"But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate…" Revelation 2:6
"So thou hast also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate…" Revelation 2:15
When on Patmos island, John saw the mystery of the Lord’s right hand. He saw seven candlestick churches, he saw the destiny of what Christianity, as a religion, would be like. The Lord commended the first church at Ephesus because they hated the DEEDS OF THE NICOLAITANS, because the Lord detested it. In Pergamos, the third church, these deeds had become ACCEPTED PRACTICE, with DOCTRINE which the Lord hated.The name Nicolaitans appears as a core aspect of recognizing the fallen condition in the churches, Understanding that name sheds the light of reality upon the history and destiny of Christian churches.
To understand the doctrine and deeds of these Nicolaitans, one must understand the word Nicolaitan comes from two Greek words: ‘nikao’, which means ‘to rule over’ or ‘to conquer,’ and ‘laos’, which means ‘the laity’ or ‘the people.’ Put these definitions together and you get a domineering ruling class within the body of Christ whose main agenda is to get the upper hand, conquer, subordinate, and subdue those who they consider laity as ‘less gifted,’ ‘less knowledgeable,’ and ‘less qualified’ than themselves! In the religious history of Christianity, those called ‘clergy’ have dominated laity, forming church hierarchies that have ruled over mass numbers of believing people.
Jesus said He hated the deeds and doctrines of the Nicolaitans — that which is exalting the ‘clergy’ over the ‘laity’! These classifications of rulers among the Lord’s people had been in league with the many religious orders of the world, as they were gathered and examined at pagan Rome. The Christian clergy class at Rome dominated the teachings about God for the people, the laity of the old Roman empire. The clergy exalted themselves to offices of authority whereas the laity were abased and obliged to support them. When scripture was locked up in the Latin language, the ministers of the Roman churches eventually became the only source of authority. The rest of us poor folk became just the uninformed laity, the sheep who needed to follow the church leaders, the bishops and the priests, and just do what we are told.
When the great spiritual moves of God in the early church were accepted by imperial Rome, the Nicolaitans moved to take over the move of God in Christian churches. Some of the church leaders of Pergamum reached conclusions that Christian laity now needed the teachings of their pope and His hired clergy, the hiring of Balaam’s teachers who taught people wrong messages. They prevailed until the early church held the teachings of the Nicolaitans.
That candlestick church fell into THE FLESHLY EFFORTS of RELIGIOUS CHRISTIANITY, becoming the mother of harlots spoken of in Revelation. Oh, yes, they became a Jezebel system that led His people astray. They built up church organizations that now represent the Christian people to the world as they reach Nicolaitan conclusions to increase the defense of their more cohesive church structure.
Empowered Nicolaitans conclude it is their imperative to take measures to ‘protect’ their church work from certain extremes that prey on the immature who might develop false doctrine and false deeds. The pit of religious wolves is deep, but in these decisive moments the long arm of religious flesh blasphemously reached out IN THE NAME OF THE LORD to put its clammy hand to the beautiful works God has begun by Spirit!
Now, much religious effort is spent organizing, getting systematized, right in the candlestick church. The DOCTRINE and DEEDS of the Nicolaitans was right there where Satan’s throne was in Pergamos. That ancient liar was empowered to bring forth a worldwide apostate church world, being under a man, a pope, a man-made order of priests,. This became a corrupt order of priests, still lording over the laity, holding them to the darkness in which they are inaugurated. Well established churches have religious falsehoods through the leadership’s teachings. What a mystery is the seven stars in the hand of the Lord!
Christ is in the midst of the candlestick, but men have used the carnal mind of man to rule there by fleshly means. They have built systems that sought to REPRESENT CHRIST TO THE WORLD, to PROTECT, they claimed, by keeping CONTROL of God’s work. Then supposedly to keep it pure, to safeguard it, to preserve and maintain the status quo, they kept out all who they judged as not worthy. Yet as soon as any man, or group of men, puts their hand to God’s move, the anointing lifts and the work is formed into the formal fallen churches of Babylon, where the glory has departed!
The candlestick churches have been overrun with this, where there is no quickening of the Holy Spirit anymore—every meeting deadened, organized, structured, controlled, systematized. The result is just going through the motions of what once was a beautiful outpouring of spiritual truth that brought life and light when it was quickened by the Spirit of the Lord. The Nicolaitan concept gained authority in latter rain movements, showing up after every revival. Jesus still has been in the midst of the candlestick, His Spirit revealing more after every moving of God’s Spirit from Christianity’s early days until now. Paul clearly warned us about the teachings of human caprice, the craftiness that systematizes:
“…that we should all attain to the unity of the faith and of the realization of the son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature of the complement of the Christ, that we may by no means still be minors, surging hither and thither and being carried about by every wind of teaching by human caprice or craftiness with a view to the systematizing of the deception.” Ephesians 4:13-14 Concordant
This deception is death, but it seems this mystery is still not understood very well among church goers. Sonship and kingdom people, however, recognize the spirit of Nicolaitans changes to adapt from time to time, but the basic concepts remain the same, whatever the phraseology or methodology: THE DEEDS AND DOCTRINE OF THE NICOLAITANS are a FALSE set of MINISTERS using traditional falsehoods to control people for their own gain! A mature Christian should grow in spiritual wisdom to recognize the crafty ways of human religionists working in the Lord’s house. A mature Christian should grow to see by divine illumination the sovereign guidance of God!
