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Text

Isaiah 62 Fast Focuses

May 7, 2023 by Admin Crea IHOP

Day 1 | 7 May 2023

Day 1 HeaderThere is only one way to eternal life, and that is through calling on the name of Jesus as Lord and Saviour. The Jewish people are not automatically saved for being the physical descendants of Abraham. Their zeal and their righteous acts cannot lead them to salvation. Salvation for them too is only by grace by faith in Yeshua Hamashiach (Jesus the Messiah).

The Jewish people’s rejection of their Messiah led to the Gospel going to the Gentile nations, but this blindness is neither final nor complete (Rom. 11:25). When the fullness of the Gentiles happens, all Israel will be saved (Rom. 11:25–26).

It is critical to pray for the salvation of the Jewish people because the return of Jesus is dependent on the nation of Israel turning to Yeshua as their Messiah (Matt. 23:37–39, Acts 3:19–21).

Consequently, the return of Jesus, together with Israel’s national salvation, is critical for the fullness of God’s redemptive plan for all mankind to unfold across the nations, and for His glory to cover the earth (Hab. 2:14). Thus, Paul says that their national salvation will be “life from the dead” for the world (Rom. 11:15).

Pray for the salvation of the Jewish people today!

How To Pray:

  • Pray that the Jewish people will know that there is only one way to salvation — to call on the name of Yeshua (Col. 1:9–11).
    • Salvation is by grace by faith in Yeshua alone.
    • He is the way, the truth and the life.
  • Pray for the Jewish people to be convicted of their need for Jesus as Saviour, that He is the Passover Lamb that was slain for their sin and He is the One who reconciles man with God through His work on the cross (Eph. 1:17–18).
  • Pray for the removal of the partial and temporary blindness that has been upon Israel for the past two millennia.
  • Pray for the awakening of many through personal encounters and miracles that will point them back to the God of Israel (Joel 2:28–32; Eph.1:17–18).
  • Pray for many to be provoked to jealousy by Gentile believers (Rom. 11:11–14), that they would return to Yahweh and to Yeshua as their Saviour.

 

Day 2 | 8 May 2023

Day 2 HeaderA majority of Jewish people are proud of their heritage and follow the traditions and feasts of their forefathers. Whether they know it or not, these traditions that they follow, like the Feasts of Passover (Pesach) and Tabernacles (Sukkot), all point to God’s salvation for them in Yeshua Hamashiach (Jesus the Messiah).

The writer of Romans highlights the issue of the Jewish people — they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. They are still looking to attain righteousness through works and do not acknowledge Jesus as God’s way to righteousness (Rom. 10:2–3).

A majority of the Jewish people are waiting for their Messiah to come and restore the kingdom to Israel (Acts 1:6). They do not acknowledge that Yeshua is the Messiah because in their understanding, their Messiah cannot die. Instead, He is to come and establish His kingdom through Israel as in the days of David (1 Chro. 17:9–14).

While Jesus will eventually establish His Kingdom through Israel after His return, they need to see that their Messiah had to first come and be pierced for their transgressions so that they can be saved. In fact, this is hidden in the very name of “YHWH” where the third Hebrew character, “vav”, signifies a hook or a nail.

May their eyes behold Yeshua — the Lamb who was slain from the foundation of the world (Rev. 13:8)!

How To Pray:

  • Pray for revelation of Jesus as the Passover Lamb that was provided to them by Yahweh from before the foundations of the earth, so that they will call upon Him as their Messiah (Eph. 1:17).
  • Pray for God to give the Jewish people spiritual understanding of how their feasts point towards Yeshua, who fulfilled all that was written in Isa. 61:1–3.
  • Pray that as they read the Torah, the Holy Spirit will enlighten their eyes to see who Yeshua is and His work of salvation from the Name of God and from the Scriptures.
  • Pray for the enlightening of their eyes to see that the Son of God became the Son of Man, so that He could take away their sin.
  • Pray for the Spirit of grace and supplication to be poured on them, so that they will repent of their sins and call upon the name of Jesus unto salvation (Zech. 12:10).

 

Day 3 | 9 May 2023

Day 3 HeaderThere is only one city explicitly mentioned by name in Scripture that God calls us to pray for — Jerusalem. In Psalm 122:6, God’s people are exhorted to “pray for the peace of Jerusalem.”

Indeed, throughout her history and even in modern times, moments of peace and rest have been few and far between. The reality is, Jerusalem will never have true, complete, and lasting peace until the hearts of the Jewish people turn to the Prince of Peace — Yeshua their Messiah, and He returns to establish His throne in Jerusalem, and His Kingdom here on earth.

In the meantime, we are called to pray for her and bless her until her namesake, “Yerushalayim — the possession/foundation of peace”, comes to pass in reality.

How To Pray:

  • Pray from Numbers 6:24–26 the Aaronic blessing upon Jerusalem: that God would bless her, keep her, make His face shine upon her, be gracious to her, lift up His countenance upon her, and give her peace.
  • Pray for the manifestation of her namesake “Jerusalem” to be a reality.
  • Pray for Yahweh Shalom to manifest His Presence in her midst.
  • Pray for the fullness of her destiny as God’s chosen and holy city for His throne.
  • Speak peace and bless Jerusalem with the peace of her God Yahweh Shalom.

 

Day 4 | 10 May 2023

Day 4 HeaderThe Biblical definition of peace is not just about an absence of war, conflicts, or tensions, but “wholeness, fullness, and completeness”. Peace comes from the word “shalom”, which means being safe in mind, body or estate.

Psalm 122 tells us to pray for Jerusalem’s peace and protection, but there’s more. It speaks of praying for the completeness and fullness of God for the city of Jerusalem. Jerusalem is God’s chosen city from where He will manifest His shalom.

We need to pray for many to encounter Yeshua, the Prince of Peace, who will give them true peace and stability in their hearts amidst increasing darkness and conflicts, and for the fullness of God’s will and purposes for Jerusalem.

How To Pray:

Psalm 122:6–9 gives us four aspects on how to pray:

  • “The peace of Jerusalem” (v6) — Pray for protection from attacks and war, and for wholeness;
  • “Peace within your walls” (v7) — Pray for unity and harmony within the Jewish people and the people groups in Jerusalem; pray for peace within her walls in the midst of the turmoil within and without;
  • “Peace be within you” (v8) — Pray for God’s supernatural peace upon the hearts of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and for divine encounters with Yeshua, the Prince of Peace;
  • “I will seek your good” (v9) — Pray for the fullness of God’s will and purposes for Jerusalem, that she will be the city of the great King Yeshua.

Day 5 | 11 May 2023

Day 5 HeaderThrough the cross, God reconciled both Jews and Gentiles to Himself and created in Himself one new man out of the two. The cross put to death the hostility between both groups, thus making peace (Eph. 2:11–22).

As Gentiles, we who were once separated from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and the covenants, are now heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together of the promise in Christ Jesus (Eph. 3:6).

We as the Gentile Church have not replaced Israel! The truth is that we have been grafted into the “commonwealth of Israel” (Eph. 2:12) and are now heirs together with Israel in Christ and through Christ, we are able to share in the promises given to them (Gal. 6:16).

While some Biblical promises are specific to national Israel and Jewish believers only (e.g., Aliyah, the Promised Land, Zech. 13 and 14), this does not make Gentiles second-class citizens. Both groups have our own distinct callings and roles. Yet, we both have the same position before Him — we are His beloved children, with Israel as the firstborn.

In this hour, God is bringing restoration of this one new man unto its fullness between Messianic and Gentile believers. He is “undoing” centuries of the Gentile Church’s disconnection from our Jewish roots and heritage, so that as we walk together as One New Man in Christ, we will see the fullness of His Kingdom here on earth.

How To Pray:

  • Pray for God to bring understanding and renew the minds of both groups — Jews and Gentiles, in accordance with His Word that we are one in Christ (Col. 1:9).
  • Pray for both groups to align and hold fast to God’s truth, resist the narrative from the Replacement Theology and endure the persecution that comes with it.
  • Pray for the breaking down of the walls of hostility between both groups and God’s healing upon hearts to walk worthy as the One New Man, the Israel of God, fully expressing God and His kingdom here on earth (Jn. 17:21–23, Eph. 2:14–18).
  • Pray for the Gentile Church to be reconnected to our roots and heritage and so stand with and pray for our brethren to be restored as the firstborn and inherit their Promised Land.
  • Pray for the Messianic believers to embrace and love their spiritual younger brother just as we were called to one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

 

Day 6 | 12 May 2023

Day 6 HeaderIf one were to take a look at Israel’s history on the surface, it would seem that she has been forsaken and forgotten by God. Her history is rife with turmoil and persecution, which have left the nation and the land desolate on multiple occasions.

However, this is not the case! The Lord has surely not forsaken nor forgotten her. In fact, He delights over her. Israel is His firstborn. Israel is His beloved. God says that whoever touches her, touches the apple of His eye (Zech. 2:8).

Isaiah 62:3–5 gives the truth of Israel’s identity before God and is also a promise of what is to come for the nation of Israel. We can speak and declare this promise over Israel, so that even in the midst of the increasing antisemitism and hatred towards her, her heart will be reminded of how God sees her and His promises for her future.

Of course, this does not excuse her sin and rebellion towards God, but God’s heart and faithfulness towards her has never changed, and we can speak this over Israel in confidence.

How To Pray:

  • Speak and declare over Israel her identity and destiny from Isa. 62:3–5:
    • She is a crown of glory and a royal diadem in the hand of God;
    • She is not forsaken nor desolate;
    • She is Hephzibah (the Lord delights in her) and Beulah (her land shall be married);
    • Her God rejoices over her with singing and gladness (also Zeph. 3:16)
  • Pray for Israel to encounter the heart of Yeshua, her Bridegroom God, and how He sees her.
  • Pray for Israel to be confident in her prophetic destiny as a crown of glory and royal diadem in God’s hands.
  • Pray for Israel to hear the God who rejoices and sings over her.

