Whom Do We Listen To? Part 8

Whom Do We Listen To? Part 8
Monday, April 27, 2026 by Dr. James W. Walraven

Categories: Apologetics / Apostasy / Contemporary issues / Scripture discussion / Spiritual deception / Spiritual warfare / The church / Thought for Today / Truth telling

Jezebel, one would think that someone like Jezebel would never get a foothold within the church. Given her wickedness, given her practices, it is hard to imagine what could be more removed from what God commands.

Yet even within Scripture, that is not the case. A Jezebel was able to gain significant influence within the church at Thyatira, Revelation 2:18–29.

The key verses concerning her, Revelation 2:20–24 (ESV): “But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols. I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality. Behold, I will throw her onto a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her I will throw into great tribulation, unless they repent of her works, and I will strike her children dead. And all the churches will know that I am he who searches mind and heart, and I will give to each of you according to your works. But to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not learned what some call the deep things of Satan, to you I say, I do not lay on you any other burden.”

How did Jezebel gain her influence? The church at Thyatira tolerated her, the church put up with her. We see that so often, not only in biblical history both Old and New Testament, but on down to our current day. Out of “compassion” or wanting to be seen as open-minded, or whatever the reason might be, we tolerate those who teach biblical error. That never ends well.

What did she do and teach? First, she seduced God’s people to commit sexual immorality. Second, she taught that it was ok to eat food sacrificed to idols. Although a slight inference, she taught that it was ok to participate in the worship of false idols, that one could enjoy their celebratory feasts. In essence, she lived and taught that there was nothing wrong with practicing sin.

God, in His mercy, gave her time to repent, but she was unwilling. Judgment was not God’s preferred option, but when she refused to repent, God’s severe judgment against her followed. Those who adhered to her teachings would also suffer unless they repented. In addition, she was teaching so-called deep things, arguably special knowledge others did not have. There was just one problem, the deep things were things of Satan.

Isn’t that so often the way things of Satan are presented? We see it in the rise of gnostic thought from roughly the 2nd through the 4th centuries. The Gnostics had special knowledge others did not (even the term comes from the Greek gnosis, or knowledge). We also see in in special “wisdom” given by psychics, through seances, through occult practices.

What about our day? Have we, have many in the church today, been captivated by a Jezebel? Perhaps even more convicting, do we tolerate a Jezebel in our churches?

Share This Blog: