We are at war. Raging in the spirit realm is an ill matched contest over government. (Psalm 2) But as it plays out in nations of the earth—it feels anything but a mismatch. Things have become much nastier and arduous as the enemy tries to convince us he can install his government. A major shift has occurred and the Lord is urgently calling His Church to rise up as His ekklesia, i.e. His legislative assembly in the earth.  He is calling us in a new level of worship and intercession for this war.

A few days ago I had a dream whereby we were with friends who are a well-known prophetic revelatory ministry in Australia. In the dream we were fellowshipping over a coffee when I noticed one of our friends had an injured or missing hand. I said nothing and we all went to freshen up ready for the next meeting. Our friend changed clothes and now I noticed he had one leg missing. Rather than a look-alike prosthetic, he had a titanium-black prosthetic that disabled athletes have.

I knew the Lord was giving a warning with this dream. I shared it with our friend who gave his interpretation; “the wider ecclesia (Church) in Australia is not stepping into the revelatory teaching of the kingdom and using a counterfeit to replace it.”

For the last several weeks the Lord has been downloading to me about us being the ekklesia. In fact, I have been teaching on this for the last couple of months. This dream is a warning and a call to prayer.

• What is the ekklesia? Yeshua spoke of the Church He is building in Matthew 16:16-19. The Greek word used here for Church is Ekklesia, which means legislative assembly. It is this Church He is building, and it is this Church that defeats the gates of hell!
• What is the counterfeit teaching of the kingdom? Anything that is not aligned with the characteristic of the King (Yeshua) and his kingdom (heaven). Yeshua said it is the ekklesia who the gates of hell and death cannot defeat. We do not win when offenses, in fighting or being consumed by personal affairs, distract us. The King is in charge and our call, focus and priority is to enforce the standards of His Kingdom. We cannot overcome the gates of hell if we have another mindset and priority. We cannot defeat the gates of hell if we do not understand our call or take up this role of authority. Worship and intercession originate from around His throne for the purpose of war. This is clear all throughout the book of Revelation. It is a “counterfeit” when we use them for our own benefit rather than His.
• How do we combat the new intensity of warfare we are encountering in the earth as the enemy seeks to wear out the saints? We must rise in a new level of worship and intercession for this war. We must change our mindset to realize that worship and intercession have a powerful governmental role to play—they are not for our benefit per se. Worship for the ekklesia means we use the keys of authority as we sing and play, to decree against hell. Intercession for the ekklesia means we use the keys of authority as we pray, to decree His Word against hell.
  • Like an army releasing new technology of weapons and systems, so the Lord is downloading fresh revelation to upgrade our weaponry. There is a new level of worship. There is a new level of intercession.  There is a new level of prophecy. A new level of identity. A new level of faith and love. These are all needed to step into the ekklesia that prevails over the gates of hell.
  • What is the specific target for this new level of worship and intercession? It is the “territory” of government—who will rule. God’s government is not about politics! The government of God is on the shoulders of Yeshua. He rules from His throne. His throne is based on righteousness, truth and justice. God’s government is about protecting and ensuring life, morality, security, righteousness and justice. God is not necessarily calling us to politics per se (though some individuals will be), but calling us to release His government in the earth. Governmental worship and intercession is about enforcing His government on earth as it is in heaven.
  • Turmoil in governments on the earth are demonstrating the spiritual battle. The glaring prophetic picture of the spiritual war on earth right now is that which is currently playing out against the leaders of Israel and USA. God has called both PM Netanyahu and President Trump for such a time as this. Neither man is perfect or a saint. But then, only Jesus fulfilled Father’s call in perfection! However, the enemy is desperately trying to remove both men through political hatred because of the call and aim of both men.
  • Netanyahu loves the Bible and knows, honours and defends the Biblical inheritance of Israel. Trump recognizes the strength and wisdom of evangelicals, and he stands with Israel. When believers in the USA realized God’s call on Trump is to be a “Cyrus”, and that Trump pledged to protect life, Biblical values and Israel, they warred in prayer and voted him in. In a sense, the way the enemies of Netanyahu and Trump are trying to white ant their administrations is a prophetic picture of the enemy hatred and vitriol being unleashed upon Israel and the Church.

When armies lose in war, they become “prisoners of war”. Ultimately, we know King Jesus wins. We have read the last chapter! But the challenge is for those of us in the Church Jesus is building.

How does our mindset and attitudes need to change so that we really are the ekklesia who are undefeatable by the gates of hell?

As confronting as it is, being added to his Church is not about an insurance policy for us. And the Church is not meant to be just a hospice. Yes He will reward us eternally, and He does heal us.

But what is our focus and our job on earth? Are we called to just survive until we make it to heaven? Some think our only task is to evangelize. That is vital. But like many natural wars, the spiritual war needs an air-force to do its job to ensure the ground troops can be effective. As we take our seat in heavenly places to rule and reign with Him, we deal with enemies that cannot be dealt with on the ground and that make the task of evangelism so much harder.  

Consider before the Lord what you need to do to arise as His ekklesia in new levels of worship and intercession, as Kings and priests to our God,and to prevail against the gates of hell in this season! Arise worshipping warriors—you are champions!

Ruth Webb
Tabernacle of David (Bendigo)

Watch out for new messages:

Air Supremacy: Kings and Priests (April 2018)

Year of Song of Lord: New Level of Worship - Nuclear Arsenal (February 2018)