 

Day 7 | 13 May 2023

Day 7 HeaderThe term “holy seed” is relatively unknown to the Gentile Church, but is really what the Lord desires to produce in His nation Israel. All of the Lord’s work upon the nation of Israel throughout history has been for the purpose of producing the “holy seed” (Isa. 6:13) that will be worthy to advance the Kingdom with Him in partnership during the Millennial Kingdom (Rev. 20:6).

In Isaiah 6:9–13, God prophesies about the refining that Israel will go through via the judgments that He will send upon her. These judgments will be sent in response to her rebellion towards Him. Through the judgments, He will produce humility and gratitude in her, so that she will be able to carry the glory that will be given to her in the Age-to-come. This is because God is zealous for Israel’s fullness and glory that will be unsurpassed by any other nation.

While the prophecies of the judgments towards Israel are severe and seem devastating, they are not without redemption or hope. God likens Israel to a tree that keeps being cut down (through persecution, discipline, and judgment), but promises that a “stump” or remnant will remain (v13). Through God’s refining, this remnant will ultimately emerge as that “holy seed” that will walk in humility and gratitude, and be set apart for her call to govern nations with Yeshua her Messiah in the Millennial Kingdom.

Let us agree with the Lord’s sovereign hand and work over His beloved nation unto her arising as the “holy seed”!

How To Pray:

  • Agree with God regarding His ordained preparation process for Israel to be made ready as the holy seed who will partner with Him to rule in the Millennial Kingdom.
  • Pray for God to refine and purify her with His fire and judgments in accordance to His infinite wisdom (1 Thes. 5:23–24).
  • Pray for His mercy in the midst of the judgments.
  • Pray for God to produce and work humility and gratitude in the heart of Israel.
  • Pray for Israel to come forth as the “holy seed” and light to the nations at the End of the Age that will be worthy to step into the fullness of her call in the Millennial Kingdom.

 

Day 8 | 14 May 2023

Day 8 HeaderOne of the main ways that God will cause rebellious Israel to turn back to Him is through His severe mercy towards her. God will divinely engineer crises and circumstances that will cause Israel to return in deep repentance (Isa. 26:9) as they realise their own sin and rebellion towards God.

Why “severe”?
To come under the discipline and judgement of the Uncreated God and Sovereign King is not something to consider casually and lightly. Hebrews 10:31 rightly says, “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” Zechariah 13:8–9 tells us that before the return of Jesus, Israel will face her greatest crisis that is divinely engineered by God.

Why “mercy”?
God’s judgements and discipline come from a heart of unchanging mercy and kindness. He does not give to Israel what she deserves (Ps. 103:8–10) but instead keeps His covenant and does not write her off.

Instead, God judges Israel to deliver her from her sin and to remove everything that hinders wholehearted love for God, so that she can live out the fullness of her high calling in God. His judgements are meant to be redemptive.

Ultimately, God uses the least severe means to produce the greatest amount and deepest level of voluntary love from His people. This means that in God’s mercy, Israel’s “greatest crisis” (Zech. 12:8–9) is already the least severe.

How To Pray:

  • Pray that in the midst of God’s discipline and judgement, Israel will consider the goodness and severity of God (Rom. 11:22) which will lead her to wholehearted repentance.
  • Pray for Israel to encounter the severe mercy of God through:
    • God-engineered troubles and crises to discipline and deliver Israel from her spiritual enemy of sin and rebellion;
    • Seeing the way God deals with Gentile Nations (Isa. 19; Hag. 2:6–7);
    • God’s people showing her mercy in the midst of her severe troubles.
  • Pray for the raising up of voices who will help the Jewish people to make sense of God’s dealings towards them in His severe mercy.
  • Pray for Gentile Believers to have understanding that God’s discipline and love are not contradictory, so that we can agree in prayer with His dealings towards Israel that are for her utmost good.

Day 9 | 15 May 2023

Day 9 HeaderThe Jewish people were exiled from their land with the Assyrian and Babylonian invasions (721 BC and 586 BC) and the destruction of Jerusalem by Emperor Titus in AD 70.

“Aliyah”, which in Hebrew means to “go up”, refers to the return of the Jewish diaspora from all over nations to the land of Israel. Since Israel’s re-formation as a state in 1948, we have seen a progressive return of the Jewish people back to their homeland.

Some have returned with the help of strong support and assistance in their return. Others have returned because antisemitism or crises have forced them to flee from danger back to the promised land. An example is the recent Russia-Ukraine war where many Jewish people were forced to return to Israel.

Whether through assistance (organisations, leaders or individuals assisting their return) or through crises, God will bring His people back (Jer. 16:16).

God will keep His covenant to Abraham to give his descendants the land of Israel (Gen. 15:18–21). In His zeal for His name, God will bring the Israelites back to their homeland from the lands they have been scattered to (Isa. 11:11–16; Ezek. 36:24).

How To Pray:

  • Pray for God to stir the hearts of many Jewish people to return to the land.
  • Pray for the directing of their hearts to His zeal for the land (2. Thes. 3:5).
  • Pray for the hastening of the work of Aliyah even in the midst of tensions in Israel (Hab. 3:2).
  • Pray for the raising up of people of authority and influence who will help facilitate the migration of the Jewish people back to Israel.
  • Pray for the Jewish people to be strengthened with God’s grace to return despite the difficulties they may face in making Aliyah (Zech. 4:7).

 

Day 10 | 16 May 2023

Day 10 HeaderFor many Jewish people, Aliyah would mean leaving behind comfortable careers, lifestyles, and relationships, to start over in a land foreign to them. One of the reasons that deter Jewish people from returning to Israel is the lack of resources, such as a lack of finances or educational qualifications necessary to help them settle down in Israel. Getting a new home and finding a new job are some of the practical needs and concerns that Jews face after they return to Israel.

Returning Jews may also face prejudice amongst the Israeli Jewish community, depending on which nation they have returned from. These Jews are discriminated against and may be treated poorly — such as having their homes located at the forefront of potential war-prone areas in Israel. They may also not be readily accepted by the community around them, and face challenges in adjusting to a new language and fitting in in an entirely new society.

God promises Israel in Isaiah 61:7 that she will have a double portion of prosperity and fruitfulness in the land. He promises her permanent habitation in the land and manifold blessings upon them. Let us pray this promise over the Jewish people as they heed the call to return to Israel.

How To Pray:

  • Pray that the Jewish people will experience the Lord’s mighty hand of supernatural provision, protection and power as they return to the Land, just as Israel did as the Lord led them out of Egypt (Heb. 13:20–21; Hab. 3:2).
  • Pray that after they return to the land, God would release His abundant grace and provisional blessings over them so that they would have no lack.
  • Pray that the Jewish people will experience the promise from Isaiah 61:7 in these different aspects in Israel (Jude 3):
    • Ministries and agencies helping them to settle in;
    • Assistance in learning the language and settling into society;
    • Communities that will welcome them as fellow Israelis;
    • Aid from Gentiles who help without expectation of anything in return (Isa. 60:10, 14);
    • The supernatural hand of God from barrenness to fruitfulness (Joel 3).

 

Day 11 | 17 May 2023

Day 11 HeaderJerusalem is the Holy Land, yet it is a far cry from God’s glory for her as the Holy City. Israel is currently no different from any other secular nation. Yet, God is zealous for her and will not leave her as she is (Zech. 1:14; 8:2). Zechariah 5 reveals God’s heart to cleanse Israel of her unrighteous ways and wickedness. God will orchestrate a divine removal of wickedness from her in the End Times (Zech 5:8–11).

The cleansing of the land of Israel refers to cleansing from her immorality, idolatry,
disobedience, unfaithfulness and wrong value system that has been embraced over time.

God will cause a fountain of cleansing to spring up for sin and uncleanness (Zech 13:1). He will set His standard of holiness in the land of Jerusalem and amongst the people of Israel so that once again, they will be called out of the world and set apart for Him.

While the fullness of this cleansing will take place right at the End of the Age, God can and will progressively cleanse her even as we pray.

How To Pray:

  • Pray for God to cause the fountain of cleansing to spring up in Jerusalem, and cleanse the hearts of many from idolatry, immorality, impurity and sin (Zech. 13:1).
  • Pray for God to refine Israel to bring her into alignment with His heart and His values (Col. 4:12).
  • Pray for the Spirit of conviction to fall on the Jewish people that will lead them to repentance and cause them to turn away from their false idols and back to God.
  • Pray for the fear of the Lord to be put in their hearts so that they will return to Him (Jer. 32:40).

 

Day 12 | 18 May 2023

Day 12 HeaderGod promised through Jeremiah that He would restore the Jewish people back to the land of Israel and rejoice in doing them good “with all His heart and with all His soul” (Jer. 32:41). Such is the zeal of Yahweh! This is what the God of Israel will do to fulfil the covenantal promise He first made with the forefathers of the nation — Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Throughout her history, Israel has often departed from fearing God and walking in His ways. The nation often worshipped other gods and turned her back on Yahweh. Nevertheless, God has been long-suffering in His relationship with her.

Even though God would send her into exile, He promised that there would come a time in the future when He would put the fear of the Lord in the hearts of the Jewish people so that His people will not depart from Him anymore (Jer. 32:39-40).

This is that hour in history where His zeal will accomplish this promise for Israel. She is back in her land, and He, with all His heart and soul, will put the fear of the Lord back in her heart.

Let us pray with confidence for this promise of God to come to pass.

