Things that happened in centuries past seem to be happening again. In I Corinthians 10:11, Paul tells us, Now these things happened unto them by way of example; and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages are come.
The story in I Kings 19 is the sequel to the famous deliverance on Mount Carmel, when fire from God came down upon the altar of Jehovah and the prophets of Baal were destroyed. Elijah prevailed that day in one of the most spectacular showdowns ever to come between the satanic host and a child of the Lord. This story is important for us to review, for it contains a foreshadowing of what we shall experience in this hour.
Elijah had done his best to do the will of God with all of his heart. Within him was the desire to see the power of Satan broken, to see Israel come back to the Lord, to see the Kingdom of God restored and established again over the people of the Lord. If you follow the story in the Scriptures carefully, you will understand Elijah better than if you look at the story only superficially.
There was a king in Israel by the name of Ahab, and he had a wife whose name was Jezebel. Now Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So may the gods do to me and even more, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time.” I Kings 19:1–2. Jezebel failed in her purpose. Later, God did make her life like that of one of Baal’s prophets. In the ninth chapter of II Kings, you find that God raised up Jehu to be king over Israel, and he went after Jezebel. She was thrown down from her window and trampled underfoot. Those who were sent to bury her found that the dogs had already eaten her.
Now notice this about Elijah: And he was afraid and arose and ran for his life and came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there. But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree (a broom-tree); and he requested for himself that he might die, and said, “It is enough; now, O Lord, take my life, for I am not better than my fathers.” I Kings 19:3–4.
You must understand Elijah. The Word says that he was afraid and ran for his life; yet before he had gone a day’s journey, he prayed that he might die. It seems like a conflict of motivations—he wanted to die, and yet he was fleeing for his life. Try to tune in to what Elijah was really feeling. One thing was in his mind: he did not want to die at the hand of Jezebel. That would be defeat. If he was to die (and that he was anxious to do) he would rather die at the hand of the Lord. He said to the Lord, “Lord, take my life,” for he did not want Jezebel to take his life.
Elijah saw that he was in the midst of an impasse. He had won a startling victory: imagine what it was like to see a whole nation apparently delivered from the strength of idolatry in just one miracle! But the fact that Jezebel was still around and could arrogantly send word of her intent to avenge the death of her prophets put a fear upon him. In her heart was the viciousness to kill him. She was not afraid of him and was threatening him.
It is interesting that Jezebel did continue to live for some time; even Ahab died ahead of her. When Elijah said, “I am not better than my fathers,” he was feeling the incompleteness of everything that God had done. He was not being arrogant when he said, “I expect to evolve into a higher type of individual than my fathers were.” He was not looking down on his ancestors, nor was he saying that he expected to be a spiritual being who was superior to them. He was saying, “My fathers came against limitations and impasses that they could not break through, and I am doing the same thing. I am no better than they were. I am facing the same barriers, and it is time that they end.” There was an implied, unspoken heart-cry, “Let’s end this limitation! Let’s end this barrier. Let’s end this inability to break through. Other generations have gone this route; why, our fathers did as well as we are doing. Let’s break through!” In this hour also, God is moving upon us to have a violent, desperate faith, a persistence and importunity in prayer that demands to have a breakthrough—something more than we have ever seen before. We must see the real importance of it.
Did God have an answer for Elijah? We see that He did, as we continue reading in I Kings 19. And he lay down and slept under a juniper tree; and behold, there was an angel touching him, and he said to him, “Arise, eat.” Then he looked and behold, there was at his head a bread cake baked on hot stones, and a jar of water. So he ate and drank and lay down again. And the angel of the Lord came again a second time and touched him and said, “Arise, eat, because the journey is too great for you.” Verses 5–7. Elijah had just complained, “We’re no better than our fathers.” He meant, “God, we have not been able to appropriate any more of You than our fathers were able to.”
Without being sacrilegious, we could paraphrase Elijah’s words and say, “There is not enough of God in our situation.” This does not mean that we do not have anything from God; we have a great deal. But we need more. What does it mean to have more of God? It really means that He has to possess more of us!
