Nice & Wavy
Well-Known Member
[FONT=Arial,Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica]I'm going to begin sharing some topics of substance that we can talk about. I think these topics will help to understand how spiritual battles are won and how we can overcome some things that we may not fully understand about spiritual assignments against us, our families, etc.
For those who want to share, please feel free to share under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
Elijah, Jehu, and the War Against Jezebel
by Francis Frangipane
(En Español)
There is a war, a very ancient war, between the spirit of Elijah and the spirit of Jezebel. In this age-old battle, Elijah represents the interests of heaven: the call to repentance and the return to God. Jezebel, on the other hand, represents that unique principality whose purpose is to hinder and defeat the return of the church to God.
To The Victor Goes Our Nation
To understand the conflict between the Elijah spirit and the spirit of Jezebel, we must understand these two adversaries as they are seen in the Scriptures. Each is the spiritual counterpart of the other. Is Elijah bold? Jezebel is brazen. Is Elijah ruthless toward evil? Jezebel is vicious toward righteousness. Does Elijah speak of the ways and words of God? Jezebel is full of systems of witchcraft and words of deceit. The war between Elijah and Jezebel continues today. The chief warriors on either side are the prophets of both foes; to the victor goes the soul of our nation.
In the tradition of Samuel, Elijah was the head of the school of prophets. Under him were the sons of the prophets---literally hundreds of seers and prophetic minstrels---who proclaimed the Word of the Lord. In this war, however, Jezebel had viciously and systematically murdered all of God's servants until only Elijah remained (see 1 Kings 18:22). Elijah, as the last of the prophets, then challenged the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of the Asherah to a demonstration of power: their gods against the power of the Lord.
These 850 men were the false prophets, the satanic priests "who ate at Jezebel's table" (1 Kings 18:19). They were the most powerful, demonized individuals that the hosts of darkness could produce. King Ahab, Jezebel's husband, sent a message out to "all the sons of Israel" (v. 20), and the nation came to witness the war between the God of Elijah and the demons of Jezebel.
The terms of the challenge were simple: Each was to place an ox upon an altar. Elijah then said, "You call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the Lord, and the God who answers by fire, He is God" (v. 24). Six hours later the cult priests still could produce no fire; twelve hours passed and Elijah began to mock them, "Call out [to Baal] with a loud voice, for he is a god; either he is occupied or gone aside . . . perhaps he is asleep and needs to be awakened" (v. 27). Then, just before evening, Elijah prayed over his sacrifice and "the fire of the Lord fell, and consumed the burnt offering." The Scriptures continue: "When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, ‘The Lord, He is God; the Lord, He is God'" (vv. 38-39). Immediately after this powerful witness of the Lord, Elijah had the Hebrews secure the prophets of Baal and all of them were put to death.
We would suppose that, at this point, Elijah would have gone into Jezreel and asked God to finish off Jezebel, but he did not. In fact---and this may surprise you---Elijah came under spiritual warfare. When Jezebel heard what had happened to her servants, in a fit of rage she released a flood of witchcraft and demonic power against Elijah that put fear into his heart, and Elijah fled.
You may ask, How could such a mighty prophet turn and run? The answer is not simple. In fact, the situation worsened. We then see Elijah sitting under a juniper tree, bewailing that he is no better than his fathers---actually praying that he might die! (see 1 Kings 19:4) What pressure overwhelmed this great man of God that he would fall prey to fear and discouragement? He succumbed to the witchcraft of Jezebel.
And now, let the reader understand: When you stand against the principality of Jezebel, even though you resist her lusts and witchcrafts, you must guard against the power-demons of fear and discouragement, for these she will send against you to distract you from your warfare and your victory!
The Drama Continues . . .
It is a mystery, yet biblically true, that under certain conditions the Holy Spirit will transfer a leader’s anointing to one or more uniquely prepared people. This occurred when the Lord took the “Spirit who was upon [Moses], and placed the same upon the seventy elders” (Num. 11:24–25 NKJV). Again, we see the effect of this principle with Joshua, who “was filled with the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him” (Deut. 34:9). Of course, our very salvation reaps the reward of this precept, for Christ is not just a religion, but His actual Spirit and virtue have been imparted to us.
