The Jezebel Spirit

In the last days, the latter times, there will be an onslaught against the faith (Jude), the genuine believer will be tested, and the results of this testing to come is apostasy, a great falling away. In the first century Paul faced the Judaizers who had bewitched the Galatians, then he dealt with asceticism. Apostle John in the end of the first century saw gnosticism invade the halls of faith. However, Paul also told of the apostasy to come, and it will be a great falling away from the truth, a departure from what is true to believe what is not true, and this seduction will take place as a result of the Jezebel spirit for the most part.

First let's take a look at what Paul saw in the Spirit and wrote for our benefit. 1 Timothy 4:1-3 ¶ Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. The Holy Spirit revealed to Paul what the latter times would bring, a raging onslaught of false doctrine that will be empowered by the demonic realm, seducing spirits. Let's take a look at this word in the Greek for some more information.

From Strong's Numbering and Thayer's Dictionary:

4108 planoV planos plan’-os

of uncertain affinity; TDNT-6:228,857; adj

AV-deceiver 4, seducing 1; 5

1) wandering, roving
2) misleading, leading into error

Sometimes an adjective had an article added to it and was used as a noun which is shown by Thayer in the translating of this word. The meaning is from the primary function of the word as an adjective, it is descriptive and shows a wandering from point A to point B. At the beginning of that wandering from point A, there is very little if any difference as is able to be seen from the average onlooker or the naked eye, but after a period of time there begins to show a very distinct difference. In the study of geometry, we know that in a circle there are 360 degrees, and if we start at the center and go from it in two lines just two degrees apart, there is absolutely no difference by looking at them at say, an inch or even two inches, but when we get ten feet or twenty feet from the vertex, we begin to see a dramatic difference, the farther we go the more profound the difference. This is exactly what happens with seducing spirits, they introduce false doctrines that sound good, they even have on the surface some support Biblically, yet when studied out to full extent, much further than the average person goes in the direction, there begins to be seen a seduction from the original truth. Since Paul wrote this revelation in 60AD, this sedcution has been taking place and today we have been seduced in many false doctrines from some well meaning but very deceived people.

When seducing spirits are at work, the individuals most often think they are fine, they are having great theological ideas given them, revelations that are coming from the lord, but in fact they are false doctrines and must be tested to see if they are of God, tested against Scripture, that is Scripture that is interpreted using sound hermeneutical skills. Demon spirits entice what appeals to the flesh, they bring forth unsound doctrines that will "feel" good, as emotions can be manipulated and they can be wrong when it comes done to truth especially when truth contradicts feeling as it almost always will. The apostasy many times comes from "good" people who are sincere in what they believe, but they are sincerely in error, and despite their cries of foul when exposed, they are sincerely wrong and must be exposed as such overturning their false doctrines for the truth.

There are some very distinct characteristics of seducing spirits from Paul's letter to Timothy. First they are in the faith, they are in the church, they are members in good standing and they are more than members on a role, but they are able to instruct because Paul makes clear that some depart from the faith as a result of their instruction. They may be ministers or deacons or Sunday school teachers, but for some to depart from the faith, these people must and do teach their destructive heresies to perhaps some unsuspecting "fools" in the congregation. Paul makes clear that we are to NOT take what someone says as the truth, by as is by nature for disciples [learners], they study God's Word to know what it says, and NOT what someone or some group says. 2 Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. Many "religions" exist and have existed from the beginning, but age doesn't make them true and far too many in the church world go further than tolerate things, they embrace them into their own belief system because they sound or feel good. False teachers will not let go of their false doctrine because their conscience is seared, they have no desire for the truth. Those who want the truth allow themselves to be taught as well as teach, they are accountable, and they are responsible.

Paul fought the Judaizers who were Pharisees who said a pretty prayer and accepted Jesus Christ as a real Person, but decided they must also go further than what was taught in Scripture, they decided they must go around the world and teach that the rituals and acts of the Mosaic Law must also be done in order to have a right relationship. Paul taught clearly that the Law was dead to the believer, it was obsolete as the writer of Hebrews said (Hebrews 8:13), that we are saved by grace (Ephesians 2:8), and NOT grace plus the Mosaic Law. Galatians 3:1 ¶ O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? The Judaizers had been able to bewitch several in the Galatian churches as they decided to add the Mosaic practices to their faith in Yashua. Paul responds with a serious question after he had laid a solid foundation using as an example, Peter's seduction in Chapter 2. Paul had faced Peter for his hypocrisy and told him that if he had continued, he would walk away from the Lord and have no relationship with Him at all, truly become apostate.

