The Divine Acceleration
While speaking in Florida this past weekend, I was reminded of a word Chuck Pierce gave me a year or so ago. Occasionally, Holy Spirit uses Chuck to give me one sentence or phrase, in order to motivate me to search the Scriptures for greater revelation on the subject. This particular phrase was, “There will be a return to Gilgal.” I received revelation regarding this and taught a short series of posts on the subject. (You can find those here: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4.)
Gilgal was the place Israel camped after Joshua led them in their crossing of the Jordan River, making it their headquarters for a season. The name means “rolling.” They named it this, not because of the Jordan River being rolled back; its flow was actually “cut off” miles upriver, not rolled back. They named the place Gilgal because it was there that God told Israel the reproach of their slavery in Egypt had been “rolled” off of them (Joshua 5:9).
There are many extraordinary events associated with this crossing. While in Florida, however, I felt there was something in particular, a current word Holy Spirit had for me through this portion of Scripture: a NOW word. So I spoke on the subject, trusting the Lord to reveal it to me while I was speaking. Revelation often increases for me through the anointing that comes when preaching and teaching, and it did on this occasion.
When the fresh word from the Lord came, it was simple but strong. It occurred when I mentioned the shift Israel was being required to make into a new season. Moses had died, being the last member of the previous generation that wasn’t permitted to possess the promised land. Joshua had become the new leader, and God told him it was now time to cross the Jordan and possess the land.
This marked the end of a very long season of preparation, over 400 years. It started with a promise to one couple, Abraham and Sarah, and a 25-year wait for their promise of a son, Isaac. Isaac and Rebekah birthed Esau and Jacob. The process then continued through Jacob and his fathering of the 12 tribes. At that point, we are over 100 years into this long season/process. And then, Israel became slaves in Egypt for over 300 years! It wasn’t looking good.
This lengthy and seemingly off-track process was being carried out in synchronization with another variable, something God referred to as “the iniquity of the Amorites becoming complete” (Genesis 15:16). Yahweh was going to give their land to Israel, Abraham’s seed, but only after the accumulated sin of those living there justified it. This would take four more centuries! Just think about that: God looks centuries ahead to when the Amorites’ sin will be full, and knows exactly when to start the process of creating the nation of Israel through Abraham. A four hundred-year plan, which will have to be carried out in and through sinful people, barrenness, unbelief, family treachery and betrayal, wars, and a long season of slavery (which it turns out was really to provide for Israel’s needs - see Genesis 46 and 47), and have to coincide with when the Amorite’s iniquity became full.
That’s some pretty good planning and a lot of patience!
But God accomplished it. Four hundred years of planning and coordination coming to its moment. And now He says to Joshua, “In three days, Israel is going to cross this Jordan to possess the land” (Joshua 1:11).
Awesome! But why, after 400 years, are You now in such a hurry, Joshua may have been tempted to think. You’re a better planner than that, Yahweh. We’ve waited over 400 years - why the big rush now? It takes a while for an entire nation to pack for a move such as this. And the Jordan River is in flood stage, a mile wide and very deep! In a few weeks, it’ll only be 20 yards wide and waist-deep. It’s been four CENTURIES; surely a few more weeks won’t matter!
Thankfully, if Joshua was tempted with these thoughts, he squelched them quickly and obeyed. If Yahweh says three days, then three days it is. And He must have a good reason.
The Lord did have a good reason. He was on a prophetic timetable, would be painting a prophetic picture of the Cross through their crossing over, and was making certain that it coincided with the date He had chosen for Christ’s death. That’s why He said, after their crossing and celebration of Passover, “On that very day,” Israel ate the fruit of the land (Joshua 5:11). Not a day early; not a day late. God can not only plan ahead 400 years, He can plan ahead 4000 years…to the day! The planning of Christ being sacrificed for us began before Adam’s fall even occurred!
As I pondered this account from Scripture last weekend while in Florida, the Lord focused my attention on the hastening of the pace in Joshua 1:11. He changed/shifted the time and season, as Daniel 2:20 tells us He does. God is never running late, but He IS in a hurry at times. And He was in Joshua 1.
The Eternal Planner has His own reasons for doing so when He speeds things up. And in His infinite wisdom, He is doing so now. The Lord is hastening the pace of what is now unfolding now on earth, doing so to keep things in step with His plans. Everlasting God, Olam El, is not reacting to satan’s counter actions; He factored them into His plan thousands of years ago. He is simply working through the chaos, accomplishing His will.
We must stay in step with Him, following Holy Spirit’s direction. This next year is critical for us. Huge. Just as we have been working with Him to birth the coming harvest, we must now finish well, church. I simply do not believe that as God looked ahead and planned this great worldwide harvest, He saw us as a generation that would put our hands to the plow and turn back. I don’t believe that in His foreknowledge, He saw us rejecting His offer, realizing He would have to use the next generation to reap this harvest. No. I believe the Lord saw us as the generation that would FINISH THIS ASSIGNMENT!
Let’s do it.
Pray with me:
Father, You are magnificent, glorious, indescribable - too marvelous for words. There is no one like You. Your abilities are unfathomable, beyond human comprehension. We believe in Your power and ability, but we also believe in Your heart of love and mercy. We believe You when You say You love mercy, not judgment. Thank You for demonstrating this when You waited four centuries to take the land from the Canaanites, even though You knew the time would come when You would have to do so. Your patience is also amazing.
And You have been patient with our nation, just as You have others. You have walked with us through 60-plus years of rebellion and spiritual death. Yet You have preserved us. Now, You are offering us restoration. We refuse to miss this opportunity. We will finish well.
Give us revival in America. Give it also to the nations of the Earth. Let this outpouring be glorious, the biggest ever. A billion souls. Lead us as we finish the process in this very challenging season. Encourage the church, keep us focused, and remind us to not grow weary in our perseverance. We thank You for this.
And once again, we ask You to hover in the U.S. Capitol building. Give us the Speaker of Your choice. We bind every demonic effort to keep this person from taking that seat. We open the door to them, according to Isaiah 22:22 and Matthew 16.
And we ask for all of this in Jesus’ mighty name. Amen.
Our decree:
We declare that we will finish the process of seeing America restored.
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