(Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2015), 202-203.
This is your charge, watchman.
NOTE
1. Billy Graham, Where I Am: Heaven, Eternity, and Our Life Beyond (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2015), 202-203.
Chapter 5
CULTIVATING A WATCHMAN'S EYE
OST of us know how to pray. Fewer understand the mechanics of watching in the spirit. This is part of the making of a watchman. The reality is if you don't see and hear accurately it's more difficult to pray accurately for God's will to be done in any given situation. If you don't see the enemy coming—or if you don't see the glory of the Lord coming—how can you pray accordingly?
With this understanding, then, our great quest is to cultivate a watchman's eye. A watchman's eye is one that sees what the Lord wants him to see. Oftentimes, the watching is done in prayer. But as you advance in the watchman's ministry, you will begin to have spiritual insight into what the enemy is doing outside your times of dedicated prayer. In other words, if you cultivate your watchman's eye, you will discern spiritual activity while walking through everyday life.
Habakkuk was a prophet who cultivated a watchman's eye. His recorded example in Habakkuk 2 gives us some immediate clues how to develop the skills we need to watch, as well as how the Lord responds to the persevering watchman. Habakkuk 2:1-3 reads:
I will stand my watch and set myself on the rampart, and watch to see what He will say to me, and what I will answer when I am corrected. Then the Lord answered me and said: "Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time; but at the end it will speak, and it will not lie.
Though it tarries, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry."
Habakkuk was dedicated to watching, waiting, seeing, listening, and obeying. Make no mistake, it's work to watch. Notice that God answered his watching. He was standing and watching. He wasn't praying. Yet God answered his watching. In some ways, the watching itself is a silent prayer for revelation about what is happening in the spiritual realm.
It takes patience to watch. It takes both natural and spiritual discipline to watch. It takes an enduring spirit to watch. So, then, cultivating a watchman's eye isn't all about seeing. There's more to it than that—much more. We can learn plenty about cultivating a watchman's eye from these verses.
CLIMBING HIGHER TO SEE
The New Living Translation of Habakkuk 2:1 reads, "I will climb up to my watchtower and stand at my guardpost. There I will wait to see what the Lord says and how he will answer my complaint." Notice how Habakkuk had to take action—he had to climb. Habakkuk had to position himself to gain the right perspective on the landscape, and that meant ascending to a height that offered a different vantage point.
When I was in Scotland, I climbed up to the top of the National Wallace Monument in Stirling. The tower stands on the shoulder of the Abbey Craig, a hilltop overlooking the city. I climbed every single one of the 246 steps on the spiral staircase to get to the top. It was work. Hard work. But from atop that tower I could see with clarity things my eye never would have spied out from the bottom of the monument.
Modern-day watchmen are not physically climbing stairs to get to the top of the watchtower. But they must climb to that place of perspective through prayer. Indeed, through prayer, meditation on the Word, silence, and worship you can ascend to the top of the tower. You can climb up to your post. At times, you have to still your soul to make this spiritual climb, and that can mean entering the silent dimension. As I wrote in my book, The Seer Dimensions:
Silence is the foundation of contemplative prayer. Contemplative prayer opens your eyes in ways other prayer does not because it leads you into intimacy with God, the source of all revelation. Contemplative prayer is centuries old and is actually rooted in monks, hermits and nuns. I do not agree with the doctrines of the Catholic church, but the reality is those who set themselves apart in His presence lived from the inside out.
Contemplative prayer is a thoughtful practice where you focus on the Word of God to the point where you drown out other thoughts, feelings and temporal distractions. You are focusing on the Father, Son and Holy Spirit within you rather than the Father, Son and Holy Spirit outside of you. God's voice becomes more clear through this practice.
At times, repentance precedes this spiritual climbing. If you have known sin in your life, you will not see or hear clearly. In fact, you can't even climb to the place from which God is calling you to watch if you have sin on your hands. Psalm 24:3-4 reveals:
Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, nor sworn deceitfully.
At times, God will invite the watchman to "come up here." In Revelation 4:1 we read: "After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, 'Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this.'" This was John the Revelator's invitation to watch scenes from the end times unfold right before his very eyes.
Amos recorded these prophetic words: "Surely the Lord God does nothing, unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets" (Amos 3:7). All watchmen are not prophets, but I believe if God has called you to watch and you do so faithfully—be His servant, be a friend of God—He will share His secrets with you for the sake of His Kingdom.
STANDING GUARD AND SET IN PLACE
After Habakkuk climbed, he stood. Notice he was standing—not slumbering, not sitting down. He was standing. The Hebrew word for stand in this verse is telling. When we think of standing, we may think of standing around talking to friends or standing in line at a store. But the type of standing Habakkuk did—and the type of standing the watchman does—goes way beyond being erect on your two feet.
The Hebrew word for stand in this verse is amad. According to The KJV Old Testament Hebrew Lexicon, it means to remain. In other words, Habakkuk didn't climb all that way to stand atop the tower for a few minutes to enjoy the scenery until he was bored. He had a mind to stand
there until he received the revelation he was looking for. He worked too hard to get there and he wasn't about to turn around and come back down without getting what he was after.
Stand also means "endure." It takes endurance to operate in the watchman anointing. Being a watchman is not like watching TV. You can't turn on the big screen and channel surf until you find something that interests you. Watchmen need endurance, sort of like bird watchers who sit in silence for hours in the hopes of spotting a bluebird.
Stand means to take one's stand, be in a standing attitude, stand still, stand upright. Standing and watching go hand in hand. In First Corinthians 16:13, Paul tells the church at Corinth: "Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong." The watchman must learn to stand firm in the faith and stand fast in the Lord. The good news is, God is able to make you stand (see Rom. 14:4).
Habakkuk said he would set himself on the rampart. The Christian Standard Bible puts it this way: "station myself on the lookout tower." The Hebrew word for set in this verse is yatsab. According to The KJV Old Testament Hebrew Lexicon, it means "to place, set, stand, set or station, present oneself." The watchman must present himself before the Lord, ready to watch.
