Zachariah 10 – I read the word that says what is now and what will be:
“And I will strengthen the house of Judah and will save the house of Joseph” – when we speak of the house of Judah, we don’t speak of Joseph. Israel was divided in two – Judah and Israel, but Judah stayed in Jerusalem. And when we compare them in the number of the unrighteous kings, Judah prevails over Israel. Judah had righteous kings, not all of them, but many, way more than Israel had. The Lord wouldn’t let brothers fight against each other, He would stop those wars, He wouldn’t let Judah go against Israel or vice versa, though there were attempts. But the Lord speaks here these words
When we read Genesis 49 we find an interesting paradox that both Joseph and Judah receive a powerful prophecy, and it’s hard to define that from Judah a greater thing would come forth than from Joseph. I want to not that at that time Joseph was in his glory in Egypt, so it was hard for prophetic people to see things.
And in this Scripture after thousand years Zachariah says: “I will strengthen the house of Judah and will save the house of Joseph”, as if Genesis 49 were unfolding. But the house of Judah was to be strengthened, but the house of Joseph was already to be saved. The house of Judah was in the Lord, but would get weak at times, so it had to be strengthened. Today there are those who have gotten weak, but they have to be strengthened. Both in the Brethren and the Body of Christ there are those who walk with God, but have gotten weak, they need strengthening.
But there are those who have to be saved. Joseph had two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, and Ephraim became a common noun – unrighteousness came from the Mount of Ephraim. Drunkards of Ephraim. And the time is coming when the Lord will save the house of Joseph, because the calling is immutable, weakened, but chosen.
Those are weak, but chosen. Listen! This is solid food I am giving you. If you miss this prophecy you will not understand many things happening in the world.
“For I have mercy on them” – the calling is immutable, both over Judah and Joseph shall the Lord stretch His mercy.
“And they shall be as though I had not cast them off” – the former gifts shall return, and we will see many churches and ministries which are in disregard now, they have sunk in the oblivion, they have dimmed. But we will see how God restores them. Perhaps these things aren’t clear to all, but those who get with it, will catch it and know it.
The calling is immutable, and the Lord will stretch His mercy both over Judah and Joseph, Ephraim and Manasseh. Half of the tribe of Manasseh remained on the other side of the river, they never devoted themselves, but Manasseh is also the house of Joseph.
“And they shall be as though I had not cast them off” – the former blessing of gifts shall return and work. You know in 1990-s and 2000-s many experiences outbursts and it was a disaster when your church had a slow growth. But now many churches are closing. In America thousands of churches are dying, monthly. South Korea – thousands of young people are leaving churches. Russia is stagnant – some may say, “my church is still growing”- I don’t think so. It is now what it was in the beginning of 2000-s. It is a difficult time to keep the people you have, let alone growing – this is a very difficult time for that. I am talking of people who believed and got saved in your church, got baptized in water and the Holy Spirit.
But “they shall be as though I had not cast them off”, the former blessing and gift shall return to Joseph. Watch this you, who think yourselves righteous, but don’t give grace to others to get restored. Remember God shall restore whether you like it or not, because He is healing the Sleeping Beauty. There is only one way how this can happen – by the kiss of the Grace. Not by law, but by grace.
“For I am the Lord their God, and will hear them” – He never stopped being their God, even in the time dark for them.
“And they of Ephraim shall be like a mighty man” – those drunkards, fallen off and defiled, shall rise and be restored. They shall be lifted and shall act.
“And their heart shall rejoice as through wine” – they shall be anointed with fresh oil; wine is the image of the Holy Spirit. So they shall rejoice with fresh oil.
“Yes, their sons shall see it” – you know, they have sons who are also disappointed. They received a bad example, they are offended and stumbled
But even the sons of apostates, whose life was solid food for them – they shall rejoice when they see their testimony. Praise the Lord! This is the Scripture, and this Scripture place is meant for these days. These days shall begin and are already beginning.
God’s Kingdom must grow amidst all the troubles. Whatever may be happening in the world, it has always been there. In all ages people thought those were the latter days, starting with the first century to the 21st century – they have always been thinking this is the last one. There is nothing new. They call it the 1st World war, the 2nd Worlds war – why? Because the sensed the Apocalypse. Futurist and symbolists in art – they forefelt the end. The 1920-s were the years of the forefeeling of the Apocalypse. A century has passed, but we still have that feeling. It saves us, this is a good forefeeling.
“I will give them a sign, and gather them” – This sign interests me greatly. A sign shall be given them, it will be a powerful and visible signing for them. They will all know this is God’s sign of restoration – the restoration of the tabernacle of David and filling of its cracks. Such examples already have been. Take Katrin Kulman – she was such a stumbling block, a divorced woman – so powerfully anointed by the Holy Spirit that crowds of people would flow to it, blind gained sight, lame walked, dead were raised, and she became a great woman of God. Or Amy Mcpherson – “for what know you, O wife, whether you shall save your husband?” She performed in the anointing of the Deborah’s mantle, a powerful woman in times when women just began fighting for their rights, she acted like a mighty anointed one. Hollywood would come to borrow from her services. It was a powerful sign, and no one could say anything against it. They could only speak evil of it – like today they speak evil of the true anointing. They have nothing else except to speak evil.
“And they shall increase as they have increased”- the time of success in ministry shall return! And many shall see churches grow honestly and not dishonestly.
“And I will sow them among the people: and they shall remember me in far countries” – we are in the nations, and they shall be in other countries in strength and grace and blessing! And they will know their God. “And they shall live with their children, and turn again.” Many will return to the base, for the sake of greater level of ministry, for a stronger level of ministry.
“I will bring them again also out of the land of Egypt, and gather them out of Assyria” – they will return from the worldly and carnal life. “And I will bring them into the land of Gilead and Lebanon; and place shall not be found for them” – They will rise in ministry higher than they were before. It will overflow even what they can imagine today. You know, many ministers returned and raised many more ministers, thousands of missionaries. And this is right.
“And he shall pass through the sea with affliction, and shall smite the waves in the sea, and all the deeps of the river shall dry up: and the pride of Assyria shall be brought down, and the scepter of Egypt shall depart away.” – No one cancelled judgments. Watch the judgments. Watch the judgments over the nations. Watch the judgments over the rulers. Watch the judgments over the unrighteous, and the judgments over the House of God, because the judgment shall begin from the House of God.
“And I will strengthen them in the Lord” – whom? The house of Judah and the house of Joseph. Joseph as the one who stepped away from his prophecy, Judah as the weakened one. He stands with God, but got weak. It is written, “he still walked with the Lord”.
“And I will strengthen them in the Lord and they shall walk up and down in His name, said the Lord”. – God’s people shall begin to gain strength. And this must begin now in your life.
God shall prepare the Bride for His Son before the Bridegroom comes. The church shall become strong and worthy of her Bridegroom.
Today this prophetic word is for the uprising: for the uprising of the house of Judah, for the strengthening of the house of Judah, and for the salvation of the house of Joseph.
I do not know what house you relate yourself to. Crowd and abiding in it does not save. What saves is your place in Jesus, your dimension in the Body of Christ. God bless us. Today there was also a word for us to read Isaiah 48. Read it, this is interesting – it says the same.