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feast: What is the True Meaning of 'Blessed'?

Martin G. Collins
Given 26-Sep-26; Sermon #FT26-01AM; 57 minutes

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What does it really mean to be blessed? Have you ever heard someone say that I'm blessed or, I've been blessed? Maybe they just bought a new house, maybe they drove a new car, maybe they received a promotion, a financial windfall, or some other material blessing. And we understand what they mean when they say that, but let me ask you a much more important question. What if everything you have could disappear tomorrow, and you would still be blessed?

What if your bank account went down? What if the new car broke down? What if the house was gone? What if life became difficult instead of comfortable? Would you still consider yourself blessed? The Bible gives us a seemingly paradoxical answer to that.

Jesus said, as you're very well aware of, blessed are the poor in spirit. Blessed are those who mourn. Blessed are the meek. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. And even blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake. Notice what was missing.

Jesus did not say blessed are the rich. He did not say blessed are the comfortable. He did not say blessed are those who have the biggest house, the newest car, or the most money. So perhaps we need to stop and ask ourselves, have we allowed our culture to redefine what it means to be blessed?

The blessings of this world can be temporary, and they can increase, decrease, appear, and disappear. But the blessings of God, the blessings God offers His people, extend far beyond the physical life. They are eternal blessings, and that changes everything. When God blesses us, He is not simply giving us what we want. He is giving us what He knows we need for eternity.

So today let's look beyond the temporary and discover what scripture really means when it says blessed, because the greatest blessing God can give us is not something we can put in a bank account, park in a garage, or display for others to see. The greatest blessing is a relationship with God through Jesus Christ and the eternal inheritance He has promised to those who remain faithful. Now this is the key point I want us to grasp today. What does it really mean to be blessed? What are the eternal blessings of the elect? What implications does God's generosity hold for the future?

The millennium will bring unparalleled joy and prosperity with abundant physical blessings, but spiritual blessings that we have the potential to receive are far greater than the physical blessings of the millennium. Now what blessings are promised in scripture? A recurring theme in the Bible is the blessing associated with the covenant. And this blessing is introduced when God calls Abraham, and He says, I will bless those who bless you, and by you, by you, all the families of the earth shall bless themselves. From there, the covenant is linked to blessing.

Now there are 5 patterns of promise that run through these references. One is that God promises to bless those who keep His covenant. A second is the conditional nature of the blessing, or the blessing as part of a test of people's obedience. For example, when Moses prepared the Israelites for his settlement in Canaan, or when Samuel anointed Saul as king, or a prophecy of judgment on Israel's failure to obey God's covenant obligations - those are all conditional.

Third, therefore, blessing is conceived as in some sense a reward for obedience. Balancing this, fourth, is the theme of grace. And although God rewards obedience, it is His grace that prompts Him to do so. Human merit is never assumed, as Moses delineates Israel's special status. He makes clear that God's blessing results solely from His love, and this is vividly expressed in Deuteronomy 7 and verses 6 to 14. If you'll turn with me there, Deuteronomy 7, verse 6.

Deuteronomy 7:6-9 For you are a holy people to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all peoples on the face of the earth. The Lord did not set His love on you, nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples. And because the Lord loves you, and because He would keep the oath which He swore to your fathers, the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of bondage, from the hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. Therefore, know that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for 1000 generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments.

Deuteronomy 7:11 Therefore you shall keep the commandment, the statutes, the judgments which I command you today to observe them. Then it shall come to pass because you listen to these judgments and keep and do them, that the Lord your God will keep with you the covenant and the mercy which He swore to your fathers.

Deuteronomy 7:13-14 And He will love you and bless you and multiply you. He will also bless the fruit of your womb, the fruit of your land, your grain, and your new wine, and your oil, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flock, in the land in which He swore to your fathers to give you. You shall be blessed above all peoples.

