Upholding the Tapestry
Introduction
This teaching began with a picture given to a prophetic intercessor in a group praying for the Lord to sovereignly raise up a council of elders over Perth. As such, whilst its general truths are applicable elsewhere, it’s precise application is here. A tapestry was seen stretching over our city, from the underside it looked like a mass of irregular stitches going randomly in all directions, from above, from the heavenly side, it was pure order (James 3:13-18). A multitude of hands were holding up from below the very heavy tapestry. These seemed to be a host of mainly older saints, intercessors and faithful pastors who were become very tired. After this was prayed into by the prophetic intercessor, I kept praying passionately, seeking biblical insights into all of what the Lord was saying (1 Cor 14:29-33).
The Tapestry Expounded
The tapestry is one with the fiery canopy “over the glory” covering the end-times Jerusalem restored and raised up with Christ (Isaiah 4:2-6; Eph 2:6; Heb 12:24ff). This covering is a fiery bridal canopy (v.5 Heb: huppah) of Christ’s pure beautifying love for us the Church (Isa 60:7, 13 cf. Ps 19:5; Joel 2:16). It is also the united corporate shield of faith raised up by the one Church in Perth (Rev 2:1, 8 etc.) praying in unity for our city (Eph 6:16) [This collective understanding of spiritual warfare in Ephesians 6 is encouraged by understanding that the active words in Greek are all plurals]. The spiritual warfare over our city being waged by evil rulers and authorities “in the heavenly places” (Eph 6:12) is extremely intense, because the heavenly tapestry, seen from above, is very beautiful. It is the rainbow splendour typified by Joseph’s “coat of many colours” (Gen 37:3) and the “wisdom of God in its rich variety” (Eph 3:10) described by Paul. John sees it as “a rainbow around the throne” of God in heaven (Rev 4:3). Contained in this tapestry is a strategy/plan of the Lord (Eph 1:9-10) awaiting release by the 7-fold Spirit of the Lamb (Rev 5:6) as he brings the deep fruit of his “delight in the fear of the Lord” (Isa 11:3) as the divine to sharing his invincible wisdom and knowledge (Prov 9:10; Amos 3:7).
This “weight of glory…now” (2 Cor 4:17; Eph 3:10) is too hard to uphold without the help of others a host of passionate younger people guided/encouraged by a consolidated team of mature apostolic-prophetic ministries. The participation of the whole Church praying “in one accord” (Acts 1:14) is indispensable if the fulness of God’s calling on Perth to be a mission hub to the nations is to be realised (Acts 13:1-3). Grasping this, and fiercely hating the Lamb’s invincible plan (Rev 11:5), the demonic powers have long united to prevent its release by keeping the Church functionally divided, lazy in prayer and ignorant of the depth of the Word (Acts 6:4).
Beyond the Church Gathered
As we prayed into the fulness of what the Spirit was showing, it was emphatically clear that a successful demonic strategy is to reduce the perceived dimensions of the kingdom of God to those of the gathered Church. The truth is that the kingdom of God is an ever-expanding reality whose power builds the Church (Matt 16:18-19), and which will one day “fill the whole” earth (Dan 2:35). Sensing this I was moved to pray strongly for the restoration of the Christian presence in the marketplace/workplace of “all things” of life and culture (Acts 3:17-21). To see this happen, there must be a release of the full power of the cross amongst us.
The Work of the Cross
Only through the work of “cross-stitching” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cross-stitch) can the tapestry in the “hearts” of all ages, ethnicities, and denominations be “knit together in love” so our relationships are “bound together in perfect harmony” (Eph 3:17; Col 2:2; 3:14). Despite all the noble efforts to see churches working together across Perth, this still seems a distant vision. Yet when the “blood of the cross” is applied in the Spirit’s power “all things” enter their (objective) reconciliation in Christ (Col 1:19-20). This must follow the pattern recorded in heaven, “when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, reach holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 9 And they sang… (Revelation 5:8-9; 8:1-4)” Whilst there have been many advocates for 24/7 prayer and praise over the decades, none of these have witnessed the long desired revival, because we have failed to enter together into the only shelter which can frustrate the powers of evil in their strategy of sowing divisions amongst us.
The Shelter is the Lamb
Between the heavenly prayer and worship scenes of Revelation is a picture of the climactic scene of adoration. Those escaping “the great tribulation” are sheltered by the Lamb “with his presence” and washed with Christ’s blood they “worship him day and night” (Rev 7:14-15). To enter into the “fullness of the mystery of Christ” now we must enter this shelter (Eph 4:13; Col 2:2). Encountering the “presence” of Jesus in our midst now must be a “mini-apocalyptic” event, a tiny yet real share in the power of his Second Coming (1 Thess 2:19; 1 John 2:28). This is possible, because the slaughtered Lamb has rose triumphant through the greatest of all tribulations (Mark 15:34; Rev 5:6) and promises to protect his faithful persecuted saints in their tribulations by his blood (Rev 1:9; 2:9-10). Indispensable to this promise of protection is harmony amongst the “elders” of our city, a unity of cooperation that the ascended Lord working to “fill all things” with himself, via our humiliation and exaltation in him, absolutely deserves (Eph 4:9ff.; Phil 2:5-11). Presently, the Spirit of Jesus is in deep agony (Eph 4:29ff; Rom 8:26) over our senseless divisions. An agony few of the sons of God register in their spirits (Rom 8:16).
Conclusion: choose your tribulation
Whilst the faithful people of God in our city are blessed, much of the Church is suffering from a “great tribulation” sent by Jesus (Rev 2:22), but as compromised is largely blinded to this. The Spirit repeatedly warns the churches of a fearful “coming” in judgment before the End (Rev 2:5, 16; 3:3). “For the Lord God does nothing without revealing his secret to his servants the prophets. 8 The lion has roared; who will not fear? The Lord God has spoken; who can but prophesy?” (Am 3:7-8). Let us join with Jesus in his fear and trembling in Gethsemane (Heb 5:7-8) lest the people of God continue to encounter the disciplines of their Father as if they were bowls of wrath (Rev 15:7; 16:1). Let us pray that the Lord sovereignly raise up apostolic-prophetic leaders to initiate concerts of united prayer (bowls of blessing Rev 5:8) as a restored canopy/tapestry of protection over our city. These great things are our glorious, prophesied inheritance: “I will return, and I will rebuild the tent of David that has fallen; I will rebuild its ruins, and I will restore it, 17 that the remnant of mankind may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who are called by my name, says the Lord, who makes these things 18 known from long ago.’ (Amos 9:14-15; Acts 15:16-18).