BOB JONES and PAUL KEITH DAVIS: Shepherd's Rod 2004 (part 1 of 3)

Psalm 104

As we have stated in times past, the Lord emphasizes a Psalm to correspond with each year that provides an outline of His thoughts and ways. There are prophetic indications provided in the Psalm corresponding to that particular year that will have overriding applications on multiple levels.

It seems that Psalms 104 provides even more insight and emphases for 2004 than the various Psalms have for the previous years. The year 2002 provided an incredibly dry season both naturally and spiritually with greater measures of the Holy Spirit being released in 2003. We will continue to see that expansion take place over the next three years as we become more acclimated with the ways of Heaven for this generation and learn to more fully cooperate with the Holy Spirit to release Heavenly virtue.

It was specifically noted by the Holy Spirit that there are 35 verses in this Psalm which also provides a source of direction. For us, the number 35 generally points to the Highway of Holiness depicted in Isaiah 35. Clearly, there is a present call for greater measures of purity and consecration in order to remain on the lofty path established for us. This is the "higher way" of holiness to which we are called. When we do, it will carry us above the cares of this world and the tormenting spirits that are released with substantial authority from the realms of darkness.

This Psalm has as an overriding theme the petition of God's people for His supernatural intervention. This is clearly desperately needed. It is a call for prayer, praise and prophetic proclamations to ascend to the throne of Heaven provoking a release of His awesome attributes and power. Additionally, Psalm 35 contains truth that will work in unison with the strategy of the Lord for the present release of His authority and warring host. He will begin to contend with our adversaries when we petition Him and call for Him to occupy His post as Captain of the Host and the awesome Warrior.

1. Bless the LORD, O my soul! O LORD my God, you are very great; you are clothed with splendor and majesty,

Our praise will restore to the eyes of the people the great glory and majesty of the Lord. When we affectionately and gratefully bless the Lord with our praise and acknowledgment of His majesty and splendor, it will awaken a generation to divine destiny.

This once again points to the houses of prayer and praise that are being established as well as a call to organize specific seasons of prayer and intercession that may last several days at a time. These are the introductions to the restoration of the Tabernacle of David administration of worship and prophetic declarations. The heavens will be transformed as we enter more complete into this ministry in maturity.

2. Covering yourself with light as with a cloak, stretching out heaven like a {tent} curtain.

The Lord clothes Himself in light as with a virtuous garment to depict His great authority in Heaven and in creation. We are likewise called to be endowed with the raiment of light that proceeds from Him. We are called to be the light and salt of the earth.

The pure white light of Heaven will proceed from the throne to be imparted into the spirit and soul of the Lord's people to make us divine carriers of His virtue. Many will encounter the lights of Heaven in private worship and in corporate settings in amplified ways over the coming months and years. The Apostle Paul once had such an encounter and it transformed his life forever. The Bible describes the Lord as our source of every good thing coming down from the Father of lights in whom there is no shifting shadow. (See James 1:17)

A "great light" will be offered to those who have formally known darkness and gloom. Much like the promise given to the land of Zebulun and Naphtali, the people who walk in darkness will see a brilliant light and he will make the latter time a glorious season. (See Isaiah 9:1-2) This is for the land "beyond the Jordan" as we cross over into the day of promise. Illumination will be coming to those who have formally embraced traditionalism and religious structures and many will now embrace divine light

3. He lays the beams of His upper chambers in the waters; He makes the clouds His chariot; He walks upon the wings of the wind;

The Lord is releasing the wings of the wind to transport us from captivity into liberty and freedom. His angels are winds that fuel the flame of fire burning in the heart of His ministers. Great spiritual winds will come to lift us above the issues of this world as we learn to soar in the Spirit like eagles. This fresh wind will carry many to higher realms of revelation than known in the past.

4. He makes the winds His messengers, flaming fire His ministers.

Angels coming as divine winds will spread and amplify the fiery words that will proceed from the mouth of the Lord's messengers. Throughout the ministry of the Lord Himself, we discover angelic activity that surrounded His life. Likewise, substantial activity will accompany the ministers of the Lord from the Heavenly host to help bring to maturity and orchestrate readiness in this generation for the divine visitation promised to it.

People will discover with great surprise the far-reaching effects their words will have as the angels carry anointed messages to the far corners of the earth. The word of the Lord that proceeds from anointed vessels will be transported and conveyed by the winds of these angels to strategic individuals and regions with transforming impact.

5. He established the earth upon its foundations, so that it will not totter forever and ever.

The Lord is establishing a foundation of righteousness on the earth upon which He will allow the authority of His throne to rest. Once fashioned, it cannot be moved from its place. The things that He is setting in motion will continue without end. The time has now arrived for the revelation of Christ to be delegated to a prophesied and foreknown generation.

