EYES AND EARS

Although they won divine approval and obtained a testimony from God, they did not see its fulfillment. God foresaw something greater, so that they would not come to perfection apart from us. Their lives of prayer and sacrifice are like spiritual seeds of purpose and destiny from which we will derive an inheritance as spiritual beneficiaries. (Hebrews 11:39-40)

Daniel prophetically recognized this generation and described it as, the "time of the end," in which knowledge will increase and great mysteries of the Kingdom revealed. Many loyal saints are calling upon the Lord that He might show great and mighty (hidden and set-apart) things which we presently do not know.
(Jeremiah 33:3)

Only One Source

In our quest to understand truth, we can turn to only one source as our absolute standard by which all truth is weighed� the Word of God. With the merger of the Word and Spirit, the revealed truth provides all that we need in this life and the one to come. Through redemption, the covenant promises and blessings are provided, as well as unveiling the nature and character of God. The Scriptures, and the spiritual impartations they convey, are the only pattern by which we may know with certainty events and directions of the future. They are the only source which satisfactorily answers the questions... Where did I come from? Why am I here? Where am I going?

As someone once said- "Time can take nothing from the Bible. It is the living monitor. Like the sun, it is the same in its life and influence to man this day which it was years ago. It can meet every present inquiry and console every present loss."

Resident within the heart of spirit filled believers, there should inherently be a great love for the Scriptures and the truth they convey. It is the sword that separates spirit from soul... light from darkness. Though we are eternally grateful for the understanding we now have, there remains deep wells of insight, mysteries and truth yet to be discovered.

Vast Oceans of Truth

Perhaps many in our generation can understand the perception of Sir Isaac Newton when he said, "I do not know what I may appear to the world, but to myself I seem to have been only like a boy playing on the seashore and diverting myself in now and then finding a smoother pebble or a prettier shell than ordinary, whilst the great ocean of truth lay all undiscovered before me."

There is an "ocean" of divine truth before us to be discovered by those anointed with the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation. Ephesians 1:17-18 emphasizes the right of every believer to be anointed with the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation. This form of wisdom is not merely the ability to mentally analyze a situation and make a good response. Rather, it is a spiritual endowment that allows a believer to go deep into the heart of the Father, to perceive and understand the mysteries of the Kingdom and our rights through redemption. Not only do we have the liberty to understand these mysteries, but also the accompanying Spirit of Revelation that gives illumination and comprehension of their reality. By them we discover...

(1) That we may know what is the hope of His calling
(2) What are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints
(3) What is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe

To do so there must be an anointing resting upon our spiritual eyes that we may see and our ears that we may hear� anointed EYES AND EARS.

A Divine Affirmation

In November 2002 Bob Jones, Bobby Connor and I were conducting a conference in Albany OR.

On the first morning of the conference, while praying before our pre-conference breakfast, the Holy Spirit released a series of Scriptures to me that followed the clear expression, "Eyes & Ears." There were about seven Scriptures that came in succession. Each emphasized the importance of our eyes & ears being anointed to understand our covenant blessings. Each truth contributed essential understanding necessary to participate with the Lord in His plan for this generation. I wrote the Scriptures in my journal, along with the notations of what I heard and proceeded to the breakfast.

As soon as I entered the room, Bob Jones began to share a penetrating prophetic experience given to him that morning by the Holy Spirit. This is not an unusual occurrence for Bob, as he normally receives revelation associated with our meetings and conferences. However, this one seemed especially meaningful, both in its content and the manner in which the revelation was given.

A Heavenly Messenger

In the spiritual vision, he encountered a heavenly being who brought to our team a message of preparation, not only for the conference, but also for this spiritual season. We addressed some of these issues in our newsletter dated December 10, 2002.

However, for the purpose of this article, there is one very important aspect of the visitation that we are continuing to pursue. As the messenger was about to depart, he told Bob that I would have understanding of who he was and to have me determine the meaning of his name. The name given was "Sundar." Naturally, no one in the meeting knew the definition of this name.

