Have you ever wondered about the crown of life? A reader recently sent in the following question about what the crown of life is, though it might also be important to understand how we gain the crown of life. But let us begin with her question. Here is what she wrote:
I just finished reading your article on Yeshua drinking the bitter cup. I am just amazed at this view. I was searching for what it meant because a few years back I was told to drink a bitter cup. All I know is I have never felt lost until that time. To drink the dregs of it is a horrible thing, and all I had was a taste. But Jesus drank the dregs for us! I am still stunned at what you have shown. Your article makes me appreciate even more what He has done for us. It makes perfect sense to me.
I would like to ask you if you have written anything on the crown of life? After all this incident, I was told on April 19 that I had made it through my tribulation and received the crown of life. Can you help explain what this means?
First, thank you for the encouragement about the article where Jesus prayed to “Let this cup pass.” I must give credit to one of my seminary professors for that view.
From your question, it sounds like maybe you are attending a church or Bible study that gives prophetic “Words of knowledge” to its members. Is that true?
Be careful about what people tell you through these “words of knowledge.” My experience is that usually the messages they give are designed to control you and instill fear in you, rather than help or encourage. In the case of the two things you were told, it looks like someone quoted some poorly-misunderstood Bible passages at you, and then misapplied them to your life so that you lived in fear.
Remember, God has not given us a Spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-discipline (2 Timothy 1:7). If a message comes “by the Spirit” and results in you feeling lost and fearing for your life, it is not likely a message that originated with God.
But let us move on to your question about the crown of life.
The Crown of Life
So what about the Crown of Life? What is the crown of life and how can we gain it?
There are five crowns mentioned in Scripture. They are the Everlasting Crown (1 Cor 9:25), the Crown for the One who Wins Souls (Php 4:1; 1 Thess 2:19), the Crown of Righteousness (2 Tim 4:8), the Crown of Glory (1 Pet 5:4), and the Crown of Life (Jas 1:12; Rev 2:10).
Part of the difficulty with these crowns is that most cultures today do not use crowns, and those that do reserve the crowns for royalty. But the word used for “crown” is stephanos, which can also refer to a “reward” or “laurel wreath.” In the original Greek Olympics, the winner of the sporting contests was awarded the stephanos, a laurel crown.
So each of the crowns mentioned above represents a reward for some particular special act of service or perseverance within the Kingdom of God. By all appearances, the crowns will be some sort of actual reward handed out to believers when Jesus returns again in the future. This will be at the Bema — the Judgment Seat of Christ.
Therefore, none of the crowns are equivalent to eternal life itself. That is, while eternal life is the absolutely free gift of God to anyone who simply believes in Jesus for it (John 3:16; 5:24; 6:47), the various crowns are rewards that are given to Christians who complete certain tasks and practice certain behaviors.
Each of the five crowns deserves its own study, but let me just focus on the Crown of Life. (There is a short study of the other crowns in my Gospel Dictionary Online Course, in the lesson on “Crown.”)
The Crown of Life is NOT Eternal Life
James 1:12 and Revelation 2:10 indicate that the Crown of Life is for those who persevere in faith through temptation, tribulation, and persecution.
Some people wrongly teach, however, that if you fail to persevere in faith through temptation, tribulation, or persecution, that you prove you do not have life, or that God will take away your life. This is not true.
Eternal life is a free gift to everyone and anyone who believes in Jesus for it. You do not have to work your way to eternal life. Eternal life cannot be earned or kept by good works.
The Crown of Life, however, is a reward for special acts of service and perseverance under trial.
The Crown of Life is special reward for a special act of service and dedication to the King.
So if you are experiencing severe temptation, trials, or persecution, be encouraged and persevere through them.
Just as a runner perseveres through the difficulties of the race so that he reaches the finish line and receives the reward, so also Jesus wants to put the Crown of Life upon your head when you reach the finish line after persevering through pain, trials, and persecution.
It will probably not be an actual crown or ring of leaves, but will be some sort of special blessing, honor, privilege, or recognition in the future, eternal reign of Jesus.
By offering this Crown, Jesus encourages us to stay strong, keep the course, and remain faithful.
Let us look in more detail at the two texts which mention the Crown of Life.
The Crown of Life in James 1:12
Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him (James 1:12).
The crown of life that James mentions here is often confused with eternal life.
But as with every other crown, we know that the crown of life cannot be the same thing as eternal life because eternal life is the free gift of God to everyone who believes in Jesus for it, but the crown of life, as described here by James, is given to those who endure temptation.