Nicolaitan church LEADERS have had the control in the remaining candlestick churches, leading them to utter apostasy. The truth is Christianity today is made of religious systems of men ruling in the churches of today. Jesus is on the outside of a lukewarm church that is “wretched, and miserable, and poor and blind, and naked”, knocking for those who can hear His voice. He is coming to us now, feeding us from another level. A higher table of truth has unfolded of the kingdom, a kingdom not established on mere human ideas or authority.
Overcomers come out of the proper, accepted traditional methods of worship, to mature and hear the LORD’S counsel to “come out”, to buy refined gold (understanding) and gain eyesalve to see. They are no longer clothed by those mysterious Babylonian orders nor marked as being in fellowship with mystery Babylon or their leaders. I do not exclude myself from the list of leaders who should not be followed. The burden of our message is to point everyone to the Lord Jesus to learn to be LED OF GOD’S SPIRIT into the most PERSONAL, REAL RELATIONSHIP WE CAN HAVE with God as our Father, through faith in Jesus Christ. Seeing Jesus as being what we may become enables us to receive the INFALLIBILITY of God’s Spirit, so that God is now writing the truth of sonship on our spirit.
Men sought power over others and lie in church meetings to take control. Mostly men ruled who got a following and believing Christian people still go here and there following the “man of the hour.” For centuries, powerful church leaders have had little tolerance for anyone who persisted in holding up the truth, as these were excommunicated with burning stakes. The religious ranks of Christian history is swollen with many power grabbing authoritarians. It is not confined to denominations, but appears wherever and whenever blessed yet prideful men gather. Though sincere, men rise and fight for dominant authority, with the deeds of the Nicolaitans resurgent under various titles and guises, such as ‘shepherd,’ ‘bishop,’ ‘set man,’ etc. But it is STIll the great error that the Lord hates, and we should also hate it. It has sapped the life out of every refreshing move of God in the candlestick churches as well as the latter rain saints.
When asked, "Where do you go to church?”, I reply that we are brethren in the body of Christ, outside every church camp, and THE LORD IS OUR PASTOR. God’s ranks of overcoming people have been called out of the candlestick churches, called up and elected to be thoroughly washed from the errors saturating the apostate church systems. There men speak by rote in ridiculous absurdities assimilated by the clergy of a religious Babylon. How astounded some Christians are to discover their cherished church teachings and hallowed practices are not found in the scripture. Much has been unwittingly ASSUMED to be right, while many of theses bible teachings and doctrines are, in fact at present, HATED by the savior of the world!
“Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples, saying: ‘The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of Moses; therefore all that they tell you, do and observe, but do not do according to their deeds; for they say things and do not do them. They tie up heavy burdens and lay them on men's shoulders, but they themselves are unwilling to move them with so much as a finger.
But they do all their deeds to be noticed by men; for they broaden their phylacteries and lengthen the tassels of their garments. They love the place of honor at banquets and the chief seats in the synagogues, and respectful greetings in the market places, and being called Rabbi by men. But do not be called Rabbi; for One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers. Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. Do not be called leaders; for One is your Leader, that is, Christ.” Matthew 23:1-10 NAS
Beloved saints who heed the call to “Come up hither,” hoping to reign with Christ, BECOME SUBMITTED TO THE AUTHORITY OF GOD’s SPIRIT. These are receiving the SPIRIT OF TRUTH from THE SHEPHERD OF ISRAEL who HIMSELF leads His church. He alone can bring us into the fullness of life and immortality of His kingdom order. There is only ONE HEAD in the body of Christ — the MAN Jesus Christ! When we sincerely learn how to be GATHERING TOGETHER UNTO HIM, IT WILL STOP THE AGING PROCESS IN US AS IT CONQUERED DEATH IN JESUS WHO IS ALIVE FOREVERMORE.
Jesus now holds the keys to our death resulting from our hellish deeds that are worthy of the grave. He is a King of secret things, yet He Himself IS true mercy. The truth is HE HAS WORDS THAT WORK ETERNAL LIFE into us! All true ministries in the body of Christ bear His signal marks, His distinctive mindsets. He speaks the TRUTH IN LOVE that exposes our past errors and forgives what we have done.