And He was talking more than just the physical blessings that He promised Israel - also the spiritual blessings which were far greater. These blessings are not all material. Some of them are power, prestige, knowledge, and wisdom. And fifth and finally, the opposite of a blessing resulting from obedience to God is always assumed to be a curse resulting from disobedience. That fifth factor is the opposite of a blessing resulting from obedience to God is always assumed to be a curse resulting from disobedience.

Building upon Old Testament patterns of blessing, that is the covenant of grace, the New Testament emphasizes blessing in the spiritual state of those who belong to God's kingdom. Now, chosen nation is less the location of God's blessing than the covenant of grace with individual believers. Whereas the blessing in the Old Testament always retains a strong but not exclusive emphasis on physical prosperity, blessing in the New Testament era has very little emphasis on material prosperity. Please turn with me to Matthew 5 and verse 1.

Blessing is widely understood as a spiritual inheritance reserved in heaven for the faithful, and in the Beatitudes Jesus pronounces blessings on those who suffer deprivation in life. What blessings does Jesus make clear? Here's an example. Matthew 5 - we are going to read verses 1 through 12 of the Beatitudes, also found in Luke 2 - Luke 6 and verse 20 through 26. And we will just breeze through these.

Matthew 5:1-12 And seeing the multitudes, He, that is Jesus, went up a mountain, and when He was seated, His disciples came to Him. Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying, Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. And blessed are you when they revile and persecute you and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

So where do we find anywhere in that list, blessed are the comfortable, blessed are the rich, blessed are the vacationers, or blessed are the Mercedes drivers? Maybe rather than saying I'm blessed when it comes to material things, which may carry a pat on the back for being so good, it's better to say I'm grateful or I'm thankful. It's not wrong to say I'm blessed, but it sends a better message, I think, if you say I'm grateful and I'm thankful to God. Christ was quite clear.

Even so, when we ignore it, when we commandeer the word blessed to fit neatly into our current culture, it doesn't always come across that well. Now we risk alienating those who are less materially prosperous. Only God knows why He placed some in wealthy families and others in poverty-stricken ones. Granted, people have significant personal influence over their own successes and failures. However, we have no say or control over when or where we are born, or what kind of family we are born into.

But what we do have control over - we should work hard to do well and make the effort to be prosperous. And we have free will to grab opportunities that come to us or to let them slide by. And if we take advantage of the opportunities set before us, a relatively comfortable life may come our way, but of course it's not a guarantee. Did God choose us above others for more material wealth because of the diligence of our prayers or the strength of our faith?

The Old Testament shows the Lord God blessing the carnal nation of Israel with material blessings when they obeyed His law, and cursing them when they disobeyed it. The heroes of faith who had God's Spirit - Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Moses, David, and the other patriarchs and prophets - were blessed with material things when it involved His people as a nation or race. Although, when I say race, I'm talking about a race of people in general. I hate to have to say that, but you have to qualify these things these days, do you not? Although the faithful patriarchs received material blessings, they recognized that spiritual blessings were more important.

The New Testament is less about the physical nation of Israel and primarily about the spiritual church of God. Therefore, we find material things de-emphasized, downplayed, and even discouraged. So let's notice a few examples in the New Testament. Luke 18:22-23. I'm just going to read these to you so that we will breeze through three of them.

Luke 18:22-23 So when Jesus heard these things, He said to him, You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven, and come, follow Me. But when he heard this, he became very sorrowful, for he was very rich.

I Timothy 6:9-10 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition, for the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

Revelation 3:16-18 So then, because you are lukewarm and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. Because you say, I am rich, I have become wealthy, and have need of nothing. I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich [that is spiritually], and white garments [that's righteousness], that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness, or your sins, may not be revealed, and anoint your eyes with salve, that you may see clearly God's work and His way of life and how to live it.

So the New Testament contains more warnings about desiring riches. Now the New Testament faithful were spiritually blessed with little or no mention of material blessings because God works with members of His church on a spiritual plane rather than a physical one, as was the case for the carnal nation of Israel. The time of spiritual blessing comes so we can bless others in great need. And when God gives us blessings, it is not so we can bask selfishly in our luxury, but to benefit others. Blessings are for service to others, not for selfish personal gain.