Upon returning to my room I began the search. To my surprise, I discovered its meaning as, "Beautiful/Handsome/Pleasant to the eyes and ears." What an incredible affirmation to the revelation that came before the breakfast meeting. This stressed the excellence of a fresh anointing and blessing coming to those prepared to have their "eyes & ears" opened to kingdom truth and the unfolding of God�s mysteries.

Son of Man- Mark Well

The first Scripture that came that morning was Ezekiel 44:4-5. This passage admonishes the prophet to "see with his eyes and hear with his ears" all that was about to be communicated to him. The pronunciation of this admonition not only conveys the importance of seeing and hearing, but also releases the spiritual impartation necessary to do so.

Then He brought me by way of the north gate to the front of the house; and I looked, and behold, the glory of the LORD filled the house of the LORD, and I fell on my face. The LORD said to me, "Son of man, mark well, see with your eyes and hear with your ears all that I say to you concerning all the statutes of the house of the LORD and concerning all its laws; and mark well the entrance of the house, with all exits of the sanctuary- Ezek 44:4-5

Ezekiel was instructed to "mark well." This expression is sometimes translated "set your heart to understand." There is something inherently connected with eyes & ears being opened that allows the heart to comprehend.

The prophet discovered, there is an important aspect to the comprehension of the heart by virtue of eyes that see and ears that hear as the Lord provides instruction concerning statutes and ordinances involving His house. As The Scriptures point out, He is building a spiritual house and the Holy Spirit is providing the essential "blueprints" for its design. Those used in this building program will possess humble and contrite hearts and tremble at His word. They will have eyes that see and ears that hear.

A Missed Opportunity

After 40 years of governing the people of Israel while in the wilderness, Moses came to the end of the journey and provided a revealing discovery that prohibited that generation from entering the promise. He admonished them with a rehearsal of the great and awesome deeds and demonstrations of power the Lord performed in their midst. Nonetheless, he also pointed out a sad reality--- that generation did not receive the promise because, "to this day the LORD has not given you a heart to know, nor eyes to see, nor ears to hear." Deuteronomy 29:4

What a great lesson for us to learn in our day. Although we can witness notable expressions of spiritual power and authority, that in itself is not enough. It remains essential for us to receive an impartation from the Holy Spirit to possess eyes & ears open to His truth and hearts of understanding. Without that spiritual endowment, we cannot enter the fullness of the promise. Not only do we have an inheritance in Him, but He also has an inheritance in us. Our spiritual eyes & ears must be opened to facilitate that union.

The apostle Paul once prayed that our eyes would be illumined with spiritual understanding. It is an important spiritual mandate to have enlightened eyes to see where we are presently placed in human history and the unfolding of God's redemptive plan. It is also equally as important to have eyes that can see ahead to our prophetic destination. From this perspective we can set our sights on the goal of our faith, as well as recognizing the snares and traps of the enemy intended to hinder our ability to get there.

Who Will Go For Us?

The prophet Isaiah was given the great privilege of seeing heaven's design before the throne of God as Seraphim spoke one to another declaring "Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of Hosts." They were allowed to see with their eyes, demonstrations of His majesty and authority and give expression to it. Their words began to fill the temple with smoke and Glory by witnessing with their eyes and expressing with their lips the revelation of God sitting upon His throne in absolute and perfect supremacy and sovereignty.

That is the fashion of heaven that is to be transferred to the earth and our mandate to create an atmosphere on the earth in which He can dwell. A dwelling place that is consistent with His nature and character. Isaiah saw with his eyes and heard with his ears the activity and atmosphere surrounding the throne of heaven. He saw the design of heaven created around the kingship and dominion of the Lord and the unveiling of His Glory, as seen by those witnessing the nature and character of His kingly authority.

Then he was asked the question, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?" Then I said, "Here am I. Send me!" Isa 6:8

When Isaiah yielded himself to this commission, he heard the unusual instruction coming from the Lord concerning the eyes & ears of the people of his generation. They were to be rendered spiritually blind and deaf. The Lord emphatically quoted this passage in his discourse to the religious leaders during His earthly ministry as well. (Matthew 13:14-15; Mark 4:12; Luke 8:10)

As Isaiah's instruction continues, the Lord states "otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and return and be healed." There is healing that takes place when our eyes & ears are opened and our hearts qualified to understand. Healing is not merely the restoration of bodies and emotions, but more importantly, the breach that has existed between God and man. That is why our adversary has so emphatically opposed the impartation of the revelatory gifts essential in this commission.

