What does Revelation 2:20 mean?
This verse reveals Jesus' complaint against the church at Thyatira: it "tolerated" a false prophet named Jezebel. This dangerous woman was persuading members of the church to practice immorality and idolatry. Apparently, she promoted certain pagan sexual practices. Also, she condoned a common practice at trade union banquets, namely the eating of food dedicated to idols.Strictly speaking, we do not know who this woman was. The name Jezebel may have been her actual name or simply a pseudonym. In the Old Testament, Jezebel was the wife of King Ahab of Israel. She was a vicious, violent woman, who promoted the worship of Baal, the sun god, and killed many of God's prophets. Also, she sought unsuccessfully to kill the prophet Elijah (1 Kings 16—22). Some Bible scholars believe the Jezebel referred to here, in Jesus' letter to the church of Thyatira, may have even been the wife of the church's pastor. Whatever her role in the church, she was extremely influential.