This is an article on the likenesses and the differences that exist between The True Messiah vs Anti-messiah AND The True Bride of Messiah vs Izebel, (pronounced Eezebel), also known as Jezebel, according to the scriptures.
In Rev 2:18-20 we find this; “And to the messenger of the assembly in Thyatira write, ‘This says the Son of Elohim, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet like burnished brass: I know your works, and love, and service, and belief, and your endurance. And as for your works, the last are more than the first. But I hold against you that you allow that woman Izebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and lead My servants astray to commit whoring and to eat food offered to idols.”
Let’s first look at some background on the historical person, Jezebel;
1Ki 16:31-32 “And it came to be, as though it had been a light matter for him (Ahab) to walk in the sins of Yarobam son of Nebat, that he took as wife Izebel the daughter of Ethbaʽal, sovereign of the Tsidonians. And he went and served Baʽal and bowed himself to it, and raised up an altar for Baʽal in the house of Baʽal, which he had built in Shomeron.”
Several points need to be considered pertaining to this introduction of Jezebel;
- The meaning of Jezebel, is “chaste.” She proves to be the opposite.
- The meaning of “Ethba’al” is “with Ba’al.” Jezebel is the daughter of one who is with Ba’al.
- The literal meaning of “Ba’al” is “worthlessness, however it is the sun-deity of Babylon.
- Ahab rejected YAH’S Commandments and worshiped Ba’al in sun worship. Not wise.
1Ki 18:19 (The Prophet of YAH, Eliyah says) “And now, send and gather all Yisra’ĕl to me on Mount Karmel, the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baʽal, and the four hundred prophets of Ashĕrah, who eat at Izebel’s table.”
Several points to consider;
- The prophet of YAH, Eliyah challenges the prophets of Ba’al and Asherah.
- Asherah is a false deity of Sun worship / fertility. While maintaining it’s occultic attributes, it took on different names throughout time, (Ashtaroth, Ashtoreth, Astarte Euostra, etc) and in today’s vernacular is Easter, as sun worship continues in professingdom…
- These false prophets prove that they are in covenant with Jezebel as they eat / drink in dedication to their idols.
1Ki 19:1-2 “And when Ahab reported to Izebel all that Ěliyah had done, also how he slew all the prophets with the sword, Izebel sent a messenger to Ěliyah, saying, “So let the mighty ones do to me, and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them (dead) by tomorrow about this time.”
1Ki 21:2-10 “And Ahab spoke to Naboth, saying, “Give me your vineyard, and it shall be a vegetable garden for me, since it adjoins my house. And let me give you a better vineyard for it. If it is good in your eyes, let me give you its worth in silver. And Naboth said to Ahab, “Far be it from me, by יהוה, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers to you! And Ahaḇ went into his house embittered and displeased because of the word which Naboth the Yizreĕlite had spoken to him when he said, “I do not give you the inheritance of my fathers.” And he lay down on his bed, and turned away his face, and did not eat food. And Izebel his wife came to him, and said to him, “Why is your spirit so embittered that you are not eating food? And he said to her, Because I spoke to Naboth the Yizreĕlite, and said to him, Give me your vineyard for silver, or if you prefer, I give you another vineyard for it. But he answered, ‘I do not give you my vineyard.’ So Izebel his wife said to him, “Do you now rule over Yisra’ĕl? Rise up, eat food, and let your heart be glad. Let me give you the vineyard of Naboth the Yizreĕlite! Then she wrote letters in Ahab’s name, and sealed them with his seal, and sent the letters to the elders and the nobles who were dwelling in the city with Naboth. And she wrote in the letters, saying, “Proclaim a fast, and seat Naboth at the head of the people, and seat two men, sons of Beliyaʽal before him to bear witness against him, saying, ‘You have blasphemed Elohim and the sovereign.’ Then you shall take him out, and stone him to death.” (This is exactly what they did)
Consider;
After some time, Jezebel is judged exactly as prophesied by Eliyah;
2Ki 9:36-37 “And they came back and informed him. And he said, “This is the word of יהוה, which He spoke by His servant Ěliyah the Tishbite, saying, ‘In the portion of Yizreʽĕl dogs are going to eat the flesh of Izebel, and the corpse of Izebel shall be as dung on the surface of the field, in the portion of Yizreʽĕl, so that they do not say, “This is Izebel.”