Now the Bible abounds with images of blessing. Blessings are sought, promised, conferred, and received. Blessing presupposes a benefactor and a recipient, and quite often a mediator who pronounces or confers the prospect of a blessing from God upon a human recipient. Please turn over to Ephesians 1 and verse 3. In the Bible, blessings ultimately come from God, but Paul's introduction briefly describes how the Bible generally views blessings. So let's dig a little deeper into more of the principles of blessings to answer the question, what does blessed mean?

Ephesians 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.

What does it mean to be blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ? First, notice the meaning of certain Greek words translated into our English as blessing, or blessed and blessing. The most common New Testament word for blessed comes from the Greek verb eulogeo, and you already hear the sound in the English there, meaning to eulogize. It is from eu, meaning good or well, and lego, L-E-G-O, meaning to speak. So the word with which Ephesians 1:3 begins, blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, is eulogetos, from eulogeo. It means well spoken of, or well regarded, in its literal sense.

Now the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ is worthy to be well spoken of. Now there are two distinct adjectives and adjectival nouns from the form eulogeo, and one is eulogetos, which I just gave to you, and it is used exclusively of God the Father and the Son as being blessed, as being worthy to be well spoken of. Why? Because when an adjective ends in T-O-S, it refers to an inherent quality or worthiness. God and Jesus Christ are inherently worthy to be well spoken of. So what is so profound is that it provides even more proof of Christ's deity. Here's a sampling of scriptures that express this.

Mark 14:61 But He, that is Jesus, kept silent and answered nothing. And again the high priest asked Him, saying to Him, Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?

That's eulogetos.

Luke 1:68 Blessed is the Lord God of Israel, for He has visited and redeemed His people.

That's the same word, eulogetos, meaning inherently deserving to be well spoken of. Please turn with me to Matthew 25 and 34. Another variation of the word eulogeo is eulogemenos. I do not think you have to remember these specifically. I hate to use Greek and Hebrew words because it can really bog things down, but I needed it in this case. Eulogemenos means one who will prove oneself as worthy to be spoken of, one who will prove oneself as worthy to be spoken of, or one made to be worthy of being well spoken of, as those who will survive spiritually the persecutions of the last days, to whom Jesus will say this in Matthew 25:34.

Matthew 25:34 Then the King will say to those on His right hand, Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

So, you blessed there is one who will prove oneself as worthy to be well spoken of, or one to be made worthy of being well spoken of. This is what we are blessed - if we are worthy to be well spoken of. Now also Mary, the expectant mother of Jesus, was a well-spoken-of woman. Luke 1:28 and 42 says.

Luke 1:28 And having come in, the angel said to her, Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you, blessed are you among women.

Luke 1:42 Then she, that is Elizabeth, spoke out with a loud voice and said, Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb [speaking to Mary].

God will do what He knows is for our eternal good, as He cares for us with His universal providence - that is, He blesses us in ways that are beneficial not only to us as individuals but also to His kingdom. Let's go back to Ephesians 1. When we ask God to bless us, we are asking Him to intervene in our lives and to bring about what He knows is best for us, not what in our flawed human reasoning we think is good for us. Now let's look at an example of how the apostle Paul used the Greek verb eulogeo 3 times in one verse. And for clarity, let's insert defining phrases within the text. So first I'm going to read the text, and then I'm going to insert those phrases that help expound the text.

Ephesians 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.

So, adding those phrases in - blessed, that is inherently worthy to be well spoken of, be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us, that is the One who intervened in our lives, bringing us salvation, which constituted His best well-speaking or acting on our behalf, with every spiritual blessing, that is the substantive meaning of His well-speaking or good interference for us, in the heavenly places in Christ. So it helps a little, but not a lot. It can be confusing, but we will move on. The last phrase means that what He brought out, whether directly or indirectly, in our earthly lives was the best preparation for our eternal life. Now let's move to another Greek word. We're only going to hit two main Greek words here.

