I AM HE WHO SEARCHES HEARTS AND MINDS

Passage: Revelation 2:12-29

Key verse: 23b

NIV

To the Church in Pergamum

12 “To the angel of the church in Pergamum(A) write:

These are the words of him who has the sharp, double-edged sword.(B) 13 I know where you live—where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me,(C) not even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness,(D) who was put to death in your city—where Satan lives.(E)

14 Nevertheless, I have a few things against you:(F) There are some among you who hold to the teaching of Balaam,(G) who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin so that they ate food sacrificed to idols(H) and committed sexual immorality.(I) 15 Likewise, you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans.(J) 16 Repent(K) therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.(L)

17 Whoever has ears, let them hear(M) what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious,(N) I will give some of the hidden manna.(O) I will also give that person a white stone with a new name(P) written on it, known only to the one who receives it.(Q)

To the Church in Thyatira

18 “To the angel of the church in Thyatira(R) write:

These are the words of the Son of God,(S) whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze.(T) 19 I know your deeds,(U) your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first.

20 Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel,(V) who calls herself a prophet. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols.(W) 21 I have given her time(X) to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling.(Y) 22 So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery(Z) with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways. 23 I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds,(AA) and I will repay each of you according to your deeds.(AB)

24 Now I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets, ‘I will not impose any other burden on you,(AC) 25 except to hold on to what you have(AD) until I come.’(AE)

26 To the one who is victorious(AF) and does my will to the end,(AG) I will give authority over the nations(AH)— 27 that one ‘will rule them with an iron scepter(AI) and will dash them to pieces like pottery’[a](AJ)—just as I have received authority from my Father. 28 I will also give that one the morning star.(AK) 29 Whoever has ears, let them hear(AL) what the Spirit says to the churches.

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Footnotes
  1. Revelation 2:27 Psalm 2:9
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

To the Church in Pergamum

12 “And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: ‘The words of him who has (A)the sharp two-edged sword.

13 “‘I know where you dwell, (B)where Satan's throne is. Yet you hold fast my name, and you did not (C)deny my faith[a] even in the days of Antipas (D)my faithful witness, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. 14 But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold the teaching of (E)Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might (F)eat food sacrificed to idols and (G)practice sexual immorality. 15 So also you have some who hold the teaching of (H)the Nicolaitans. 16 Therefore repent. If not, (I)I will come to you soon and (J)war against them with (K)the sword of my mouth. 17 (L)He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. (M)To the one who conquers I will give some of (N)the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with (O)a new name written on the stone (P)that no one knows except the one who receives it.’

To the Church in Thyatira

18 “And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: ‘The words of the Son of God, (Q)who has eyes like a flame of fire, and whose feet are like burnished bronze.

19 (R)“‘I know your works, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first. 20 But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman (S)Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants (T)to practice sexual immorality and (U)to eat food sacrificed to idols. 21 I gave her time to repent, but (V)she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality. 22 Behold, I will throw her onto a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her I will throw into great tribulation, unless they repent of her works, 23 and I will strike her children dead. And all the churches will know that I am he (W)who searches mind and heart, and (X)I will give to each of you according to your works. 24 But to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not learned what some call (Y)the deep things of Satan, to you I say, I (Z)do not lay on you any other burden. 25 Only hold fast (AA)what you have until I come. 26 (AB)The one who conquers and who keeps my works (AC)until the end, (AD)to him I will give authority over the nations, 27 and (AE)he will (AF)rule[b] them with a rod of iron, (AG)as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received authority from my Father. 28 And I will give him (AH)the morning star. 29 (AI)He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’

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Footnotes
  1. Revelation 2:13 Or your faith in me
  2. Revelation 2:27 Greek shepherd
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway
1. Remain true to my name (12-17) Pergamum kept their faith in the midst of Satan's throne. But some had begun to hold to the teaching of Balaam and the Nicolaitans, eating food sacrificed to idols and sexual immorality - conforming to pagan culture. To remain true to Jesus' name and receive his reward, they need to repent and hold to Jesus' words without compromise. 2. I will repay each of you according to your deeds (18-29) Thyatira did more than at first, but they tolerated a false prophetess who led people to sexual immorality and eating food sacrificed to idols: pagan culture. Since they did not discern her danger, and she did not repent, Jesus would punish her severely, as well as those who follow her ways as an example to all the churches. To those who did not follow her Jesus says: "hold on to what you have." Jesus knows our heart and minds, so let's do his will to the end, and receive his reward.

Prayer: Father, help me have discernment not to compromise with the godless culture in my time.

One Word: Jesus knows me