Revelation 3:5
“He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Context
This promise concludes Christ's letter to the church in Sardis, a congregation with a reputation for life but in danger of spiritual death, urging them to watchful faithfulness.
What Does Revelation 3:5 Mean?
Revelation 3:5 is Christ's threefold promise to the faithful believer who overcomes -- pure clothing, a secure place in the book of life, and open acknowledgment before the Father. The "white raiment" pictures purity, victory, and honor, the festive garment of those welcomed into God's presence rather than the soiled garments of compromise the Sardis church is warned about.
The "book of life" is the register of those who belong to God, an image that runs through Scripture. Christ's promise not to blot out the overcomer's name offers deep assurance to those who hold fast. The crowning pledge is that Jesus will "confess his name" before the Father and the angels -- He will openly own the faithful as His own in the highest court of heaven. This directly answers His own teaching that whoever confesses Him before others, He will confess before His Father. To a church that looked alive but was spiritually fading, the verse holds out hope: faithful endurance is seen, remembered, and rewarded by the One who keeps the record. The believer's standing rests not on appearances but on being known and named by Christ.
In the Original Language
"Overcometh" is "nikao" (νικάω), to conquer or be victorious. "Confess" is "homologeo" (ὁμολογέω), to acknowledge openly or declare publicly that one belongs to another.
Cross References
“Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.”
- Matthew 10:32
“And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life.”
- Revelation 21:27
“And I intreat thee also, true yokefellow, help those women which laboured with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and with other my fellowlabourers, whose names are in the book of life.”
- Philippians 4:3
Application
Those who stay loyal to Christ can rest in the assurance that He knows them by name and will openly claim them before the Father.
Related Verse Explanations
Topics