<p>2:26 <em>And he that overcomes, and he that keeps my works to the end, to him will I give authority over the nations</em>- &quot;Works&quot; have featured twice in this letter. They are commended for their &quot;works&quot; (:19), but must repent of their bad works of allowing Jezebel to teach fornication (:21), knowing the Lord will judge according to our works (:23). But the key is to keep perhaps, 'keep hold of' as in :25 the works of the Lord Jesus. For salvation is not of our works, but of trust in Him and having His righteousness imputed to us.</p><p>This has a specifically last days relevance: &quot;He that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto <em>the end</em>, to him will I give power over the nations&quot; &ndash; &ldquo;the end&quot; being the second coming. Surely the Lord is referring back to his comment that in the final tribulation period, he who endures to &quot;the end&quot; of the period will be saved (Mt. 10:22)- as the one who comes to the end of the days in Dan. 12 is blessed. Enduring to the end therefore means keeping (guarding, doctrinally) the works of Christ- holding on to the One Faith until the end. This evidently won't be as simple as it sounds. The works are &quot;His&quot; works, and may refer to obeying the great commission in taking the knowledge of Him to all the world in the last days. This reference to the great commission is confirmed by the comment that the reward will be to receive power / authority over the nations- the very phrase used in Mt. 28:18 about how the Lord has received just this, and therefore we are to go to all nations with the Gospel and baptize people. All that is true of the Lord is to be true of us; if we keep <em>His </em>works rather than our own works, then the gift of &quot;all power&quot; to Him over the nations is also true for us.</p>