Jesus gave personalized feedback to the seven churches mentioned in the book of Revelation. Each church had its strengths and areas where they pleased God, but they also struggled with actions that didn’t align with His will. They were a blend of both good and evil, and Jesus lovingly pointed out where they needed to change and grow.
Five of the churches in the book of Revelation were criticized, while two were not. If the same pattern holds true today, it suggests a 5/7 ratio—or a 72% chance—that a church could be a mixture of good and evil. We should take heed from these examples and remain vigilant!
And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write,These things says the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet like fine brass: “I know your works, love, service, faith, and your patience; and as for your works, the last are more than the first. 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. Revelation 2:18-21
Jesus, with His fiery and penetrating eyes, looked upon His bride. He saw both the good and the evil. He acknowledged a church that had offered works, love, service, faith, and patience. The works of this church had even increased over time, possibly because the church had grown or gained greater influence in the community. However, a woman named Jezebel—or one with a Jezebel spirit—had come to dominate part of the congregation. She had been given the power to make decisions and had become a self-appointed prophetess.
A prophet or prophetess is supposed to represent the Lord and deliver His message. A self-appointed prophet may appear to represent the Lord, but in reality, they are pursuing their own desires and agenda. No one challenged this Jezebel, so she continued to teach that which was evil as though it were good.
The difference between this Jezebel and the one Elijah confronted is that the Old Testament Jezebel openly worshipped idols. She made no pretense, speaking out against Elijah and his God. In contrast, the Jezebel mentioned in Revelation was part of the church. She held a trusted position and was allowed to teach “truth” to God’s people. While the Bible refers to this leader as a woman, this situation can apply to both male and female leaders.
Why was this allowed in the church? Where were those who should have spoken up? Were the true prophets afraid of her, as Elijah had once been afraid of Jezebel? What we do know is that the leaders trusted her enough to let her do what she wanted, and as a result, she led God’s people into sexual immorality.
Jesus showed mercy to Jezebel, giving her time to repent of her immorality. However, she refused to repent.
Why did she choose not to repent? Was she a true believer who became prideful and deceived by her own thoughts? Or was she a wolf who entered the church with the intent to seduce and mislead God’s people? Why did the people follow her immoral teachings when God’s Word has always been clear about sexual immorality? Did they follow her blindly?
We don’t have all the answers about her or the people, but there is much to learn from Jesus’ response to this situation.
I will continue with this subject in the next devotional.