In other words, Jesus gives the crown of life to those who persevere in faith through temptation, tribulation, and persecution.
Therefore, the crown of life is a reward for a life well-lived. It is an honor that Jesus bestows upon those who endure the trials and temptations of this life.
Some people wrongly teach that those who fail to persevere in the midst of temptation prove that they not actually Christians or that as a result of their failure, God takes away their eternal life. But this is not what James is teaching.
Eternal life is a free gift to everyone and anyone who believes in Jesus for it. The crown of life, however, is a reward for special acts of service and perseverance under trial.
This is actually a great encouragement for those who face trials and temptations. It is much easier to endure in the midst of trials when we know that we are safe and secure in the arms of God, and that even if we fail to stand up in the temptation, He will not abandon or forsake us, but will always be there to love, comfort, protect, and restore us.
This sense of safety gives us strength to stand in the midst of temptation. It allows us to run the race with perseverance, rather than giving up out of fear and frustration.
This crown is an encouragement to stay strong, keep the course, and remain faithful. As with the other crowns, it is likely not a literal crown, but is symbolic of praise, honor, and glory that Jesus bestows upon those who faithfully stand with Him in the midst of trial and temptation.
The Crown of Life in Revelation 2:10
Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life (Revelation 2:10).
The crown mentioned in Revelation 2:10 is also the crown of life mentioned in James 1:12. In both cases, the crown of life is a special honor, reward, or recognition given by Jesus to those who stand up against the temptation and trials of the devil.
The crown of life is not eternal life, but is a way that Jesus recognizes and honors those people who faithfully serve Him and remain steadfast in the storms of life (cf. Revelation 3:11).
Here in Revelation 2:10, Jesus warns the Christians in Smyrna that the devil is coming to accuse and test them. Some of them will be thrown into prison, and they may even lose their lives. But Jesus says that if they remain faithful, He will bless and honor them with the crown of life when they stand before Him in the resurrection. They will be shown special honor in the life to come.
One further piece of evidence that the crown of life is not the same as eternal life is that all seven letters to the churches in Revelation 2–3 contain promises of rewards and special blessings for those Christians who persevere and overcome.
Just as eating from the tree of life (Rev 2:7), getting a new name (Rev 2:17), receiving power to rule the nations (Rev 2:26), being recognized before God in heaven (Rev 3:5), and being made a pillar in the temple of God (Rev 3:12) are not the same thing as receiving eternal life, so also, the crown of life is not the same thing as eternal life.
These are all special ways that Jesus rewards and recognizes those who faithfully serve and honor Him.
So What is the Crown of Life?
The crown of life is not equivalent to eternal life. Eternal life is the free gift of God to all who believe in Jesus for it. The crown of life (like all the crowns mentioned in Scripture) is a form of honor and recognition that Jesus bestows upon those who faithfully serve and honor Him.
It is helpful to think of these crowns as a medal for winning a race, or as some form of public recognition where we receive praise for a job well done. This recognition and reward will be received at the Judgment Seat of Christ. This is especially true of the crown of life.
So as you live your life, be eager for the Lord’s coming, faithfully love and serve one another, teach and train each other in the truths of the gospel, and stand strong in the face of trial and temptation. If you do these things, you will receive crowns from Jesus so that you may cast them at His feet in eternity.
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Please, is there any scriptural reference to back up the claim that Jesus Christ attended a school as a young boy/man before starting his ministry?God bless.
No. There is no Bible verse that proves this. But then, there is no Bible verse that proves that Jesus ate breakfast while he was growing up, or had to learn to use a hammer, or fell down when he was learning to walk. But clearly, he did these things like any other Jewish boy. And just as all Jewish boys attended Torah classes, we can believe Jesus did too.
We cannot assume that Jesus attended the Torah classes like all other Jewish boys because the Spirit of Prophecy advises us that He was taught by His mum (the Virgin Mary) and the Holy Spirit, much to the consternation of the Priests and Rabbi’s who would have loved to have taught Him their corrupt and erroneous ways.
Remember, when He was 12 and his mother and father lost him for 2 or 3 days and they found Him in the temple questioning the Pharisees and Saducees who were amazed at the depth of His questions because they rightly concluded that He had not attended any of the schools of the Rabbi’s to learn the Torah.
Thank you for being plain with your answers. I just wanted to say that I was given a vision once, years ago when living through depression and unusual hardships. The vision was of myself in heaven and I wore a crown made up of leaves, roses and lilies. I wondered if God gave me that as an encouragement to go on. I cannot put into words the suffering of denying your own emotions for the good of others.
