Well let us turn again to God's
word and now turning to the last book of scripture, the book of
the Revelation and I'll read in chapter 2 and reading from verse 18 remember
in the second and third chapters we have the letters addressed
to the seven churches of Asia or Turkey as we would now call
it and here we have the church at Thyatira being addressed we
read then the letter to the church at Thyatira in Revelation chapter
2 verse 18 following and unto the angel of the church in Thyatira
write these things saith the Son of God who hath his eyes
like unto a flame of fire and his feet are like fine brass
I know thy works and charity and service and faith, and thy
patience, and thy works, and the last to be more than the
first. Notwithstanding, I have a few things against thee, because
there suffereth that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess,
to teach and to seduce my servants, to commit fornication, and to
eat things sacrificed unto idols. And I gave her a space to repent
of her fornication, and she repented not. Behold, I will cast her
into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great
tribulation, except they repent of their deeds. And I will kill
her children with death, and all the churches shall know that
I am He which searches the reins and hearts. And I give unto every
one of you according to your works. But unto you I say, and
unto the rest in Thyatira as many as have not this doctrine
and which have not known the depths of satan as they speak
i will put upon you none other burden but that which you have
already hold fast till i come and he that overcometh and keepeth
my works unto the end to him will i give power over the nations
and he shall rule them with a rod of iron as the vessels of a potter
shall they be broken to shivers even as I received of my father
and I gave him the morning star, he that hath an ear, let him
hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches." In all of these letters to the
seven churches, it is interesting to observe that different aspects
of that vision that John was privileged to see in the opening
chapter, different aspects of that vision of the glorified
Christ are brought out in what is addressed to these churches. Of course it's there in chapter
1 verse 12 following that we have this description of the
one who is in the midst of the seven candlesticks. The golden
candlesticks, we're told, are the seven churches. Christ is
there in the midst of the churches, and as I say, various aspects
of that vision are brought out as these different churches are
being addressed. For example, at the end of verse
14 in Chapter 1, this is part of the
description of the glorified Saviour. His eyes were as a flame
of fire, and His feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned
in a furnace. And it is this very thing that
is taken up as Christ Himself addresses this church here in
verse 18 of the second chapter. He sings hath the Son of God,
who hath His eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like
fine brass. Now what is the significance
of this description of Christ? Well, we see it, do we not, when
we read down in verse 23 that he is the one that searcheth
the reins and the hearts. Concerning Jezebel and her children,
he says, 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."
Well I want to centre what I'm going to say for a little while
tonight before we turn to the Lord again in prayer to centre
your attention upon those words that we have in the middle of
the 23rd verse is description of the Lord Jesus Christ and
how he is known in the midst of his churches, all the churches.
shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and the hearts."
That searching sight then of the Lord Jesus Christ, the one
of course who is the head over his body, the church, the one
who was said that where two or three are met together in his
name, he is present in the midst. And this is something of the
manner of the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ as we come
together tonight. We trust that Christ is amongst
us even as we read in this particular verse the searching sight then
of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now what is the significance
of this description? Well are we not reminded that
the Lord is that one who by his searching sight is able to expose
sin, he is the one who exposes sinners, he is of course in reality
that word of the Lord, the one who is spoken of in Hebrews chapter
4, the word of the Lord is quick and powerful and sharper than
any two-edged sword, says Paul, and he is the one who therefore
divides, he makes a division between men, It's a passage that
we often take up and we use in reference to the Word of God,
the Scriptures, as a dividing word, but if we look at the context
there in that fourth chapter of Hebrews, it is clear that
primarily the Apostle is not speaking of the Scriptures, but
he is speaking of Him whom we know as the Incarnate Word. the Word made flesh. He is the
Word of God that is spoken of, piercing even to the dividing
the sun of soul and spirit and of the joints and marrow, the
discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart, and then
he continues, neither is there any creature that is not manifest
in his sight, but all things are naked and opened unto the
eyes of him with whom we have to do, seeing then that we have
a great High Priest, He's passed into the heavens Jesus, the Son
of God. He's describing the Lord Jesus
Christ then as that one whose eyes are piercing and searching,
that one who separates. And as I said, he is the one
who in that work of separation exposes sin, exposes the sinner. This is the particular truth
that he said before us in the verse that we are considering
tonight. In uncovering sin, in punishing sinners, Christ is
the one who makes it plain that he is all seeing, that nothing
can be concealed from him. Jezebel cannot hide any of her
sins. I will kill her children, he
says, with death, and all the churches shall know that I am
he which searches the reins and the hearts. It's interesting
that it would seem that this Jezebel is clearly one who is
in the church. As he writes to the believers
there at Thyatira, he says, I have a few things against them because
there suffers that woman Jezebel which calleth herself a prophetess
to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication and to
eat things sacrificed unto idols. She's there in the church but
Christ sees what she is, Christ exposes her for what she is.
