A VAST ARMY, AN EXEGESIS OF EZEKIEL 37
Introduction – Ezekiel, the priest prophet in this chapter had a dramatic encounter with God, a record of which we want to carefully examine in the light of our contemporary situation. The chapter can be described as a prophetic excursion that reaffirms the fact that with God nothing is impossible and that there is not right off or hopeless situation. As we wait on God for a radical revival, let’s be guided by the prophetic, panoramic principles set forth in this great chapter.
Discover to Recover – Vs 1 “The hand of the Lord was upon me, and carried me out in the Spirit of the Lord….” The prophetic restoration in this chapter of the Bible began with a revelation and the fact that discovery is the first principle to experiencing revival or a positive change in life. If a situation will change, the change will start with a new vision. Revelation precedes liberation and restoration. God gave Ezekiel a prophetic projection of the divine intension for the house of Israel. In life, if you don’t discover you can not recover. A true and holistic discovery must begin with epistemological humility, an admission of the fact that what you know is far less than what you don’t know. This vision shown to Ezekiel, I belief must be beyond his human imagination. There are so many things you don’t know about what you are going through unless God reveal them to you. As human being, you are limited to the existential realities around you but God can unveil the metaphysical truth that is beyond you to you. There are things you don’t know and you know that you don’t know them, but greater ignorance is in things you don’t know and you don’t even know that you don’t know them. You need a connection and prophetic excursion with the Holy Spirit like Ezekiel to be able to have a broader and clearer perspective of life. May the hand of the Lord rest on you today to take you beyond yourself.
From the Familiar to the Unfamiliar – Vs 1 “…and carried me out…and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones.” There is no bigger obstacle to having revival or experiencing positive change than the problem of ‘sameness’ or indifference. Exposure brings expansion, so a man this is not positively exposed is caged. When you are exposed you will begin to appreciate new things but men who have nothing new to appreciate will eventually depreciate. You must pray for a release from the cocoon of indifference you are into. Get familiar with the godly unfamiliar. The emphasis here is the ‘carried out’ of the prophet. Note the word ‘out’; it has a sense of beyond and newness. Ezekiel was taken from where he was to a new place he never dreamt of. God is intending to take you out of somewhere and set you down in a new setting. For your prophetic change to be translated to real testimony, you need a corresponding transition from where you are to where you ought to be.
The Site – It will interest you to know that there is no way you can fully understand a situation if you don’t understand its attendant connection with its location. There is a connection between where you are and who you are. The description of the blessed man in Psalm one centers first on where he does not walk, stand, or sit all describing location. You can not fully understand a situation when you do not first investigate the location. The first recorded question God ever asked man borders on location – ‘Adam where are you’. The setting of this vision is as important as the situation described in the revelation that ensued. It was a ‘valley’ setting. This, I must say does not surprise me because after all God created the place before He created the people. I think David will have to be consulted to better understand the significance of being in a VALLEY. David, in Psalm 23 recounts his valley experience. I must also say that the situation at hand in Ezekiel vision is superlatively different from that of David in Psalm 23. David walked through the valley but the bones in Ezekiel’s account describe those who could not walk through it. What David experienced or saw was a shadow of death but what Ezekiel saw was REAL DEATH and not a shadow. All the same David has helped us to discover that valley is a picture of danger and evil and this was where God led Ezekiel the prophet into. Where are you now? May be in the valley, but wait, all hope is not lost for there is hope even for the obituary.
The Situation – Vs 2 “…there were very many in the open valley; and lo, they were very dry.” The emphasis here is on the population of those involved and the propensity of the problem at hand. Can you imagine seeing in a dream very many human dried bones; I guess you will simply force to wake up from such a dream. What Ezekiel saw was terribly ugly and from the human point of view HOPELESSNESS IN CAPITAL LETTERS. The valley was full of decayed, disintegrated, and widely dispersed human bones. When human dead body is left unburied in the open, the site of it must be terrible. The prophet was given a full picture of the valley by making him to move all around the place. There is a need for a clear understanding of what is going on before a solution can be sort for. A problem you do not understand well you can not deal well with. Someone said ‘Jesus is the answer’, and someone asked him ‘what is the question?’ The issue is that we seem to have many answers when we do not even understand the questions. Ezekiel had a clear picture of the situation. May the Lord open your eyes to understand the situation you are in, and may He empower you to deal with it with His anointing.
