What is a ‘Jezebel Spirit’?
(And What is Christianeze?)
Here is some explanation:
Wikipedia states it this way: “Christianese refers to the contained terms and jargon used within many of the branches and denominations of Christianity as a functional system of religious terminology.”
If you are new to Christianity, you will notice some new words and phrases you are not familiar with or do not fully understand. Like any large group of people who communicate regularly, we Christians use some language that we understand, but outsiders or newcomers haven’t picked up on yet. Sometimes just one or two words convey significant meaning. Don’t be put off by this. It’s mostly just a time-saver. Eventually you will pick up on the significance of many of these words, terms, and phrases. When you do, please consider avoiding unnecessary “Christianese” when around newcomers who might not yet feel comfortable around it.
One example that bears explanation is the term ‘Jezebel Spirit’. Believe me, this is not something you want to have. Please bear with me a little, while I explain the background and significance of this term containing just two words.
Like most of the problems we face, a big problem stemmed from self-will and lack of faith in God. God had chosen Israel to be the birthplace of Jesus, the Savior, Messiah, and Christ. He chose the twelve tribes of Israel long before Jesus was born. At that time, God preferred to rule Israel Himself, through the use of Judges. Instead, Israel, full of self-will, wanted a king like the other nations. (Be careful what you ask for.) Of course, that brought in the possibility of evil kings, and there certainly were some. Those evil kings promoted evil in general, the worship of false gods, evil practices, and brought God’s judgment.
With that self-will and evil came power struggles over who would be king, which also led to a split. Ten northern tribes of the twelve tribes of Israel took the name Israel. The only tribes who remained loyal to the lineage of King David (the patriarch of Jesus) were the tribes of Judah and Benjamin. Those two were then called the nation of Judah. (Sin caused splits then, just as now.)
One of the most wicked influencers of the evil kings and their families was a woman named Jezebel. Though not a king, she married a king, became a queen, and used her influence to ruin the trust of many in the God of Israel. She was treacherous. It “rubbed off” on her family, making them treacherous, and ruining them too. Her ways caused the destruction of her family, as well as many others in both Israel and Judah.
To put it simply, you don’t want to take after her. You don’t want a ‘Jezebel Spirit’. It’s an evil heart and spirit that ruins trust in God and Christ, ruins families, and even hurts nations. If you follow it, your power will be extinguished by God, and you will be very severely punished by God for your evil deeds and self-will. If you hear a Christian say, “They have a ‘Jezebel Spirit’”, who they are referring to is someone to avoid, at least as far as that spirit is concerned. Don’t let their spirit “rub off” on you! By the way, a ‘Jezebel Spirit’ can be found in both women and men.
If you’d like more detail on Jezebel, here are some of the verses in the Holy Bible that record some of her evil spirit, sins, damage, and God’s just judgment of her:
1 Kings 16:31
1 Kings 18:4
1 Kings 18:13
1 Kings 19:1-2
1 Kings 21:5
1 Kings 21:7
1 Kings 21:11
1 Kings 21:14-15
1 Kings 21:23
1 Kings 21:25
2 Kings 9:7
2 Kings 9:10
2 Kings 9:22
2 Kings 9:30
2 Kings 9:36-37
Revelation 2:20
If you want to dig deeper, further insight regarding Israel and the negative influence of Jezebel and her spirit is also available at websites such as Bible Study Tools at https://www.biblestudytools.com (articles such as ‘What Do We Know about the Two Kings Named Ahaziah in the Bible?’, by Contributing Writer Joel Ryan).
Also, if you have questions about a ‘Christianese’ term, consider asking a more experienced Christian near you. Now that you know a few basics surrounding a ‘Jezebel Spirit’ and Christianese, please use that knowledge for your own good and the good of those around you. —And, May God Bless You!