In these latter days as darkness covers the earth, Jesus promised that the spirit of Elijah would return (Mark 9:2) to proclaim God’s truth and to prompt repentance by demonstrating God’s power on the earth. Jesus knew that by the end of the age, the church would need Elijah’s spirit to overcome the wiles of the enemy and to restore it to God. This prophetic word is declaring that, now, is the time for the faithful servants to ask to receive the spirit of Elijah for the work of the ministry. Also, those who carry the spirit of Elijah will perform great exploits before going on to be the bride of Christ. This word was inspired by a dream which was received the 11th of June 2023 and then interpreted by scripture.
The dream began in a church, where a crowd gathered around a photograph of a bird. Everyone wanted to “see” the bird with its beautiful blue feathers.
After returning home, I kept thinking about the bird. So, I decided to return to the church with my son but when we arrived the door was shut. Standing on the steps I knocked, and the door was opened by a man who invited us to come inside.
This time the church was empty and as I looked for the photograph of the bird, I was disappointed to see that it was gone. Then the man led us to a room where there was a bird cage, housing a bird with pink feathers. This bird was real and alive and the significance of this was overwhelming.
As I looked at the bird the man put some seed in our hands before he opened the cage. Once the door was opened, I experienced a wave of fear, however the man assured me that the bird would do no harm. He then gently lifted the bird out of the cage and placed him on my son’s shoulder.
Sometime later, I was back in the church which was again crowded with people. This time, everyone was focused on the bird sitting on my son’s shoulder.
Church gathered around a photograph of a bird.
The church in the dream is referring to the “believers” who are gathered to minister to Christendom for this present age. The Bible indicates that there will be a great apostasy during the end times and the falling away of an already fallen world. Even while the world grows darker faithful servants are being called to prepare the church in these latter days for the return of Jesus. Their mandate is to strengthen the hearts of those who will make up the bride so that she will be blameless and holy in the presence of God and our Father when the Lord Jesus returns (1 Thess. 3 10-13).
Mathew gives us further prophetic insight when he writes of an end time move of the Spirit, identifiable as the spirit of Elijah, which will come before the terrible day of the Lord and indeed it will be required to prepare the bride for the return of Jesus. He who has ears to hear, let him hear what the Spirit is saying (Mathew 11: 11-15). The prophesied coming of the spirit of Elijah had two fulfillments: firstly, the spirit of Elijah heralded Jesus first coming through John, and now the spirit of Elijah will prepare the way for Jesus’s second coming in the last days.
Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet Before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD.
And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, And the hearts of the children to the fathers.
(Malachi 4:5-6)
The Bird resting on the boy’s shoulder is the spirit of Elijah.
God uses the imagery of birds throughout the bible, and the one Christians identify with the most is the dove, as the Holy Spirit, descending on Jesus. (John 1: 32-33) Therefore, in the context of the dream the “bird” is referring to the anointing of the Holy Spirit or the spirit of Elijah manifesting on believers for the latter-day restoration of the church.
Elijah was given this anointing in the times of the kings of Israel to bring the children of God back to their covenant relationship with God. At this time the nation had turned away from the Lord to worship Baal, encouraged by King Ahab’s marriage to Jezebel. Elijah was given the Spirit or anointing to show Israel the evil of their ways and encourage them to return to the Lord. As we draw closer to the end of the church age, this example is accurate for us as well because many Christians have turned away from the Lord into the apostasy of false teaching (false gods) and evil spirits (Jezebel). We need the spirit of Elijah to return the heart of the Father back to His children and the hearts of the children back to the Father.
Those who wear the mantle, or the spirit of Elijah will perform signs, wonders and miracles. The bible is compiled of spectacular examples of a great many miracles and demonstrations of power. As believers we have read and celebrated as the dead were raised, and the sick were healed, the laws of gravity were entirely suspended as the Spirit divided both rivers and seas, food was multiplied. God blinded the eyes of the enemies, while opening the eyes of His people. These signs and wonders were given to establish God’s people in a right covenant or relationship with Him. During these days God’s servants still need this mantle to establish Gods people in a covenant with Him as well as to fulfill the words of Jesus when He said, “greater works than these shall you do”.
The door was shut, we knocked, and it opened.
The Lord is letting us know that the time has come for the spirit of Elijah to be released within the church. We are to seek after it (knock) because the Lord will give us an open door to have it placed on our life.
Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
For everyone that asked received; and he that seeks finds; and to him that knocks it shall be opened”.
(Mathew 7:7-8).
The door opened and a man standing before us, invited us inside.
When Jesus said knock and it shall be opened to you, He gave us a singular and personal invitation to stand before Him (invited inside). It is here that He will give us the spirit of Elijah for the work of the ministry (son receiving the bird). Elijah’s own ministry demonstrated this pattern as Elijah said when he needed God’s help that he would go and stand before the living God (1Kings 18:15).
