The Book of Revelation 

Examine the background of Jezebel: 

                Jezebel was from Sidon (1 Kings 16:31..Zidon) See also Matthew 11:21-22 

                Jezebel’s father’s name was Ethbaal which means “With Baal” 

                The name Jezebel literally means “without husband” 

                Jezebel killed the prophets of God and instead raised up prophets of Baal and of Ashtoreth. 

                She was the “queen” of witchcraft and of sexual immorality.  (2 Kings 9:22) 

Though Israel claimed to be worshipping God, the truth is they were seduced into worshipping false gods and idols.   

Back to verse 20:  Jezebel was teaching and seducing the servants of God to commit fornication and to eat things which were sacrificed to idols.  The very statement that  they were eating things offered to idols siginfies they were willingly and knowingly doing this!   

Paul said “ask no question” for conscience sake  1 Cor 10:25.  It was and still is PROHIBITED to eat things you know have been offered to idols. You should refuse these types of things, not for your sake, but for the sake of those observing you.  You cannot and must not partake of the cup of devils while trying to partake of the cup of the Lord. 

1 Corinthians 8:4  “As concerning therefore the eating of those things that are offered in sacrifice unto idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one.”

Paul said that an idol is nothing, but he also said,  “don’t ask”.  Why?  In order for you to have a good, clear conscience!   

One final reason for such a stern warning against this “Jezebel” was that the common custom after eating things offered to idols was to have a huge immoral licentious party afterward.    People were encouraged to participate in gross sexual immoralities and to indulge in their every pleasure and this conduct had crept it’s way into the church at Thyatira all under the guise of “godliness” and it was being used to subvert and to seduce God’s people into sin.  There is much more that can be said about Jezebel and those who partake of her vices but I’ll leave this to another teaching on the Jezebel Spirit. 

Is it any wonder that Jesus had such a problem with the Church at Thyatira? 

As we continue in Revelation 2:21:  We must understand that God had every right to judge, condemn and execute judgment and punishment against Jezebel, but instead we see the righteous mercy of God actually extending grace to her!  Jesus said “I gave her space to repent”!   

She could not ever point a finger at God and claim that she had no time.   I have heard people on their deathbeds and those who support and live out their perverse lifestyles right up to the end  say “THEY DIDN’T HAVE TIME”.  Friend, that is a pure bald-faced lie!  The unsaved, the ungodly and the obscene just love to talk about how unfair God is when they don’t get their way and when they realize that death is about to overtake them.  I’ve heard them begin to use the “What If’s” of life in an attempt to justify their own lives. 

“What IF someone heard of God for the first time on their death bed and died before they repented”, they ask...on and on it goes in a feeble attempt to justify themselves before God.   

Let me just say this much concerning every single man, woman and child on the face of the earth:  God is fair and God is Just.  God has warned us all over and over to repent and yet men still reject Him … just like Jezebel did!  What will you do when you finally come to the realization that you will meet the True and Righteous Judge face to face?  I trust you will not do what Jezebel did: 

                “And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not”. (Revelation 2:21) 

Because she would not repent, the judgment of God is given.  Verse 22:  “I will cast her into a bed… This literally means into a “bed of sickness” or a bed of anguish.  It could also have meant that God was going to send pestilence or disease or it could have meant he was just going to cast here into hell itself.  In either case, it was God’s judgment and it was righteous and true! 

It is interesting to note, however that God didn’t just judge the false prophetess:  He included the ones who were seduced by her doctrines to commit sin! Why do you suppose that is?  I think Peter sums it up best:   

For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known [it], to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. (2 Peter 2:21)

Look at the last part of Verse 22:  “…EXCEPT THEY REPENT…” 

How loving and patient God really is!  How merciful and longsuffering He is!  Even after warning them, and giving them sentence of judgment to be pronounced upon them,  He STILL give them space and time and instruction to repent! 

The mention of Jezebel’s children in verse 23 refers not to her physical children, but to those who have embraced her false doctrine. 

Notice the Lord’s instruction to those who have kept themselves pure from this false doctrine:   

Revelation 2:24-25:  “But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak; I will put upon you none other burden.  But that which ye have already hold fast till I come. " 

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