The Bible tells us that after Peter recognized the Lord as the Christ, the Son of the living God, the Lord said, "Flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in the heavens" (Matt. 16:17). This was entirely God's work. Peter did not deserve any merit, but the Father's revelation enabled him to see the Lord as the Christ and the Son of God. Peter received a revelation from the Father, a revelation from God. Such a revelation is unknown to flesh and blood, even to Peter's own flesh and blood. Let us go on with the same passage: "From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes and be killed and on the third day be raised. And Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, God be merciful to You, Lord! This shall by no means happen to You! But He turned and said to Peter, Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me, for you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of men" (vv. 21-23). In the previous passage Peter saw the vision, while in this passage Peter became an instrument of Satan. In the previous verses Peter touched God the Father; here he touched Satan. In the first instance he was able to say, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." In the second instance he said, "God be merciful to You, Lord! This shall by no means happen to You!" The two statements are as far apart as the north pole is from the south pole. If we are not wrong in our understanding, we can safely say that no revelation in the four Gospels reached the height of Peter's revelation. It was the Father who had given Peter the revelation; he knew the Lord as "the Christ, the Son of the living God." Then the Lord proclaimed that the church was to be built upon this knowledge, this rock. Peter indeed received a great revelation, one unseen by other followers and friends of the Lord. Perhaps the revelation that Peter received and saw should be considered the ultimate revelation. But in the same chapter, he fell to the lowest depth. He was speaking not only according to the flesh, but by Satan. One minute he was speaking according to the Father; the next minute he turned around and was speaking according to Satan. What an extreme turn this was! If the church is built upon such a minister, the gates of Hades surely will prevail against it. No, the church cannot be built upon such a wavering one; it needs to be built up by men of stone. The ministers of the church must be as stable as stones. They cannot be God's mouthpiece in one instance, and Satan's mouthpiece in another instance. This is a serious matter. Not long after Peter received the highest revelation, he fell to the lowest abyss. He was keeping the Lord from going to the cross. He was not setting his mind on the things of God. He was utilized by Satan. Whenever Satan's word is released, the gates of Hades are opened. If Satan prevails and the gates of Hades prevail, the church is defeated. Had the Lord not turned Peter into a stable stone, the church would be hopeless. Today we need ministers as stable as stones. They have to be firm and unshakable. They cannot be one way one day and another way the next day, saying one thing one moment and another thing another moment. If we are solid and firm before the Lord, we will see what the church really is, and we will see blessing and victory over the gates of Hades. But if we are weak and wavering, Satan will open his mouth immediately, and the gates of Hades will be opened. In Peter we see an extreme contrast; there were great discrepancies in his character. This is a picture of the old, unchanged nature of Peter.