We can only participate in this Kingdom commission and mandate when we see and hear with spirit eyes & ears, thereby providing comprehension to our hearts. It cannot be the mechanical articulation of words with merely an intellectual perception of His dominion and glory. It must be through "overcoming" saints anointed with the spirit of wisdom and revelation being allowed to see, comprehend and experience the unveiling of His great Kingly authority, dominion and Glory and giving expression to it.

Oh Lord- Open His Eyes

On one unique occasion the prophet Elisha, who had spiritual insight as to where he was and where he was going, boldly stood before the armies of the king of Aram. He could do so because of the spirit of wisdom and revelation that rested upon his life. When his servant nervously recited what his natural eyes were seeing, the prophet prayed, "O LORD, I pray, open his eyes that he may see." And the LORD opened the servant's eyes and he saw; and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

With that prayer, an impartation of spiritual sight was given to the servant. Through that blessing, he discovered with his spiritual eyes, the armies of Heaven and chariots of fire that surrounded God�s servant. (2 Kings 6:17-18)

With spiritual vision, fear is replaced with faith and a comprehension of the reality that there are more for us than for the enemy. Nothing changed in this scenario except the vision of Elisha's servant. Without question, his faith level soared. His countenance and courage was not merely based upon the things his natural eyes were seeing, but now his spiritual eyes provided clarity to the entire picture.

The Bible promises that to each believer a measure of faith is given. However, there is a much higher realm of faith that can be accessed when our eyes & ears are expanded to see and hear the unseen. It is in that place that we begin to walk by the faith of the Son of God according to Galatians 2:20. This dimension of faith can only be discovered in the supernatural realm of God. The early Apostles knew this reality and did exploits to God's glory during their generation.

The apostle Paul once declared that we are not to consider the things which are seen but those which are unseen, in formulating our objectives. The things that are visible are temporal and fleeing, while those which are spiritual and invisible to the natural eyes, are everlasting. (2 Cor. 4:18)

What an incredible illustration of the importance of making decisions which are not merely based upon the things our natural eyes observe. We need the anointing of the Holy Spirit to remove the veil from our spiritual eyes, that we might see and comprehend our spiritual provisions. Without it, the things in the natural realm will strive to steal our faith and the reality of our birthright.

Restoration of Our Birthright

There is something presently taking place in the restoration of our original birthright and inheritance. Following the transgression of Adam, the Bible declares that his eyes were opened and he discovered that he was naked. There was transference of vision that took place in the garden that the Lord's redemption is returning us to.

Adam was given the great privilege of seeing the Lord with his eyes and hearing Him with his ears, as God walked with His son in the cool of the day. We are now living in the "cool of the day" or "evening time" generation. Spiritual sight and sound is being restored so that a righteous generation can walk with the Lord in oneness and union. I can think of nothing greater!

The Bible declares in Genesis 2:25 that prior to their transgression, Adam and Eve "were both naked and were not ashamed." They were transparent before God and walked with Him without shame or reservation. They were seeing with their eyes and hearing with their ears, the Creator of the universe as He walked and talked with them according to His original design.

Through the promise of the restoration of all things, we in this generation can justifiably set our faith to once again walk with Him and hear expressions from His lips. We have the unfathomably rich promise to see the Lord Jesus with an unveiled face. Our eyes and ears can be restored to the place of the original design and our hearts can be free from our shame.

Spiritual Thoughts and Words

The Holy Spirit, through the apostle Paul, highlighted a profound reality that some generation will come to know in its fullness. He declared, "Just as it is written, 'THINGS WHICH EYE HAS NOT SEEN AND EAR HAS NOT HEARD, AND WHICH HAVE NOT ENTERED THE HEART OF MAN, ALL THAT GOD HAS PREPARED FOR THOSE WHO LOVE HIM. For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. (1 Cor 2:9 10)

This spirit of revelation is essential to know and walk in our inheritance in Christ. Even more, that same Spirit is also essential to comprehend that He has a birthright in us. The Levitical priests did not receive an inheritance, because the Lord was their inheritance. They were given the distinguished honor of ministering to the Lord as part of His inheritance. Herein is found part of a great mystery in God we must come to understand�our role as His inheritance and the body to which the Head must be fashioned. It will be the Word becoming flesh once again and dwelling, not just among, but within His people.