How To Pray:

  • Pray for the Spirit of the fear of the Lord to be poured out upon the hearts of the Jewish people that they will once again fear the Lord, turn to Yeshua and turn away from all other gods and idols (Jer. 32:40; Isa. 11:2–3).
  • Pray that God will do a supernatural work to give the Jewish people a singleness of heart to fear His name (Ps. 86:11–12).
  • Pray that the Jewish people will have the true fear of the Lord in their hearts, not one of outward religion having “fear taught by the commandment of men” (Isa. 29:13).
  • Pray for the Holy Spirit to teach the Jewish people to fear the Lord whenever the Word of God is read and taught.
  • Pray for the secular Jewish people that they may encounter the fear of the Lord and return to the God of Israel through His Son Yeshua (Isa. 29:23–24).
  • Pray for God to raise up God-fearing men and women in Israel who will teach and call the Jewish people back to the fear of the Lord and to walk in His ways (Deut. 31:9–13; Josh. 24:14–15; 1 Sam. 12:23–25).
  • Pray that the Jewish people will delight in walking in the fear of the Lord in both good and difficult times (Isa. 11:3; Neh. 1:11; 5:15).

 

Day 13 | 19 May 2023

Day 13 HeaderIn the early Church in Acts 15, the Messianic Jewish apostles and elders met in response to the growing number of non-Jewish people who were being added to the faith. Issues of Jewish practices and customs (such as circumcision) were discussed in light of the growing Gentile Church. This gathering of people was called the Jerusalem Council.

God is once again restoring the Jerusalem Council in this crucial hour of human history we are in. As God reveals the mysteries of Israel, and as His sovereign plan unfolds, He will give us greater clarity on the role and responsibility of the leaders and elders in the Messianic Jewish community for this generation.

One of the many promises for the Jewish people in the Torah is found in Deuteronomy 28:13. It tells us that the Jewish people will be the head and not the tail if they walk in the commandments of God. In this hour, this will include God using the Messianic Jewish community to provide leadership for the Jerusalem Council as we have seen in Acts 15.

How To Pray:

  • Thank God for the foundation that has been laid thus far.
  • Pray for God’s strength to be upon the re-establishing and restoration of the Jerusalem Council unto God’s fullness for it in this hour (Col. 1:11).
  • Pray for the Zechariah 4 grace to empower them and for the removal of every obstacle (Zech. 4:6–7).
  • Pray for those (e.g. Dan Juster, Marty Waldman, Don Finto) who are providing leadership to have wisdom to walk worthy of this call (Col. 1:9–10).
  • Pray for the provision of resources in the re-establishment of the Jerusalem Council.
  • Pray for His ordained plan and purpose to be revealed with greater clarity, understanding, and direction to both Messianic and Gentile believers.

 

Day 14 | 20 May 2023

Day 14 HeaderAs we see increasing political turmoil and uncertainty in Israel, we need to realise that the issue is not just about politics and the formation of coalitions. Spiritual warfare is going on and thus, we need to pray.

Even though Israel’s ultimate confidence is not in its governmental leaders, they still play a critical role in making decisions, establishing laws, and governing the land of Israel. Our prayers move God’s heart and thus, His hand. He is able to establish righteous boundaries and stir the hearts of the leaders to make decisions that are right, just, and lawful in the eyes of God.

In fact, God’s heart is always for the governmental leaders of Israel to govern the nation with righteousness and justice, which are the foundations of His throne (Ps. 89:14).

Similarly to how God used various kings in Israel’s history to establish His plans and purposes, we can pray for God to do the same today so that God’s fullness for Israel will come to pass.

How To Pray:

  • Pray for the leaders to be aligned with God’s hearts and plans for Israel.
  • Pray for godly wisdom and counsel upon the leaders in the midst of increasing pressures and tensions.
  • Pray that the decisions will be executed from a place of humility, righteousness and truth.
  • Pray for the fear of the Lord to be upon them.
  • For the raising up of Josephs and Daniels in this hour who have understanding and wisdom in influencing and guiding the leaders and their decisions over Israel.
  • Pray for God to direct their hearts to put their confidence in Him, and not in their own military might or political alliances.
  • Pray that God will bring to remembrance His faithful leadership over Israel in the past that they would turn to Him as the Shepherd of Israel.

 

Day 15 | 21 May 2023

Day 15 HeaderProphetic voices are spokespersons of God who proclaim His heart and plans to His people. They are also ones who are able to interpret what God is saying and doing through different times and seasons.

As we approach Jesus’ return, God will raise up many voices among the Messianic Jewish people who will understand God’s heart and instruct their Jewish brethren (Dan. 11:33), so as to turn their hearts back to Yeshua and the God of Israel.

As Israel will face unprecedented troubles (Jer. 30:7), there is a greater urgency and necessity for voices to arise in the Messianic Jewish community to make sense of what will happen at the End of the Age. These voices will be set apart as the Zechariah 4 “sons of oil” (Zech. 4:14) and the ultimate fulfilment will be seen at the End of the Age in the ministry of the two witnesses (Rev. 11).

How To Pray:

  • Pray for God to raise up voices among the Messianic Jews who have understanding of His heart and who will instruct many (Dan. 11:33)
  • Pray for prophetic voices to be directed to eating the Revelation 10 “little book”, that they would be equipped with spiritual wisdom and understanding to prophesy to their people.
  • Pray for God to enrich His voices with all utterance and all knowledge, that the testimony of Christ will be confirmed in them as they speak (1 Cor. 1:4).
  • Pray for God to give these voices boldness and courage to speak forth His word.
  • Pray for God to raise up Zechariah 4 “sons of oil” who will wait on Him and carry His glory.
  • Pray for God to raise up prophetic voices with godly character, who will speak and live in righteousness – humility, integrity, purity of heart and a total devotion to God’s truth.
  • Pray for voices to arise who walk in great power and authority, that the Spirit will make Himself manifest as they speak.
  • Pray that God would continue to strengthen those who have already risen up (e.g. Michael Brown, Asher Intrater, Dan Juster etc.) to continue witnessing of Yeshua their Messiah.

 

 

Day 16 | 22 May 2023

Day 16 HeaderIn John 17, Jesus prays fervently for His people to be one in Him and with one another, the same way that He and the Father are One. While He prays this for all believers both Messianic and Gentile, the most striking manifestation of this oneness will be seen between Messianic and Arab believers, especially at the End of the Age.

Isaiah 19 prophesies about the fullness of oneness — when Israel, Egypt and Assyria will together bring forth God’s glory to the nations in the Millennial Kingdom (Isa. 19:24–25). Oneness among Messianic and Arab believers will be the first fruit of this future oneness of their nations in God.

During the Covid-19 lockdown in 2020, God divinely accelerated the John 17 oneness between Messianic and Arab believers through an online Passover gathering. As this work of God grows, it will astound the world as two groups with ancient grudges and hostility towards each other come together as one in the name of Yeshua.

Let us pray for the perfecting of this oneness as we race towards the Second Coming of Yeshua.

How To Pray:

  • Pray for Messianic and Arab believers to be one with God through intimacy in their relationship with Yeshua (Jn. 17:21–23).
  • Pray that God will supernaturally impart the glory of Oneness of the Trinitarian God onto the Messianic and Arab and Jewish believers (Jn. 17:21–23).
  • Pray for the fullness of the breaking down of every wall of separation, and for the cleansing and removal of every ancient hostility through His blood (Eph. 2:14–15).
  • Pray for God to direct both groups to release forgiveness and to bring healing and reconciliation between them.
  • Pray that God will empower them with the greater love so that they will lay down their lives for one another, and not love their lives even unto death (Jn. 15:13).
  • Pray for the mind of Christ to be upon both groups, that each group will, in humility, esteem the other better than themselves (Phil. 2:3–4).

 

Day 17 | 23 May 2023

Day 17 HeaderEgypt and the Arab nations (Assyria) play an important role in the Biblical End-Time narrative (Isa. 19). In line with the John 17 oneness, God’s call is especially for Egyptian and Arab believers to stand with Israel as she undergoes the greatest persecution she will ever face.

Scripture prophesies that they will stand with Israel and provide places of refuge for her when she is scattered by the Antichrist in the End Times (Zech. 10:9–10, Matt. 24:15–16). Isaiah 19 states that Egypt will specifically contain five cities of refuge for fleeing Jewish people, together with an altar to the Lord where incessant intercession for Israel will arise (Isa. 19:18–19).

Indeed, God will prepare believers in these nations to be vessels of His mercy by showing them His mercy in the midst of discipline, pressure and persecution. They will then arise to show the mercy and greater love of the God of Israel, to the people of Israel, in their greatest trouble. They will do so even at the risk and cost of their own lives.

Let us pray for the Lord to prepare and strengthen our Egyptian and Arab brothers and sisters for them to walk worthy of their call!

How To Pray:

  • Pray for God to fill the Egyptian and Arab believers with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and understanding of their role to stand with the Jewish people (Col. 1:9–10).
  • Pray for love to abound in their hearts for the Jewish people (Phil. 1:9).
  • Pray for the Holy Spirit to divinely reveal and lead many Egyptian and Arab believers to prepare cities (or communities) of refuge for Israel.
  • Pray for wisdom, resources and strength upon the building of the cities of refuge (including the 5 in Egypt).
  • Pray for believers in Egypt and the Arab nations to be established and strengthened in their intercession and worship for Israel.
  • Pray for God to bring them through His preparation process of refinement and for Him to fashion them into vessels of His mercy to Israel (1 Thes. 3:10).

 

Day 18 | 24 May 2023

Day 18 HeaderIn Genesis 12:3, God made a covenant with Abraham, and told him that He would bless those who bless Israel and curse those who curse Israel. Matthew 25:31–46 tells us that at the Second Coming of Jesus, Gentile nations will be judged by the Lord on whether we align with His heart concerning Israel and whether we stand with her.

With antisemitism on the rise as we head towards the End of the Age, it will be increasingly unpopular for nations to stand with Israel. There will likely come a time when standing with Israel will result in those nations being at economic or political disadvantages on the world stage.

Hence, there is a need for us to pray for our nation to stand with Israel. Furthermore, Scripture commands us to pray for the city (or nation) that we dwell in (Jer. 29:7).

