Revelation 2:23

Revelation 2:23. And I will kill her children with death. Those thus named ‘her children' are generally distinguished from the persons formerly mentioned either as her ‘proper adherents,' in contrast with ‘those who encouraged her,' or as the ‘less forward,' ‘the deceived,' in contrast with the deceivers. There seems no ground for either view. The latter destroys the force of the word ‘children' (comp. John 1:12), the former that of the previous clause. The truth is that the two classes are the same: they are in both cases those who partake of her spirit, and who follow her example. It will be observed that the fate of the historical Jezebel is repeated in those who imitate her. As Ahab's queen was cast out of the window, so this Jezebel is to be cast into affliction. As Ahab's sons were slain, so the spiritual progeny of this Jezebel shall be killed.

And all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts. ‘All the churches,' an indication of the universal reference of these Epistles. And the ‘churches,' not the world, shall ‘know,' shall have inward knowledge and experience of the fact (comp. ‘knoweth' in Revelation 2:17). The wicked are not in the Lord's thought, ‘for God's judgments are far above out of their sight, but all who ponder these things and lay them to heart' (Trench).

And I will give unto each one of you according to your works. The clause is peculiarly important when taken along with that immediately preceding it. The Lord tries the ‘reins and hearts,' the most inward parts of men. From these the ‘works' of men cannot be separated. His ‘works' are the whole of man. The inward manifests itself in the outward: the value of the outward is dependent upon the inward.