What is the spirit of Jezebel and how does it affect our every day lives?
I had a friend who was telling me about the spirit of Jesebel and how it can take control of a homosexual. Can you tell me more about this and what the Bible has to say about it?
Answer
These were two questions that came in within a couple of days of each other. I sent the following answer to both questioners.
The only mention of Jezebel outside of the story of the original Isabella (Jezebel) that can be found in 1 Kings 16-21 is a brief mention in Revelation 2.
"And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write; These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass; I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more than the first. 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. And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not. Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds. 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. 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. And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father. And I will give him the morning star. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches." (Rev 2:18-29)
As you can see, no mention is made in the Bible of "the spirit of Jezebel." In the congregation in Thyatira there was apparently a woman who was trying to lead the church back into some of the practices of some Roman religion. She was trying to reinstitute idol worship and the temple prostitutes that sometimes went with it. Apparently she was trying to make sexual activity a part of the worship of God. This was clearly against everything Jesus stood for. Particularly it was trying to make idols take the place of the one true God.
The main implication of the passage for us today is to teach what God has revealed in his word and not try to replace it with idol worship, whether the idol is a man-made god, a celebrity, an object, money, or fame. We should humbly worship God the way he wants us to worship him, not the ways we choose that oppose his word.
Unlike what some may say, there is no evidence that this Jezebel of Thyatira was promoting homosexual acts. To those who claim that the "spirit of Jezebel" takes control of a homosexual, the Bible teaches that no spirit today can "take control" of anyone without their own will. Even the gifts of the Spirit of God were subject to those who practiced them and didn't take control of them. (1 Cor 14:32)