Joseph Herrin (10-03-08)

Psalms 126:1-3
When Yahweh brought back the captive ones of Zion, we were like those who dream. Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with joyful shouting; then they said among the nations, “Yahweh has done great things for them.” Yahweh has done great things for us; we are glad.

The message in the blog titled The Dreamer has resonated strongly with a number of God’s children. I am not surprised at this. It is a extremely moving thing to have your dreams suppressed and then to reawaken to them.

One brother wrote and shared that he had dreamed of being an astronaut from his youth and had even gone to the Air Force Academy, but had not been accepted into the space program. His dream was left unfulfilled, and he had recently been lamenting about this to his wife. Now he sees that this was merely a symbol of a spiritual reality, and he was very moved as he began to see the dream awakened in his heart once more.

A sister in Christ wrote and shared that the Spirit moved upon her and inspired her to write the following poem.

Mount Up

The time is here
The time is now
The stakes are high
It’s time to fly

Spread out your wings
Get ready to soar
To ride above the coming storm

Do not delay
The time is now
I’ve called my Bride
To come up high

An Eagle flies
Above the storm
And by the wind
He too will soar

Mount up my children
Mount up

She added the following insights which are wonderful.

Eagles do not fly like other birds, flapping their wings profusely and using their own strength. Instead, eagles SOAR majestically, making use of the wind currents to gain height. There is a special up going wind where the eagle rides the wind as they circle higher and higher toward the sky, without effort. She just spreads her wings. Did you know that an eagle knows when a storm is approaching long before it breaks? The eagle will fly to some high spot and wait for the winds to come. When the storm hits, it sets its wings so that the wind will pick it up and lift it above the storm. While the storm rages below, the eagle is soaring above it. The eagle does not escape the storm. It simply uses the storm to lift it higher. It rises on the winds that bring the storm. The more trubulent the winds greater is the lifting power.
Sandi Keller

People of God, this is a remarkable parable of coming days. The sons of Zion, the man child, will not escape the storm. They will be present for it, but they will ascend to a place above it, not physically, but spiritually. Like Christ they will be able to lie peacefully on a pillow in the boat while the storm is raging all around and the people of God are in full panic. They know who ultimately controls the storm, and they are aware to nothing can harm them. By faith they ascend to this place of peace. It was due to the disciple’s unbelief that they were so troubled.

Mark 4:38-41
And He Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” And being aroused, He rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Hush, be still.” And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm. And He said to them, “Why are you so timid? How is it that you have no faith?” And they became very much afraid and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?”

The Son of God prophesied that a day is coming when His disciples will do greater works than He has done. Yesterday my brother Randy Simmons spoke to me that “the best wine is reserved for last.” At the same time we must remember that men do not put new wine in old wineskins. There is a new thing that God will do in this hour.

The Lord has revealed to me another type from the movie The Astronaut Farmer. A major conflict of the movie is the astronaut Farmer’s need to purchase 10,000 pounds of rocket fuel to get into space. The government will not permit him to do this. In type, the government represents the leadership of the church today. They want to control the reins. They want to say who can ascend to the throne of God and who cannot. The fuel represents the anointing, which is the power of God to accomplish His will, and the church leaders want to picture themselves as controlling who will receive it and who will not. If you do things according to their “program” (as in Space Program) then they will offer you a seat on the space shuttle. But they will not allow any to ascend any other way.

In the movie the astronaut Farmer has a conversation with an old buddy from the space program (played by Bruce Willis). Bruce tells Farmer that the government is not going to let him launch, and he goes on to speak of the billions of dollars NASA is allocated each year to run the nation’s space program. Farmer is incredulous, and says “For what?” In this he means, “What do they need so much money for?” Bruce’s answer is revealing. “For whatever THEY WANT.”

This is such a symbol of the current church system. They are focused upon money, and they say they need boatloads of it to accomplish their goal of getting people to ascend into heaven. Yet the true power to ascend cannot be bought with dollars, nor does it need a sophisticated program with powerful people in control to get men there. All that is needed is for people to dream the dreams God has given them, and then to stay the course. Although the path will include reviling, and people thinking you are a fool, although it will include persecution and a need to overcome your fears, all those who take up their cross and follow Christ will arrive at the destination God has appointed to them.

It does not take a lot of money to purchase a cross, and a cross is the only sure way to ascend to the throne of God. Yahshua demonstrated the truth of this, and the apostles assured the church that this was the path before them.

Romans 8:16-17
The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him in order that we may also be glorified with Him.

II Corinthians 4:11
For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Yahshua’s sake, that the life of Yahshua also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.

