We are discussing God's mandate for this season, including revelation about the heavenly courts and the power of prophetic decrees that activate divine justice. I will talk briefly about angels and their part in executing divine justice. Next, we'll discuss the importance of making decrees to activate the heavenly court before discussing the battle against God's plan to bring restoration in our lives. At the end of the teaching, we'll join together in a powerful prayer, seeking divine justice from the Ancient of Days by presenting our petitions and decrees before His throne.In the last teaching, we explained the concept of prophetic decrees. Remember, God created Adam and Eve in the beginning to have dominion in the earthly realm, to have authority to make decrees on earth. But because they disobeyed God's instructions, the Devil succeeded in stealing their dominion from them. (Gen.3) To make matters worse, their disobedience caused all of humanity, all of us, to suffer under the curse of sin and to lose our dominion over the earth. We all lost the power to make kingly decrees. But God did not leave us in this helpless state forever! He sent Jesus Christ to rescue us (Is. 53) and He gave us His living word to come boldly before the throne of grace to participate in the divine court system of heaven (Heb. 4:16). God has given us a better dominion than in the beginning -- now our dominion includes a spiritual dominion where we can take authority over the devil in the heavenly realm. We have a right to participate in that court room in heaven where the devil accuses, and God and His angels carry out justice.
ANGELS ON ASSIGNMENT
Angels freely execute the judgments of God echoed in heaven after we decree what God has spoken to us on the earth. After a decision or judgment is made in heaven, a member of the divine council either serves as a divine messenger to announce the decision of the council, or an angel will come to execute the divine judgment. King David writes prophetically about the ministry of angels:
"The Lord has established His throne in heaven and His kingdom rules over all. Bless the Lord, you his angels, who excel in strength, who do His word, heeding the voice of his word. Bless the LORD, all you His hosts, you ministers of His, who do His pleasure." Psalm 103:19-21
THE HEAVENLY COURT SYSTEM
Failing to accept our responsibility to make the decrees that God has spoken, hinders angels from intervening in our lives. We are called to make heavenly decrees or kingly judgments as His ambassadors. However, God wants us to stop making unrighteous judgments, to stop looking at situations through human eyes. Until we make righteous judgments and decrees about situations, God cannot release the true breakthroughs we desire!
Here's what the Lord said about His people's judgments: "God stands in the congregation of the mighty; He judges among the gods. How long will you judge unjustly, and show partiality to the wicked?" (Psalm 82:1) God is standing in the congregations of the earth, judging among the mighty ones or little "g's" -- gods, you and me. The word here for 'mighty' is also 'judges,' 'rulers,' or 'sons of God.' So, He's standing in the middle of the leaders, apostles, prophets, and saints on the earth, ones like us, who are entrusted with power to make prophetic decrees and proclamations.
He's judging our judgments, our proclamations, to set the captives free; He's judging our mercy to the widow and to the poor. He asks, "How long will you judge unjustly and show partiality to the wicked?" It's like He's saying, "Haven't I made you my judges? Have I not made you sons of God in the earth? I've given you power through the prophetic decree. Life and death are in the power of the tongue to announce My word, and the angels heed to the voice of your word in bringing about My divine judgment and justice."
God commands the mighty ones in verse three: "Defend the poor and the fatherless. Do justice to the afflicted and needy." And then in verse six and seven, God says, "You are judges and all of you are children of the Most High, you shall still die like men and fall like one of his princes." Judges refers to the supreme judges here on the earth, and you and me. Clearly, God is commanding us to bring forth justice on behalf of the poor and the fatherless. We are called, with great responsibility and power, to make judgments through the prophetic decree against the enemy.
Asaph concludes his Psalm by pleading with God: "Arise, O God, judge the earth; for You shall inherit all nations" (v. 8) He invites God to bring His judgment back into the earth, because we are failing to bring forth justice. But, God commands us, through the prophetic decree, to execute His divine judgment and justice.
Although we are called the mighty ones, and God made us judges, it's God, the King, who rules! He prepared a way and a place, a heavenly courtroom and a functioning heavenly court administration or system, where His will is to be executed. But, to participate in God's heavenly court system, to activate His saving, healing, delivering power on behalf of those who are bound and oppressed, it takes a prophetic decree by us, the mighty ones.
