Revelation 2:23 - Printer Friendly

ESV: and I will strike her children dead. And all the churches will know that I am he who searches mind and heart, and I will give to each of you according to your works.

NIV: I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds.

NASB: And I will kill her children with plague, and all the churches will know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts; and I will give to each one of you according to your deeds.

CSB: I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am the one who examines minds and hearts, and I will give to each of you according to your works.

NLT: I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am the one who searches out the thoughts and intentions of every person. And I will give to each of you whatever you deserve.

KJV: And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works.

NKJV: I will kill her children with death, and all the churches shall know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts. And I will give to each one of you according to your works.

This is part of Jesus' message to the church in Thyatira. Previously, He mentioned a woman, identified as Jezebel, which might be her real name or simply a reference to the Old Testament queen.

Centuries prior to this revelation, the prophet Elijah triumphed over Jezebel's prophets. That was a public, dramatic display of Yahweh's rightful claim to be Israel's God (1 Kings 18:20–40). As a result of Elijah's victory over Jezebel's prophets, all Israel knew that Yahweh was God. First Kings 18:39 reports: "And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces and said, 'The LORD, he is God; the LORD, he is God.'" Following this shout of triumph, at Elijah's command, the people seized Jezebel's prophets, and then, at the brook Kishon, those false prophets were executed (1 Kings 18:40).

Here, Jesus promises to strike Jezebel's followers dead. In a parallel to the corrupt followers of the Old Testament Jezebel, the followers of Thyatira's Jezebel will taste death at the hands of God. Note, crucially, there is no command, or even a hint, that any Christian is meant to enact this sentence themselves. The threat is coming from Jesus, to be carried out in His own time and manner.

As a result, all the churches will be reminded that Jesus knows the mind and heart, and repays each person according to his works. Believers are not saved through good deeds, nor do they "earn" salvation (Titus 3:5), but their deeds influence the eternal rewards they stand to gain in Heaven (1 Corinthians 3:14). Sinners who refuse to repent will prove the truth of Romans 6:23: "For the wages of sin is death."

Revelation 2:18–29 reveals what Jesus instructed John to write to the church at Thyatira. Although the church exhibited commendable virtues, it allowed an evil woman—here referred to as Jezebel—to lead its members into immorality and idolatry. Jesus predicted strict punishment for her and her followers. The churches would know by Jesus' action that He searches the mind and heart and deals with everyone according to his or her works. Those who did not follow Jezebel's teachings would not be punished, but Jesus encouraged them to stay loyal to Him until His return, when He will rule the nations and permit the faithful to rule with Him.

The contents of Revelation 2 are miniature letters to four churches, dictated by Jesus to John. Ephesus and Smyrna were coastal cities, whereas Pergamum and Thyatira were inland cities. Three more such letters are in Revelation 3. Each of these messages contains a unique description of Jesus, a command, a promise. All but one—the church in Laodicea—receive some commendation. All but two of the seven letters—those to the churches in Smyrna and Philadelphia—also contain a critical rebuke. Like churches today, most of the congregations addressed by Jesus had both good characteristics and at least one point which needed correction.

In chapter 1, John introduced his order from Jesus Christ: to write out a message to seven churches in Asia (Revelation 1:9–11). Here in this chapter, John writes to the church in Ephesus, the church in Smyrna, the church in Pergamum, and the church in Thyatira. Chapter 3 will continue with messages to the other three churches. The rest of Revelation will explain future events connected to the ''end times.''

The word ''revelation'' means ''an unveiling or disclosure.'' This writing unveils future events such as the rapture, three series of judgments that will fall on the earth during the tribulation, the emergence of the Antichrist, the persecution of Israel and her amazing revival, as well as Jesus' second coming with His saints to the earth, the judgment of Satan and his followers, and finally, the eternal state. This content, combined with the original Greek term apokalypsis, is why we now refer to an end-of-the-world scenario as ''an apocalypse.''