Prophetic Insight: The Faces Of Lions
‘I saw you passing through a zone of the Presence of God, like a baptism into the cloud, and emerging out the other side with the faces of lions.’
I am usually released from a prophetic word once it has been shared, but this one—shared with a church leadership team recently—has stuck with me.
The Breath of the Lion makes the Difference
In C.S. Lewis’ great Christian parables, ‘The Chronicles of Narnia,’ the lion Aslan, who is representative of Jesus, breathes upon the children and his own attributes of courage and majesty are imparted into them.
‘Between [the giant and the centaur] was a figure they could not recognise. Nor indeed would the other boys at Edmund’s school have recognised him if they could have seen him at that moment. For Aslan had breathed on him at their meeting and a kind of greatness hung about him.’ [1]
At other times the children—Lucy especially—bury their heads into the lion Aslan’s mane and receive an impartation.
One speaks of receiving the infilling of the Spirit, the other of being in God’s intimate Presence.
There is a ‘kind of greatness’ that can only be seen upon us when we have lingered in God’s Presence.
Greatness—from Being with Jesus
In the world, greatness comes from many things, including upbringing, achievements, natural ability, looks or position.
In God’s Kingdom, however, greatness is not sourced in any of these things.
- It is not derived from knowledge, learning, achievements or skills—although we invest in these to honour our Father and the gifts He has entrusted us with.
It comes from making intimacy with God our primary pursuit.
‘When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.’ (Acts 4:13)
The world will recognise that ‘kind of greatness’ that comes from being with Jesus. For there will be no earthly explanation for what people see.
It will sometimes be seen in our boldness, sometimes in authority, and always in humility and love—sometimes, it will appear as an indefinable glory. (2 Cor 3:7-8)
Encountering the Lion of Judah
Revelation introduces Jesus as both the lamb and the lion. (Rev 5:5-6) We need to be intimately acquainted with Jesus both as our Saviour and as King.
That He is the ‘Lion of Judah,’ refers to Jesus emerging from the tribe of Judah, the lineage of Kings. He is King of Kings.
We belong to His tribe—members of His royal family.
The Transformation that Comes from Being in His Presence
‘And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.’ (2 Corinthians 3:18)
- When we commune with and worship Jesus as King, when we spend time in His intimate Presence, catching a revelation of His authority, His rulership, and His greatness
- When we allow Him to breathe on us in that place
- When in His Presence, not just focussing on our own situations, but taking time to look into who He is… Now. Embracing His Kingship, looking upon His glory, and responding in worship to Him.
There, in the mirror of His glory, we gain a fresh perspective also on who we are, and the authority we carry. ‘As He is, so are we in this world.’ (1 John 4:17, NKJV)
The Faces of Lions
I began this post by recalling a prophetic picture. The ‘faces of lions’ has a Scriptural reference.
In 1 Chronicles 12, we learn of some who joined David on his journey to the throne:
‘ Some Gadites defected to David at his stronghold in the wilderness. They were brave warriors, ready for battle and able to handle the shield and spear. Their faces were the faces of lions, and they were as swift as gazelles in the mountains… These Gadites were army commanders; the least was a match for a hundred, and the greatest for a thousand. It was they who crossed the Jordan in the first month when it was overflowing all its banks, and they put to flight everyone living in the valleys, to the east and to the west.’ (1 Chronicles 12:8, 14-15)
This is the mark of those who had the ‘faces of lions:’
- They volunteered their services.
- They were mighty leaders.
- They achieved the impossible.
- They overcame the enemy and they took the land.
But first, they came to the one God had anointed as King.
If we are going to be a people about which hangs ‘a kind of greatness,’ then we must first come to the King.
And linger.
Then, as we walk with Him, perhaps unbeknownst to us, but certainly witnessed by others, we will receive His mantle, and a certain ‘kind of greatness’ will hang about us with ease.
Notes:
[1] This quote is from Prince Caspian by C.S. Lewis, chapter 13
[2] Thanks to Pete Claproth for the use of the above lion image. See http://www.peterdavid.com.au/ for more information about Pete’s work. This image is also used on our Prophetic Life Twitter account, which is dedicated to prophetic training.
Related Posts:
No comments:
Post a Comment