A JOSIAH COMPANY
A JOSIAH COMPANY
Sunday, July 21, 2018
Pastor Carolyn Sissom
2Ki 23:25Now before him (Josiah) there was no king like him, who turned to the LORD with all his heart, with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the Law of Moses; nor after him did any arise like him.
“Nations must be governed by men who are governed by God.” (Kelly Varner)
The monarchical period of Israel’s history began with the wrong motives and the choice of Saul, but the Kingdom was blessed of God and expanded by Saul’s successor, David. His son, Solomon, was the most glorious of Israel’s kings. Of the wisdom and riches of his reign only the half has been told. Following Solomon, there were only a few notable leaders among the kings of Judah. These include Joash, Hezekia, and Josiah. All were the northern kingdom’s kings. Most of the remainder of Judah’s kings were conspicuously lacking in spiritual leadership. What the kings lacked in moral influence was made up by the great prophets. Most notable among them were Elijah, Elisha, Isaiah and Jeremiah before the exile; Ezekiel and Daniel during the Exile; and Zechariah and Malachi after the exile. We are studying the prophecies of Zechariah at our Tuesday morning Bible Study.
The primary prophets unto the administration of Josiah were Jeremiah (1:2; 3:6) Zephaniah (1: 1-18) and Huldah, the prophetess. The prosperity of the Kingdom is based upon the prophetic Word that flows in life and power from the Throne of God. The role of the prophet from the Throne of God is absolutely necessary to the prosperity of a nation, person, or church.
The five periods of repentance and restoration among the kings of Judah (especially Hezekiah and Josiah) point to the present day of restoration.
When Apostle Clay Nash was here last week for our annual conference, he said our church is “A Josiah Company.” I am presenting this word to our Church to apprehend that which the prophet activated by the spoken word. I looked up the prophecy posted on the Elijah List. Apostle Clay wrote:
“On Saturday, August 25, 2018, While listening to my friend Dutch Sheets speak on the five-fold ministry gifts found in Eph. 4:11 and the working of a Territorial Ekklesia, I heard the Lord speak clearly. Yes, as I was focused on the spiritual understanding being released, I heard the Spirit of the Lord say that next year (2019) He would release the 31-year reign of the "Josiah Company." Josiah Company? Yes, Josiah Company.
I find it interesting that 31 years from next year brings us to 2050. I have been pressing in to get spiritual understanding of these words and heard Chuck Pierce mention the book he wrote back in 2001, "The Future War of the Church." He spoke of how many people could not grasp the truth written in that book because it was for a future time. I believe that time is now, even as Chuck said. In his book, he devoted several pages to truth and spiritual understanding of who Josiah was during his time. Thank you, Chuck Pierce, for the insight given.
” The first thing I want to point out is that Josiah is recorded as being the most notable King of all�times. 2 Kings 23:25 NKJV, "Now before him there was no king like him, who turned to the Lord with all his heart, with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the Law of Moses; nor after him did any arise like him."
As I re-read "The Future War of the Church" I found some insight on the attributes of Josiah that will be seen in this Josiah Company. I must first say that 31 is the number of the Hebrew word "El." Yes, is means "God"! Next, let's look at Kingdom attributes of this honorable king and how this Josiah Company will operate in them.
These next notes are taken from truth and spiritual understanding I was given as I re-read Chuck Pierce's book on this subject.
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"...fresh Pentecostal enduement of power will only be possible as we, God's Body, become fitly joined together." |
1. Josiah honored the ways of his spiritual father, King David (2 Kings 22:2). This Josiah Company will honor the ways of our founding fathers by honoring the King of kings.
2. Josiah acknowledged and became aware of the present-day problems. In the repairing of broken-down Kingdom values, this company will discover truths and injustices that need to be dealt with, and present day truth that will become
Righteousness which will exalt this nation.
3. This company will repent and humble themselves before God but stand strong in wisdom and confidence of who God is and what He can do through their obedience.
4. This Company will inquire of the Lord, and not be afraid to apply the truth of their fathers and mothers of previous ages. They will fully understand that not all the traditions of their ancestors made the Word of God of non-effect.
5. This company will value, honor and appreciate the prophetic word of the Lord, making Amos 3:7 a standard of lifestyle, not just a trend. The company will re-constitute the prophetic words of previous ages by prophesying present-day truth into previous prophetic words.
6. This company will value the currency of mercy to others but fully engage the grace to deal with the lawlessness of the times. This action of obedience will deal with the spiritual chaos that has led to idolatry in the past.
7. This company will work a territorial strategy but understand their boundaries and metron (measure) of authority. They will rally the Ekklesia within their territory and take a strong stand for righteousness but be willing to go to battle with other territorial Josiah Companies.
8. They will do warfare to tear down and destroy the high places of iniquity, causing high-ranking demonic spirits to be bound and cast down. (Photo via Flicker)
9. This company will restore authentic worship, which will no longer be just a service but a lifestyle, even manifesting as their reasonable service unto the Lord at all times.
Considering as the 31-year reign of the Josiah Company begins next year, 31 years from 5779 brings us to 5810. 5810 in Strong's Concordance Hebrew is the Hebrew word�"azaz" and means, "be strong, prevail, to prevail."