Philippians 1:29
For to you it has been granted for Christ’s sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake…

Here is the secret for attaining the anointing, the power of God to accomplish His destiny for your life. The flesh must be crushed like that of a ripe olive in order for the oil of anointing to flow from it. Christ went through Gethsemane, which means “olive press,” on his way to the throne. Gethsemane is on the Mount of Olives, and the church is pictured as an olive tree in the New Testament. We must go to the olive press, following in the steps of our Savior, if we would also ascend to the throne.

Revelation 3:21-22
“He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.'”

Joseph went down to Egypt where he experienced the crushing of the grinding stones of Egypt. He held onto his dreams through the darkness of his experience, and indeed it was his dreams that helped him to stay the course. He looked to the One who had promised and counted Him faithful.

Psalms 105:17-19
He sent a man before them, Joseph, who was sold as a slave. They afflicted his feet with fetters, he himself was laid in irons; until the time that his word came to pass, the word of Yahweh tested him.

Yes, the word of Yahweh, the dreams God had given Joseph, tested his faith until the time that the word was fulfilled. In one hour Joseph was taken from the dungeon and brought to the throne. He could testify, “Yahweh has done great things for me. He has made me glad.”

What a privilege was given to Joseph. He was God’s instrument to save his people. Joseph became an instrument of salvation to the nations. This is the role that awaits the sons of Zion who ascend.

Obadiah 21
And saviours shall come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau; and the kingdom shall be the LORD’s.
KJV

It is the plan of the Father for all of His children to ascend. The Scriptures tell us that every person will do so, but each in his own order (squadron, rank).

I Corinthians 15:22-23
For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all shall be made alive. But each in his own order…

The Joseph Company, the man child, the sons of Zion, will be the first to ascend, and they will instruct the people in the path they must take to enter this place of ascension. Joseph preceded his brothers into Egypt as a slave, but his brothers’ time of slavery in this same land was to follow. Moses spent forty years in the wilderness being humbled before he led the Israelites through an identical period to humble them.

An interesting parallel is observed in the life of Joseph and the lives of the Israelites in Egypt. After Joseph had endured slavery and hardship the Father changed the heart of the Egyptians toward him. Whereas he had been despised and neglected, now he was honored. One part of this honor was that Pharaoh placed his signet ring on Joseph’s hand, clothed him in royal garments and placed the golden necklace around his neck.

Golden Necklace

Signet Ring (Tutankhamen)

Genesis 41:42
Then Pharaoh took off his signet ring from his hand, and put it on Joseph’s hand, and clothed him in garments of fine linen, and put the gold necklace around his neck.

All of these things are symbolic of that which God will do to those who are caught up to His throne. The signet ring is a sign of authority. It is the power to act in the authority of the king.

Haggai 2:23
On that day,’ declares Yahweh of hosts,’ I will take you, Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, My servant,’ declares Yahweh,’ and I will make you like a signet ring, for I have chosen you,’ “declares Yahweh of hosts.

Esther 8:2
And the king took off his signet ring which he had taken away from Haman, and gave it to Mordecai. And Esther set Mordecai over the house of Haman.

There is much in this story from Esther that is symbolic of the a transfer of power and authority from God’s people who walk in pride, and those who humble themselves before Him. I will not delve into all that at this time, however. What I do want to point out is that everything Joseph received from Pharaoh after his years of testing were later received by the nation of Israel after their years of slavery and subjection to cruel taskmasters.

Exodus 3:21-22
And I will grant this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians; and it shall be that when you go, you will not go empty-handed. But every woman shall ask of her neighbor and the woman who lives in her house, articles of silver and articles of gold, and clothing; and you will put them on your sons and daughters. Thus you will plunder the Egyptians.”

In the days ahead, God will raise up a first fruits group of sons to His throne. These sons will be used to preserve many people alive in a day of great trouble. Eventually all of the people of God will experience the same, each in his own order.

Note: I am not using the term “sons” in a gender sense that is exclusive of those overcoming Christians who are female. The Scriptures also speak of the overcomers as being “the bride” of Christ, but this description does not preclude males from being a part of the bride. These are symbolic words used to represent spiritual truth.

People of God, there are many awesome things prophesied to occur in these days at the end of the age. Let us lift up our heads, for our redemption draws nigh.

May you be blessed with peace and understanding in these days.

Heart4God Website: http://www.heart4god.ws
Parables Blog: http://www.parablesblog.blogspot.com

Mailing Address:
Joseph Herrin
P.O. Box 804
Montezuma, GA 31063