by
Damien F. Mackey
‘Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet. By her teaching she
misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed
to idols. I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is
unwilling. So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those
who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of
her ways. I will strike her children dead’.
Revelation 2:20-23
No doubt “Jezebel” here is meant to be taken
metaphorically, having in mind the original Jezebel, that notorious queen of
the Old Testament who was the wife of king Ahab of Israel, for, according to
the following testimony of commander Jehu to Jezebel's son, king Jehoram – {Jehu
would oversee the death of this first Jezebel} - she was, just like her ‘re-incarnation'
in the Apocalypse, an idolatrous and immoral witch (2 Kings 9:21-22):
And Jehoram
said, ‘Make ready’. And his chariot was made ready. And Jehoram king of Israel
and Ahaziah king of Judah went out, each in his chariot, and they went out
against Jehu, and met him in the portion of Naboth the Jezreelite.
And it
came to pass, when Jehoram saw Jehu, that he said, ‘Is it peace, Jehu?’ And he
answered, ‘What peace, so long as the whoredoms of thy mother Jezebel and her
witchcrafts are so many?’
This first Jezebel I have been able to
identify with - thanks to the benefits of a revised history and chronology -
the only female correspondent of the El Amarna [EA] letters, Baalat-neše:
Queen Jezebel makes guest appearances in El Amarna
The following article gives an outline of the
two biblical Jezebels:
Bible Question:
Who was Jezebel?
Bible Answer:
There are two Jezebels in the Bible. The first one is found in the Old
Testament, and the second one is found in the New Testament.
Jezebel – Old Testament
The first time the name Jezebel occurs in the Bible is when she is
getting married to King Ahab in 1 Kings 16:31,
And Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD more than all
who were before him. And it came about, as though it had been a trivial thing
for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he married
Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and went to serve Baal
and worshiped him. 1 Kings 16:30-31 (NASB)
She was an evil woman who killed many prophets of God while feeding and
caring for the prophets of two gods called Baal and Asherah (1 Kings 18:1-19).
In 1 Kings 18:20-46 Ahab, Elijah and 450 prophets of Baal gather to see, “Who
is God?” Elijah puts it simply,
How long will you hesitate between two opinions? If the Lord is God,
follow Him; but if Baal, follow him. 1 Kings 18:21 (NASB)
What followed was a one-sided contest. The followers of Baal prepared a
sacrifice but Baal never sent fire to consume the sacrifice even though the 450
prophets called to Baal all day pleading, “O Baal, answer us.” Then they even
cut themselves with swords and lances and still Baal did not answer. Baal never
responded. Finally, Elijah poured water on his sacrifice three times. After
Elijah prayed, God sent fire from heaven to consume his sacrifice. Elijah
killed the prophets of Baal (1 Kings 18:40). Therefore, Jezebel sought to kill
Elijah (1 Kings 19:1-2).
In 1 Kings 21:5-25 Jezebel had Naboth the Jezreelite killed so that her
husband could own Naboth’s vineyard. What a wicked woman! Eventually, Jezebel
was trampled to death by horses (2 Kings 9:30-37). Then dogs ate her flesh,
leaving only her skull and the palms of her hands. What a horrible way to die.
Jezebel was a wicked, evil, adulterous woman who was fighting against God.
Jezebel – New Testament
The name Jezebel is used for a woman once again in Revelation 2:18-29.
Here, Jezebel is described as a prophetess, a false teacher, an immoral woman
and idol worshipper. She attended a church at Thyatira. She encouraged those
who attended the church to engage in sexual sin and worship other gods.
But I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who
calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and leads My bond-servants astray
so that they commit acts of immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. And
I gave her time to repent; and she does not want to repent of her immorality.
Rev. 2:20-21 (NASB)
She was like the Jezebel in the Old Testament. They share many of the
same characteristics. God warned this Jezebel that He would punish her if she
did not stop teaching this evil and repent. God not only warned Jezebel the
teacher, He also warned her followers to stop and repent (Rev. 2:22-23).
And I will kill her children with pestilence, and all the churches will
know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts; and I will give to each
one of you according to your deeds. Rev. 2:23 (NASB)
Conclusion:
Mary, the mother of Jesus, was a sharp contrast to Jezebel. She was a
woman who committed herself to God and followed Him. Notice Mary’s attitude of
willing submission to God when she agreed to become the mother of Jesus,
And Mary said, “Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me
according to your word.” Luke 1:38 (NAS95S)
And Mary said: “My soul exalts the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in
God my Savior. For He has had regard for the humble state of His bondslave.”
Luke 1:46-48 (NASB)
What a wonderful woman! What a contrast. This is the kind of woman God
desires, one who is humble, God honoring and God glorifying.
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