2:20 Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.
Throughout the Old Testament, this union of that which is holy with that which is impure is considered by God as spiritual adultery. It was an abomination in His sight!
This false teacher is referred to as "Jezebel," which may or may not have actually been her name, but certainly refers to her spirit. It references Jezebel in the Old Testament, who was the wife of King Ahab. She was an idolatrous woman with unscrupulous methods, to perpetuate her power. Jesus warned the church of Thyatira of coming judgment to this false teacher and all those who commit spiritual adultery by moral compromise. This "Jezebel" was given time to repent, but refused. (Rev. 2 v.21)
Now, those who had been deceived by her teaching were given the choice to repent or face severe judgment. In the Church today, most believers are not tempted to worship pagan idols of wood or stone, but they do worship other idols!
This is one of the scriptures that is often used by certain denominations to say that women should not teach and preach. If we carefully look at this, we will realize that Jezebel here is not a woman actually, but a system of evil, whether taught by men or women. Fornication is the issue here, not that there is a woman in the church. Just as the Nicolaitans were not really a particular country and Baal was a symbol of evil and not a specific place and person.
We need to look at fornication and see what it is. Fornication is incest or adultery of either sex that are indulging in unlawful lust. Everyone would agree that any minister of God who promoted any of these sins would be a Jezebel to Jesus.
Men and women who are believers in Christ are all the Bride of Christ. I do not believe that this Jezebel is all women who minister the Word of God, but just those who teach evil lust.
In Galatians 3:28, we read that with God there is no male and female. "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus." The same Paul that wrote for women to be silent in church, in I Corinthians 14:34, wrote this in Galatians.
We also need to look at Acts 2:17-18. Acts 2:17 "And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:" Acts 2:18 "And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:"
There is something we are not understanding, or else the Bible contradicts itself. We know the Bible does not contradict itself. We must look more carefully at what the Scriptures mean. The error comes in evil messages that some women or men bring. The Jezebel here could be a woman, but if she is, it is not the fact that she is a woman that is wrong, it is an evil message that is wrong. Let's look at one more Scripture in Acts.
Acts 21:8 "And the next [day] we that were of Paul's company departed, and came unto Caesarea: and we entered into the house of Philip the evangelist, which was [one] of the seven; and abode with him." Acts 21:9 "And the same man had four daughters, virgins, which did prophesy." There are many examples just like this of Philip's daughters.
We must all be careful about criticizing others in their ministry. Look carefully at the context it is written in, before speaking out against others.
Jezebel calls herself a prophetess. It appears whoever this is or whatever group this represents, they are promoting feelings of the flesh not the Spirit.
Throughout the Bible we are warned not to eat things sacrificed to idols knowingly.
2:21 And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not.
We must carefully look at what must be repented of. The sin here is fornication. She was not to repent of preaching, but repent of fornication. In the days that John wrote this, there were evil churches that even had harlots working in the church for the convenience of the members.
In our day the satanic churches promote sex. Some churches teach that homosexuality and lesbianism are alternate life styles. My Bible says they are an abomination to God, Leviticus 18:22. You can easily see spiritually this church in Thyatira in these churches. Not only did Thyatira need to repent, but modern churches who teach this abomination.
2:22 Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds.
Here this could be both physical and spiritual adultery. The people who get involved in these sex sins are guilty, also. It is no excuse to sin just because your minister tells you that you are not guilty. Try every message you hear by what the Bible teaches. Do not be deceived by any false prophet, male or female. Their repentance is of their deeds, not whether they were male or female.
2:23 And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works.
The word translated reins means "the inner most mind", perhaps the subconscious mind. The heart will be judged. The motive behind our deeds is just as important as the deed.
In the Scripture above, we see that God will not always overlook sin in the church. When His judgment falls, it will begin in the church. Punishment will be swift and so severe that other churches will look and tremble at the punishment.
The works spoken of here are the works of the heart and mind which come to maturity in actual deeds. Good or evil actually begins in the mind and heart. Just as beautiful words cannot come from an evil heart, beautiful deeds cannot either. What we are inside will show in what we do for God. by Danny Plumey