Whichever nation we are from, pray that our nation would align with God’s heart and stand with Israel regardless of external pressures and global circumstances. It is only when our nation is aligned with the Lord that she can fulfil the destiny that God has for her!

How To Pray:

  • Pray for God to put the fear of the Lord in the hearts of the governmental leaders of our nation with regard to the issue of Israel, that they will not give in to political pressures, but will fully align with God’s heart with regards to our nation standing with Israel (Col. 4:12).
  • Pray that God will turn the hearts of the kings like He turns rivers of waters (Prov. 21:1), directing them into full alignment with His heart and plans for Israel (Col. 4:12).
  • Pray that God will release understanding upon the leaders and the people of our nation regarding the necessity to stand with Israel (Col. 1:9–10).
  • Pray that He will show the leaders that those who bless Israel will be blessed, and those who curse Israel will be cursed.

 

Day 19 | 25 May 2023

Day 19 HeaderJoel 2:28–32 prophesies of a time when God will pour out His Spirit in an unprecedented measure on “all flesh”. The passage’s original context is for the nation of Israel, where God promises that “in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be deliverance” (v32). It is certainly on God’s heart to visit Israel with His Spirit and bring them salvation and deliverance!

God spoke to many around the Body of Christ over the past few years that in this decade, He will send an unprecedented outpouring of His Spirit upon the Jewish people. This is something that we want to contend for as His Gentile church! It is truly His Sovereign Appointed Time of visitation for them.

Psalm 80 is a passage of Scripture that we can use to contend for God to visit the Jewish people unto revival and restoration. In it, the psalmist cries out for God to return with His favour upon Israel and shine His face upon them once again, so that they may be saved.

As Shavout begins this evening, let us contend for a mighty visitation of the Spirit of God once again upon Israel.

How To Pray:

  • Pray for God to visit Israel with His Spirit unto revival and restoration (Psalm 80):
    • “Return, we beseech You” (v14) — Pray for God to turn His face and favour back on Israel and pour out His Presence upon Israel;
    • “Visit this vine” (v14) — Pray that God would visit His people with a mighty move and outpouring of His Holy Spirit;
    • “Revive us” (v18) — Pray that God would revive them as a nation and that their hearts would turn back to the Lord;
    • “Restore us” (v19) — Pray that God would restore His people back to Him in their hearts and for the nation as a whole;
    • “Cause Your face to shine, and we shall be saved” (v19) — Pray for God to shine His light into her midst and bring salvation to her.
  • Pray for the Joel 2 outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the nation of Israel.

 

Day 20 | 26 May 2023

Day 20 HeaderEzekiel 37:1–14 speaks of God’s promise to revive Israel from a valley of dry bones into an army that is alive in God and in the Spirit. Without the God of Israel and without Yeshua, the Jewish people are spiritually dead. God graciously promises that He will revive her and deliver her from her condition of hopelessness and lifelessness without God.

God will once again pour out His Spirit upon the Jewish people (Joel 2:28–32, Ezek. 39:29), for it is His heart and zeal to revive her. Ezekiel 37:9–10 mentions that God will put breath in them. This means that He will put His Spirit in them.

Just like the mighty rushing wind that suddenly fell upon the apostles of Jesus in Acts 2, we can pray for an even greater outpouring of the Spirit in this time of Shavout.

May the valley of dry bones come alive and may Israel find life in the one true God alone!

How To Pray:

  • Pray for the Ezekiel 37 breath of the Spirit to come like a mighty rushing wind upon the Jewish people.
  • Pray for God to direct Israel to see her true condition, that she may humble herself before God and find favour in His sight.
  • Pray for the outpouring of the Spirit unto various groups in Israel:
    • Empowerment of Messianic Jewish believers with life and an upgrade in moving in signs and wonders.
    • Revival and restoration of unbelieving Jewish people unto Yeshua.
  • Speak and prophesy for the breath of life to fill Israel once again.

 

Day 21 | 27 May 2023

Day 21 HeaderIn God’s sovereign plan, Israel’s rejection of Yeshua at His First Coming has resulted in the Gospel going to the Gentiles, and partial and temporary blindness has come upon her until the fullness of the Gentiles comes in. This is a mystery that Paul warns us not to be ignorant of (Rom. 11:25).

As Gentile believers, we need to understand God’s heart and plans for Israel and our role as the Gentile Church, so that we do not end up resisting Him, but align ourselves fully with Him. This includes the restoration of Israel’s role as God’s primary vessel to bring the Gospel to the nations in the Millennial Kingdom, which has been entrusted to the Gentile Church for a season.

Ultimately, God’s grand plan is to provoke Israel to jealousy (v.11) through the fullness of the Gentiles (v.25), which will result in her spiritual blindness being lifted, her national salvation, and her stepping into her leadership role in the Millennial Kingdom.

“The fullness of the Gentiles” (v.25) includes the full number of Gentiles saved, and us walking in the fullness of godly character and power. God calls us to provoke Israel to jealousy through signs and wonders, moving in the prophetic spirit, and sacrificially standing with her, thus bearing witness to the very God of Israel in our midst.

Five practical ways for Gentile believers to provoke Israel to jealousy are through:
(1) Godly living;
(2) Performing miracles like Elijah;
(3) Proclaiming God’s purposes for Israel;
(4) Providing refuge and shelter (like what Corrie Ten Boom’s family did for the Jewish people during the Holocaust);
(5) Living with an eternal perspective and standing with Israel even unto death.

How To Pray:

  • Pray for Gentile believers to have a Biblical perspective and understanding of what the “fullness of Gentiles” entails and our role in provoking Israel to jealousy.
  • Pray that believers will walk worthy of the Lord, in full agreement and alignment with Him regarding Israel (Col. 1:9–10).
  • Pray that God would magnify the ministry of the Gentile Church (Rom. 11:13–14).
  • Pray for God to bring a hastening of the fullness of Gentiles — in terms of the ordained number as well as maturity in character and the fullness of demonstration of God’s power.
  • Pray for the Jewish people to be provoked to jealousy as they see the evidence of the God of Israel in the lives and works of Gentile believers

 

Day 22 (Theme 1) | 28 May 2023

Day 22 (Theme 1) HeaderThis Isaiah 62 Fast was merely a downpayment of God’s zeal and promise to set watchmen on the walls of Jerusalem until she reaches the fullness of her destiny. God’s purpose is not for a one-time event that generates a momentary buzz, but to raise up watchmen who, out of love for Yeshua, will stand with Israel until He returns.

On this Pentecost Sunday and the last day of this fast, even as 100 million intercessors worldwide join in to pray for Israel, let’s pray for the Holy Spirit to mark the hearts of young people, especially in Asia, and set them on the walls of Jerusalem.

These will be prophetic intercessors who will stay steady not through their own commitment or might, but through a divine impartation of God’s own zeal and love for Israel upon their hearts. They will be strengthened with love, and live radically and fearlessly for the Lord and His purposes. They will love Israel because they love Jesus.

Even as we end this fast, it is only the beginning of the fulfilment of the prophetic word from 40 years ago about the End-Time prayer movement for Israel that will labour in prayer until Jesus returns.

As we pray for God to complete this work He has started, may each of us enter into this labour ourselves — praying for Israel, for His purposes and for His Kingdom to come on earth as it is in heaven.

How To Pray:

  • Pray that even as 100 million intercessors pray in unison for Israel today, God would mark and ambush many hearts, especially the young generation in Asia, with His heart and zeal for Israel.
  • Pray that God would “download” His burdens concerning Israel to many hearts, and bring an understanding of His heart and plans.
  • Pray for the hearts and minds of the young people to be deeply re-fashioned and transformed by God’s love for Israel so that many will come into complete agreement and alignment with Him.
  • Pray that God will perfect and establish the young generation in conviction, faithfulness and perseverance, so that they will stand with Jerusalem until Jesus returns, even in the midst of persecution, facing reproach and suffering loss (Col. 1:9–11; Isa. 62:6–7).
  • Pray for young people to arise to the maturity of loving Jesus expressed through loving Israel.

 

Day 22 (Theme 2) | 28 May 2023

Day 22 (Theme 2) HeaderPentecost Sunday is a day when the Gentile Church commemorates the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2. What many of us often forget is that the 120 in the upper room upon whom the Holy Spirit first fell were all Jewish believers. As they gathered in one accord, in one place, suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind and divided tongues of fire rested on each of them. In that moment, the Holy Spirit empowered the 120 with boldness, courage and utterance to speak the Word of God.

Upon the outpouring of the Spirit, the witness of Yeshua went forth in various tongues and with demonstrations of power to other Jewish people who had gathered in Jerusalem from across the nations for Shavuot, the Feast of Weeks.

The message of repentance cut the hearts of many, resulting in many Jewish people turning to Yeshua. On that day, three thousand were added to the early community of Messianic believers.

Today, on Pentecost Sunday, as we join in as part of the 100 million intercessors in a global upper room standing in the gap for Israel, let us contend for a re-enactment of the Acts 2 outpouring for the Jewish people, but in an even greater measure in our day!

How To Pray:

  • Pray for the Holy Spirit to come as a sound, a mighty rushing wind, and tongues of fire upon the Jewish people (Acts 2:2–4) in an unprecedented measure.
  • Pray that Messianic believers would be empowered by the Holy Spirit, like Peter in the book of Acts, to preach the Gospel to their brethren with apostolic grace and signs and wonders.
  • Pray for the Holy Spirit to bring conviction upon unbelieving Jewish people and to direct them to Yeshua their Messiah.
  • Pray for a mighty and unprecedented visitation of the Holy Spirit upon Israel.

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Two-2-Two “Hinge Moment” Fast unto Revelation, Revolution, Reformation | 22 Feb – 2 Apr 2023

February 20, 2023 by Admin Crea IHOP

Update: In response to the Isaiah 62 Global Solemn Assembly for Israel that has been called, we have modified the original duration of our Two-2-Two “Hinge Moment” Fast in order to better prepare ourselves as a community to participate fully in the unprecedented 21-day Solemn Assembly.


In this Sovereign Appointed Time, the Lord has spoken to us that 2023 is a significant “hinge” year upon which the door of history swings. How it swings will depend on how God’s people respond to Him in this critical hour.

Various global events in recent weeks have also alerted us to the escalating rage of spiritual darkness; however, there is also a great convergence and expectancy across the global body of Christ to contend for and see God’s promise of His glory breaking in upon this generation.

Thus, more than ever, now is the time to posture and position ourselves at the place of fasting and prayer (Joel 2:12–17), so that we will be ready to receive the greatest outpouring of the Spirit (Acts 2) in this Isaiah 60:1–3 moment.

The Psalm 2 Crisis demands a Joel 2 Response for an Acts 2 Revival!

This is truly a “hinge moment” and as people of light, we want to contend for the door of history to swing towards the light and glory of God invading this generation.

Lou Engle said, “There are moments in history when a door for massive change opens, and great revolutions for good or evil spring up in the vacuum created by these openings. In these divine moments, key men and women and even entire generations risk everything to become the hinge of history, the pivotal point that determines which way the door will swing.”

This is THE moment to risk it all.
This is THE moment to write new history with God.
This is THE moment to arise as history makers!

 

CALL TO FAST
We are fasting for 40 days in this Two-2-Two “Hinge Moment” Fast to contend for a spiritual revolution unto the arising of the John 17 generation, the fulfilment of God’s promises in this 40th year and the fullness of the nation of Israel.

The fast will start on 22 Feb 2023 and end on 2 Apr 2023.

From 3 Apr – 6 May, our community will take the time to prepare our hearts for the Isaiah 62 Global Solemn Assembly for Israel.

 

FAST DETAILS
22 Feb – 2 Apr 2023: 40 days Liquid Fast

We are focusing on contending for spiritual revolution among God’s people, the breaking in of the Holy Spirit, and for God’s prophetic promises for this generation that have reached their 40th year.

 

SIGNIFICANCE OF NUMBER OF DAYS
40 → This generation is “crossing the Jordan” into God’s promises and glory.

 

We invite all who are stirred to pray for God’s purposes for this hour to join in this fast, in whatever way possible, to cry out for His move in this time!


Click here for resources on fasting.

Filed Under: Prayer Calls & Guides Tagged With: Text

Rhema Now: Epilogue

February 19, 2023 by Admin Crea IHOP

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We are truly living in serious times. We are truly living in unprecedented times. We truly stand at a crucial juncture in human history!

The question of the hour is twofold: Firstly, have we understood the times and do we know what to do, like the sons of Issachar in 1 Chronicles 12:32? Secondly, have we acted with a commensurate response as exhorted by the prophet Joel in Joel 2:1 and Joel 2:12–17?

We are way past the hour of merely making our walk with God better and becoming more effective in ministry. Casual Christianity, merely going through the motions, and meeting requirements are no longer sufficient as a believer. Developing a history in God in this season is not simply a matter of making our walk with God more enjoyable or having a cutting-edge ministry, but an absolute essential! Cultivating a history with God as an individual and as a Body of Christ is an absolute necessity to bear the weight of the coming and impending global crisis and also God’s requirement for us to partner with Him as the burning and the shining lamp (John 5:35).

In Matthew 11:7–30, Jesus, through John the Baptist’s message and lifestyle, was giving an essential call to fully embrace and enter into that which the Father was revealing for unique and unprecedented generations. He was especially pointing to the generation of His return and made two generational appeals that are required of us:
1. A prophetic call to a wholehearted and radical response that is commensurate with the coming glory of God and the impending crises.

“And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.” (Matt. 11:12)

In Matthew 11:12, Jesus was giving clear insight into the necessary response for this hour of historic transition unto the dawning of a new era: wholeheartedness that is expressed through holy violence. What does this mean? There is a three-fold expression:

  1. A radical pursuit of Jesus and the fullness of His promises for our generation;
  2. A refusal to be denied anything less than God’s fullness and to accept any alternative other than the narrative of God;
  3. A removal of every hindrance and obstacle that will deter us from entering into the fullness of God.

2. A prophetic warning to not be indifferent or passive to His call to respond!

“But to what shall I liken this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their companions, and saying: ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we mourned to you, and you did not lament.’” (Matt. 11:16–17)

In Matthew 11:16–17, Jesus gave a clear prophetic warning to not be indifferent or passive in our response.

The flute and dance are symbolic of the prophetic message of the joyful Bridegroom’s wedding feast. The people of Jesus’ day did not respond to His call into the joy and delight of intimacy with Jesus by buying “oil” like the wise virgins in Matthew 25.

The song of mourning is symbolic of the sobering call to holiness and obedience. John the Baptist came preaching a prophetic message that was a call to turn away from prevailing traditions of a religious culture that was mere legalism and compromise. Yet the crowds did not repent of their spiritual condition unto an awakening to change their lifestyle.

I believe that this two-fold appeal is a generational call that has significant bearing upon the hour in which we live. As Jesus was helping His own generation make sense of the times and seasons they were living in and the appropriate response that is commensurate with what the LORD was doing, so too is the heart behind writing Rhema Now!

There is no greater hour of history in which to be alive and also to be living radically for the LORD. Yet it is a terrible hour to be weighed down with the spirit of compromise like the Laodicean Church, to be casual, indifferent and passive in our response and ultimately be found unprepared! What is coming upon the earth is cataclysmic. An obvious alarm of the LORD is sounding! Like the days of Joel, the LORD is sounding the trumpet to awaken us to the seriousness of the times unto a wholehearted response:

“Blow a trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in My holy mountain! Let the inhabitants of the land tremble; for the Day of the Lord is at hand.”  (Joel 2:1)

A proper and appropriate response to both the logos Word and rhema Word of the LORD is our only safety. That was why Jesus concluded His appeal by saying, “but wisdom is justified by her children,” in Matthew 11:19. May we respond without delay while it is still called “today”!

Let me conclude this Rhema Now series by reiterating the word that the LORD spoke to me in December 2015:

“It will not get better! But we can grow stronger, we can burn hotter, we can shine brighter!”


Rhema Now | Full Series

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Click for full series

 

Preparation for the Times (Intro)

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Rhema Now #32: The Psalm 24 Ascent and Entry

February 19, 2023 by Admin Crea IHOP


In this last issue of Rhema Now: The Word of the Lord for the Decade of the 2020s, we are intentionally making Psalm 24 the final instalment because this passage of Scripture is immensely vital and pivotal. It gives God’s people the key to both ascend and enter into the fullness of what the LORD is doing in this kairos hour!

We are standing at the crest of the wave of something unique, unprecedented, and unsurpassed that God is doing in and through us in our time and generation! This is the sovereign appointed time of God where many Biblical and prophetic promises of God pertaining to the End of the Age are beginning to be fulfilled.

It is foolish to live within the fulfilment of God’s promises yet not to have comprehended. It is sad or even tragic to live within the reach of the divine fulfilment of God’s promises yet not to have taken hold of them.

This is the heart behind Rhema Now! We desire to proclaim and make known what the Spirit is saying and doing. However, more than simply knowing, we want to enter into the fullness of God’s divine promises and partner with Him in the finest hour of the Church of Jesus Christ.

Word of the LORD for 2024

In the latter half of 2023, the Lord highlighted Psalm 24 to us and to others in His Body as an important Scripture to pay attention to as we entered into 2024. However, more than just a Scripture for this year, it is a crucial key to what He has been speaking to us regarding this decade of historic transition unto the Dawning of the New Era in 2030.

Psalm 24 reveals the heart of our Bridegroom-King to have a holy, surrendered, and mature people who will deeply and gloriously partner with Him in fullness and authority. It also admonishes us to crown Jesus as King and Lord of our lives, and to deal with the things that will hinder and disqualify us from being able to ascend into His glory and enter into His promises for this generation.

The Lord is so zealous for His people to step into the fullness that He led us on a 24-day Psalm 24 Fast (from 29 February to 23 March 2024) with a focus on lifting up His Name in worship and seriously dealing with sin, uncleanness, and unrighteousness in our hearts and lives.

Our Bridegroom God is the King of Glory

On 16 April 2021, the Lord spoke to us clearly through Revelation 3:20. This is one of the words for the decade of 2020s. Jesus our passionate Bridegroom is knocking at the doors of our hearts (issue #18). Now is the time and season where He is zealously desiring to awaken us from a life of compromise that is steeped in the Laodicean spirit. This is an invitation for us to come to the table of fellowship with our divine Bridegroom even in our weakness, where He will restore and impart His zeal for Him and His Kingdom purposes into our hearts.

However, in Psalm 24, He is coming as a glorious, mighty, and powerful King who seeks a holy, wholehearted and fully surrendered people in partnership. As the King of Glory, He will brook no disobedience or hindrance to His rule and reign. This means that we will need to deal with every misalignment in our lives and prepare ourselves to be ready for His coming into our midst.

In Psalm 24:1–2, Jesus is the Creator King who made the earth and all who dwell within it. Thus, He is the rightful King and Owner of all nations and the world. In verses 7–10, He is the King of Glory who is victorious against His enemies and who will take His rightful place as King over Jerusalem and all nations.

However, more than just knowing and accepting Him as King over the earth and nations, He is issuing individual admonishments to each of us to crown Him as our personal King and to remove every hindrance that prevents us from giving Him the title deed of our lives.

The King’s Holy Invitation and Divine Summons Through Psalm 24

Through Psalm 24, Jesus reveals His invitation to us for deep communion and His summons to a strategic partnership. It is an invitation for us to ascend to His realm of glory and enter into the fullness of His promises (v3), but it also reveals His desire to break into our earthly realm (v7–10).