And what do we see in this exposing of the sinner? We see two marks
of that hypocrisy that can so easily creep into the church
of God when we think of this character Jezebel of whom we
read of course there in that short portion in the ninth chapter
of the second book of Kings what do we see in Jezebel we will
see a religion that might be said to be a sham religion we're
told of her at the end of that ninth chapter as she painted
her face and tired her head and looked out at a window Here is
really a remarkable description of the person who is the hypocrite. She wanted to be seen. She sought
to enhance her beauty. But all of this is on the outside,
of course. Inwardly, we know what she was.
She was an evil woman, an idolater. Not only an idolater, but one
who was a persecutor of the true people of God. We see all the
marks of the hypocrite there. There were 850 false prophets,
we're told, in chapter 18 of 1 Kings. And these 850 false
prophets were all eating at Jesse Bell's table. She supported false
religion. She was a religious person. But
her religion was not the true religion. She herself is spoken
of here in verse 20 as a prophetess and a teacher. The prophetess
and the teacher. What can we say with regards
to the religion of a Jezebel? Well, it's a showy religion.
She wants to make a show. She wants to be seen. She seeks
to enhance her beauty. Others will take account of her.
But not only showy, it's also a worthy religion. She's a prophetess. She's a teacher. Here we see,
I say, something of the marks of the religion of the hypocrite.
Joseph Hart says in one of his hymns, no big words of ready
talkers, no dry doctrine will suffice. Broken hearts and humble
walkers, these are there in Jesus' eyes. She's one of those ready
talkers. She could speak, she could make
prophetic utterances. But what are we told with regards
to the teachings of this woman and those who are following her? In verse 24 we read of this doctrine,
the depths of Satan. But unto you I say and unto the
rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine and which
have not known the depths of Satan as I speak, I will put
upon you none other burden. The doctrine then is referred
to here as the depths of Satan. And this is the religion, I say,
of the hypocrite. Do we not in scripture read of
mystery? The gospel is a mystery. In Ephesians
chapter 6 and verse 19, when Paul, having spoken of the Christian's
armour, then speaks of the necessity of prayer and he desires prayer for himself
but why does he desire the prayer of the Ephesians that he might
be able to open his mouth boldly to make known the mystery of
the gospel there is a mystery in the gospel and in a sense we can say the
mystery is the very simplicity of that way of salvation I'm
sure if it was that of man's devising it would not be a simple
way of salvation, or the mystery of God's ways, that the sinner
has to be converted and become as a little child in order to
be saved, in order to see the Kingdom of God. There is a mystery
in the Gospel, there is a mystery in God, of course. To the Colossians,
Paul speaks of the mystery of God and of the Father and of
Christ. There is a mystery in the Godhead.
the doctrine of the Trinity, what a profound truth it is.
And yet it should not surprise us, of course, that there's a
mystery when it comes to our understanding of who God is,
that God is one and God is three, and God is altogether above and
beyond our understanding and we cannot comprehend Him. There
is a mystery, there's a mystery in the coming of the Lord Jesus
Christ. Without controversy, Paul says, great is the mystery
of godliness. God was manifest in the flesh,
or the mystery of Christ's coming. Our God's contracted to a span,
incomprehensibly made man, says Charles Wesley. There is mystery
there. And it should not surprise us,
you see, when we read here of the depths of Satan, that There
is with Satan, in a sense, a mimicking of that that is real. There's
a mystery. There's a mystery of iniquity spoken of in 2 Thessalonians
2, is it not? The mystery of iniquity. And
here in chapter 17, of course, we have mystery Babylon the Great,
the mother of harlots and abominations of the earth, the great masterpiece
of Satan, his false religion. And we see that false religion
headed up, do we not, in the whole Roman Catholic system.
That is the Babylon that is spoken of here in chapter 17. And there's
a mystery, you see, in this religion of Jezebel. It's the sham religion. It's that that is worldly. It's that that appeals to the
senses, that that wants to make a show. It's the very opposite
of that religion that is truly of God, that's wrought of God
in the soul of the sinner. But besides seeing this false
religion as that that is a sham and a pretense and a copying
or an attempt to copy aspects of the real religion that is
of God, we see also that the hypocrite thinks that his religion
is superior The hypocrite thinks his religion
is superior to every other. He makes himself a religious
man. She makes herself a religious
person. What do we read concerning this
personage of Jezebel? Here, in verse 20, she calleth
herself a prophetess. She calleth herself a prophetess. Just as she sits in a window,
wants to be seen, bears the mark of the hypocrite. Remember how
the Lord Jesus speaks of the religion of the scribes and Pharisees.
All that they do, they do to be seen of men. That's Jezebel,
but here also we see that she makes herself religious. It's
what she calls herself. Again, the Lord Jesus says to
the Jews, say not within yourselves, we have Abraham for our father.
That's what they do, think not to say within yourselves, he
says. They look to their pedigree,
they look to their association with Abraham, their descent from
him who is truly the father of all who are the faithful. we
see the religion of the hypocrite do we not in that Pharisee who
goes to the temple at the hour of prayer together with the publican
and Christ speaks of these two characters in Luke chapter 18
and how the Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself I thank
thee that I am not as other men are he says but his prayer you
see goes no further than himself he congratulates himself He's
made himself a religious person and he thinks that what he has
is something that's superior to any other person's religion. And again we see it, do we not,
with regards to that great mystery of iniquity that's spoken of
in 2 Thessalonians chapter 2. We see it in the man of sin,
again like Revelation 17, ultimately 2 Thessalonians 2 is a prophetic
scripture and it speaks of the abominations of the Roman Catholic
system. But what do we read concerning
the man of sin there? In verse 2 of that second chapter,
"...who opposeth and exalteth himself." He exalts himself above
all that is called God or that he is worshipped so that he as
God sitteth in the temple of God showing himself that he is
God or he is so superior you see and this is the great claim
of course that is made by Rome that he sits in Peter's seat
that he is Christ's vicar here upon the earth very blasphemy
against the Holy Ghost who is truly in the place, in the stead
of the Lord Jesus Christ. As the Lord says in John, as
he departs he will send another comforter which is the Holy Ghost.
It's the Holy Ghost who is Christ's speaker, Christ's representative.
But there we see, you see, those who make their own religion. It's the religion of hypocrisy. As I say in 1 Kings 18 we are
told of those 850 false prophets who are fed and
encouraged by Jezebel and the 850 there are set against the
one true prophet of the Lord. We are not to imagine that those
who have the multitudes following them are the true people of God.