How can we have more of the Lord? The Lord had a provision for Elijah. He received rest from the Lord and had a portion to sustain him. God sent His angel to make a nice breakfast. He woke Elijah, who ate and then lay down to sleep again. After he slept awhile, the angel woke him again and said, “Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for you.” Here we see that God provided something important: a double portion and a double rest. This was prophesied in Isaiah 61. “Instead of shame, you shall have a double portion.” God understands that you have this need.
Then they will rebuild the ancient ruins, they will raise up the former devastations, and they will repair the ruined cities, the desolations of many generations. But you will be called the priests of the Lord; you will be spoken of as ministers of our God. You will eat the wealth of nations, and in their riches you will boast. Instead of your shame you will have a double portion, and instead of humiliation they will shout for joy over their portion. Therefore they will possess a double portion in their land, everlasting joy will be theirs. Isaiah 61:4, 6–7.
This is speaking about a spiritual restoration. God says, “The days of humiliation have to give way,” for there has been the humiliation of partial victories. We should earnestly contend for God to fulfill His Word and to bring forth not just a measure of a promise, but its complete fulfillment. We should not look for only enough to sustain us; we should look for our cup to run over. We should not look for enough of God just in order to coexist in a world of wickedness and satanic powers and principalities; we should believe for enough to prevail over them.
It is not enough to win a victory now and then; we must have the victory that positions us where God wants us. We must see the dethronement of satanic powers, the breaking of every spirit that comes against God’s people: the spirit of the nephilim, the spirit of principalities and powers, the spirits of false prophets and false Christs, the spirits of religiosity that Satan controls until his ministers look like the ministers of righteousness and Satan is transformed, as it were, to be an angel of light (II Corinthians 11:14–15). All of the deception that wars against us must be broken.
We must contend for God to bring the day in which the veil is lifted, so that Satan can be exposed for what he is and is doing, and we can see him as the defeated foe in actual practice. What is ours according to the Word, according to the theoretical principles laid down in the Word, must become reality in our total experience, in every way! How can we proclaim the Lord as our Great Physician—and still be plagued with sicknesses! Do you see the irony of this?
The Lord must give us a double portion and help us to enter into His rest. As long as we are involved in the turmoil, as long as we withdraw from the battle, we will not win anything from the Lord; the battle will continue on as it is.
We continue reading in I Kings 19:8: So he (Elijah) arose and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mountain of God. He was going back where Moses had received instructions in the Law at the beginning. It was as if he was going back to the origin of things. God had spoken once to create a relationship and to bring forth a people, and Elijah wanted to see what God would say to him.
Then he came there to a cave, and lodged there; and behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and He said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” Verse 9. On the surface, this looks like a simple question; it would appear that God was seeking information. However, God knew what Elijah was doing there—but did Elijah know what he was doing there? (God came to Adam and said, “Adam, where art thou?” God knew where Adam was, but Adam did not know where he was!)
“What are you doing here, Elijah?” This was an important question; it is repeated in the thirteenth verse: And it came about when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. And behold, a voice came to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” In each case God was well aware of what Elijah was doing there, but the question involved something else: “Elijah, do you know where you are actually positioned? Do you understand where you have positioned yourself as far as the battle and your own walk with God are concerned?” It was not a matter of distance. He had gone a day’s journey into the wilderness, and then he traveled for forty days and nights to come to Mount Horeb. He was far away from everything, but where he was geographically was not the question. Where was he spiritually? Where had he positioned himself?
Where have you positioned yourself? Be like one of the Lord’s remembrancers, who give Him no rest, day and night, until He makes Jerusalem a praise and a glory in the earth (Isaiah 62:6–7). Remember His covenants; remember His promises. Do not cease to remind Him! Stand in His presence and declare, “I won’t let You go until You be the Lord Jehovah to me!”