Now let's look at another Greek word commonly translated into the English word blessed or blessing. This is the word I want to focus on because of its meaning for us. In the Beatitudes, Jesus Christ indicates not only who is blessed but also the nature of the highest good. Blessed, as found in the Beatitudes in Matthew 5 and Luke 6, is a special word in Greek - makarios, makarios, M-A-K-A-R-I-O-S transliterated. It represents the quality of deity. God is inherently makarios. Now He is something no one else is. He is God.

Romans 9:5, Christ came, who is over all, the eternally blessed of God. He is the Son of God. Christ called His disciples makarioi for His sake - that is, blessed because of who He is and what He has done for them. So the person who accepts Christ acquires God's nature, His Spirit, and becomes makarios, that is, blessed. Now the verb form appears only twice.

In Luke 1 and verse 48, after the Virgin Mary was told to bear the child Jesus, she said, Henceforth, all generations shall call me blessed. In other words, they will recognize my blessedness and that I was then indwelt with God in the Son I bore. Now turn over to Luke 6 and verse 20. But to be blessed, therefore, means to be indwelt by God through Jesus Christ. No blessedness is possible without Christ's indwelling, and no one who is not saved in and through Christ can be makarios. It also means to be fully satisfied because of Christ. Here in Luke 6, we are going to read verses 20 to 23.

Luke 6:20-23 Then He lifted up His eyes toward His disciples and said, Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who hunger now, for you shall be filled. Blessed are you who weep, for you shall laugh. Blessed are you when men hate you, and when they exclude you and revile you and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of Man's sake. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, for indeed your reward is great in heaven, for in like manner their fathers did to the prophets.

Now the blessed person will sacrifice material things for the sake of the Son of Man. He will share His blessedness, since material things will never truly satisfy anyone as Christ can. Now the blessed ones in and through Christ must be distinguished from the happy people - meaning the generally happy people everywhere, including us - because happy people can be either believers or non-believers. Now please turn over to James 5 and verse 11. The Eternal never said He came to make all our circumstances happy and joyful, but to change us so that we can develop the right attitude toward our circumstances, whether in abundance or in lack, in health or in illness. I want to read that again: The Eternal never said He came to make all our circumstances happy and joyful, but to change us so that we can develop the right attitude toward our circumstances, whether in abundance or in lack, or in health or in illness.

Now another occurrence of the verb makarizo in the New Testament is found here in James 5:11.

James 5:11 Indeed we count them blessed, that is makarizo, who endure. How you have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord - that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.

The suffering in the life of the faithful does not detract from our joy, because our joy does not come from circumstances or wealth, but from the indwelling and all-sufficient Christ. Now flip over to the Old Testament, Isaiah 65 and 18. In a sense, this is partly a word study. Let's take a moment to notice the relationship between joy and rejoicing, both integral to blessings. It is no wonder that the Old Testament millennial visions are filled with the language of joy, often expressed as a promise from God. And here in Isaiah 61 - first of all, we are going to read, you do not have to turn there, 61 in verse 10, prophesied that the saints of the millennium will say.

Isaiah 61:10 I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God, for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation.

So the source of the greatest rejoicing is in the Lord, in my God. Isaiah 65 - we are going to read verses 18 through 23. This is in the prophetic voice.

Isaiah 65:18-23 But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create, for behold, I create Jerusalem as a rejoicing, and her people a joy. I will rejoice in joy in Jerusalem and joy in my people. The voice of weeping shall no longer be heard in her, nor the voice of crying. No more shall an infant from there live but a few days, nor an old man who has not fulfilled his days, for the child shall die 100 years old, but the sinner, being 100 years old, shall be accursed. They shall build houses and inhabit them. They shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit. They shall not build and another inhabit. They shall not plant and another eat, for as the days of a tree, so shall be the days of my people, and my elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands. They shall not labor in vain, nor bring forth children for trouble, for they shall be the descendants of the blessed of the Lord, and their offspring with them.