There is in scripture that blessed doctrine of the remnant. God
has said, I will also leave in the midst an afflicted and poor
people and they shall trust in the name of the Lord. God's fear nots are spoken, are
they not, to that little remnant. In Isaiah 41, 14, fear not thou
worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel. The margin there tells us that
the Hebrew literally says ye few men. Fear not, thou worm
Jacob, and ye few men of Israel. They are not all Israel that
are of Israel. The true Israel of God is but
a remnant in Israel. It always was. That is the spiritual
people of God. Oh yes, Israel in the Old Testament
of course is atypical people. and we can draw examples from
God's dealings with them and apply them to the true people
of God but even in the Old Testament God's true people are just a
very little remnant and so also of course in the New Testament
the Lord Jesus himself addresses a fear not to his own disciples
when he says in Luke chapter 12 fear not little flock it is
your father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom Near is
the comfort of the little flock they find some very real encouragement
in the sovereign purpose of God is goodwill and pleasure. And
what is it? That they should have the kingdom.
That is what God himself has purposed. He has set a people
aside for himself and though they be a very little remnant
And so here at Thyatira there was much religion, but it was
the religion of Jezebel, it was a sham religion. But the Lord
Jesus Christ is that one who sees it for what it is, who is
able to expose it. His eyes are so discerning, His
eyes are all seeing and all searching. But this is true not just with
regards to the church at Thyatira. It says all the churches, all
the churches, shall know that I am her which searches the veins
and the hearts. Well, with regards to the eye
of the Lord Jesus Christ, his eyes, like unto a flame of fire,
doesn't only expose the sin of the hypocrite, but that truth
is also strangely an encouragement to the scientists,
an encouragement to believers. All the churches shall know this
precious truth and rejoice in it. Now, we're told with regards
to Christ that he searches the reins and the heart. Now the word that's used here,
reins, is the word for kidneys. the reference is to the inmost
being. It's interesting in that new
Westminster Study Bible that was published recently by the
Trinitarian Bible Society you do often find some of these words
explained in the margin and that's how they explain these word lines.
I say it's a reference to the kidneys really to the inward
parts or the innermost feelings, the inmost being of a man. So
really what we have is that truth being emphasized by the repetition,
he searches the eyes and the hearts. The Lord takes account,
you see, not so much of that that's on the outside, man looks
on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh upon the heart
of men. And this is ever God's way with
his people, is it not? In Acts chapter 16 we read of
Lydia, whose heart the Lord opened. The Lord opens her heart. He
deals with her there in a very gracious and tender way as she's
brought to attend unto those sins that are spoken by Paul
and Silas. The Lord must open the heart.
But often when the Lord comes to us and opens our heart, it's
not something that's very pleasant. The wise man in the book of Proverbs
tells us, chapter 3 and verse 20, by his knowledge, that is
God's knowledge, the depths are broken up. Or when God comes
to us and breaks up the very depths of our heart, that word
of God, you see, that is quick and powerful and sharper than
a two-edged sword, piercing, it says, to the dividing asunder
of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, a discerner
of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Oh, when God comes,
you see, he cuts and he cuts deep and he cuts to the very
quick. But it is necessary, this is
the way God deals with his people, his kingdom, is spoken of as
that that is inward. So different to the hypocrite
whose religion is all on the outside, makes a show, wants
to be seen of men. But the Lord Jesus, when he speaks
to the scribes and the Pharisees, tells them quite plainly that
his kingdom is an inward kingdom. In Luke chapter 17, Verse 20, when he was demanded
of the Pharisees when the Kingdom of God should come, he answered
them and said, The Kingdom of God cometh not with observation.