The Question – Vs 3 “…Can these bones live?....” What a multi million Dollars’ question? The Immortal was asking the mortal if the rotten, stinking, disintegrated and widely dispersed human bones could come back to life. Ezekiel, I believe, was still grappling with the shock of the site when the unexpected question came. The question was too much for the prophet and his response was simply an expression of epistemological humility. Ezekiel’s response that only God knows is recognition of God’s sovereignty and omnipotence. You need to allow God to take the lead and show the way.
The Solution – If you allow God to show the way you will see tremendous and great results. We need to observe the process of the recovery and restoration in this passage.
Divine – Human Collaboration – We must not loose the sight of the fact that Ezekiel was divinely assigned a role in the process of the recovery. He was the mouth piece of God who was doing the commanding. In this project of your total emancipation and full restoration you have an active role to play. God has anointed you to take charge and to do exploit in life.
Divine backing – You must be aware than you are not going in your own strength or ability, there must be a divine decree backing you. Going all out without God will spell a doom but following divine order will bring victory and testimony. Ezekiel was acting on specific divine instructions. He was not speaking his own words, but that which he received from God. You need a specific, divinely directed word and mandate from God on what you are currently going through. No one can decrease what God decrees.
The shakings, trembling, and rattling – At the voice of the anointed man of God, there was an aggressive demonstration and reactions on the scattered bones. Sometimes when God set into our situation, there may be the initial shakings, trembling and the rattling. The shaking is for your making. It is a response to the order of restoration and not a signal of destruction. You need to differentiate the shakings engineered by God from the tearing organized by the devil.
Bone to its bone – The concept of ‘fitly joined together’ captured in Eph 4:16 can best be appreciated in the wonders of human skeleton. God brought bone to its bone in the process of restoration in this passage. Can you imagine if the bones were wrongly fitted, the site would have been very ugly. Many of us need a re- ordering of our lives because bones are not to the right bones in our lives. Some are suffering from what I call orderly disorder and they need an urgent reordering of their lives.
Sinew, flesh, and skin – As wonderful as the human skeleton is, without flesh it may be very frightening. The beauty of life is better seen through the addition of flesh and skin to the human body. You need the sinew, flesh and skin in your life. You need the beauty of the Lord in your life for you to attract success and breakthrough.
Breath/Spirit – The peak of the dramatic, prophetic, spirito-surgical operation at this valley was the coming of the Spirit upon the fresh but lifeless bodies. No matter how fresh and well looking dead body may be, it is still as useless as rotten bone. What some of us need is the coming of the Spirit of God into our lives. It is one thing to be existing and another to be living, just as being well is not the same as well being. You must not just be existing, you must start living and fulfilling your destiny in Christ. You can only do this by the power of the Spirit. You can not stand up unless you are filled up by the Spirit of God. What a great thing to discover that the once scattered, shattered, useless dried bones are now ‘A VAST AND EXCEEDING GREAT ARMY’ Rev. Dele Kolade
E-Mail : kolade2002@yahoo.com
Website: www.delekolade.blogspot.com
www.glodetmission.blogspot.com
Friday, February 01, 2008
2008'S PROPHETIC X-RAY
THE PROPHETIC X-RAY AND DECLARATION FOR 2008
To know others takes intelligence, to know about an issue or event takes insight, to know about yourself takes wisdom but to know about the future requires metaphysical foresight. Your vision about the future will define your direction, location, association, function, destination and situation (condition). For this year, you are not left in the dark for God has a prophetic package for the saints in the year 2008. You need a clear vision of God’s agenda to be able to access the prophetic package for 2008.May the Lord grant you a divine placement in this great agenda. God has a covenant budget for each year, and every child of His has a portion in that budget. I will surely get my own share of the budget this year 2008. 2008, being a leap year is a very strategic year. I will enjoy divine surplus this season. Every thing good will come my way in excess this year. Any location I am I will get my own divine allocation. The Lord will connect me with the right people that will help me achieve my divine mandate in life. I will be strengthened from on high to achieve my divinely inspired desire. The divine inspiration will insulate me against expiration. I will be lavished with grace and bombarded with blessings. May you have a clear vision of His days in 2008 in Jesus name.
Every purpose (agenda) of God is married with His timing. A purpose without a direction leads to infection. A life without a clear direction is surely in confusion and when there is confusion there will be frustration and failure. A life void of divine vision will settle down for imitation, but imitation brings limitation and intimidation.
God says the year 2008 is MY YEAR TO EXPERIENCE GOD’S FAVOUR AND SKYROCKETING INCREASE. The mandate unlocking this is in Lev.26: 9- “For I will look on you favorably and make you fruitful, multiply you and confirm my covenant with you”.2008 is the beginning of my season of “breaking forth” (Isa.54: 3). In this season, God will give a divine blow to all of my woes, and tread into extinction all of my troubles. Your problems are rebuked that you may proceed into your ordained destiny. Mathematically speaking, eight is a representation of justice. Eight (8) is the first cube after one (1)and its seen as a number of justice because it divides evenly into 4 and 4, which in turn divides into 2 and 2, which in turn divides into 1 and 1. This year, the Lord will fight for me and I will have divine justice. My pains will be translated into gains. God says all my setbacks will become setups for my breakthroughs. I have a divine decree to increase and be all-round fruitful. All I see this year is high fecundity and prolificacy.
In fully accessing God’s entire blessing in 2008, you need to personally apply these eight divine principles.
You must fear not for dread will drown you. Fear is a weapon to sabotage your vision and mandate. Flush out your fear with the word of faith. “Thus says the Lord who made you and formed you from the womb, who will help you: ‘Fear not, O Jacob my servant; and you Jeshurun whom I have chosen”(Isa.44: 2)
“Fear not, for I am with you; be note dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (Isa.41: 10).
Look “up”, not down and not around. When you are under tension what you need is a divine attention. Ps.121: 1-2, Isa.6: 1-3, Josh.5: 13, 2Cor.3: 18
Step out of your “convenient zone” for new attempts will bring new attainments. Every disappointment must be converted into new appointments (Matt.14: 29, 1Chro.28: 20)
Stop crying and complaining, start commanding and claiming. (Gen.14: 15)
Walk through your problem, not around or away from it. There is no progression without aggression. Walking through your opposition will bring you into your desired position. This year 2008, God says, “…go forward” (Exd.14: 13-15, Phil.3: 12-14).
“Go in and possess” (Deut.1: 6-8). There are people who pursue but don’t possess. Chasing is not the same as taking. In this year, you will not only overtake but will also take, and as you pursue you will possess. God is saying that as you discover you will equally recover. 1Sam.30: 8.
Expand your mind and free yourself from tyranny of self limitation. If you don’t see beyond yourself you have not started to see. Tune to the divine frequency where there is no limitation. Isa.43: 18-19, Phil.4: 1-6
This year 2008 you must not be a duplicate. You are created an original. You must not follow the “crowd” but the “cloud” (Num.10: 34-35)
As you anchor yourself to the words of this prophecy, you will experience a major shift that will bring your desired lifting.
