ELIJAH—A MAN OF LIKE PASSIONS
11 Jezebel—Understanding Her Dark Spirit
TEXT: 1 Kings 19:1-8
1 Kings 19:1-8 KJV And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and withal how he had slain all the prophets with the sword. [2] Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by to morrow about this time. [3] And when he saw that, he arose, and went for his life, and came to Beersheba, which belongeth to Judah, and left his servant there. [4] But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers. [5] And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat. [6] And he looked, and, behold, there was a cake baken on the coals, and a cruse of water at his head. And he did eat and drink, and laid him down again. [7] And the angel of the LORD came again the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee. [8] And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God.
Revelation 2:18-29 KJV And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write; These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass; [19] 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. [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. [21] And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not. [22] Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds. [23] 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. [24] But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak; I will put upon you none other burden. [25] But that which ye have already hold fast till I come. [26] And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: [27] 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. [28] And I will give him the morning star. [29] He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
I. BACKGROUND ON JEZEBEL
-The Lord knows our works as we come to understand when we read the message to the church at Thyatira. It is important for our lives to be marked by good and godly works in a manner we honor God and His kingdom.
-But we also know that in this walk with God there are obstacles and hindrances that often come into play. Sometimes these obstacles are people who have spirits that live inside of their souls. At the end of the day, in the conflict between Jezebel and Ahab, we can see what real spiritual warfare looks like.
-Some of the modern day theologians and prominent evangelical pastors want to completely dismiss the idea of spiritual warfare and make it a limitation to what takes place in the mind with temptations, outward circumstances, and weaknesses in our thinking. We cannot afford to just think that the force of evil only works in the framework of the mind, it is very prominent in our world at this present moment.
-Jezebel—Calls herself a prophetess according to what we find in the text in Revelation. This is a self-proclaimed title that she puts on herself. Self-aggrandizement and self-recognition are key matters in people like this.
-If we look back to Acts 15 at the Jerusalem council—There were some principles that were developed there and they still hold true for us today.
• Stay away from sexually immoral things.
• Stay away from meat offered to idols.
• Stay away from things that are strangled and things with blood.
-Why? The principle was established in Acts 15 that there are some things that will defile you both outwardly and inwardly. Those who oppose outward holiness standards often say that the Lord is only concerned with the condition of the heart, but the heart is very much a part of outward conduct and behavior. Who you are within will express itself without.
A. A Spirit of Jezebel
-A Jezebel spirit works at getting the people of God to do this very thing. It works to get us to disqualify ourselves for the work of the ministry. NOTE: There are some matters that you can get involved with that will forever soil your testimony (credibility) in the church so that no one will heed what you say.
Revelation 2:20-22 NASB 'But I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and leads My bond-servants astray so that they commit acts of immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. [21] 'I gave her time to repent, and she does not want to repent of her immorality. [22] 'Behold, I will throw her on a bed of sickness, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of her deeds.
Revelation 2:20-22 Moffatt NT Still I have this against you: you are tolerating that Jezebel of a woman who styles herself a prophetess and seduces my servants by teaching them to give way to sexual vice and to eat food which has been sacrificed to idols. [21] I have given her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her sexual vice. [22] Lo, I will lay her on a sickbed, and bring her paramours into sore distress, if they do not repent of her practices;
-NKJV notes Rev. 2:22 and gives the expression “sick bed.” This spirit will infect anything it comes into contact with.
-One of the ways that we can understand when a Jezebel spirit is at work. . . If you are afraid to confront people because of the over the top reaction you may get it very well could be you are dealing with a Jezebel spirit.
-By allowing them to do as they wish; you are tolerating a very negative influence in the church.
-A Jezebel spirit cannot work without an Ahab spirit.
• Jezebel—Controlling
• Ahab—Tolerating
-Ahab conquered more than any other king in Israel except for Solomon. Here is a principle: You can be a great conqueror and still be controlled by a Jezebel spirit.
-He conquered by powerful means but he could not get Naboth’s vineyard. Because of this, he appealed to Jezebel who got it through fear, intimidation, and manipulation.
-It is very important to understand that a Jezebel spirit is not gender-based. There are numerous examples in the Bible of men who had this spirit in them also. Herod the Great is an example of this.
-But we also have to understand that when we look at Jezebel there were some other women in Scripture who manifested some very dark spirits that I believe are still prominent in our day. Just to get a grouping together of these spirits, we can point out some things that they do:
• Jezebel—She wants to destroy the prophetic power of individuals in the church.
