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.

Notwithstanding {G235} I have {G2192} a few things {G3641} against {G2596} thee {G4675}, because {G3754} thou sufferest {G1439} that woman {G1135} Jezebel {G2403}, which {G3588} calleth {G3004} herself {G1438} a prophetess {G4398}, to teach {G1321} and {G2532} to seduce {G4105} my {G1699} servants {G1401} to commit fornication {G4203}, and {G2532} to eat {G5315} things sacrificed unto idols {G1494}.

But I have this against you: you continue to tolerate that Izevel woman, the one who claims to be a prophet, but is teaching and deceiving my servants to commit sexual sin and eat food that has been sacrificed to idols.

But I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. By her teaching she misleads My servants to be sexually immoral and to eat food sacrificed to idols.

But I have this against thee, that thou sufferest the woman Jezebel, who calleth herself a prophetess; and she teacheth and seduceth my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed to idols.

Commentary

Revelation 2:20 delivers a strong rebuke from Jesus Christ to the church in Thyatira, one of the seven churches of Asia. Despite commending their positive attributes like love, service, faith, and patience, Christ sternly criticizes their allowance of a dangerous influence within their midst: a woman identified as "Jezebel" who claims to be a prophetess.

Context

Thyatira was a bustling city known for its trade guilds. Membership in these guilds often necessitated participation in pagan feasts and rituals, which commonly involved eating meat sacrificed to idols and engaging in immoral acts. The church in Thyatira, while spiritually active and growing in many ways, was failing to uphold doctrinal and moral purity against these pervasive cultural pressures. Christ's message here underscores that spiritual vitality cannot excuse the toleration of sin or false teaching within the community of believers.

Key Themes

  • Toleration of False Teaching: The core issue is the church's failure to confront or remove someone who was actively misguiding believers. This highlights the critical importance of safeguarding sound doctrine and biblical truth within the church.
  • Spiritual and Moral Corruption: The activities promoted by "Jezebel" are explicitly "fornication" and eating "things sacrificed unto idols." These practices represent both literal sexual immorality and spiritual idolatry, which were often intertwined in pagan worship. Christ demands holiness and exclusive devotion from His followers.
  • Divine Authority and Judgment: Jesus, who knows the works and hearts of all (Revelation 2:18), asserts His ultimate authority over the church. He warns that He will not tolerate such destructive influences, emphasizing His commitment to maintaining His church's purity.

Linguistic Insights

The figure of "that woman Jezebel" is widely understood to be symbolic, rather than a literal individual named Jezebel from the Old Testament. She represents a powerful, deceptive influence within the Thyatiran church that mirrored the actions and spirit of the historical Queen Jezebel of Israel. The Old Testament Jezebel, wife of King Ahab, famously promoted the worship of Baal and persecuted God's true prophets (1 Kings 16:31, 1 Kings 21:25). In Revelation 2:20, this "Jezebel" is a self-proclaimed prophetess who seduces Christ's servants into spiritual and moral compromise. The term "fornication" (Greek: porneia) often has a broader meaning than just sexual immorality in the Bible; it frequently encompasses spiritual unfaithfulness, where believers are drawn away from exclusive devotion to God towards idolatrous practices or worldly compromises, much like Israel was often depicted as committing spiritual adultery (Jeremiah 3:8).

Practical Application

This verse offers a crucial warning to churches and individual believers across all generations. It highlights the enduring need for:

  • Discernment: Believers must be vigilant to test all teachings and spiritual claims against the unchanging standard of God's Word (1 John 4:1). Not every message presented as divine truth is genuinely from God.
  • Purity: The church is called to maintain a high standard of both moral and doctrinal purity. This requires actively confronting and addressing sin and false teaching within its ranks. Tolerating destructive influences can lead to widespread spiritual and moral decline within the community.
  • Faithfulness: Christ expects His followers to remain exclusively faithful to Him, resisting the allure of worldly compromises, idolatry, and immorality, even when such pressures arise from within religious circles.

Ultimately, Revelation 2:20 is a powerful call to vigilance and holiness, reminding us that Christ sees all and will justly judge those who lead His people astray (Revelation 2:23).

Note: If the commentary doesn’t appear instantly, please allow 2–5 seconds for it to load. It is generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash using a prompt focused on Biblical fidelity over bias. While the insights have been consistently reliable, we encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit.

Please note that only the commentary section is AI-generated — the main Scripture and cross-references are stored on the site and are from trusted and verified sources.

Cross-References

  • 1 Kings 16:31

    And it came to pass, as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he took to wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Zidonians, and went and served Baal, and worshipped him.

  • Revelation 2:14

    But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.

  • 1 Corinthians 10:18

    Behold Israel after the flesh: are not they which eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar?

  • 1 Corinthians 10:21

    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.

  • Acts 15:29

    That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well.

  • 2 Kings 9:7

    And thou shalt smite the house of Ahab thy master, that I may avenge the blood of my servants the prophets, and the blood of all the servants of the LORD, at the hand of Jezebel.

  • Acts 15:20

    But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and [from] fornication, and [from] things strangled, and [from] blood.
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