My dear readers,

Jesus Christ – Eyes like Flame of Fire and Feet like Fine Brass

Jezebel was a Sidonian princess who was married to King Ahab, the king of Israel. She lived in the time period of Elijah and Elisha. She was the most wicked queen, second perhaps only to her daughter Athaliah who murdered her own grandchildren in order to be the queen of Judah. Jezebel brought with her hundreds of Sidonian Baal prophets when she married Ahab. These false prophets were the ones who challenged Elijah on Mount Carmel. Jezebel was the head of the kingdom who controlled Ahab and Israel. She was wicked to the core especially when she murdered Naboth so that his land could be given to Ahab. She wielded much power and was very influential especially when she used Ahab’s kingly power to accomplish her evil deeds.

The church in Thyatira was not a church without commendations from Christ. They did good in quite a number of areas as the Lord said, “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” (Rev 2:19). They did good works that probably benefitted many including sinners, and showed agape love in practical ways. They also served in church, and believers in the church were ministered to. They had faith, i.e. they walked right with God according to Scriptures. They also had patience in persevering through adversities and perhaps endured persecution too. The Lord knew their works and the latter works mentioned here were more than the former. The church in Thyatira was a busy church and was a blessing to believers. However, she had a major flaw.

The flaw was: “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” (Rev 2:20). There was a woman in the church who behaved like the Jezebel of the Old Testament. The church knew of her behaviour and did nothing to stop her. Whenever leaders or believers are confronted by a sinner and his sins, they are thus on the threshold of sinning if they do not do what is right according to Scriptures. This is true with every confrontation. In the case of the Thyatira church, no action was taken and that means they became partakers of “Jezebel’s” deeds. Their lack of action was an action of consent and permission to continue her sinful ways. “Jezebel’s” great sins in the church were her influence for evil. Her sins included the following:

• Called herself a prophetess – Possessing a title of a prophetess was biblical. Before the completion of the Bible, prophets and prophetesses continued to receive direct prophecies from God like the four daughters of Philip the evangelist who were prophetesses (cf. Acts 21:8-9). Jezebel gave herself this title to gain credibility and influence. She succeeded. The church received her as such.
• Taught and seduced God’s servants to commit fornication – Every believer can know a prophet by his fruits just as a good tree is known by her good fruits. In the case of Jezebel, the fruits of her “ministry” resulted in God’s servants committing fornication. It is not the fault of the minister if the people choose to commit the sin of fornication. But in the case of Jezebel, she taught and seduced them into committing fornication. One of the ways is to teach that it is not a sin. Fornication was a way of life among Gentiles all over the world then, like our world today. A powerful and influential woman in the church committed this sin and the church did nothing to stop her.
• Taught and seduced God's servants to eat food offered to idols – She also taught and seduced God's servants to sin against God by committing spiritual adultery as well. This is the implication of food offered to idols done deliberately and with impunity. 1 Corinthians 10:20-22: “But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils. Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of devils. Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than he?”

The judgment of the LORD was fierce. He described Himself as having eyes like a flame of fire and feet like fine brass (Rev 2:18). The flaming eyes depict His righteous anger and that He pierces into the depth of every soul. He does not judge man’s action alone but also man’s heartfelt motives and thoughts behind every action. The LORD gave Jezebel time to repent but she refused. The holy and fierce judgment of Christ is tempered with patience and mercy. But when it is rebuffed by the sinner, the consequence will surely follow. The LORD says, “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” (Rev 2:22-23). The ones who follow her must also repent or they will join her in her condemnation. The name of Christ is maligned by such acts of sins. Christ sees all and will condemn all. The fact that the punishment is not immediate is because of His mercies.

Believers who do some good deeds and obey some teachings of God’s truth cannot hide behind such obedience and good works to commit sin, especially the sin of partiality and permitting influential people in the church to get away with sin. There must be no respect of persons in judgment. Know that Christ will always judge with perfect judgment the whole person and all areas of his life. Therefore, Christ tells us: “…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 2:25b-29).