THE KEY TO VICTORY
Several scriptures in the book of Job reveal the power of the prophetic decree, expressed through Job's friend, Eliphaz:
"You will make your prayer to Him, He will hear you, and you will pay your vows. You will also declare or decree a thing and it will be established for you so your light will shine on your ways. When they cast you down and you make a decree and say, 'Exaltation will come!' then God will save the humble person and He will even deliver the one who is not innocent." Job 22:27-30
Job's friend understood the heart of God when he said, "You will decree a thing and it will be established," and, "When they cast you down and you declare." This scripture gives us the key to victory -- declaring God's will! Our breakthroughs are released when we obediently declare God's will; our words activate angels to heed the voice of His word. So, when we declare God's will -- that prosperity and healing or exaltation will come, and victory or favor will come -- we actually release God to save the humble. Remember, God shall plead the cause of His people.
As stewards and members of the heavenly court or divine council, when we declare and sing in faith, "Exaltation will come," then He will come and save the humble person. He will deliver the one, even the one who is not innocent, at our decree (Job 22:27-30).
RESTORATION
Believers who place great value on what God values bring great delight to Him. Listen! He gave us the opportunity to be channels that release His saving, healing, and delivering power, when we declare His word and His will. This is no small thing in His sight! But, today, if we fail to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, then their destiny is jeopardized, robbed, and plundered. Isaiah expresses God's heart when he writes:
"But this is a people robbed and plundered; all of them are snared in holes, and they are hidden in prison houses; they are for prey, and no one delivers; for plunder, and no one says, 'Restore!'" Isaiah 42:22
You know what? Nowadays, we're not doing a very good job speaking healing words to the sick, proclaiming liberty to the captives, or decreeing freedom for the prisoners. (Our destiny is adversely affected, too, when we neglect to decree God's word and His will.) That's why God was judging the mighty ones in Psalm 82; He was saying, "You're not taking care of the poor, the needy, and the afflicted. You're not making decrees of justice."
There are believers in the church today, caught in addiction and bondage, hidden in prison houses. There's so much defeat! If we're honest, we'll admit that there are times when our back is up against the wall. We think, "Hey, I know who's going to win in the end, but I'm losing right now and I don't know what's going on!" Yet, when we start to rise up in authority, making declarations to set captives free, we're still not seeing the victory we're contending for. Our problem is not in the words we decree, but in the faith behind them. We often don't really believe that there really is authority and power in our words.
God is actually hindered from saving the humble and wreaking vengeance on the enemy when we don't understand the power in the declarations: "Exaltation will come," and "Decree a thing and it will be established" (Job 22:28,29). We must learn how to approach the heavenly courtroom and utilize the provision God made for us there in that setting. Remember, the angels either announce or execute the decisions made in the heavenly court. These heavenly ministers carry out our earthly prophetic decrees which line up with the truth of God's word and His will.
So, God wants to save and bring restoration to the humble! I believe that His power to restore is set into motion when we declare: "Restore! Restore!" Then the angels in heaven are released to execute this righteous and just decree!
BATTLING TO WIN
We're in a battle right now! We're being prevailed against! So often our back is up against the wall and we're getting the short end of the stick. Some of us are losing in the fight against sin and sickness, disease and death. We're contending for prosperity and fulfillment of our destinies. We're fighting for the promise of God and the fulfillment of the prophetic word in our lives. The fight is on for our kids to know Jesus. We're fighting for that mortgage, that land, that property.
This war has raged for centuries! The prophet Daniel saw this war we would face today: "I was watching; and the same horn was making war against the saints, and prevailing against them." (Daniel 7:21) This war is with the anti-Christ, or the anti-anointing spirit. It reminds us of the battle outlined in Daniel 10 about the Prince of Persia opposing Michael the archangel for 21 days. As the enemy opposed Daniel, so the anti-anointing and anti-Christ spirits oppose our every destiny and inheritance in God UNTIL...
"...the Ancient of Days came, and a judgment was made in favor of the saints of the Most High, and the time came for the saints to possess the kingdom." Daniel 7:22
When the Ancient of Days comes to execute judgment on our behalf, we will have justice in our lives. Today could be the day! Right now, we could ascend the courts of heaven, approach the Ancient of Days, the Judge, and present our case! We could begin to act as sons of God on the earth with the power of apostolic declaration in our mouth! As we say "Exaltation will come!" we release God to save the humble and to deliver those who are bound. When we say, "Restore!" we release God's 'repairer of the breach' anointing (Isaiah 58:12) which will cause everything in our lives that is lost and broken to be restored -- not just double, not just five times, but seven times -- the thief must repay God's people. Restoration will happen when we declare, "Restore! Restore! Exaltation will come!"
Before we begin to approach the heavenly courts, I want you to think about every case that you have right now, every area of your life that you are waiting for a breakthrough. It could be that the Devil is keeping you from receiving your inheritance and stepping into your destiny. Or your difficulty might be concerning your health; he is bringing sickness and disease by stealing, killing, and destroying. Any area of your life, right now, where you know there is injustice and you've tried to battle it through, yourself -- think about your case. Maybe you're trying to defend yourself by bringing vengeance by yourself. You need God to plead your cause.
When we petition the Ancient of Days, in just a moment, with our case, the angels are going to heed to the voice of His word spoken by us, the saints. Remember, whenever a decision is made, a member of the divine counsel either serves as a messenger to announce the decision of the counsel, or an angel will come to execute the divine judgment, so that the justice of God can come.
LIFE, DEATH, DESTINY, KINGSHIP & INHERITANCE
The Old Testament Church was entrusted by God to bring about judgments in their own courts in five matters: life, death, destiny, kingship, or inheritance. (You know, they had their own courts. Remember when they took Jesus before Pontius Pilate? There were certain boundaries to the courts that the Pharisees, Saducees, and Jews had and so they turned Jesus over to the Romans. Or, how they wanted to stone the woman who was caught in adultery.) Now, if you can think of any area of your life right now that you are not living in the fullness of the promise and word of God in these five areas, you have a right today to ascend the courts of heaven and petition the Ancient of Days to come and pronounce judgment in your favor.
I've been in meetings when the Lord gave us permission to make decrees, resulting in numerous testimonies coming out after. Supernaturally, several people had thousands of dollars appear in their bank account right after the session! One lady said a court judge called her from his home at 11 p.m., leaving a message on her answering machine, "I was so troubled by the decision I made in the courtroom, I had to call you tonight." He said, "I am going to review the case again!" As well, we were in a meeting in Atlanta, and within moments of making a certain decree about a business deal that had been waiting for 25 years, we heard that it went through for millions of dollars. Another report was a phone call from someone who learned that their son was released from prison right away, even though his sentence was originally set for much longer. There are situations that receive supernatural intervention by God, when events are out of our hands, because a higher court system has come into place!
God is inviting you to approach His throne to present your case right now. We can petition God together for His judgment and make apostolic declarations and decrees. Remind God of the prophetic promises you received and then name each injustice.
Now listen, God is also entrusting us today to begin proclaiming liberty to the captives and the opening of the prison to those who are bound. We can say "Restore!" and "Exaltation will come!" We can begin to bring justice and mercy for the poor and needy, the afflicted and the widow, with the word of God in our mouths. He gave us authority to set the captives free, in Jesus' Mighty name! Now pray with me to execute judgment on earth and to proclaim God's favor in our lives:
PRAYER
God, today, we are petitioning the court of heaven and we petition You, the One who is faithful and just, the One who is true! The Holy ones today are approaching the courtroom in heaven where judgment is made; divine judgment for divine justice on behalf of the bound and the afflicted and the oppressed.
Thank you, Lord, that today we can stand in the council of heaven as prophetic voices, as mighty ones and judges, and rulers on this earth with dominion to make the decree. Today, Ancient of Days, with all respect we come before your throne and we make petitions and we make requests.
God, together we are petitioning the council members in heaven right now, requesting that the host of heaven begin to hear, with You, the Ancient of Days upon Your throne, concerning where we need Your divine judgment and Your vindication to come. You are the God who rolls back the reproach. You are the God who pleads the cause of Your people, the God who pronounces judgment and favor over the saints of the Most High.
We petition You today in intercession and we present our cases. Hear them, please, God! Let the courts of heaven be open right now and let the session come into place right now. We pray that you would come into our homes and congregations -- into the midst of the mighty ones.
God, we are going to make a decree: Exaltation will come! Restore! Restore! Restore! God we loose it in heaven. Restore! Restore! Restore! Divine order coming now. In every area where there has been stealing and killing and destroying we speak the word of the Lord. We say over that loss, Restore! Devil, give it all back! The thief and the liar, give it all back! God, we believe You will restore and we claim it! God, we ask for it! We declare it!
God, we proclaim the day of your vengeance. We proclaim that this is the year of Your favor! This is the year of the Lord's favor! This is the year! This is our acceptable year, liberation, and Jubilee! Lord, I say it over the people today: Favor! Favor! Favor! Divine Favor! I proclaim and I decree: Favor! Favor! Favor! The vengeance of God! The vengeance of God! Ho!
Now, Lord, let the angelic hosts who execute your judgment go forth. Let the warring angels act to defeat the enemy and restore our kingly destiny. Let them overcome in the spirit-world, in Jesus' name! And let the angelic hosts overcome every demonic power or stronghold and every assignment that is aimed against our inheritances! We throw it down! We take authority, concerning our kingship, over every power that resists.
We know O God, that You must come and make a judgment in favor of the saints; that's what we need right now. We thank you, Lord, today, for the victory!
by Todd Bentley
Fresh Fire Ministries
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