Perfectly and exacting, they could not find enough of her to bury, so her remains were left on the surface of the field…in Yizre’el…
An interesting fact to consider as we proceed to the Jezebel in Revelation is that Ahab, the husband of the literal Jezebel of 1-2 Kings is the EIGHTH Sovereign of Yisrael! Keep that tucked away until the end of this article and consider why that is significant…
Now that we have some background, let’s turn again to our text in Revelation 2:18-20
“And to the messenger of the assembly in Thyatira write, ‘This says the Son of Elohim, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet like burnished brass: I know your works, and love, and service, and belief, and your endurance. And as for your works, the last are more than the first. But I hold against you that you allow that woman Izebel, (Jezebel) who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and lead My servants astray to commit whoring and to eat food offered to idols.”
I believe that it is safe to assume that Yahshua is not referring to the same Jezebel in 1-2 Kings. Yahshua is using the example of Jezebel as seen in 1-2 Kings to exhort professing believers to know and discern the traits of Jezebel…
Consider:
The True Messiah is established as The True King / Priest.(according to the scriptures)
Heb 6:20 “…where Yahshua has entered as a forerunner for us, having become High Priest forever according to the order of Malkitsedeq.
Rev 19:16 And on His robe and on His thigh. He has a name written: SOVEREIGN OF SOVEREIGNS AND MASTER OF MASTERS.”
The anti-messiah is being established as the king / priest. (according to lawlessness)
2Th 2:3-4 Let no one deceive you in any way, because the falling away is to come first, and the man of lawlessness1 is to be revealed, the son of destruction, (Footnote: 1Some texts read sin instead of lawlessness. This man might be the same one we read of in the prophecy in Isa. 14:12 – 14 (“Heileil”), meaning “the shining one,” the sovereign of Babylon) 4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called Elohim or that is worshiped, so that he sits as Elohim in the Dwelling Place of Elohim, showing himself that he is Elohim.”
The anti-messiah seeks to replace the True Messiah as King. He also sets himself up in the place of worship, proclaiming himself to be supreme in authority as a king, and as the high priest in worship!
The True Messiah / King / Priest has a Bride (HIS People) who is without spot or blemish. She proves her faithfulness by being submitted to Messiah, The Word.
Eph 5:24-27 “But as the assembly is subject to Messiah, so also let the wives be to their own husbands in every respect.” Husbands, love your wives, as Messiah also did love the assembly and gave Himself for it, 26 in order to set it apart and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word, 27 in order to present it to Himself a splendid assembly, not having spot or wrinkle or any of this sort, but that it might be set-apart and blameless.
The anti-messiah / king / priest has “a woman” (his people) who rides on a scarlet beast, (him) and describes herself as a queen.
Rev 17:3 “And he carried me away in the Spirit into the wilderness. And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast covered with names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.”
Rev 18:7 “As much as she esteemed herself and lived riotously, so much torture and grief give to her, because in her heart she says, ‘I sit as sovereigness, and I am not a widow, and I do not see mourning at all.’
The Bride (the people) of The True Messiah / King / Priest is comprised of believers in The True Messiah / King / Priest according to the scriptures, who do not twist HIS Word to fit their traditions.
1Jn 3:24 And the one guarding His commands stays in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He stays in us, by the Spirit which He gave us. (also see John 14:23-24, Acts 5:32, Rom. 8:7-11, 1 John 2:5, 1 John 4:13.)
Rev 14:12 Here is the endurance of the set-apart ones, here are those guarding the commands of Elohim and the belief of Yahshua.
The woman (the people) of the anti-messiah / king / priest is comprised of those who have rejected The True Messiah / King / Priest according to the scriptures and concoct a messiah, who is approving of their non-scriptural beliefs and observances.
2Th 2:9-12 The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power and signs and wonders of falsehood, and with all deceit of unrighteousness in those perishing, because they did not receive the love of the truth, in order for them to be saved. And for this reason Elohim sends them a working of delusion, for them to believe the falsehood, in order that all should be judged who did not believe the truth, but have delighted in the unrighteousness.”(lawlessness)
The Bride (the people) of The True Messiah / King / Priest is dressed in White.
Rev 19:7-8 “Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him praise, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife prepared herself. And to her it was given to be dressed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteousness (belief) of the set-apart ones.”
The woman (the people) of the anti-messiah is dressed in purple, scarlet and adorned with gold and precious stones.