There are thoughts and plans the Lord has for this generation. They are reserved and hidden within His heart and conveyed through His Word. A "Word" is a "thought" that has been given expression. We articulate our thoughts and desires with words. Jesus Himself was actually the purest expression of the "anointed Word." He was the Word of God incarnate in flesh and He was the Messiah, which translated means, the Anointed One. He was the perfect articulation of the thoughts and ways of God...depicted in human form.

The Letter Kills

God's inspired Word is a spiritual vehicle which delivers us from the natural realm to the spiritual. His anointing is the fuel that propels the vehicle. Without the anointing we cannot be catapulted into that dimension to discover His mysteries or understand His thoughts.

The letter kills but the Spirit gives Life. (II Corinthians 3:6) The natural word becomes "spiritual" through the anointing of the Holy Spirit. In John 6:63 the Lord stated that the words He spoke to them were both SPIRIT and LIFE. The Spirit gives life to the message of the Kingdom that points to the cross and transports one from the natural into the Spirit realm.

It is in that place that our "eyes & ears" are opened and we discover the hope of our calling and the immeasurable greatness of His unlimited power toward those who believe God is presently combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words that are both seen and heard. It is by virtue of the spirit of revelation anointing our eyes and ears that provides comprehension to our hearts, thus allowing His thoughts and ways to be imparted to His people. It will be Kingdom Truth, not taught by human wisdom, but the Holy Spirit granting the proper interpretation of spiritual Truth through spiritual language.

Through this priestly endowment, those things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard nor has yet entered into the heart of man, all these God is sharing. He is unveiling this aspect of His heart to those who love Him and hold him in affectionate reverence and recognize His many benefits.

Beholding Our Teacher

Another Scripture that was given that morning in Albany, and one that has been a favorite for me over the years, is taken from Isaiah 30.

"O people in Zion, inhabitant in Jerusalem, you will weep no longer. He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry; when He hears it, He will answer you. Although the Lord has given you bread of privation and water of oppression, He your Teacher will no longer hide himself, but your eyes will behold your Teacher. Your ears will hear a word behind you, 'This is the way, walk in it,' whenever you turn to the right or to the left. And you will defile your graven images overlaid with silver, and your molten images plated with gold. You will scatter them as an impure thing, and say to them, 'Be gone!'" Isa 30:19 22

In this prophetic proclamation, Isaiah is pointing to a day of favor and restoration. It will be a day in which the cries of His people are heard and the answer forthcoming. Resident within the hearts of many is a cry for this restoration of promise and Glory. Following this intercessory appeal, the Lord promises to be gracious.

Though He has given us bread of privation and water of oppression for a season, He, our Teacher, will no longer hide Himself from us. What a profound and glorious promise! Our Teacher will make Himself accessible and our eyes will see Him and our ears will hear His words.

Unveiling the Kingdom in an Unprecedented Way

This season of privation and oppression is necessary to sift from our character the corruption of this world and allow us to walk in this dimension, without prostituting or corrupting its purity. For the past several years, there has been a grooming and preparation for this body who, will "see and hear" the Teacher.

We are presently entering a season of extraordinary enlightenment and the unveiling of Kingdom reality in an unprecedented way. Messages of truth and power will emerge with genuine authority to break strongholds and dominions within us, our churches and communities. It will be the "tasting the good word of God and the powers of the age to come." Heb. 6:5 These will come from individuals who have encountered the Teacher for themselves. It will be people who have had their "eyes and ears" anointed for this purpose.

When this takes place, the people will put away "false images" as they would impure cloth. This speaks of the discarding of lies and precepts of man that have been embraced as truth. The ones who may ascend the hill of the Lord and stand in His holy place are those with "clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood and has not sworn deceitfully. Ps 24:3 4 They have not believed a lie for the truth nor given testimony of deception. Their eyes and ears will be opened by the anointing.

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