This is why the psalmist asks this rhetorical question: “Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD? Or who may stand in His holy place?” (v3)

Implied in this is God’s invitation to come up higher to Him and partner with Him. He is calling us to not just be where He is but also to dwell and remain in His very presence and glory (Zech. 4:14), and from that place, to partner Him in strategic spiritual warfare and intercession. This is the very same summons to the Jeremiah 23:18 Table of Counsel (issue #19)!

However, more than a question and invitation, this verse points to verse 4, which spells out the issues that may disqualify us. Because we are being summoned to stand before and partner with a holy King of Glory, there are “criteria” that we as believers need to possess in order to be able to do so. We are no longer simply just approaching our tender-hearted Bridegroom (although He never ceases to be so), but also a mighty and powerful King who rules the nations! To be able to partner with Him, we need to be found ready!

Biblical Criteria to Ascend and Enter Into

Verse 4 reveals four criteria (i.e. two positives to acquire and two negatives to remove) for us to possess so that we can be counted worthy to ascend and stand in His holy hill, and be ready for the entrance of the King of Glory:

“He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
who has not lifted up his soul to an idol,
nor sworn deceitfully.”

Clean hands — this refers to our actions and dealings, as well as what we touch, whether literally or figuratively. God is looking for those whose actions are righteous before His sight (Ps. 141:4, Ps. 15:2);

Pure hearts — this refers to having an undivided and sincere heart of devotion to the Lord that is without mixture (Ps. 86:11, 2 Cor. 11:3, Acts 13:22);

Not lifting our souls to idols — this refers to anything that we place above God in our hearts and lives. It could be something we pursue after, place our confidence in or are preoccupied with. It could even be something good, but as long as it takes a higher place in our hearts than God, it is considered an idol (Ex. 20:3–6);

Not sworn deceitfully — this is an issue of integrity. More than just honouring our words to those around us, it is also about taking our vows and promises to God seriously (Matt. 5:33–37, Ecc. 5:4).

As this is the 1 Peter 4:17 Moment (issue #31), this is the time when God wants us to deal radically with all hindrances so that our King of Glory can break into the hearts and lives of His people!

Furthermore, the Lord directed us to another four of His Names from this psalm. Together with His nine covenantal names from Psalm 23 (issue #20), He highlighted that encountering and growing to know Him through them will establish us in confidence and also restore a much-needed fear of the Lord in His people. These four names are:

  1. Melek Hak Kabod — King of Glory (v7–10)
  2. YHWH Izzu Wa-Gibbo — the LORD Strong and Mighty (v8)
  3. YHWH Gibbor Milchamah — the LORD Mighty in Battle (v8)
  4. YHWH Tseva’ot — the LORD of Hosts (v10)

Necessary Realities in Our Lives

During this fast, God emphasised some keys that need to be realities in our lives as believers. More than just something we know in our minds, we have to truly step into living them out.

1. The Power of the Blood of Jesus and the Work of the Cross
Through the course of the fast, the Lord broke in at certain moments and brought us through a time of standing before Him to be washed by the blood of Jesus, like in Zechariah 3 (issue #19). He highlighted His Names — YHWH Tsidkenu and YHWH M’Kaddesh — as the One who is our righteousness and who will sanctify us!

It is a reminder that ultimately, it is because of the cross that we can have confidence before Him, our sinful nature can be put to death, and we can be conformed to the image of Jesus. Truly we need to reckon ourselves dead to sin, alive in Christ, cleansed by the power of His blood, and walking in the grace of God! This is just a down payment of what He is going to do in His entire Body of Christ, unto a pure and spotless people of God.

2. The Necessity to Settle the Issue of Lordship
What was just a whisper in our journey through Psalm 23 in 2023 (issue #20) became a loud and firm call during the fast. The Lord was seriously placing His finger on the issue of lordship and kingship in the lives of His people. While it is easy for us to give the earth over to Jesus as Lord, it is much harder for us as individuals to surrender all of our lives to Him as our personal Lord and King.

Yet, this is His admonishment to us! It is necessary to crown Jesus as the true Lord and King over our individual lives and possessions. Without our total surrender, we will not be able to go far with Him or step into the fullness He has for us.

The Arising of the End-Time Esthers

Finally, the Lord has been directing us and many others in the Body of Christ to the Biblical character of Esther. Unbeknownst to us when the dates were initially decided upon, the 24-day fast wound up ending exactly on the Jewish festival of Purim (23rd March 2024)!

Furthermore, Kay-Chong had recently received from the Lord a vision related to the arising of Esthers in the End-Time generation:

As he was praying on the morning of 12 December 2023, he heard the sounding of a trumpet followed immediately by a loud voice that proclaimed, “Watch and pray!”

He then saw an open vision…

Two large clouds came from two opposing directions — one was dark and stormy, while the other was full of light. Both clouds collided, and the words “Isaiah 60 Moment” immediately appeared just below both clouds.

Suddenly, three persons began to emerge from the two clouds. From the dark cloud, a woman emerged dressed in a purple and scarlet dress, with a smaller cloud below her inscribed with “Revelation 17 & 18”.

From the cloud that was full of bright light, two women emerged — one was Mary of Bethany and the other was Esther. There was another smaller cloud below these two women inscribed with “Psalm 18”, “Psalm 24” and “Hebrews 4”.

Finally, the vision ended with another voice proclaiming, “Do not neglect the buying of gold, white garments and eye salve!”

From this encounter, the Spirit caused us to understand that:

  1. We are stepping into the Isaiah 60:1–3 prophetic moment in this decade and beyond, where both light and darkness will simultaneously increase.
  1. The Harlot Babylon will begin to emerge and it is something that God’s people need to pay attention to (issue #30). In this season, instead of watching out for what will occur in Revelation 13, we need to first watch for the emergence of the Harlot Babylon (Rev. 17 – 18), as it will be the primary cause of the Great Falling Away (2 Thess. 3:5), and will pave the way for the rising of the Antichrist and the Mark-of-the-Beast economic system (Rev. 13).
  1. The End-Time prayer movement will possess the heart of Mary of Bethany and the mantle of Esther. These will be people who know and understand Jesus’ heart from a place of intimacy with Him, and also know how to partner with King Jesus as His Ekklesia from the position of the mature Bride of Christ.
  1. The End-Time Ekklesia of Jesus Christ has to be built upon John 13 – 17 (gold), Revelation 2 – 3 (white garments), and Matthew 5 – 7 (eye salve).

As we postured our hearts before God, He further led us to pay closer attention to Esther’s story in the book of Esther.

God is emphasising a few things to His people through this book:

  1. Esther provides a picture of the mature Bride of Christ and how we are to partner with Jesus in power and authority, from the place of intimacy, at the End of the Age (we also talked about the equally yoked Bride in issue #23).
  1. Esther was strategically positioned by God (whose Name is never mentioned once in the book) to stand in the gap for the Jewish people. In the same manner, He is now calling His people to arise as the End-Time Esthers to stand in the gap for Israel in the face of her coming persecution.
  1. Just as Esther went through a process of preparation (Est. 2:12) before becoming queen, God’s people would have to go through a preparation and maturing process before becoming ready for mature bridal partnership with Jesus.
  1. We will need to be a people who are completely and utterly obedient to and walking with the Holy Spirit, just like Esther who heeded the voice of Mordecai and the advice of Hegai (Est. 2:15).

Indeed, through this psalm and fast, the Lord is giving us another piece of the puzzle in the preparation process to be ready for the 2030s. Placing this in context of His very word to us for this decade, we see with greater clarity how we will arise to burn and shine in the coming unprecedented darkness:

The decade of the 2020’s is a Historic Transitional Decade that requires the Preparation for the Times in order to be ready for the Dawning of a New Era (issue #2).

Ultimately, Psalm 24’s final fulfilment will be at Jesus’ Second Coming when He marches in all His glory into the city of Jerusalem. However, before we witness that reality, the global mature equally yoked Bride of Christ would have arisen to partner with Jesus to stand in the gap for Israel, push back darkness, and judge the enemies of God and His people.

Today, as we escalate towards the Isaiah 60:1–2 and Psalm 2 reality, will we settle once and for all, the issue of lordship and kingship over our lives?

Will we seriously deal with the sin, impurity and idols in our hearts so that we can ascend and enter into all that God has for us?

And like Esther, will we surrender to His will and step up to take our stand for God and His Kingdom?

May we crown Jesus as our Lord and remove every hindrance to the King of Glory.

May we arise as Esthers, surrendered to the purposes of God in our lives, having the same cry of her heart on ours: “…and if I perish, I perish!” (Est. 4:16).

May the King of Glory have His mature Bride, faithfully standing with Israel until the very end, and partnering with Him to bring His Kingdom down on earth!


Word of the Lord 2024 I | Teaching Series
“A Season of Open Doors — To Ascend and Enter In”


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Word of the Lord 2024 VII | Teaching Series
“Psalm 24 — Key to the Fullness of God”


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Psalm 24 Fasting Guide
(29 February – 23 March 2024)

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Rhema Now #31: The 1 Peter 4:17 Moment

February 19, 2023 by Admin Crea IHOP


“For the time has come for judgement to begin at the house of God…
if it begins with us first…”

(1 Pet 4:17)

The Lord has spoken to many in the Global Body of Christ that 2024 is a season of open doors. He has also highlighted Psalm 24 as a focus for the year 2024 to different ones in the Ekklesia.

As we sought the Lord further, He showed us that in this season of open doors, He is inviting His people to ascend into His holy hill and enter into the fullness of our destiny and the promises He has for this generation.

Psalm 24:3–4 tells us that there are Biblical “criteria” in order to ascend and enter — clean hands, pure heart, not lifting our souls to idols and not swearing deceitfully. In other words, in order to partner with God and enter into the fullness of our destiny, there are things that we need to possess. At the same time, there are things that may hinder and eventually disqualify us from fullness that we need to remove.

