While reading the Book of Ezra, God revealed some amazing parallels and principles regarding the coming “great transfer of wealth”. They can help us to be aligned with the purposes of God to fund the great harvest which has begun. Let’s look at some highlights from one chapter of this incredible book.
The King of Kings Proclaims and Decrees
Ezra 7:12 begins like this, “Artaxerxes, king of kings.” Artaxerxes was boldly declaring his undisputed authority in this introduction. The next part of the verse says, “To Ezra, the priest, a scribe of the Law of the God of Heaven.” In Ezra 7:13, King Artaxerxes declares: “I issue a decree that all those of the people of Israel and the priests and Levites in my realm, who volunteer to go up to Jerusalem, may go with you.”
This powerful decree was made by an all-powerful king to a displaced people who had been in bondage for generations. King Cyrus was the first emperor to authorize a return to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple and the city, but the work had been opposed and hindered for some time, and different emperors had come and gone.
So now King Artaxerxes is reauthorizing the Jews to reclaim their lost possessions in Israel. Those who were comfortable in their lifestyle in Persia and Babylon were allowed to stay, but those who longed for their homeland were encouraged to return to their natural and spiritual roots.
This has a real parallel in the Church today. Do we long to be restored to our glorious roots in the early New Testament Church, or are we content to stay in our more familiar 21st century religious life, as comfortable as that may be?
The Great Transfer of Wealth
Ezra 7:15-22 describes a great transfer of wealth from Persia and Babylon to Judah and Jerusalem. I encourage you to read it prayerfully, as it contains many applicable truth nuggets. Let me summarize some of the most important points. (Photo via freeimages)
1. Unlike Cyrus, Artaxerxes and his counselors personally gave to Ezra generous amounts of gold and silver to restore the temple. Certainly our King of kings has more wealth and is more generous than any earthly potentate.
2. Whatever gold and silver his people could gather from their countrymen, it was to be given for the restoration of the temple. This is a powerful picture of what God wants us to do with all our precious gifts and resources. He wants to beautify His people, His Church, in every land, by bringing His miracle power and His love, joy and peace to them.
3. Ezra and his people were to use the resources for all the needs of the House of God, but whatever was left over could be used for other things that would please God.
4. If there were other needs related to the House of God, they were to charge them to the King’s treasury, and all the treasurers in the region were to give to Ezra, whatever he asked for. This is an incredible statement and should be applied to Kingdom needs today. Remember, this was a decree from the most powerful human being on the planet. But our King of kings is far more powerful than him.
When it comes to the restoration of the Living House of God on this earth, God will not spare any expense, as long as He has stewards who He can trust. I believe that the time is coming very, very soon that the King of kings in Heaven will issue a powerful decree to His Ezra’s and to His angelic hosts that will go something like this:
“I, Jesus Christ of Nazareth, King of kings and Lord of lords, do hereby declare and decree that the time has come to authorize the provision of all the needed resources, both natural and spiritual, to rebuild and restore My House on the earth. I have found the Ezra’s that I can trust with My resources and they shall restore and rebuild My House of Worship. It will become so beautiful that multitudes will behold it in great wonder and desire to become living stones in the House of My Glory. I therefore decree:
“Let now both the finances and spiritual resources be released and continuously replenished under those trusted servants that I have chosen for this responsibility. Let none hinder or limit the work of these modern Ezra’s. I do now release the abundant resources from many secret and hidden places on the earth, and I declare that great amounts of wealth will shift from those who now possess it to those who will use this wealth for My glory.”
I believe we are very close to this abundant provision, because the fields are already ripe for the harvest, and the heart of God is longing for His glory to be seen on the earth.
Ezra’s response is very profound in Ezra 7:27-28, “Blessed be the Lord God of our fathers, Who has put such a thing as this in the king’s heart, to beautify the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem, and has extended mercy to me before the king and his counselors, and before all the king’s mighty princes.”
It was obviously Ezra’s passion to see the temple of Solomon restored and made beautiful once again. To Ezra, it meant so much because it was an earthly picture of a glorious and powerful heavenly King, who dwelt among His people. In short, it represented the glory of His presence.
Who Are the Modern Ezra’s?
Ezra was a trailblazer who had the responsibility to bring some of the wealth of the empire to Jerusalem to restore temple worship. Today’s Ezra’s will also be trailblazers with a similar purpose.
Let’s look at a portrait of Ezra found earlier in this chapter. Ezra 7:1-6, “Now after these things, in the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Ezra the son of Seraiah, the son of Azariah…the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the chief priest—this Ezra came up from Babylon; and he was a skilled scribe in the Law of Moses, which the Lord God of Israel had given. The king granted him all his request, according to the hand of the Lord his God upon him.”
