Women in the Church of the Living God
Part 8
Women in Biblical
Prophecy who lead men astray
Beginning first
with the prophecy by God in Isaiah 3, we find ourselves today at this very
stage in God’s plan:
In Isaiah 3:12 NKJV,
the prophet Isaiah prophesied about the people of God in the last days (that's
us as Christians today). God is quoted as saying in verse… “12
“As for My people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O
My people! Those who lead you cause you to err, and destroy the way of your
paths".
The phrase “My
people” refers to the people of God, the children of Israel (both
physical and spiritual); however, today it refers more so to the people
belonging to the Church of the Living God (Rom. 8:9,14, Rom. 9:6-7 and 1
Peter 2:9-10).
Using other
Scripture to interpret the phrase "children are their
oppressors", we find that the word “children” here
refers to the immature in the faith - not yet being of full age, babes in
Christ (2 Cor. 3:1); those who are without spiritual understanding (1
Cor. 14:20), those who are ‘unskilled in the word of righteousness’,
unable to discern between good and evil (2 Cor. 6:13 and Heb. 5:12-14).
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12 Childish
leaders oppress my people, and women rule over them. O my people, your leaders
mislead you; they send you down the wrong road.
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20 Brethren, do
not be children in understanding; however, in malice be babes, but in
understanding be mature.
The word “children”
in Webster's dictionary is also defined as “one strongly influenced by
another or by a place or state of affairs”. The English word “children”
here translated from the Hebrew original word “ll[“,
transliterated word “`alal”, phonetic spelling
“aw-lal'”; means to act severely, deal with
severely, make a fool of someone, to be severely dealt with, to busy oneself,
divert oneself, deal wantonly, deal ruthlessly, abuse (by thrusting through),
to practice practices, thrust forth (in wickedness), to glean, to act or
play the child, to insert, thrust, and thrust upon.
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12 For though by
this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the
first principles of the [a]oracles of God;
and you have come to need milk and not solid food. 13 For
everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness,
for he is a babe. 14 But solid food belongs to those who are [b]of full age,
that is, those who by reason of [c]use have their
senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
a. Hebrews
5:12 sayings, Scriptures
b. Hebrews
5:14 mature
c. Hebrews
5:14 practice
Also, translated as
glean, done, abuse, mock, affected, children, do, defiled, practice,
thoroughly, wrought wonderfully, wrought (Strong’s 05953). The English
word “oppressors” in the Hebrew is translated from “Xgn” (original word), transliterated word “Nagas”,
phonetic spelling “naw-gas' “; meaning to
press, drive, oppress, exact, exert demanding pressure, to press, drive, to
exact, driver, taskmaster, ruler, tyrant, lord, exactor of
tribute (participle), to be hard pressed. Also, translated as oppressor,
taskmasters, exact, distressed, oppressed, driver, exactors and taxes (Strong’s
05065). The English word “oppressed” in the Hebrew means to press
upon, violate, defraud, do violence, get deceitfully, wrong, extort, to be
exploited, be crushed. Original word is “qX[“,
transliterated word “ashaq”, phonetic spelling
“aw-shak' “ (Strong’s 06231). Scripture speaks
of those who are “oppressed” as being mistreated, abused, wronged by
deceitful practices, and afflicted by those who are rich, those
overseeing or shepherding them or ruling them (Ex. 22:21; Hosea
12:7; Acts 10:36 and James 2:6 AKJV “rich men oppress you”).
So, we have those
who are responsible for shepherding the people of God influenced and swayed by
society (trends of the time) and the wise of
this world (Gal. 4:3 and Eph. 4:14). Those without or choosing not to
accept spiritual understanding (children in the faith or acting like children
in the faith); they deal deceitfully with the flock causing them to
follow the way of destruction (1 Cor. 14:20). The people of God are
exploited and defrauded out of the rest and liberty in Christ Jesus by leaders
acting like or are children in the faith (2 Peter 2:18).
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18 For they mouth
empty, boastful words and, by appealing to the lustful desires of the flesh,
they entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error. 19 They
promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity—for “people
are slaves to whatever has mastered them.”
