To choose the Lampstand is to choose to return to “first love” devotion to Jesus. This admonition, found in Revelation 2, is the most important choice we can make in these Days of Awe! Everything else literally pales in comparison. Please take time now to set your heart before God’s throne and make this dedication.
As you will will see, in hearts and from region to region, God is resetting the lampstand and relighting the flame. I was awed–delighted–to receive an email from Chuck Pierce about the Glory of Zion gathering tonight. THEY ARE LIGHTING THE LAMPSTAND! (You can watch at www.gloryofzion.org).
It’s important to know we really seek the Lord from day to day about what to share. We want to align with His governmental release of His word and work. Does this make sense? That to say, we didn’t plan for this message to synergize with Chuck’s gathering.
But God sure did! And I really believe that today marks a new season we’ve been praying into for a solid year. It’s time for His lampstands to be reset and relit!
Note that Zechariah 3 and Zechariah 4 are sequential passages. To an extent, the Zechariah 3 cleansing, consecration and commissioning unlocks the movement of Zechariah 4, where the golden lampstand appears.
But mandates cannot be fulfilled without the Spirit bringing them to birth. Though we’ve touched on this reality throughout the year, I believe this is the season where God’s holy fire truly begins to be kindled, and finds its greatest expression.
It’s no coincidence that Hanukkah this year is over 12-12-12. Just as God emphasized 11-11-11 last year in resetting covenant with Him, so He is emphasizing 12-12-12 this year for the fire of His covenant to be released.
2012: WITNESS OF THE LAMPSTAND
Each year around September 11, Jolene and I seek the Lord for a word that focuses our ministry for the coming year. For 2012, the Holy Spirit spoke to us the phrase, “Witness of the Lampstand.”
The witness of the lampstand is the shining of God’s covenant in the earth. His love is like “flashes of fire, the very flame of the Lord” (Song of Songs 8:6). Throughout scripture, lampstands often symbolize worship and intercession.
Essentially, God’s lampstands are vessels called to host this living flame. As we approach 2012, it’s important to understand how our lampstands are now being evaluated by the Lord. Are we illuminating Jesus… or ourselves? God is calling us all to return to first-love devotion to Jesus Christ (see Revelation 2). In this season of shaking, if we do not heed His warning, some lampstands will actually be removed from before God’s Throne.
Hanukkah: Reconsecrating Your Temple
The good news is that many more now are realigning wholeheartedly with God’s heart and covenant. This is the primary transition through which we must pass from 2011 into 2012.
A great picture of how God wants to meet us is portrayed in the Jewish Festival of Lights, which begins later this month. As you may know, Hanukkah celebrates the re-consecration of God’s temple to the Lord after it had been purposefully defiled by the enemy. As part of this defilement, the fire on the altar had been snuffed out.
To re-consecrate the temple, God’s priests relit this sacred flame, but they only had enough oil for one day. Miraculously, the lamp burned for eight days, until fresh supplies of oil came through! For this reason, the Jewish menorah, or lampstand, has become the primary symbol of the Festival of Lights.
Many scholars believe that Jesus, the Light of the World, was actually conceived over Hanukkah. As you reset covenant with Christ during this season, watch how Holy Spirit begins to overshadow you, conceiving His restorative word and work!
Hanukkah Miracle–When God Lit Our Flame
Eight years ago, during our time of covenant consecration, Jolene and I experienced this miracle first-hand. Our wedding happened to be the first day of Hanukkah. So we decided to incorporate a menorah into the ceremony. As the wedding began, we lit all the candles of the menorah except the larger one in the center, which we had reserved as our unity candle.
While we were worshiping the Lord, literally asking Him to send His glory, my best man Will Ford leaned over to me with tears running down his face. He pointed to the menorah. Somehow this unity candle had itself become ignited!
In front of everyone, God lit the center candle of our lampstand, on the first day of Hanukkah, during our wedding ceremony. We as Lamplighter Ministries are still pondering the implications!
Resetting the Lampstand, Relighting the Flame!
But one thing we knew from the beginning is that this Hanukkah miracle was not for us alone. After many years of prayer, we feel the time has come to release this word governmentally—meaning the word and experience is now accessible to all. Individually and from region to region, God is saying, “I am resetting your lampstands in their place, and relighting the flame!”
Maybe you feel the enemy has directly targeted your passion for Jesus. Whether through circumstances beyond your control, mistakes, betrayal or outright abuse—you feel your temple has been compromised, your fire quenched.
God is inviting you into a glorious new season. What He had done for us, He will certainly do for you! Please take time now, before 2012 begins, to renew your consecration to the Lord, and enter into this process. Prepare communion, and receive fresh cleansing from all the defilement the enemy tried to impose upon you. Ask the Lord Jesus Christ to reset your lampstand and relight the flame!
