On Sunday the 13th of June 2021, I saw a vision in church of angels with golden wings releasing healing. I heard the Lord speak Malachi 4:2 to me. This is a word of hope and encouragement amidst the turmoil and strife we are currently experiencing globally.
This is a time of both judgement and restoration
“For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, and all the proud, yes, all who do wickedly will be stubble. And the day which is coming shall burn them up,” says the Lord of hosts, “That will leave them neither root nor branch. But to you who fear My name the Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in His wings; and you shall go out and grow fat like stall-fed calves.”
Malachi 4:1-2 NKJV
We’re in a season of both judgement and restoration occurring simultaneously. I know we are cautious speaking of judgement in the prophetic movement, so please hear my heart on this. God is still judging in the earth. He does not change. But for those of us who fear God, the Son of Righteousness is arising with healing in His wings. Now is the time to reach up and receive our healing and breakthrough. This is a season He is restoring. This healing is all-encompassing. It is sozo–the word in Greek for total healing and restoration–spirit, soul and body.
The Lord is dealing with wickedness in the earth. The month of June was ‘Pride Month’ in the Western world. I find it interesting this passage tackles pride in our hearts. This is not just addressing a minority group but the general brokenness of humanity that does not acknowledge our need for God. Those who are broken and contrite will be healed.
“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.”
Psalms 147:3 ESV
Those of us who humble ourselves and submit to the healing He wants to bring will be healed and restored. This will prepare us for the fire set to move in our land. Another prophet friend of mine, Deb Peacock, spoke of a fire on the land and a fire on the water. The fire on the land is burning up everything in its path. It is not leaving root or branch as Malachi 4:1 states. But the fire on the water is riding on a mighty wave and is burning in the oil of anointing placed on God’s chosen people. It’s time to press into our anointing to receive the strength we need for the days ahead. I’d like to say the days are getting easier. They are not. The darkness is increasing. But as the darkness grows, the glory of God has risen upon His people and we will shine more brightly for it (Is. 60:1-3).
The spirit of Elijah
In the MCU, Captain America first meets the Falcon by outrunning him with his super strength in the Winter Soldier. If you know the movie, he keeps calling, “On your left” every time he passes him. Later on in Endgame, it is a powerful scene when Captain America is standing on the battlefield on the brink of defeat. Suddenly, he hears Falcon’s voice say after 5 long years, “On your left”. Falcon then arrives with reinforcements as Cap’s eyes well up with tears. (I love this scene! Gives me a few tears too).
When I heard the Lord remind me of this, He showed me a picture of Elijah outrunning Ahab’s chariot in 1 Kings 18. I saw him running on the left-hand side. I’m not sure if this is what actually happened in the biblical narrative, but I saw him running on the left just like Captain America.
“Then the hand of the Lord came upon Elijah; and he girded up his loins and ran ahead of Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.”
1 Kings 18:46 NKJV
In this season, we are being given strength to outrun the chariot of Ahab–that enabling spirit that empowers Jezebel. This spirit has caused accusations and a large-scale attack on our character. If you have been experiencing heightened accusation, the Lord is releasing the strength of Elijah right now to outrun that chariot–outrun those accusations. It’s time to rise above and remember He is the one fighting for us. It might feel like the 11th hour at present, but His strength is being lavished upon us as we look to Him to be our vindication.
If we keep reading Malachi 4, it speaks of the spirit of Elijah in verse 5.
“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the earth with a curse.”
Malachi 4:5-6 NKJV
As I have stated earlier, we are in a season of both judgement and restoration. We can shy away from language like this. This is understandable with prophetic words of this nature delivered without any hope and promise. In Christ, we are outside of the judgement of God. But there is judgement being released as the cup of wickedness is just about full. It has been filling with the injustice, pride and iniquity being perpetrated in the earth. The tears and groaning of persecuted Christians in the Middle East, India, Pakistan, Africa and more have not gone unnoticed or unheard. That cup is almost full. It’s about to pour out.
Those who are humble and submit themselves to God will be empowered with the spirit of Elijah and have the strength to outrun that chariot in the mighty Name of Jesus! They will outrun the narrative. Outrun the lies. Outrun the manipulation. Outrun the complacency. They will be empowered to turn the hearts of the children back to the fathers and the hearts of the fathers back to the children. The church community needs to engage with this and model true, masculine leadership in the face of cultural toxic masculinity. Fatherlessness is the greatest cause of these culture wars we are experiencing. We have lost our identity and as a result, we try to find it in our sexuality, gender, race, social status and the list goes on. As a church, our identity is in Christ. It is time we modelled this to a hurt and broken world.
Strike left!
As I have been praying through this word, I keep hearing the significance of the ‘left’. The Holy Spirit led me to this passage in Proverbs speaking of wisdom.
“Length of days is in her right hand, in her left hand riches and honor.”
Proverbs 3:16 NKJV
The Lord is saying there has been an assignment on believers’ honour and their resources. For those who have been experiencing significant accusations, the Lord has seen you hold your peace. You have taken it to Him and allowed Him to be your vindicator. You have left it to God.
“Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”
Romans 12:19 ESV
For those who have left it to God, He is restoring a double portion of honour to you in this season in the Name of Jesus. He is also restoring riches and resources. Provision has been held up for many of us because of the accusation that has come against us. Malachi 4:2 promises us we can be fattened, stall-fed calves as we look to Him–the Son of Righteousness.
I prophesy right now that as we pick up the sword and strike left against the spirit which has stolen from us and brought dishonour and accusation, our resources will be released in the mighty Name of Jesus!
“Set your blade! Thrust left—Wherever your edge is ordered!”
Ezekiel 21:16b NKJV
Our sword edge–the sword of the Spirit–is currently ordered to strike left. Let’s take up our authority and come against the assignment which has attacked our resources, honour and character. In the strength of the Holy Spirit, we are going to run with the spirit and strength of Elijah to overcome Ahab in the Name of Jesus.
When Elijah “girded up his loins” he was wrapping up his robes in preparation to run. The Lord is saying in this season to prepare ourselves by girding up the loins of our minds.
“Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ…”
1 Peter 1:13 NKJV
We need to receive His strength and gird up the loins of our minds so we can run with strength in our God-given assignments in this season.
Let’s pray
Father, in the Name of Jesus, we come to You with these accusations which have come against our character and our name. We lay them all before You. We release forgiveness over anyone who has misunderstood or misrepresented us. We forgive them in the Name of Jesus and release them into the power of our forgiveness. Jesus, You have given us the power to cancel debts and we decree them cancelled in Jesus’ Name.
Father, You are our vindicator. We ask You to bring double recompense and honour for where there has been shame and dishonour in the mighty Name of Jesus. Lord, we take authority over an Amalekite spirit of robbery which has come to steal our resources. In the Name of Jesus, we place the blood of Christ between ourselves and this spirit and cancel this assignment against our resources, our families, our workplaces, our churches, our ministries. We say this far and NO further. Enough is ENOUGH in the Name of Jesus! Get your hands off our God-given resources. You spirit of robbery, the Lord rebuke you in Jesus’ Name!
We receive supernatural restoration right now in the Name of Jesus. We pick up our swords and strike to the left. We cancel, cut and sever any ties restricting our resources and coming against the honour You bestow upon us. We humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God. We resist the devil and he SHALL flee from us. We resist the spirits of Ahab, Jezebel, Amalek and intimidation and decree we are submitted to God alone. Hallelujah!
By faith, we press into Your restoration and healing in this season. Heal our hearts, Lord! Restore what has been stolen in Jesus’ mighty Name. We commit ourselves to waiting on You. Amen.