With this concept in mind, we can better accept how the spirit of Elijah was sent to minister through the person of John the Baptist. Once before, Elijah's spirit had been placed upon another individual. You will remember that Elisha, the prophet who succeeded Elijah, received a double portion of Elijah's spirit (see 2 Kings 2:9-11). Now, again, the spirit of Elijah was ministering, activating, inspiring and creating in John the Baptist that same kind of intensity that dwelt in Elijah himself. John was to go "as a forerunner before [the Lord] in the spirit and power of Elijah" (Luke 1:17).
Jesus said of the Baptist, "John himself is Elijah who was to come" (Matt. 11:14, see also 17:11-13). John even looked like Elijah. The spiritual influence of Elijah had returned to the world in the person of John the Baptist. Like Elijah, John proclaimed the need for repentance wherever he saw sin. One such area was in the adulterous lives of King Herod and his wife Herodias. When John confronted them, Herodias had him imprisoned (see Mark 6:17-18).
But who was this manipulating and working through the dark, psychic side of Herodias? As Elijah's spirit ministered through John, so Jezebel had resurfaced through the rebellion of the seductress, Herodius. Remember, through Jezebel's many witchcrafts (see 2 Kings 9:22), she attacked Elijah, causing fear and discouragement, which led to Elijah's time of self-doubt and confusion. Now Herodius had come forcibly against the Baptist. This is the prophet who had visibly seen the Spirit descend upon Christ; he heard the Father's audible voice announcing His beloved Son; he gazed with awe upon the purity of Israel's Messiah. Now, fear and discouragement are weighing upon the prophet's shoulders. Doubt floods his soul about Christ: "Are You the Expected One, or shall we look for someone else?" (Matt. 11:3).
"A strategic day came when Herod . . . gave a banquet" (Mark 6:21). "Strategic" is the perfect word to describe the timing of this event. For in this war between the spirits of Elijah and Jezebel, Herodias had her daughter dance before Herod, enticing out of him a promise to give whatever she asked. At her mother's request---more truly, at Jezebel's request---she demanded and received the head of the Baptist. And temporarily, the confrontation between the spirits of these two eternal enemies subsided. [/FONT]
For those who want to share, please feel free to share under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
Elijah, Jehu, and the War Against Jezebel
by Francis Frangipane
(En Español)
There is a war, a very ancient war, between the spirit of Elijah and the spirit of Jezebel. In this age-old battle, Elijah represents the interests of heaven: the call to repentance and the return to God. Jezebel, on the other hand, represents that unique principality whose purpose is to hinder and defeat the return of the church to God.
To The Victor Goes Our Nation
To understand the conflict between the Elijah spirit and the spirit of Jezebel, we must understand these two adversaries as they are seen in the Scriptures. Each is the spiritual counterpart of the other. Is Elijah bold? Jezebel is brazen. Is Elijah ruthless toward evil? Jezebel is vicious toward righteousness. Does Elijah speak of the ways and words of God? Jezebel is full of systems of witchcraft and words of deceit. The war between Elijah and Jezebel continues today. The chief warriors on either side are the prophets of both foes; to the victor goes the soul of our nation.
In the tradition of Samuel, Elijah was the head of the school of prophets. Under him were the sons of the prophets---literally hundreds of seers and prophetic minstrels---who proclaimed the Word of the Lord. In this war, however, Jezebel had viciously and systematically murdered all of God's servants until only Elijah remained (see 1 Kings 18:22). Elijah, as the last of the prophets, then challenged the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of the Asherah to a demonstration of power: their gods against the power of the Lord.
These 850 men were the false prophets, the satanic priests "who ate at Jezebel's table" (1 Kings 18:19). They were the most powerful, demonized individuals that the hosts of darkness could produce. King Ahab, Jezebel's husband, sent a message out to "all the sons of Israel" (v. 20), and the nation came to witness the war between the God of Elijah and the demons of Jezebel.
