Thoughts From My 150-Page Book Proposal

I am seeing something more and more clearly that I would like to submit to you. As you may know, I am working on a new book. Here is my thinking; let me know what your thoughts are.

THE MYSTERY OF BIBLE PATTERNS
When Cyrus came to power, Daniel was in office. We can assume that Daniel the intercessor was a key to this transition. Historians such as Josephus, believe Daniel showed Cyrus the 120-year-old prophecy of Isaiah that called him by name, and this helped confirm his desire to see the Jews return to their homeland and rebuild their house of worship. A brave remnant made the expedition, but troubling news must have come back to Daniel regarding the opposition that the remnant was facing. Daniel sensed the decisive moment had come. It was in the third year of Cyrus that Daniel entered a season of mourning and intercession for 21 days. (Daniel 10:1-14)

THE INVISIBLE WAR
This period of intercession culminated in a breakthrough where the archangel Gabriel broke free from the prince of Persia. This chapter touches on a subject that is not entirely clear, but it is entirely likely that this conflict involved “hosts” aligned under the princes engaged in conflict. The angel came to Daniel and revealed that Daniels words, or prayers, assisted the angel in his effort – an important insight into the reason for persistence in prayer. Gabriel came to reveal the future course of events. The prince of Persia did not want this to happen. Evidently, when the future is revealed, it authorizes something on the earth for those who see and agree with what God is revealing.
Now, why was Daniel grieved and praying for 21 days? He sensed something was coming to a head in the third year of Cyrus. Ezra gives us an insight into the background of the prayer battle, and the insight reveals a remarkable pattern. Ezra says that the remnant of Jews who responded to Cyrus edict to return to the land were bogged down in discouragement and intimidation. God had called them to a great project of national recovery and restoration. Ezra 9: 9 says, “…He extended mercy to us in the sight of the kings of Persia, to REVIVE us, to REPAIR the house of our God, to REBUILD its ruins, and to GIVE US A WALL in Judah and Jerusalem. Notice the words revive, repair, and rebuild.

THE SECULAR and SACRED PROJECT (Then and now)
The project was two-fold. One part involved the temple, and the other part involved the city. The Jews needed to repair and rebuild in the areas of the sacred and the secular. The rebuilding of the house of the Lord was the sacred project. The rebuilding of the walls and gates was the manifestation of the secular project. Both were equally spiritual in nature. Why did they quit on these projects?
Ezra recorded the Jewish condition of discouragement: “Then the people of the land tried to discourage the people of Judah. They troubled them in building, and hired counselors (lawyers and political figures) against them to frustrate their purpose all the days of Cyrus King of Persia…” (Ezra 4: 4) This swelled into a political impeachment of the Jewish rebuilding project and “what an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah.” (Ezra 4:6) Their complaint reached the king who heard slanderous arguments advanced by the court’s ambassadors and commanded the men to cease building. The work ceased until the second year of Darius king of Persia. Sadly, the throne of the king in a modern democracy or republic is shared by the ruler and the power of public opinion. Where media is taken over by the enemy, the airwaves are filled with disinformation and manipulation. Never before has this contamination of truth been so conspicuous.

GOD HAS LEADERS IN THE CHURCH AND STATE
What eventually ended the shut down of the Jewish recovery project? God sent an old prophet named Haggai and a young prophet named Zechariah. Together they prophesied life back into the remnant and mobilized them to boldly continue the divine assignment. The prophetic word addressed in particular Zerubbabel, who represented the government, and Joshua, who represented the priesthood. They were the team that rebuilt the house of God. It was Nehemiah and Ezra who took over these two roles of recovery with Nehemiah representing secular government and Ezra the sacred work of teaching. This is an important piece of the puzzle–God is doing a secular and sacred building project in America.
The enemies of God’s people confronted them, “But the eye of their God was upon the elders of the Jews, so they could not make them cease…” (Ezra 5:5) The Jews sent a legal argument back to the throne, and Darius issued a decree to let the work continue, and in fact, the king instructed the Jews to finish the house and pray for him and his sons.
The dual spheres of government and the temple were both impacted by the Cyrus decree. God’s REMNANT was called to labor on both recovery projects, the HOUSE of God, and the collapsed WALLS and GATES that protected and represented the sovereignty of the nation. We see the foreshadowing of Christ in the dual roles of governors and priests. Jesus joined the two separate offices of king and priest to produce a royal priesthood. Believers are anointed to both spheres, secular and sacred. You are anointed for whatever sphere God calls you to walk into.

