A Three-fold Cord

God’s Response to Ahab and Jezebel

The following article by Verity Ministries addresses how the three-fold cord of prophet, king, and priest was used to defeat Jezebel and demolish her empire.  They also examine how that same three-fold cord will be needed in this day to combat the same.

There seems to be an increasing angst and animosity about patriarchy these days, even from men themselves.  But if we want to walk in the power of God - if we want to do His will - it is in our best interest to understand the nature of this spiritual war and be prepared to take our place in it.

Ecclesiastes 4:12

And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

When God initiated His attack against the reign of Ahab and Jezebel, He used the threefold cord of
prophet, priest, and king.  Each of these offices represents a different aspect of patriarchal, God
ordained authority. Each part of the cord confronted a different aspect of the Ahab-Jezebel coalition.


The Prophet: Elijah

Elijah confronted Ahab, showed forth the power of God, had the false prophets slain, and turned the people’s heart back to the Lord. The demonstration of God’s power broke the mind-blinding witchcraft of Jezebel’s false prophets that had the people spellbound. Only once this power was broken were they able to fall down in repentance and declare, the Lord, He is God!

As soon as Jezebel was told about the false prophets, she forecasted the fear of death onto Elijah
through spoken words and telepathic powers.

II Kings 19: 1-3

And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and withal how he had slain all the prophets with the sword. Then Jezebel sent a messengerunto Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time. And when he saw that, he arose, and went for his life….

What was God’s initial response to Elijah?

He sent an angel to supernaturally supply Elijah with bread and water. Unlike the false prophets who ate at Jezebel’s table, Elijah ate from the Lord’s table with heavenly provision. What was the purpose of this heavenly provision? To strengthen Him for the journey into the wilderness.

The wilderness is also a type of the soul. Just like the Israelites circled in the wilderness 40 years to kill off that which was afraid to confront the enemy in order to take the promised land, Elijah was led on a 40 day journey unto Mount Horeb to weaken his flesh. During those forty days he ate nothing, relying on the heavenly provision to sustain him. God was dealing with his flesh while at the same time providing spiritual nourishment.

I Kings 19: 9

And he came unto a cave, and lodged there; and behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and He said to him, What are you doing here Elijah? And Elijah said, ‘I have been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts: for

the children of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and slain your prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.’

Let’s look at his response more carefully.

Elijah himself had repaired the altar of the Lord, had the power of the Lord demonstrated through him, turned the people’s hearts back to God, and then oversaw the slaying of the false prophets! So who was it that did all of these things? Who was it that caused the people to forsake the covenant of God through idolatry and witchcraft, who was it that most likely ordered God’s altars to be thrown down, who was it that killed God’s prophets, and who was it seeking to take Elijah’s life? It was not the people of Israel. It was Jezebel. Interestingly, Elijah never mentions her in his response to the Lord.

In forecasting fear onto Elijah, Jezebel did more than just cause him to be afraid for his life. Her witchcraft also skewed his perspective. Instead of calling to remembrance how the Lord moved through him to restore the altar, deliver the people, and kill the false prophets he could only see the appearance of the enemy’s victory and his defeat (even I am the only one left and they seek my life!). Why was the fear projected onto Elijah powerful enough to make him run? Because it worked on his mind to distort the reality of God’s sovereignty and the enemy’s defeat. In breaking Jezebel’s hold over the people and killing the false prophets, Elijah had already defeated her at Mount Carmel. He only had to finish her off. Knowing her time was short, she sought to hinder Elijah by forecasting the fear of death through one of her strongest weapons—witchcraft.

What was God’s response to Elijah’s Fear?

I Kings 19:11

And he said, ‘Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord.’ And, behold, the Lord passed by and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rock before the Lord; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake: And after the earthquake a fire: but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice. 

God demonstrated His sovereignty over the wind (smashing rocks), the earth (earthquake), and the fire. He had also demonstrated His sovereignty over water by shutting up the heavens and then opening them up again to end the drought. It was like He was showing Elijah why he should not fear. He, the Lord God Jehovah had all power in heaven and earth. After demonstrating His dominion in such an awesome, powerful way He did not speak to Elijah in a loud and thundering voice. He spoke to Elijah in a still small voice, a whisper. It was an intimate, personable, and peaceful tone of voice.

God asked again, “Why are you here Elijah?”

Again Elijah said, ‘I have been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts: for the children of Israel have

forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and slain your prophets with the sword; and I even

I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.’

After receiving supernatural strength, witnessing the power of God’s might, and hearing the intimate,
quiet reassurance of that still small voice, Elijah still could not see.

What is the message for us? Elijah walked in the power of God under the old covenant. Hebrews 10:1-14 reminds us that the blood of bulls and goats could not perfect those under the old covenant with regards to the sin nature. Through the body and blood of Jesus Christ we have a better covenant. The sacrifice of His body for sin has perfected forever those that are sanctified. We, who have received the long awaited promise of the Spirit, can be perfected in the love of Christ. And perfect love casts out, or overthrows, fear.  Let’s take a look at one more example of the battle royale between Elijah and Jezebel. This time in the New Testament. John the Baptist came in the spirit of Elijah. He confronted Herod regarding his unrighteous marriage to Herodias, his brother’s wife. The response? Using her daughter to cast a spell through witchcrafts and whoredoms Herodias had John the Baptist beheaded.

What happened while John was in jail awaiting execution?

Matthew 11:2

Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples, and said unto him, ‘Are you he that should come, or do we look for another?’

This was the same John that first declared Jesus as the Lamb of God, saw the Holy Spirit descend on Him after baptism, and heard the Father declare him the Son of God. (John 1:29-36, Matthew 3:16-17).

What caused John the Baptist to doubt? The same spiritual attack that caused Elijah to run. What was God’s response? Just as in Elijah’s day, He showed forth his power and dominion.

Luke 7:20-23

When the men from John came to him, they said, John the Baptist sent us to you saying, ‘Are you he that should come? Or should we look for another?  And in that same hour he cured many of their infirmities and plagues, and of evil spirits; and unto many that were blind he gave sight.  Then Jesus answered them, ‘Go your way, and tell John what things you have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and to the poor the gospel is preached. And blessed is he, who shall not be offended in me.’

In addition to demonstrating his power, Jesus also added this: those who are not offended in Him will be blessed. This helps us understand what was happening to John. The Greek word for offend is skandalizō which is translated as a snare or stumbling block. It can also mean to cause one to fall away. The spirit of Jezebel, working through Herodias, attacked the spirit of Elijah in John the Baptist. This time the Bible emphasizes not fear but doubt. It doesn’t seem that John was necessarily afraid to die.  However, at the moment of martyrdom, the weapon of doubt was forecasted in an attempt to snare him and turn him away from Christ.

But Jesus, knowing the spiritual battle being waged sent a word to exhort John to not be offended, to stand strong, and to receive the blessing of the Lord which was greater than any weapon the enemy was launching against him.

From these accounts the Bible shows us that Jezebel launches the spiritual weapons of fear of death and doubt against the prophets of God from her strongholds of witchcraft and whoredoms.  Revelations speaks of the fearful and unbelieving being among the first in hell. These are two strongholds of Jezebel that must be overcome.

Now let’s look at the second part of that threefold cord.

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