WAIT AND SEE
Habakkuk said he would "watch to see." The New International Version says, "I will look to see." The English Standard Version says "look out to see." The New Living Translation says "I will wait to see." The watchman must be an expert not only at watching, but waiting. In Bible days, watchmen could watch days or weeks at a time and not see much of significance, but they were faithful to stand on their post regardless. See, it's not always about seeing
something. Seeing nothing can be a good thing. If the coast is clear, that means the land is at peace.
Psalm 130:5-6, "I wait for the Lord, with bated breath I wait; I long for His Word! My soul waits for the Lord, more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning" (MEV). You can't separate the watchman from waiting. The two go hand in hand. Newly minted watchmen may be uncomfortable in this process and be tempted to fall asleep at their watch. But if we want to cultivate a watchman's eye—if we want gain the Lord's perspective— we need to be willing to wait until He shows us something.
Keep Isaiah 40:31 in mind:
But those who wait for the Lord [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] shall change and renew their strength and power; they shall lift their wings and mount up [close to God] as eagles [mount up to the sun]; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint or become tired (AMPC).
We have to keep looking, and many times that means we have to keep waiting. We can only see what He shows us. When we do wait, we mount up with wings like eagles. In other words, we gain God's perspective.
Psalm 37:7 gives us a secret to successful waiting: "Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him" (ESV). If you are going to cultivate a watchman's eye, you have to set aside the multi-tasking and the mind traffic and be still. Understand that the Hebrew word for wait is not a passive, boring waiting that tempts you to sleep and slumber. No, the Hebrew word for wait is qavah. It is an active word that means to "look for," according to The KJV Old Testament Hebrew Lexicon. Have you ever been waiting for a friend in the airport? It's crowded. You are waiting, but you are actively looking while you wait.
Qavah means to expect. When the watchman waits, he's expecting to see. That expectation breeds an alert eye. Qavah means to look eagerly for, to lie in wait for, or to linger for. Can you see the action in these definitions? The watchman is looking for action in the spirit. Sometimes things happen so fast, if you aren't waiting, expecting, and looking for it, you'll miss it.
Have you ever been watching a basketball game and looked down at your phone and missed what the announcers are saying was one of the greatest slam dunks of all time? Your friends are cheering and you're like, "What happened?" Thankfully, there are replays of sporting events. In the spirit, there's no guarantee of a replay. The watchman must wait.
I liken watching to praying with your eyes. It's like your eyes crying out to God to show you what He wants you to see and demonstrating your faith for a prayer answer by continuing to look.
CLEAN HANDS, PURE HEART
The watchman's eyes and heart are connected. If your heart is not pure, your spiritual eyes can grow dim. Remember, watchmen climbed up to the top of the tower to get the best possible view. Spiritually, that correlates with ascending the hill of the Lord. Not everybody, not even if they have a watchman's anointing, is granted access to this viewpoint.
Psalm 24:3-4 offers insight: "Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, nor sworn deceitfully." This is talking about entering the presence of the Lord, which is the best place from which to watch. But it also gives qualifications.
Clean hands are found on someone "whose actions and conversation are holy and unblameable," according to Benson Commentary. No watchman is perfect, but we should strive for one hundredfold obedience to the Lord. That must be our heart posture.
A pure heart, Benson writes, is one "purged from hypocrisy, and corrupt desires and designs, and careful to approve itself to God, as well as men, ordering a man's very thoughts, intentions, and affections, according to God's Word. This is fitly added, because a man may keep his hands clean, in a good measure, from mere worldly motives, and without any respect to God, and even with an evil design." In other words, the watchman can have clean hands without a pure heart in terms of loving God.
BEWARE BLINDING IDOLS
The watchman who lifts up his soul to idols will have a more difficult time seeing in the spirit. An idol is anything that you put in God's place. For example, watching TV when He's telling you to watch in the spirit would be idolatrous. Money can be an idol. Family can be an idol. Anything that you let distract you from the assignment God has on your life can be an idol.
Paul told us to put to death any idolatry we find in our hearts (see Col. 3:5). John warned us to keep ourselves from idols (see 1 John 5:21). David warned that the sorrows of people who run after other gods will multiply (Ps. 16:4). Paul admonished us to flee from idolatry (see 1 Cor. 10:14). Idolatry is a work of the flesh (see Gal. 5:19-21). If you want to see in the spirit, you need to avoid works of the flesh, including idolatry.
Idolatry will blind you. Psalm 115:4-8 makes it clear:
Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men's hands. They have mouths, but they do not speak; eyes they have, but they do not see; they have ears, but they do not hear; noses they have, but they do not smell; they have hands, but they do not handle; feet they have, but they do not walk; nor do they mutter through their throat. Those who make them are like them; so is everyone who trusts in them.
The Passion Translation puts Psalm 115:5-8 this way:
They idolize what they own and what they make with their hands, but their things can't talk to them or answer their prayers. Their possessions will never satisfy. Their futile faith in dead idols and dead works can never bring life or meaning to their souls. Blind men can only create blind things. Those deaf to God can only make a deaf image. Dead men can only create dead idols. And everyone who trusts in these powerless, dead things will be just like what they worship— powerless and dead.
Catch that. So is everyone who trusts in them. If you serve idols, it blinds your eyes and more. Now consider this: Even your watchman's ministry can become an idol to you. One has to remember what Paul told the church at Colossae: Do everything you do as unto the Lord (see Col. 3:23). That even means watching. Although we should always be watchful, we shouldn't make an idol out of our ministry. We are not our ministry. We are sons and daughters of God. Too many have made an idol out of ministry and seen their families fall apart.
ARE YOU SWEARING DECEITFULLY?
