88. "'To him who overcomes.'" This symbolically means, to him who fights against his evils and falsities and is reformed.

Now because the letters to the seven churches describe the states of all those people in the Christian church who can accept the doctrine of the New Jerusalem and live according to it, thus who can, through combats against evils and falsities, be reformed, therefore to each it is said, "He who overcomes," as to the church of Ephesus here:

To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life... (Revelation 2:7)

To the church of the people of Smyrna:

He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death. (Revelation 2:11)

To the church in Pergamum:

To him who overcomes I will give to eat of the hidden manna. (Revelation 2:17)

To the church in Thyatira:

He who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations. (Revelation 2:26)

To the church in Sardis:

He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments... (Revelation 3:5)

To the church in Philadelphia:

He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God... (Revelation 3:12)

And to the church in Laodicea:

To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne... (Revelation 3:21)

"He who overcomes" in these places means, symbolically, one who fights against evils and falsities and so is reformed.