Do you think God
want children (spiritual immature) to lead His people? By lording it over the
people, and using deceitful practices these spiritual
immature leaders (professing to be Christians) are oppressing the flock given
to them by Christ Jesus (Jer. 5:31 and Rom. 2:20). As for these children
leading the people of God, who have caused us as God’s people to be “unequally
yoked with unbelievers” who have sneaked into the churches of the saints (2
Cor. 6:12-14). God says these “children” are oppressing His
people, meaning God’s people are “wronged by deceitful practices”, and
ruled by “taskmasters” who do not allow for righteous judgment and
spiritual discernment of the word of God (1 Cor. 15:34; Prov. 28:16 and Isa.
9:16).
Daughters
of Your People - Woe to the Women
In Ezekiel 13, God
proclaims a prophecy "against the daughters" of Israel (both
the physical and spiritual Israel are referred to here) that they were
prophesying "out of their own imagination".
Is God saying women can prophesy in the churches of the saints? God includes
all false prophetesses in this "Woe to the women";
these women are also women who calls themselves preachers and ministers
proclaiming something in God's word, which is not in His word. Namely, the
doctrine of women being allowed to teach in the New Testament Church when God
said no such thing.
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17 “Now, son of
man, set your face against the daughters of your people who prophesy out of
their own imagination. Prophesy against them 18 and say, ‘This is
what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to
the women who sew magic charms on all their wrists and make veils of various
lengths for their heads in order to ensnare people. Will you ensnare the lives
of my people but preserve your own? 19 You
have profaned me among my people for a few handfuls of barley and scraps of
bread. By lying to my people, who listen to lies, you have killed those who
should not have died and have spared those who should not live.
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20 “‘Therefore
this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am
against your magic charms with which you ensnare people like birds and I will
tear them from your arms; I will set free the people that you ensnare like
birds.
21 I will tear off your veils and save my
people from your hands, and they will no longer fall prey to your power. Then
you will know that I am the Lord. 22 Because you disheartened the righteous with your
lies, when I had brought them no grief, and because you encouraged the wicked
not to turn from their evil ways and so save their lives, 23 therefore you will no longer see false visions or
practice divination. I will save my people from your hands. And then you will
know that I am the Lord.’”
Notice God says
these daughters of His people are lying to them,
and the people gladly listen to these women who prophesy these lies – Ezekiel
13:19 “By lying to My people, who listen to lies”. Also, these women
have power over God’s people which God prophesy against in Isaiah 3:12.
I ask, why is God saying these women “disheartened the righteous with
your lies”?
Who are these women
who “encouraged the wicked not to turn from their evil ways”,
are they among the righteous people of God (v. 22)? Is this speaking of
these women who call themselves ministers encouraging the churches today to accept
their teachings? Do you believe God is speaking to us today in this prophecy?
The phrase “women
rule over them” refers to these women who call themselves ministers and
preachers and are allowed by men to teach in the congregations of the Living
God causing God’s people to error in the way of God (Ezek. 13:17-23 and Rev.
2:18-29). These women and “children” (immature
leaders) ruling over God’s people have caused those who are slipping away from
the faith to be influenced by others in mainstream Christianity – Revelation
3:14-22 message “To the Angel of the church in Laodicea” - (those
who are swayed by this world’s customs more than by the word of God - see 1
Tim. 4:1-2).
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1 The Spirit
clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow
deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. 2 Such
teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared
as with a hot iron.
Now, I ask these
questions for those who wish to discern God's will concerning women ruling over
them. Why did God say His people have women
ruling over them, if it’s okay for them to rule? You must wonder why God
single out women here and not men.
Notice also that
only immature men in the faith are not allowed to lead God’s people. Are women
ministers considered rulers in the church (Heb. 13:7,13)?
Is God saying women should not rule over true followers of Christ Jesus?
Remembering if women (God did not say some women) lead God’s people astray then
it’s understood that no woman should lead the people of God.
Why did God say
these women are leading His people into error? Does God always mean what He
say (I ask this question as one of the foolish one - seeing how we are denying
this plainly written Scripture apply to us today)?
Is God saying these
women and the children in the faith (spiritual immature) are leading us into
error (Heb. 3:12-15)? I ask these questions for your
spiritual discernment. In Isaiah 3:12, God shows us as Christians that
women should not rule over His people; yet, today we still have those who lead
God’s people debating what Paul, speaking by the Holy Spirit meant in 1
Corinthians 14:33-40 and 1 Timothy 2:11-15. Please let us rightly divide
the word, "and this we will do if God permits" (Heb. 5:3).