Purple / scarlet / gold / precious stones represent a worldly appearance of harlotry.
Rev 17:4 “And the woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, holding in her hand a golden cup filled with abominations and the filthiness of her whoring…”
The Bride (the people) of The True Messiah is described as the “set-apart city.”
Rev 21:2 (And I, Yohan (John) saw the set-apart city, new Yerushalayim, coming down out of the heaven from Elohim, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.”
Jezebel, the woman (the people) of the anti-messiah is also described as a “city.”
Rev 17:18 “And the woman whom you saw is that great city having sovereignty over the sovereigns of the earth.”
Rev 18:19 “And they threw dust on their heads and cried out, weeping and mourning, and saying, ‘Woe! Woe, the great city, in which all who had ships on the sea became rich by her wealth! For in one hour she was laid waste.’
The Bride (the people) of The True Messiah drinks the “cup of blessing.”
1Co 10:16 “The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not a sharing in the blood of Messiah? The bread that we break, is it not a sharing in the body of Messiah?”
Jezebel, the woman (the people) of the anti-messiah also has a cup!
Rev 18:3 because all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her whoring, and the sovereigns of the earth have committed whoring with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich through the power of her riotous living.”
Jer 51:7 “Babel was a golden cup in the hand of Yahwah making drunk all the earth. The nations drank her wine, that is why the nations went mad!”
The Bride (the people) of The True Messiah is sealed / marked on the forehead.
Eph 4:30 “And do not grieve the Set-apart Spirit of Elohim, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.”
Rev 22:4 “And they shall see His face, and His Name shall be upon their foreheads.” (See also Revelation 7)
Jezebel, the woman (the people) of the anti-messiah is sealed on the forehead / hand.
Rev 13:16 “And he causes all, both small and great, and rich and poor, and free and slave, to be given a mark upon their right hand or upon their foreheads…”
Rev 14:9-11 And a third messenger followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark upon his forehead or upon his hand, 10 he also shall drink of the wine of the wrath of Elohim, which is poured out undiluted into the cup of His wrath. And he shall be tortured with fire and sulphur before the set-apart messengers and before the Lamb. 11 “And the smoke of their torture goes up forever and ever. And they have no rest day or night, those worshipping the beast and his image, also if anyone receives the mark of his name.”
The Bride (the people) of The True Messiah receives a secret Name.
Rev 2:17 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies. To him who overcomes I shall give some of the hidden manna to eat. And I shall give him a white stone, and on the stone a renewed (new) Name written which no one knows except him who receives it.” ’
Jezebel, the woman (the people) of the anti-messiah also receives a secret name.
Rev 17:5 “…and upon her forehead a name written, a secret: BABEL THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF THE WHORES AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.”
Rev 17:11 “And the beast (the anti-messiah / king / priest) that was, and is not, is himself also the eighth, and is of the seven, and goes to destruction. Remember that Ahab was the EIGHTH king and that Jezebel was his queen…
Rev 18:2-5 And he cried with a mighty voice, saying, “Babel the great (the city of anti-messiah and the woman, comprised of people rejecting the True Messiah) is fallen, is fallen, and has become a dwelling place of demons, a haunt for every unclean spirit, and a haunt for every unclean and hated bird, 3 because all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her whoring, and the sovereigns of the earth have committed whoring with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich through the power of her riotous living.” 4 And I heard another voice from the heaven saying, “Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues. Because her sins have piled up to reach the heaven, and Elohim has remembered her unrighteousnesses.”
1John 3:4 Everyone doing sin also does lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.
Mat 7:21-23 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Master, Master,’ shall enter into the reign of the heavens, but he who is doing the desire of My Father in the heavens. “Many shall say to Me in that day, ‘Master, Master, have we not prophesied in Your Name, and cast out demons in Your Name, and done many mighty works in Your Name? And then I shall declare to them, ‘I never knew you, depart from Me, you who work lawlessness!’
At one time we too were “sons (and daughters) of disobedience”, and were a part of “the woman”, Jezebel who is riding the beast / the man of lawlessness.
Ephesians 2:1-3 And you were dead in trespasses and sins,in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the ruler of the authority of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once lived in the lusts of our flesh, doing the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, as also the rest.”
We heard HIS Voice calling! May you hear HIS Voice and “Come Out Of Her…” before it’s too late!
Also see related article on “The Bride and The Whore“
All Scripture References are from “The Scriptures 1998+”