CONCLUSION – a divine pattern is before us, and we would be wise to see how it applies.
We have passed through the third year of Cyrus in the third year of Donald Trump. The prince of Persia has been wrestling to intimidate and stall the national rebuilding project. This spirit is connected to both Iran, the current geographic center of ancient Persia, and it is connected to “counselors” hired to frustrate God’s purpose. The principality that Daniel wrestled with was engaged in high-level court intrigues, deceptions, and legal manipulation. If possible, it is their goal to get a governmental repeal of the decree, an impeachment, and full stop to God’s agenda.
The current principality at work in the Middle East is operating with the same playbook of the historic enemy of Israel in the Middle East. In its current form, it is shaping opposition to Netanyahu in the same way this spirit is at work in the United States as lawyers, accusers, politicians, and media seek to unseat those God seated.
It would seem that this spirit is behind the plan to partition Israel and divide the land. Again, it is interesting that the President’s impeachment and “Two-State” Solution proposal for Israel occur right inside the 21 days I spoke of as Cyrus Trump crosses out of his third year and into his fourth year.

PROPHETS RISING
How will God get the remnant back on track? He sent Prophets. Haggai challenged the people to stop seeking their own personal gain and focus on the great national project. (Haggai 1:4) The prophetic word of the Lord impacted the government, the priesthood, and the people. ( Haggai 1: 14) The prophetic word brought an awakening to those engaged in the rebuilding battle. As Daniel showed us, there is warfare in the heavens that seeks to blind us to our task and discourage our efforts. It seeks to turn us inward to build our own houses instead of God’s national project. How often do we see ourselves stuck in a lopsided focus on the church (temple) to the neglect of the government (gates and walls)? It is not one or the other. It is both, for to lose one is to forfeit the other.

SHAKING- Good and Bad Side
These books, Daniel, Ezra, Nehemiah, Haggai, and Zechariah, speak to the Last Days in ways we need to see. Malachi was contemporary to Haggai and Zachariah and should be included. Numerous things that they prophesied were not fulfilled in their day – they apply to the Last days and to our day. For instance, Haggai spoke of a shaking that will shake both heaven and earth. (Haggai 2:6, 2:22) Since the kingdom of heaven is unshakable, the part of heaven referred to is the realm of “spiritual wickedness in heavenly places.” (Hebrews 6:12) As these realms shake, there are spiritual thrones that will shake” “I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms.” (Haggai 2:22)
Shaking and outpouring flow together. Zechariah prophesied, “The ground shall giver her increase, and the heavens shall give their dew.” (Zechariah 8:12) The Prophet says, “Ask for rain in the time of the latter rain. The Lord will make flashing clouds; He will give them showers of rain…” (Zechariah 10:1) This rain corresponds to the promise of Joel that God will pour out of His Spirit on all flesh.

WHERE ARE WE?
Where are we? Iran has been challenged by Trump and decided it did not want a military confrontation. This will be the case throughout the era of Cyrus. Now we are in the battle of counselors hired to make the project cease with impeachment. It will not succeed, but damage is being done that could end the Cyrus era in 10 months. We are in the chapter where Daniel wrestles until reinforcements are sent to the battle of angels over the nation. We are in the chapter where Prophets are speaking to the fatigued remnant and invigorating their strength. We are refusing to stop. The proposed peace plan has been released at the same time these momentous issues are taking place. The plan will not work, and the PLO does not want it to work and has rejected it already.
We will talk more about that in a live broadcast after I have finished the 150-page proposal.