It was a Friday night a couple years ago, the Sabbath already began. I was sitting in the living room and I saw the Bible concordance and I had this thought out of curiosity to look up the name Jezebel and observe its meaning. I expected her name to mean something like “evil rebellious woman.”
Many times in the Bible names denote character, so I expected to find Jezebel’s name meaning something along what her character was. What I found shocked me and turned my small curiosity into a full study.
In the Old Testament Jezebel’s name is mentioned many times in the book of 1-2 Kings. It means “Baal exalts”, something I expected since she played a major role in bringing Baal worship from Zidon to Israel. In the New Testament Jezebel’s name is mentioned only once (Revelation 2:20). The Greek word for Jezebel in the NT is a derivation of her name in Hebrew but with a twist I didn’t expect. Her name in the NT means “chaste.”
This really surprised me because to be chaste and discrete is a godly principle that God says we should follow, especially women (Titus 2:5). How could Jezebel’s name have a character meaning of reserved, quiet, not seeking to be the center of attention, self-controlled, innocent, when she was opposite of these things? How could her name mean “chaste” when she wasn’t? Or was she chaste but not in the godly manner as we think of “chaste” to be?
I began to look into her name more closely. Jezebel’s name ends in “bel” which is a reference to Baal which was associated with devil worship, hence the meaning of her name in the OT “Baal exalts.” An example of “bel” as part of a name associated with the devil is “Beelzebub” and “Belial.” I began to discover that Jezebel’s name means chaste but with a satanic taint to it. God began to show me that there are two types of chastity.
There is a godly chastity that promotes godly fruit of character, to be pure, quiet, reserved and submissive (Ephesians 5:22-23). And there is a satanic chastity, to be outwardly quiet, reserved, not seeking to be the main attention in public, but secretly be working behind the scenes using smokescreens to be in control for your own selfish self-exalted desires which in turn produces corrupt and bad fruit. I began to read the story of Jezebel in 1 Kings and Prophets and Kings to find evidence of this satanic chastity. Let’s look at two highlights from the story of Jezebel and Ahab.
In 1 Kings 16:29-33 we see Ahab taking over the kingdom of Israel after the death of Omri his father. Ahab did more evil than all the kings before him (v. 30). Israel was already in idolatry but the worship of Baal wasn’t introduced yet. The Bible says even though Ahab was worse than the kings before him—which was bad enough—the real bomb was that he married Jezebel “if it had been a light thing.” As soon as we see this marriage to Jezebel we see Baal worship spreading throughout the kingdom with Ahab establishing a house of Baal and an altar for him.
Working Behind the Scenes
Though the Bible credits Ahab for these actions, who was the real power working behind the scenes, using Ahab as a tool to achieve her purpose? Jezebel. Being chaste and discrete in the outside, in the public looking like a woman to serve the king, but in the palace behind closed doors she was the one calling the shots, being chaste in a satanic way to achieve her own selfish purpose.
Ahab was weak in moral power. His union by marriage with an idolatrous woman of decided character and positive temperament resulted disastrously both to himself and to the nation. Unprincipled, and with no high standard of right doing, his character was easily molded by the determined spirit of Jezebel. His selfish nature was incapable of appreciating the mercies of God to Israel and his own obligations as the guardian and leader of the chosen people. {PK 115}
The Spirit of Jezebel is determined, and molds the character of the weak husband. In the public eye however, Ahab is the one commanding giving orders. Jezebel is quiet in the background being a “good wife” in the eyes of the people, and Ahab seems to them like a good leader. But in reality, in the private life, Ahab is weak and Jezebel is the one in charge using Ahab and the prophets of Baal to do her bidding which produced bad fruit and death to those who worshiped God.
This satanic ‘chaste’ spirit is also seen when we see Ahab wanting Naboth’s vineyard and is denied ownership of it (1 Kings 21:5-11). Jezebel tells Ahab not to worry and proceeds to write letters under Ahab’s name using the king’s seal plotting the death of Naboth by accusing him of blaspheming God and the king.
Here we see Jezebel working behind the scenes writing orders but hiding under the veil of king Ahab. If an investigator tried to determine who exactly ordered the death of Naboth, the evidence would point to Ahab. But Ahab didn’t order the death of Naboth. It was Jezebel. She used the king as a front to give the king the vineyard, and Jezebel also achieves her goal by slaying a man who followed the Law of God. She also professes to be godly by accusing a man of blaspheming not Baal but God and sentences him to death by having two men sons of Belial testify against him.
Revelation 2
Jezebel professes to be a prophetess and seduces the servants of God (Revelation 2:20). How does she do this? By being chaste and discrete on the outside appearing to be godly but using whomever she can to be her tool and work behind the scenes to achieve her selfish goals. Jesus says by their fruits ye shall know them, and the spirit of Jezebel will be known by the fruits he or she produces. The only way to recognize this satanic ‘chaste’ spirit from a godly spirit is to see the fruits being borne by the individual.