It was this last statement that suddenly grabbed my attention as I read it. Really??? This powerful king granted Ezra everything he asked for, according to God’s hand upon him!!! What favor! What a prophetic picture of what Jesus told His disciples in John 16:23, “Whatever you ask the Father in My name, He will give it to you.”
So what’s the secret of such favor? Let’s take a quick look at the verses above. Here’s a very simplified analysis:
1. Ezra had a priestly heritage as a descendant of Aaron. Priests were intercessors that represented God before the people and the people before God. He was a spiritual leader, able to come and stand before the awesome presence of the Most-High God.
2. But Ezra was also a scribe, or scholar of the Law of Moses. He knew the law and taught the people. He was a man of the written Word of God.
In one man named Ezra, we have a picture of the coming together of the work of the Holy Spirit and the eternal Word of God. We have the one who prays and sacrifices on behalf of others before the Lord, and we have a man who is a scholar and expert in understanding the written Word of God.
God is looking for men and women who not only value the work of the Holy Spirit and His power, but they also know and honor the written Word of God and know how to apply it. Some people may major in the work of the Spirit and others in the Word, but they must respect and honor the others and partner with them.
As was prophesied by Smith Wigglesworth many decades ago that the world will see its greatest revival when the people of the Spirit come together with the people of the Word of God. This will require a letting go of pride and prejudice, which has raised a wall of separation between these two groups.
So where are we today? Are we on the threshold of this Ezra moment in the Kingdom? I have truly seen many encouraging signs. Leaders in some traditionally Cessationist (or Word) denominations now believe that miracles are for today. At the same time, many Charismatic (or Spirit) groups are demonstrating greater humility and helping to bridge the gap between the two camps or streams.
Just recently, I was emailed a church promotion illustrating the coming together of two different streams of Christianity. A well-known leader of one major stream gave amazing compliments to a worship team from a much different stream and will host them in his own mega-church. This is so encouraging. It is the bringing together of the Word and the Spirit and the breaking down of dividing walls.
Another positive sign is that, because of the opposition of society and government to traditional Christian values, both camps are fighting side by side to preserve what the enemy is trying to steal from us. May God give us greater grace to work in unity, as Jesus prayed in John 17.
Are You Called to be an Ezra – For the Great Transfer of Wealth?
If you have a heart to see the Kingdom of Heaven expand on the earth, you may be a candidate for such stewardship. Here are some suggestions:
1. Practice priesthood. Spend time in God’s presence. Get to know His heart and passion. Pray in unity with the King of kings, who is our Great Intercessor and Great High Priest. Also represent Him well before the people He has put in your life. Love them like He would and let the Holy Spirit love them through you.
2. Fall in love with His written Word. Spend time reading with your spiritual ears open, asking Him to teach you the meaning of what He has written. I call it listening for the Rhema Word, while reading the Logos Word.
3. Pray with the same passion that Jesus did for the unity of all His disciples. Categorically reject the status quo, and pray humbly for those who don’t agree with your doctrines. It’s usually our pride in our doctrines that divide us more than our doctrines themselves.
4. Pray that every hindrance to unity will be overcome by the power of God and the power of His humility working through us. Memorize Scriptures like Philippians 2:1-11, and ask God to give you His heart and mind.
Motivation is of Utmost Importance
God will allow us to enjoy many blessings in this life, but He is certainly looking for those who seek first His Kingdom. Ezra was a steward of a great amount of wealth, just like the early apostles in the Book of Acts. God used the wealth brought in by the zealous converts to expand His Kingdom and meet every need. Getting our motives right is a huge step in qualifying us for greater stewardship opportunities.
The harvest is ripe. We are being prepared with powerful harvesting tools, including miracles and various spiritual gifts. But we also anticipate finances to rent or purchase stadiums for great harvest crusades, and purchase influential enterprises, like television and movie making networks to bring professional quality productions of Biblical stories and Christian events. We will see a surge in miracles of all kinds in Biblical proportions and multiplied millions of souls will come into the Kingdom. Huge resources will be needed to spread the Gospel all over the world and into every sphere of society.
May God truly raise up a host of Ezra’s in every nation that can steward well the blessings from the King of kings and Lord of lords!!! Will you be one of His faithful Ezra’s, and steward the natural and spiritual wealth that He desires to provide?
Ben R. Peters
Kingdom Sending Center
Email: ohmint@gmail.com
Website: www.kingdomsendingcenter.org
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