The psalmist gives a last qualification for ascending—not swearing deceitfully. What does this mean, you might wonder? God is looking for a people, "whose hearts are true and sealed by the truth, those who never deceive, whose words are sure" (Ps. 24:4 TPT). The Message puts it this way: "Men who won't cheat, women who won't seduce."
God takes deceit seriously. As a matter of fact, "He who works deceit shall not dwell within my house; he who tells lies shall not continue in my presence" (Ps. 101:7). That should put the fear of the Lord into a watchman and cause him to cry out, "Deliver my soul, O Lord, from lying lips and from a deceitful tongue" (Ps. 120:2). If you want to ascend, you need to put away all deceit (see 1 Pet. 2:1).
BE SPIRITUALLY AWARE
Cultivating a watchman's eye means disciplining yourself to be spiritually aware. You might also call this spiritually awake. Jesus warned us to stay awake at all times (see Luke 21:36). That doesn't mean we can't sleep at night; it speaks of being spiritually aware of what is going on in the unseen realm. Jesus charged all believers with staying awake at all times. How much more so the watchman.
Paul wrote, "Accordingly then, let us not sleep, as the rest do, but let us keep wide awake (alert, watchful, cautious, and on our guard) and let us be sober (calm, collected, and circumspect)" (1 Thess. 5:6 AMPC). Paul also told the church at Ephesus to be "watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints" (Eph. 6:18), and Peter told us to "be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers" (1 Pet. 4:7 ESV).
In my book Seer Activations I offer over 100 activations to help you train your spiritual eyes. One of the activations
is called "See Spiritual Awareness." This is part and parcel to developing a watchman's eye. Here is one of the entries that will help you:
According to The Seer's Dictionary, spiritual awareness is being intentionally aware of your spiritual surroundings, including discerning atmospheres, climates, spiritual warfare, and disturbances in the spirit; a state of being spiritual alert that comes from walking in the light of God (see Col. 1:3)
Jesus was aware of the reasonings of men's hearts. After He fed the masses with a few loaves and fishes, Jesus told His disciples to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod. Mark 8:16-18 records:
And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "It is because we have no bread." But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, "Why do you reason because you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive nor understand? Is your heart still hardened? Having eyes, do you not see? And having ears, do you not hear? And do you not remember?"
Over and over again in Scripture, we see Jesus walked in spiritual awareness. You can practice this. Pray this prayer
Father, in the name of Jesus, help me to be spiritually aware. Give me the grace to enter into a seer dimension in which I am aware of spiritual atmospheres, demonic agendas, the thoughts and intentions of people's hearts in situations. Teach me by Your Spirit to be spiritually aware as Jesus was when He walked in the earth.
Chapter 6
ENGAGING WITH ANGEL AND DEMON
WATCHERS
ATCHMEN watch and watchmen pray, but watchmen must also war. Spiritual warfare skills are an absolute necessity in the watchman's repertoire—a key issue in the making of a watchman. While the watchman never stops watching, the watchman's operations can suddenly shift according to what is happening in the spirit realm. The watchman, for example, may start out watching the war in the heavenlies from his station, discerning the spirits at work to oppose God's will, and swiftly find himself engaged in the battle against demon powers.
Watchmen, then, must become well-versed with spiritual warfare tactics and strategies that force him out of the scene. And beyond spiritual warfare 101, the watchman needs an understanding of the spirit beings they are watching for and warring against. Those spirit beings include various demonic personalities and principalities. Indeed, watchmen will encounter demonic resistance to watching and praying and must learn how to battle through to see, hear, and make intercession. Watchmen need to learn how to work with angels for ultimate success.
Engaging with angels and demons starts with the understanding that the watchman is in a war. Ephesians 6:12 tells us more about the warfare watchmen face:
For we are not wrestling with flesh and blood [contending only with physical opponents], but against the despotisms, against the powers,
against [the master spirits who are] the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spirit forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) sphere (AMPC).
THE WRESTLING WATCHMAN
Paul the apostle describes our combat with the devil as a wrestling match. Watchmen must become professionals in spiritual wrestling. Amateur wrestlers will struggle. The Greek word for wrestling in Ephesians 6:12 is pallo. The New Testament KJV Greek Lexicon defines it as, "a contest between two in which each endeavors to throw the other, and which is decided when the victor is able to hold his opponent down with his hand upon his neck; the term is transferred to the Christian's struggle with the power of evil."
Wrestling implies a close struggle. Naturally speaking, a wrestling match is a competition between two wrestlers. You can win by pinning your opponent to the mat, win by default if the opponent doesn't show up, win by injury, or win by disqualification. The enemy wants to pin you to the mat with oppression, fool you into not picking up your weapons, or tempt you into sin so he can disqualify you. Most of the wrestling you do with the enemy is in your mind.
Demons try to choke you—or put you in a stranglehold. In the wrestling world, a stranglehold is an illegal hold that chokes the opponent. Merriam-Webster calls it a "force or influence that chokes or suppresses freedom of movement or expression." If the wrestler doesn't break free from the stranglehold, the lack of blood or air can cause him to black out. Translating this to our spiritual realities, the enemy wants to choke the Word of God out of your mouth so you can't wield your sword of the Spirit or pray. The enemy
wants to choke out the revelation of who you are in Christ and your authority over him.
We don't have the space in this book to go in-depth on spiritual warfare. I developed the School of Spiritual Warfare at SchooloftheSpirit.tv to teach 18 courses on this topic, and I have written many books. The key here is to bring awareness that the watchman has an enemy, an opponent to his mission. Paul tells us plainly in Second Corinthians 2:11 not to be ignorant of the devil's devices. The word devices in Second Corinthians 2:11 comes from the Greek word noema, according to the lexicon. It means a material perception, "a mental perception, thought; an evil purpose; that which thinks, the mind, thoughts or purposes."