• Athaliah—She wants to destroy the next generation of rising Apostolics. (Daughter of Jezebel.)
• Delilah—She wants to destroy the strength of an individual by ruining their personal testimony.
-The Lord put all of these characters in His Word so that we would be able to see how they function and operate. The Bible has a very unique way of supplying more wisdom about the behavior patterns of people more than any other book ever written. That is why we are to study it and to know it.
B. The Characteristics of a Jezebel Spirit
-There are a varied range of characteristics that we can see when we come to experience this foul spirit.
-Characteristics of a Jezebel Spirit
• Insecurity
• Rejection
• Pride
• Arrogance
• Manipulation
• Control
-All of these work in conjunction with each other.
-Steve Sampson in his book, Confronting Jezebel—Discerning and Defeating the Spirit of Control, gives the following characteristics of a Jezebel spirit:
• Will not submit.
• Independent.
• Self-serving.
• Opposes authority figures.
• Is seductive in nature.
• Uses false flattery, control, and manipulation.
• Will resort to sexual seduction if possible.
• Pits one person against another.
• Opposes intercessory prayer ministry.
• Tries to gain control so it can direct all elements of prayer ministries.
• Prides itself on being more spiritual than others.
• Hooks with emotionalism.
• Manipulates thru false dreams and visions.
• Uses flattering words.
• Seeks opportunities thru false dreams and visions.
• Will twist Scripture.
• Brings a spirit of infirmity.
• Causes financial lack.
• Hinders purpose and worship.
• Hates repentance.
-Sampson also makes a comparison between Elijah and Jezebel:
• Elijah demands repentance. . . Jezebel hates repentance.
• Elijah demands righteousness. . . Jezebel opposes righteousness.
• Elijah speaks freedom. . . Jezebel desires control.
• Elijah demands humility. . . Jezebel appeals to pride.
• Elijah speaks God’s ways. . . Jezebel uses deceit and systems of witchcraft.
-The Jezebel spirit hates the prophetic flow of God.
C. A Comparison to Herod the Great
-When you make the comparison between Herod the Great, he worked all of these angles in his reign. He told the wise men to tell him where Jesus was so he could worship. In reality, he wanted to kill them (Jesus and the wise men).
-Herod banished many people in his court. He even killed most of his wives. He constantly manipulated things around him because of his own insecurities.
• Built Caesarea and named it in an effort to manipulate Caesar.
• Built Masada and used it as an effort to control the future.
• Built the Wailing Wall in an effort to gain favor with the Jews.
-So we see that this spirit in action in both Jezebel and Herod. There are multiple other characters in the Bible that we can see falling to this kind of activity. . . Ahithophel and Rebekah are two that come to mind almost immediately.
II. FOUR EFFECTS OF A JEZEBEL SPIRIT
1 Kings 19:1-2 KJV And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and withal how he had slain all the prophets with the sword. [2] Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by to morrow about this time.
A. Fear—1 Kings 19:1-2
-The first effect that we see coming from a Jezebel spirit is that of fear. She used this in an effort to control the prophet.
-Fear is a spirit (2 Tim. 1:7). It will paralyze your faith.
-Before any kind of spiritual ministry is done, we need to get on our knees and submit to God and then resist the devil. This is how a man can take authority with him to the pulpit. God can reveal things to you as you give yourself to this kind of prayer.
-The Jezebel spirit cannot be addressed in our own spirit. It has to be taken by the authority of God. The Jezebel spirit is a weak spirit compared to the Spirit of God!
• It has to be confronted year after year. There is no rest from it in an apostolic setting!
• It has to be confronted with prayer and with fasting.
• It has to be confronted with a solid Scriptural foundation. This is why we must know the Word!
-When you look to the life of Jezebel there is a pattern that emerges. Most who gravitate toward a Jezebel spirit have been rejected by their father and lived in a home with a dominant mother.
-Jezebel was traded by her father like a piece of property. Therefore, some of her reaction to this set of circumstances in life was by a sheer desire to just survive.
-Here is a warning: The most subtle way a Jezebel spirit will come into play is through the entrance of what you may perceive is a trusted friend. They may attach themselves as an intercessor or as an armor-bearer (both are “so-called”). Be wary of someone who wants to sidle up to you.
-If we commit ourselves to the proper role of ministry—we won’t need someone else to do our work for us!
-There is no way to have peace with a Jezebel spirit. It will do all it can to destroy you because it hates you and what you stand for.
-Fear is the first way it will attack.
