GOD IS RAISING UP NEW LEADERSHIP AS A REFINED REMNANT
God is not too bothered whether they
are priests or Levites, whether they are ordained or not ordained. He
is concerned with honesty, integrity and a faithful walk before him. God
is bringing in new beginnings and he is raising up new leadership...
In the seventh year of Jehu, Joash became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem for forty years. His mother’s name was Zibiah; she was from Beersheba. Joash did what was right in the eyes of the LORD all the years Jehoiada the priest instructed him. The high places, however, were not removed; the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there. Joash said to the priests, ‘Collect all the money that is brought as sacred offerings to the temple of the LORD – the money collected in the census, the money received from personal vows and the money brought voluntarily to the temple. Let every priest receive the money from one of the treasurers, then use it to repair whatever damage is found in the temple.’ But by the twenty-third year of King Joash the priests still had not repaired the temple. Therefore King Joash summoned Jehoiada the priest and the other priests and asked them, ‘Why aren’t you repairing the damage done to the temple? Take no more money from your treasurers, but hand it over for repairing the temple.’ The priests agreed that they would not collect any more money from the people and that they would not repair the temple themselves.Jehoiada the priest took a chest and bored a hole in its lid. He placed it beside the altar, on the right side as one enters the temple of the LORD. The priests who guarded the entrance put into the chest all the money that was brought to the temple of the LORD. Whenever they saw that there was a large amount of money in the chest, the royal secretary and the high priest came, counted the money that had been brought into the temple of the LORD and put it into bags. When the amount had been determined, they gave the money to the men appointed to supervise the work on the temple. With it they paid those who worked on the temple of the LORD – the carpenters and builders, the masons and stonecutters. They purchased timber and blocks of dressed stone for the repair of the temple of the LORD, and met all the other expenses of restoring the temple. The money brought into the temple was not spent for making silver basins, wick trimmers, sprinkling bowls, trumpets or any other articles of gold or silver for the temple of the LORD; it was paid to the workers, who used it to repair the temple. They did not require an accounting from those to whom they gave the money to pay the workers, because they acted with complete honesty. The money from the guilt offerings and sin offerings was not brought into the temple of the LORD; it belonged to the priests.2 KINGS 12:1-16.
The reign of the young king, Joash of Judah was preceded by a six-year reign of terror by Athaliah, the daughter of Ahab, king of Israel and Jezebel, and married to Jehoram, King of Judah. After Jehoram died with an incurable disease of the bowels and her son Ahaziah was slain within one year after his succession to the throne, along with his brethrens and their sons, Athaliah (Jehoram’s widow and Ahaziah’s mother) proclaimed herself sovereign and held reign for six years. During her reign, a portion of the temple was destroyed and its sacred objects were used for the Baals. She systematically destroyed all the royal seed of the house of Judah except for a baby, Joash. Jehosheba (Joash’s aunt and Athaliah’s daughter), who had married a priest, Jehoiada (later promoted to high priest) intervened in this critical situation, by concealing him in their apartment near the temple for six years. It was in the seventh year that the high priest Jehoiada planned a counter-revolution and Athaliah was killed.
Joash was the youngest king to ascend the throne of Judah. He started his rule at the age of seven and ruled for forty years. He decided to restore the temple because it had become deteriorated during the apostate days of Athaliah and he ordered the priests and Levites to go throughout the land and to collect the temple taxes (regular census offerings and vow offerings) and also freewill offerings to start the repair. However, the Levites were very slow to act for decades, which caused Joash to rebuke Jehoiada in the end. It is probable that the revenue generated from these regular offerings was not sufficient to support the priests’ and Levites’ living, and there was little left for the temple repairs. They mightn’t have wanted to divert any offering from their own livelihood.
Joash instituted a new procedure, in which those who would be responsible for supervising the temple restoration project were to directly take money from the offerings for this purpose, by separating the restoration project from the regular temple service by priests and Levites. The priests agreed to his new procedure. At Joash’s instructions Jehoiada placed a large wooden chest with a hole in its top in the temple courtyard. Then the priests put into it all the money the people brought for the temple building project. Both the high priest and the royal secretary came to count the money whenever they saw a large amount of money brought to the chest. They would then put the money into bags, an important step to assert royal authority in the temple, and which can also account for why money-changers became such a necessary part of the operation of the temple. This is the so-called “Chest of Joash” and it has come to be used as a model of fundraising up to this day. Jehoiada accomplished unusual longevity and died at age of 130.