God likes to see you position yourself in this place of faith. He may seem to walk away from you just to see if you will persistently say, “I’ll not let You go until You bless me.” He may seem to request that you let go of Him: “The day is breaking, the time is up now. There is a limit of time on this battle that you’re having with Me. Let Me go, the day breaketh” (Genesis 32:26). Whenever you see the day of the Lord breaking on the earth, that is a good time not to let Him go.
God asked, “Where are you, Elijah? What are you doing here?” Elijah started to explain: “I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts; for the sons of Israel have forsaken Thy covenant, torn down Thine altars and killed Thy prophets with the sword. And I alone am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.” I Kings 19:10. I am sorry you said that, Elijah. Self-pity should not get into the picture; neither should you evaluate the situation by the way it appears. It looked like defeat, but it was not. And it looked as if he were the only one left, but he was not. We read in verse 18 of this chapter that God had reserved 7,000 who had not bowed to Baal, whose mouths had not kissed him. The situation was not the way it appeared.
So He said, “Go forth, and stand on the mountain before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord was passing by! Verse 11a. The Hebrew says, “Jehovah was passing by.” Jehovah means “I am that I am.” When God takes a name upon Himself, He likes to manifest that name. He puts on one cap and says, “I am Elohim today.” The next time He meets you, maybe in another decade, He puts on another cap and says, “I am El-Shaddai, the God who can comfort you.” He is the God who says, “I am Jehovah. I want to manifest Myself to you right now. I don’t want to be a historical God or a God who, you hope, will do something for you in the future. I want to be something to you right now.”
And behold, Jehovah was passing by! And a great and strong wind was rending the mountains (He was manifesting Himself immediately) and breaking in pieces the rocks before Jehovah; but Jehovah was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but Jehovah was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake a fire, but Jehovah was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of a gentle blowing.
And it came about when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. And behold, a voice came to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” And he answered as before: “I have been very zealous for the Lord (Jehovah), the God of hosts; for the sons of Israel have forsaken Thy covenant, torn down Thine altars and killed Thy prophets with the sword. And I alone am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.” Verses 11–14. Once again Elijah was voicing his discouragement, but this time there was an answer from God.
All of the impasses that had been presented to Elijah’s ministry were about to be broken by judgment. And the Lord said to him, “Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus, and when you have arrived, you shall anoint Hazael king over Syria.” Verse 15. In II Kings 8 we read that Elisha wept because of the blood that would be spilled, the women and children who would be slaughtered by Hazael, the king of Syria. In order to bring deliverance, God had to judge His own people, so He raised up a heathen king who would slaughter many of them. Elijah was to anoint him. Verse 16: “And Jehu the son of Nimshi you shall anoint king over Israel; and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abelmeholah you shall anoint as prophet in your place.” Elisha was going to be the spiritual answer.
Jehu’s reign was impressive. It was under Jehu that Joram, the king of Israel, was slain; Jezebel, the wife of Ahab the king, was slain; Ahaziah, the king of Judah and the son-in-law of King Ahab, was slain; Ahab’s seventy sons and all of Ahab’s friends were slain; all the remaining prophets of Baal in the land were slain; and the Word says that Jehu came and utterly destroyed Baal from all the land. How is that for finishing up the job? That is the way to see things done.
It is very encouraging, though sometimes difficult, to read the Scriptures which are translated literally. Concerning some of the people, God said that He would finish the job of judgment. In I Kings 21:21 Elijah prophesied that God would not leave one that pisseth against the wall. This means that not even a dog would be left. Nothing. He would utterly destroy them.
God is beginning to move in the earth, and many impasses must be broken by judgment, so that the kingdoms of this world become the Kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ (Revelation 11:15). He has the right to rule. You do believe that He is King of kings and Lord of lords, don’t you? (I Timothy 6:15.) You do believe that it is all in His hand? Are you sure that you believe it? God is saying to you, “What are you doing here?” Where are you positioning yourself? Are you standing in the victory of the Lord? There is only one way to go. Press in with all of your heart, until the judgments of God sweep the earth. Press in with all of your heart, until the impasses are broken for the remnant of believers who will be the agency of restoration. Believe God for it with all of your heart.
