Hello, fellow wayfarers โฆ Why talk of the โJezebel spiritโ is often about justifying sin โฆ How you can be both full of passion and energy and โlukewarmโ at the same time โฆ What we can know about the universe beyond what our equations and experiments can show โฆ A Gen-Z Desert Island DJ proves, once again, that the kids are all right โฆ This is this weekโs Moore to the Point.
How the Legend of the โJezebel Spiritโ Keeps Empowering Sin
Early in our marriage, when my wife and I had just moved to a new city while I was starting doctoral work, we attended a worship serviceโknowing almost no one there but hoping to make friends. The preacher, who mumbled a bit, was trying to make a rhetorical point about the importance of a good name: โI mean, how many of you ladies out there have the name Jezebel?โ Time seemed to be in slow motion as I turned to see my wife, Maria, raising her hand.
Turns out she thought he had said, โHow many of you ladies out there have heard the name Jezebel?โ which, of course, she had. She blushed and immediately dropped her hand when she discovered the actual question, while I imagined meeting all of these new people to have them say, โItโs so nice to meet you, Jezebel. Welcome to our church.โ
We made it through that moment, seemingly without anyone noticing (or else too polite to bring it up), and the years have proven that my wife lives up to her actual nameโthat of the mother and some of the disciples of Jesusโand not at all to that of the murderous queen who once hounded the prophet Elijah almost till death did them part. She sighs and rolls her eyes every time I tell that story and says, โThat preacher was hard to understandโand you know it.โ Sheโs right. Thirty seconds of Jezebel confusionโin this caseโhas made for thirty years of laughter from me.
Old Jezebel keeps showing up in other kinds of confusion, though, in ways that are not funny at all. On any given Sunday, I am at my church teaching through the Book of Revelation. I said the first week, Weโre going to have a couple months in more familiar territoryโas I teach through Jesusโ messages to the seven churches of Asia Minorโbefore things get weird.
What I meant was that the themes at the beginning of the Apocalypse are easier to grasp: keep persevering, repent of sin, donโt lose heart while suffering, return to your first love, and so on. Most people get confused or scared right after that part, with images of trumpets and seals and horsemen and multi-headed dragons and marks on the forehead. And so, I thought, the first third of Revelation is freer from the bad speculative teaching that keeps some people distant from Revelation. But then I remembered Jezebel.
The ascended Jesus sent a message through John the Revelator that there was one major point of disobedience in the congregation at Thyatira, namely that they โtolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idolsโ (Rev. 2:20, ESV throughout).
This past week, I happened upon a social media post from a minister (apparently in the Pentecostal or charismatic tradition) asserting, โThere is no โJezebel Spirit.โ At best, these are words used to silo and demoralize people you disagree with.โ He went on, โI believe in the gifts of the Spiritโall of them. This is not godly. Itโs wrong and demonic and needs to be purged from our vernacular.โ
Iโm not yet familiar with this ministerโs work so I donโt know exactly whatโs theologically in the background for him, but I do know that, on this, heโs exactly rightโthe concept of a โJezebel spirit,โ the way itโs often used today, has no grounding at all in Scripture and, ironically enough, is often used to fuel the very sin Jesus charged the Jezebel of Revelation with promoting.
Part of the confusion, of course, is with the way we use the language of โspirit.โ One can speak of the โspirit of โ76,โ referring to patriotism; or to someone having โthe spirit of Barnabas,โ implying theyโre an encourager; or โthe spirit of Lydia,โ meaning theyโre generous. One could speak of someone seeking to sell access to God as being of โthe spirit of Simon.โ But, usually, the language of the Jezebel spirit is used in our churches today to refer to something quite more than just that.
Many preachers or teachers name the Jezebel spirit as a specific demonic being or force, and, in doing so, portray a particularly dangerous and evil aspect of womenโespecially of women to men. Often, this will come with a list of โcharacteristics of the Jezebel spiritโ that are disconnected from the actual words of the Bible. In most cases, one does not have to be a Freudian to wonder if these โcharacteristicsโ are not describing a particular woman or group of women with whom the preacher or teacher is perturbed.
The Bible does teach exactly what Jesus unequivocally acknowledged as trueโthat there are dark, spiritual personal beings afoot in the cosmos. The Scriptures sometimes speak of these beings as โprincipalities and powers.โ In most cases, though, these beings are not named and classified for us. This is because their power is not, like a pagan god, independent of us.
The powers of this present darkness work through deception (Gen. 3:1โ3) and accusation (Rev. 12:10). One of them screamed in his presence, โI know who you areโthe Holy One of Godโ (Mark 1:24). But they had no power over Jesus. Of Satan, Jesus said, โThe ruler of this world is coming. He has no claim on meโ (John 14:30). Thatโs not only because of his deity but also because of his obedient humanity.