There might be someone who when through this and need help. I have had an experience where God crown me with the Crown of Life and I wasn’t a sleep. I just want to say that it is possible for God to crown us in this life it is not only on the judgement seat.
Thank you, your insight has encouraged me today. I guess it is not for us to know exactly what the crown of life is, but trust that God is giving us something good and a reward to anticipate at the end of a trial, should we persevere. God knows we need something to hold on to when going through a trial. Thanks again!
I was raised a Buddhist up until 2012. That’s when my wife took me to a Catholic Church, the first time I went I accidentally ate the body of Christ and then started to believe jesus died for my sins. Days goes by then I start to feel what seems to be a crown forming on my head, it feels as if my hair was sticking up but I’ve always had my head shaved so I knew it wasn’t that. I could also feel wings on my back. One morning I was making a omelette and I cracked one egg and it was normal but when I picked up a second egg it made a thump noise. I cracked that egg into a separate bowl but the yoke was swirly. One night I was smoking a cigarette outside my apartment then neighbor usually lets her dog out to use the restroom. That night was different when the dog was coming back I see this wind blowing through the leaves on the ground in a straight line heading towards me next to the dog. The dog stops with one paw in the air and paused for a minute he then bows his head then started to whimper on his way back home. Two days goes by and I get a knock on my door I answered it and there was two men with a bible in their hand. They asked me what’s been going on with me, I told them I don’t know I feel like if I’m enlighten. One of the men started to give tears. They began to tell me that the Holy Spirit is in me. They told me that I’m suppose to read the gospels and New Testament. They said that jesus is gathering his disciples and apostles right now. At the time I didn’t know what the Holy Spirit is or a apostle. After that they left. One night I was in my living room and outside my window I hear a loud booming voice in the sky saying ” azal”. I later found out that that azal is a ancient biblical word meaning to flee. I didn’t know what it meant until it was too late for me. The next day I call my father and told him I could feel a crown on my head and wings on my back. He hop in his car right away and drove to my apartment. As he was walking up to my apartment he had flowers in his hand and a bucket of water and started splashing the water on me. He told me to sit down then I sat down and he had a lit candle in his hand and puts the candle in his mouth then utters some words then blew the smoke to me. All of a sudden I feel the crown drop and rainbows leaving me with my eyes closed. He then later told me he did black magic on me. I was very upset because I did t know what just happened. Three days goes by then I hear a sinister voice say “kill”. I imaged it was the devils voice. A year and a half goes by and I went back to church and apologized to god and jesus for letting my father do black magic on me. Then as I was driving back home on the road I feel tingling on my forehead then all of a sudden I feel flames shooting out my head. I asked a catholic Chaplin what it meant and he said it was a presence of god. So I don’t know if god forgave me. This year I signed up for rcia classes to get baptized in so hoping that I can fix my crown again. So if anyone can help me I’m not sure if god will give me a crown again I feel the crown is still trying to form but it’s having a hard time. Thank you for listening to me. This is a cry for help.
My dear friend, I can feel that you are unsure about your salvation and feel uncertain about God’s forgiveness towards you. The enemy is clever at making us doubt… he has tried so many times with me. However, whenever we make a mistake, we can turn to our Heavenly Father, and repent from our sins. He will forgive us!!! There is no need to go to a church for this. Just pray and say something like: Heavenly Father, I thank You for Your love and mercy, and grace. I thank You for sending Your Son Jesus to die for me and for making me righteous by the blood that He shed for me. Thank You that in Him, I find healing, life, light, love, joy and peace. I repent from my sins and I ask for Your forgiveness. (You may also want to renounce any association with black magic – witchcraft, and practice of buddhism and ask God to deliver you from any demons that might be oppressing you, and ask God to break and remove any curses that was put on you and in your life. Ask God to wash you in the blood of Jesus and to renew your mind, to the mind of Christ Jesus. Once you ask Him all of that, ask the Holy Spirit to fill any areas in your body and life, where darkness used to reside, to be now filled with God’s presence. You may also want to forgive your father for having practiced this black magic on you. Bless him also. And finish your prayer, by thanking our Heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen – Be blessed!!!!