The story of Elijah turned out all right. God promised, “And it shall come about, the one who escapes from the sword of Hazael, Jehu shall put to death, and the one who escapes from the sword of Jehu, Elisha shall put to death.” I Kings 19:17. These three men—a foreign king, a king over the Lord’s people, and a prophet who was to be a prophet over kings and nations—were to bring forth total judgment in every realm. They did a thorough job.
Like Elijah, you can look at a situation at times, and wonder, “What will it lead to?” as discouragement begins to fill your heart. That is the time for the Lord to say, “Where are you? What are you doing here at this spiritual place?” Are you in the midst of real spiritual battle and warfare? Are you seeking God day and night, yet it seems that the impasse breaks too slowly? Nevertheless, it will break. Contend earnestly for the faith that was once delivered to the saints (Jude 3).
Few people ever experience the discouragement that Elijah did. He wanted to die, right at the wake of the greatest victory he had ever seen, because the victory was not total. The victory was not complete.
Other men of God knew deep discouragement. The prophet Jeremiah experienced great despair. For each time I speak, I cry aloud; I proclaim violence and destruction, because for me the word of the Lord has resulted in reproach and derision all day long. But if I say, “I will not remember Him or speak any more in His name,” then in my heart it becomes like a burning fire shut up in my bones; and I am weary of holding it in, and I cannot endure it.
Cursed be the day when I was born; let the day not be blessed when my mother bore me! Cursed be the man who brought the news to my father, saying, “A baby boy has been born to you!” and made him very happy. But let that man be like the cities which the Lord overthrew without relenting, and let him hear an outcry in the morning and a shout of alarm at noon; because he did not kill me before birth, so that my mother would have been my grave, and her womb ever pregnant. Why did I ever come forth from the womb to look on trouble and sorrow, so that my days have been spent in shame? Jeremiah 20:8–9; 14–18. Now that is discouragement!
Let us look at one more example in Numbers 11, in the life of Moses. After all the trouble of getting the Israelites out of Egypt, God was angry at them and was ready to dump the whole bunch of them. Now Moses heard the people weeping throughout their families, each man at the doorway of his tent; and the anger of the Lord was kindled greatly, and Moses was displeased. Verse 10.
Have you ever been displeased with God? You probably never admit it to yourself, but sometimes you may find yourself wondering if He knows what He is doing. Even the disciples wondered as they listened to Jesus tell the Jews, “Unless you eat My flesh and drink My blood…” (John 6:53). They watched as the Jews left Him. The disciples were probably thinking, “Well, He certainly blew that one.” Then Jesus said to the disciples, “Will you also go?” They answered, “No; we believe and we’re sure.” It is not written in the text, but reading between the lines you get the idea that they thought, “He certainly needs a book on how to win friends and influence people.”
Moses was displeased with the Lord. So Moses said to the Lord, “Why hast Thou been so hard on Thy servant? And why have I not found favor in Thy sight, that Thou hast laid the burden of all this people on me? Was it I who conceived all this people? Was it I who brought them forth, that Thou shouldest say to me, ‘Carry them in your bosom as a nurse carries a nursing infant, to the land which Thou didst swear to their fathers’? Where am I to get meat to give to all this people? For they weep before me, saying, ‘Give us meat that we may eat!’ I alone am not able to carry all this people, because it is too burdensome for me. So if Thou art going to deal thus with me, please kill me at once, if I have found favor in Thy sight, and do not let me see my wretchedness.” Numbers 11:11–15. You could call this “sophisticated discouragement.”
Sometimes God’s people have a way of becoming thoroughly discouraged. Discouragement comes because you position yourself spiritually according to the appearance of your circumstances, instead of positioning yourself in the victory of the Lord and relentlessly pursuing that victory until you see it manifested before your very sight.