The Greek word for ignorant in that verse is agnoeo, which in this context means "to be ignorant, not to know; not to understand, unknown," according to The KJV New Testament Greek Lexicon. We must be a student of God and His Word, but God warns about the enemy's nature, character, and ploys—and gives us clear examples of his machinations against the saints—throughout Scripture. Clearly, God does wants us to understand the enemy's devices. Some translations say "sly ways," "schemes," "designs," "intentions," and "thoughts."
God has given you weapons to push back the darkness. Paul said, "For the weapons of our warfare are not physical [weapons of flesh and blood], but they are mighty before God for the overthrow and destruction of strongholds" (2 Cor. 10:4 AMPC). The Passion Translation puts it this way:
For although we live in the natural realm, we don't wage a military campaign employing human weapons, using manipulation to achieve our aims. Instead, our spiritual weapons are energized with divine power to effectively dismantle the defenses behind which people hide.
WRESTLING DEMONIC WATCHERS
Beyond principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness and spiritual wickedness in high places that watchmen may have to wrestle in spiritual warfare, there are also demonic watchers that will work to spy out the watchman's plans. Maybe you've never heard of demonic watchers. Have you heard of watcher angels? The Bible speaks of watcher angels three times, all in the Book of Daniel.
Daniel 4:13 reads: "I saw in the visions of my head while on my bed, and there was a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven." Daniel 4:17 tells us:
This decision is by the decree of the watchers, and the sentence by the word of the holy ones, in order that the living may know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, gives it to whomever He will, and sets over it the lowest of men.
And Daniel 4:23 reveals:
And inasmuch as the king saw a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven and saying, "Chop down the tree and destroy it, but leave its stump and roots in the earth, bound with a band of iron and bronze in the tender grass of the field; let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let him graze with the beasts of the field, till seven times pass over him."
The Hebrew word for watcher in these verses is iyr (eer). According to The KJV Old Testament Hebrew Lexicon, it means, "waking, watchful, wakeful one, watcher, angel." The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia describes watcher angels as servants of God who "possess a certain
joint authority to speak the decrees of God, and apparently form a heavenly council who listen to God's word and then act as divine messengers to bring these commands and revelations to human beings."
If there are watcher angels, don't you think there are watcher demons? The enemy counterfeits and perverts what God has established because he wants to be like God. God never created anything evil, but living creatures have a free will. We see the operation of a watcher demon assigned to Paul's ministry in Acts 16:16-19:
Now it happened, as we went to prayer, that a certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling. This girl followed Paul and us, and cried out, saying, "These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation." And this she did for many days.
But Paul, greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, "I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her." And he came out that very hour. But when her masters saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to the authorities.
Yes, this was a spirit of divination. But it was also a watcher demon. Watcher demons can work through people, objects, animals, dogs, cats, birds, flies, and bees are common agents of these evil watchers. People influenced by a monitoring spirit will seek out information. They will ask more questions than are normal. They will insert themselves into your private affairs. If you share information with
someone influenced by a monitoring spirit, you'll notice your plans are thwarted.
Watcher demons gather evidence against you to take to the courts of heaven and hold back your blessing. Watcher demons look for your weaknesses. Watcher demons report your words that are not in line with God's Word so the enemy can snare you with the words of your mouth (see Prov. 6:2). Watcher demons specifically empower the work of harassing spirits, hindering spirits, delay spirits, and sabotaging spirits. They feed these spirits information. Watcher demons can influence your thoughts through vain imaginations. Watcher demons are patient.
How do you deal with watcher demons? This could be a book in and of itself, but the bottom line is you bind them and blind them—release double fire against them. Decree Scriptures promising angelic protection. Watcher demons are entities watchmen have to guard against. I suggest saying a preemptive prayer before you set yourself on your guard post. You can pray this: "Father, in the name of Jesus, I bind and blind all monitoring spirits. I roast them with fire. Lord, release watcher angels to combat the watcher demons in my midst and eradicate them from my presence once and for all."
THE WATCHMAN-ANGEL PARTNERSHIP
Here's what we need to understand as watchman intercessors: Every prayer you pray is met with resistance. Sometimes you feel like your prayers are hitting a hard heaven because of the spiritual climate in a city. Sometimes you feel your prayers' answers are being held back. As I mentioned earlier, principalities and powers are going to resist your intercessory prayer answers because they do not want God to get the glory. God gets glory when your Spirit-
inspired prayers are answered because His will is done on earth as it is in heaven.
But I have good news. Only one third of the angels are on satan's side. Two-thirds of the heavenly host did not follow lucifer in his insurrection and they are working for God and His people—and I'm not so sure God didn't create more to replace the ones He kicked out of heaven. Watchmen must come to understand the ministry of angels and how to work with angels to see God's will come to pass.
Whether or not you've ever seen an angel, you can understand their operations in the spirit realm. Hebrews 1:13-14 offers us some insight into their overall assignment in the earth in this age: "But to which of the angels has He ever said: 'Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool'? Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?"
Angels are spirit beings. God sends them to minister to His people. In fact, twice in Scripture we see angels sent to strengthen Jesus—in the wilderness and in the Garden of Gethsemane. If Jesus received the ministry of angels, shouldn't we? Consider this: Demons minister against the heirs of salvation. Angels work for you. If I could pull back the curtain on the spirit realms, you would see an epic war going on. Watchmen need to learn how to work with angels.
BENEFITS OF A WATCHMAN-ANGEL PARTNERSHIP
Beyond watcher angels sharing messages with the watchmen, I've realized many benefits of working with angels. There are five key benefits in which we need to be confident: 1) angels don't sleep; 2) angels have supernatural strength; 3) angels are smart; 4) angels obey God; 5) angels travel at the speed of light. Let's explore each benefit.
Angels don't need to rest. Revelation 4:8 reveals: "The four living creatures had six wings each, and they were covered with eyes all around. All day and night, without ceasing, they were saying: '"Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty," who was, and is, and is to come'" (MEV). Angels minister day and night without ceasing. Like God, they never sleep or slumber. We can't war and sleep at the same time, but angels can fight for us while we sleep. We get weary in the warfare. Angels don't get weary. Ever.
