Prophetic Insight Before the Prophetic Word: The Rising of the Artisans
Copyright 2010 Theresa Harvard Johnson
(You may also want to read, Word of the Lord: I Am Bringing My Artisans Back Together)
Zechariah 1:16 NKJV says,
Therefore thus says the LORD: I am returning to Jerusalem with mercy; My house shall be built in it,” says the LORD of hosts, And a surveyor’s line shall be stretched out over Jerusalem.”’
Yahshuah (Jesus Christ) is coming back for us with great zeal. As long as we have breath in our bodies and the end has not come, he WILL return to our cities (our congregations or souls) with mercy continuously trying to build His House in us. Will people refuse him? Of course they will. Will some accept Him? Of course some will. The point is this: He doesn’t know how to give up. And when He comes, a “surveyor’s line” – denoting our boundaries – will be stretched out before us. There will be NO CONFUSION concerning what is required.
Zechariah
1:18-20 says, Then I raised my eyes and looked, and there were four horns. 19 And I said to the angel who talked with me, “What are these?” So he answered me, “These are the horns that have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.” Then the LORD showed me four craftsmen. And I said, “What are these coming to do?” So he said, “These are the horns that scattered Judah, so that no one could lift up his head; but the craftsmen are coming to terrify them, to cast out the horns of the nations that lifted up their horn against the land of Judah to scatter it.”
The word “horn” as used in this passage of scripture represent “music or worship.” In fact, it is specifically referring to Judah’s “character” of worship or lifestyle when read in context. The four craftsmen represent all manner of the “gifts of worship” – the artistic ability to create in all forms. Further historical and biblical research led by Holy Spirit will reveal that horns also had symbolic meaning similar to that of the shofar as well; and that the gifts of the craftsmen referred to being “experts or skilled artisans in ones handicraft or unique skill.”
This can be further explored in Exodus 31:1-6 which says, “ Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 2 "See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. 3 And I have filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship, 4 to design artistic works, to work in gold, in silver, in bronze, 5 in cutting jewels for setting, in carving wood, and to work in all manner of workmanship. 6 And I, indeed I, have appointed with him Aholiab the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan; and I have put wisdom in the hearts of all who are gifted artisans, that they may make all that I have commanded you…”
Judah was given charge over WORSHIP – and that charge includes all of the WORSHIP arts. Through Judah the anointing for the worship arts also fell to the TRIBE OF DAN. This is significant, and very often overlooked by God’s people, when talking about the mantle of praise and worship. Genesis 49:16-17 also tells us that the mantle of the TRIBE OF DAN was to (1) Judge his people as one of the tribes of Israel; and (2) they would be cunning like a serpent and overcome the enemy with great stealth and wisdom. We must remember that the TRIBE OF DAN also had delegated authority through Judah as JUDGE at one point.
With this in your spirit, let’s take a closer look at Zechariah 1:18-20. The horns, in a general sense, are pictures of THE MANTLE and THE ORDER of worship as set by God in and through His people. The FOUR HORNS specifically mentioned here represent perversion, sifting, wayward gifts that have moved out of the WILL OF GOD – those that have mingled and mixed seed with Baal. These perverted horns have come into the sanctuary of God and CORRUPTED IT. The number “four” is significant in the scriptures because it, by Holy Spirit revelation, represents the four corners of the earth — North, South, East & West. It strategically covers the adversary’s global plan for worship destruction. We could take this deeper but I will stop here because the point is that the PROPHET ZACHARIAH was SEEING how FATHER IS going to take FALSE WORSHIP DOWN TO THE PIT! Lord keep your spirit upon us….
The scattering of the horns refers to how the enemy brought division to temple worship – worship and praise dedicated to God. So much confusion took place, that worshippers separated in to factions, became lone rangers and began seeking their own – and some fell into great idolatry and Baal worship as a result. DON’T MISS THIS!
So many have their “ministries” and are only INCLUSIVE to their specific artistic faction; therefore, FAILING to understand the corporate mantle of worship BEYOND WHAT THEY DO! PLEASE HEAR THE APOSTOLIC MANTLE SPEAKING! This scattering was AND is nothing more than a continuous ploy to dismember and separate the body of Christ from its place of worship. But today, Father wants us to have a biblical foundation for what’s going on instead of just FLESH observations and conversations. For those of us who are GENERALS, this will teach us how to pray, how to focus and help us determine what to look for as we raise up worshippers in the arts.
YOU SEE, WORSHIP – TRUE WORSHIP – FORTIFIES THE FEAR OF THE LORD. It brings consecration and holiness. The adversary knows this! That’s why he wants to keep us blinded to the continued scattering! These FOUR horns came to bring division corporately (Judah as a whole); in the local church (Israel as a body) and lastly, BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, in the hearts of men (Jerusalem our personal tabernacles).
ARTISANS OF GOD, we must get this! I can’t wait to teach about this on the next Immersion Mentoring Session. WE NEED GENERALS TO ARISE AND BRING TRUTH!
The final part of Zechariah 1:18-20 reveals something VERY PROFOUND! You see the role of the ARTISAN/CRAFTSMEN who are rising – YOU AND I – are being sent JUDGE and to put the FEAR OF GOD back into the midst of WORSHIP. We are A PART OF THE RESTORATION PROCESS! WE ARE A PART OF THE REBUILDING OF THE TABERNACLE OF DAVID IN THE HEARTS OF MEN! WE HAVE COME TO OVERTHROW HORSEMAN & TOPPLE KINGS! The scripture says, “…BUT THE CRAFTSMEN are coming to TERRIFY, to CAST OUT the horns of the nations…”
YOUR ROLE IN THE EARTH IN THIS SEASON IS TO BRING A PURITY OF MINISTRY SO POWERFUL THAT YOU TERRIFY THE ADVERSARY!!! This isn't a terror placed on MEN, but on the darkness in this world. The artforms are key in reconciliation! Every aspect of Father's Glory will come through them! It’s time to dig into the deeper things of God! It’s time to ASK HOLY SPIRIT to help you build your prayer life! Don’t dismiss those nuggets of wisdom that you get in the night. Allow Father to develop them. Truly, every gift that has been scattered IS BEING BROUGHT back into the fold.
**The Prophetic Word will be released before the day ends. This foundation, however, had to be set!
