For quite some time now, I have been sensing in my spirit a significant season of transition that many across the Body of Christ are finding themselves in at this present moment. I have often mentioned this transition in months past, however, I felt the Holy Spirit impress it upon my heart to release courage and encouragement to those who are feeling dazed, wearied and confused in the middle of this almighty “crossing over.”
I hear many asking, “Why has this transition been so long? Have I done something wrong? Why is there so much confusion about my next step? Did I hear God correctly? If so, why has there been so much warfare surrounding me in the midst of all this change?” I believe emphatically that this transition is more fundamental than most, for it is a transition that is moving you into inherited territory and destiny combined.
I released a word a month or two back titled “The War Has Been on Your Promise,” and again, I feel lead to repeat some of its sentiments. This could also be said in another way: The war that you have been facing has been sent to prevent you from walking into new territory; the land of inheritance that God has promised you. The assaults of chaos and confusion are not a sign that you didn’t hear from God correctly, but rather that you have indeed heard correctly.
The enemy sees you coming from a distance and the mayday alert has been sent out to his cohorts. Just as Pharaoh released his armies to stop the Israelites from crossing over, the assignments against you have been deployed to prevent your crossing over. But don’t fear, we know that the battle does not belong to us, but to our God. The enemy will not prevail when you are on an assignment from the Lord of hosts, so continue to march forward unafraid. (Photo via Pixabay)
The Tension of Acquiring the Promise
For some of you, this transition may be requiring a physical move to a different state or even country. For others, the transition may be a promotion or a move to an entirely new job, while yet others may be led to start a new business venture or plant a church in a new region. Regardless of the natural “moves” that are taking place, it is all founded within a spiritual seizing of territories that God is moving His entire Body into.
If you look throughout history, most wars have been fought over the basis of land and territory, and right now there is contention in the spirit as the enemy sees the children of God moving into positions, as though lining up on the battlefield, to take back territory that has been long held illegally in the grips of his unworthy and unlawful hands.
When God released His covenant to Abraham in Genesis 12, it is interesting to note that the covenant of a promised nation first required an act of obedience on Abraham’s behalf. “The LORD had said to Abram, ‘Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you'” (Genesis 12:1).
A breakdown of the Hebrew words in this verse reveals some interesting insights for us in our own season of transition. The two words, “country” and “land,” are the same Hebrew word, “erets.” This word has multi-dimensional meanings. On one hand, it can be defined as “common land” and on the other hand it can be defined as “the earth, the world, the nations.” It refers to the whole earth under God’s dominion. It also comes from an unused root word most likely meaning “to be firm.”
Before I break the verse down any further, I want to highlight the Hebrew meaning for “dominion” as this plays a significant role in the deeper meaning of this verse. Many people see “dominion” as a negative connotation, as though we are to have oppressive dominion over the people of the earth, but that is not what it means at all. Dominion is the Hebrew word “radah,” a primitive root that means “to tread down, to crumble off, to prevail against, to reign, to rule and to subjugate.” This word, “subjugate,” stands out to me. Its definition can be a little startling if you don’t look at it the right way.
According to the Cambridge Dictionary, it means “to defeat a people or a country and rule them in a way that allows them no freedom.” Before you think I am suggesting that we oppressively rule the earth with our dominion, let me say that these words, “subjugate” and “dominion,” are not in reference to people, but to the enemy. (Photo via Unsplash)
Allow me to highlight one other key word in this verse before I explain it all to you and how it prophetically relates to us in this season of transition. Where it says, “go to the land that I will show you,” the word “show” is the Hebrew word “ra’ah,” which means “to see, behold, certainly, consider, discern, enjoy, have experience, gaze, take heed, indeed, joyfully look upon, provide, regard, be near, spy, stare, think and visions.” Its basic denotation is speaking of God requiring the individual He is speaking to to physically SEE outside of himself or herself, to “look beyond” the present circumstances and look with eyes of faith for what He sees.
Notice one of the meanings is “be near.” We can only see as He sees when we draw close to Him. It’s like a father holding binoculars, looking through the lens to see beyond the horizon, and as his child draws close, he holds the binoculars steady for the child to see what he was able to see. The connotation here is this: When you are in transition, draw CLOSER to Him, don’t distance yourself in fear.
Leaving the Familiar for the Increase
Given the Hebrew meanings of the words from this verse, we could summarize that God was essentially saying to Abraham, “Leave all of that which has been common, familiar and comfortable to you and go to the nations of the earth that you may reign and rule. Tread down over the enemy who has inhabited the earth, crumble him and subjugate his rule. Come near to Me and I will cause you to look and see what I am going to give you; consider and discern it with eyes of faith and wonder…gaze upon it joyfully. I want you to enjoy this and see that I will not only provide for you, but give you visions and all that you require to possess it.”
So what does all of this mean for you and me in the here and now?
God is calling you to leave the land of commonality, and sometimes that means to leave what is momentarily comfortable. There is an evident separation between the “old” and the “new” land, where He is calling you out from a place of common familiarity and comfort. This portion of the transition can often be the most uncomfortable and it is usually where we are the most vulnerable. Leaving something that has become common to us can be a struggle as we leave the old behind. However, there is a warning here: Do not look back. Don’t do as Lot’s wife did when she looked back at the burning cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, for her heart was not set on the promised land ahead of her, but the land of commonality behind her.
The Israelites were much the same. Their transition into seizing new territory and leaving the borders of slavery was delayed by forty years, with many not even setting foot in the land they should have inherited. Why? Because their hearts were set on what was behind them, rather than the blazing fire in front of them. Though their hands were bound in slavery in Egypt, they had grown strangely comfortable with it. I believe that this transition is not only a physical transition of sorts for many, but also a call of transition and upgrade into heavenly-minded thinking. God is calling your thinking out of Egypt and into a “Kingly” mindset to SEE the vision of His promises awaiting you.
What many so easily forget in the midst of transition is that transition is not just about you or me. In fact, this particular season of transition is specifically about nations. Just as the Father called Abram out of the land of commonality and into a promised territory of nations, He is calling you and I to subjugate the nations from the enemy’s control. We are to crumble his plans, tread down upon his oppression, to prevail over him, to rule and reign. This is a seizing of territory where we will tread down upon the enemy’s grasp over the earth and crumble his plans. We are being called to defeat and rule, where we allow him NO freedom to reign. (Photo via Pixabay)
This taking back of territories and seizing lands that are rightfully ours will be seen in every mountain of influence as we subjugate the enemy’s control over regions, nations and the entire earth. This crossing-over transition is one where we’ll see the great harvest of the earth unfold, all because of our simple obedience to keep walking forward.
You Are Being Given New Eyes to See
There is a key that God gave Abraham in this promise of covenant. His first direction was to leave the land of commonality, and then it was to “see” with His eyes. The Father never asks you to leave all that is familiar to you without already having provided the way. If you have been subjected to surrounding chaos, I want to prophetically release over you right now that it is time to SEE with NEW eyes, with the eyes of the Spirit, to GAZE upon and BEHOLD with awe and wonder where He is leading you.
It is time to dream again, dream with Him and consider with certainty that He is leading you into a land of promise, a land of abundance. Look beyond what your circumstances are speaking and look into the territory He is giving you.
I love that one of the definitions for the word “see,” or “show” (“ra’ah”) is “spy.” Whether in visions, dreams or by simply sitting in His presence, I believe the Father is going to release strategies to your heart, where He will cause you to be like a spy on the wall of the enemy’s plans; both those against you, and against nations. You will SEE what his plans are and be able to subjugate those plans before they have a chance to move into effect.
This is an hour of upgraded vision, both prophetically and physically. I believe many of you will have an increase in dreams and visions as God “guides” you into the promised dominion of territory. Look upon the dreams of your heart and the dreams of His heart for you with JOYFUL expectation, and SEE that He is guiding you into a territory that will affect the nations.
Going back to the Hebrew word for land, “erets,” I love that one of the definitions means “to be firm.” There is an anointing being released to every son and daughter to stand firm in the midst of the assaults that have been warring against them. As you stand firm, choosing to SEE the goodness of God and trust His leading, you will see the hand of His deliverance, just as the Israelites saw the hand of God crash down the waters of the Red Sea upon their enemy. You too will see the waters of God turn the tide of the battle as you continue to be faithful in crossing over, one step in front of the other. (Photo via Unsplash)
It’s Time for Your Upgrade!
In Joshua 24:13, we read about the fulfillment of promise when the Israelites had finally conquered the land and seized their land of Jerusalem. God says, “I gave you a land you did not labor for, and cities you did not build, though you live in them; you are eating from vineyards and olive groves you did not plant.”
I believe God is saying to you today that the provision is on the other side of your obedience to take one step at a time. As you cross over by faith, taking the simple steps in front of you, despite the fears and not having all the answers, you will find provision awaiting you on the other side; provision for debt free homes and cars, for jobs, for friends and community, for all that you require. All of this is awaiting you on the other side of obedience and trust in order that you might fulfill the assignment that God has set aside for you in the land of promise.
If you don’t know the next step, ask Him, for this covenantal promise of territory you will be given is not just for your life, but for generations to come, for it is time to TAKE BACK what rightfully belongs to the Kingdom of Heaven.
So hold fast, stand firm, look and see that the Lord is GOOD and that He has prepared the way for you. Now SEIZE what belongs to you with your eyes of faith, and you will SEE it manifest in the natural. Stop wondering and wandering and start looking upon your territory in WONDER. Your glorious King is leading you into your promised land.
Christy Johnston
Everyday Revivalists
Email: click here
Website: www.nateandchristy.co
Christy Johnston was born and raised in Australia. After living the majority of her life plagued with insecurity and fear, she came to learn the power of her identity in Christ. She now lives with the mandate to breathe fresh hope and life into God’s sons and daughters through her passion of writing, uncovering the truths of living in grace and freedom through our identity in Christ. Nate and Christy have two daughters, Charlotte and Sophie, and currently live on the Gold Coast in Australia.