’Dele Kolade
E-Mail : kolade2002@yahoo.com
Website: www.delekolade.blogspot.com
www.glodetmission.blogspot.com
To know others takes intelligence, to know about an issue or event takes insight, to know about yourself takes wisdom but to know about the future requires metaphysical foresight. Your vision about the future will define your direction, location, association, function, destination and situation (condition). For this year, you are not left in the dark for God has a prophetic package for the saints in the year 2008. You need a clear vision of God’s agenda to be able to access the prophetic package for 2008.May the Lord grant you a divine placement in this great agenda. God has a covenant budget for each year, and every child of His has a portion in that budget. I will surely get my own share of the budget this year 2008. 2008, being a leap year is a very strategic year. I will enjoy divine surplus this season. Every thing good will come my way in excess this year. Any location I am I will get my own divine allocation. The Lord will connect me with the right people that will help me achieve my divine mandate in life. I will be strengthened from on high to achieve my divinely inspired desire. The divine inspiration will insulate me against expiration. I will be lavished with grace and bombarded with blessings. May you have a clear vision of His days in 2008 in Jesus name.
Every purpose (agenda) of God is married with His timing. A purpose without a direction leads to infection. A life without a clear direction is surely in confusion and when there is confusion there will be frustration and failure. A life void of divine vision will settle down for imitation, but imitation brings limitation and intimidation.
God says the year 2008 is MY YEAR TO EXPERIENCE GOD’S FAVOUR AND SKYROCKETING INCREASE. The mandate unlocking this is in Lev.26: 9- “For I will look on you favorably and make you fruitful, multiply you and confirm my covenant with you”.2008 is the beginning of my season of “breaking forth” (Isa.54: 3). In this season, God will give a divine blow to all of my woes, and tread into extinction all of my troubles. Your problems are rebuked that you may proceed into your ordained destiny. Mathematically speaking, eight is a representation of justice. Eight (8) is the first cube after one (1)and its seen as a number of justice because it divides evenly into 4 and 4, which in turn divides into 2 and 2, which in turn divides into 1 and 1. This year, the Lord will fight for me and I will have divine justice. My pains will be translated into gains. God says all my setbacks will become setups for my breakthroughs. I have a divine decree to increase and be all-round fruitful. All I see this year is high fecundity and prolificacy.
In fully accessing God’s entire blessing in 2008, you need to personally apply these eight divine principles.
You must fear not for dread will drown you. Fear is a weapon to sabotage your vision and mandate. Flush out your fear with the word of faith. “Thus says the Lord who made you and formed you from the womb, who will help you: ‘Fear not, O Jacob my servant; and you Jeshurun whom I have chosen”(Isa.44: 2)
“Fear not, for I am with you; be note dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (Isa.41: 10).
Look “up”, not down and not around. When you are under tension what you need is a divine attention. Ps.121: 1-2, Isa.6: 1-3, Josh.5: 13, 2Cor.3: 18
Step out of your “convenient zone” for new attempts will bring new attainments. Every disappointment must be converted into new appointments (Matt.14: 29, 1Chro.28: 20)
Stop crying and complaining, start commanding and claiming. (Gen.14: 15)
Walk through your problem, not around or away from it. There is no progression without aggression. Walking through your opposition will bring you into your desired position. This year 2008, God says, “…go forward” (Exd.14: 13-15, Phil.3: 12-14).
“Go in and possess” (Deut.1: 6-8). There are people who pursue but don’t possess. Chasing is not the same as taking. In this year, you will not only overtake but will also take, and as you pursue you will possess. God is saying that as you discover you will equally recover. 1Sam.30: 8.
Expand your mind and free yourself from tyranny of self limitation. If you don’t see beyond yourself you have not started to see. Tune to the divine frequency where there is no limitation. Isa.43: 18-19, Phil.4: 1-6
This year 2008 you must not be a duplicate. You are created an original. You must not follow the “crowd” but the “cloud” (Num.10: 34-35)
As you anchor yourself to the words of this prophecy, you will experience a major shift that will bring your desired lifting.
’Dele Kolade
E-Mail : kolade2002@yahoo.com
Website: www.delekolade.blogspot.com
www.glodetmission.blogspot.com
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