The Palm Tree Blessing

by William Edward Shepard

2. He has promise of a safe passage and a proper landing. He shall not be hurt with the second death. Insurance in the King's Insurance Company, secures a positive guaranty against the second death. Wrapped in the asbestos robes of full salvation, makes one immune from the fires of perdition.

3. He eats again; but now it is hidden manna. Hidden manna was inside the holy of holies. Thus, he reaches the "second blessing" properly so-called. Now arises special persecution and calumny; but the great Judge in casting the ballot for the condemned, puts in the white stone for acquittal: hence, he receives the white stone at this stage. "What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?" (Rom. 8:31).

4. Power, the positive side of holiness is now particularly manifested. Also, the night of trouble, trial, testing, temptations, and tears will pass away. The "morning star" is seen. He is looking toward the sun-rising, toward the morning when the Sun of righteousness shall appear.

5. Now, the "white raiment" of a holy life shines forth particularly. His outward life and testimony give him away. His hidden life manifests itself outwardly and differentiates itself from all other life. The inward glory is shining out to the surface, and his life is seen and felt. In proportion to the inward glory will the outward effulgence be manifested. Jesus, on the mount of transfiguration, let the inward glory out through His garments, and they became garments of light.

Now comes the announcement that his name will not be blotted out of the book of life. While it is possible to pass the point in sin, where the soul fixes its destiny for damnation, so it seems that there is a point in the progress of spirituality and grace and overcoming, that fixes the soul's destiny for glory. His name is confessed before God and the angels. The veil is getting very thin here, between the overcoming pilgrim and paradise. In fact he is living mostly in heaven now.

6. He is now counted a pillar in a peculiar sense. Like the pillars of ancient Egypt and Babylon where great monarchs carved their names, battles, victories, marvelous achievements, and chiseled their pedigree and dynasty, so God takes this time-honored, battle-scarred, self-sacrificing pilgrim at this stage and makes him an illustrious pillar in the temple of God, and writes in his favor his victories and exploits, his overcoming life. He is to go no more out. As some are sealed for eternal damnation in this life, so he is sealed for eternal glory.

"I will write upon him." Yes, God will carve upon him victories and conquests. He will write upon him the city of God—his sure destination. Like the address on a sealed letter, with the government of the country back of it to see that it arrives safely at its destination, so with God's "epistles," "sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise," with the address of his destination plainly written thereon, and with the government of all heaven interested in seeing him through, we see the overcoming saint nearing the Great White Throne. The end is near; he is overcoming to the last. He has been ascending the steps, till now he sees inside the pearly gates, and one step more will put him inside.

7. Here he is in glory at last, and a place with Jesus in His throne. Exalted place! With Christ, the great Overcomer, he sits down with Him in His throne. It is more than finite minds can comprehend. Surely, it will pay to be true to Jesus and be a final overcomer.

When we read these wonderful promises to the overcomer, and see with what precision and certainty he is made to ascend the spiritual scale to glory, we scarcely wonder, that before we reach the close of Revelation we hear the sudden announcement: "He that overcometh shall inherit all things."

"And this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith" (1 John 5:4). The overcoming, victorious life is the only kind that satisfies the soul and qualifies for spiritual success in this world. The outside world is looking upon us, and if they do not see something in us beyond that which they see in themselves, there will be no inducement from our standpoint for them to make any change.