The terms of the challenge were simple: Each was to place an ox upon an altar. Elijah then said, "You call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the Lord, and the God who answers by fire, He is God" (v. 24). Six hours later the cult priests still could produce no fire; twelve hours passed and Elijah began to mock them, "Call out [to Baal] with a loud voice, for he is a god; either he is occupied or gone aside . . . perhaps he is asleep and needs to be awakened" (v. 27). Then, just before evening, Elijah prayed over his sacrifice and "the fire of the Lord fell, and consumed the burnt offering." The Scriptures continue: "When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, ‘The Lord, He is God; the Lord, He is God'" (vv. 38-39). Immediately after this powerful witness of the Lord, Elijah had the Hebrews secure the prophets of Baal and all of them were put to death.
We would suppose that, at this point, Elijah would have gone into Jezreel and asked God to finish off Jezebel, but he did not. In fact---and this may surprise you---Elijah came under spiritual warfare. When Jezebel heard what had happened to her servants, in a fit of rage she released a flood of witchcraft and demonic power against Elijah that put fear into his heart, and Elijah fled.
You may ask, How could such a mighty prophet turn and run? The answer is not simple. In fact, the situation worsened. We then see Elijah sitting under a juniper tree, bewailing that he is no better than his fathers---actually praying that he might die! (see 1 Kings 19:4) What pressure overwhelmed this great man of God that he would fall prey to fear and discouragement? He succumbed to the witchcraft of Jezebel.
And now, let the reader understand: When you stand against the principality of Jezebel, even though you resist her lusts and witchcrafts, you must guard against the power-demons of fear and discouragement, for these she will send against you to distract you from your warfare and your victory!
The Drama Continues . . .
It is a mystery, yet biblically true, that under certain conditions the Holy Spirit will transfer a leader’s anointing to one or more uniquely prepared people. This occurred when the Lord took the “Spirit who was upon [Moses], and placed the same upon the seventy elders” (Num. 11:24–25 NKJV). Again, we see the effect of this principle with Joshua, who “was filled with the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him” (Deut. 34:9). Of course, our very salvation reaps the reward of this precept, for Christ is not just a religion, but His actual Spirit and virtue have been imparted to us.
With this concept in mind, we can better accept how the spirit of Elijah was sent to minister through the person of John the Baptist. Once before, Elijah's spirit had been placed upon another individual. You will remember that Elisha, the prophet who succeeded Elijah, received a double portion of Elijah's spirit (see 2 Kings 2:9-11). Now, again, the spirit of Elijah was ministering, activating, inspiring and creating in John the Baptist that same kind of intensity that dwelt in Elijah himself. John was to go "as a forerunner before [the Lord] in the spirit and power of Elijah" (Luke 1:17).
Jesus said of the Baptist, "John himself is Elijah who was to come" (Matt. 11:14, see also 17:11-13). John even looked like Elijah. The spiritual influence of Elijah had returned to the world in the person of John the Baptist. Like Elijah, John proclaimed the need for repentance wherever he saw sin. One such area was in the adulterous lives of King Herod and his wife Herodias. When John confronted them, Herodias had him imprisoned (see Mark 6:17-18).
But who was this manipulating and working through the dark, psychic side of Herodias? As Elijah's spirit ministered through John, so Jezebel had resurfaced through the rebellion of the seductress, Herodius. Remember, through Jezebel's many witchcrafts (see 2 Kings 9:22), she attacked Elijah, causing fear and discouragement, which led to Elijah's time of self-doubt and confusion. Now Herodius had come forcibly against the Baptist. This is the prophet who had visibly seen the Spirit descend upon Christ; he heard the Father's audible voice announcing His beloved Son; he gazed with awe upon the purity of Israel's Messiah. Now, fear and discouragement are weighing upon the prophet's shoulders. Doubt floods his soul about Christ: "Are You the Expected One, or shall we look for someone else?" (Matt. 11:3).
"A strategic day came when Herod . . . gave a banquet" (Mark 6:21). "Strategic" is the perfect word to describe the timing of this event. For in this war between the spirits of Elijah and Jezebel, Herodias had her daughter dance before Herod, enticing out of him a promise to give whatever she asked. At her mother's request---more truly, at Jezebel's request---she demanded and received the head of the Baptist. And temporarily, the confrontation between the spirits of these two eternal enemies subsided. [/FONT]
