Revelation 2:20 “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.”
At the end of life, when a person is dead and gone, their remains are buried and often a memorial is left to those who are living. Commonly, a description is left on a stone or marker that reveals the name of that person, the day they were born and the day they died, and if possible, an epitaph is written on the stone briefly describing the person.
There is an epitaph that was never written, “Here lies Jezebel”, you won’t find this persons bones in some ancient graveyard or a memorial to her royal position as queen.
Jezebel was the daughter of the priest-king Ethbaal, ruler of the Phoenician cities of Tyre and Sidon. When Jezebel married King Ahab of Israel (ruled c. 874–853 BCE), she persuaded him to introduce the worship of the Tyrian god Baal-Melkart, a nature god. Most of the prophets of Yahweh were killed at her command.
Why would I be mentioning a woman who introduced the worship of Ba’al and Asherah to Israel at a time when some of their greatest prophets such as Elijah and Elisha were serving? She instituted the practice of worship that defied God and promoted such evil that the spirit of Jezebel is mentioned in Revelation as a sign of the last days.
The legacy of Jezebel
“In the last days, the daughters of Jezebel shall rule over nations,” warns the scrawling inscription that surrounds the face of Jezebel in this 1993 painting by American folk artist Robert Roberg. The apocalyptic message seems to associate the Biblical queen with the “mother of whores and of abominations” who “rules over the kings of the earth” and who has committed fornication with them (Revelation 17:2, 5, 18).
Biblical Archaeology
The practice of Ba’al worship usually involved sacrificing animals but the Canaanite practice turned for the worse in times of trouble. People would sacrifice their first born child on the altar of Ba’al in hopes of prosperity. Asherah, the traditional mother of Ba’al was often portrayed as naked, holding out her prominent breasts to signify fertility. The practice of temple prostitution was instituted at the time between Ba’al and Asherah priests and priestesses, sometimes before the people, to likewise promote prosperity in hopes their crops would be blessed.
The spirit of harlotry is significant today and we see it prominent in our land. The porn industry is a massive 10 billion dollar business of selling sex. Likewise, the practice of sacrificing children has been promoted in our country and world wide to the point of 1.5 billion children murdered since Roe v Wade since 1973.
The spirit of Jezebel is alive and well in America and across the globe.
How does God respond to such wanton abuse of what He deemed sacred? First, let’s look at what He deems sacred.
Sex, which God intended for the marriage bed between a man and woman has significant meaning.
Why is it so sacred?
God likens marriage between a man and woman as a model of Christ to the church. It is a holy institution that reveals attributes of God’s love and the covenant relationship He has formed with those who follow Him.
Ephesians 5:2-26 “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word,”.
The late Ravi Zacharias describes marriage as the only place you might see all 4 expressions of love coming together in one place.
Eros-romantic love. Within the boundary of marriage, eros love is to be celebrated and enjoyed as beautiful blessing from God: “Let your fountain be blessed, and rejoice in the wife of your youth, a lovely deer, a graceful doe. Let her breasts fill you at all times with delight; be intoxicated always in her love.” (Proverbs 5:18–19; see also Hebrews 13:4; 1 Corinthians 7:5; Ecclesiastes 9:9)
Philia-brotherly love or friend bond. Following his resurrection, Jesus asked the apostle Peter if he loved him (agape). Peter replied three times that he did, but the word he used was phileo or brotherly love (John 21:15–19).
Storge-family love. Many examples of family love are found in Scripture, such as the mutual protection among Noah and his wife, the love of Jacob for his sons, and the strong love the sisters Martha and Mary had for their brother Lazarus
Agape-God’s love which is unconditional and sacrificial, the highest form of love which is pure. Jesus Christ demonstrated this kind of divine love to his Father and to all humanity in the way he lived and died: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)
So what was the end of Jezebel?
2 Kings 9:30-37 gives a sordid detail of Jezebels own eunuchs throwing her from a window and the dogs eating her. All that was left was her skull, palms and feet. She had no burial, only the refuse for the dogs in the field. The prophecy of Jezebel’s death, in 1 Kings 21:23, was fulfilled and the end of Jezebel as described in verse 37 was complete.
“and the corpse of Jezebel shall be as refuse on the surface of the field, in the plot at Jezreel, so that they shall not say, “Here lies Jezebel.” ’
The story of Ahab and Jezebel is a story of terrible wickedness—Idolatry, fornication, murder, blasphemy, treachery, infanticide, lies and the list goes on.
The judgment that God brought upon her should give us reason for notice. Ba’al and Asherah worship may not be evident today, but can you say you truly worship the God who created heaven and earth? You may not be an abortionist, but do you support those who do? Do you vote for elected officials that make abortion on demand their platform or worship false gods?
God hates abortion. God hates sin. God hates adultery and fornication. He will have His vengeance and it will be terrible for those who defy His call to holiness, a call to righteousness and truth.
Life is sacred in God’s eyes. The marriage union of a man and woman is a standard instituted by God , it is as sacred today as it was then and shouldn’t be tossed aside as a relic of the past.
What will be on your epitaph? What legacy do you want to leave on this earth?
The decisions you make today, will affect your future tomorrow.
There will be a time of reckoning, the great and awesome day of the Lord is coming.
Malachi 4:5 “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes.”
Elijah has come. John the Baptist embodied the spirit of Elijah at the time of Christ. The call goes out today, repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand.
There is a time coming when the judgment of God will be completed. A person will only be able to stand before God if Jesus is their King. The Lion of Judah reigns today in Heaven and He will reign upon the earth.
Revelation 20:11-15. “Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.”
The purity of God’s love and grace is being extended to all who would come. Jezebel chose to reject God and embrace idolatry, her life ended tragically but even worse, her soul is in torment in Hell.
The hope of salvation has been bought with a price, all you have to do is believe and accept it. Walking in holiness is a journey that begins with a loving God who will lead you in the way. He walks with His people, He lives in His people, and He will lift up His people to reign with Him in glory.
In a world that embodies the spirit of Jezebel, the destruction will be swift and it will be complete. Choose this day whom you will serve, decide which path you’re going to take and don’t let the deceptive nature of this world affect your thinking.
Take a stand like Elijah did against the evil of this world then when Christ returns you will be found justified…only because of Jesus
All who are of Christ will have a legacy that will extend for eternity, all who serve false gods will see their lives lost to a legacy like Jezebel… cast out, never to be remembered.
Let your name be remembered as one who trusted in the living God.
U.T. 