So the millennium, lasting 1000 years, will be a brief moment in comparison to the eternal state. During this period, Jerusalem will be filled with joy, and even the Eternal will rejoice over it because sorrow will be gone. The descendants of the blessed of the Lord will greatly benefit from their righteous parents' blessed state. The millennium will be a period of unprecedented joy and prosperity, as Isaiah 65:16 says, the former troubles will be forgotten.

The church will be so spiritually prosperous, and the benefits conferred upon its members will be so abundant and gracious that it will bring the greatest joy, because our joy will be based in Jesus Christ and God the Father. There will be joy in understanding God's truth, in sin overcome, grace imparted, and holiness promoted, and in the cherished fellowship with God. Now, building on the background of the Greek words translated blessed or blessing, we can begin to understand the essential importance of the seven blessings of the book of Revelation, and that's what I would like to go through now. Please turn to Revelation 1.

The book of Revelation records 7 blessings - 7 overall blessings - and addresses them to the saints. In each of these 7 cases, the word blessed is makarios. Now remember, makarios means being indwelt by God through Jesus Christ. It also means being fully satisfied in Christ. Revelation, first of the seven stated blessings, is given to the one who reads, hears, and keeps God's word.

Revelation 1:3 Blessed is he who reads, and those who hear the words of this prophecy and keep those things which are written in it, for the time is near.

So the word blessed here in verse 3 is the Greek word makarios, meaning that he is indwelt by God and fully satisfied in Christ. So this verse is immediately followed by greetings to the seven churches. Chapters 2 and 3 assess each church's attitudes, spiritual strengths, and weaknesses, and we are all familiar with them. We've gone through them many times, but I'm going to breeze through them because each one carries major blessings - may I call it major sub-blessings - of this first point.

OK, the first blessing in the book of Revelation promises 7 rewards to the 7 churches and their attitudes, and they show that if a saint overcomes these shortcomings, God promises great and wonderful spiritual rewards. So Ephesus, Revelation 2 and verse 7, promises to him who overcomes.

Revelation 2:7 I will give to eat from the tree of life which is in the midst of the paradise of God.

So to overcome is to be victorious by believing, persevering, remaining faithful, and living as a follower of Christ. The tree of life, first mentioned in Genesis 3:22, stood in the Garden of Eden. So later it reappears in the New Jerusalem, where it bears abundant fruit, and those who eat of it will never die. This promise is a reward for all Christians. The paradise of God will be identified as the New Jerusalem in the eternal state.

The next one, Smyrna, in Revelation 2:11, promises.

Revelation 2:11 He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.

Christ's reassuring words to the Smyrna church is the same for all suffering and persecuted Christians, as stated in Hebrews 12:11.

Hebrews 12:11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

Moving on to Pergamos, Revelation 2:17, promises.

Revelation 2:17 To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden [that is, spiritual manna] to eat, and I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it.

The hidden manna refers to Christ as the bread from heaven, the unseen source of truth, nourishment, strength, and salvation, whereas Israel received physical food in the form of manna, the church receives spiritual food. So Jesus explained this in John 6 and verses 48-51.

John 6:48-51 I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness and are dead, and this is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. The bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.

And moving on to Thyatira, Revelation 2:26-28 - I'm going to cherry-pick their promises.

Revelation 2:26-28 He who overcomes and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations. He shall rule them with a rod of iron. They shall be dashed to pieces like the potter's vessels, as I have also received from My Father, and I will give him the morning star.

So God promises the faithful saints that they will join Him in His millennial rule. The word in verse 27 translated as rule means to shepherd, indicating that they will not simply administer justice but will also, like a shepherd using his rod, deal with his sheep and protect them. Although Psalm 2 and verse 9 refers to Christ's rule, John's quotation applies that rule - for example, shepherding - to the believer who overcomes. So Christ will give the faithful saints authority with His Father.

Now Sardis, Revelation 3:5, promises.

Revelation 3:5 He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, that is righteousness, and I will not blot out his name from the book of life, but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.

