Maid of Orleans
Few women in history are as intriguing as Jeanne D’Arc, the French peasant girl born in 1412, who heard and obeyed heaven. To some she was a saint, to others a heretic, but history chronicles her as emerging from obscurity to become her nation’s youngest military leader. In 15 months she changed the course of European history. Her eventual martyrdom was Satan’s attempt to destroy her divine gift, but that same impartation can be inherited by today’s “Joan of Arcs” through God’s divine justice.
A Supernatural Voice
For her, the unlikely destiny began one summer afternoon at the age of 13. On that fateful day she saw a brilliant light and heard the audible voice of the Archangel Michael, leader of God’s armies.
Michael addressed her as “Joan the Maid” with the added admonition to live a pure and virtuous life. He announced her destiny as a God appointed deliverer to lead the army of France. Joan reported “I recognized that it was the voice of an angel. This voice has always guarded me well and I have always understood it; it instructed me to be good and to go to church often.”
To Joan, the voices of God’s spiritual messengers could be distinguished in the same fashion as one person communicates with another. She received audible expressions from the spiritual realm that charged her with the formidable task of uniting a fragmented army and altering the fate and leadership of her nation.
A Deliverer is Born
The extreme hardship of one hundred years of war with England preceded the appearance of Joan. The English occupied considerable portions of France with plans of further expansion until the prophetess shifted the momentum to the French.
The messengers of Heaven conveyed to her a twofold commission: first, to lead an army against the English in defense of Orleans, a crucial and strategic city for the French; and secondly, to restore the throne to its rightful heir, the Dauphin of France, a term used to identify the heir apparent who later became Charles VII. France had not had a crowned king since the death of Charles VI in 1422. Instead, the French crown had passed to the infant king Henry VI of England through a treaty signed by Charles VI.
This twofold mandate was an unthinkable task for an illiterate teenager living in the 15th century. Even so, the messengers from Heaven gave explicit directions. Joan possessed the uncanny willingness to risk life and limb in obedience to their instructions. She relinquished herself totally to the cause of Heaven that launched her into this supernatural arena.
The Mandate Established
To share this vision with the Dauphin of France, Joan journeyed over 300 miles through enemy territory for her first encounter with Charles VII. Charles actually staged a test to determine the authenticity her revelations.
When Joan entered the huge meeting hall filled with over 300 guests the Dauphin was not seated on his throne. Instead, he was dressed as a commoner and had mingled with the crowd. Led by her supernatural Council, Joan walked directly to Charles and addressed him as the imminent leader of France. Moreover, she also divulged divine insight involving his life known only to he and God. This validated for the eventual king that Joan of Arc was no ordinary maiden.
Subsequently, Charles and his councilmen embraced her vision and allowed her to lead 4000 troops in support of the besieged city of Orleans on April 29, 1429. The victory was swift and sure!
Phenomenal Victories
After capturing smaller forts that bordered Orleans, Joan surrounded the occupied city and led the assault against the English. As she had earlier predicted, Joan was gravely wounded in the conflict. Nevertheless, by the end of the day she returned to the battle. The mere sight of their courageous leader rallied the French army who promptly routed the remaining English forces. So moved were these hardened soldiers by Joan’s anointing and heroism that they “gave up swearing and prostitutes and committed themselves to a virtuous life.”
Joan insisted the men under her charge conduct themselves in a manner becoming professional soldiers. She allowed no swearing or lewd behavior and expected commendable character. The men willingly followed her leadership and affectionately bestowed on her the title “maid of Orleans.”
In subsequent weeks, several other French cities enduring English occupation were liberated by Joan and her army. So convincing were the early victories that in one confrontation only three French soldiers perished compared to over 2000 English casualties.
After accepting the surrender of Troyes, Joan persuaded Charles to return to Rheims for his royal coronation. In fulfillment of Joan’s directive given by the Lord through Heavenly messengers, CharlesVII was officially recognized as monarch of France.
Her Betrayal and Death
Despite her conquests, betrayal from French leaders led to Joan’s capture; this too according to her own predictions. In embarrassment, English rulers determined to prove her success resulted from witchcraft and sorcery. They added to her charges heresy—the act of challenging the authority of the Church. The representatives of the Church who tried her believed God spoke only to priests. It flew is the face of their belief system for God to communicate directly with individuals.
For nearly five months Joan of Arc was imprisoned, not in a facility for women but with English soldiers. Nevertheless, strengthened by the Lord and His Heavenly messengers, she remained steadfast throughout the ordeal.
To validate the charge of heresy, the English employed clergyman and theologians who strenuously examined Joan with the malice intent of discrediting her testimony. Remarkably, her wise and skillful answers alleviated their entrapping questions. According to Joan, Heavenly messengers regularly brought to her God’s perfect council.
Ultimately, the tainted court rendered a guilty verdict and condemned Joan to be burned at the stake. At 9 a.m. on May 30, 1431, the 19 year old messenger of God was wrongfully executed. As the flames began to consume her body, a cross held before her eyes was Joan’s sole request. Her final word was the name Jesus.
Five hundred years after being burned at the stake for heresy, Joan of Arc is declared a saint and revered by the country she saved.
A Call for Justice
The loving eyes of our Heavenly Judge sees and records every action of humanity. In this end-time generation the books of Heaven will be opened and restitution offered for injustices committed against God’s covenant people.
As with Joan of Arc, Satan has battled the saints of God for millennia and seemingly prevailed. Nevertheless, God, as the Righteous Judge, will render a final verdict on behalf of the saints. Daniel recorded:
I kept looking, and that horn was waging war with the saints and overpowering them until the Ancient of Days came and judgment was passed in favor of the saints of the Highest One, and the time arrived when the saints took possession of the kingdom. -Daniel 7:21-22
Divine justice, released in this age, will be a key to empower God’s people. Joan of Arc’s life was a prophetic model. There will be many who follow her standard with faithful and obedient hearts and commissioned in awesome ways. Every seemingly lost commission, anointing, and spiritual gift will be redeemed and released to willing candidates.
For thousands of years God’s children have been martyred, persecuted, and plundered, but Heavenly justice will decree that all be fully restored and compensated.
All things take place under the all-seeing eye of God, and He has promised to restore all that our adversary has ruined. Clearly Joan and others like her received a martyr’s reward in eternity. Moreover, they sowed spiritual seeds that will reap the most outstanding deposit of divine grace never before demonstrated.
I Will Restore
The Joel 2:25 promise of restoration is one of the paramount passages of this day. God pledges:
I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, The crawling locust, The consuming locust, And the chewing locust, My great army which I sent among you. -Joel 2:25
Joan of Arc was God’s appointed representative during a crucial juncture in human history. Abuse of authority from corrupt political officials eradicated the Heavenly deposit entrusted to her. God’s just nature will mandate a manifold restoration of this and other lost anointing through faithful and obedient vessels prepared to apprehend and demonstrate this destiny and the Lord’s redemptive virtues.