Women
of Zion
In Isaiah 3 (NIV),
who are these “women of Zion” the Prophet speaks of in verses
16 and 17? We know the word “Zion” refers to the city of
David, the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God (1 Kings 8:1, Ps.
51:18, Heb. 12:22 and Rev. 14:1). This is where we as Christians currently
reside spiritual (by the Spirit of Christ in us).
·
22 But you have
come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You
have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, 23 to
the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come
to God, the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, 24 to
Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a
better word than the blood of Abel.
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3 Praise be to
the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly
realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4 For
he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in
his sight. In love
When God speaks of
the “haughty” women in Zion, He speaks of the women in the Church of
God…
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16 The Lord says,“The
women of Zion are haughty, walking along with outstretched necks, flirting with
their eyes, strutting along with swaying hips, with ornaments jingling on their
ankles. 17 Therefore the Lord will bring sores on the heads of
the women of Zion; the Lord will make
their scalps bald.”
The word “haughty”
means to be “blatantly and disdainfully proud” (Webster’s definition).
Are the women who claim to be teachers of men today described here? Why did God
say this about these women?
Can women be
submissive as the law says, and disdainfully proud at the same time?
I think not. God says these women are “flirting with their eyes” (v.
16), meaning they are seducing the people of God by showing “superficial
or casual interest” in the things of God (Webster’s definition). These
women are those who have given up their place in God’s order of authority in
the Church of the Living God. God says He resists the proud, is He resisting
these women of Zion (Jas. 4:6 and 1 Pet. 5:5, see also 2 Tim. 3:2)?
·
16 Moreover, the Lord said, “Because the daughters of Zion
are proud And walk with outstretched necks and seductive (flirtatious,
alluring) eyes, And trip along with mincing steps and an affected gait And walk
with jingling [a]anklets on
their feet,
17 Therefore the Lord will afflict the crown
of the head of the daughters of Zion with scabs [making them bald],
And the Lord will expose their foreheads
(send them into captivity).”
a.
Isaiah
3:16 Decorative chains attached from one ankle to the other to
insure a measured gait.
In Proverbs 7
(NIV), we are given warnings about the women with crafty intent. These women
are loud and defiant (not willing to submit to the authority of men or God).
The Holy Spirit says these women are seductive and persuasive with smooth words
leading men astray…
·
1 My son, keep my
words and store up my commands within you. 2 Keep my commands
and you will live; guard my teachings as the apple of your eye. 3 Bind
them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart. 4 Say to wisdom,
“You are my sister,” and to insight, “You are my relative.” 5 They
will keep you from the adulterous woman, from the wayward woman with her
seductive words. 6 At the window of my house I looked down
through the lattice.
·
7 I saw among the
simple, I noticed among the young men, a youth who lacked judgment. 8 He was going down the street near her corner,
walking along in the direction of her house 9
at twilight, as the day was fading, as the dark of night set in. 10 Then out came a woman to meet him, dressed like
a prostitute and with crafty intent.
·
11 (She is loud and
defiant, her feet never stay at home; 12 now
in the street, now in the squares, at every corner she lurks.) 13 She took hold of him and kissed him and with a
brazen face she said: 14 "I have
fellowship offerings at home; today I fulfilled my vows...
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21 With persuasive
words she led him astray; she seduced him with her smooth talk. 22 All at once he followed her like an ox going to
the slaughter, like a deer stepping into a noose 23
till an arrow pierces his liver, like a bird darting into a snare, little
knowing it will cost him his life.
·
24 Now then, my sons,
listen to me; pay attention to what I say. 25
Do not let your heart turn to her ways or stray into her paths. 26 Many are the victims she has brought down; her
slain are a mighty throng. 27 Her house is a
highway to the grave, leading down to the chambers of death"…
These verses again
speak of women leading men astray with “persuasive words”
and seducing them with “smooth talk” (v. 21). There are many
other verses in the Scriptures like these concerning women, and we still
have those within the “mainstream” Christian community who wish to have
women rule over them. None of them seems to think these verses mean anything
today, I guess.
This do not mean
all women fall into this category, but are we to disregard these Scriptures and
allow “some women” the ability to lead whole congregations down the highway to
the grave?
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3 For the time
will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine and accurate instruction
[that
challenges them with God’s truth]; but wanting to have their ears tickled
[with something pleasing], they will accumulate for themselves [many]
teachers [one after another, chosen] to satisfy their own desires
and to support the errors they hold,
·
4 and will turn
their ears away from the truth and will wander off into myths and man-made
fictions [and
will accept the unacceptable].