So one who is truly born from above remains renewed as long as he continues to obey God and overcome his sins. And all of these messages are to these churches and their attitudes. They all require overcoming to receive these blessings that are listed, especially. Now, while this passage may seem to imply that a name could be erased from the book of life, it affirms that the names of overcomers will not be erased. The letter to Sardis is a searching message for today's churches, which are full of activity, yet so often lack evidence of godly character. Christ's admonition for today is to remember, repent, obey, and overcome, just as it was to the church of Sardis.

And Philadelphia, Revelation 3:12, promises.

Revelation 3:12 He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God, and I will write on him My new name.

And then, next to the last, the Philadelphia church attitude received no rebuke from Christ. Instead, they were commended and given a promise because they had been willing to endure patiently. And He promised in verse 10.

Revelation 3:10 I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world, to test those who live on the earth [that is, to the overcomers again].

This is an explicit promise that those with the Philadelphia church attitude will not endure the hour of trial that is unfolding. It says, I will also keep you from the hour of trial, so we will not have to endure that. Additional promises were given. Christ promised, I am coming soon - a theme repeated often in the book of Revelation. The thought is not merely that of coming soon, but of coming suddenly and quickly.

Now they were exhorted, in light of His coming - that is, the Philadelphian attitude is exhorted in light of His coming - to continue to hold on to what they have, and hold on to the truth and one another as brethren at all costs. Everyone who overcomes will become a pillar in God's temple, and this is, of course, symbolic of a permanent place in God's kingdom for the faithful elect. Ultimately, the entire New Jerusalem will have no physical temple, as we read in Revelation 21:22.

Revelation 21:22 But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.

Now, unlike earthly temples and pillars that fail or fall, the faithful spiritual elect will remain forever in the temple as a permanent residence, so to speak. Christ specified that He meant the city of My God, namely the New Jerusalem. So He repeated His promise, I will also write on him My new name, and that is because the faithful have identified with Christ by faith, and so He will identify with them, as with the saints.

Now the promise given to Philadelphia church, and the call to remain faithful, are certainly God's word to His whole church completely, all of the attitudes - these are all promises and warnings and so on. Because, I think it's 3 of the churches specifically mentioned Christ's coming, and the others also give indication of being applicable to the end times. So all 7 are very important to all of us, and the key word to all of that is he who overcomes, to him who overcomes. Our lives are to imitate Christ today and forever.

In Revelation 3:20, Christ pictured Himself as standing outside knocking on a door. The latch is not shown but is assumed to be on the inside, and Christ's appeal is for those who hear to unlatch and open the door. Now to them, Christ promised, I will go in and dine with him, and he with Me. With Christ on the outside, there can be no fellowship or genuine spiritual prosperity. With Christ on the inside, there is wonderful fellowship and sharing in God's marvelous grace.

Outside, no fellowship; inside, there is fellowship. So this is an appeal to Christians rather than to non-Christians, and this raises the important question to the extent of one's intimate relationship and fellowship with Christ. To those who respond, Christ promises the right to sit with Him on His throne and to share His victory. And once again, the invitation to listen and respond concludes with, He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

Now the 7 letters to the 7 churches offer a remarkable, comprehensive treatment of the problems the church faces today, and the recurring dangers of losing their first love and fearing suffering, doctrinal defection, moral departure, spiritual deadness, failing to hold fast, and lukewarmness. These remain as prevalent today as they were in the first century, our churches. Now because these letters come from Christ personally, they carry great significance as God's final exhortation to the church throughout the centuries. The final appeal is to all called people who will hear. Therefore, we have only one way to answer God's call - to do God's will, and all these things will be added to you.

Do you notice that none of these 7 promised rewards are material? Even better, the promised rewards are spiritual. These promises to the seven churches fall under the 1st 7 blessings, the 1st 7 general blessings. And again, that first stated blessing found in Revelation 1 and verse 3 that we read is, blessed is he who reads, hears, and keeps God's word. So these seven messages to the churches are for that very reason based under that first category, and that's number one.