Angels have supernatural strength. Second Thessalonians 1:7 says angels are mighty and Revelation 18:1 tells us they have great power. Psalm 103:20 says they excel in strength. Demons have supernatural strength, and our human strength is no match for them. We can't go toe to toe with demons in our own strength, but warring angels can battle demons face to face.
Angels have an intellect and are wise. Second Samuel 14:20 speaks of the "wisdom of angels." Angels have the capability to think. Angels are not mindless spirits. Angels aren't heavenly robots that wait on every instruction from God to move in a battle. They aren't computer programmed. They have wisdom in warfare and they can strategize in the battle. Warring angels are experienced.
Angels are always obedient to God's Word. "Bless the Lord, you His angels, who are mighty, and do His commands, and obey the voice of His word" (Ps. 103:20 MEV). Angels will never leave you in the lurch. They will never betray God, and God will never betray you; therefore, angels will never leave you hanging.
Angels travel with lightning speed. Revelation 8 and 9 show angels moving rapidly through heaven. Angels are beings of light that move at light speed, which is 186,000 miles per second. Actually, it's been said angels travel at the speed of thought. These ministering spirits can be there to help you in the battle as fast as you can think about it.
Angels don't pray for us. Jesus Himself, a far greater one, is praying for us. But angels can fight the demons to bring us the prayer answers. Many of us believe all this, but we're not mindful of the angels while we're making intercession. Or we use rote prayers, like, "God, send Your angels." But we are not truly working with angels as a partnership, empowering them as agents on earth to do God's will.
WATCHMAN INTERCESSION RELEASES A WAR IN THE HEAVENS
Watchman intercession releases a war in the heavens. When we pray according to God's will, He hears and answers our prayers, according to First John 5:14. But we know the devil sometimes hears us pray and positions himself to interfere with the answer delivery. We also know the enemy sees things in the spirit we don't see. Demonic powers can clearly see the angels that are delivering your prayer answers or working behind the scenes to execute God's will even when you can't.
You're familiar with Daniel's intercession for Israel and what happened next. An angel came to visit him:
Then he said to me, "Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia. Now I have come to make you understand what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision refers to many days yet to come" (Daniel 10:12-14).
Skipping down to Daniel 10:20-21, we see Daniel's conversation with the angel continue.
Then he said, "Do you know why I have come to you? And now I must return to fight with the prince of Persia; and when I have gone forth, indeed the prince of Greece will come. But I will tell you what is noted in the Scripture of Truth. (No one upholds me against these, except Michael your prince)."
We know this battle was 21 days. We also know some battles are longer than 21 days. This is why the watchman must stay in the wrestling match, tagging out with other intercessors as necessary. This is why, also, watchmen need to band together with intercessors. One can put a thousand to flight, and two can put ten thousand to flight (see Josh. 23:10). Remember, the angel said he came for Daniel's words. Our words attract demons and angels. Some watchmen intercessors sound mighty in prayer but disbelief hits them when circumstances don't work out and they cancel out their prayers with words of frustration of fear. Again, our words attract demons and angels. Let that sink in.
YOU ARE THE VOICE OF GOD'S WORD
Bless the Lord, you His angels, who excel in strength, who do His word, heeding the voice of His word (Psalm 103:20).
You are the voice of God's Word in the earth, just like you are His body, His hands, His feet, etc. God can command dispatch angels in heaven to do His bidding in response to your prayers. He can answer a prayer however He chooses,
but the angels also come for your words. The angels come to the voice of God's Word in your mouth.
The Passion Translation of Psalm 103:20 reads, "So bless the Lord, all his messengers of power, for you are his mighty heroes who listen intently to the voice of his word to do it." God's Word does not return to Him void, but it accomplishes what He sends it to do (see Isa. 55:11). God's Word will also accomplish what you send it to do, many times with the help of angels.
When you pray, speak, or decree the word in faith, angels' ears perk up and they set out to battle in the heavens against demonic interference. Remember how the intercessors worked with angels to help Peter get free? I doubt the intercessors understood they were working with angels, but that's what was happening. How much more confident and powerful can we be in prayer when we get the revelation that we're literally working with angels. Consider the impact of Peter's intercessors in Acts 12:1-11:
Now about that time Herod the king stretched out his hand to harass some from the church. Then he killed James the brother of John with the sword. And because he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to seize Peter also. Now it was during the Days of Unleavened Bread. So when he had arrested him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four squads of soldiers to keep him, intending to bring him before the people after Passover.
Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church. And when Herod was about to bring him out, that night Peter was sleeping, bound with two chains between two soldiers; and the guards before the door were keeping the prison. Now behold, an
angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the prison; and he struck Peter on the side and raised him up, saying, "Arise quickly!" And his chains fell off his hands. Then the angel said to him, "Gird yourself and tie on your sandals"; and so he did. And he said to him, "Put on your garment and follow me." So he went out and followed him, and did not know that what was done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. When they were past the first and the second guard posts, they came to the iron gate that leads to the city, which opened to them of its own accord; and they went out and went down one street, and immediately the angel departed from him.
And when Peter had come to himself, he said, "Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent His angel, and has delivered me from the hand of Herod and from all the expectation of the Jewish people."
You can also ask God to send angels to help you fight. Remember, watchman, you have angels assigned to you. Not all of them are warring angels, but some of us have warring angels on assignment for us depending on our call. Jesus had warring angels at His disposal. Mat-thew 26:51-53 reads:
And suddenly, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword, struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear. But Jesus said to him, "Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword. Or do you think that I cannot now pray to
My Father, and He will provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels?"
If God would do it for Jesus, He'll do it for you. First John 4:17 tells us as Jesus is, we are in this world. We have His delegated authority. We don't command angels or pray to them, but we can decree God's Word into a situation and angels will respond.
ACTIVATING ANGELS OF WAR
Also called warring angels, God sends angels on an assignment to fight for His people in times of war. In the Old Testament, we see examples of this in the physical realm. In the New Testament—in the Book of Revelation—we see a war in the heavens. Listen in to this startling account in Second Kings 19:34-35:
"For I will protect this city to save it, for My own sake and for the sake of David My servant." On that night the angel of the Lord went out and struck one hundred and eighty-five thousand in the camp of the Assyrians. When others woke up early in the morning, these were all dead bodies (MEV).
As mighty as David was in battle—after all, he defeated Goliath with a sling and a stone when the rest of the children of Israel were shaking in their boots and sang songs about how he slew tens of thousands (see 1 Sam. 18:7)—he still called on angels of war in times of distress. David prayed to the Lord to send angels on assignment to fight for him in war in Psalm 35. You'll notice how David depends on the Lord, but calls for the angels.
Plead my cause, O Lord, with my adversaries; fight those who fight me. Take hold of the large shield and small shield, and rise up for my help. Draw the spear and javelin against those who pursue me. Say to my soul, "I am Your salvation." May those who seek my life be ashamed and humiliated; may those who plan my injury be turned back and put to shame. May they be as chaff before the wind, and may the angel of the Lord cast them down. May their way be dark and slippery, and may the angel of the Lord pursue them. For without cause they have hidden their net for me in a pit, which they have dug without cause for my soul (Psalm 35:1-7 MEV).
In the Book of Revelation, we read about an epic war between good and evil—a battle between the archangel Michael and his angels and a cohort of demons. The dramatic account is recorded in Revelation 12:6-8, demonstrating the warring nature of some angels on assignment:
The woman fled into the wilderness where she has a place prepared by God, that they may nourish her there for one thousand two hundred and sixty days. Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, nor was there a place for them in heaven any longer.
ASK GOD TO OPEN YOUR EYES
When you start praying, the battle is on. If God pulled back the curtain on the spirit realm, you would see how your
prayers fuel the battle. As a watchman, maybe you'll see it. Elisha's servant did.
In Elisha's day, the king of Syria was warring against Israel. The prophet Elisha gave the Israelites a marked advantage—he was able to hear the words Syria's king spoke in his bedroom and relayed them to the king of Israel (see 2 Kings 6:12). The Syrian king wanted Elisha stopped and sent out horses and chariots and a great army to fetch him. When he saw the Syrian army surrounded the city, Elisha's servant got scared.
And his servant said to him, "Alas, my master! What shall we do?" So he answered, "Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them." And Elisha prayed, and said, "Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see." Then the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha (2 Kings 6:15-17).
What confidence Elisha's servant must have gained—not just in that moment but throughout his walk with the Lord. And that brings me to Paul's prayer for the church at Ephesus, which is something I would suggest praying over yourself daily. In this prayer, Paul asks the Lord to open the believers' eyes for a specific purpose—a purpose that is sure to spark faith in soul and spirit:
Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge
of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power (Ephesians 1:15-19).
Chapter 7
WATCHING FOR THE KING OF GLORY
OU might get the idea that the watchman's ministry is all about warnings of sin, sounding alarms when danger is approaching, or discerning enemy attacks. Although that is the major thrust of the watchman's ministry, there's a lesser-discussed function that's just as important—watching for the King of Glory and His holy angels. The making of a modern-day watchman must have an emphasis on watching for the Lord.
Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for missing the day of their visitation (see Luke 19:44). God wants us to be aware of His presence so we can cooperate with the move of the Holy Spirit. He wants us to discern angelic activity so we can work with angels. If we're stuck on watching demons, we could miss the King of Glory. A balanced watchman sees the danger, but lifts up his eyes to see the glory of the Lord approaching to prepare a people for visitation. Psalm 24:710 tells us:
Lift up your heads, O you gates! And be lifted up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O you gates! Lift up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, He is the King of glory. Selah.
The watchman should be as proficient at seeing the approaching King of Glory as he is seeing the sin of mankind
or the enemy prowling around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour. But God's glory can manifest in many different ways. We have to understand the glory of God to rightly recognize it. Some years ago, at a time when we were usually seeing glory manifestations in our ministry, I prophesied about the glory of God.
My glory is not to be taken lightly. My glory is not to be mocked. My glory is to be entered into with reverence, with holy fear and trembling, with awe. For I am indeed pouring out My glory more and more as the darkness begins to rise in the earth. I am determined that My people not only taste and see My glory, but walk in My glory to demonstrate to a lost world that I am a living God and a loving God.
I am looking for carriers of My glory who will steward My presence and release My gifts without seeking their own glory. I am looking for those who will host My presence with Kingdom understanding and look beyond a single meeting to the transformative power of My Spirit in the earth. I am calling on you now to press into My glory, not for your sake but for the sake of the nations. My glory will indeed cover the earth like the waters cover the sea.
EZEKIEL WATCHED FOR GOD'S GLORY
When we think of Ezekiel, we're quick to point to the "blood on your hands" verses, but the watchman prophet was as much a glory watcher as a sin watcher. If you have the ability to see the sin and the demons, you have the ability to see the King of Glory and His angels. As a matter of fact, before Ezekiel was anointed as the "blood on your hands" watchman, he saw visions of God.
In Ezekiel 1, the vision starts with a whirlwind coming out of the north. He saw four living creatures, each with the likeness of man, each with four faces and four wings. What a sight! He goes into great detail about the four living creatures and what they did before going on to describe the vision of the wheel within a wheel, with rims full of eyes. It's a dramatic vision that should inspire watchmen and seers. Finally, in Ezekiel 1:26-28:
And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne in appearance like a sapphire stone, and seated above the likeness of a throne was a likeness with the appearance of a Man.
From what had the appearance of His waist upward, I saw a lustre as it were glowing metal with the appearance of fire enclosed round about within it; and from the appearance of His waist downward, I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and there was brightness [of a halo] round about Him.
Like the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud on the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face and I heard a voice of One speaking (AMPC).
Ezekiel saw the glory of God. I believe God gave him this experience before calling him to deal with the sin in the land so that he would have a proper perspective. While watchmen deal with a lot of demons, we have to learn how to keep God at the center of our focus. God is omnipresent. He is everywhere all the time. In Psalm 139:7-12, David wrote:
Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me. If I say, "Surely the darkness shall fall on me," even the night shall be light about me; indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, but the night shines as the day; the darkness and the light are both alike to You.
THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE GLORY
After years of my ministry being marked by spiritual warfare, I became a student of the glory of God. The Bible uses various words for glory over 350 times. It's one of the foundational themes in Scripture. The easiest definition of glory is God's manifest presence. In that presence, He demonstrates His goodness and His power through signs, wonders, and miracles. It's important to discern the glory of God or we will miss our visitation. Ruth Ward Heflin wrote:
The glory of God is bringing revival, and if we want more revival we must make room for the glory. This is the greatest need of the hour. …Our failure to make room for the glory in our services is the most common reason that the glory is not seen and experienced in church after church across America and around the world. I believe that most of the necessary elements are in place, but we simply don't give God a chance. We don't make room for Him to work. We don't make room for the glory. …When you discover things that seem to contribute to the glory, do those things
more; and when you find things that seem to diminish the glory, stop doing them. It's as simple as that.1
What I've discovered through study and practical experience is that the glory of God manifests in many different ways. You may discern it in your spirit or see in the spirit the glory of God in more than one realization.
SET A FIRE DOWN IN MY SOUL
When I was in Singapore in 2017, the Lord assigned fire angels to me. We know the Angel of the Lord appeared to Moses in a flame of fire in a bush (see Exod. 3:2). And Psalm 104:4 calls angels spirits who are "a flame of fire." In Revelation 14:18, the Bible speaks of an angel who has power of fire. Ever since God assigned angels of fire, I've seen fire manifestations of glory in my ministry. I can sense those angels of fire.
The Bible makes a direct connection between fire and glory again and again. We first see this in Exodus 24:17: "The sight of the glory of the Lord was like a consuming fire on the top of the mountain in the eyes of the children of Israel." And again in Deuteronomy 5:24:
And you said: "Surely the Lord our God has shown us His glory and His greatness, and we have heard His voice from the midst of the fire. We have seen this day that God speaks with man; yet he still lives."
Fire represents the purifying power of God—holiness. Visions of God in His glory across the pages of the Bible— both Old and New Testaments—showcase fire. Zechariah 2:5 reveals, "'For I,' says the Lord, 'will be a wall of fire all
around her, and I will be the glory in her midst.'" And Isaiah 10:16 reads: "Therefore the Lord, the Lord of hosts, will send leanness among his fat ones; and under his glory He will kindle a burning like the burning of a fire." After the Solomon dedicated the temple:
Fire came down from the heavens and consumed the burnt offering and sacrifices, and the glory of the Lord filled the temple. And the priests were not able to enter into the house of the Lord, for the glory of the Lord filled the Lord's house. And all the sons of Israel saw when the fire came down and the glory of the Lord came on the temple, and they bowed their faces low to the ground on the pavement, and they worshipped confessing, "The Lord is good, and His mercy endures forever" (2 Chronicles 7:1-3 MEV).
VISIBLE GLORY CLOUDS
I have seen glory clouds on many occasions. The first time was the most striking because, well, it was the first time. I was ministering in Nicaragua. Actually, I was the running the camera in the meeting when I saw what looked like a mist or haze between me and the preacher. It was like a wall of mist that seemed thick, yet translucent at the same time. I tried to photograph it but it did not show up on film. The preacher later told me it was the glory of God.
We see what we call the "glory cloud" as one of the first visual manifestations of God's glory in the Bible. Exodus 13:21 recounts, "The Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light, so that they might travel by day and by night" (MEV). And in Exodus 16:10:
Now it came to pass, as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the children of Israel, that they looked toward the wilderness, and behold, the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud.
The Bible doesn't stop there. Exodus 24:16 shares, "Now the glory of the Lord rested on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days. And on the seventh day He called to Moses out of the midst of the cloud." And Exodus 40:34-35 reads:
Then the cloud covered the tabernacle of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. And Moses was not able to enter the tabernacle of meeting, because the cloud rested above it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.
You might think, "Well, that was just an Exodus thing. It's part of the signs and wonders God showed to His people through the deliverance from the Egyptians." No, we see glory clouds again in Numbers 16:42:
Now it happened, when the congregation had gathered against Moses and Aaron, that they turned toward the tabernacle of meeting; and suddenly the cloud covered it, and the glory of the Lord appeared.
And in case you are saying, "Well, that was just a Moses thing," consider First Kings 8:10-11, "And it came to pass, when the priests came out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of the Lord, so that the priests could not continue ministering because of the cloud; for the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord." And Ezekiel 1:28, "Like the appearance of a rainbow in a cloud on a rainy day,
so was the appearance of the brightness all around it. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. So when I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard a voice of One speaking."
It's true that some people claim glory clouds do not exist. However, glory clouds are real and you can see them with your natural eyes. That said, I have discovered that not everyone can see the glory clouds I see, which tells me there are times when I am seeing the clouds in the spirit before they manifest in the natural dimension.
THE SOUND OF GLORY
When I was in Virginia ministering, I saw lightnings in my spirit and heard thunder. That's when I learned that glory can manifest as a sound. Perhaps the most known example is on the Day of Pentecost at the birth of the church. Acts 2:1-4 recounts the historic day:
When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Can you imagine hearing that sound? Many times in Scripture, the Spirit-inspired authors did not have adequate words to describe what they were seeing, hearing, or feeling. They did the best they could—and so do we. Ezekiel must have struggled to find words to describe what he experienced, but he wrote, "And behold, the glory of the
God of Israel came from the way of the east. His voice was like the sound of many waters; and the earth shone with His glory" (Ezek. 43:2).
