In challenging times such as the current time of conflict we are facing globally, we need to submit to and cooperate with the prophetic anointing with the spiritual weapons entrusted to us by God, like what king Joash did in the time of the prophet Elisha (cf. 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 i.c.w. 2 Kings 13:14-17).
2 Corinthians 10:4-5:
4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.
5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.
5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
2 Kings 13:14-17:
14 Now Elisha had been suffering from the illness from which he died. Jehoash king of Israel went down to see him and wept over him. ‘My father! My father!’ he cried. ‘The chariots and horsemen of Israel!’
15 Elisha said, ‘Get a bow and some arrows,’ and he did so.
16 ‘Take the bow in your hands,’ he said to the king of Israel. When he had taken it, Elisha put his hands on the king’s hands.
17 ‘Open the east window,’ he said, and he opened it. ‘Shoot!’ Elisha said, and he shot. ‘The Lord’s arrow of victory, the arrow of victory over Aram!’ Elisha declared. ‘You will completely destroy the Arameans at Aphek.’
14 Now Elisha had been suffering from the illness from which he died. Jehoash king of Israel went down to see him and wept over him. ‘My father! My father!’ he cried. ‘The chariots and horsemen of Israel!’
15 Elisha said, ‘Get a bow and some arrows,’ and he did so.
16 ‘Take the bow in your hands,’ he said to the king of Israel. When he had taken it, Elisha put his hands on the king’s hands.
17 ‘Open the east window,’ he said, and he opened it. ‘Shoot!’ Elisha said, and he shot. ‘The Lord’s arrow of victory, the arrow of victory over Aram!’ Elisha declared. ‘You will completely destroy the Arameans at Aphek.’
Bow and Arrow
Since the bow and arrow is a quite silent weapon in which the arrow flies through the air and cuts through it until it reaches its target, we can learn a principle of the Spirit in it.
This is about prophetic intercession, because king Joash was instructed by the prophet to shoot through the open window to the east without literally seeing an enemy as a target. This shows that it is a new day that is being announced, as the east is associated with the rising sun.
This new day includes a fresh prophetic dynamic that the LORD is releasing on the earth, which is made clear by the statement of the king of Israel to the prophet Elisha. He used the same statement as Elisha at the time of Elijah’s rapture, whereby Elisha was to leave the earthly realm through sickness (cf. 2 Kings 2:11-12 i.c.w. 2 Kings 13:14).
2 Kings 2:11-12:
11 As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind.
12 Elisha saw this and cried out, ‘My father! My father! The chariots and horsemen of Israel!’ And Elisha saw him no more. Then he took hold of his garment and tore it in two.
11 As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind.
12 Elisha saw this and cried out, ‘My father! My father! The chariots and horsemen of Israel!’ And Elisha saw him no more. Then he took hold of his garment and tore it in two.
2 Kings 13:14:
14 Now Elisha had been suffering from the illness from which he died. Jehoash king of Israel went down to see him and wept over him. ‘My father! My father!’ he cried. ‘The chariots and horsemen of Israel!’
14 Now Elisha had been suffering from the illness from which he died. Jehoash king of Israel went down to see him and wept over him. ‘My father! My father!’ he cried. ‘The chariots and horsemen of Israel!’
The Fruitfulness of Prophecy
Despite being sick unto death, the prophet Elisha served the king of Israel and gave him instructions for victory over Israel’s enemies.
This reveals that prophecy is always fruitful and effective, no matter what the situation. Even the bones of the prophet Elisha brought a dead man back to life during a time of robbery and affliction (cf. 2 Kings 13:20-21).
2 Kings 13:20-21:
20 Elisha died and was buried. Now Moabite raiders used to enter the country every spring.
21 Once while some Israelites were burying a man, suddenly they saw a band of raiders; so they threw the man’s body into Elisha’s tomb. When the body touched Elisha’s bones, the man came to life and stood up on his feet.
20 Elisha died and was buried. Now Moabite raiders used to enter the country every spring.
21 Once while some Israelites were burying a man, suddenly they saw a band of raiders; so they threw the man’s body into Elisha’s tomb. When the body touched Elisha’s bones, the man came to life and stood up on his feet.
The reason is because in the bones, there is bone marrow, which is there to produce blood. And it is the blood that carries a voice within it (cf. Genesis 4:10 i.c.w. Hebrews 12:24).