In the end of the first century, a teaching that Jesus was God came forth, but not from Scripture, it stated in paraphrase form that Jesus as God was holy and didn't come in the flesh, He came in Spirit. This teaching developed into many things, the primary doctrine was that things done in the flesh didn't matter to Jesus, it was only those things that were done in the Spirit, and since one had confessed Jesus as Lord, they were spiritually sound and right, therefore anything done in the flesh was of no affect, they were saved. This teaching that John battled is called Gnosticism. 1 John 1:1 ¶ That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; Notice that John starts out on target addressing the key issue of gnosticism, that Jesus was in the flesh and dwelt among us, he handled Him, ate with Him, slept with Him, Jesus was fully man, and He was fully God.

John went on to address the conclusion of Gnosticism that what is done in the flesh means nothing against the spirit of man. John deals with the issue of sin, what it is, and who is a sinner. 1 John 1:6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: John refutes the gnosticism theory, and shows what the truth is, the flesh does matter, and if we are sinning, if we are walking in darkness, and we say we are fine, we lie to ourselves and to others who we give this false doctrine to. Gnosticism of the day has had a name change, but the false doctrine is still taught, it is called eternal security or Once Saved Always Saved. It is Gnostic in origin and just as it was false doctrine in the first century, it remains false doctrine in this century.

The hour of testing and the the test itself comes in the form of real life, what we do in every day life. Do we use God's Word to live our daily life? Do we use His principles to choose wisely? Do we read the Bible and study it for ourselves, to learn from Him what is true? Do we spend time in prayer on a daily basis? The answer to these questions reveals who and what we are, and why we listen to seducing spirits. The church world has fallen for false doctrine to the point of apostasy, and we are approving it even as I write this. Let's take a look at what is happening. Revelation 2:20 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. The church at Thyratira allowed a person to teach simply because she called herself a prophetess. Jezebel is that person, and she was able to seduce my servants. Let's look at the word in the Greek.

From Strong's Numbering and Thayer's Dictionary:

4105 planaw planao plan-ah’-o

from 4106; TDNT-6:228,857; v

AV-deceive 24, err 6, go astray 5, seduce 2, wander 1, be out of the way 1; 39

1) to cause to stray, to lead astray, lead aside from the right way

1a) to go astray, wander, roam about 2) metaph.

2d1) of heretics

These words are related to each other, planoV which Paul used in 1 Timothy 4, and planaw which John uses in the words he records of Jesus to the seven churches of which this one is Thyratira. Notice that the results of both usages is sin. The Jezebel spirit as all seductive spirits bring false doctrines into the church world that allow or endorse or justify sin in some way. Gnosticism justified sin by taking it away with the superspiritualizing of the flesh, and the Jezebel spirit justifies it by it coming from an authority figure in the church, a prophetess.

The sad reality of the Jezebel spirit is yet to be made. Look at where this person is! She is teaching in the church! The Jezebel spirit has no boundaries, but she seduces well known and famous people to teach her false doctrines, television evangelists with huge empires, their own little kingdoms to seduce God's people. Jezebel is endorsed and welcomed into the church to seduce the servants of God. Revelation 2:20 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. Jezebel is welcomed into the church to destroy the church. The church embraces false doctrines for its own destruction, and welcomes them!

Jezebel was married to Ahab, king of the ten northern tribes called Israel. Jezebel ruled the nation through her husband. I have in times past humorously labeled this duo, Jezebel and the Jelly Fish, a spineless creature, no backbone to stand for himself. Beginning in 1 Kings 16 we gather much information about Ahab and Jezebel, and we see the severity of the Jezebel spirit. The whole purpose was idolatry, to stray away from God to another or others (Jezebel led Israel to worship the Baals and the Ashtaroth.), to rid the world of believers and to establish evil as good, to be able to do what you wanted. Jezebel even went so far as to have Naboth murdered to give his vineyard to Ahab because he liked it. The Jezebel spirit has nothing good in it, and all the doctrines bring one result, apostasy, wandering away from the truth until one is no longer able to see the truth, but accepts everything that is evil and thinks they are fine as they are.

With all this information about Jezebel and the Jezebel spirit, it boggles my mind to see her allowed to teach in the church. How can we be so stupid to allow Jezebel into pulpits?? For those who would dispute that the Jezebel spirit even exists rejects sound Scriptural facts, and to deny she is teaching in the church is sheer folly. She is teaching in the church and she is endorsed by many to teach. She is there to seduce God's people with her seductive doctrines that endorse or justify sin in one way or another. The church world is embracing its own seduction rejecting all the Scriptural warnings and admonitions. The Jezebel spirit is behind the apostasy and the Whore of Babylon that will engulf the world. We are truly near the Parousia of Jesus Christ.