Woman
who is a Snare
In Ecclesiastes
7:26 (NIV), The Preacher of wisdom speaks of a “woman who is a snare” to
men seeking to do God’s will. Notice what he
says here concerning those men who escapes these women…
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26 I
find more bitter than death
the
woman who is a snare,
whose heart is a trap
and
whose hands are chains.
The man who pleases God will escape her,
but
the sinner she will ensnare.
Here the Holy
Spirit says “the man who pleases God escapes” from this type of
woman. Am I saying all women fall in this category? Certainly not! But
this Scripture is giving us this warning for a reason.
We as Christians
would do well to heed these warnings. How then can we allow women to control an
entire flock of saints? If you want to please God then do not allow women to
ensnare you with "smooth and persuasive words", escape from
her.
In Jeremiah 3:8-10,
God says that Israel and her sister “committed adultery” defiling
themselves with other gods, and He gave them “a certificate of divorce” (v.
8) …
These verses show
us that when the Scripture speaks of harlotry, adultery, or sexual immorality
of God’s people as a whole or group it speaks of spiritual sexual immorality.
Not as some of the wise of this world believe when trying to explain what these
verses is dealing with, they confuse the subject with physical sexual
immorality. We must examine the entire text to make a righteous discernment (see
also Jeremiah 5:31 NIV “…My people love it this way”).
The
Woman, Jezebel in Prophecy Explained
According to the
below listed Scriptures we get a background on the woman Jezebel described in
Revelations 2:20 NKJV by the Lord Christ Jesus as a woman who "calls
herself a prophetess". Does this mean
Jesus do not consider this woman a prophetess? Most of the "wise of
this world" would claim this does not refer to the woman in the Old
Testament with this very same name. They like to have you to think that Jesus Christ,
the Son of God just used this name without any historical reference, nor any
spiritual or symbolic meaning referring to women who call themselves ministers
and teachers in the churches of those who called themselves Christians.
Christ Jesus referred
to this woman teaching His people as "Jezebel" for a reason.
It is strange that most arguing for women to rule over them, do not attempt to
explain why Christ Jesus used this reference to "Jezebel"?
Some try and include men in these verses, claiming this Jezebel represent
those teachers in the Churches who lead the people astray. Yet, the words used
such as seduced, woman, Jezebel, herself, and prophetess are all feminine
pointing to women only; and the Greek word for “prophetess” is gender
specific meaning a female (not male).
In Galatians
4:22-26, we have Scripture using the names of women (Hagar
and Sarah the mothers are Abraham’s sons) to symbolic represent the two
covenants. Hagar, the slave woman and Sarah, the free woman in history help
us to understand this symbolic representation.
So, I ask this
question how is it that the wise of this world (some Bible scholars and some
students of the Bible) can honestly say Christ used the name
"Jezebel" without referring to the only
woman in the whole Bible by this name? Well, you decide for yourself, and
trust God to say what He means and do what He says.
The Hebrew word 'Ieza/bel' transliterated word 'Iezabel,
ee-ed-zab-ale’ a noun feminine,
Jezebel = 'chaste';
wife of Ahab, an impious and cruel queen who caused the people of Israel to
commit idolatry (spiritual harlotry/sexual immorality).
She also persecuted and killed the prophets of God, the symbolic name of a
woman in Scripture where its’ said she pretended or called herself a prophetess
in the churches of the Living God in Revelation 2:20 (Strong’s).
Here in 1 Kings
16:31 NKJV, Ahab is said to have married Jezebel,
which was against God's command, not to marry foreign women...
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"…And it came to pass, as
though it had been a trivial thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the
son of Nebat, that he took as wife Jezebel the
daughter of Ethbaal, king of the Sidonians; and he
went and served Baal and worshiped him"...
Notice what's said
here that Ahab considered it "a trivial thing" to sin as his
evil father Omri did (1 Kings 16:25, 29).
The sins of Ahab caused all Israel to sin against God, as did Jeroboam (1
Kings 16:26, 32-33). Ahab willingly submitted to the Baal worship of the
Sidonians and his wife because he did not care about nor fear God.
Ahab through the
teachings of Jezebel's Baal worship caused the people of Israel (the people of
God) to sin against God. Here is the sad commentary on a man
who committed his authority to a woman by permitting her to lead the people in
spiritual matters; he caused the whole congregation to sin and follow this
woman to destruction and death.