Reapers do not draw His followers after themselves, but do become expert harvesters for a new day. We do not call men “father,” as mature Christians are called-out of the religious systems to truly KNOW THE LORD FOR OURSELVES. God Himself will be with us, Fathering us, and we will sup with the Lord and He with us, until we, in utter abandonment upon His loving care, find ourselves digging deep into the storehouses of God’s treasures.
Wisdom will unfold the mysteries as knowledge of it is sweet when taught by His Spirit. At His banqueting table are fat things, wine well refined. He has spread a table before us in the presence of our enemies, to lead us to and through green pastures to reveal fountains of living water flowing TO STRENGTHEN OUR INNER SPIRITUAL MAN. Our Father causes multitudes of his true sons and daughters to find REST beside His cooling streams of wisdom, in unspeakable riches of His wonder!
Surely, all those drawn to the glories of spiritual Mt. Zion are close to the Lord, and they who know Him best are more deeply conformed to His image. We are thankful for all the help we have received in the candlestick churches through every vessel He used to encourage us onward and upward toward our true homeland. God draws us step by step into deeper understandings and better relationship with Him as being our Father. HE KNOWS we are in need of paying the price to receive sealing emulations within our spirit:
“Nevertheless, the firm foundation of God stands, having this seal, ‘The Lord knows those who are His,’ and, ‘Everyone who names the name of the Lord is to abstain from wickedness.’ Now in a large house there are not only gold and silver vessels, but also vessels of wood and of earthenware, and some to honor and some to dishonor.” II Timothy 2:19-20 NAS
There has been plenty of dishonor coming from the churches of Christ. The DEEDS and DOCTRINES of the NICOLAITANS have been subverting Christianity for two thousand years to form hierarchical structures of denominational and non-denominational church systems. This subversion has grown into a monster exercising authority over the souls of Christian men and women.
Christians have bowed down to church codes of conduct until they are limited, confused, and stuck in organizations that are mixed with worldly ideas and methods. These twist the truth to establish domination by expanding a spiritual government that often unknowingly despises God’s work by taking over the leadership of His Spirit. Without change, Laodicean church leaders will inevitably forfeit a rewarding development of speaking as the Lord’s mouth. They will continually be unable to speak for the Lord as His mouthpiece:
"I will spit you out of My mouth…" Revelation 3:16 NAS
In contrast, sons are being established in the current revelation of Jesus, understanding what the Spirit is saying to the churches:
"He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches…" Revelation 2:7, 2:11,2:17,2:29,3:6,3:13,3:22.
Jesus did not say “he that hath an ear, let him hear what the Bible says.” Christians are not going to hear what the Spirit says as long as they are ONLY Bible-oriented. We thank God for the scriptures, for they testify of Him and of His great plans. The scriptures disclose His hidden purposes to us as we hear what THE SPIRIT says about them. We who are taught by His Spirit will become SPIRIT-ORIENTED, SPIRIT-LED Christians. We are sons made to be priests and kings of God who are not just church members, but members of a Godly government!
We humans can hear words and sounds with the natural ears and it all makes sense to us and seems right. Scripture states there is another ear, an inner ear, a spiritual ear, a hearing of the Spirit. He who is quick to hear with this inner ear will hear the truth from the Lord’s mouth. We know Him in Mount Zion where our spiritual ear is quickened within us to know how to be a happy son or daughter of God. Natural sound has vibrations in the air around us, with unseen waves of “air” moving. These cause vibrations that strike the inner ear and alert transmissions to the brain which interprets it as something understood. What a marvel is hearing with the natural ear and much more so, our spiritual ear:
"He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches…" Revelation 2:7
Vast multitudes of believers need to truly hear knowledgeable words about reconciliation, sonship, and the kingdom of God. I had been attending many meetings and ended up going away saying, that was good, I really enjoyed that. But, there needs to be a word BEYOND THE SPOKEN WORDS that penetrates the inner spiritual ear, spoken as the oracle of God! When this happens, we have truly met with the Lord because THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST COMES BY SPIRIT! HE HAS PROMISED TO APPEAR LIKE LIGHTNING, MORE AND MORE. When Jesus taught people, He emphasized the need to HEAR HIS WORD:
"The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, the Lord hath made even both of them!" Proverbs 20:12
"HE THAT HATH AN EAR, LET HIM HEAR!" We Christians have spiritual ears our Father has been able to give to us! The Lord creates many levels of hearing ears. In our own spirit is a “hearing ear of a living creature.” That has been the part that has saved us, align us to manifest God as a son. I hope this matter of hearing what overcoming the candlestick church means is thrilling to you. Please realize that God has elected to seal ALL His sons with a hearing ear, one that hears what the Spirit says to the churches. We are called to understand those divine decrees being sealed with ears that are receptive and understanding!