SATAN’S SO-CALLED DEEP SECRETS
REVELATION 2:18-29
“You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet. By her teaching she misleads my servants.”
The free nature of the modern church, in that there is no formal control, has always been a source of problems for the church of Jesus Christ. Anyone can set up a gathering and call it a church. Any church can define itself in whichever way it wants. Anyone can declare themselves to be teachers, or prophets or even apostles. Anyone can claim a direct word from God. Anyone can interpret Scripture in whichever way they see fit.
The responsibility to ascertain truth, to know the true nature of God and his will, and to know the mind of Christ, who stands in the midst of the golden lampstands, seeing what goes on in his churches, commending what is good and right and condemning what is wrong, rests on individual Christians. One can be right; one can be wrong; but only Christ can mete out the praise and judgement that truly count.
The church in Thyatira allowed a woman, who claimed to be a prophet, to teach, in the name of God, ideas that allowed Christians to take part in the religious practices of the city—even in immoral sexual acts.
In this letter, Christ asserts his authority over his church which has been compromised by this woman. He did not tolerate what the church tolerated.
Jesus characterised the woman’s teaching as “satan’s so-called deep secrets” because that is often how such teachings are framed. Right from the beginning, when the serpent told Eve the secret that God was hiding from her, “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil”, this simple trick has been used to trick those who, in truth, want to be tricked. This is the secret; this is the way to do it; this is what will bring success; those who teach otherwise don’t really know God’s true intentions or want to hide them from you.
Today the world has many churches which are thriving, rich with resources, membership, and all the symbols of success, and they will say that their success is evidence that God is with them. In truth however, the free nature of the church, without a seeming central authority, is because the church belongs to Jesus Christ. He is the Living One and he walks among his churches. No one speaks on his behalf.
Therefore, what “the Son of God, whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze” says is the only thing that matters. People are standing in the place of God to proclaim that they know him, they know how he works, they speak with his voice, on his behalf. Ultimately they will be judged. Only the word of God speaks for God; even the Holy Spirit is subject to the Lord and acts as his agent on his behalf.
“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.”