So the next 6 stated blessings commend purity and perseverance even unto death. Please turn to Revelation 14:12. I know I breezed quickly through the seven churches and the blessings that God's people receive, but I did not want to dwell on those very long - just to give you a quick overview, focusing on all those blessings that He's promised to us and the result of those blessings. In the early church, one would read aloud while others listened. Revelation's message and its blessing can be received merely by hearing it read, but only if that hearing is accompanied by obedience. Hearing means receiving and accepting the word of God.

So Revelation, 2nd of the 7 blessings - this is the 2nd of the major category of the 7 blessings. The first one had the 7 churches, the blessings of the 7 churches in it. Now this is the 2nd general blessing that I'm talking about. Revelation, 2nd of the 7 blessings, is given to the dead who die in the Lord.

Revelation 14:12-13 Here is the patience of the saints. Here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. And then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, Write, blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on. Yes, says the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them.

Because the saints heed God's call to endurance, keep God's commandments, and strengthen their faith in Jesus Christ, they are blessed to death with rest from their labors. The reward for their good works is permanently attached to them. It is accounted to them. It is accredited to them. It's a pretty good state to be in, actually. We all fear death, or do we fear suffering to death? I think we fear suffering to death rather than death itself, mostly.

Revelation's 3rd blessing is given to the one who stays awake, keeping his garments on. Forward to chapter 16 of Revelation and verse 15.

Revelation 16:15 Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame.

So Jesus issues a summons to spiritual vigilance, repeating His rebukes to the complacent churches of Sardis and Laodicea, because He is coming like a thief at an unexpected moment. His soldiers must stay awake and dressed - that's basically dressed in the armor of God and continuing in righteousness - so that they are not caught without righteous covering, which will humiliate them and disappoint God if they are not worthy.

Revelation's 4th overall blessing is given to those invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb. So if you go forward to chapter 19, verse 9.

Revelation 19:9 Then he said to me, Write, blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he said to me, These are the true sayings of God.

So those invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb are faithful, converted people who belong to His beloved bride, the church, and have been called by the gospel of grace. This marriage supper of the Lamb was foreshadowed in the parable of the wise and foolish virgins. Matthew 25:10 says.

Matthew 25:10 And while they, the virgins, went to buy oil, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding, and the door was shut.

Now John is twice reprimanded by the statement, you must not do that, for attempting to worship the angel, if you remember. Instead, John is commanded to worship God alone. And this dramatically confirms the deity of Christ, the Lamb who is rightly worshiped. Now please turn to Revelation 20 and verse 6. Revelation's 5th blessing, overall blessing, is given to the one who participates in the 1st resurrection. This is the better resurrection compared to the later ones, because the responsibilities and rewards are greater.

Revelation 20:6 Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ and shall reign with Him 1000 years.

So the saints have God's indwelling Spirit. They maintain their testimony of Jesus Christ, worship as priests, reign as kings with Christ throughout the 1000 years of Satan's binding. Revelation's 6th overall blessing echoes the first blessing in chapter 1 and verse 3. It is addressed to the one who watches and follows the words of this book. Please move forward to Revelation 22 and verse 7.

Revelation 22:7 Behold, I come quickly. Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.

In Revelation 1:3, Christ says that He will come soon. In verse 7 here, He adds that it will come quickly, and this reinforces the sense of determined urgency. The purpose of these communications is not to bewilder and confuse, but to reveal many of the things that must soon happen. We must watch and prepare. From the saint's perspective, Christ's coming is always imminent, and when it happens, it will be abrupt.

Accordingly, a special blessing is pronounced upon those who believe and heed the prophecy in this book. So we must take the warning seriously with a sense of urgency to not delay overcoming sins and drawing closer to God. It is an urgency - if you were to die in an hour from now, it was very urgent for you, or if you die 10 years or 20 years or whatever from now - but it's a state of urgency that we need to be in. This is a solemn affirmation of Jesus Christ, who made these revelations, that they are true and that they will be fulfilled promptly, and that the one who keeps the sayings of this book will be blessed and joyful.

