It is the time of the Ekklesia
Two weeks ago, the Holy Spirit woke me up with the overwhelming sense that a shift was taking place in the spirit. In my heart, I heard, “A governmental handover is taking place within the body of Christ.” Had it not been for the journey I have walked this last year, I probably would not have understood the weightiness behind this statement. However, every single day for the past twelve months, the Holy Spirit has highlighted three sequences of specific numbers to me. I had not previously seen these sequences so frequently before but you know it’s no longer a coincidence when these numbers appear to you in the most bizarre ways possible. It started at the beginning of the Hebrew year of 5778 and it increased as we moved into 2018. I began seeing #144 everywhere, from suddenly being ‘awoken’ at
Then, for the past six months and just as frequently as I was seeing #144, I began
APOSTOLIC GOVERNMENT BRINGS UNITY
The number 12 is significant to God. There are 12 tribes of Israel, 12 apostles, 12months in a year, 12 gates, 12 pearls, 12 foundations, 12 fruits, 12 wells at Elim… the list goes on. Interestingly, 12 multiplied by 12 equals 144. Twelve speaks of the perfect governmental rule, divine organization and apostolic fullness.144 is the increased multiplication of divine governmental rule. Over the past generations, the body of Christ has in many ways lived in oppression under the god of this world’s governmental rule… I certainly believe portions of the Ekklesia have been moving in divine apostolic government, and I don’t intend to imply that we should not be serving and honouring our Nation’s governments, but rather, I am referring to the demonic rulings of the enemy that has kept the church at large in silent oppression. The wider body of Christ has been silent on major issues, afraid to take her rightful reign as the Bride of Christ, which has therefore advanced the oppression of the enemy as She has been enslaved to both the politically correct and religious spirits. The Father is gathering His children, His bride, His ekklesia in this very moment. He is assembling us together as ONE, not in factions so that we would hold the mantle of Apostolic Government in all of its fullness. Notice in this verse below, that while there were multiple ‘tribes’, they were numbered together as one larger body representing their Father’s household. The divine governmental rule will establish unity within the body of Christ.
These were the ones who were numbered, whom Moses and Aaron numbered, with theleaders of Israel, twelve men, each representing his fathers’ household.
Numbers 1:44
THE EKKLESIA IS RISING
All throughout the Old Testament, we witness how the Israelites were opposed by various enemies; Pharaoh, the Philistines and the Chaldeans to name a few. Each and every enemy was overtaken as the people of God resisted the oppression, rose up in defiance and took their rightful place of authority together. Whenever they sought the word of the Lord and acted in response they always witnessed a mighty turnaround miracle. In recent months, it is not difficult to notice that opposition and persecution against the body of Christ have severely increased. However, the enemy always overplays his hand and it is easy to recognize that he is running in fear of the Ekklesia rising into their full apostolic governmental rule. However now is not the time to rest easy and back down for as we continue to stand in our authority, it will be a sign and a wonder to the Nations, revealing Jesus through His gloriously reigning bride.
His father and mother did not know that it was of the Lord, and that He was seeking an occasion [to take action] against the Philistines. Now at that time the Philistines were ruling over Israel.
Judges 14:4
I will harden (make stubborn, defiant) Pharaoh’s
Exodus 14:4
TAKING BACK THE HIGH PLACES
Of the many verses that stood out to me, this verse caught my attention. 2 Kings 14:4says ‘However, the high places were not removed; the people were still sacrificing and burning incense on the high places.’ High places in the scripture are in reference to worship or idols. Ezekiel 14:4 also speaks of removing the idols of the heart. An idol can be anything in our lives that take the place of adoration and affection for the Father. It could be an obvious one like wealth, position, fear of money, the approval of man, influence and success, even doing the work of ministry has the ability to consume a heart more than Him. If anything consumes your heart in the place of the Father, now is the time it needs to be surrendered and removed. I don’t want to communicate this in a fearful or judgmental way, but rather, an encouragement that if something is taking His place in your life, surrender it because He wants to consume your heart entirely. He wants to take back the high places of the earth through you and I as fully yielded vessels.
This next verse is part of an interesting story whereby Jonathan, the son of Saul, pursues an entire garrison of Philistines. Alongside his armour bearer, the two courageously ambush the army of soldiers and send them running in terror inevery direction. 1 Samuel 14:4 tells of the moment at which Jonathon snuck upon them, it says; Between the passes by which Jonathan sought to cross over toget to the Philistine garrison, there was a rocky crag on the one side and arocky crag on the other side; one [crag] was named Bozez, and the other, Seneh.
Picture two protruding rock formations, one on either side of Jonathon as he and his armour bearer passed through them to ambush their enemy. On one side of him, the rocky crag named Bozez means mud or bog, and the one on the other side, Seneh, means ‘Thorn Bush’ or ‘High.’ Jonathan needed to pass through the mud, thethorn bush and the high place in order to overtake the enemy. A birthing comes through pain, and this story becomes a picture of the modern-day church that has been passing through the mud of division, the thorns of persecution and the surrendering of our own high places, and there, we come out on the other side backed by our Armorbearer, Jesus to take down the garrisons before us. It’stime to give Him our high places and take back the high places of the earththat He may be glorified above all other names.
