| He Speaks Through Prophets; Ref: Sandy Warner | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Oct 29 2006, 12:52 PM (380 Views) | |
| Stace4Jesus | Oct 29 2006, 12:52 PM Post #1 |
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HE SPEAKS THROUGH PROPHETS {Quoted from 101+Ways God Speaks (And How to Hear Him} The prophet operates in four main functions: he foresees, and he foretells. He also keeps watch for the safety of the wall, and raises his hands in intercession in the time of battle. ~~~~~ Prophet: A foreteller, inspired speaker, poet, prophet. [4396 Gk Strong’s] In the Old Testament the prophet was called God’s watchman. The Israelites had watchmen that stood in the towers keeping watch for any good or bad news that approached the welfare of the city. So when God called His prophets “watchmen,” the people understood what that meant in relation to spiritual issues. ~~~~~ Watchman: To lean forward, to peer into the distance, observe, await, behold, look up, wait for, keep the watch. [6822 Heb Strong’s] [Anything he saw coming was announced to the people he stood watch over and protected. The Lord also called His prophets, seers]. The watchman’s most important gifts are his eyes, ears and mouth. “Go, set a watchman, let him declare what he sees.” (Isaiah 21:6 NKJV) The prophet sees and hears and then dispatches what he understands, receiving inspiration to speak God’s announcements. The inspiration to speak is not necessarily for public ears. Sometimes, it is given in prayer with the authority to speak God’s Word to be fulfilled on earth. An example is when the Lord commanded Ezekiel to speak to the dry bones: “Again He said to me, “Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, ‘O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD!” (Ezekiel 37:4 NKJV) Most of the prophet’s gifts are received in private, not outwardly apparent to the body of Christ. “ ...If there be a prophet among you, I the Lord will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream.” (Numbers 12:6 KJ) Much of his training to hear and understand is through the privacy of visions and dreams. The true prophet appointed by God is like an iceberg. The public only sees the very tip. The submerged gift is the time spent standing at his post. When the Lord directs him, it only takes a brief moment to declare what he has seen. Most of his assignment is in private, and only when the Lord commands does he come forth publicly to declare what he sees. The prophet’s post not only watches outwardly in the distance, but also looks inwardly toward the safety of the community. He makes up the hedge, and stands in the gap: “And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me in the land...” (Ezekiel 22:30 KJ) ~~~~~ Hedge: An enclosure, fence, hedge, wall. It is from the same verb, make up the hedge, meaning to wall in or around, close up, fence up, hedge, enclose, make up a wall, mason, repairer. [1447 Heb Strong’s from 1443] For the Israelites, the watchman’s post kept watch over the wall. If there was a breach or gap in the wall, vulnerable to enemy onslaught, he made sure it was repaired. The wall in spiritual terms was the spiritual hedge of protection surrounding the people from captivities, famines, wars, etc. When the Israelites resisted their conscience and disobeyed the Lord, they suffered the consequences of their wall being broken. This gave vulnerability to enemy attacks. Today, if a hedge (wall) has been damaged, the Lord instructs and encourages the prophet how it will be repaired. Sometimes it will be repaired by outwardly confronting the cause of the breach. However, most of the time, standing in the gap is the 99 percent of the unseen iceberg. God tells the prophet what’s wrong, and then He tells him how HE is going to fix it. (God fixes it, not the prophet.) ~~~~~ Standing: The act of abiding, tarrying, enduring, continuing, being employed, remaining, etc. [5975 Heb Strong’s] Gap; Break, or breach. [6556 Heb Strong’s] When the Lord reveals how the breach will be fixed, the prophet is given inspiration and authority to delegate the repair. Nehemiah is a good example of the physical allegory of this concept. He was given the king’s letter of delegated authority to dispatch supplies to rebuild the wall. (Nehemiah 2:8) The prophet’s supplies are spiritual. The Lord reveals whatever is needed to spiritually repair the wall, then the prophet prays with authority what the Lord has spoken. Sometimes during the repair of a breach, the enemy comes against the vulnerable places. As an example, the Lord rebuked the false prophets because they did not remain when there was a breach in the wall during battle. “...those who prophesy out of their own heart… Woe to the foolish prophets, who follow their own spirit and have seen nothing! … your prophets are like foxes in the deserts. You have not gone up into the gaps to build a wall … to stand in battle on the day of the LORD.” (Ezekiel 13:2-5 NKJV) The prophet stands with his spiritual hands raised, interceding on behalf of the warriors. He becomes an active part in the battle of anything coming against God’s Words. Sometimes the battle will be lengthy. Yet, there comes a time when the Lord specifically tells him the battle is won in heaven. “It is finished!” Then the prophet’s position becomes an active stand of faith, believing God has spoken victory. He expectantly watches and waits for the promised victory to be performed on earth as it was spoken and seen in heaven. Standing and believing God for His promised victory is a rest from the heat of battle, but it still requires abiding, tarrying, enduring, continuing, being employed, and remaining. God sees the victorious end from the beginning and speaks before it comes to pass. He who stands in the gap no longer needs to command and speak God’s Word in the battle. He rests from war and yet remains steadfast against circumstance that says the victory is lost. He hears and believes God according to God’s spoken victory. He awaits with hopeful and active anticipation for His Words to come to pass. The breach will close, with the enemy in retreat as God has spoken. When knowing the Lord through a prophet, (as well as the other appointed gifts) there is a tendency to have one’s eyes on the man, and not the Lord. An example of this is looking to the prophet for guidance, or a special word from the Lord. This perspective is no different than going to someone with the gift of mercy and asking him if he has the gift of mercy for them today! God is the source, not the person. The prophet is merely the Lord’s servant who dispatches what he sees and hears. He is completely vulnerable and reliant upon the Lord for His gifts just like everyone else. The prophet’s eyes look to the Lord as his source, and so it should be with the people. • Knowing the Lord through a prophet, is seeing a special side of the Lord. His desire is to provide the encircling security of safety for those He loves. He keeps watch over all our ways and is ever before us, preparing His people for what’s coming. When we have sinned and caused our hedge (wall) to be broken, the Lord sees that it is mended to completion. He is our intercessor in times of enemy onslaught. Sandy's Link to More on this article www.thequickenedword.com |
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2:24 PM Jul 11