Thank you I thought after what happened to me that my father doing black magic and some Buddhist culture believing in the devil. I release that they don’t believe in the devil they worship the djinn. Man was created from clay…angels of light…then there’s the djinn created from smokeless fire. In my past culture Buddhist would offer food to the spirits, the spirits can consume the essence of the food but can never be satisfied. The djinn were created from God so that man would worship him. The djinn lived on earth way before we came along. It’s in the bible. When I was 4 years old I had a dream that this demonic looking humanoid with blood red hair was after me. Recently I just googled Thailand djinn and a picture of a djinn with blood red hair was in the image online. They’ve been after me because i use to be a apostle until I sinned. But when I sin I figured out what Thailand and Laos and all other country’s alike are worshipping. They think it’s from Buddha. But I studied a little bit about Buddha and he never did black magic. I think the Buddhist community is hiding there true intention. I see shadows moving which they can cast shadows. When I had black magic cast on me I can feel a heavy feeling on top of my head. Some people believe it’s demons others djinn magic. I really need to make this public but I don’t know who to turn to. The djinn worships satan. Satan is not condemned yet because he didn’t want to bow to mankind. God gave him a chance and satan said I will temp the world until I’m condemned. One night I heard growling in he house and my dog was upstairs my wife said he didnt growl. I read somewhere that a reverend name spurgeon said if you hear the Devils growl that means your in gods presence, and that something good is gonna happen for you to piss off the devil. I told my friend who was Buddhist and he never talks about anything about Christianity. But I think I got to him because he said one night as he was driving home under a freeway bridge he said he seen a inverted cross, he turned his head then looked back and it’s gone. I found out that the inverted cross is St. Peter’s he felt unworthy to die like his master so he request to be crucified upside down. I got got baptized under St. Peter Catholic Church and my Catholic Saint name that I picked was St. Peter’s. What a coincidence. Thanks for reading my message again I hope I can change a lot of lives if the word gets out.
Read and Study the WORD!BIBLE God Bless U Be Strong In the LORD! Fellowship Will other Believers !
Hey I saw the comment you made about the prophetic above and saw it as very negative. The Bible says to eagerly desire the gifts of the spirit especially the gift of prophecy.
That said NT prophecy should be strengthening, encouraging and comforting: It should also reflect what is said in the Bible. To the person who heard that word of wisdom as with all words of prophecy I would encourage you to bring it to God and see what he says- sometimes people get things wrong but also sometimes the words given can be about events not now but to come
Sorry I just thought I’d give my 2 cents
Hello Beca,
If you don’t mind me asking, can you tell me exactly what sounds negative in my comment? I’d like to understand. Thank you!
Looking at what you wrote it’s not so much you said anything negative in a mean way it just came across as almost damning on the idea of modern day prophecy, which from your last comment I’m now assuming was particularly targeted at the word but you did say ‘My experience is that usually the messages they give are designed to control you and instill fear in you, rather than help or encourage.’
Where from my experience the words people have given to me, and that I have given, have always been encouraging. Of course when it comes to hearing from God in this way there is so much room for human error so you do need to weigh everything up and ask God to help you discern what is from him.
Instead of coming off of a less positive view of the word I could see it as being encouraging, especially in a small group setting. The word itself is saying that the hardship is over and God is saying he’s proud of her (‘I had made it through my tribulation and received the crown of life’)- that said I would be wary and weigh this up because it refers to specific ‘tribulations’.
Sorry if I came across as harsh, I’m just giving a different view on the topic because we’ve obviously had very different experiences of the prophetic.
Cheers,
Beca
Hello Beca,
Thank you for clarifying. I think there was a misunderstanding. The passage you quoted, wasn’t from me. ? I’m Jacy, but the person who wrote that at the top is most likely Jeremy from the blog, or he’s quoting something that someone said. I have no relation to what he wrote. Have d blessed day! ?
Great commentary! I’d add two points to support your point, “The Crown of Life, however, is a reward for special acts of service and perseverance under trial. The Crown of Life is special reward for a special act of service and dedication to the King.”
1. Most scholars believe the author of James, was James, the brother of Jesus, Yaakov in Hebrew. He was, in fact, a direct paternal descendant of King David, King Solomon, and Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He was never crowned “King of Israel,” but had a unique perspective on how we are to understand God’s blessing in this world, “the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living” of the Psalms, etc.
2. The example James himself quotes is Job, in James 5:11: “We give great honor to those who endure under suffering. For instance, you know about Job, a man of great endurance. You can see how the Lord was kind to him at the end, for the Lord is full of tenderness and mercy.”
When I told someone I was being made to endure the trials of Job they scoffed at me and told me God doesn’t do that to people.
