Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God. (Revelation 2:7 NIV)
Each note to the seven churches in the second and third chapters of Revelation closes with what will be given to those who are victorious. While the body of each message is specifically addressed to an individual church, this concluding promise in each of them is addressed to all the churches. And that includes the churches of today.
To those who are victorious, Christ gives the right to eat from the tree of life in the paradise of God. This looks back at the tree of life in the Garden of Eden (Gen. 3:22-24), where this right was lost. And it looks forward to the tree of life found in the New Jerusalem (Rev. 22:1-2), where it is restored.
In the Genesis account, the tree was initially available to eat from. But after our first parents ate from the tree of knowledge, they were exiled from the garden. And our access to the tree of life was lost.
But access to the tree of life has been restored, along with a return to Eden, the paradise of God. It is given to all those who are victorious. All those who have entrusted their lives to the Lord Jesus and remain faithful to him until the end, regardless of what may come our way (Rev. 2:10), will eat from this tree. And we will experience life eternal in the presence of God.
