p. 666 | JEZEBEL by William Covert

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Oct 15, 1901

JEZEBEL

By William Covert

ELDER WM. COVERT.

From the court of heaven the Son of God sent word to the Church of Thyatira, containing both commendation and reproof. Thyatira stands in the middle of the seven churches addressed through the book of Revelation. Its history parallels in time much of the papal work. It came in contact with the papacy at many points, and needed carefully to guard against its intrigues.

The first reproof which the heavenly message gives against this Church accuses it of permitting Jezebel to teach, and through her teachings to seduce the Lord’s servants. Rev. 2:20.

The mighty contest of those dark days tells, among many other things, of how the truth has been prevented from doing its proper work because of the influence of Jesuitical schools. These schools, though in the Christian age, are the counterpart of what the schools established by Jezebel were to Israel in the days of Ahab and Jezebel.

The woman Jezebel could have done but little by her personal work in turning Israel out of the paths of truth. It was her Zidonian schools which brought the evil thing. She caused the sons of the prophets, the Lord’s select teachers for Israel, to be murdered, and in their stead installed the priests of Baal and the prophets, or teachers, of the Ashera. In this manner she succeeded in turning a large majority of Israel into the way of idolatry.

Jezebel was not a passive person, but a zealous defender of the pagan worship in which she had been brought up. Her father, Ethbaal, was king of the Zidonians. His name signifies that the family were Baal zealots. Baal was everywhere among the heathen worshiped as the chief god of the sun. Not only did the Zidonians worship Baal the sun-god, but they worshiped Ashtaroth, the goddess of the moon. From the service rendered the chief gods was produced a whole community of lesser gods; and priests were consecrated to them for the purpose of directing the ceremonies and propagating the doctrines of the demons represented by these idols. At the time Elijah called Ahab to an account before heaven because of Baal worship, there were four hundred and fifty of Baal’s prophets, and four hundred prophets of the Ashera—the smaller idols, or gods of less note than Baal—doing idolatrous service in Israel.

Baal worship was, in its beginning, intended as a means of communication with the first deified man. It was taught that this man, though dead, was, through his departed spirit, dispensing blessings after his death. The other idols were dedicated objects through which the supposed spirits of other heroes were pacified and worshiped.

The whole system was but an ancient form of spiritualism. It is most likely that it was believed as fully then as spiritualism is now believed by its devotees.

Those priests of Baal, and of the other heroes, the whole eight hundred and fifty, were not lazy fellows, doing nothing but feeding at the king’s court. Instead of this, they were sent through all Israel to teach the people, and to propagate their heathen religion. These were distributed in the kingdom to suit the mind of Jezebel, who ruled over Israel through Ahab and the priests; for it is said, when Elijah asked Ahab to call these priests together, “Ahab sent unto all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together unto Mt. Carmel.” 1 Kings 18:20.

Those prophets were supported in their work at government expense; therefore it was said that they “did eat at Jezebel’s table.” But Jezebel’s table was spread wherever her heathen teachers were required to work. This is the manner in which that woman Jezebel taught in Israel. Omri, the father of Ahab, bought the site from Shemer, and built the city of Samaria, and Ahab built a house for Baal in the city, and reared up an altar for Baal in the house which he built. He then certainly worshiped Baal in that house, and offered sacrifices to Baal on the altar which he erected there. He also erected idols in Samaria for the other gods, and it is said, “He did very abominably in following idols, according to all things as did the Amorites, whom the Lord cast out before the children of Israel.” He did worse than all the kings which were before him, “whom Jezebel his wife stirred up.” 1 Kings 21:25, 26.

The kings in Israel, who had preceded Ahab, from Jeroboam down, did nothing to encourage the schools of the prophets. But Ahab did far worse than they all. He married a woman whom he suffered to teach, and who caused the most revolting idolatry to be practiced as the religion of the state. But, not stopping with this wickedness, she went so far as to kill the Lord’s prophets and teachers, and overthrow their altars. This she did so fully that Elijah supposed himself to be the only one left in all the realm who had not worshiped Baal. This is what Jezebel in her day did to hinder the cause of truth.

Now there is in the Christian age a Jezebel who teaches; and the Church of Thyatira is blamed because she suffers this Jezebel to teach. But how is Thyatira to be blamed?—Evidently the Church is blamed because she suffered Jezebel to teach her precious charge, when the Church of God should have done the teaching herself. This is a matter that cannot be avoided. It is quite evident that the Lord does not ask the Church to interfere with the schools of the world or hinder them in their work. Nor does the Lord wish His people to tear down the schools taught by the various religions in the world. But the Lord does hold His people responsible for the education of their own children and people.

It is suffering paganism to be taught to the Lord’s servants that He complains of. The teaching seduces them and leads them to corruption. The people of the Lord are responsible because they allow it to be done. Now the Lord does not want His people to do without schools, but they must do their own teaching. In their teaching they must not suffer the deadly influences of paganism to creep into their class work or textbooks. Had the Lord’s people always stood firm upon the principles of education, idolatry could never have gained a foothold in the Church, nor in any other place. Had Protestantism from the days of the Reformation heeded the Thyatiran message, which warns against the teaching of Jezebel, then would she have prepared the world for the coming of the Lord.

Should not the Church of Laodicea avoid the mistake made by the Thyatirans? Should they not now recognize the work of Elijah for this time, and join with him as he labors among the Laodiceans? Elijah is yet opposing the work of Jezebel.

It is to the Laodiceans that Elijah now comes with his message which is to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to the fathers. When Elijah was here in person, his greatest work was that of overthrowing Jezebel and her system of teaching, and in their stead to reinstall the Lord’s prophets in their school work. He is now to do the same good work among the Laodiceans.

It was after his forty-two months of hiding in the wilderness that he came forth to meet Ahab at Mt. Carmel. A little later he regathered courage, and came forth to victory more complete. He then set about the reorganization of the schools in Israel. When this was done, the Lord translated him to heaven. The challenge that Elijah made to the people was, “How long halt ye between two opinions? if the Lord be God, follow Him: but if Baal, then follow him.” I Kings 18:21. Is not the same question to the point to-day? Ahab to-day—the tool of Jezebel—says, “Follow her, Jezebel, to whom I am married.” The Lord says, “Follow me.” Whom shall we follow, Jezebel, and worship Baal, or the Elijah message, and worship God?