Revelation 2:23, commentary and pictures

Jesus Himself, the Redeemer who died to give everlasting life, speaks to Thyatira and to all churches to the end of time, declaring that He is near and searches the inner thoughts, motives, words and acts with nothing hidden from Him. He gives to every person according to works by looking not at outward appearance but at the motive that prompted each act, whether praiseworthy or deserving censure. Many deeds applauded by men as benevolence He records as springing from selfishness and base hypocrisy, distinguishing true followers from insincere professors by the fruit they bear. This is an earnest warning that the end is right upon us, rebuking indifference to the signs and loss of first love, and calling for holding fast what is received till He comes. It therefore requires careful daily self-examination to know motives and reform life, serving faithfully as in His presence with wholehearted devotion, watchfulness and prayer to receive the grace and Spirit He gives to those who ask.

Words and Setting

The verse belongs to Christ's message to Thyatira, which presents a church full of zeal and activity whose charity and zeal are endangered by false teachers. The messages to the churches in Asia portray the state of things existing in the churches of the religious world today. Their names are symbolic of the Christian church in different periods of the Christian era, the number seven indicates completeness and shows the messages extend to the end of time and are in force today, and the figures portray God's professed people as wheat developing among tares with truth standing on its own eternal basis in contrast with error.

The second chapter of Revelation must be heeded and closely and critically studied. Christ visited John on the Isle of Patmos to show what would be in these last days, so that believers in this last remnant of time may see intelligently and speak intelligently about what is to be. The one who searches the reins and hearts is Jesus, near and close, who knows every circumstance and experience. He looks upon the heart and sees all its workings, knowing every thought and intent of the heart, every word and act, each person's religious experience and whom each loves and serves, whether confident, boastful, or despondent. Nothing is hidden from Him, no outward profession hides the inner life, and all the churches shall know this revelation of the true condition.

The speaker is the world's Redeemer who so loved that He died on Calvary so that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. His pledged word can be taken as verity and truth.

Judgment According to Works

Christ searches the heart and tests the deepest motives, inspecting motives rather than outward appearance and judging every act of life according to the motive that prompted it, whether excellent and praiseworthy or deserving of censure. He judges people according to their deeds, and every act is judged by its true motive when examined by the Searcher of hearts. Many acts that pass for good works, even deeds of benevolence and deeds highly applauded by men for virtues not possessed, are recorded by Him as springing from selfish motives and base hypocrisy. As the Searcher of hearts He sees through hypocrisy and deception, knowing the works of every person whether confident, boastful, or despondent, knowing the sinfulness of thoughts and the offensive character of works before God, looking into the soul and not only at outward actions that look right in the eyes of others, and no one can hide from His knowledge.

He discriminates in weighing the character of all who take His name as Christians, with every individual under His supervision, being acquainted with the thoughts and intents of the heart and with every word and act, judging people by the fruits they bear, repaying each according to conduct, and distinguishing true followers of Christ from those whose profession is not sincere. He tests and sifts His people, especially those who have received light and knowledge and serve in sacred work, examining the motives of those doing His work and accepting nothing less than wholehearted devotion and consecration. He is acquainted with the motives and purposes behind stewardship, including shifting the responsibility of stewardship for property from husband to wife, for the intents and purposes of every heart stand faithfully revealed before Him as Searcher of hearts. Such a transfer is tested by motive, and motives that are not right will not stand the test of the judgment when He gives to everyone according to works.

Those who have done little or nothing for the salvation of souls or to benefit others, who were too slothful to invest in the truth and in the salvation of others and who sought their own ease and pleasure and shunned burdens and crosses and responsibilities, will be disappointed to find they have no reward laid up in heaven, for He searches the inner life of the heart and gives to every person according to works. In this present life His payment to humble, teachable people who look to Him in faith and dependence is wisdom and understanding, and in the life to come His payment to them is the gift of immortality, for He knows every human heart and pays back each person for what he has done. Those in Thyatira who have not this doctrine and have not known the depths of Satan will have no other burden put upon them but must hold fast what they have till He comes. He that overcomes and keeps His works unto the end will receive power over the nations and shall rule them with a rod of iron, breaking them as a potter's vessels, even as Christ received of His Father, and will receive the morning star.

Warning and Response

The verse is an earnest warning to prepare to meet the Lord at His coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. The end of the world is right upon us, with the signs foretold by Christ giving evidence of its nearness, and indifference to those signs is rebuked. Loss of first love and failure in works brings reckoning, so there is need for prayer for wisdom not to have a name to live while dead. To lose first love means failing to seek the Lord with all the heart, to respect those who have borne the burden for their works' sake, to love God supremely and neighbor as self, and to humble the heart before God. When this is done the truth prospers and goes forth as a lamp that burneth, and God sees it is safe to work with and for His people.

Because conscience approves or condemns, close self-examination is required. Ministers whose daily conduct greatly influences others, and all who wish to arrive at the perfection of Christian character, must make the actions of each day a subject of careful thought and deliberate review under all circumstances. This daily review is in order to know themselves, their motives and the principles that actuate them, and to reform and improve their habits of life. His searching requires serving daily duties as in His presence, faithfully and diligently rather than doing only enough to receive wages. It requires a humbled heart and jealous watch over self, and putting away acknowledged errors rather than only confessing them, for dying unsanctified, overbearing and self-exalted endangers the soul.

Because He knows all, there is reason for thankfulness and encouragement, with assurance that He hears sincere prayer and knows how to answer. He does exceeding abundantly above all that is asked or thought, for He knows what people truly need. He can turn a prayer for something contrary to His will into a request for what is best, and Jesus takes that prayer and presents it to God, and cleanness comes only through Jesus Christ. There is a call for advancing and receiving the grace of God so that its saving effect is felt day by day, not receiving that grace in vain. Watchfulness and prayer in faith bring rich and precious blessing through the gift of the Holy Spirit as strength, including giving the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him. That same danger from worldly schemes and interests taking up time and attention faces God's people today, calling workers to awake and labor with far greater earnestness, and he that has an ear must hear what the Spirit says to the churches.