In that day His feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives, which lies before Jerusalem on the east; and the Mount of Olives will be split in half from the east to the west by a very large valley, and half of the mountain will move toward the north and half of it toward the south.
Zechariah 14:4
WORSHIP IS OUR INSTRUMENT OF WAR
I cannot emphasize enough just how powerful our worship to the King is in this moment of time. Not only does it remove the high places in our own lives so that He may rule and reign alone, but it removes the high places of the earth. As we worship in unity, it creates a vacuum of suction whereby He responds inmagnitude, power and justice. The story that surrounds the following verse is an intriguing one that I don’t have the space to cover, but I will mention that the picture of this woman wisely bowing her face before the King brought
When the woman of Tekoa spoke to the king, she bowed with her face to the ground and lay herself down, and said, “Help, O king.”
2 Samuel 14:4
Tekoa means Trumpet, an instrument that unites people and it can also mean ‘pitchinga tent.’ Our worship is sent out like a trumpet of war that actually brings forth unity, truth and an invitation of reconciliation from the hearts of the lost to Jesus. Our dependence upon His help is what moves the hand and heart of God to respond to His people and ‘Pitch His tent’ of glory within us and amongst us. Another awe-inspiring example of worship is Psalm 144. It is the Psalm that David wrote right before he faced Goliath. Worship enables us to slay the Goliaths of our own day. It grounds us on the strength of who He is and reinforces ‘not by might, not by power, but my Spirit.’ (Zechariah 4:6).
Blessed be the Lord, my Rock and my great strength, Who trains my hands for war And my fingers for battle;
Psalm 144:1
SEND FORTH THE RAIN
The earth has been groaning and the people within it have been in spiritual and even natural drought… “The ground is cracked because there has been no rain on the land; The farmers are distressed, And they have covered their heads [inshame]. Jeremiah 14:4
I hearthe Spirit of God responding to their cries and saying to you and I, “CALLFORTH THE RAIN!” It is the time of the LATTER RAIN HARVEST, and the sons anddaughters are awakening from their slumber, arising into their governmentalKingdom authority.
They are responding to the enemy; ‘that you will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon, and say, “How the oppressor has ceased [his insolence], And how the fury has ceased!
Isaiah 14:4
I can hear the rain on the horizon, it is coming in a thunderous force… get your umbrellas ready ;)
WE ARE BIRTHING A NEW SOUND
The new sound of GLORY is birthing forth within the Bride in this very hour. It is anamplifying and viral sound that will catch and spread fast from one to another.Just as Elizabeth’s baby leapt in her womb at the sound of Mary, the one whocarried Jesus in her womb, so too will His Spirit LEAP from the ones who carryHim and cause others to become aware of what they carry.
‘For behold, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.’
Luke 1:44
The Spirit of God is causing wombs to LEAP in this very moment, SONGS will CARRY far and wide, the Apostolic rule of His government is overtaking and possessing what is RIGHTFULLY HIS in a rapid and fast MOVEMENT of His Spirit. The awakening breath of God is STIRRING up the baby within your womb, it is awakening those who have been asleep. You are at the threshold of delivery, though all may look dark to you right now, you are about to birth NEW and UNEXPECTED moves of His Spirit through your life. New ministries and movements will come forth from this time of birthing and I see righteous justice prevailing over long-withstanding injustices like abortion and sex trafficking.
This is a unique sound from heaven that is trumpeting forth into the earth, through you and I. Those who are undefiled by the idols of this world, those who have joined themselves to the Lamb are releasing a new song. Though I don’t fully have the revelation of the 144,000 in the scripture below (so please don’t send me corrective emails ha), I do believe that it points to the Bride of Jesus operating in the fullness of divine government.
No one could learn that song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed free from the earth. These are the ones who have not defiled themselves with women, for they are virgins, and they join themselves to the Lamb wherever he goes. They have been redeemed, purchased from humanity and brought forth as the first-fruits for God and the Lamb.
Revelation 14:4
THE SHIFT IS UPON US
As with every prophetic word, this is an invitation. I believe there is a divine SHIFT taking place in the spirit that is making way for us as His bride to step into the mantle of Apostolic Government completely and fully, but it does remain a choice.
I wanted to lastly highlight the number #414 that I have also been seeing, and it points us to Esther 4:14:
‘For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?’
This is a time for the Bride of Christ to take her place, to stand in the fullness of her God-given authority, to give Jesus everything He paid for with our lives. God has brought you to the Kingdom for this very moment, this very hour, but you need to release your sound, you need to use your voice. Take action, take the leap of faith, pray with perseverance, unite with your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, and let us together watch as the handover of Kingdom government is given into our hands to rule and reign with … so that the world might see Him in us.
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.
Romans 12:12
-Word by Christy Johnston
