The Father chose the name Jesus for His Son because Jesus means Joshua in Hebrew. Jesus is a warrior leader like the biblical Joshua, who led Israel into the promised land. Jesus is now leading all who follow Him into our promised land. This is not just for eternity, but for the present as well. Just as Israel took on a warrior demeanor during the time of Joshua, Jesus’ disciples also took on His warrior nature—not for physical war but for spiritual war. As we read in 2 Corinthians 10:4, “The weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful ... .”

       John wrote, “The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil” (see 1 John 3:8). This same John recorded Jesus’ prayer made the last night before He was crucified, “Just as You sent Me into the world, I also sent them into the world” (John 17:18). We, too, have been sent into the world to destroy the works of the devil. So, Jesus’ followers will fight for as long as the devil asserts his power on the earth and until Jesus, “the last Adam,” returns to take His full authority over the earth.

      As we have covered, there is a difference between power and authority. The devil has power, but he uses his power to destroy, not create. The devil usurped man’s authority over the earth when man obeyed the devil’s seductive suggestions and rebelled against God’s commandment. When Jesus became a man, He became “the last Adam” to take back the authority man had allowed Satan to usurp from him.

      Jesus has delayed taking the authority over the earth that He purchased on the cross. He is waiting until those who are called to reign with Him are trained by overcoming the devil and the evil that now dominates the earth. Adam succumbed to the devil’s deception, but Jesus, “the last Adam,” did not. Those who abide in Christ will likewise reject the enemy’s temptations and obey God, His Christ, and His truth to overcome the devil. 

      Adam and Eve lived in a perfect world, yet sinned. Jesus and His bride, the church, will have lived in a most corrupt, imperfect world, yet they will obey. Jesus never sinned, but His bride will have been born in sin. Therefore, those who are part of the church will need to be born again and be restored from their sinful natures to become “new creations” in Christ. These will learn to live above the corruption of this present evil world by being fully united with and abiding in Jesus.

      The transformation of the bride into the new creation does not happen all at once. It can take a lifetime of struggle to resist and overcome the old nature, while having our minds renewed, until we come to fully abide in Christ. This struggle to be restored and to take on Christ’s nature prepares us to reign with Him over what Peter called “the period of restoration of all things” (see Acts 3:19-21). As many biblical prophecies assert, this is when the rest of mankind will be restored with the entire earth, so the earth becomes the paradise it was originally created to be.

      It is not easy for the bride to prepare herself to be His pure and spotless bride. It is actually one of the most difficult things we can do. Only love can motivate us to persevere to do what it takes, loving Him above all else, even ourselves. This love has to be so strong that the bride will keep herself from being stained by this world and live a life that is contrary to the spirit of the world.

      The angelic majesties observe how weak, corrupt humans endure so much and overcome so much to be obedient and faithful to Him. Yet, they acknowledge that His bride, the overcoming church, is worthy to serve as their judge (see 1 Corinthians 6:3). The bride will be worthy to reign over the creation with Him. This is how the overcoming church will become a witness to principalities and powers in the heavenly places.

      The Christian life is not meant to be easy; it is the hardest life we can live on this earth. Those who have perverted the gospel to make it about how easy Jesus will make our lives, and all of the benefits we will get, are promoting a different gospel than the one Jesus and the apostles preached. Jesus said, “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me” (see Luke 9:23). We are called to live for Him, not for ourselves.

      Even though the true Christian life is the hardest life we can live, it is also the best and most fulfilling life we can live. It is hard, but it is so worth it. The righteousness, peace, and joy that we find in His kingdom is worth much more than any earthly treasure. It is this life that this study of The Revelation of Jesus Christ is intended to make clear to us.