament
In Revelation 1:4, the Lord tells the seven churches in Asia about the blessings promised to those who endure the trials of mortality. “To readers living in the first century, an age when the symbolism of numbers was common, the number seven was thought to represent fulfillment or completion.” Chart 17-1 lists fourteen places in the book of Revelation where the number seven occurs.
Chart 17-2: “The Seven Churches,” Charting the New Testament
Each branch of the church is criticized for a particular weakness and admonished in various ways. These seven messages at the beginning of the book of Revelation follow a pattern, as chart 17-2 demonstrates.
Chart 17-3: “Key Themes Common to Genesis 2-3 and Revelation 2-3,” Charting the New Testament
The Garden of Eden was a holy, sacred place. In many ways, it was a prototype of the temple built in Jerusalem, where mankind could again seek to stand in the presence of God, as had Adam and Eve. Chart 17-3 identifies seven temple elements in the primal account of Genesis 2-3. For example, the tree of life is present, clothing is given by God, and names are given. Prominent in the book of Revelation is the New Jerusalem, which houses the heavenly temple in which the Lord and his Saints shall dwell (Rev 21).
Chart 17-4: “Earthly and Heavenly Temples,” Charting the New Testament
Temple themes are prominent throughout the book of Revelation. Echoes from the Old Testament are conspicuously present in the revelation of John. Chart 17-4 lists these elements, together with their corresponding references, where applicable, from the Hebrew scriptures. It is difficult to understand the book of Revelation without a clear picture of the Jewish Temple.
Chart 17-5: “Joseph Smith’s Explanations of the Revelation of John,” Charting the New Testament
With a testimony of Christ, Satan can be overcome. In this article, Lowell M. Snow uses his experience flying small airplanes to teach about trials as a necessary part of mortality. He says, “the tender mercies of a loving Father and His Only Begotten feel after us seeking to lift us out of this fallen world back into the heavens. The gospel of Christ draws us to Him so we can be perfected in Him.”