What Does Revelation 3:21 Mean in the King James?
To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
The Greek repeats both “overcome” and “sit”: your victory and enthronement mirror Christ’s own.
THE MEANING
Your overcoming is named alongside Christ’s, and the promise is a place with him in the throne he shares with the Father. The seat is given, drawing your prevailing into Christ’s own pattern of victory and shared rule.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
This undoes the belief that victory only gets you through the struggle; here overcoming opens into shared rule with Christ.
THE ROOT
νικῶν
nikōn
GROWS FROM
νικάω
nikaō
To prevail, conquer, or win.
English marks “overcometh” and “overcame” as present and past, while Greek uses forms of the same verb, νικάω (nikaō, to prevail). The sentence places your prevailing alongside Christ’s, then promises a share in the seat he shares with the Father.
ALSO GROWS
enikēsa: I overcame
ἐνίκησα
This is the same verb used for Christ’s overcoming later in the verse.
nikē: Victory
νίκη
In 1 John 5:4, “victory” and “overcometh” share this root, showing the action and its result grow from the same seed.
καθίσαι
kathisai
GROWS FROM
καθίζω
kathizō
To sit down, seat, or settle.
“sit; am set down” in this verse is kathisai. English changes “sit” to “am set down,” while both forms grow from καθίζω (kathizō, to sit or be seated). The repeated verb makes the shared seat grammatical as well as relational: you sit with Christ as Christ sits with the Father.
ALSO GROWS
ekathisa: I sat down
ἐκάθισα
This is the matching verb form for Christ’s place with the Father in the same sentence.
kekathiken: Has sat down; is seated
κεκάθικεν
Hebrews 12:2 uses this form for Jesus at God’s throne, extending the same sitting image.
THE PATTERN
The ruler’s victory becomes shared authority for those joined to him.
And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.THE THREAD
Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.The same verb καθίζω (kathizō, to sit or be seated) describes Christ’s seat in Revelation and his place at God’s throne here. Hebrews places that enthronement after his endurance, opening the same movement from overcoming to sitting in authority.
Read the SDV Bible.
Every verse has a Deep Dive in the app.
The iPhone Bible app with the Selah Decoded Version.
Does something in this reading look wrong? Tell us