Actually, if you read the story of Job from a Jewish perspective, you can see that the tribulations Job went through weren’t actually about him. God never says why Job was tested. In the end God commends Job for speaking rightly about Him. So what was it all about?
Look back at how the story is presented. First, Job’s righteousness is established. That is the position Job holds onto throughout the book, even when his own wife told him to “curse God and die.”
Since Job is established in righteousness already, for whose benefit was this “lesson”?
Who is God talking to in the council? Satan! Or, more correctly, the satan. Any of the angels or principalities could have that name, because it simply means adversary or accuser.
When the first part of the trial is over, again the satan comes before God. He gets permission to “up the ante. “
Looking at it from a Jewish perceptive, it appears that Job’s trials were for the benefit of the satan, as he is the one who receives the lesson.
Job’s friends also receive a lesson, as they were saying exactly what the satan was telling them. Only Job spoke words of God.
If the trials were to strengthen Job’s faith, it was a failure, because Job only maintains the integrity he already had.
Those who teach that the “patience of Job” was the lesson are reading into the text, not letting the tact speak for itself.
I agree, but at the same time, Job learns a lesson. He does not sin against the Lord, but he has the audacity to plead and offer the injustice of what has occurred to him to God, to bear a grievance in hopes of acquittal. Job’s Faith is not swayed but he seems to feel an injustice has occurred. He thinks he can clear things up, by more or less claiming a mistake has been made, that he has been punished for no reason, and things will improve for him once aquitted. God answers and humbles Job, by making plain his power and divine order of the world, of which Job is a part of and subjected to the possibility of unwarranted and grave suffering. Job realizes God has made no mistake, the world is ordered well, and his fate is no objection, hence he holds his tongue immediately, instead of daring to speak back to the Lord. It’s not so much Job’s faith but his understanding and reason and knowledge of the nature of the world and existence that expands. He understands those who are with God and who have his favour, and who are of infallible Faith, may come to ruin, but not in vain, because the withstanding of great suffering, based on Faith, opens up higher order and heavenly rewards, such as the Crown of Life –(which Christ may have worn in a symbolical form, in the crown of thorns, for withstanding his trials prior to crucifixion.) So, in a way there was a deepening of Job’s Faith, in the sense that he understood righteousness and unfailing Faith and integrity in the Lord, actually means: being able to withstand horrific and unprovoked suffering, without questioning or seeing any mistake in God’s ordering of the world. The faithful suffer unto death, without cause, in the physical world, but God has made no mistake, because he rewards those who endure and live out their faith in actions, not words and understanding alone — like Lazarus, the good thief, Christ.
A Profit prayed for my sister last week and told her not to believe everything the Drs. are telling her and that God is crowning her from her head to her toes. I would love to better understand what this means. Can anyone explain?
It means nothing. Tell your sister to ignore what this prophet said and to go see the Doctors. There are a lot of people out there who pass themselves off as men of God, but who are really just trying to take control and take your money (which call a donation or a tithe).
I agree 100% i have ran into a few but you God will deal with those kind of people.
The crown of life.
I could be wrong but I think about what the crown ( stephanos ) represents rather than the crown itself. That is , the crown or wreath is the winners crown, it represents victory.
Perhaps the crown of life is an expression meant to represent the victory of life ( Christ ) over sin and death . A crown which is offered to the believer as a free gift.
Interesting thoughts and insight. I will need to look into this further.
My name is Beverly for the past month gone by somethings being happening to me an i need answers i went to many churches but got different answer.i being feeling cold, trembling of the body,hearing things speaking to me,feeling fearful for no reason head spinning like if i have a crown on my head. Went to a pastor he prayed for me an rest his hand on my head an say to remove the devil crown off my head but my mine is on it all the time.could u explain to me.
A crown of life is a halo. Nothing to do with laurel wreaths (which fade and wither). They are made of golden light and are donated by God himself during a state of apotheosis. I got mine in 1995.
sure you did……..not!! 2 Tim 4:3-4
Sure wish there was more to your description of the crown of life. My confirmation verse was Rev. 2:10, which did not mean a lot to me until moments ago.
I did experience a catastrophic life event from 12/30/88 to 1/30/89. Until moments ago I did not recognize the correlation between the verse (given May 1964) and the events of 24 years later. So, since I apparently did have some sort of “crown of life” experience, as foreshadowed years before, I am naturally interested in this point. The catastrophic event did include a very traumatic spiritual confrontation with death.
I will continue to seek a more comprehensive description of this “crown of life” – if I received or lost it, it would be interesting to understand exactly what was won or lost.
