You Were Never Taught This | The Hidden Connection Between Balaam & Your Shabbat Service

Shalom, mishpacha. For generations, we have sat in our congregations, both in synagogues and in Messianic assemblies, and we have read the words of Yeshua to the seven communities in Revelation. And two phrases have often caused confusion, concern, and even controversy: the “synagogue of Satan” and the “doctrine of Balaam.”

We read Yeshua’s words in Revelation 2:9 and 3:9:

“I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich) and the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.” (Rev 2:9)

“Behold, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—behold, I will make them come and bow down before your feet, and they will learn that I have loved you.” (Rev 3:9)

For too long, these verses have been weaponized, misused, and stripped of their profound Jewish context. It’s time to reclaim their true meaning, because their ancient warning is erupting in our modern world. This is not about a physical building; it’s about a spiritual identity. It’s about the age-old battle between authentic faith and counterfeit religion.

The Two Ancient Threats: Balaam and the Nicolaitans

To understand the “synagogue of Satan,” we must first decode the two corrupting influences Yeshua highlights just verses earlier: the “doctrine of Balaam” and the “teaching of the Nicolaitans” (Rev. 2:14-15).

1. The Doctrine of Balaam: Who was Balaam? He was a pagan prophet hired by King Balak to curse Israel (Numbers 22-24). But God forced blessings from his mouth instead. So, what was his “doctrine”? When he couldn’t curse Israel from the outside, he devised a plan to corrupt them from the inside. He advised Balak to send Moabite women to seduce the men of Israel, leading them into idolatry and sexual immorality (Num. 31:16). The “doctrine of Balaam” is therefore the strategy of compromising God’s people by enticing them to blend truth with pagan practice, destroying their distinct, set-apart identity. It’s spiritual syncretism.

2. The Teaching of the Nicolaitans: While less clear, the name Nicolaitan likely comes from the Greek nikáo (to conquer) and laos (the people). Historians like Irenaeus link them to early Gnosticism and antinomianism (being against Torah). Their “teaching” was likely a system that created a hierarchy separating the “spiritual” leaders from the “common” people, introducing a clergy-laity divide that Yeshua “hates” (Rev. 2:6). It replaces the priesthood of all believers with a religious elite that controls access to God.

Do you see it? Balaam corrupts through cultural compromise. The Nicolaitans corrupt through controlling religious structure. Both create a system that looks like it belongs to God but operates on an entirely different principle.

The “Synagogue of Satan” in Prophetic Context

This is not a new concept invented in Revelation. Yeshua is pulling from a deep well of Tanakh prophecy that defines the true people of God not by bloodline or title, but by faith and obedience.

The prophet Jeremiah cried out to a nation that had the Temple, the sacrifices, and the title “Israel,” but whose hearts were far from God:

“Do not trust in these deceptive words: ‘This is the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD.’” (Jeremiah 7:4)

Isaiah delivered a stinging rebuke from God Himself to those who went through the motions of worship while their hands were full of bloodshed:

“Hear the word of the LORD... What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices? says the LORD... Bring no more vain offerings; incense is an abomination to me. New moon and Sabbath and the calling of convocations—I cannot endure iniquity and solemn assembly.” (Isaiah 1:10-13)

The “synagogue of Satan” is any gathering—whether in the 1st century or the 21st—that claims the name of the God of Israel but operates on the doctrine of Balaam (compromise with the world) and the teaching of the Nicolaitans (control over the people). It is a religious system that uses the language of faith to oppose the truth of faith.

This is precisely what Yeshua confronted in His earthly ministry. He didn’t attack the Romans; He attacked the religious system of His day that had layered man’s tradition over God’s command:

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in.” (Matthew 23:13)

“You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires.” (John 8:44)

He was speaking to men who sat in the synagogue, who wore tzitzit, and who read from the Torah scrolls. Their outward form was impeccable. Their inward reality was opposition to the heart of God. This is the spirit of the “synagogue of Satan.”

The Call to Authentic Faith: How to Spot the Counterfeit Today

So, what does this look like now? It operates in plain sight.

· The Modern “Doctrine of Balaam” is the pressure to dilute the Gospel into a harmless, self-help spirituality that never challenges the world’s values. It’s the teaching that says, “Blend in. Don’t be so set-apart. It’s okay to embrace the world’s sexual ethics, its pursuit of wealth, and its idols of comfort and acceptance.” It seeks to make faith in Messiah palatable by removing its Jewish roots and its call to holiness (kadosh).

· The Modern “Teaching of the Nicolaitans” is the systemic, corporate machinery of religion that prioritizes hierarchy, brand, and platform over the priesthood of every believer. It’s the system that tells you, “You can’t hear from God yourself; you need us to interpret for you.” It creates a passive audience instead of equipping a powerful army of disciples.

The true kehilah (assembly) of Messiah is the opposite. It is comprised of those—Jew and Gentile—grafted into the commonwealth of Israel through the blood of Yeshua (Eph. 2:12-13). It is a body that treasures its Hebraic roots while embracing its Messiah. It is a family where the Spirit is poured out on all flesh—sons and daughters, young and old (Joel 2:28). It is marked by love for God, love for His Torah (His instructions), love for His people, and a courageous refusal to bow to the idols of this age.

Stand Firm in These Last Days

The call of Revelation is not a call to paranoia, but to discernment and courageous faithfulness. We are to be like the faithful remnant in Sardis: “You have still a few names in Sardis, people who have not soiled their garments, and they will walk with me in white, for they are worthy.” (Rev 3:4)

We are to be like the overcomers in Philadelphia, to whom Yeshua says: “Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world.” (Rev 3:10)

Hold fast to the authentic faith of our fathers—the faith of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, now fulfilled in Yeshua HaMashiach. Test the spirits. Look for the fruit. Does a teaching encourage compromise with the world (Balaam) or does it call you to holiness? Does a structure empower you to minister (Nicolaitans) or does it create a dependent audience?

A Call to Action: Partner in This crucial Work

This message is urgent. The battle for the heart of the faith is intensifying. Counterfeit systems are growing in influence, leading many well-meaning people astray. My mission is to sound the alarm and equip the body of Messiah worldwide with the tools for discernment—to separate the precious from the vile, as Jeremiah says (Jer. 15:19).

But I cannot do it alone.

This teaching is not just information; it is a catalyst for reformation. For this truth to break through the noise and strengthen the global body of Messiah, it needs to be taught, shared, and defended.

I am asking you to partner with me in three vital ways:

1. PRAY: Pray for protection, wisdom, and boldness for this ministry. Pray that these truths would reach the ears that need to hear them and that believers would be awakened to discernment.

2. SHARE: Share this teaching with your community, your small group, and your leaders. Start the conversation. Let’s bring this crucial discernment into the light.

3. SUPPORT: Please consider supporting this advocacy work financially. Your generous contribution directly enables me to create more content, travel to teach communities, and ensure this message reaches every corner of the Messianic world and beyond.

Visit our support page to become a financial partner today.

Together, we can expose the counterfeits, strengthen the faithful, and prepare the bride for the return of our King.

Baruch ha'ba b'Shem Adonai. (Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord.)