“But I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess…” (Revelation 2:18-29, NASB)

There should be zero tolerance for false teachers and false teaching in the church. Although the church in Thyatira was commended for its faith and service, the Lord was against them for tolerating someone or something that should not have been tolerated. The Lord said,

“I know your deeds, and your love and faith and service and perseverance, and that your deeds of late are greater than at first. But I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and leads My bond-servants astray, so that they commit acts of immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. And I gave her time to repent; and she does not want to repent of her immorality. Behold, I will cast her upon a bed of sickness, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of her deeds. And I will kill her children with pestilence; and all the churches will know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts; and I will give to each one of you according to your deeds.”

Now, “Jezebel” here could have been someone’s real name in that church, but more likely it was a nickname describing someone or something with characteristics similar to the evil queen found in the book of Kings. Many seem to believe it was the latter. Jezebel was a self-proclaimed “prophetess,” but in Christ’s eyes, she was a false one. It appears that Jezebel was a human entity, as the Lord gave her time to repent, but she chose not to, leading to the pronouncement that she would be judged as her followers would. Who was Jezebel in the Old Testament, and why did God get angry with Israel for tolerating her sinfulness? She was a Phoenician princess who married King Ahab, who eventually became a powerful queen in Israel. She was famous for her faith in Baal and Asherah, who caused the people of Israel to fall deep into idolatry and immorality for decades. Eventually, she was judged by God and was put to death mercilessly by a man named Jehu. Since then, her name has been often used to describe someone or something evil, immoral, idolatrous, and leading God’s people astray.

Apparently, there were false teachers in the church in Thyatira who were spreading false teaching and leading God’s people astray. Moreover, the people in the church knew what she was doing but did nothing to challenge her or remove her. False teachers and false teaching should not be tolerated. They will grow in the body of Christ like cancer and cause fatalities among churches. Like cancer, they must be identified at the early stages of growth and eliminated as soon as possible. If they are allowed to remain in the fellowship of believers, they will grow, spread, and destroy the life of the church. When they take up a leadership role in the church, it will be even harder to challenge and remove them. Then you too will be judged as “her children,” and lose rewards and experience “sickness,” “tribulation,” and “pestilence.” Tolerance toward false teachers and their teaching happens when believers become ignorant of God’s Word, begin embracing the cultural norm, or become antichristian in their thinking.

• Who do you think “Jezebel” was at the church in Thyatira, and who are the Jezebels of today?
• What are some of their teaching that have invaded the church in the 21^st century?