The man put some bird seed in our hands, I felt a wave of fear, before he lifted the bird out of the cage.
Our God is an awesome God, so much so, that when He visited the children on Mount Sinai, he produced such dread in their hearts. On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast. Everyone in the camp trembled (Exodus 19:16). Just as the Israelites needed to be prepared to move into God’s supernatural presence, the Holy Spirit has been preparing His servants to carry the spirit of Elijah. The mixed seed placed in our hands represents: life’s experiences and lessons which we received through various means to teach, admonish, and instruct us. Jesus has used our times of trial and testing to prepare us to for this supernatural walk.
John the Baptist walked in the spirit and power of Elijah; however, he was his own person even though he had the same character and mandate as Elijah. Paul talks about being renewed in the spirit of your mind, meaning the character of it (Ephesians 4:23). Our character is further mentioned concerning having the spirit of meekness, or the character of meekness, (1 Corinthians 4:21) and Elisha asked to be blessed with a double portion of Elijah’s spirit, or his character (2 Kings 2:9). Understanding this, John the Baptist was not physically the same man as Elijah, but rather walked in the same character, mandate, giftings, and power as Elijah. As God is wanting to open the door for us to receive, we must prepare our hearts and our minds, by casting off unrighteousness and putting on a Godly character.
Like the prophets before us, those who bear the spirit of Elijah will have a servant heart and they will dwell in the secret place of the most-high to consistently hear and obey the voice of God. Their calling will be to call people back to the truth by demonstrating God’s power on the earth.
A generation moving in the anointing and mantle of Elijah.
The dream highlighting the bird portrays a change coming to the church. Initially in the dream the church was looking at the spirit of Elijah, almost in retrospect, as it was portrayed as a photograph. But then, miraculously a change occurred in the next scene as a young man carried a living bird. The bird was alive, vibrant, changing, and interactive. This is how the spirit of Elijah will impact the church by bringing it to life as the Spirit of God moves through the congregation to restore and renew.
I believe the church moving under the spirit of Elijah is the faithful church described by Jesus in the book of Revelation. When Jesus addressed this church He said, “’I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door. I know that you have a little strength, have kept my word, and not denied my name” (Rev. 3:8). This church will enjoy an open heaven and will not be separated by a wall of partition but will see Him face to face (Daniel 11:32). In a place of intimacy, the people who make up this church will receive everything they need for the ministry. This scripture from Daniel supports this picture when it says, the people who know their God shall be strong and carry out great exploits” (Daniel 11:32). Imagine having the spirit of Elijah (living bird) for the work of the ministry. The spirit of Elijah will be awesome to behold and those who have it will preach the word in power.
When Elijah called for fire to come down from heaven onto the altar at Mount Carmel, the fire was so great that it not only consumed the offering, but the wood, the stones and even the dust. When the Israelites who had formed an allegiance to Baal saw this, they fell prostrate on their faces before Elijah and repeatedly said “the Lord, He is God, the Lord, He is God” (1 Kings 18:38-39)! Elijah demonstrated the power of God to the Israelites to show them who their God was and to restore them to Him.
The church moving in the spirit of Elijah will minister in a similar way to restore the people’s relationship with God. Jesus speaks of this in the next verse when He describes the people who say they are Christians (Jews) but are not because they embraced a false gospel (lie) and therefore belong to the apostate church (synagogue of Satan) (Rev.3:9). These Christians like the Israelites have been subject to false teachers who peddled false doctrines causing them to fall into apostacy. Like the Israelites, once these Christian’s see the power of God and who He is they will repent and humble themselves before the body of Christ. Jesus describes this when He says, “they will come and worship at your feet and they will know that I have loved you” (Rev. 3:9). Restoring Christianity out of apostacy and back into a loving relationship with Jesus is a vital reason for the spirit of Elijah to be operational in the church.
Jesus in the next verse alludes to the fact that this church transformed by the spirit of Elijah will form the bride of Christ. Just like Elijah escaped death and was caught up to heaven, the church of the spirit of Elijah will not see death but will be caught up to heaven. We can read in the second book of Kings the account of Elijah being caught up to heaven in a whirlwind. (2 Kings 2:11-14). Then when we continue in Revelation Jesus says to this church “Because you have fulfilled the command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which will come upon the whole world (Rev. 3:10). In this passage Jesus is alluding to us that this is the church that will be caught up to heaven before the Tribulation. This is the bride of Christ, and this is the reason why the spirit of Elijah must come to prepare the way before Jesus can return. Then Jesus speaks again and says, “behold I am coming quickly” (Rev.3:11)!
How do we prepare?
Jesus’ words indicate that the spirit of Elijah is for all His children as it is on a very intimate and personal level that Jesus is establishing His end time church. The mantle is needed for the ministry as it will assist everyone to take on a prophetic role and to prepare them to fight in the coming battle for the kingdom of God. Now is the time for us to pray for the release of the gift in us so that we will be equipped and ready.