B. Isolation—1 Kings 19:3
1 Kings 19:3 KJV And when he saw that, he arose, and went for his life, and came to Beersheba, which belongeth to Judah, and left his servant there.
-The second way the Jezebel spirit attacks is through isolation. It will cause you to want to get away from everyone, everything, and everybody!
-There is a difference between solitude and isolation.
• Isolation is me wanting to get alone with me.
• Solitude is me wanting to get alone with God.
-If we are to be spiritual, it will require solitude but when we are attacked by a Jezebel spirit it will desire isolation.
-The devil works in tandem with this concept and it will ultimately lead to us becoming backslidden.
C. Exhaustion—1 Kings 19:4-6
1 Kings 19:4-6 KJV But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers. [5] And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat. [6] And he looked, and, behold, there was a cake baken on the coals, and a cruse of water at his head. And he did eat and drink, and laid him down again.
-There is another element that we see in this passage. The Jezebel spirit works through fear, isolation, and also through exhaustion.
-I want to read this in The Message, a paraphrase by Eugene Peterson:
1 Kings 19:4 MSG and then went on into the desert another day's journey. He came to a lone broom bush and collapsed in its shade, wanting in the worst way to be done with it all--to just die: "Enough of this, GOD! Take my life--I'm ready to join my ancestors in the grave!"
-This was not just being tired. This was a place of being worn out mentally, physically, and emotionally.
-Our bodies are a gift from God but if exhaustion ruins it, there isn’t a way for God to accomplish His will and advance His kingdom.
-This is what happened to Job also. . .
Job 3:11 NKJV "Why did I not die at birth? Why did I not perish when I came from the womb?
D. Depression—1 Kings 19:4
1 Kings 19:4 KJV But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.
-One other point that comes from this text on how the Jezebel spirit attacks. 1) Through fear; 2) Through isolation; 3) Through exhaustion; and 4) Through depression.
-This cry from Elijah for his own death is a common cry from some of the greatest leaders in the Bible:
• Moses—Desired for God to kill him.
• Jeremiah—Cursed be the day I was born (Jer. 20:14-15).
• Jonah—Death is better to me than life (Jonah 4:3).
-When you are under the attack of a Jezebel spirit, you can seem to have a connection with the anti-depressant commercials.
-To sum it all up, those under the attack of a Jezebel spirit:
• Thoughts of suicide
• Thoughts of depression
• Thoughts of quitting
• Thoughts of sexual impurity
• Strange and prolonged sicknesses
• Near fatal accidents
-There are some other characteristics that you can be aware of if you are under the attack of a Jezebel spirit:
• Religious mindsets that hinder God’s free course in your life
• Stubbornness
• A pattern of lying and deceit
• A loss of passion for God (Areas of personal prayer, holiness, love of the Word, etc. This area is primarily that of your personal relationship with God.)
• A loss of zeal for the things of God (Primarily in doing good works and being involved in the local assembly.)
• Unclean thoughts
• Control and manipulation
• Hopelessness and discouragement
• Perversion
-There are conversations that we all have with ourselves and when we are under the attack of the spirit of Jezebel those conversations are not authorized by God!
III. DEALING WITH THE JEZEBEL SPIRIT
-We must deal with the attack of these spirits as they attempt to subvert what God is doing in His church in the last days.
-For those people who have the Jezebel spirit and you are aware of it. I truly believe that the awareness of this comes to us when we are in prayer. God can impress things on our minds that gives us insight into this kind of thing. I also know that there have been voices of elders in my life that have helped me to recognize the pattern of their actions.
-You can be gracious to the person who has this spirit but you cannot afford to be gracious with the spirit that they have. When you begin to try to distance yourself from them, they will start working from an angle of guilt. . .
• You used to spend so much time with me.
• You used to share so much wisdom and spiritual things with me.
• You think you are better than I am.
-This person has to be removed from leadership unless they repent.
A. God’s Voice
-Further down in 1 Kings 19 there are some physical manifestations that appear to Elijah.
• The Wind—A symbol of the Holy Ghost. There will be an accompanying assistance of the discerning of spirits. The Lord will provide some things that will help ferret out a Jezebel spirit.
• The Fire—The purging process of righteousness and holiness in a church. If we ever needed godliness and holiness in our churches, it is now.
• The Earthquake—The shaping process.
• The Still Small Voice—This was really the great way that the Lord spoke to Elijah. Through His voice. . . My sheep hear my voice and know me. The Word of God has no equal. The Word of the Lord can also come through the counsel of godly men and elders that the Lord has placed in our lives.
