When you chose to live prophetically, you start living from heaven down to earth more and more instead of the other way–earth toward heaven. Most of us on our spiritual journeys live crying from earth and banging on heaven’s door. But we have been given access to heaven through Jesus’ blood. The curtain has been torn, the veil cast from our faces. We can enter heaven and listen to its tenor and orient ourselves towards earth with heaven’s gaze. Some seasons heaven is rejoicing but my earth-life might be frustrated. Or heaven might be warring, but through earth eyes, we might be vying for peace. Ecclesiastes teaches us in its most famous passage:
There is a season for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven.
(Earth’s activities should be subjected to heaven’s!)
a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and time to gather them,
a time to embrace and time to refrain,
a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war anda time for peace.
At this time there is war and there is searching and there is reaping in heaven. I woke up this morning and saw the creator on wearing wristbands on a treadmill. What a strange vision. The only word that issued from this concentrated work was “SLAVERY.” And I understood in my spirit… today in heaven the theme is releasing slaves. And it is WORK. So my face today was oriented toward the list of many who I desire to see released… maybe today I didn’t feel like interceding or praying. But I want to live more and more from heaven’s themes downward.
Before the prophet Ezekiel’s wife died, he was forewarned that she would die, but told that he was not to grieve her. “Son of man, with one blow I am about to take away from you the delight of your eyes. Yet do not lament or weep or shed any tears. Groan quietly; do not mourn for the dead…” How intense for Ezekiel! He wandered the streets refusing to grieve, and when asked what was the meaning of this, he told the people, “…The Sovereign Lord says, ‘I am about to desecrate my sanctuary–the stronghold in which you take pride, the delight of your eyes, the object of your affection…'” Heaven was not grieving but angry over Israel’s idolatry of its most beautiful possession, the temple. It was not to grieve its loss. And Ezekiel, having chosen to live the prophetic lifestyle, lived in heaven’s emotions first before his own.