A remnant is ceasing to pray as they have prayed in the past. Their intercession is becoming prophetic proclamations with a strong demand for things to happen. Strong, violent, explosive prayers are coming forth. Sermons also are often explosive exhortations, and the hearers find themselves driven, driven, driven. In the worship, people are ready to beat the drum and cry out to God. Violence erupts in their spirits as they see that they cannot accept the impasses.
Only a manifestation of violent, persistent, explosive faith will break the impasses of generations and bring the flow of the restoration to a mighty, overwhelming tidal wave during our time. It has to start now! We must go after it! Do not think that it depends only upon the sovereignty of God and upon some beautiful timetable. God is choosing men and putting enough violence in their spirits to change an age and to bring forth what they see in God is to be. The seeming passivity of God will change in your sight and will become a marvelous manifestation of, “Behold, Jehovah is passing by,” when you decide not to be passive and to let Him always behold the strength of your faith reaching into the Lord.
Read about the fantastic things that happened in the days of Elijah and Elisha (I Kings 17 through II Kings 10). Are you under a broom-tree, wishing you were dead? Are you discouraged, saying, “This is too much. How am I going to handle this battle today?” Remember the Lord’s words to Elijah: “What are you doing here?” You have just begun. Press on!
The Scripture says, “He that endures to the end will be delivered” (Matthew 10:22). This seems to refute the idea of a pre-tribulation rapture. The rapture occurs at the last trump, but prior to that, there will be marvelous movings of the Lord. Do not hope to miss the big windup of the conflict of the ages in the earth. Not only will you be in it, but your persistent faith will demand it and bring it to pass.
Can you accept that the will of God in this end time is for us to stay right here on earth and believe Him to see principalities and powers come down? Do we want to be on a cloud to sit it out for seven years? We shall walk through the vineyard of the Lord as the precious fruit of the earth comes forth. We shall walk through the blood that will flow because Jehovah is manifesting His judgments. Oh, we will see our rapture too, in time, but right now we are seeing a whole new age ushered in. Be encouraged. Lift up your heart to the Lord and worship Him.
Hebrews 7:25 tells us that He is able to save us to the uttermost because He ever lives to make intercession for us. Being saved to the uttermost means a thorough, complete release, not a partial experience. In the Word we have an example of how incomplete some people’s victories are when they leave the Canaanite alive in the land. Israel was told to utterly destroy that which came against them in possessing their heritage. All the sons of Amalek were to die. When Saul kept some alive, he was rejected as king over Israel (I Samuel 15:26). This shows how much God feels that you should not settle for half an experience. You should believe for a total state of victory. He can save us to the uttermost.
We should be as discouraged as Elijah was, if it were true that we could not break through to a total victory. Do not say, “We’re no better than our fathers.” Of course, humanly speaking, we are not. But spiritually speaking, God is opening up the manifestations of the sons of God, and that is greater than anything that our fathers ever walked in.
Believe for a complete release from everything of the flesh that oppresses. If some of it is not yet under God’s control, believe that it will be. You do not have to be discouraged because of some habit or sin or weakness. He ever lives to make intercession for you that you be saved to the uttermost! He wants you to be the Bride … not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing … ;holy and without blemish before the Lord. Ephesians 5:27. We claim it in our minds and hearts. With everything that is within us, we claim perfect release.
Let us claim release for ourselves, and also claim it for the members of the Body who are going through deep dealings from God. Let us claim release for the labors that God sets before us. They will be sustained miraculously by the Lord if we learn to believe God for miracles. We can believe for the things to be brought down that stand against God’s purposes. We can believe that the Lord will bring change for those who seem to bog down in despair. We must believe for them.
Follow this route of persistence and violence of faith. We must not allow passivity to take hold of us. We must not be moved by the appearance of circumstances, lest discouragement come to our hearts. We need to develop a rugged, deep faith, like the faith of the widow who kept coming day and night (Luke 18:3–5). Like the Lord’s remembrancers in Isaiah 62:6, we must set our hearts to cry day and night unto Him.