-God would allow Elijah to have some measure of victory over the spirit of Jezebel but Israel would not be freed of her until she was finally dead at the hands of Jehu.
Over the last ten years, I have developed a friendship with Brother Jeff Arnold who pastors in Gainesville, Florida. I go down to see him about six or seven times a year and we meet at a Sonny’s BBQ on I-75 and spend 2 ½ to 3 hours talking about the Word and preaching and so forth.
One time when I went down there, in the course of the conversation, he asked me, “Who is your Jehu?” I honestly had no idea what he meant. I said, “I am not sure what you mean.” He then shared this very valuable bit of information with me that I think will help you also. He said that every prophet has to contend with a Jezebel spirit. He spoke of some of the harassments he had experienced during his tenure in Gainesville. He told me that a prophet cannot kill Jezebel for only a Jehu can do it. He said that somewhere in a preacher’s life there is a Jehu who has a ministry of intercession. He said that generally these are people who are given to being prayer warriors. They spend time praying, they have had prayers answered, they know how to do warfare praying, and they understand what it is like to be an intercessor. He said that when he was under great duress he would seek out this person and say, “Jehu, do your thing!” He said it would not be very long before there would be a great work of the Holy Ghost. I am fully convinced of this being true!
-After Elijah had dealt with this Jezebel spirit, he is called on to anoint three people:
• Hazael—A King.
• Jehu—A Prophet—killed Jezebel.
• Elisha—A Priest.
-If you don’t deal with Jezebel, God will raise up someone who will deal with the spirit.
• Hazael—Restored a semblance of order.
• Jehu—Killed Jezebel.
• Elisha—Had a double portion of the anointing that Elijah had.
-Therefore to take care of the Jezebel spirit in our lives and ministries:
• Get with God
• Seek counsel
• Take action
-The greatest question that I could ask for all of us. . . What is being held up in my life and this church because I have refused to deal with this Jezebel spirit?
-I have a feeling that as this message has unfolded, there are some situations and perhaps even some people that you have clearly seen that you are in the same place that Elijah was—under the attack of the dark spirit of Jezebel.
-I would like to conclude with the passage in Revelation 2 in the Amplified Bible:
Revelation 2:18-29 Amplified 18 “And to the angel (divine messenger) of the church in Thyatira write: “These are the words of the Son of God, who has eyes [that flash] like a flame of fire [in righteous judgment], and whose feet are like burnished [white-hot]bronze: 19 ‘I know your deeds, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your last deeds are more numerous and greater than the first. 20 But I have this [charge] against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess [claiming to be inspired], and she teaches and misleads My bond-servants so that they commit [acts of sexual] immorality and eat food sacrificed to idols. 21 I gave her time to repent [to change her inner self and her sinful way of thinking], but she has no desire to repent of her immorality and refuses to do so. 22 Listen carefully, I will throw her on a bed of sickness, and those who commit adultery with her [I will bring] into great anguish, unless they repent of her deeds. 23 And I will kill her children (followers) with pestilence [thoroughly annihilating them], and all the churches will know [without any doubt] that I am He who searches the minds and hearts [the innermost thoughts, purposes]; and I will give to each one of you [a reward or punishment] according to your deeds. 24 But to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not explored and known the depths of Satan, as they call them—I place no other burden on you, 25 except to hold tightly to what you have until I come. 26 And he who overcomes [the world through believing that Jesus is the Son of God] and he who keeps My deeds [doing things that please Me] until the [very] end, TO HIM I WILL GIVE AUTHORITY and POWER OVER THE NATIONS; 27 AND HE SHALL SHEPHERD and RULE THEM WITH A ROD OF IRON, AS THE EARTHEN POTS ARE BROKEN IN PIECES, as I also have received authority [and power to rule them] from My Father; 28 and I will give him the Morning Star. 29 He who has an ear, let him hear and heed what the Spirit says to the churches.’
-The key to battling against this spirit is found in Revelation 2:25—hold tightly to what you have until I come. That is the key—being faithful in the face of her intimidation and false worship because there will come a day when it will entirely be defeated.
Philip Harrelson
August 15, 2012
November 7, 2013—First Revision
February 13, 2016—Second Revision
(NOTE: This message was heavily influenced by some messages that I heard a number of years ago in a Pentecostal campmeeting. It has grown into this which is a lot of material to work through in a single message. I added material that I got from books by Steve Sampson, John Paul Jackson, and Arthur Pink.)