The evil influence that Jezebel had exercised from the first over Ahab continued during the later years of his life and bore fruit in deeds of shame and violence such as have seldom been equaled in sacred history. “There was none like unto Ahab, which did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the Lord, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up.” Naturally of a covetous disposition, Ahab, strengthened and sustained in wrongdoing by Jezebel, had followed the dictates of his evil heart until he was fully controlled by the spirit of selfishness... {PK 204}
As I began to see the difference between the satanic and godly difference of chastity, I also began to understand why Jezebel’s name means chaste. She was chaste in a satanic way, looking innocent in public but being crafty and cunning in private. I then began to ask where was this satanic spirit first introduced and has it been around God’s people in biblical times and is it among God’s professed remnant church in our time?
Genesis 3:1 says that the serpent was more subtil than any other creature God created. Subtil means crafty and cunning (traits of Jezebel) which is why Satan chose it. Satan using the serpent to entice Eve, telling her that God is hiding a knowledge of something He doesn’t want her to know (a knowledge of sin and the evil it brings). He also told her she will not die, eat the fruit and the knowledge will be yours. You will be like God.
Eve had been perfectly happy by her husband’s side in her Eden home; but, like restless modern Eves, she was flattered with the hope of entering a higher sphere than that which God had assigned her. In attempting to rise above her original position, she fell far below it. A similar result will be reached by all who are unwilling to take up cheerfully their life duties in accordance with God’s plan. In their efforts to reach positions for which He has not fitted them, many are leaving vacant the place where they might be a blessing… {PP 59}
Jezebel wanted to be in a position that God did not assign her, and she was willing to manipulate and kill whoever to achieve her goal while looking like a chaste innocent person outwardly. Is this attitude in us today? This is something we must ask ourselves, do we have this spirit and not even know it?
Rebekah, a godly woman, was deceived with this same spirit, willing to go behind her husband’s back and deceive Isaac into blessing Jacob—her favorite son—so he could inherit the family wealth and be the one in charge of the worship of God. The result was a curse and she never saw her son again.
Haman had this spirit, outwardly looking like a good servant of the king, but privately plotting a way to destroy the Jews because Mordecai didn’t bow and show him honor. Haman wanted to be like the king himself (Esther 6:6-9) but he ended up being hanged in the gallows he prepared for Mordecai.
Herodias hated John the Baptist for calling out the sinful lifestyle between her and king Herod. She wanted him dead but Herod just imprisoned him. Herodias could not do like Jezebel and write letters in the name of the king to kill John, so she waited for an opportunity. When her daughter danced and pleased Herod, he offered her anything she wanted, and she went to consult with her mother, and Herodias used her daughter to sentence John to death (Matthew 14:8).
The Pharisees
Outwardly claiming and looking to be pious holy men, but thinking that Christ will anger the Romans and they would lose their wealth and high position, they secretly conspired how they could kill the Son of God.
The Jesuits work in the same satanic chaste spirit, read Great Controversy 234-235.
Judas wanting to be in the right hand of Christ in his earthly kingdom secretly plotted with the chief priests to betray Christ. Judas did miracles and was used by the Spirit, but his ambition for wealth and high position led him to betray the Savior.
Do we see this type of selfish ambitious spirit in our church today? Appearing as godly but in reality it’s to achieve a position God has not sanctioned? How about the women’s ordination movement?
There have been and always will be tares among the wheat, the foolish virgins with the wise, those who have no oil in their vessels with their lamps. There was a covetous Judas in the church Christ formed on earth, and there will be Judases in the church in every stage of her history. But because there are such, it does not do away with the fact that God has a church. There were murmurers, envious and jealous ones in the tribes of Israel, journeying to the promised Canaan; but, notwithstanding, God led them by a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. {ST October 23, 1879}
God lets the tares grow with the wheat because you never know if the tares/Judases in the church will repent and change. The time will come when the shaking will take place, and those with the satanic spirit of Jezebel will be sifted out.
For years a degree of pharisaism has been springing up among us, which has separated some from the Bible standard. If the preconceived ideas of those actuated by this spirit are crossed, they immediately assume a controversial, combative attitude, as a man puts on armor when preparing for battle. Much pride and loftiness, and a spirit which desires to rule, has been manifested; but very little of the spirit which leads men to sit at the feet of Jesus and learn of him, has been shown. {PH080 10, 1896}
The Laodicean message is to humble ourselves to realize our weakness and need of Jesus so he can mold our hearts like clay and share the gospel. If we are proud, desiring to rule, possessing the characteristics of Jezebel, our hearts will be hardened and we will reject the Spirit of God trying to convict us of sin.
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My name is Nathanael Morel. I am 25 years old and was born and raised Adventist. My family is from the Dominican Republic and we’re very close. I love to study the Bible and preach when an opportunity comes. I attended Amazing Facts Center Of Evangelism (AFCOE) and hope to be an evangelist and continue to share the truths found in God’s word. I enjoy the outdoors and like to bike ride and be athletic.