The 1 Peter 4:17 Moment

On 14 December 2023 during a time of prayer, Kay-Chong heard the Lord say, “I am coming in this time of 1 Peter 4:17 as the Righteous Judge, with a plumbline in My right hand and the Refiner’s Fire in My left.” As he subsequently read 1 Peter 4:17, the phrase “for the time has come” came forth as a rhema word and struck his heart.

This is the kairos time. This is the moment! This is the 1 Peter 4:17 Moment where God is coming to judge.

Who is He judging?

In this hour, God is judging His people first. In His zeal for us, Jesus is coming as a righteous Judge, with eyes like flames of fire, to remove the things that disqualify us from entering into the fullness of all that He has for us. He is fighting for us by first “fighting against us” — specifically against the internal enemies that are in our lives: the sin, compromise or idolatry that we consciously or unconsciously harbour. He is jealous for His Bride and is angry with every enemy that perverts and hinders us.

Is this Biblical? It sure is!

Matthew 22:14 says, “For many are called, but few are chosen.” We have to be found qualified to enter into God’s call and election for us. We have to walk in His standards of holiness and righteousness. This is what the plumbline in His right hand is all about (Amos 7:7–8)!

The Apostle Paul bears witness to this. In 2 Corinthians 7:1, he exhorts believers to “cleanse ourselves from all filthiness” while “perfecting holiness in the fear of God”, so that we may enter into the promises in 2 Corinthians 6:16–18. He also warns us to examine and test ourselves as to whether we are in the faith, because we can be found disqualified (2 Cor. 13:5).

This is why God is coming to judge.

Understanding the Judgements of God

By and large, God’s judgements are viewed by many in the Body of Christ as being negative. Some even avoid talking or teaching about the subject altogether. This has led to a lack of understanding and many believers having misconceptions about God’s judgements.

The truth of the matter is that God is good, and His judgements are good!

There are four general categories of judgement:

  1. Punitive — This is punishment directed against the rebellious and not meant for sincere believers of Christ.
  2. Evaluative — This takes place at the Judgement Seat of Christ where believers will be given rewards.
  3. Vindicative — This is where God vindicates and fights for His people.
  4. Redemptive and disciplinary — This confronts and removes things that hinder believers from entering into the fullness of our destiny. This is the Hebrews 12 “chastening” of those He loves so that we may be partakers of His holiness.

The “judgement” in 1 Peter 4:17 is primarily redemptive and disciplinary. God’s purpose is to expose and confront every sin and compromise and to remove and cleanse us from every filthiness. God is good. He is not angry with us and is not here to destroy, but to confront and remove sin so that we may have life and enter into fullness.

Why Judgement Begins with the House of God

Some of us may be wondering — why does God judge His people first?

Firstly, we are nearing the End of the Age where God is going to judge the earth. If He is going to judge the world, He will first judge His people, for He does not want us to be condemned with the rest of the world (1 Cor. 11:32).

Furthermore, Paul says in 1 Corinthians 6:2 that the saints are called to judge the world. If we are called to judge nations, God has to first judge us so that we will be found qualified to partner with Him in administering judgement.

Hence, God is judging us now so that we will be found qualified to enter into the fullness of partnership with Him in the days ahead and in the Millennial Kingdom.

Entering into our fullness is very important to the Lord and He does not want any of His people to miss out. He directed us to Ezekiel 44:4–31, which gives a glimpse of the divine separation of His people into two groups based on how each responded to God. The Lord is so zealous that He began the passage with this exhortation, “Mark well, see with your eyes and hear with your ears…” (Ezek. 44:5).

One group of God’s people will be those who enter into the fullness of their destiny and promises. The other will not be able to. Those who qualify will partner with the Lord and serve Him from the place of proximity, while those who do not will still serve Him, but sadly from a distance (Ezek. 44:10–16). (The fullness of this partnership will especially be at the End of the Age and during the Millennial Kingdom.)

May many of us be found qualified to enter into our fullness!

We need to pay attention to deal with anything that may disqualify us. We have to cooperate with the Lord and let Him search our hearts and remove everything that hinders us. And we need to allow Him to do so now.

The Care and Wisdom of the Refiner

If 1 Peter 4:17 is coming to pass now, as God’s people, we want to submit to His process of judgement and cleansing. While many of us may find ourselves “bracing” for this, Jesus is inviting us to embrace Him as the Refiner’s Fire and to embrace this process instead (Mal. 3:1–7). This is because He is the One who refines and purifies with great care and wisdom — with a heart of tenderness and full knowledge of just how much fire to bring us through.

Through Malachi 3:3 and 3:6, the Lord reveals this heart of His even as He judges and takes us through the process of refining.

In verse 6, the Lord declares that He does not change. This has a dual meaning: His standards of righteousness and holiness do not change, and His heart towards us does not change. He is always merciful and tender towards us, and His plans for our fullness still stand.

In verse 3, the prophet Malachi uses the analogy of the silversmith who sits beside the fire as he refines silver. Just as a silversmith intently watches and never takes his eyes off the silver throughout the entire process of refining, Jesus never takes His eyes off us because He is intimately concerned with and acquainted with our ways (Job 23:10). At the right time when all dross is removed, He will swiftly take us out of the fire. He knows just the right temperature and duration of the fire needed and will never put us there for longer than necessary. Praise God!

And how does Jesus know when to take us out of the fire? Just as the silversmith removes the silver from the fire the instance he sees his own image in the pure silver, Jesus refines us until His own image is formed in us. The end goal of this refining is to be conformed to the image of Jesus — especially in holiness, wholeheartedness, and righteousness.

Wow!

Surely, the Lord is for us and not here to destroy us. We need to have clarity of this refining process so that we do not misinterpret His work and resist Him. In the midst of His judgements, we can trust and have confidence in Him, His heart and His process because our Refiner is good.

Our Acceptable Response

Now that we know all this, how should we respond?

First, find out what the Lord wants to remove from our lives and what He desires to give us. Scripture is replete with revelation of what pleases God, what He is looking for in His people, and what He hates. It behoves us to pay attention and watch out for these things in our own lives.

Specifically in Ezekiel 44:6–9, the Lord reveals what He deems abominable and thus wants to remove as He refines. These include:

  1. Compromising on standards of righteousness (when Israel allowed foreigners to minister in the temple);
  2. The lack of holiness, righteousness and purity in our hearts (uncircumcised in heart);
  3. Having a worldly spirit as laid out in 1 John 2:15–16 — the lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh, and the pride of life (uncircumcised in flesh).

In Malachi 3:5, God reveals what He desires to give us even as we go through the fire — a reverent and holy fear of Him. Indeed, restoring the fear of the Lord to His people is something that He promises to do with all His heart and all His soul (Jer. 32:40–41). Wow! If this is so important to Him, let us respond and cooperate with Him by intentionally choosing the fear of the Lord (Prov. 1:29; 23:17)!

Finally, Hebrews 12:25–29 reveals five aspects of an appropriate response to God’s shaking and judgements:

1. Do not refuse Him who speaks (v25) — We are exhorted not to resist the Lord, or deny the misplaced confidences, weaknesses, fault lines, and sins that His judgement reveals. Instead, we need to embrace His correction wholeheartedly and deal with issues thoroughly.

2. Allow Him to remove (v27) — God wants to remove everything that can be shaken. Besides sin, there may be “good” things in our lives that are not of God, not what He desires, or that do not matter in His Kingdom. We are to exercise discernment, let God remove these things, and not hold on to them.

3. Let the things that cannot be shaken remain (v27) — As He shakes away things that are not of Him, we need to cooperate with His grace to replace them with Kingdom foundations that He wants to establish in our lives. These include love for His truth, living according to Kingdom values, the promises of God, confidence in God, and intimacy with God.

4. Receive the Kingdom that cannot be shaken (v28) — As the Lord shakes and removes, we also need to come to Him with faith so that we may receive, inherit and possess His unshakeable Kingdom in fullness.

5. Serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear (v28) — Finally, God calls us to serve Him out of a heart and posture of reverence and godly fear.

The author of Hebrews ends chapter 12 with, “For our God is a consuming fire”.

Indeed! He is a God who is jealous and zealous for our fullness. That is why He is coming to judge His people in this 1 Peter 4:17 Moment. He will remove every sin, evil and compromise until we have clean hands and pure hearts, do not lift up our souls to idols, nor swear deceitfully.

Then we may ascend into the hill of the LORD and enter into the fullness of all that God has prepared for us as His End-Time Generation!


Word of the Lord 2024 | Teaching Series
“The 1 Peter 4:17 Moment”


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Rhema Now #30: The Rise of the Harlot Babylon

February 19, 2023 by Admin Crea IHOP


The world is transiting into a New Era in the 2030s (issue #2). This era will be marked by unprecedented darkness and the turbocharging of the global release of evil. Concurrently, there will be the increase in light and glory in God’s people who have understanding and who align with Him.

One key eschatological event we will see in the coming days is the emergence of the “Harlot-Babylon” found in Revelation 17 and 18. (She is also referred to by some scholars and theologians as the “Whore of Babylon”.)

While the attention of many in the Body of Christ has been rivetted on the issue of the Mark of the Beast (Rev. 13:17), what is more urgent and pressing for us to watch for is the emergence of the Harlot-Babylon, because if we understand the Biblical narrative, her appearance will precede that of the Mark-of-the-Beast system. In fact, she will lay the groundwork for the ascendency and reign of the Antichrist.

It’s high time for the Body of Christ to take heed. We have to shift our priority and focus to gaining understanding and having clarity of the Harlot-Babylon and to seriously prepare ourselves for her emergence!

Who and What is the Harlot-Babylon?

Do we know that the longest prophecy in both the Old and New Testaments speak about the Harlot-Babylon (Jer. 50–51; Rev. 17–18)?

Why? Because God wants us, especially the End-Time generation, to know and have clarity regarding the Harlot-Babylon, as this will be crucial for us going forward.

