The Ones Conquering

11. What promise does Jehovah make, and to whom do the words first apply?

¹¹ Those who drink of that refreshing “water” must also conquer, as Jehovah goes on to say: “Anyone conquering will inherit these things, and I shall be his God and he will be my son.” (Revelation 21:7) This promise is similar to the promises found in the messages to the seven congregations; hence, these words must apply in the first place to anointed disciples. (Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 26-28; 3:5, 12, 21) Christ’s spiritual brothers throughout the ages have eagerly anticipated the privilege of being part of New Jerusalem. If they conquer, as Jesus conquered, their hopes will be realized.​—John 16:33.

13, 14. To inherit God’s grand promises, what practices must we resolutely avoid, and why?

¹³ With this grand prospect in view, how important it is that Jehovah’s Witnesses now remain clean from the defiling things of Satan’s world! We need to be strong, resolute, and determined that the Devil will never drag us down into the company that Jehovah himself here describes: “But as for the cowards and those without faith and those who are disgusting in their filth and murderers and fornicators and those practicing spiritism and idolaters and all the liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulphur. This means the second death.” (Revelation 21:8) Yes, the would-be inheritor has to avoid the practices that have befouled this old system of things. He has to conquer by remaining faithful in the face of all pressures and temptations.​—Romans 8:35-39.

¹⁴ Christendom, though she claims to be the bride of Christ, is characterized by the disgusting practices that John here describes. So she goes down to eternal destruction with the rest of Babylon the Great. (Revelation 18:8, 21) Likewise, any of the anointed or of the great crowd who take up the practice of such evildoing, or start encouraging it, face everlasting destruction. If they persist in these actions, they will not inherit the promises. And in the new earth, any who try to introduce such practices will be destroyed speedily, going into the second death without hope of a resurrection.​—Isaiah 65:20.

15. Who are outstanding as conquerors, and with what vision is Revelation brought to a sublime climax?

¹⁵ Outstanding as conquerors are the Lamb, Jesus Christ, and his bride of 144,000, New Jerusalem.