Genesis 4:10:
10 The Lord said, ‘What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground.
10 The Lord said, ‘What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground.
Hebrews 12:24:
… 24 to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.
… 24 to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.
Based on Jeremiah’s statement and Ezekiel’s vision in the valley of the dry bones, we can also see that the bones carry a speaking dynamic (cf. Jeremiah 20:9 i.c.w. Jeremiah 23:29a; Ezekiel 37:11).
Jeremiah 20:9:
9 But if I say, ‘I will not mention his word or speak anymore in his name,’ his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot.
9 But if I say, ‘I will not mention his word or speak anymore in his name,’ his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot.
Jeremiah 23:29a:
29a ‘Is not my word like fire,’ declares the Lord, …
29a ‘Is not my word like fire,’ declares the Lord, …
Ezekiel 37:11:
11 Then he said to me: ‘Son of man, these bones are the people of Israel. They say, “Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.”
11 Then he said to me: ‘Son of man, these bones are the people of Israel. They say, “Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.”
Allowing the Prophetic Presence to Draw Near
We are encouraged as people of God at this time to allow the prophetic presence of the Heavenly Father to draw near to empower us in our mission of victory, whereby it is necessary that we allow the Holy Spirit to bring the future words of our prayer as proclamations and decrees into vibration so that we are empowered to establish the victory or triumph of Christ on earth through our words.
This is about the will of the Father, which He wants to see established on earth (cf. Matthew 6:10).
Matthew 6:10:
… 10 your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
… 10 your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
This implementation of God’s will is accompanied by the redemptive power of the Word, that is, the speaking dynamic, which is paired with revelation, namely His light (cf. Genesis 1:3-5 i.c.w. James 1:17; John 1:1-5).
Genesis 1:3-5:
3 And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.
4 God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness.
5 God called the light ‘day’, and the darkness he called ‘night’. And there was evening, and there was morning – the first day.
3 And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.
4 God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness.
5 God called the light ‘day’, and the darkness he called ‘night’. And there was evening, and there was morning – the first day.
James 1:17:
17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
John 1:1-5:
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 He was with God in the beginning.
3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.
4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.
5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 He was with God in the beginning.
3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.
4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.
5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
=> ‘In the beginning was the Word.’ This section of the verse goes back to eternity when God created everything, namely what we see and also what we do not see. Everything was created through the Word. Not by anything else was it brought forth.
‘The Word was with God.’ This second section of the verse goes back further to a time when nothing had yet been created. Also at that time, the Word was with God.
‘The Word was God.’ This third section of the verse goes back much further to a time when the Word was God, before the Word came forth from God to be with God.
Since the Word of God is referred to as a person (‘Him’) in John 1:4, we can clearly see that the Word is a person. And that person is Jesus Christ, the Son of God. He is the life and light of men (cf. John 8:12).
John 1:4:
4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.
John 8:12:
12 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
And it is the testimony of Jesus, which is the spirit of prophecy (cf. Revelation 19:10e).
Revelation 19:10e:
‘...10e For it is the Spirit of prophecy who bears testimony to Jesus.’
‘...10e For it is the Spirit of prophecy who bears testimony to Jesus.’
Jesus Christ is the Word that came from God, the Word that was with God and the Word through which everything was created, both the visible and the invisible. He is the image of the invisible God, the reflection of the Father and the glory of God.
At this point we are talking about Jesus as He was before He came to earth. This person, the Word, came into the world that was created by Him and to a people to whom He gave light and life, but the people didn’t recognize Him (cf. John 1:9-10).
John 1:9-10:
9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.
10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him.
This Word became flesh and took the form of human flesh to live among us.
This Word was born of a virgin, having been conceived by the Holy Spirit, and came as a man to live among us (cf. John 1:14).
This Word was born of a virgin, having been conceived by the Holy Spirit, and came as a man to live among us (cf. John 1:14).
John 1:14:
14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
This Word revealed to us the glory of the invisible God. This Word is an indivisible person and His name is Jesus Christ (cf. John 1:16-18).
John 1:16-18:
16 Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given.
17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
18 No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known. <=
(The text set in ‘=>’ is based on a part excerpt from the book ‘The Destiny of Islam in the Endtimes’ by Faisal Malick, pages 159-161.)