In 1 Kings 18:12-13
NKJV, Obadiah who feared God had hid 100 prophets of God when Jezebel was killing
them (1 Kings 18:3-4).
·
"12…it shall come to pass, as
soon as I am gone from you, that the Spirit of the LORD will carry you to a
place I do not know; so when I go and tell Ahab, and he cannot find you, he
will kill me. But I your servant have feared the LORD from my youth. 13 Was it
not reported to my lord what I did when Jezebel killed the prophets of the
LORD, how I hid one hundred men of the LORD's prophets, fifty to a cave, and
fed them with bread and water?” …
Notice what's being
said here, this woman Jezebel was so bold that she even killed the prophets of
the Living God. This is pure direct rebellion against God, which is witchcraft
(1 Sam.15: 23). Jezebel knew she was rebelling
against God, yet she did not care or fear God.
Again, this wicked
and evil woman Jezebel 1 Kings 21 (NKJV) devised a scheme to kill an innocent
man for his vineyard. The elders and nobles men of the city of Jezreel carried
out this evil scheme for Jezebel...
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"5 …Jezebel his wife came to him,
and said to him, "Why is your spirit so sullen
that you eat no food?" 6 He said to her, "Because I spoke to
Naboth the Jezreelite, and said to him, "Give me
your vineyard for money; or else, if it pleases you, I will give you another
vineyard for it.' And he answered, "I will not give you my
vineyard."'
·
7 Then Jezebel his wife said to him,
"You now exercise authority over Israel! Arise,
eat food, and let your heart be cheerful; I will give you the vineyard of
Naboth the Jezreelite." 8 And she wrote
letters in Ahab's name... 10 and seat two men, scoundrels, before him to
bear witness against him, saying, You have blasphemed God and the king. Then
take him out, and stone him, that he may die.
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11 So the men of his city, the elders
and nobles who were inhabitants of his city, did as Jezebel had sent to them, as
it was written in the letters which she had sent to them...
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20 So Ahab said to Elijah, "Have
you found me, O my enemy?" And he answered,
"I have found you, because you have sold yourself to do evil in the sight
of the LORD: 21"Behold, I will bring calamity on you. I will take away
your posterity, and will cut off from Ahab every male in Israel, both bond and
free. 22 I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha
the son of Ahijah, because of the provocation with
which you have provoked Me to anger, and made Israel sin.'
·
23 And concerning Jezebel the LORD
also spoke, saying, "The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.'
24 The dogs shall eat whoever belongs to Ahab and dies in the city, and the
birds of the air shall eat whoever dies in the field."
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25 But there was no one like Ahab who
sold himself to do wickedness in the sight of the LORD, because Jezebel his
wife stirred him up". 26 And he behaved
very abominably in following idols, according to all that the Amorites had
done, whom the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel…
When God pronounced
judgment on Jezebel, notice what He says about Ahab,
"there was no one like Ahab who sold himself to do wickedness"
whom Jezebel stirred up.
In the NIV 1 Kings
21:26, God says in 1 Kings 21 (NIV), that Ahab sold
himself to do evil (he sold himself to his wife and the evil one). God
further says that Ahab behaved "in the vilest manner"
causing Israel to sin, and Ahab did all this by the urging of his wife,
Jezebel. Ahab was more willing to follow his wife Jezebel than God,
and he refused to hear the servants and prophets of God allowing his wife
Jezebel to persecute and kill them at will.
Finally, Jezebel in
2 Kings 9 is said to be the one responsible for the blood of God's prophets and
servants...
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1 And Elisha the
prophet called one of the sons of the prophets, and said to him,
“Get[a] yourself ready,
take this flask of oil in your hand, and go to Ramoth
Gilead. 2 Now when you arrive at that place, look there for
Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi, and
go in and make him rise up from among his associates, and take him to an inner
room. 3 Then take the flask of oil, and pour it on his head,
and say, ‘Thus says the Lord: “I have
anointed you king over Israel.” ’ Then open the door and flee, and do
not delay.” 4 So the young man, the servant of the prophet,
went to Ramoth Gilead. 5 And when he
arrived, there were the captains of the army sitting; and he said, “I have a
message for you, Commander.” Jehu said, “For which one of us?” And he said,
“For you, Commander.” 6 Then he arose and went into the
house. And he poured the oil on his head, and said to him, “Thus says the Lord God of Israel: ‘I have anointed you
king over the people of the Lord, over Israel.