I have come across an interesting interpretation of the passages from 2 Kings 12:1-16 above. The following is an excerpt from ‘Prophecy Given By David Noakes New Beginnings Conference 1997’ (http://www.banner.org.uk/news/old%20dox/noakes.html#%28David)
Fourteen years ago God started speaking to me. He spoke three times in one day out of the Scriptures about the account of King Joash repairing the temple. I was burdened before the Lord because I was looking at this travesty - this was 1983 - this travesty of the body of Christ where Jesus cannot display his character, he cannot display his glory, he cannot display his truth because of the appalling state of the disrepair of the temple, which is the temple made of living stones.
I was praying and praying about this; three times in one day, twice out of Kings, once out of Chronicles, God gave me this scripture. I must just read a little bit because it is relevant for some of you here. You find in 2 Kings 12 that King Joash who was a godly sort of young King, reigned in Jerusalem and he became concerned because the temple of the Lord was in a state of disrepair and it was the responsibility of the priests to apply the funds for getting it sorted out and repaired, and they weren't doing it. And you find in verse 4 that Joash said to the priests "collect the money". Verse 5: "Let every priest receive money from the treasures and let it be used to repair whatever damage is found in the temple."Now, bear in mind that the temple of the body of Christ is in absolute ruins in the West, and please God, the Lord will rebuild it, but we're in a state of new beginnings. It hasn't happened yet. By the 23rd year of King Joash the priests still had not repaired the temple. God went first to those who had the responsibility over the temple; the Levites who had the accountability. He went first to those who had the positions of privilege and responsibility and who had control of the resources and said Get this temple repaired. God went first to the leaders.
When the charismatic renewal movement started, this movement which has spawned a hybrid which has become an Ishmael - and God is still intending to bring forth an Isaac of His own choosing, the trouble is that Ishmael always persecutes Isaac, but don't let that worry you yet. It will be the leaders of Ishmael who will persecute Isaac hardest. But what God did, and what King Joash did was to summon the priests. It says they hadn't repaired the temple, King Joash summoned Jehoiada the priest and the other priests and asked them "Why aren't you repairing the damage done to the temple? Take no more money from your treasurers but hand it over for repairing the temple." The priests agreed they would not collect any more money from the people and they would not repair the temple themselves. They then diverted these funds and you find that when the amount had come in, verse 11, the money was given to the men appointed to supervise the work on the temple. With it they paid those who worked on the temple of the Lord - the carpenters and builders, the masons and stone cutters. The priests and Levites were out of the picture. God had diverted the resources to those who were willing to get on and do the work. They purchased timber and dressed stone for the repair of the temple of the Lord and met all the other expenses of restoring the temple. The money brought into the temple was not spent making silver basins etc, it was paid to the workmen who used it to repair the temple. They did not require an accounting from those to whom they gave the money to pay the workers because they acted with complete honesty.
The time has come. I thought in 1983 it would be tomorrow or next year. But the time has at last come when God is beginning to do just this. The resources which he has given through the activity of the Holy Spirit is beginning to be diverted from those who first received it to those who will give a good account of it. God is not too bothered whether they are priests or Levites, whether they are ordained or not ordained. He is concerned with honesty, integrity and a faithful walk before him. God is bringing in new beginnings and he is raising up new leadership. and if he is raising you up as a leader do not worry that you are not, as it were, a priest or a Levite, worry only that the Lord Jesus has called and appointed you to do just this work.
Now, I had to give that to you as a background. I hope I've not wasted time. I want to encourage you and I now need to read to you this word of prophecy.
