The Days of Elijah

September 10, 2013 – Allen and Diane Lake

And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, “to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,” and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. (Luke 1:16, 17)

A Dream

One night, several years ago, I went to bed with thoughts of a missed inheritance on my mind.  Among other things, my maternal grandparents owned a large portion of land worth millions of dollars, but for some undisclosed reason excluded my mother’s descendants from their will.

My mother died prematurely and had two surviving siblings; they and their descendants inherited the bulk of my grandparent’s will.  By this time, years later, I understood that the Lord considered this an injustice, and that these circumstances were not according to His will.

I had recently learned that the relatives who had inherited this land were considering developing it.  If this happened, it would greatly impact my family and me since our residence adjoins this property.  Not only would we lose much of our privacy and rural charm, we would also have no say in any proceedings, as we really ought to have had.

As I lay in bed before going to sleep, I had a great sense of peace and felt the Lord did not want me to worry about anything.  The presence of the Lord seemed to fill the room, and I heard the Lord speak into my spirit, saying, “Watch, I’m going to give you a sign of your inheritance in Me.”

Towards morning, I dreamed I was in my grandparents’ house (the ones who had owned this property).  Both my grandmother and grandfather were there, as well as my grandfather’s dad.  In the dream my great grandfather’s life was reviewed as the Lord gave insight into what had shaped him into the man he had become.

Imparted in this telling was a powerful alignment of generations – a reconciliation between father and son.  My grandfather was older in this dream than his dad – my great grandfather – who appeared to be in his prime.  My grandfather was completely overwhelmed with emotion and the power of the Holy Spirit as he watched and listened to what was revealed.

At one point in the dream, he was trembling from this impartation, and I reached over and put my arm around him, saying, “Oh, are you cold?”  It’s hard to explain what was in that gesture; the love and concern I felt for him was overwhelming and nothing like we had ever actually experienced.  In real life, I had neither given nor received any affection from my grandfather, not because he was cold or uncaring, but because of things in his life that had shaped him.

I believe my grandparents both made a commitment of salvation before the end of their lives, but there was no indication of growth beyond that.  In this dream, I saw my grandparents as if they had experienced all that God had ever intended for them and were in complete alignment with his plans; they knew Him.

My grandmother, for instance, had died at age ninety-four of natural causes.  In this dream, she was again that same age, and it was evident she was about to die.  But this time she was very different; she had somehow completely changed. Physically, she still appeared old and about to die, yet her features were visibly softened and somehow she was strong and vibrant and happy.

At that point I noticed that my youngest son had somehow been present in this dream, and I wondered vaguely how he would be affected by observing all these dead people.  One of my grandparents said in response to my thought, “Don’t worry – I believe God will cause him (my son) to fall asleep, and when he wakes up, he won’t remember anything.”  They spoke out of this place of prophetic knowledge as if it were completely normal to know my thoughts and the Lord’s plans!

When I woke up, I was actually crying.  I was able to see and experience five generations (including my mother’s) aligned as if each one knew the Lord intimately and all relationships between people were restored to what the Lord would have intended.  To say the least, I was completely overcome.

Then, although awake, I seemed to return to the dream again.  My daughter appeared with a ticket from a restaurant meal for me to pay, except, she tells me, there is a $5.00 charge on the bill that is not ours although we appear responsible for payment.

I started to take it from her intending to straighten it out, but a hand appeared and took it before I could.  It was the hand of Jesus, and He said, “Let me pay that for you, including the portion that isn’t yours.”

Our Inheritance

I believe this dream was the sign the Lord had spoken of to me of my inheritance in Him. And what a compelling illustration it contained of the debt Jesus pays on our behalf, including that from previous generations!

As I meditated on this incredible dream, the Lord brought to mind Malachi’s prophesy, which is partially quoted in the passage from Luke 1:17. It says:

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 their fathers, lest I come and strike the earth with a curse. (4:5, 6)

On the surface, we might think the spirit of Elijah manifests in the last days so that families might be restored.  Yet it isn’t just about the restoration of the family, but also about turning the hearts of the people toward their God.  Scripture refers to the father as the one who makes the truths of the Lord known to the children, who in turn, tell them to the generations to come. (Ps. 78:3, 4; Isa. 38:19) In my dream, generations were restored both in relationship with the Lord and with each other.

The dream also brought to light another aspect of the spirit and power of Elijah – something I’d heard the Lord speak of before.  I believe it is possible for the Lord to prophetically align generations for those who are pressing into the fullness of the Lord.  This goes beyond canceling generational curses to include realignment of past generations that His full measure of intended generational blessing might be released. (See Phil. 3:12-14; Ex. 20:6.) Those who prepare His way in the spirit of Elijah will use their spiritual inheritance to further God’s purposes.

The fact that my grandparents could both read my mind and knew what the Lord would do is also significant.  Many prophets believe, as I do, that unprecedented power and authority will be released in the last days upon those who are advancing the kingdom.  For example, those who know Him will not just operate in a word of knowledge, but have the Spirit of Knowledge resting upon them.  These displays of power and authority will be what set the stage for the final unveiling of the glory of the Lord. (See Dan. 11:32; 1 Cor. 12:8; Isa. 11:1-2, 40:1-5.)

Friends of the Bridegroom

Some of the religious leaders in Jesus’ day came and asked Him for a sign.  He told them that no sign would be given to them except the sign of Jonah.  He also said that while Nineveh had repented, they would be judged for not repenting when one greater than Jonah was in their midst. (See Matt. 12:38-42.)

It is likely that each one of those spiritual leaders considered themselves a watchman in their day, perhaps much like Ezekiel in chapter 33.  Even today, we can establish ourselves as a self-proclaimed watchman, but until we know what we are watching for, we will miss the sign.

Many consider the seven churches of Revelation to be a prophetic outline of church history, and they do contain an amazingly accurate picture of the history of the church. If this is the case, then the last church at Laodicea represents the church at the end of the age. To this church the Lord said:

Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. (Rev. 3:20, 21)

The key to not missing the sign of our age is the ability to hear His voice.  Like John the Baptist – who prepared the way for the Lord’s first coming – we can be friends of the bridegroom.  John heard the bridegroom’s voice and greatly rejoiced. (John 3:22-36)

It is the ones who intimately know His voice that are the overcomers of this age and are granted to sit with Him on His throne. The throne is a symbol for power and authority and the government represented by that throne. These who sit on His throne will move in the spirit and power of Elijah.

When Jesus was transfigured on the mountain with Moses and Elijah, He told His disciples “Elijah is coming first and will restore all things.” The restoration of all things must occur before the Lord’s return, and those who move in the spirit of Elijah will bring the culmination of this restoration. (See Matt. 17:1-13; Acts 3:21.)

As Elijah was taken up to heaven in a whirlwind (2 Kings 2:1-11), those who operate in his spirit will be lifted up to new levels of power and authority as they prepare the way for the Lord.  May we be those who understand that the days of Elijah are here.

Pray

1. Pray for the church to come into new levels of intimacy with our Savior – that all believers might truly hear His voice. (Rev. 3:20)
2. Pray for divine restoration of families and that they might be drawn into relationship with the Lord. (John 6:44)
3. Ask the Lord to bring restoration specific to your own family according to His word. (Mal. 4:5, 6; Luke 1:16, 17; Prov. 6:30, 31)

Act

1. Read and meditate on the scriptures contained within the article and ask the Lord for His fresh revelation and insight into the spirit of Elijah.
2. Click here to listen to the song “Days of Elijah”.

Last modified: January 21, 2021