Revelation's 7th and final of the 7 blessings is given to those who do His commandments. This late in the book, He's still talking about doing His commandments.

Revelation 22:7 Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life that is in the kingdom of God, and may enter through the gates into the city, that is New Jerusalem.

The Greek words that some Bibles translate as do His commandments are more literally rendered as wash their robes. A blessing is given to those who wash their robes in the Lamb's blood, which cleanses the conscience and washes away sin. Washing their robes is akin to putting on righteousness. And knowing how to keep and do God's commandments begins with the fear of the Lord, that is, reverence in all of God, and this leads to righteous living, and we become more like Christ, who dwells in us through the Holy Spirit. It is not our righteousness, but we are credited with the righteousness of Christ by the cleansing blood of Christ the Lamb.

So Jesus promises to come soon, affirming His divine eternity and messianic authority. Christ will come to repay everyone for what he has done. He'll come for each, for what each has done, rewarding the faithful and punishing evildoers. Now let's look at the full context here in Revelation 22 and verses 12 through 16. And Jesus testifies that the church is here.

Revelation 22:12-16 And behold, I come quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to everyone according to his work. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, and the First and the Last. Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may enter through the gates into the city, but outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters and whoever loves and practices a lie. I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.

Reward in verse 12 indicates degrees of reward for the faithful and punishment for lying unbelievers as promised in Revelation 1 and verse 1 and Revelation 22 and 16. Jesus has conveyed His revelation to His churches through His angel and John in writing it, providing comfort and warning.

Finally, let me give you a brief summary of the 7 blessings in the book of Revelation, the 7 general ones that I gave you, that are given to the saints. One, blessed is the one who reads, hears, and keeps God's word. Remember, Christ is coming soon. 2, blessed are the dead who die in the Lord. This requires faithfulness. 3, blessed is the one who stays awake, keeping his garments on. This requires vigilance and readiness. 4, blessed are those invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb. This requires unity. 5, blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection. This calls for worship and rulership. 6, blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy in this book. Remember, Christ is coming quickly. And 7, blessed are those who keep His commandments, and this requires obedience and overcoming.

The word blessed in this list of seven blessings means being indwelt by God because of what Jesus Christ has done and because He is our Savior. As a result, Christ fully satisfies each of these blessings. The person who accepts Christ acquires God's nature, and this describes the quality of deity. This is every Christian's potential because of being in the body of Christ. And when we receive material blessings, we should be grateful, acknowledge their receipt, and thank God for them. However, eternal spiritual blessings far surpass the importance and value of the temporary material blessings. Eternal is so much greater than material that no comparison is possible between the two.

Now let's begin to wrap this up. True blessedness is not measured by what we own, how comfortable we are, or how much this world can give us. The greatest blessings cannot be bought with money. The 7 blessings of Revelation point us toward something far greater - faithfulness, obedience, and endurance, overcoming, and ultimately eternal life in God's kingdom. Material blessings are temporary. Houses deteriorate, cars wear out, money disappears. Even this physical life ends, but God's promises endure forever.

So when God gives us material blessings, let us be grateful, let us thank Him, and use those blessings to serve others, but never allow temporary blessings to become more important than eternal ones. That's idolatry, actually. Because true spiritual wealth is Christ dwelling in us, God's Spirit working in us, His truth guiding us, His character being formed in us, and the hope of eternal life before us. We may have much, or we may have little. We may experience abundance, or we may experience hardship. But if we remain faithful, we possess something this world can never take away - the promise of eternity.

And when Christ returns, may we hear those wonderful words: Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. That's in Matthew 25 and 34. That is the blessing we should seek - not merely to be comfortable for a lifetime, but to be faithful for eternity. Not merely to receive temporary blessings, but to inherit eternal blessings. And not merely to say I'm blessed, but to live so faithfully that God Himself can call us blessed. May we remain faithful, keep His commandments, overcome to the end, and receive the greatest blessing of all - eternal life in God's kingdom.

THE END.