I went to Toronto - I didn't want to go, but finally God told me I must, on the basis that I couldn't speak with any authority from my perspective unless I had actually seen what was going on. What I saw going on was appalling; …… I saw unclean spirits manifesting in men and women. I saw the lot. It was devastating. It was appalling. Then I came back, became involved in a lot of meetings and in London just before the beginning of December 1994 I was shown some videos which included one which you will know very well I think, of Rodney Howard-Browne and Kenneth Copeland doing their dual comedy act on the stage. I have never been quite so appalled seeing a blatant misuse of what should be a manifestation of the Holy Spirit. I went away from that meeting in London that day, I was on the train going back home; I was so appalled; there had been no opportunity for prayer although it was a meeting of leaders that day and I was saying "Father, you must surely please have something to say. Lord, I daren't say anything unless I believe God has said it. If God hasn't said it, I have no business saying anything. Lord, I want to know what you are saying about this." I went to bed that night saying the same thing. I fell asleep on it, woke up in the morning, was due to go to London again, I was in the middle of shaving and suddenly I felt the Lord say "Put down your razor and write." …… I am now going to read to you what I received in the light of the videos I had been shown the day before. This was 13th December 1994……
PROPHECY:What you are now seeing is not the first wave of the deception that is to come, nor will it be the last. Satan is establishing an increasingly strong and broad power base in the churches of your nation in order to draw my people away after false hopes of a cheap and illusory glory of the flesh in this age. Do not look to the men who seem to be the principal instruments of the deception. (I believe that is principally the false prophets who are going around). They are false prophets who come and go like shooting stars. Their judgement is in my hand and I will execute it in its season. They prophesy by Baal but I will surely vindicate my own Holy Name.
Be concerned rather with the faithless shepherds of the flocks of my people. For an illusion of glory and success they sell the sheep of my pasture into the hand of the deceiver. False and deluded, they do not know my voice, for they do not reverence my Word. Puffed up with selfish ambition and vain glory, they lead my people into false ways. Thinking that they see in their blindness, they lead those who trust them into a ditch. They are as the Pharisees of old who love the places of honour and the applause of men, and they gain it at the expense of leading gullible men and women into ways which have an appearance of light but are in truth are a highway into deepest darkness.
Beware of such men. False shepherds and blind guides, my flock. Surely I will require an accounting at their hands for the blood of those who are being misled into the ways of death. For it is they who encourage the false prophets, and import the doctrines of demons into the midst of my sheepfold. My anger burns hotly against them and surely if they do not soon repent I will give them up to the hardness of their heart and there will be no returning for them when that point has been reached. Do not trust the compromisers who seek to draw together and reconcile that which cannot be reconciled; who seek to find a middle way. Surely between light and darkness there is no middle way, but only an abyss of confusion and bewilderment.
This wave of deception will recede and with it those who now falsely prophesy. But the false shepherds amongst my people will remain as a danger, ready to grasp hold of the next wave when it comes, for surely it will do so. Each wave will be deadlier than the last and will attract more of those whose feet are not firmly grounded on the rock of my Word. Through the deception my hand will be at work. I will refine and separate those who will not bow the knee to Baal from those who do not love the truth. I will have a refined remnant who will be my true voice in this nation and through their testimony I will bring in a harvest from the lost world but only those who hold to the truth and walk in my Spirit will be used in that purpose. I will judge the faithless shepherds who seek their own ambitions and the adulation of men. They will go their own way to destruction, but I will appoint other shepherds for my people; men whom I am even now preparing in hidden places, walking unseen paths. They will be of humble and contrite spirit, repentant of heart and walking in awe of their God and in deep reverence of his Word.
Surely in the last days I will keep a people for myself who are true to me and will shine like the stars of heaven in the increasing darkness and turn many to the way of righteousness and salvation. Contend for the faith steadfastly. Do not strive with those who will not hear, but declare my truth patiently and perseveringly. Expose the strategies of the adversary. Blow the trumpet of warning, that those who have ears may hear, but leave the results to me. Pray that the deaf may hear. Pray that the blind shepherds may yet see. But remember that it is only my Spirit which convicts of sin and guilt and of judgement to come. The task of the watchman is to warn. If you will fulfil that task you will have served your master well."
That was what I had to sit and write on the 13th December of 1994. I believe that the time is now coming; is at hand, when we shall see increasingly the fulfilment of this word; increasingly the judgement on the faithless shepherds. But remember the Lord's emphasis was, its not the false prophets who are the principal danger; they come and go like stars in the night. It is those who want what they've got. Jeremiah 5:30,31 - the prophets prophesy falsely, the priests rule by their own authority and my people love it this way, but what will you do in the end? It is the shepherds who want these things for their own purposes. The Lord says beware of such men. But the Lord is raising up faithful men, hidden places, hard wood. Those of you who have been in the refiners fire are so hot that you think nothing will be left. These are days of preparation. God is getting us ready. God has got his hand on many people. If he has been calling you, or is calling you to take up what he is asking you to take up and to lead his people in the ways of righteousness, don't be afraid to take it up, don't say who am I? It is not you, but Jesus in you who will do it.