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7 You shall
strike down the house of Ahab your 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. 8 For
the whole house of Ahab shall perish; and I will cut off from Ahab all the
males in Israel, both bond and free. 9 So I will make the house
of Ahab like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat,
and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah. 10 The dogs shall eat Jezebel on
the plot of ground at Jezreel, and there shall be none to bury her.’ ” And he
opened the door and fled.
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11 Then Jehu came out
to the servants of his master, and one said to him, “Is all well? Why did
this madman come to you?” And he said to them, “You know the man and his
babble.” 12 And they said, “A lie! Tell us now.” So
he said, “Thus and thus he spoke to me, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord: “I have anointed you king over
Israel.”
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13 Then each man
hastened to take his garment and put it [b]under him on
the top of the steps; and they blew trumpets, saying, “Jehu is king!”
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14 So Jehu the son
of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi, conspired against Joram. (Now Joram
had been defending Ramoth Gilead, he and all Israel,
against Hazael king of Syria. 15 But
King [c]Joram had returned to
Jezreel to recover from the wounds which the Syrians had inflicted on him when
he fought with Hazael king of Syria.) And Jehu said,
“If you are so minded, let no one leave or escape from the city to go and tell
it in Jezreel.” 16 So Jehu rode in a chariot and went to
Jezreel, for Joram was laid up there; and Ahaziah
king of Judah had come down to see Joram. 17 Now
a watchman stood on the tower in Jezreel, and he saw the company of Jehu as he
came, and said, “I see a company of men.” And Joram
said, “Get a horseman and send him to meet them, and let him say, [d]‘Is it peace?’
” 18 So the horseman
went to meet him, and said, “Thus says the king: ‘Is it peace?’ ”And Jehu
said, “What have you to do with peace? [e]Turn around and
follow me.” So the watchman reported, saying, “The messenger went
to them, but is not coming back.” 19 Then he sent out a
second horseman who came to them, and said, “Thus says the king: ‘Is it
peace?’” And Jehu answered, “What have you to do with peace? Turn around
and follow me.” 20 So the watchman reported, saying, “He
went up to them and is not coming back; and the driving is like the driving of
Jehu the son of Nimshi, for he drives furiously!” 21 Then
Joram said, [f]“Make ready.” And
his chariot was made ready. Then Joram king
of Israel and Ahaziah king of Judah went out, each in his chariot; and they
went out to meet Jehu, and [g]met him on the
property of Naboth the Jezreelite. 22 Now
it happened, when Joram saw Jehu, that he said, “Is
it peace, Jehu?”
·
So he answered, “What peace, as long as the harlotries of
your mother Jezebel and her witchcraft are so many?”
a.
2
Kings 9:1 Lit. Gird up your loins
b. 2
Kings 9:13 Lit. under his feet
c. 2
Kings 9:15 Jehoram, v. 24
d. 2
Kings 9:17 Are you peaceful?
e. 2
Kings 9:18 Lit. Turn behind me
f. 2
Kings 9:21 Harness up
g. 2
Kings 9:21 Lit. found
Again, please
note what God says here that Jezebel practiced witchcraft (remember rebellion
against God also is witchcraft) and harlotries. Do you think these harlotries
of Jezebel were sexual in nature? Or was Jezebel committing these
harlotries with other gods? Was Jezebel causing the people of Israel to commit
harlotry? This leads us to Christ's words in Revelation 2:20 where He says a
woman called by the same name as this "Jezebel" teaches and misleads
His "servants to commit sexual immorality". Again, I ask the question
do you believe all Christ's servants are committing sexual (physical)
immorality with this "Jezebel"? Also, please note the behavior of
this Jezebel compared to the Old Testament one.
·
23 For rebellion
is as the sin of [a]witchcraft, And
stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of
the Lord, He also has
rejected you from being king.”
Footnotes
a. 1
Samuel 15:23 divination
The word
'prophetess' in the original Greek is 'profetiB';
transliterated word 'Prophetis' meaning a woman who
foretell future events or things hidden from others which are at times
revealed, either by inspiration or by dreams and
visions; a female who declares or interprets oracles. Translated as prophetess
twice in the KJV / NAS Luke 2:36 about Anna a true prophetess and Rev. 2:20
concerning Jezebel the false prophetess (Strong's definition).
Jezebel, a princess
of a gentile nation was married to Ahab, the king of Israel (1 Kings 16:30-32).