The Harlot-Babylon is both a spirit and a system. She is firstly a spirit that will manifest herself through a perverse religious network and a global economic system that will infiltrate and corrupt all nations. She will have authority and control over many nations through seduction and deception (Rev. 17:1–2).

At the same time, it is also a global religious and economic entity that will bring forth the One World Religion and One World Economy, which will in turn set the stage for the worship of the Antichrist and the Mark-of-the-Beast economic system!

This is why it is so critical for us to understand!

In fact, shakings are about to come that will lead to the emergence of the Harlot-Babylon system. God wants the Body of Christ to be awakened to this coming reality, be directed to the urgency of seeking His face in a sustained manner, and prioritise the preparation of ourselves and others unto being established in confidence in Him, so that we are ready for what is to come.

The Root and Origin of the Harlot-Babylon

The name “Babylon the Great” in Revelation 17:5 gives us a powerful hint of the root and origin of the Harlot-Babylon. It can be traced all the way back to the Tower of Babel in Genesis 11. It was at Babel that mankind came together as one in an attempt to reach God on their own terms.  They wanted to illicitly access the spirit realm in a way that was forbidden by God. They wanted to open up a gateway to heaven for God to come down on earth.

This was open and outright rebellion against God!

What happened at the Tower of Babel will be re-enacted at the End of the Age because the same spirit that was at work then is the same spirit that is at work in the Harlot-Babylon. However, this time round, it will be far worse!

As we approach the fullness of times, God will remove His hand of restraint and allow this spirit to work until she attains to the fullness of abomination (2 Thes. 2:7–11; Rev. 17:4). There will be an unprecedented interaction between the demonic and human realms. The Harlot-Babylon will have demonic and occultic power to the highest. There will be the greatest spiritual darkness and deception that is unleashed upon the world, and this will lead to the release of God’s End-Time judgements.

The Harlot Religious System

The term “harlot” or “harlotry” is used to refer to the nation of Israel in the Old Testament and was always linked to idolatry (2 Chron. 21:13; Hos. 1:2; 2:5,7; 4:11–19). The term “Mother of Harlots” points to the fact that the Harlot-Babylon is the source of all false religions (Rev. 17:5). In fact, she will have the influence to pull all the religions of the world together. This is because she is empowered spiritually by the devil himself. She will move in sorcery and will have great powers to deceive and dull the hearts and consciences of people (Rev. 18:23; 1 Tim. 4:1–2).

The Harlot will be a religious system of affirmation and tolerance without absolutes. Yet, it will be a religious system that will come against the true believers of Jesus Christ (Rev. 17:6; 18:24). Many will be martyred by her.

It will be a counterfeit justice movement that will feed the poor, be involved in humanitarian projects, and appear to be good and filled with compassion. The nations will rejoice in the unity and world peace that this global religious movement will seemingly bring. Since military conflicts and wars are often linked to religious differences, many are looking for a “religious solution” that will enable lasting world peace and prosperity.

The inhabitants of the earth, including believers with no understanding, will be legitimately deceived by Harlot-Babylon. They will willingly embrace her because they will genuinely believe that she is good!

All religions will be involved, including some in the modern-day Christian church who subscribe to syncretism. In fact, Christian and Jewish religious leaders will likely play key leadership roles in this entity. The goal of this system is ostensibly for “peace” and tolerance. However, anyone who does not agree and participate in this system will be considered an enemy of peace, and legislation will likely be enacted to prosecute those who resist (Rev. 17:6).

Even now, there are many working to bring the three monotheistic religions together (Christianity, Judaism, and Islam). They seek to unify liberal “Christianity” (whether Catholic, Protestant, or Orthodox) with moderate Islam and Judaism, together with Hinduism, Buddhism, New Age, etc.  Each group will be required to commit to moral and religious tolerance and will have to make many compromises to reach “unity.”

It is essential for us to acquire understanding regarding the emergence of the Harlot-Babylon as she will powerfully seduce and deceive Israel, the Church and people across the nations. We have to pay attention and discern her emergence as it will come masquerading as a solution for stability and peace amid difficult times!

The majority of the world will consider this new amalgamated religion as the much-awaited solution to achieve lasting peace. In fact, the Harlot-Babylon will soften and prepare the ground for the confirmation of the ultimate peace treaty between Israel and the surrounding nations that is brokered by the Antichrist (Dan. 9:27). This will lead to a period of false peace and safety in the first three-and-a-half years of the final seven years of human history (1 Thes. 5:3).

There will be huge governmental and societal pressure exerted on everyone across nations to be part of the Harlot-Babylon. Some will join her to avoid being penalised or prosecuted. Others will join for the perceived benefits she will bring. Though outwardly the Harlot-Babylon appears to be working towards peaceful co-existence of religions, in reality, she will not allow religions to hold fast to the fundamental truths of their faith that are perceived to cause disunity.

What’s more, this One World Religion will serve as a precursor that prepares the ground for the reign of the Antichrist. It does so by dulling the hearts and conscience of people globally so that when the time comes to transit into the Antichrist worship system, the leaders and people in various religions will not resist but will readily embrace and worship the Antichrist as God (1 Tim. 4:1–2; Rev. 13:3,4,8)!

The Babylon Economic System

Besides the religious system, there is the “Babylon” aspect of the Harlot-Babylon, which is an evil global economic network that will be synergistically and intricately linked with the Harlot.

Economies of nations all over the world are currently either facing slower growth rates or are in recession. Many nations of the world are saddled with huge debts. This is setting the stage for a global economic reset that will come sooner than later.

We are nearing an impending economic crisis that will shake nations globally! This shaking is God’s judgement on the current Egyptian system of economy. This will lead to the transition into the Babylon economic system. Everyone will be looking for an answer to alleviate the financial burden that will be created by the global collapse of debt-ridden economies of nations. They will embrace the new system with open arms!

This new global economic system will have utopian goals to bring fairness, equity and stability to member nations. This is not yet the “666 Mark-of-the-Beast” trading system, but it will lead to the One World Economy that will be implemented across nations. This in turn sets the stage for the Antichrist to use the system as a means to control people and nations. Many nations will be seduced by the benefits of the Babylon system and will willingly prostitute themselves for money.

Do Not Fear 

Indeed, the level of pressure that is coming will be immense and intense, and many who are not watching and prepared will compromise and fall into this snare!

However, as believers, we do not need to fear! Remember that our God sits on the throne. He is in full control. God shakes not to create panic or fear, but to awaken His people to the urgency of the hour. He wants to shift us to a place of seeking His face in a sustained manner and being established in confidence in Him.

We who prepare ourselves now will gain strength so as not to fall into the snare of the evil one. Remember that Jesus forewarned us that we would surely face persecution (Lk. 21:12; Jn. 15:20; 2 Tim. 3:12). But if we prepare ourselves now, we will have the grace to endure, remain faithful until the end, and receive our eternal rewards (Matt. 5:11; Rev. 2:8–11).

The Right Approach and Response

We must approach understanding the mystery of the Harlot-Babylon with discernment and guidance from the Holy Spirit. We must not swing to the extreme of being suspicious of everything, which leads to paranoia and wrong interpretation of events or developments. This creates an unhealthy fear that is not of God (2 Tim. 1:7).

However, we should also not be ignorant and naïve, brushing aside everything as “wild conspiracy theories”. Doing so will cause us to be weak and unprepared for the coming crises and pressures that will come upon the earth.

Now that we are aware of the imminent emergence of the Harlot Babylon, how should we respond?

Firstly, believers are to come out of Babylon now (Rev. 18:4)! We are to be people who are pure and without mixture, who do not lift up our soul to an idol (Ps. 24:4). We need to crown Jesus as King and relate with Him on His terms and not ours. If the evil one or the world has anything in us, or if there are any secret unholy desires in our heart, it would be easy for us to compromise because of the Harlot’s power of seduction and deception. We need to ask the Holy Spirit to search our hearts and reveal any “wicked way” in us so that we can deal with them now (Ps. 139:23–24).

Secondly, we need to watch and pray with sobriety, actively looking out for the emergence of the Harlot-Babylon, looking past superficial appearances into the evil reality of this entity. Like Daniel, we need to press in to seek the wisdom and understanding that the Lord has reserved for the End-Time generation with regard to the Mystery of the Harlot-Babylon, and to interpret what is happening in the world through the lens of the Holy Scriptures (Dan. 10:12; 12:9–10; Jer. 23:20).

Thirdly, we need to gather together to pray as His Ekklesia, discern and understand God’s strategies for His people to overcome, and bring His plans to pass from the place of intercession and declaration.

As we watch, pray, and receive understanding, we need to then prepare ourselves rightly in accordance to God’s divine blueprint, and also arise to be voices that warn and also teach others about the Harlot-Babylon.

God’s Answer to the Harlot-Babylon

Amidst the global culmination of the fullness of iniquity, God is raising up the mature sons of God and the equally yoked Bride of Christ. In response to the counterfeit “oneness” offered by the Harlot-Babylon, God is raising up the John 17 generation that walks in oneness with the Trinitarian God and with one another. They will have the reality of God and His wisdom and counsel in their midst, which is what the world needs in times of shaking and trouble.

Led by the Spirit, they will walk in total trust and obedience to the Lord, not yielding to the pressures of the Harlot-Babylon system. Like Daniel who lived in the time of the Babylonian empire, they will not bend or bow in compromise, and will willingly lay down their lives for their faith.

These Daniel 11:32–33 people will know their God and have understanding. They will walk in purity, power and authority in the midst of the darkest hour. They will experience God’s supernatural provision, protection, guidance and deliverance, even as they hold fast to Him and declare His truth without fear!

May we arise to be God’s answer in such a time as this!


Understanding the Harlot-Babylon (Rev. 17 – 18)
Upcoming Teaching Series | Starting 5 March 2024

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