Seven churches

102
M. M. NINAN
________________________________________________
Jesus accepts the work, the love, the faith, their ministry and patience (v.19) They were
very commendable. But there was this - Jezebel (v.20) Apparently in the church there was
a very important and influential lady who called herself as a prophetess who encouraged
the church members to go along with the social culture. She justified the practice of
fornication, idol worship and eating of meat sacrificed to the idols (v.21) Sexual
involvement is a form of worship in all heathen religions. In most sophisticated religions
they appear in a more sublimated form either as fertility worship (as in Siva Linga) or as
mother worship (as in Mariolatory). Priestesses (Deva Dasees) of temple were ritual
prostitutes. They were the unifying force in the community. They provided universal love.
Most people who became Christians in Thyatira still held this appealing aspect. In
Christianity also sex is a worship as an image of relation between Jesus and his Church
with absolute fidelity between one man and one woman. It is a foretaste of Heaven on
earth. It is therefore tempting to theologize and say it provides love to all. When some
inspired prophetess encourages and delivers it as a means of God-realization, it is not
surprising that most people went along.
The prophetess teaches and seduces.
Most people think that this lady - called here as Jezebel - was the wife of the elder in
Thyatira. So she not only taught but actively seduced the church members into it. To
make church as the guild will be a solution. Won’t it? It is, but then it behaves differently.
Historically Jezebel was the Queen of King Ahab. In the time of Elijah, Israel knew
Jezebel as the Sidonian idol-worshipper married to the wicked king Ahab. Functioning like
a prophetess, she had taught idolatry to Israel while murdering the prophets of God and
inspiring her husband to evil She was the greatest of all Baal worshippers. Her story can
be found in 1 Kings 16:31 - 33 and in detail in chapters 18-21 and in 2 Kings 9. The entire
Israel (except 400 men of faith) followed her evil ways. The punishment of God for that
was severe. All those who professed Baal were killed within the temple of Baal and
Jezebel herself was thrown down and eaten by her own wild dogs. A similar punishment is
pronounced in Rev. 2:22-23. We do not have any historical documents to the execution of
the verdict of Jesus. But we should not be surprised if an disease similar to the AIDS or
venereal diseases to have took up the order. It is a natural consequence of sin that it
breeds death. For the wages of sin is death.