Jezebel the Seductress

Jezebel is used here as a metaphor for the false teacher who is in the church in Thyatira.  Jezebel in the Hebrew Scriptures was the wife of the evil king Ahab, a foreign woman who encouraged her husband to be involved in Baal worship.  She was not involved in literal adultery, but to be a ruler in Israel and to encourage the worship of another god is adultery against God, if not her husband. (I Kings 16:31; 21:25)

"Jezebel" was a religious leader, almost certainly a woman, that was teaching the Thyatira church to worship another god.  There were a number within Thyatira's church that accepted her teachings. 

Jesus accused Jezebel and her followers of committing porneia (sexual immorality) and eating that which was sacrificed to idols.  What does this mean? The sect within Thyatira encourages compromise with the world.  This is not surprising since Thyatira was run by craft guilds that demanded worship of their gods.  This sect of the church probably encouraged compromise by being partly involved in worship—especially though the eating of clearly marked idolatrous meat—in order to be better accepted by the world.  

How would this work?  The guilds in Thyatira held all the prosperous employment.  To be a part of the guild, one would have to worship the emperor and take part of the guild feasts, which would probably include meat which was sacrificed to idols.  Jezebel taught the church of Thyatira that participating with the guilds was acceptable. Jesus is telling the church that Jezebel is leading them to forsake Jesus for another god.