6. You covered it with the deep as with a garment; the waters were standing above the mountains.

The Lord rules from His throne with perfect supremacy and rest. Nothing takes Him by surprise nor is there a need for which he has not already made provision. The righteous need not fear but stand in faith. The Lord saw all things before the foundation of the world and provided for every need.

The heavens came into existence by the word of the Lord and the waters to cover the earth by the expression of His lips. The victory is already achieved.

7. At your rebuke they fled, at the sound of your thunder they hurried away.

The voice of the Lord is as the sound of thunder. The Lord will be speaking with far greater clarity in the coming days to those with ears to hear. He stands at the door knocking with the revelatory voice hearkening to the people anointed with the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation who will open to Him and minister to Him in their priestly role.

We are living in the day in which there will be thunder coming from a clear sky to prophetically indicate the sounding of His voice to this generation.

8. The mountains rose; the valleys sank down to the place which you established for them.

Divine order is being established in the earth. The perfect model of creation depicts the supernatural order of Heaven. The time has now arrived for the appropriate biblical order to be established in the Church. The heavens...the stars...the sun and the entire universe function in its perfect order and structure. The establishment of the earth and the boundaries set for the waters highlight the authority of God in all of creation. The governmental order will now take its place in the Church to function in power and true spiritual authority.

9. You set a boundary that they may not pass over, so that they will not return to cover the earth.

The Lord is drawing a "line in the sand" as a boundary or line of demarcation to determine who will cross over and wholly submit themselves, spirit, soul and body. There are boundaries and parameters that are set in the earth and in our individual lives. We are presently living at a juncture in time that will be looked upon for years to come as a pivotal crossroad in human history. We must carefully make our choices and decisions through prayer and greater understanding of His Word and the prophetic outline foreseen by the prophets of old.

10. He sends forth springs in the valleys; they flow between the mountains;

The Lord is now releasing springs of living water to flow forth from our innermost being to quench the thirst of a parched and dry land. We are to be the rock through which the water will flow. He is the source and we are to be the vessels that He utilizes. Many people will be "sent" to dry and desolate places to be a source of life through which springs of Heavenly water will flow.

11. They give drink to every beast of the field; the wild donkeys quench their thirst.

The springs of living water will proceed from the mouth of the Lord's messengers. This is a call to power evangelism to give a drink of living water to the lost and desperate. This will be a season for greater measures of evangelism outside the four walls of the Church. Many will be anointed and sent to difficult areas with a commission from Heaven to provide living water.

12. Beside them the birds of the heavens dwell; they lift up their voices among the branches.

Birds of Heaven are oftentimes representative of angelic messengers bringing songs of praise and adoration to individuals and fellowships. During seasons of high praise an angelic host will very often participate with the people in worship to bring the song of Heaven. Prophetic songs of praise and deliverance will come as individuals determine to yield to this dimension of our revelatory heritage. This will be especially true as we learn to function more fully in Tabernacle of David worship.

The prophet David assigned specific priests to accompany him and others to record spontaneous songs of praise and worship that would come through the prophetic anointing. Likewise, we will receive great insight from the psalms, hymns and spiritual songs developed through this gift.

13. He waters the mountains from His upper chambers; the earth is satisfied with the fruit of His works.

The upcoming season will produce a time of fruitfulness or harvest. This is pointing to the harvest of souls as well as the return of many prodigals who have been running from their divine call and commission. The living water that will be carried by specifically anointed vessels will nourish the seeds of destiny imparted to the souls of many, bringing them to the awareness of their destiny and purpose.

There is a prophetic promise in Joel 2:26 stating that we will eat and drink and be "satisfied." We are not yet satisfied with our present condition or the deposit of Heaven that we carry. We are to eat and drink of the Lord's goodness and praise Him from a satisfied heart.

14. He causes the grass to grow for the cattle, and vegetation for the labor of man, so that he may bring forth food from the earth,

Anointed teachers will begin to instruct the Church on becoming the mature body. The Lord will cause growth and expansion to be facilitated in order that we may bring spiritual food to the nations. This is the time to put away childish things and begin to partake of strong meat that is being delegated in due season.

There is a present call to Hebrews 6:1. We must move beyond the elementary principles into the things of Heaven that we may taste the good word of God and the power of the age to come. All this is accomplished through intimate relationship with the Lord as deep longings within us call out to the depths of God's heart.

15. And wine which makes man's heart glad, so that he may make his face glisten with oil, and food which sustains man's heart.

There is coming a season of joy that is unspeakable and full of glory. Wine is symbolically expressing gladness of heart and stimulation that comes by the revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ. Fresh bread is coming from Heaven as the hidden manna set apart and reserved for this generation. The call to grow in maturity will be facilitated by the Lord's leadership presenting to the people the deeper things of God that are provided to us by the Spirit of Revelation who searches the heart of the Father.

From this posture we will be strengthened as a mighty warrior and equipped to encounter the plots of the adversary set against this generation. The Lord is a Warrior and we are to be clothed in His militant attributes as it relates to the enemy who dwells in heavenly places.

16. The trees of the LORD drink their fill, the cedars of Lebanon which He planted,

Trees of righteousness are soon to emerge endowed with the resources of Heaven necessary to build a spiritual habitation. The Lord is looking to the humble and contrite of heart to build a dwelling place for Him. The cedars represent purity of character symbolized by the material used by Solomon in the construction of the Temple.

Our call is to be clothed with the incorruptible material of His nature and character. This will make us the living stones placed in His Temple. The trees and cedars represent the resources of Heaven necessary to construct the spiritual Temple ordained for this generation.

17. Where the birds build their nests, and the stork, whose home is the fir trees.

There is a present invitation for intimacy and fellowship with the Lord on an unprecedented level. Psalms 84: 3 depicts the Lord's people as a sparrow who has found a home or a swallow discovering a nest for herself- the altar of God. We are to make our abode before His throne and like David discover the one thing most important that will satisfy our soul. That is, to continually behold the beauty of the Lord and to meditate in His Temple.

18. The high mountains are for the wild goats; the cliffs are a refuge for the shephanim.

There are many who have attempted to hide from God in the high mountains and among the cliffs and ledges. However, there is no place obscured from His sight. There are many who are seemingly characterized with a "goat nature" that will discover the Lord in the next wave of evangelism now being released. This could also point to many people who have a Godly calling placed upon their life that are presently in the occult, New Age, and heathenism who will hear the voice of Lord and respond.

19. He made the moon for the seasons; the sun knows the place of its setting.

The Church is often represented by the moon with the mandate to reflect the light of the sun and mark the times and seasons of Heaven. Our call is to reflect His great light. We are now approaching the time in which the light of the moon will be as the light of the sun (son) and the sun will be seven times brighter like the light of seven days. (See Isaiah 30)

The prophetic voice of the Church is to announce to the world the appropriate times and seasons of Heaven and the activities of God on the earth. As we press in to the revelatory realm of Heaven, we will access greater understanding into this important role.

20. You appoint darkness and it becomes night, in which all the beasts of the forest prowl about.

Those who dwell in darkness will behold a great Light... those who dwell in the land of intense darkness and the shadow of death will encounter the Light of Heaven. (See Isaiah 9:2) The light of God is coming to illumine our darkness. This is both for those who are saved and living in depression, discouragement and oppression as well as the unsaved that are without any light or salvation. Greater radiance from God is coming.

It is during the night seasons or days of darkness that the predators prowl about seeking prey. Darkness is allowed only to illustrate the brilliance of His great light.

21. The young lions roar after their prey and seek their food from God.

The young lions here represent people who are hungry for God and seek Him from a desperate heart. The Lord will always feed the spiritually hungry.

One of the great miracles performed by our Lord was the multiplication of the fishes and loaves. Herein we have a prophetic picture of the Lord supernaturally providing bread for hungry followers, given to the disciples who then delegate it to the masses. The Lord took the bread and blessed it with a supernatural blessing that multiplied it so that all who were hungry had more than enough. The Lord will always make a way to provide bread for those who are hungry.

22. When the sun rises they withdraw and lie down in their dens.

Once a hungry heart has eaten and is satisfied, he will lay down in peace and rest. The Lord is calling us to taste and see that He is good. Therein, we will discover the rest of God and the fruit of His many benefits.

23. Man goes forth to his work and to his labor until evening.

The man who goes forth to do his work and faithfully labors until evening is considered the righteous laborer and entrusted with greater power and authority. This season will produce righteous and faithful people who will be endowed with greater measures of faith and broader dimensions of authority because of their trustworthiness.

24. O LORD, how many are your works! In wisdom you have made them all; the earth is full of your possessions.

Divine wisdom is a great attribute and spiritual key to unlock the resources of Heaven. An invitation now stands before us to access through the revelatory realm, greater dimensions of Heavenly wisdom and insight. Supernatural treasures are the fruit of the mantle of wisdom.

25. There is the sea, great and broad, in which are swarms without number, animals both small and great.

Very often, the Holy Spirit represents humanism and psychological reasoning through creeping creatures and swarming insects. They illustrate the thoughts and ways of man imparted through this symbolic representation. Flies can very often portray lies. Presently, there is a great sea and vast array of humanistic thinking and soulish reasoning that attempts to make the word of God of no effect. This passage depicts that spiritual reality.

26. There the ships move along, and Leviathan, which you have formed to sport in it.

Great "leader-ships" will begin to emerge to deal with humanism and psychological reasoning that has attempted to steal the birth right of God's people. Ships at sea represent "leader ships" called for a specific purpose. On the other hand, greater authority will also be delegated to the enemies of the Cross as represented by Leviathan. However, the power of the Cross has cut the head off of this creature and our job is to retrieve those who have previously been held captive by this deceiving spirit.

27. They all wait for you to give them their food in due season.

There is a present call, particularly in the Western Church, to understand more fully the ministry of waiting upon the Lord. In response to this mandate, we will discover greater realms of revelation and apprehend our spiritual meat in due season. There will be a renewing of our spiritual strength as we minister to the Lord in this fashion. (See Isaiah 40:31 and Psalm 46:10)

28. You give to them, they gather it up; you open your hand, they are satisfied with good.

This is a time to taste the good word of God and the fruit of His many blessings. When we do, we will discover that He is indeed good. The Lord is coming to a generation with the open book in His hand to be eaten and devoured by His bride. We will then be called to prophesy again concerning many nations, tongues, tribes and kingdoms.

29. You hide your face, they are dismayed; you take away their spirit, they expire and return to their dust.

The common grace that has been upon the earth will "expire" so that "Great Grace" can be revealed to the Church. There are greater dimensions of grace that the Lord wants to bring to and through the Church. It is to those who will shout the proclamations of "grace, grace." (See Zechariah 4)

Without grace we would be troubled and dismayed by the hiding of His face from us. He then sends His Spirit to give us greater measures of grace.

30. You send forth your Spirit, they are created; and you renew the face of the ground.

When the breath of God is released it produces spiritual life. The Lord will be breathing life into us in order to take this gospel to the nations of the earth with power and authority. The Lord is going to breathe on many to produce a wave of evangelism in the immediate season before us. This Spirit of Life will enter the people and set them on the course of destiny. This will be accomplished through the great-grace that is coming.

31. Let the glory of the LORD endure forever; let the LORD be glad in His works;

We are living in a day in which the Glory of God will be manifested and revealed. The Lord will express joy in His saints and release strength for the battle and hope to displace hopelessness. He will rejoice in the work that is to be accomplished in this pivotal hour of human history.

When the Lord finds pleasure in us, it provides spiritual strength and fortification. What greater acknowledgment can we hope for than to receive the pleasure of the Lord and be identified as His friends!

32. He looks at the earth, and it trembles; He touches the mountains, and they smoke.

The days ahead will experience great shaking and quaking both on the earth and in the heavens. There is a shaking coming so that those things that remain can be revealed as having been purified and refined.

33. I will sing to the LORD as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.

Great praise services will experience tangible expressions of His presence as the praise reaches the heights of Heaven. There will be substantial anointing on praise gatherings birthed in humility and sincerity. As the praise reaches a crescendo it will touch the heart of the Father prompting a great response from Heaven. This will be the year for visitation to occur in praise on a greatly expanded scale.

There will be a number of places that this is true but there will be a special emphasis on Nashville and the calling placed upon these worshipers to lead in the coming battle.

34. Let my meditation be pleasing to Him; as for me, I shall be glad in the LORD.

With the many distractions from the spirit of this world, our calling is to meditate upon Him and His vast glory. Our prayer should be for the grace to fasten our gaze upon Him, neither looking to the right nor the left so that He would find His joy in our adoration.

This is a time to meditate upon the attributes of the Lord and His promises to us. In these revelations He is specifically admonishing us to focus our attention upon His commitment to:

1. Make us more than conquerors in Christ.
2. I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me.
3. Though my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will never leave nor forsake me.
4. I once was young but now I am old yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken nor his seed begging for bread.
5. Taste and see that the Lord is good.

35. Let sinners be consumed from the earth and let the wicked be no more. Bless the LORD, O my soul. Praise the LORD!

God's granted repentance is coming to the wicked. We are admonished in 2 Timothy 2:25-26 to gently and with humility bring correction, if perhaps God may grant repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth. Many are held captive by the snare of the adversary that the Lord wants to liberate with deliverance and escape from bondage and the presence of darkness.

Great fear is coming upon the earth and the Lord in His mercy is calling sinners to return to Him. Fear, depression and terror are the reward of the wicked contributing to the greatest judgment upon those separated from Christ.

We will be posting parts 2 and 3 of the Shepherd's Rod 2004 very soon, but if you can't wait to read the rest, you can access them at the following links: