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. Hey, listeners, this is Nick from Scripture Central, and today's podcast addresses the question,

How do John's seven letters reflect the ancient temple?

At the start of John's revelation, John is instructed,

write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be

hereafter. The Revelation then begins with seven brief letters to seven churches in the region

around Ephesus that provide significant instructions from the Lord for these churches.

These personalized letters in Revelation, chapters 2 through 3, end with a promised blessing to those who overcome and remain true to their covenants with the Lord.

Significantly, each of these promised blessings is drawn from the imagery and language of the ancient temple.

As Breck England has observed, there is a ritual sequence to these promises, which apply to all saints for all time.

Richard D. Draper and Donald W. Perry have also observed how each of these seven blessings relate to the Garden of Eden,

which was itself established as a primal temple. Therefore, these blessings anticipate the end time when the elect will gain access

to the temple in heaven, and will return to the presence of the Father, being welcomed

back into his presence forevermore. For example, the letter to the Church of Ephesus

promises that to him that overcometh will I give to eat of the Tree of Life, which is in

the midst of the paradise of God.

The tree of life was one of the central trees in the Garden of Eden, and Adam and Eve were

forbidden from partaking of its fruit following the fall. The tree of life would continue to play

an important role in the temple as the menorah served as a representation of the tree of life with its

seven branches. Therefore, as Draper and Perry observe, John's imagery suggests that the only way to reach this tree and thus eternal life is by going to the temple.

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