890. Verse 7. He that overcometh shall possess as an inheritance all things, and I will be his God, and he shall be My son, signifies that they who overcome evils in themselves, that is, the devil, and do not succumb when they are tempted by the Babylonians and dragonists, will come into heaven, and there live in the Lord and the Lord in them. By "overcoming" is here meant to overcome evils in themselves, thus the devil, and not to succumb when they are tempted by the Babylonians and dragonists. The reason why to overcome evils in oneself is also to overcome the devil, is because by the "devil" is meant all evil; by "to possess as an inheritance all things," is signified to come into heaven, and then to enjoy the possession of the goods which are there from the Lord, consequently to enter into the goods which are from the Lord and of the Lord, as a son and heir, whence heaven is called an inheritance (Matt 19:29; 25:34). "I will be his God and he shall be My son," signifies that in heaven they will be in the Lord and the Lord in them, as above (n. 882, 883), where the like words occur, only that it is there said, that "they shall be His people, and He will be their God." The reason why they who immediately approach the Lord, are called His sons, is because they are born anew from Him, that is, regenerated, wherefore He called His disciples "sons" (John 12:36; 13:33; 21:5).