The spirits of darkness work through human fallenness and rebellion, which is why the scriptural remedy for them is the gospel, prayer, and repentance of sinโnot talismans or incantations. When Jesus rebuked those in the church who โhold the teaching of Balaamโ (Rev. 2:14), he was not speaking of some specifically masculine entity hypnotizing the congregation. He was speaking of those who imitated the prophet-for-hire of old. And when Jesus referenced a teacher as โJezebel,โ he did so in terms of the villain of ancient Israelโone who taught that God could be replaced with idols and that immorality could be carried out without accountability.
When the Jezebel spirit is taught, it is usually presented as eerily consistent with the pagan myths of the succubus, who would sexually attack men by night, or the myths of the sirens, who would lure unsuspecting men to their deaths. The implication is usually that there is something especially treacherous and dangerousโindeed, supernaturally treacherous and dangerousโabout women.
Men, in this view, are seen through the lens of frailtyโthey are the sum of instincts and desires that are uncontrollable when in the presence of the power of the temptressโwhile women are viewed through the prism of calculating evil. This, of course, is inconsistent with the fundamental gospel truth that both men and women are fallen and, left to ourselves, under condemnation (Rom. 3:10โ18).
The Jezebel spirit is convenient in a couple ways. Iโve seen it used to suggest that women who call for holiness and justice in the church should be shunned or ignored. In working with survivors of church sexual abuse, Iโve lost count of how many of them were told that their work for accountability was that of a Jezebel spirit. I have seen women who have done no wrong have their reputations destroyed. Some of them are exiled from their communities. Some are unjustly and unrelentingly harassed in law courts or by church discipline.
Iโve also lost count of how many male leaders have used the term, or something akin to it, to minimize their own culpability for sexual sin. The Jezebel spirit enables them to point to the problem before God as โthe woman thou hast given to me,โ who is simultaneously a superhuman serpent in the garden.
In many cases, men have used Jezebel language to use purported biblical authority to blame othersโsometimes innocent peopleโfor their own abuse of power. In other words, one is able to point to the Jezebel spirit while doing exactly what Jezebel did, crushing those who stand in the way of the sin one wants to commit (1 Kings 21:8โ15). In so doing, itโs possible to twist the Bible to say what it doesnโt say (thus leading people to idolatry) while literally demonizing women in order to minimize oneโs own sexual transgression (thus teaching people to excuse immorality). Thatโs exactly what the false prophet of Thyatira was doing.
Women are sinners, just as men are. The way of Jezebel is death; the way of Ahab is too. A woman who thinks sheโs unable to follow the path of Nimrod or Esau or Jeroboam or Herod is deceiving herself. A man who thinks heโs unable to mimic the pattern of Jezebel is also.
Redeemed women are heirs of the kingdom, just as redeemed men are. Women can fall into false teaching, just as men can. Women need the gospel, just as men do. To project oneโs fear or loathing of women onto a Jezebel spirit isnโt to identify a demon but to imitate one.
A Lukewarm Christian Can Seem Awfully Passionate
On the theme of misunderstandings in the Book of Revelation, I found while teaching this week that thereโs another one. Jesus said to the church at Laodicea: โI know your works; you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouthโ (3:15โ16).
We often read โlukewarmโ here as mediating, dull, or passionless, as though Jesus were saying, I wish you were really faithful โhotโ or completely given over to evil โcold.โ This would be something like saying, โI wish you were either loving to your enemies or a serial killer.โ But thatโs not, I think, the point he is making.
For water to be hot is to be usefulโto boil, to warm, to purify. For water to be cold is also to be usefulโto refresh, to hydrate. To be lukewarm is to be neither, to be useless. In fact, to be lukewarm is for both cold and hot water to adjust to the norm, to conform to the state around it.
This is important, because sometimes we misdiagnose what it means to be โlukewarm.โ Jesus did not say that the church at Laodicea is passionless, lukewarm toward everything. They thought they were clothed but they were naked. They thought they were rich but they were poor. Itโs quite likely they felt themselves to be passionate too. Jesus said they were poor in terms of whatโs really riches. They may have been filled with passion and energyโbut not about what really matters.
In fact, that which is stagnant and lukewarm often gives the appearance of being vital and energetic and passionate. To get a jolt of feeling alive, people often look for what can grant that illusion, whether in wrath or zeal or lust or work. As the old country song put it, โThereโs nothing cold as ashes, after the fire is gone.โ And thereโs nothing as lukewarm as arson, burning down a building because thereโs nothing that feels alive inside of it.
Jesus might have seemed lukewarm compared to fiery Peter wielding his sword. He might have seemed lukewarm when he was asleep while his disciples were screaming for their lives in a storm. He wasnโt, thoughโhe was, as now, the fire that sets the world ablaze, the cold water that alone can quench thirst. He was, and is, full of zeal and full of peaceโand sometimes people thought that was too hot (Luke 7:33) or too cold (John 11:21). He was never lukewarm, though, in the way measured not by blood pressure but by life in the Spirit.
