2013: YEAR OF RECOMPENCE AND REST
(week 01/13)
OLUBI JOHNSON
We pray that all our readers will have a healthy, wealthy and destiny fulfilling New Year!
Please click on the hyperlinks (underlined in red) to get more details of topics underlined.
The year 2013 will be a year of recompence and rest as the Lord comes to His church in perfection and fulness in a flood of the power of the Spirit without measure like the flood of Noah.
This flood of power will bring a recompence: premature physical death (1 Cor.5:5), temporary spiritual death (Jas. 1:15) and loss of reward (1 Cor. 3:15) to the proud, stubborn and rebellious (1 Sam. 15:23); reward and rest of the manifestation of the glory of God to the meek and lowly who consequently are in or under the covering of the ‘ark’ of the perfection of the love of God.
Isaiah 35:4 KJV: Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; he will come and save you.
Matthew 24:37-39 KJV: But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. (38) For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, (39) And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
The enemy has come into the Church and the world with gross spiritual darkness: lack of understanding (Eph. 4:18) and consequent wickedness; but like a flood, the Spirit is presently raising a standard against him putting him to flight.
Isaiah 60:2 KJV: For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.
Isaiah 59:19-20 AMP: So [as the result of the Messiah’s intervention] they shall [reverently] fear the name of the Lord from the west, and His glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in; like a flood the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him and put him to flight [for He will come like a rushing stream which the breath of the Lord drives]. [Matt. 8:11; Luke 13:29.] (20) He shall come as a Redeemer to Zion and to those in Jacob (Israel) who turn from transgression, says the Lord.
Presently, the floodwaters symbolic of the power of the Spirit without measure are being released by the ‘rain’ (Gen. 7:11): prophetic and apostolic teaching of the Word (Dt. 32:2, Lk. 5:17 ) and the ‘breaking of fountains of the deep’ (Gen. 7:11): deep intercession in the Spirit with all kinds of prayer in the Spirit (Eph. 6:18) and travail (Gal. 4:19, Rom. 8:26 and Heb. 5:7).
As 2013 unfolds, the floodwaters will continue to rise and raise the ‘ark’ above all hills and mountains covering them to over a depth of 15 cubits:
Genesis 7:18-20 AMP: And the waters became mighty and increased greatly upon the land, and the ark went [gently floating] upon the surface of the waters. (19) And the waters prevailed so exceedingly and were so mighty upon the earth that all the high hills under the whole sky were covered. (20) [In fact] the waters became fifteen cubits higher, as the high hills were covered.
15= 3 x 5, is symbolic of the perfection (3 is God’s number for perfection because there are 3 persons in the God-head (1 Jn.5.7)) of the grace (5 is symbolic of God’s grace: the number of stones David took to kill Goliath (1 Sam. 17.40)) of God overcoming the highest ‘mountain’ or ‘hill’ of demonic power:
Ephesians 1:19-21 KJV: And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, (20) Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, (21) Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:
The hills and mountains are symbolic of heights of demonic power behind the idolatry of covetousness:
Deuteronomy 12:2 KJV: Ye shall utterly destroy all the places, wherein the nations which ye shall possess served their gods, upon the high mountains, and upon the hills, and under every green tree:
Colosians 3:5 KJV: Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:
The rising floodwaters will overrun and submerge the demonic power that has prospered and empowered the rebellious leadership and followership in the Church:
Isaiah 28:14-18 KJV: Wherefore hear the word of the LORD, ye scornful men, that rule this people which is in Jerusalem. (15) Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves: (16) Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste. (17) Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place. (18) And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it.
The floodwaters rise for over 100 days and then gradually start decreasing to finally cause the ark to rest on Mount Ararat after 150 days from the start of the flood.
Genesis 8:3, 4 KJV: And the waters returned from off the earth continually: and after the end of the hundred and fifty days the waters were abated. And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the mountains of Ararat.
150=3 x 50— this is symbolic of the perfection (3 is symbolic of the perfection of the God-head (1 Jn.5:7)) of the liberty (50 is symbolic of the liberty of Jubilee (Lev. 25:10)) of the soul.
So as the flood waters rise, they will lift the ‘ark’ and consequently those who form it to great heights of spiritual power and then cause them to experience perfect liberty or ‘rest’ in their souls: wills, minds and emotions as the ‘ark’ rests on the Mountain.
Matthew 11:28-30 KJV: Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (29) Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. (30) For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
This resting of the ark on the Mountain and the seeing of the tops of the mountains on the 1st day of the 10th month: 8 (symbolic of new beginnings) months from the 2nd month (Gen. 7:11) when the flood began, is also symbolic of the Church entering into the ‘rest’ (Heb. 3:11, 4:5-11) of the promised land of perfection.
Genesis 8:3-5 NIV: The water receded steadily from the earth. At the end of the hundred and fifty days the water had gone down, (4) and on the seventeenth day of the seventh month the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat. (5) The waters continued to recede until the tenth month, and on the first day of the tenth month the tops of the mountains became visible.
In the Promised Land, the first city Joshua captured was Jericho (meaning fragrance symbolizing prosperity) that is symbolic of a level of prosperity that has hitherto been shut up to the Church:
Joshua 6:1 KJV: Now Jericho was straitly shut up because of the children of Israel: none went out, and none came in.
In our article next week, we will look at how the Church will take Jericho.