Some really deep posts here to think about. Jeremy as usual you bring scripture in a form which we all can understand. Thank you for that.
My thoughts
1. Words of knowledge must never go against scripture, if they do they are wrong and deceptive. Importantly when God the Holy Spirit speaks quietly to us it will be with love and affection.
2. God has given his wisdom to man (even if they dont acknowledge it) including Doctors, so dont be fooled if your sick ask for prayer but go to your Doctor to.
3. Eternal life is a free gift, any crown of life seems to me coms from following Christ where he want us to go ie to other people and their situations delivering His grace and mercy. Including standing firm against deeds of darkness. I am not sure there is any quantity or measure but rather its a state of our hearts and wilingness to follow.
4. Neveille could well be correct here also (not sure as yet need to chew on it) its a crown representing what Christ has achieved for his creation reconciling it back to God. We celebrate Christ by following Him.
this is a good teachings I received the crown of life
This verse is from Colossians chapter two, in the New Testament of the Bible:
“As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:
7Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.
8Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
9For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
10And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power…”
Family in Jesus, please be comforted in the knowledge God will never speak to you something contrary to the teaching of the Bible. Please hold fast and cling to Jesus above experiences, impressions and even prophetic words. We depend on Jesus alone for all things, including the ability to endure and suffer well as we anticipate His smile when He rewards us with a crown. Let the Bible be your guide.
I am frightened about the second judgment! Am I going to go to hell if I don’t do enough works? On the one hand, some people say that if you believe that Jesus died for your sins and rose from the dead you will never perish but have eternal life. On the other hand others say that since faith without works is dead you will be kicked out of heaven if you don’t do enough good works. This scares me!!
If you have faith you will do good works. Good works are more than major acts of charity. A kind word to someone, a small helping hand done to the Glory of our Father all are good works. As I explained to a young man I mentored, think of the straw that broke the camel’s s back. Now think of removing just one straw. Now it will take two straws to break the camels back. Just by removing one straw you’ve done a great thing. A kind word to someone having bad day may only be a straw but its an important one that may just prevent that person from hitting their breaking point. That five dollar donation maybe was enough to get one more person food that wouldn’t have had any. There are no small good works.
All glory to our Father.
The Bible did say we should attend church.
Heb 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
Jesus got together on Sabbath day for worship and scripture reading.
Question: Man got the idea to sin against God from Satan. Where did Satan get the idea to sin against God?
Thanks.
Surrounded by false prophets, it is easy to see why they put St. John the apostle on the island of Patmos. His visions declaring the last days, the revelations of the last days, He would not share with His present world.
All of his fellow apostles would have been martyred by then, even so God will spare His life , that afterwards, He would deliver His words at Ephesus.
Even so the revelations will be the spoken word in a time of fear, depression and even madness. Not unlike a world that some of us, are living in, some, I say , who know the truths of the spoken word, this word , that will become the sword of the spirit found in the words of the Christ.
That we might receive the Crowns, Given by Him unto those well deserved ,who stand the test of time once again! Repent and be Baptized
James says the crown of life is promised to ALL that loves the LORD. Aren’t all believers lovers of GOD? I would say….
the imperishable wreath Paul talks about is the crown of life, crown of glory, eternal life, etc. because He warns the church about what happened to the Israelites who were SAVED, BAPTIZED in Christ, Provided MANNA from heaven, had the LORD’S leading with cloud by day and fire by night, yet many of them died in their sins; sexual immorality, grumbling and complaining, unbelief….
GOD promised Abraham that HE (GOD)will be the great and exceeding REWARD… we get Jesus, praise the LORD and Hallelujah!!
The Crown of Life IS eternal life. Over and over again in the New Testament, perseverance leads to eternal life. It’s no different in James, he just uses a lot of word pictures throughout the book. It doesn’t mean we earn it – it’s still a gift.
Matthew 19:29 – And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life.
Romans 2:7 – to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life
Romans 6:22 – But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life.
Jude 21 – keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life.
First vision as described to John in Revelations 1-3 is talking about the beginning of the Lord’s Day and describes crowning of Jesus as heavenly King and the rewards – for the faithful anointed ones or 144,000.00 who conquer, who will have ethernal life in paradise of God in heaven as symbolized here by their eating of the tree of life ( the rest of the earthly supporters will live in paradise on earth ), the crown of life, be dressed in white garments, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God, to the one that conquers I will grant to sit with me on my throne.
Let the word of God be the answer to any question.