The Cloud is Moving
I love it when God confirms His word! Around September 11, I was given an extraordinarily vivid dream that has since provided great encouragement. In the dream I saw a hand being extended holding an open Bible. I was told to turn to a certain chapter of the Bible and begin to read. After reading several verses in this passage I came upon a “Scripture” that simply said, “increase, increase, increase, increase, increase.”
Obviously, there is no passage of Scripture that says this precisely, but it was a symbolic representation of God’s desire to release escalating measures of increase for the coming days. The passage that I was reading was from Numbers 10. Admittedly, Numbers was not a book that has been on my radar in recent days. I have focused much of my attention on Revelations, Daniel, Zechariah and the Gospel of John. Therefore it was a seemingly random and obscure passage for me to read at the time, yet I knew the dream was from the Lord.
As a result, I determined not to tell anyone the specific passage that I was given so when the confirmation came I could have complete confidence that it was from the Lord. The following week I participated in a conference in Knoxville, Tennessee that included Bob Jones. I thought perhaps the Lord would activate Bob’s revelatory gifting and speak to me from Numbers 10. However, by the time I left the conference no mention was made of this passage.
I then flew directly from Knoxville to Dallas, Texas to participate in a Rosh Hashanah conference with Chuck Pierce and Glory of Zion ministries. I was quite excited to be a part of this gathering and felt a certain sense of appreciation to the Holy Spirit for His quick fulfillment of a prophetic word the Lord directed me to give Chuck the year before. It was a revelatory experience involving a huge white tent and the release of the healing anointing comparable to that demonstrated during the tent revivals of the 50s.
This was the first tent meeting they had conducted on property they purchased outside of Denton, Texas. When I arrived the tent was exactly as I had seen in the experience the year before. I still carried in my heart a desire to understand the implications of Numbers 10 but admittedly was not focused on it when the service began that evening.
To my amazement, following worship Chuck brought forward two individuals with silver trumpets to inaugurate the Feast of Trumpets and the beginning of Rosh Hashanah. This of course is taken from Numbers 10:1-2 and the declaration given to Israel for the purpose of calling a holy assembly and alerting the people for times of movement.
Make yourself two trumpets of silver, of hammered work you shall make them; and you shall use them for summoning the congregation and for having the camps set out. When both are blown, all the congregation shall gather themselves to you at the doorway of the tent of meeting.
I was even more amazed when Chuck declared that he was going to do a brief teaching from Numbers 10 as a prophetic announcement for the services and the coming season in God. There was my confirmation!
Moving With God
Numbers 10 is a chapter devoted to the preparation of God’s people to move with the cloud of His Presence into a place of promise. Very specific and meticulous instruction was given to Moses when the time came for the cloud to move to another location. Clearly, from this prophetic insight, the body of Christ is being called to a holy assembly and preparing to follow the movement of His Presence. The cloud is moving!
The specific verse that I was reading in my dream that was translated “increase, increase, increase, increase, increase” was actually Numbers 10:28 saying, “This was the order of march of the sons of Israel by their armies as they set out.”
My interpretation of this passage as it relates to the coming increase is derived from our necessity to follow God’s meticulous order outlined by His Spirit. The Lord has a prescribed way that He desires for us to align ourselves with Him in order for His blessings of favor and grace to accompany us, resulting in progressive measures of increase. Much of that order can be found in Isaiah 66:1-2 saying:
Thus says the LORD, “Heaven is My throne and the earth is My footstool. Where then is a house you could build for me? And where is a place that I may rest? For My hand made all these things, thus all these things came into being,” declares the LORD. “But to this one I will look, to him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word.
Three things will help align us with God for the coming days:
- The Spirit of Humility
- A Broken and Contrite Heart
- Trembling in Reverence and Awe at God’s Word (Rhema & Logos)
Praise, Times & Seasons, Habitation
The Lord clearly instructed Moses to have three tribes precede the Tabernacle as they began to march—Judah, Issachar and Zebulun. (Numbers 10:14-16)
The standard representing Judah was that of a lion. Clearly, the Lord is presenting Himself as the Lion from the tribe of Judah. He came once in a manger and offered Himself as a suffering lamb. However, now He comes roaring in resurrection power to appropriate His overcoming victory through a body of people identified as the Bride of Christ. Praise must go before us along with a clear understanding of times and seasons as depicted in the blessings of Issachar.
We are now entering an “appointed time” for advancement and especially the recovery of lost heritage. While in South Africa following Rosh Hashanah very clear revelatory insights were given concerning Zebulun and the blessing of Moses found in Deuteronomy 33:18-19 saying:
Of Zebulun he said, “Rejoice, Zebulun, in your going forth, and, Issachar, in your tents. They will call peoples to the mountain; there they will offer righteous sacrifices; for they will draw out the abundance of the seas, and the hidden treasures of the sand.”
The name Zebulon means “a habitation” but the land of Zebulun was once ostracized for its darkness and apostasy. However, one visitation from the Lord Jesus and it became known as a land of illumination and a source of great Light. (Matthew 4:15-16.) This blessing provides a prophetic picture of many places being positioned for divine visitation. I believe this will be especially true along certain coastal areas that have received prophetic promises through the blessings of Zebulun. Naturally, that is not to say this will be limited to coastal areas but this word is identifying those places with this promise.
A New Season
I believe this past fall festival season has been one of the most important in recent memory. Very clear and precise revelations have been granted concerning God’s desire to release not only demonstrations of His Spirit but also a more pronounced measure of His Presence. We are called and commissioned in this season to bring in a wave of harvest that will consist of future harvesters; the Cloud is moving in that direction. Along with our emphasis on evangelism there must also be a corresponding emphasis on equipping, mentoring and preparation.