Others, typically the denominations of Baptists that profess to believe in justification by faith, say that "overcoming" is just another way of saying believing on Christ. 1 John 5:4-5 is offered as scriptural evidence for this position, which says "For 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?"
Here are the verses from Revelation.
Revelation 2:7 He 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.
Revelation 2:11 He 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.
Revelation 2:17 He 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.
Revelation 2:26-27 And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.
Revelation 3:5 He 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.
Revelation 3:12 Him 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.
Revelation 3:21 To 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.
Revelation 21:7-8 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
The problem with both of the positions given above is that none of these verses are written to believers in the Body of Christ in the Dispensation of Grace. Remember, John was an apostle of the Circumcision who only went unto the Jews (Matt. 19:28, Gal. 2:7-9). The apostles of the Circumcision wrote prophetic books to future believing Jews in Daniel's 70th Week (John 16:13). Remember that 1 John was written to believers "in the last time" who had overcome the Wicked One (1 Jn. 2:13-14, 2:18, 5:18). The beginning of the book of Revelation makes it very clear that the entire vision and content of the book of Revelation is written from the standpoint of what John say in the Day of the Lord (Rev. 1:10). Only the Pauline epistles, Romans-Philemon, are written to and about the Body of Christ in the Dispensation of Grace (Rom. 11:13, 11:25, 15:15-16, 16:25, 1 Cor. 2:7-8, 4:1, 4:15-16, 11:1, 15:51, Gal. 1:11-12, 2:1-9, Eph. 3:1-9, 5:32, 6:19, Phil. 3:17, 1 Thes. 4:15, Col. 1:24-28, 4:3, 2 Thes. 3:7, 1 Tim. 3:9, 2 Tim. 1:11, 1:13, 2:7, 2:7, Titus 1:3).
The apostle John was transported by the Holy Spirit into the future Day of the Lord to see the 70th Week of Daniel, the Second Advent, the Millennium, the Great White Throne Judgment, etc. The seven churches of Revelation 1-3 are not church ages in the Dispensation of Grace, they are local churches of believers in Daniel's 70th Week. The day of the Lord.
Revelation 1:10-11 I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.
The apostle John will preach again during Daniel's 70th Week, Revelation 10:11 says "And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings."
Pastor David O'Steen gives seven scriptural reasons why the book of Revelation is not about the Body of Christ: http://kjbstudy.blogspot.com/2014/01/revelation-is-not-about-body-of-christ.html
"1. Its placement in the sixfold division of the Bible:
- The OT - The King and His coming Kingdom in promise and prophecy
- The 4 Gospels - The King and His Kingdom offered and rejected
- The Acts - The King and His Kingdom re-offered and rejected, transition to the body of Christ
- The Pauline Epistles - The Kingdom postponed, the King made Head of the Church
- The Jewish Epistles - The King and His Kingdom once again at hand
- The Revelation - The King comes to establish His kingdom on the earth
3. Revelation is a book of PROPHECY (Rev. 1:3; 22:7,10,18-19). The body
of Christ is not the subject of prophecy but a great mystery that was
hid from the prophets and was first revealed to and through the apostle
Paul (Rom. 16:25; Eph. 3:5,9; Col. 1:26).
4. The vantage point from which John writes the book is the future Day
of the LORD (1:10). The Spirit transported him past the Grace Age into
the tribulation period (and beyond) to be an eyewitness of the things he
was to write.
5. The promises given to the 7 churches are clearly for tribulation
saints. The Bible does not limit the use of the word "church" to the
present age (Acts 7:38). Does the body of Christ have to overcome in
order to have right to the tree of life and not be hurt of the second
death (2:7,11)?
6. Jesus Christ is presented throughout this book in accordance with
prophecy and not the revelation of the mystery (Rom. 16:25). He is seen
as the Great High Priest and the coming King of kings, not the Head of
the church.
7. The WHOLE book was sent to the seven churches and they were told to KEEP the things in it (Rev. 1:3,11). Are you trying to keep the instruction of 14:9-12 and 22:14 for example?"
He also has another great study on this topic here:
http://kjbstudy.blogspot.com/2014/09/rightly-dividing-revelation-2-3.html
The whole book of Revelation is a book of prophecy written from the standpoint of the Day of the Lord.
Revelation 1:3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.
Revelation 1:10-11 I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.
Revelation 22:7 Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.
Revelation 22:10 And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.
Revelation 22:18-19 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
John is writing prophetically when the timing of the things written in the book will be "AT HAND" (Rev. 22:10) and the people are told to keep the sayings in it.
Now as for the "overcoming" issue, I believe it is referring to believers of the Gospel of the Kingdom enduring faithfully to the end of Daniel's 70th Week without drawing back (Matt. 10:22, 24:13-14, Mark 13:13, Heb. 3:14, 4:10-11, 9:28, 10:26-39, 12:14-16, Jude 21, etc.).
It is true that 1 John 5:4-5 says "For 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?" However, Revelation defines what God means by "overcometh". Revelation 3:21 says
"Revelation 3:21 To 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."
When Revelation uses the term "overcometh" it is referring to the same overcoming that Christ did in His earthly ministry. Did Christ overcome by believing on Himself? No, He overcame by being obedient unto death (Phil 2:8) and finishing the work that the Father gave Him to do (John 17:4). This is the same overcoming that the believers in Daniel's 70th Week will have to endure and refuse to take the mark of the beast.
Revelation 14:
[9] And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,
[10] The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:
[11] And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.
[12] Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
[13] And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.
--Eli Caldwell
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