2011: Year of Covenant Renewal
Scripturally, the number “12” conveys government. Therefore it’s important to understand how Kingdom covenant releases Kingdom government.
On a national level, 2011 has been an unprecedented year of resetting covenant with Jesus Christ. RPN/HAPN leaders, led by Cindy Jacobs and John Benefiel, repented for the church’s historic embrace of idolatry at virtually every known temple of idolatry in the land. According to the pattern of Hosea 2, we sought and obtained a verdict of divorce from Baal, and asked the Lord for a renewal of God’s covenant with the land.
For Jolene and me, this effort culminated by presenting to the Lord a “Declaration of Covenant” this July 4, on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC. Three teams converged there after praying through Civil War battlefields in the south, and historic wells of awakening in the north.
Our prayer journey was based on Rick Ridings “Nutcracker Prophecy.” In 1998, Rick saw a vision of the Lord cracking a “hard shell of demonic resistance” as north and south came together in covenant and prayer in Washington DC. Rick felt that the Lord was again emphasizing the Nutcracker word for 2011, and the Holy Spirit spoke to us to facilitate a prayer journey for its release.
Sign: A Monument Cracks!
According to this vision, we asked God to marry our land again, and join north and south in a move of Holy Spirit awakening and union. It was exciting to see God’s response. A month and a half later, an earthquake shook DC and literally cracked a key monument—a primary symbol of the historic idolatry we had all repented of!
We felt this was a sign that God had indeed heard our cry. Not only had He “cracked the hard shell” but more importantly, He said YES to our plea for renewal of covenant with Jesus Christ as a nation.
2012: Witness of the Lampstand
As shared before, the “witness of the lampstand” is the witness of His covenant in the earth. Time and time again, when God’s people returned to Him, fire came down from heaven as His witness of this covenant restoration. In the spirit of Hanukkah, we believe this is the “witness of the lampstand” God intends for 2012.
With both David and Elijah, when covenant blessings were restored to the nation, God again sent fire on the altar. And when the Lord cut covenant with Abraham, a smoking firepot and a burning lamp bore witness to His promise.
Jesus is the “light of the world”—the ultimate “Witness of the Lampstand.” Many scholars believe He was actually conceived during Hanukkah. Jolene and I feel that as of Hanukkah 2011, God’s fire will be released with increased intensity as a global witness of the sacred covenant Christ secured with His own body and blood.
Nations will come to the brightness of His rising! Multitudes will awaken this year. They will rise, tend their lamps, and go out to meet the Bridegroom!
Awaken & Blaze
We feel the Holy Spirit is uniquely emphasizing Zechariah 4 in this season. The passage literally prophesies the miracle of Hanukkah—including a supernatural, perpetual release of oil that fuels ”the witness of the Lampstand.” We encourage you to read it through prayerfully and aggressively. Claim the miracles for your life!
Here’s how the passage begins.
“Then the angel who was speaking with me returned and roused me, as a man who is awakened from his slumber. He said to me, “What do you see?” And I said, “I see, and behold a lampstand…” (Zech. 4:1).
Wow! First we see the release of a supernatural move of awakening. As the prophet awakens, he beholds a Throne Room vision of a lampstand!
Again, lampstands often represent worship and intercession. This is the vision God wants us to catch as this move of awakening matures. Wake up and focus your gaze on the Light of the World, blazing from your lampstand. See Him and worship!
Recovering Dormant Promises
Note that this angel had first spoken to Zechariah in a former season. This is really important. When the angel awakened Zechariah, I believe he also awakened and activated dormant seeds of promise entrusted to the prophet before he slept. Because this whole vision is actually a prophecy about how God desires to bring these promises to completion!
Zechariah’s entire vision is a prophecy to Zerubbabel. Zerubbabel is a symbol of apostolic government both in ministry and in society. He was responsible for restoring the temple after exile in Babylon. I hear God saying, “New prominence, new provision, and new precision this year” to His Zerubbabels this year.
Grace, Grace! Finish the Restorative Work!
Apostolically, the emergence of the lampstand is a sign that God is now releasing fresh grace to complete His restorative work. The prayer movement will undergird and accelerate these efforts as we shift into a greater expression of governmental authority this year.
What’s most important to understand—in this season, Throne Room grace will be available for you to complete the vision God has entrusted to you. Ask the Lord to show you the promises He is awakening and activating in your life. Ask Him to overshadow—to hover over these promises, and bring them to completion. Then get ready for the adventure of your life, as they come to pass before your eyes. Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord of hosts!