To see if youโre lukewarm, donโt look at your temperament. Look at your life. Maybe your lukewarm soul is leading you to artificial coldnessโicily calculating or envying or judging or hating. Maybe your lukewarm soul is leading you to artificial hotnessโfierily hating or fighting or plunging into what you know to be wrong.
In either case, the answer is the same: โDo not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfectโ (Rom. 12:2).
If Loyalty Is Chemistry, and Love Is Electricity โฆ
A few weeks ago, after my taking my son to college, I wrote here about a Mike Gerson essay our friend Peter Wehner reminded me about. A few days later, Pete sent out another column to those of us in the book club (of which Mike was an indispensable part).
This one was a classic Gerson take on a book he had read on the history of the cosmos written from a thoroughly materialist/physicalist/naturalist point of view. Mike not only didnโt accept those premises but didnโt think many people actually doโat least not consistently, when it comes to the things that matter most.
He wrote this:
If loyalty is really chemistry, and truth is just the wisp of electric current in a three-pound piece of meat, this is not enough to provide a sense of belonging and purpose. It is not even enough to divert a class of students who hear the call of a fall afternoon, and love, and a vast sky full of meaning.
In those words are embedded a thousand lifetimes of deep calling unto deepโof the Psalms calling out to each other, of Ecclesiastes calling out to Isaiah, of Genesis calling out to Revelation, with Revelation echoing back.
Loyalty is not just chemistry. Love is not just biology. Behind all of that is a great mysteryโa Word who took on flesh and dwelled among us.
Desert Island Playlist
Every other week, I share a playlist of songs one of you says youโd want to have on hand if you were stranded on a desert island. This weekโs submission comes from reader Graham Martin, who is 20 years old and a student at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, South Carolina. At 20, choosing a playlist that includes Jimmy Buffett, Willie Nelson, and Chris Stapleton means that Graham is in danger of being adopted for life by me. Nonetheless, hereโs his list:
- โLove Without End, Amenโ by George Strait: A song that always reminds me of both my earthly and Heavenly Father. Gives me goosebumps every single time.
- โLaylaโ by Derek and the Dominos: One of the best songs ever recorded, bar none. Clapton and Allman are musical geniuses.
- โHere Comes the Sunโ and โLet It Beโ by The Beatles: Could not decide between the two, but I was raised on The Beatles and these two are both so nostalgic for me.
- โUpside Downโ by Jack Johnson: Again, nostalgia. The theme from the 2006 Curious George movie, and one that the vast majority of Zoomers like myself associate with childhood bliss (or at least I do).
- โTake It Easyโ by Eagles: Just a feel-good song.
- โVolcanoโ by Jimmy Buffett: Reminds me of riding in the backseat of my Papaโs car as a kid. My brothers and I would demand this song on repeat.
- โWhere Rainbows Never Dieโ by The SteelDrivers: A song about heaven that, while maybe not the most theologically accurate, is certainly beautiful. Chris Stapletonโs voice is unmatched.
- โHold My Handโ by Hootie & the Blowfish: Go Gamecocks.
- โSeven Spanish Angelsโ by Willie Nelson and Ray Charles: Doesnโt get better than Willie AND Ray.
- โFast Carโ by Tracy Chapman: I mean, come on. Maybe a perfect song.
- โTravelerโs Songโ by Flatland Cavalry: My favorite song by my favorite modern band.
- โHow to Be Yoursโ by Chris Renzema: A song I relate to deeply. The bridge is a needed reminder of the Lordโs faithfulness to his people, even amidst our unfaithfulness.
Thank you, Graham!
Readers, what do yโall think? If you were stranded on a desert island for the rest of your life and could have only one playlist or one bookshelf with you, what songs or books would you choose?
- For a Desert Island Playlist, send me a list between 5 and 12 songs, excluding hymns and worship songs. (Weโll cover those later.)
- For a Desert Island Bookshelf, send me a list of up to 12 books, along with a photo of all the books together.
Send your list (or both lists) to questions@russellmoore.com, and include as much or as little explanation of your choices as you would like, along with the city and state from which youโre writing.
Quote of the Moment
โI feel that the universe is full of glorious energy, that the energy tends to take pattern and shape, and that the ultimate character of things is comely and good. I am perfectly aware that I say in this in the teeth of all sorts of contrary evidence, and that I must be basing it partly on temperament and partly on faith, but thatโs my attitude.โ
โRichard Wilbur
Currently Reading (or Re-Reading)
- The Bible: Genesis, Exodus, the Song of Solomon, illustrations by Marc Chagall (Chronicle)
- The Song of Roland, transl. W. S. Merwyn (Modern Library)
- Jeffrey Bilbro, Virtues of Renewal: Wendell Berryโs Sustainable Forms (University Press of Kentucky)
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Russell Moore
Editor in Chief, Christianity Today
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