ARE YOU AN OVERCOMER, A CONQUERER? Part One

Below is the definition for the word “Overcometh” from the James Strong Concordance and the verses that use that word.

g3528. νικάω nikaō; from 3529; to subdue (literally or figuratively): — conquer, overcome, prevail, get the victory.
AV (28) – overcome 24, conquer 2, prevail 1, get the victory 1;
to conquer to carry off the victory, come off victorious of Christ, victorious over all His foes of Christians, that hold fast their faith even unto death against the power of their foes, and temptations and persecution

In ancient Greek religion, Nike (/ˈnaɪki/; Ancient Greek: Νίκη, “Victory” [nǐːkɛː]) was a goddess who personified victory. Her Roman equivalent was Victoria.

THE DOCTRINAL / DISPENSATIONAL DIFFERENCE!

The Apostle John is an author, primarily a writer to the Jews, Gospel of John, 1, 2, 3, John, and Revelation, but often writes a thing that could apply to the church spiritually, We Christians often like to borrow verses and Spiritually apply them to our selves, as in I John 4:4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. However, we Christians live here Romans 4:4-5, Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. Ephesians 2:6-10, For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

In my thinking the books of John, are doctrinally Tribulation books, See Dispensational Truth blog. As are all the General Epistles, James — Jude, or sometimes called The Hebrew Epistles. In the verses below one can see a Faith and Works element to being Born Again, which belongs in the Tribulation Period. (Revelation 12:17, And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.). There are two elements that accompany believers in their relationship with God in the “Tribulation Period” “TP”. keeping the commandments of God, and having the testimony of Jesus Christ.

I JOHN 5: 1-5, Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous. Whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?

NOW OBTAINING A GRIP ON THINGS

I am thinking this would be a good time to remind all of Hebrews 11:6 “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”

Doctrinally in the “Church Age”, “The Age of Grace”, is found the doctrine of “The Church of the One Body”, “The Body of Christ:, I Cor. 12:12-13, “For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.” And Gal. 3:26-28, ” For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.“

Also, we should speak of the great mystery of Christ loving the church and giving himself for it Ephesians 5:25-27. “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.” The Church is known as the Bride of Christ and Christ is known as the “Bridegroom”. Writers of all four Gospels have the parables of the bridegroom as Jesus explains them, while the Apostle Paul explains this relationship of Christ and the Church! There is no relationship like this in the “Tribulation Period.”

The Bridegroom, (Jesus), will be coming for his Bride around the Feast of Weeks, which is Pentecost. Read the blogs on the Feasts of the LORD, parts 1,& 2 and study Song of Solomon 2:8-13, “The voice of my beloved! behold, he cometh
leaping upon the mountains, skipping upon the hills.
My beloved is like a roe or a young hart:
behold, he standeth behind our wall,
he looketh forth at the windows,
shewing himself through the lattice.
My beloved spake, and said unto me,
Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away.
For, lo, the winter is past,
the rain is over and gone;
The flowers appear on the earth;
the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land;
The fig tree putteth forth her green figs,
and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell.
Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.“

This doctrine of the church being of One Body’ is not expressed thus so in the “Tribulation Period”, “The Book of Revelation.” Their are Two Different Bodies of Saved Sinners found in that book, in chapters 7:4 and 7: 9. The first group are the 144,000 Jews, who are sealed in their foreheads, 12,000 from each of the 12 tribes of Israel, the Nation of Israel exclusively. They are not the Bride! The other group is said to be Revelation 7:9. After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; All Gentiles! Rev. 7:13-14. And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? ( Not the Body of Christ), ( one group from the Nation uf Israel and the other group of Gentiles.)
And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Thus, the timing is set, the ending of the “Tribulation Period” as in the two witnesses in Rev. 11:12, being told to “Come up Hither”! These two separate groups of saved sinners, Jews and Gentiles, being taken out the tribulation though martyrdom and enduring unto the end on the day of the Feast of Trumpets to meet the Bride of Christ at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, the Bridegroom!

Those called to the Marriage Supper are these two groups, the Nation of Israel and those Gentiles who endured unto the end and not taking the Mark of the Beast. In Lining up the last paragraphs can be associated with the phrase “Come Up Hither”, Revelation 4:1-2 with the Apostle John as the representative of the”Rapture of the Church”, and Revelation 11:12 with the 2 witnesses, Moses and Elijah representatives of the two groups the “Tribulation Saints”. In Revelation the word church is not mentioned after chapter 3 and is only referred to again in chapter 19:7 “Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife,(the Church), hath made herself ready.” Revelation 2 and 3 record John’s writing to 7 literal Churches of Asia Minor in the First Century. Most scholars agree, (todays Turkey), these 7 Churches are to represent the “Church Age” being raptured before the “Tribulation Period”!

We will stop here and pick this up again in Part Two!