Wednesday | 21 January 2026
A particular expression of the spirit of disobedience is the spirit of Jezebel. This spirit is manifest in a church when the wife of a leader, who has usurped his authority in their house, presumes to bring direction and give instruction in the church. Jesus rebuked the presbytery in Thyatira for allowing a woman called Jezebel to teach and seduce His servants through this unsanctified speech. Professing to be a prophetess, her alternative ‘gospel’ promoted the acceptability of mixture in families and in the church under the guise of Christian love. It was not ‘the bread of sincerity and truth’ belonging to the true Feast of Passover, but was another food altogether; it was a message celebrating self‑righteousness, sophistication and idolatry. Rev 2:20. 1Co 5:8‑9.
Jezebel loved the projection of her own style of motherhood. Her self‑image was not godliness; it belonged to the spirit of harlotry. Christ brought a word to her through His messengers and, in mercy, gave her time to repent. However, she did not repent. Under the judgement of Christ, she became physically sick. Many other disasters came upon her and upon those who maintained her same attitude and opinions. Finally, her children fell away from Christ and died under the judgement of God. Rev 2:20‑23.
Jezebel was not a woman of faith. Her husband had also defaulted in relation to faith, and was culpable for the destructive effect of his wife’s influence in his house and in the church. Faith comes only by hearing the word of God; and this word does not come from the woman. Rom 10:17. 1Ti 2:11‑12. Faith is a gift that comes with the word of God through the order of headship, and it enables obedience. Faith gives to us the freedom to choose to believe the word of truth. Accompanying this choice is the capacity to see the will of God accomplished as we do the works that Christ has already finished for us through His offering and suffering journey.
Further Study:
Revelation 2
References:
Rev 2:20-23
Nevertheless, I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. And I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality, and she did not repent. Indeed, I will cast her into a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of their deeds. I will kill her children with death, and all the churches shall know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts. And I will give to each one of you according to your works.
1Co 5:8-9
Therefore, let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. I wrote to you in my epistle not to keep company with sexually immoral people.
Rom 10:17
So, then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
1Ti 2:11-12
Let a woman learn in silence with all submission. And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence.