Restoring
the Priesthood
A
Message for Today's Ministers
By Russell
Durose
And he shewed me Joshua
the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at
his right hand to resist him. 2 And the Lord said unto Satan, The Lord rebuke
thee, O Satan; even the Lord that hath chosen
I am basing this message in my time
of intense intercession. God is doing many things, and deep things in the Body.
Zechariah 3 shows how God restores
His Ministry after a period of corporate backsliding.
V1 shows us that Joshua, high priest
is a man clothed in dirty robes. Unfit for priesthood. He is in complete
humiliation, complete shame. His robes reflect it. He no longer ministers in a
temple, he no longer has a Glory to guard in his ministration. The elements of
his ministering have disappeared. No more temple, no more utensils, and the
sacrifices have finished since the Babylonians stormed
And when Joshua is presented before
the Ancient of Days Satan is there to resist with an accusation.
I believe what God showed me is that
satan has accused the Church, its ministers. Ministers have fallen into sin,
into despair, disgrace, because of corporate sin. Now satan has come to bring
an accusation. What accusation?
He was to resist the restoration
process. He was to list off a whole load of sins which would disqualify the
DIVINE INTERVENTION. This is what Satan does, resist the work of God.
V2 plainly shows us what God does.
He rebukes satan harshly, and tells him no matter how many sins he could list,
it was preordained that that generation would receive a restoration and
revival. And that no matter how much resistence was offered could not thwart
God's work. This is marvellous, because even today God is rebuking satan on
your behalf. If he rebukes satan, satan must back down. Believe it in your
life, that satan be rebuked.
V3. Here is a Joshua, fully clothed
with dirty and destroyed robes. The Lord knows it cannot enter back into
service. In preparing for restoration we cannot take the same practices, forms
of worship. We must receive the new garments.
V4.
Let us read this verse:
4 And he answered and
spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments
from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass
from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment.
Those who were there were not people
but celestial beings. They were angels. The angels were commanded to unclothe
and uncover the priesthood. Sometimes this is necessary in our ministry. When
the Holy Spirit discloses He discloses it to a select few. It is part of the
restoration process. Many cannot handle it when weaknesses, habits, hypocrisies
are brought to the surface. But the Lord would remind us that we must take
heart. It is nearly over when it comes to this part.
We pray for revival without really
knowing what we're praying for. When God starts to expose sin, He is preparing
us for HIS GLORY, for HIS FIRE! Take heart, do not despair. Do not lose hope.
It is at this point we go onto more
glorious things. Many cannot take the Holy Spirit's view of ourselves. God
showed here how Joshua was! Filthy, dirty rags. I think we are also like that.
But God uncovers because it is manifest mercy.
IS
BETTER TO BE EXPOSED IN THIS LIFE THAN BE DAMNED IN THE NEXT!
God took iniquity from him. I
believe that iniquity has to do with nature than habit. It has to do with a
malignant root that causes sin.
V5. "Let us fix a maitre to his head..."
This is interesting. We see God start the restoration process from the head
downward. This means that ones authority, respect, favor is restored. This is
what God will do when His Church will stand the test of exposure. He will put a
new authority upon us. New favor. New restored position in leadership.
V6..."The angel protested to Joshua..."
The angel speaks to a newly clothed Joshua. He exhorts him to walk properly.
Today we are exhorted in this way:
" Walk in my Holiness and in my
fear. Do not embrace a doctrine that refuses to recognize the importance of
personal preparation for a personal covenant. Do not look for ways out. Because
these lead to death. Walk in these restored truths."
The Lord is going to translate the
Church into a new level in the Spirit to recognize the ways and workings in
those realms. It is very precise. The Lord says if we walk in His Ways we shall
walk in the heavenly places. We already DO...but we're not conscious of
it...the way we go in and out!!!
The
Lord is preparing for us a new place for us to serve.
V8. Reveals the meaning and purpose
of the revival. God was to reveal Jesus, the Branch. We know it is He because
Jesus in John 15 reveals Himself as such. All revivals reveal, Jesus. If they
don't, if they reveal men, or angels, or even the Spirit, they are not true
movements of revival. The revival must focus on Christ above all. So Joshua is
anointed with new vision. A future vision.
V9. The stone, is a cornerstone,
with 7 faces. These are the 7fold characteristics found in Isaiah 11. This is
Jesus! God sets before us Jesus. It is all Him. No other. He is the priority.
These 7 fold characteristics are key to a life in the dimension of the Spirit.
Living as Jesus lived.
V10. A transformed priesthood, means
a transformed nation that knows how to live to the full.
Let the Lord minister this to you!!
It is time to pass the unclothing so that our iniquity be taken away and we be
clothed anew with a new spiritual authority. That way so many who are sick,
believers, will be healed, so many even oppressed, will be freed.
This is that season!!!
By Russell Durose
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