Jezebel's name in history have come to represent those "women who
called themselves prophetess" (Jezebel had her own prophets – 1 Kings
18:19); those practicing witchcraft; those women who are wild and loose; those
women who are deceitful, persuasive, un-submissive to their husbands; and not
willing to submit to (remain in subjection to) sound doctrine and the law of
God and His Christ.
In the New
Testament the name “Jezebel” refers to those women who are dominating and have
gain authority over men (transferred and permitted by men) in the churches of
the saints of God. Jezebel in history caused the
persecution and death of the servants and prophets of God (1 Kings
18:3-4,12-13). She ruled over Ahab the king of Israel and many
false prophets who served the false gods Baal and Asherah (1 Kings 18:19).
Our Lord and Savior
Christ Jesus in Revelation 2:20 used her name to represent all the rebellious
women who are teaching in the churches of the saints of God today (calling
themselves ministers or pastors or prophetesses).
The Greek word
'plana/w' translated as "seduce", (also
notice this word is most commonly translated as 'deceive', in other parts
of the KJV and other translations uses 'lead astray' or 'misleads'). It’s
from the transliterated word 'Planao, plan-ah'-o'
meaning: to cause to stray, to lead astray, lead aside from the right
way, to go astray, wander, roam about, “to lead away from the truth, to
lead into error, to deceive, to be led into error, to be led aside from the
path of virtue, to go astray, sin, to sever or fall away from the truth, of
heretics, to be led away into error and sin” (Strongs’
definition).
Now in Revelation
2, Christ speaks of a woman name "Jezebel" which occurs twice in the
Holy Scriptures (once in the Old Testament and once in the New Testament).
In the Old
Testament, Jezebel is the name of the very wicked and
evil woman who killed and persecuted the prophets and people of God, and she
seduced her husband Ahab, the king of Israel and the people of Israel into
committing harlotry against God.
In the New
Testament, Jezebel's name is used by Christ Jesus to represent a woman
teaching the saints and leading them astray to "commit sexual
immorality" against their Husband the Lamb of God. Jesus says
He have this against the Church at Thyatira, "you allow that
woman Jezebel" to teach and deceive My people...
·
"18 "And to the angel of the
church in Thyatira write, "These things says the Son of God, who has
eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet like fine brass: 19 "I know your
works, love, service, faith, and your patience; and as for your works, the last
are more than the first.
·
20 Nevertheless I have a few things
against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess,
to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things
sacrificed to idols.
·
21 And I gave her time to repent of
her sexual immorality, and she did not repent.
·
22 Indeed I will cast her into a
sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless
they repent of their deeds. 23 I will kill her children with death, and all the
churches shall know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts. And I will
give to each one of you according to your works.
·
24 "Now to you I say, and to the
rest in Thyatira, as many as do not have this doctrine, who have not known the
depths of Satan, as they say, I will put on you no other burden. 25 But hold
fast what you have till I come. 26 And he who overcomes, and keeps My works
until the end, to him I will give power over the nations--27
"He shall rule them with a rod of iron; They shall be dashed to pieces
like the potter's vessels' -- as I also have received from My Father; 28 and I
will give him the morning star. 29 "He who has
an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches"...
First, I ask these
questions for your spiritual discernment. Do you believe Christ used a woman
here for no reason other than giving us the example of someone being defiant
toward God? Are there other examples where Christ used a
woman teaching in the Church of the Living God just because and with no
meaning? Why did Jesus the Christ say in verse 20 the Churches allows this
woman Jezebel to teach? Is it because women are not allowed to teach?
Why did Christ say
this woman calls "herself a prophetess"?
Is it because she took on this authority without God's approval? Have the Holy
Scriptures used this phrase calls "herself a prophetess"
before this time?
We see in
Revelations 18:7, a woman called Babylon, the Mother of all harlots where it is
said “she glorified herself”. When these phrases
are used, it means these people took this title upon themselves without
biblical authority or God’s anointing. Does not God anoint His prophets and
prophetesses? If God had anointed this woman a prophetess to teach His People
then Christ Jesus would not have said she “calls herself a
prophetess”.
Are these
Christians committing fornication and adultery with this woman Jezebel?
Or is it a metaphor for spiritual fornication (Rom. 7:1-4)? The word
translated as "sexual immorality" is the Greek word "porneuw", transliterated word "Porneuo", phonetic spelling "porn-yoo'-o" a verb meaning to prostitute one's body
to the lust of another, to give one's self to unlawful sexual intercourse, or
to commit fornication.
