Revelation 2 22

Revelation 2:22 kjv

Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds.

Revelation 2:22 nkjv

Indeed I will cast her into a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of their deeds.

Revelation 2:22 niv

So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways.

Revelation 2:22 esv

Behold, I will throw her onto a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her I will throw into great tribulation, unless they repent of her works,

Revelation 2:22 nlt

"Therefore, I will throw her on a bed of suffering, and those who commit adultery with her will suffer greatly unless they repent and turn away from her evil deeds.

Revelation 2 verses

Revelation 2 22 Meaning

This verse declares the certain and severe divine judgment awaiting the woman described as "Jezebel" and those who participate in her sinful practices of idolatry and immorality. The Lord states His intention to cast her into a sickbed, symbolizing intense suffering and restraint, perhaps ironically related to her "bed" of spiritual immorality. Her followers, those engaging in spiritual adultery with her, will face "great tribulation," signifying intense pressure and affliction, unless they choose to repent and turn away from the wicked deeds she promotes. It emphasizes God's patience but also His ultimate unwavering justice against unrepentant sin, offering a narrow window for repentance to avert severe consequences.

Revelation 2 22 Context

Revelation 2:22 is part of the specific message delivered by Jesus Christ to the church in Thyatira. This letter (Rev 2:18-29) commends their love, faith, service, and perseverance, noting that their latter deeds are greater than the former. However, their primary flaw is tolerating a woman identified as "Jezebel." This figure, possibly a real person or a symbolic representation of a seductive spiritual influence, claimed to be a prophetess and actively taught and led God’s servants astray into sexual immorality (πōρνεύσαι, porneuō - literal or spiritual fornication) and eating food sacrificed to idols (εἰδωλόθυτα, eidōlothyta). These actions represented a profound compromise with pagan society and its practices, likely related to participating in trade guilds which often involved such activities. Verse 21 states that Jesus gave "Jezebel" time to repent, indicating divine patience before judgment. Verse 22 then lays out the specific and severe consequences for her and her followers if they fail to embrace that opportunity for repentance.

Revelation 2 22 Word analysis

• Behold (ἰδοὺ, idou): An imperative demanding attention. It introduces a statement of utmost importance, signifying that what follows is certain and decisive. This often marks divine pronouncements.
• I (ἐγὼ, egō): Emphatic first-person singular pronoun. Christ Himself is the active agent of this judgment, highlighting His divine authority and personal involvement.
• will throw (βάλλω, ballō): A strong verb, implying a decisive, forceful, and immediate action. It suggests God's sovereign and direct execution of judgment, not a passive unfolding.
• her (αὐτὴν, autēn): Refers directly to "that woman Jezebel" mentioned in verse 20. She is the instigator of the sinful teachings.
• into a sickbed (εἰς κλίνην, eis klinēn): Klinē means a couch, bed, or litter. Here, it signifies a place of incapacitation, suffering, and likely humiliation. This is a divine ironic judgment: she who enticed others to spiritual "beds" of lust and idolatry will herself be confined to a bed of suffering. It implies intense physical illness, perhaps leading to death, or a state of divine restriction.
• and (καὶ, kai): Connects the judgment on Jezebel with the judgment on her followers, showing a shared consequence.
• those who commit adultery (τοὺς μοιχεύοντας, tous moicheuontas): This is a present participle, indicating an ongoing lifestyle of "adultery." Moicheuō signifies sexual unfaithfulness. In this spiritual context, it most strongly implies idolatry and unfaithfulness to God, symbolized by partaking in Jezebel's cultic practices that involve pagan sexual rites and/or idol food.
• with her (μετ’ αὐτῆς, met’ autēs): Indicates participation and complicity in her activities, not just being influenced by her, but actively joining her in spiritual rebellion against God.
• into great tribulation (εἰς θλῖψιν μεγάλην, eis thlīpsin megalēn): Thlīpsis denotes intense pressure, affliction, distress, suffering. "Great" (megalēn) emphasizes the severity and extent of this suffering. This is the direct, active divine consequence for those who follow Jezebel's path.
• unless (ἐὰν μὴ, ean mē): Introduces a conditional clause. This highlights God's justice being tempered with mercy, providing a window for escape from judgment. It implies God's desire for repentance over judgment.
• they repent (μετανοήσωσιν, metanoēsōsin): A foundational biblical concept meaning to "change one's mind," implying a turning away from sin and turning toward God. It involves a genuine internal shift that results in a change of behavior.
• of her deeds (ἐκ τῶν ἔργων αὐτῆς, ek tōn ergōn autēs): The specific actions for which repentance is required: the acts of immorality and idolatry that Jezebel teaches and facilitates. Repentance must be from these specific sins.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "Behold, I will throw her": A declarative statement of imminent, forceful, and divinely initiated judgment. It carries the weight of God's unwavering resolve.
• "into a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation": This juxtaposition presents a nuanced but related judgment. "Jezebel" receives personal confinement and suffering (sickbed), while her active collaborators receive broad, severe distress ("great tribulation"). The "sickbed" could also metaphorically indicate a judgment directly impacting the "bed" of immorality she promoted, making it a place of affliction rather than illicit pleasure.
• "unless they repent of her deeds": This conditional phrase underlines God's redemptive purpose even in judgment. The "great tribulation" is not inevitable for Jezebel's followers; there is a way out through genuine repentance—a specific turning away from the idolatrous and immoral actions they had engaged in. God provides a grace period, and His desire is for their spiritual restoration rather than their destruction.

Revelation 2 22 Bonus section

The concept of a "sickbed" as a form of divine punishment or corrective discipline echoes themes in the Old Testament, where physical illness was sometimes seen as a consequence of sin (e.g., Ps 38, Isa 38). For Jezebel, this might imply a personal suffering designed to incapacitate her from further misleading activities. The phrase "great tribulation" for her followers is particularly strong in Revelation, often signifying intense suffering or persecution. While it can refer to external trials, here, it's explicitly tied to divine judgment on unrepentant sin, making it a direct outpouring of God's righteous wrath. This underscores that passive acceptance or active participation in compromise will not go unaddressed by the Head of the Church. The timing of this judgment is "soon," as suggested elsewhere in Revelation, emphasizing its imminence and the urgency of the call to repentance.

Revelation 2 22 Commentary

Revelation 2:22 conveys Jesus' resolute commitment to purity within His church and His imminent judgment upon those who corrupt it. The "sickbed" for Jezebel serves as a poetic and just reversal: the "bed" she used for spiritual harlotry and seduction will become her place of torment and debilitation. For her followers, a widespread and intense "tribulation" awaits, reflecting the spiritual contamination and practical compromise they embraced. This passage firmly establishes that while God is patient, He is not indifferent to flagrant sin and the corruption of His people. The "unless they repent" clause is critical, showcasing divine mercy. It affirms that repentance is not just an option, but the only avenue to escape severe judgment. This judgment extends not merely to false teachers but also to those who align with and participate in their wicked ways, demanding personal responsibility for one's actions and associations within the community of faith. It serves as a stern warning against spiritual compromise and a call to a decisive break from anything that entices God's people away from faithful devotion.