February 2000

                The word, "PULPIT", is found only once in Scripture in Neh 8:1-6, "All the people gathered as one man in the square by the water gate; and asked Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses which the Lord had sent a messenger to give to Israel. Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly of both men and women on the first day of the seventh month; [Note: the people asked only for the "scribe" to bring them the Word; but it was a "priest" God sent to bring His Word so] all could hear with understanding! And He read...from early morning till noon (4-6 hours) and all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law! Then Ezra (lit." helper"). ..stood high on a PULPIT OF WOOD which the people made for this purpose; and on his right hand stood: Mattithiah (lit. "Reward of God"), Shema (lit. "Hearing with understanding"), Anaiah (lit. "God has covered"), Urijah (lit. "Flame of God"), Hilkiah (lit. "God’s portion"), and Maaseiah (lit. "Work of God"). On his left hand: Pedaiah (lit. "God has ransomed"). Mishael (lit. "Who is like God?"), Malchijah (lit. "King of God"), Hashum (lit. "enriched"), Hash-baddana (lit. "esteemed judge"), Zechariah (lit. " God has remembered"), and Meshullam (lit. " allied in peace").
                 Ezra opened the Book in the sight of all the people; standing high above them; and when he opened it, all the people stood up. Then Ezra blessed the Lord as the Great God, whereby all the people answered him crying, "Amen, Amen" as they lifted up their hands, bowed down their heads and worshipped the Lord with their faces to the ground!!...Now all the people wept when they heard and understood the Words of the Law... and Ezra said to them, ‘This day is holy to our Lord; do not mourn or weep; but go along on your way and eat the fat (symbolizing health and vigor), drink the sweet (representing compassion) and send portions (of the same) to all for whom none is prepared. This day is holy unto our Lord, so do not be sorrowful, for THE JOY OF THE LORD IS YOUR STRENGTH!"
                 These people erected the first "pulpit"- not to elevate a man, but to elevate the Word of the Living God so all could see and hear it! Note the glorious reactions of the people as they heard with understanding. What blessings attended that elevated Word, as symbolized by 6 men on Ezra’s right and 7 on his left- thirteen altogether. (13 = sons of divine glory) This calls to mind Jesus’ Words, "If I (The Word of God) be LIFTED UP from the earth , I WILL DRAW ALL MEN TO ME"! ( Jn 12:32 ) And as surely as He was so lifted up, He shall keep His Promise to draw ALL MEN to Himself!
                 "Pulpit" is from the Hebrew word Migdalah [the same root for "Magdalene", the home of the prostitute, Mary, who was saved by hearing the Word of God; and who was the first to see Christ risen from the dead!] The word lit. means: "Tower or castle". Webster defines pulpit: "An elevated platform; a preaching position"; stemming from "pulp" meaning: "FLESH"! [Pulpits were hewn of wood and in Scripture, ‘wood’’ symbolizes "flesh".]
                 A related dict. word is "podium" defined as: "A low wall used as a foundation". [Here is a type for Jesus Christ, "The FOUNDATION already established in every man" ( 1 Cor 3:11 ). Who said of Himself ( Mt 11:29 ) "I am meek and LOWLY in heart."] Another synonym for pulpit is "pedestal" which is defined as: "A high foot base for an upright structure;a position of esteem." This too is a type of the Christ Who sits at the right hand of God as "King of kings and Lord of lords"; who is the Light of Truth that has been lifted up to draw all men’s hearts back to Himself. But we have read the only way a man can "hear with understanding" is if the messenger of Truth is a "priest"! We are blessed to have just such a High Priest Who is ready, willing and able to bring us the Truth- in fact, the High Priest and the Truth are both one and the same JESUS CHRIST!
                 His Voice, alone, shall carry the Light-bringing, Life-quickening Word to the world. This is why the Holy Spirit is now raising His winnowing fork ! The harvest has begun and it is time to unyoke the Wheat of spiritual Truth from the chaff of fleshly lies in the church. This is typified by the crusade in this country for a total "separation of church and state". As our "Voice of Government"is sounding more and more antichrist each day, the feverish attempts are stepping up to "weed out" any "Voice of Religion" that opposes its agenda . When dictatorships are developing in a nation, their first priority has always been to isolate, catalog, then set about to eliminate all radical or renegade religiosity.
                 For this reason, the Holy Spirit is now exhorting all ministers of the Gospel to examine themselves, their motives and their messages. For when our High Priest ascends His pulpit to deliver a Rhema Word to His people; we must be certain when He is finished that our man of flesh isn’t loathe to relinquish that elevated position and refuse to sit down! Whenever the Holy Spirit lifts the Mantle of Anointing from a minister’s shoulders, there is a moment when SELF rises up- desiring to be "wise in his own eyes"- and seeks to cast a shadow over that Word of Truth with his own word of flesh! This unholy mix creates both a confused doctrine and a confused congregation. While it is true, that for a time. God has allowed this lowly "chaff-word" to be raised up right alongside His holy "Wheat-Word", that time is now finished. THE HARVEST HAS BEGUN!
                 Jesus said, "Heaven and earth will pass away; but My Words will not pass away!" ( Lu 21:33 ) It is time for all "pulpit usurpers" to sit down and hear the Lord of the Harvest say from HIS PULPIT ...."BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD"! Amen.