16 Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given.
17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
18 No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known. <=
(The text set in ‘=>’ is based on a part excerpt from the book ‘The Destiny of Islam in the Endtimes’ by Faisal Malick, pages 159-161.)
The New Prophetic Era and the Power of God’s Hand
It is therefore necessary that we apply what we have already learned from the Spirit in order to draw the bow and, with the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, to speak with firm confidence the will of the Father into the future, which will later be literally revealed before our eyes.
Even if a prophetic era is coming to an end in our lives, the Holy Spirit is about to usher in a new prophetic era.
=> An era is a fixed point in time from which a series of years is reckoned. An era can also be a memorable or important date or event in the history of a thing, person, or nation. An era is a system of chronological notation computed from a given date as basis. An era is a period identified by some prominent figure or characteristic feature or stage in development. <= (Note: The text set in ‘=>’ is a part excerpt from the book ‘A Triumphant Kingdom’, page 3 by Robert Heidler & Chuck D. Pierce)
The statement in connection with Elisha’s instruction to Jehoash, king of Israel, to strike the arrows on the ground, reveals the power of God’s hand against the enemies and the intervention of His grace (cf. 2 Kings 13:18-19).
2 Kings 13:18-19:
18 Then he said, ‘Take the arrows,’ and the king took them. Elisha told him, ‘Strike the ground.’ He struck it three times and stopped.
19 The man of God was angry with him and said, ‘You should have struck the ground five or six times; then you would have defeated Aram and completely destroyed it. But now you will defeat it only three times.’
18 Then he said, ‘Take the arrows,’ and the king took them. Elisha told him, ‘Strike the ground.’ He struck it three times and stopped.
19 The man of God was angry with him and said, ‘You should have struck the ground five or six times; then you would have defeated Aram and completely destroyed it. But now you will defeat it only three times.’
The numbers 3, 5 and 6 have a specific meaning here. If you look at these numbers as a mathematical exercise with a prophetic meaning, you get to the result of 14. The number ‘14’ as a numerical value carries the Hebrew word ‘jād’, which means, among other things, ‘hand, power, force’. (Note: explanation of the Hebrew word ‘jād-hand’ taken from the Elberfelder Study Bible with the word key number: 3109)
In this context, the statement from Psalm 118:15-16 is significant, where it says:
“Shouts of joy and victory resound in the tents of the righteous: ‘The Lord’s right hand has done mighty things!
The Lord’s right hand is lifted high; the Lord’s right hand has done mighty things!’”
The Lord’s right hand is lifted high; the Lord’s right hand has done mighty things!’”
Thus, amid the laying on of hands by the prophet on the hands of the king, the hidden presence of God’s hand becomes visible, which we must grasp and celebrate in honor.
The hidden presence of God’s hand first becomes recognizable in Genesis 2:7, where it says that ‘the LORD God made man from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, so that man became a living being.’
The Hebrew word for ‘made/formed’ is ‘jāżar’ and means, among other things, ‘to shape the clay like a potter’, which in one context is linked to ‘confinement in the form of testing’ and ‘pressing’. (Note: word explanation of the Hebrew word ‘jāżar-forming’ taken from the Elberfelder Study Bible with the word key number: 3407)
If we allow the shaping hand of God to form us for this time and the time to come, this goes hand in hand with the transformation of our substance and structure so that oil is extracted from the olives, as with an olive press. This is in conjunction with the increase in anointing and therefore strength in a time of conflict that makes us bold in prophetic intercession as heroes in spiritual warfare, much like Gideon with his army.
This includes following Jesus’ instruction to ‘watch and pray’ from the garden of the olive press which is in Hebrew ‘Gethsemane’, so that Jesus’ triumph on earth becomes visible (cf. Matthew 26:36,.41a).
Matthew 26:36.41a:
36 Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, ‘Sit here while I go over there and pray.’ …
41a ‘Watch and pray …’
36 Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, ‘Sit here while I go over there and pray.’ …
41a ‘Watch and pray …’
It is only with watching and praying that we will be able to see the shifts of God that have already been announced work out in our favor by not becoming passive nor hesitant. Rather, let us allow the Holy Spirit to keep the lead over our focus and the use of our tongue, helping to further advance His Kingdom and honor our God as King in it.
Amen and Amen.
In His Wisdom,
Daniel Glimm