And again, the marginal reading is interesting because it gives
this rendering for observation, outward show. The Kingdom of
God cometh not with outward show. That's what the Pharisees like,
you see. They like to be seen of men. They made a display of
their religion. But Christ answers them. They are very arrogant and presumptuous
within. They demand of Him when the Kingdom
of God is to come. The Kingdom of God says, Christ
cometh not with observation, neither shall they say, Lo here,
or lo there, for behold, the Kingdom of God is within you. It was among them. Christ was
there in their midst. The margin gives that alternative. It's among you. It's already
here. It's Christ. Christ is the Kingdom. But Christ's
Kingdom is established in the hearts of men, is it not? In
that sense, the Kingdom is within you. And that, I say, is the way that
God deals with his people. He works in the souls of his
people. He works in the very depths of their being. The sinner
has to be born again. There has to be a new creation,
all things passing away, all things becoming new. There's
such a revolution takes place in the soul of a man. And the believer is one who is
pleased that Christ comes and searches him and sifts him. He
wants to know that that work of God in his soul is a real
work. The Puritan John Fable says that
false grace is shy of God. False faith is shy of the eye
of God. It cares not to be examined. Of course, Flavel is simply re-echoing
the words of Scripture, those words that we find in the third
chapter of the Gospel according to John. And there at verse 20
we see false Grace, false faith, false religion. Everyone that doeth evil hateth
the light, neither cometh to the light lest his deeds should
be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh
to the light that his deeds may be made manifest that they are
wrought in God. There is a contrast you see.
Here where there is God's work being accomplished The man is
doing truth. What does he do? He comes to
the light. He wants his deeds manifested that they are truly
the work of God. The believer is one who understands
David's language. He can pray David's prayer at
the end of Psalm 139. He asks God to search him. Search me, O God, and know my
thoughts. Try me and know my ways. See
if there be any wicked way in me. lead me in the way everlasting. He wants to be delivered from
every wicked way. He wants to be sure that he is
walking in that narrow way, the way that leads to life. And we see it. We see it time
and again. We see it not only in the case
of David. We have it also with Job. In the midst of all his
trials, all that has transpired in God's mysterious dealings
with him, what do we find Job? Praying in chapter 31 and verse
6, let me be weighed in an even balance that God may know mine
integrity. All he wants God to weigh is
religion, because he is persuaded that that religion that he has
is the work of God. He is not afraid then to be tried
and tested by God himself. all the churches, all the churches
shall know that I am he which searches the reins and hearts
and I will give unto every one of you according to your works."
Now in Peter we see the Lord looking upon him and it's a searching
look that Christ gives after Peter, remember, had denied the
Lord and yet it is a sympathetic look, it's a gracious look, it's
a restoring look. There we have it in Luke chapter
22 at verse 61 how the Lord turned and looked upon Peter. And what
was the outcome? Peter remembered the word of
the Lord. Well, we have the word of the Lord, but we want the
Lord so to look at us that that word is burnt into our souls,
made real in our hearts. It was when the Lord turned and
looked upon Peter that he remembered the word of the Lord, and it
was a word that got him really, because the Lord had said before
the cock crew he would deny him three times, and so it was. And
what did Peter do? He went out, and he wept bitter
tears. That look led to a real repentance,
the grace of repentance was communicated by that look of the Lord Jesus
Christ. Yes, his eyes are as a flame
of fire, or they burn, and they burn very deep into the soul,
and yet there's grace in all of this. And so the psalmist
can say, there'll be many that say, who will show us any good
Lord, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us. We
want God to look upon us. We want God to deal with us.
God to bring his word home to us. God to apply the truth of
that word to us. That we might know that ours
is no sham religion. God deliver us from all that
pretense. All that wicked religion of a
Jezebel. And grant that we might be those
who are truly of the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. All the
churches. shall know that I am her, which
searcheth the reins and hearts. The Lord bless his word to us
for his name's sake. Now let us sing God's praise in our second
hymn, number 119, 119. The tune is St Agnes, 218. 119 Great God, from Thee does naught
conceal, Thou seest my inward frame, to Thee I always stand
revealed, exactly as I am. 119 Great God, from Thee there's
naught concealed, Thou'st my inward frame, Still Thee I always
stand with you, Exactly as I am. Since I can hardly therefore
bear Watching myself, I see How vile and black must I appear
Oh, holy God, to Thee But since my Saviour stands between,
in garments dyed in blood, teasing instead of me is seen when I
approach to God. Thus the sinner I am saved, he
pleads before the throne, his life and death in my behalf,
and calls my sins his own. What mysteries in this appointment
shine? My preachers of the Lord are
His, and His obedience mine.