It is also used, as
a metaphor meaning to be given to idolatry, to worship idols, to
permit one's self to be drawn away by another into idolatry (see Strong’s
definition). Since, Christ referenced the historical Jezebel who seduced
Israel and her husband Ahab into committing idolatry; it is without a doubt
that this seduction referenced here by Jesus refers to the spiritual immorality
of His people. The people of this church at Thyatira are allowing women to
teach and cause the people to "commit sexual immorality"
against God and His Christ by worshipping other gods. Christ Jesus is saying these
women who call themselves prophetesses and teachers in the churches today are
leading the people of God from the truth with doctrines of Satan, the evil one.
The Holy Scriptures
in many places refers to God's people as being married or betrothed to God
(Christ Himself). The doctrine this woman spiritual
called Jezebel (women who call themselves preachers) teaches is referred to as
the "depths of Satan" (v. 24) meaning these
women are teaching a doctrine of Satan (that women have been given authority
in the Churches over men).
Notice that Christ
praises these Christians for their "works, love, service, faith",
and their patience (v. 19); this is probably why most who allow
women to teach believe there's no problem with women preaching in the churches
of the saints because the people of during something right or these women who
call themselves teachers seems to be teaching something right.
However, if you
learn or know what's right and wrong then still you continue to do wrong this
is willfully disobeying the laws of Christ. Christ
Jesus had a problem with these women teaching and deceiving His servants, and Christ
Jesus says to these women who call themselves ministers that He gave them time
to repent and they did not.
This is why I
concluded earlier in this paper that these women who call themselves preachers
would not relinquish their rulership because of this prophecy (v. 21).
The women who call themselves ministers and those who wish women to rule over
them today will not repent of their doctrine and teachings but will continue to
preach by deceptive speech and smooth words. These women and those who submit
to their teaching that a woman can lead a man spiritually and that the wife
only have to submit to the husband some of the time must go through the
great tribulation before they will repent of this doctrine of Satan (v.
22); if even then.
Christ Jesus
commends those who do not accept the doctrine of Satan taught by these women
who call themselves preachers, yet these
Christians who reject these women who call themselves teachers are among the
congregations of Satan. We have many in the churches of this world who have
God's Spirit and have rejected this teaching, and Christ our King and Savior
says He "will put no other burden" on us (v. 24).
Therefore, I exhort
you today as followers of the Lamb of God do not defile yourself with these
women and their doctrines but hold fast to what you have till Christ come, remain
virgins, and test those who claim to be the ministers of Christ (v. 25, 1
John 4:1 and Rev. 14:4).
In
Nehemiah 6:14 NKJV, we have the false prophetess Noadiah
trying to intimidate Nehemiah... 14 My
God, remember Tobiah and Sanballat, according to these their works, and the
prophetess Noadiah and the rest of the prophets who would have made me afraid.
This
is very telling that this "prophetess Noadiah" was trying
to intimidate Nehemiah. For this Nehemiah was rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem.
As it is written concerning the woman
Jezebel, Christ Jesus our Great High Priest and Master (Hebrews 4:14 and John
15:14-16) says:
·
20 Nevertheless, I
have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a
prophet. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and
the eating of food sacrificed to idols. 21 I
have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling.
Evangelist (Minister) Ron Davis, a servant of Christ
Jesus, of the Kush
Edifying Ministries
proclaims the whole counsel of God. This ministry
believes in the command of Jesus to His disciples in Matthew 10:7-8 “As you go, preach
this message: 'The kingdom of heaven is near.' Heal the sick, raise the dead,
cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received,
freely give” (NIV). Jesus commands us to “freely” preach the word without demanding those preached to give
us ten (10%) of their income or earnings.
Please send your comments to Evangelist Ron Davis, of the Kush Edifying Ministries.
OR if you want to debate my conclusion of in
this matter; if you want to argue your own
“private interpretation”, then please send it to the below listed email
address with your Scripture backing up what you wish to debate. Thanks, and may
God bless you in understanding His Holy and righteous word.
Now,
let us move to Women
in the churches of the saints of God, Part 9,
where we will examine and discuss the Word of God spoken by the Holy Spirit through
the holy prophets and men and women of GOD and other parts of the Holy
Scriptures. Amen. Praise God.