I also found that the words "freedom" and "eagle" are used 31 times in God's Word. In the New Testament, the 31 times Jesus' name appears in Matthew is in Matt. 9:4, where it speaks of Him as "the Son of Man." The 31st time Luke uses His name is in Luke 8:28, where He is called "Jesus, the Son of the Most High." I believe this means Jesus is revealing Himself as "the Son of man and the Son of God" in these beginning days of the new era” (end of word posted by Clay Nash on the Elijah List)
I had not read this prior to the LORD quickening to me about knowing Him and presenting Him as the Son of Man. I will proceed with that as the LORD gives me the grace, wisdom and revelation of Him as the Son of Man.
I have spent all my life as a minister of the gospel revealing Jesus Christ as the Son of God and leading people to know Him in His Glory as the Son of God.
Daniel prophesied of the glory of Jesus Christ, the Son of Man:
Dan 7:13-14:I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.
Luke 21:27“Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
Rev 14:14Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and on the cloud sat One like the Son of Man, having on His head a golden crown, and in His hand a sharp sickle.
But today, let us speak a little more about King Josiah. He was the son of Amon, who did evil as did Manasseh his father. Many of the kings of Israel produced carbon-copy sons, who duplicated their fathers’ evil ways. But God will continue to raise up His man, for His time and for His sovereign work. The underlying cause of the failure of human government is the lost consciousness of God. Without God, man is unable to successfully rule himself.
Josiah is one of the seven people in the Holy Bible who were named before they were born. Josiah came to the throne at the age of eight (8), 325 years after the prophecy of 1 Kg. 13:1-2: Behold, there came a man of God out of Judah by the word of the LORD unto Bethel: and Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense. And he cried against the altar in the word of the LORD, and said, O altar, altar, thus saith the LORD; Behold, a child shall be born unto the house of David, Josiah by name; and upon thee shall he offer the priests of the high places that burn incense upon thee, and men's bones shall be burnt upon thee.
The other six who were named before they were born are Ishmael, Isaac, Solomon, Cyrus, John the Baptist, and Jesus.
In Josiah’s eighth year (age of 16), he began to seek the Lord, and in his 12th year (age of 20), he began to purge Judah. (It took 4 years to purge himself. 2 Chron. 34:3)
Josiah cut down the idols broke them in pieces and burned them (2 Chron. 34:5).
The purge went unto Ephraim, Manasseh, Simeon, and Naphtali. Josiah then returned to Jerusalem. (It took six years.)
In Josiah’s 18th year (age of 26), he sent Shaphan, Maaseiah and Joah to repair the House of the Lord (34:8). They delivered to Hilkiah the High Priest the finances of the land to do this work. Hilkiah the priest found a Book of the Law of the Lord given by Moses (34:14). Hilkiah delivered the book to Shaphan the scribe, who carried it to King Josiah. Shaphan read it before the King, who heard it and rent his clothes. Josiah then commanded Hilkiah, Ahikam, Abdon, Shaphan, and Asaih to enquire concerning the Book, for they had not kept it to do all that was written (34: 20-21).
This company went to Huldah the prophetess. She spoke that the Lord would bring the curses mentioned in the Book because of Judah’s idolatry. To Josiah came the word that because of his tenderness, humility and repentance, his eyes would not see the judgment spoken (34: 23-28).
The King gathered all the elders and the people to go up to the Temple, and read in all their ears all the words of the Book of the covenant that was found (34: 29-30). This is a picture of a pastor who stands in his place and reads and declares the Words of the Book. He caused all that were present in Jerusalem…to stand to it. (34:32).
God’s sons will call the whole church to walk the Word! He stood by a pillar when he did this.
Rev 3:12He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him My new name.
Josiah was a wrecking ball, can we say disrupter?
Josiah took away all the abominations…and made all that were present in Israel to serve…the Lord. All his days they did not depart from following the Lord, the God of their fathers. The basis of this cleansing was the reading of the word by the King (2 Kg. 23: 1-3). The idols in the Temple of God were removed, burned in Kidron, and strewn unto Bethel. The put down the idolatrous priests who burned incense to all the planets. The Asherah was also removed from the Temple, burned at Kidron, and stamped to powder. Josiah broke down the house of the Sodomites (male prostitutes) where the women wove tent hangings for the Asherah shrines. He defiled all the high places of Judah. He destroyed Topheth, which is in the valley of…Hinnom (human sacrifice to Molech) (2 Ki. 23:10) .
He took away the horses offered to the sun and burned the chariots of the sun with fire (counterfeit Elijah ministry) (2 Ki. 23:11). Josiah destroyed the upper chamber of Ahaz, and the altars of Manasseh (2 Chr. 33: 4-5).
2Ki 23:13Then the king defiled the high places that were east of Jerusalem, which were on the south of the Mount of Corruption, which Solomon king of Israel had built for Ashtoreth the abomination of the Sidonians, for Chemosh the abomination of the Moabites, and for Milcom the abomination of the people of Ammon.
Church all of the above is operating in our nation and the churches.
Prov. 20:26: A wise king scatters the wicked, and brings the wheel over them.
King Josiah restored the Passover, put the Holy Ark in the Temple, and gave of the King’s substance (2 Chr. 35:7)
There was no King before or after like Josiah, who had turned to the Lord with all his heart, soul, and might.
Carolyn Sissom, Pastor
Eastgate Ministries Church
Scripture from N.K.J.V. and K.J.V. – I entered into the labors of Clay Nash, prophecy posted on the Elijah List; Kelly Varner, Principles of Present Truth, 1 Kings, 2 Kings, 2 Chronicles. Comments and conclusions are my own and not meant to reflect the views of those who I entered into their labors.
Rom 15:8Now I say that Jesus Christ has become a servant to the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made to the fathers,