^2:20 But I have something against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet. She teaches and misleads my servants to sin sexually and to eat food sacrificed to idols.

But I have something against you:

You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet.

There may or may not have been a real Jezebel in the Thyatira church. But the name clearly points to the one that the Jews knew about in the Old Testament. (1 Kings 16:31-33, 1 Kings 19:1-3, 1 Kings 21:1-16, 2 Kings 9:30-37).

The Old Testament Jezebel was difficult on King Ahab and caused terrible trouble for true prophets like Elijah.

It is one thing to have a false prophet in the midst of a congregation but it is even worse when that false prophet is permitted to teach. Perhaps that is why Paul clearly tells Timothy that as a matter of principle, women are not to teach (1 Timothy 2:11-15). How many cults today are being lead or were started by a woman?

She teaches and misleads my servants to sin sexually and to eat food sacrificed to idols.

Curiously, there must have been members of the Thyatira church/fellowship who saw what was going on BUT were content to be quiet and not rebuke the false teachings. How about your church/fellowship? Is it being lead by a false teacher? Check it out and speak up if it is.