In Exodus, we see a dramatic scene with sound, visuals, and fire. Try to imagine this as you read it:
Then it came to pass on the third day, in the morning, that there were thunderings and lightnings, and a thick cloud on the mountain; and the sound of the trumpet was very loud, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled. And Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. Now Mount Sinai was completely in smoke, because the Lord descended upon it in fire. Its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked greatly. And when the blast of the trumpet sounded long and became louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him by voice (Exodus 19:16-19).
WHEN GLORY FALLS LIKE RAIN
Have you ever seen it raining on the inside? At my first women's conference at Awakening House of Prayer, we saw it rain on the inside. It was the glory of God. The result— every woman with any kind of ailment was healed. We saw miracles in the glory. I believe the rain comes out of the glory cloud, whether you can see it or not.
Job 37:11 says God loads the thick clouds with moisture. And Zechariah 10:1 says, "Ask for rain from the Lord during the season of the latter spring rains. And the Lord will make the storm winds; and He will give them showers of rain; all will have vegetation in the field." You can expect many of things in the rain of God's glory. On a morning prayer call
the Lord once announced a season of rain. Here's what the Lord said to me:
I will shower from above and the rain clouds will rain down righteousness and blessing upon you. You have waited and you have wanted and you have even wandered around in a desert place, a land of cracked, dry ground. But I called you in that season to break up the fallow ground so that I could prepare it, so that I could prepare you for the rain showers that are coming, the blessings that would come down like a deluge.
I will flood your heart with blessings, and I will flood your mind with revelations, and you will come to see and know that what the enemy meant for harm I intended for good. In this next season, the season of the rain, you will make up for lost time. And where you were thirsty and where you were hungry for the blessing, you will hunger and thirst for righteousness only. For the blessing will chase you down and overtake you.
And you will not have to wonder and worry any more about where the blessing will come from. Whatever the blessing is, whatever it is you need, whatever it is you want, whatever desires I have put in your heart—you will begin to see some of these things come to pass even from decades past. The enemy has shut up the heavens over your life for a little too long, and I have heard your cries and I have come down to deliver you and to bring the rain.
BRIGHT WHITE LIGHT
One definition of glory is light, so it's not surprising that God would manifest His glory as bright white light. When my daughter was a small girl, I prayed in her room against evil
spirits—to evict them. At the end of the prayer, a bright white light shone in the room. God was manifesting His glory as a sign that His light displaced the darkness.
We see the glory of the Lord connected with light in Ezekiel 10:1-5:
And I looked, and there in the firmament that was above the head of the cherubim, there appeared something like a sapphire stone, having the appearance of the likeness of a throne. Then He spoke to the man clothed with linen, and said, "Go in among the wheels, under the cherub, fill your hands with coals of fire from among the cherubim, and scatter them over the city." And he went in as I watched.
Now the cherubim were standing on the south side of the temple when the man went in, and the cloud filled the inner court. Then the glory of the Lord went up from the cherub, and paused over the threshold of the temple; and the house was filled with the cloud, and the court was full of the brightness of the Lord's glory. And the sound of the wings of the cherubim was heard even in the outer court, like the voice of Almighty God when He speaks.
One of the most remarkable manifestations of God's glory as light happened after I hiked up into the Smokey Mountains of North Carolina. It was an arduous climb and exhausting. The day after this hike I ventured out onto a rock that extended into the river to sit in silence. The water was rushing and every now and then some of the freezing waves would crash on to the rock. As I sat in silence, the Lord told me to dip in the river seven times and He would peel away issues that hindered me from receiving His love.
I thought, No way, that water is freezing. Honestly, I had only been saved about two years. I didn't even know the story of Naaman the leper and Elisha's instruction for the Syrian army commander to wash in the river seven times. I thought it sounded strange, but I knew it was the Lord and obeyed. I think I screamed seven times, once for each time I dipped my body into the icy water.
After all that screaming and the freezing baptism, I was out of breath. I had no towel, so I laid on the rock. Suddenly, light from heaven shone down on me. The light was full of warmth. I was not cold anymore. It was the bright white light of the Lord warming me. That experience, I will never forget. Before he was Paul the apostle, Saul the Pharisee had a glory encounter I'm sure he'll never forget. We read it in Acts 9:1-9:
Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?"
And he said, "Who are You, Lord?" Then the Lord said, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads." So he, trembling and astonished, said, "Lord, what do You want me to do?"
Then the Lord said to him, "Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do." And the men who journeyed with him stood
speechless, hearing a voice but seeing no one. Then Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened he saw no one. But they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank."
DUST, WIND, AND OIL
There are many other manifestations of God's glory. Some are visible, and some are invisible.
For example, I believe the glory dust comes out of the glory clouds, whether you can see the cloud or not. We've had glory dust appear in our Bibles at Awakening House of Prayer. This is biblical. Isaiah 60:2 tells us, "For the darkness shall cover the earth and deep darkness the peoples; but the Lord shall rise upon you, and His glory shall be seen upon you" (MEV).
In the 1970s, Kathryn Kuhlmann invited a foreign couple to come up to the platform. She told them, "The Lord has something for you." As they started coming, a strong wind blew and made it difficult for them to keep walking forward. They had to lean forward so they wouldn't fall over. Their clothes were flapping in the wind. The wind was only blowing in the center aisle. Kathryn thought it was funny and told them, "Don't be afraid, dear ones, that's the wind of the Holy Spirit blowing on you."
I haven't aimed to exhaust the whole list. We've seen oil on hands, weeping, feelings of electric shock waves, falling out in the spirit. Yes, there are excesses and even fakes in the realm of glory. But we can't deny it. The watchmen must look for signs of the King of Glory coming so we can prepare to receive Him in all His glory.
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