Andy Sanders:
I Saw Mantles Falling from Heaven to Earth—I Was Especially Drawn to the Third Mantle: The Unseen and Undiscovered Dimension of God
Amos 9:13-14, "The days are coming," declares the Lord, "when the reaper will be overtaken by the plowman and the planter by the one treading grapes. New wine will drip from the mountains and flow from all the hills. I will bring back the exiled people Israel; they will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them. They will plant vineyards and drink their wine; they will make gardens and eat their fruit."
Mantles Falling From Heaven
Recently, right when I was falling asleep, detailed images of mantles fell from Heaven on the earth. These looked like millions of robes, and each had a name given for many of the finely-crafted heavenly robes. Definitely a fascinating scene to go to bed to! Though there is much to conclude about this sight, we must ask, "What is God trying to say here?" If we are not diligent when Jesus gives us something, it can easily be treated with contempt.
We quickly read into only one item that "stuck out" which God revealed, and missed the other hundred pieces of insight that He was also trying to show. This easily happens by speaking, acting, and moving too fast on something God gave us when He really wanted us to "chew on it" for a long time before releasing the information. Luke 2:19, "But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart." She did this because she knew it was not time for the world to know. This is how we must approach what God gives us: Pondering each piece and really discovering more than what we first see.
The mantles I saw represented the traits, gifting, and deity of Christ resting on the earth in greater strength. There were many different names on these robes. Some were names of God and others were names of people—both alive today and passed on. As these glorious robes touched different parts of the world, it was noticeable that some of them carried the same distinct traits as others did. And though various mantles remained empty for a long time, others were quickly filled, as if the person was at the right place at the right time. A divine collision between person and mantle.
These robes that were falling into the new era had noticeably strong regional and assigned authorities upon them. This gave authenticity to the commissioning of the person who received them. Without a doubt, this was a personal and divine impartation from the hand of God. The Lord backed these mantles with a generational breakthrough power that made callings complete in due time. Easily seen...these robes affected many generations to come.
While watching this spectacular event unfold from the sky, God gave this insight:
1 Kings 19:19, ...Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak around him.
2 Kings 2:13, He picked up the cloak that had fallen from Elijah and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan.
Parallel these two Scriptures together with me for just a moment and some of you will discover where you are and what is about to happen. In 1 Kings the initial commissioning took place from Elijah to Elisha. This is where most are. They have begun, but have not been fully activated by the new double portion, found in 2 Kings. What happened then was that the chariots picked up Elijah and dropped Elijah's mantle to Elisha. POW! A spiritual explosion producing the actual manifestation of the glorious new double portion over Elisha's life. Thus, Elijah's last miracle became Elisha's first. The new manifestation of the double portion is now on Elisha in greater power than it actually was on Elijah. God gave the initial dimensions of many of your callings and commissions ("1 Kings" encounter). Now it's time for the "2 Kings" encounter, which is both mantles colliding in the Spirit at once! Some of you are in between the 1 Kings and the 2 Kings realm.
These falling robes I saw represent the 2 Kings "double portion." In a double portion scenario there are two mantles bearing large amounts of fruit at the exact same time. This creates rapid growth and accelerated maturation of the Body of Christ. Elijah's mantle came upon Elisha as the chariots of fire went up. Did Elijah's mantle stop functioning at that time? NO! It increased and was released in greater power and capacity than when it was resting on Elijah. Now Elijah's and Elisha's mantle are both fully functioning in power. What was once hard to plow can now be easily sown and reaped at the same time. This is a double portion anointing.
The anointing (mantle) is from the same God, but imparted to many different people. This is the key ingredient! God will drop mantles in abundance on ALL flesh. That means you! Elijah carried a mantle similar to John the Baptist. They both came as forerunners to Jesus Christ. They boldly fought against religion. Elisha's mantle also looks similar to Jesus'. They were twice as affective as their predecessors. Elisha and Jesus stood before the rich all the way down to the lowly and poor.
The mantles I saw in the vision will be more intensified than in times past. What appeared to be unfinished with some of the past mantle carriers will become complete in the years ahead. Just like Elisha functioned with his and Elijah's covering, so will it be with these carriers. In all reality, these mantles are really from the Lord Himself. These are just trickles of what is coming. As these robes land on their rightful owners, they will spark many creative and unusual encounters. Note that many mantles fell together and at once. Expect the unexpected when you gather together. Unity is your weapon in this season.
Though there were many mantles that fell, I will elaborate on three that stuck out dramatically. This is imperative in 2010. Remember, it is only the beginning stages of what is later to come.
The First Mantle: Revolution
In the vision, many mantles fell from all over the skies as if it were raining. One particular mantle created a standard against heresy. Their speech became bold and persuasive like the Apostle Paul. The Lord released a heavy presence upon these individuals, causing people to flock to them and hear what they had to say. They spoke freedom and grace only by the Cross. The more they spoke, the stronger the anointing was. Truth surrounded their hearts and minds. Discernment protected every word from their mouth. Many yokes of religion were broken.
This first mantle that came to rest on the land reminded me of Martin Luther (taken from: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia):
1483 – 1546, Age 62. He founded Protestantism, one of the major movements within Christianity out of the Catholic Church. He was a German monk, theologian, university professor, priest, and church reformer whose ideas started the Protestant Reformation and changed the course of Western civilization. Luther taught that salvation is a free gift of God and received only through true faith in Jesus as redeemer from sin, not from work or good deeds. His theology challenged the authority of the pope of the Roman Catholic Church by teaching that the Bible is the only source of Christian doctrine and all baptized Christians are priests before God (priesthood of all Believers). His reformation began by the publication of his 95 Theses in 1517 against the claims of indulgence preachers that God's punishment for sins could be avoided by buying them. Luther's refusal to retract his writings at the demand of the pope in 1520 and the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V at the Diet of Worms meeting in 1521 resulted in his excommunication by Pope Leo X and condemnation as an outlaw by the emperor. He wrote in the language of the people (instead of Latin) and made it more accessible, causing a tremendous impact on the church and German culture. It fostered the development of a standard version of the German language, added several principles to the art of translation, and influenced the translation of the King James Bible.
The revolution carriers rising up will be like none ever seen. The Church is finally being born again.
The Second Mantle: The Pioneer and Inventive Mantle
2 Chronicles 36:23, This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: "The Lord, the God of Heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and He has appointed me to build a temple for Him at Jerusalem in Judah..."
This is like the creative sojourners of those on the Mayflower. They were not afraid to take risk when the hand of God was upon them. These will have the creative and inventive ideas that are not confined to past inventions. The inventors will get their thoughts directly from the Father. They are the Benjamin Franklins of our day. The ones who see beyond the lightning in the sky and envision an entire city filled with lights. These mantles of design will create a completely new era of thinking. Many lives will be forever changed by some of the inventions coming on the earth from these Christians. I believe the funding from just one of these inventions will create enough money to financially free ministries for their entire duration of service.
Take a look at Mr. Marpeck below (taken from "The Marketplace" 2009 Marpeck: A Life of Dissent and Conformity):
Mr. Marpeck was born 1495, in Rattenberg, Austria. In 1527 he was ordered by the government to persecute Anabaptists, whom he himself was. He worked his way into business and political realms influencing both, and at the same time figured out how to educate and mentor the Anabaptist. In 1528, his belongings and property were seized; he then took on a different life to flee from further persecution. He moved to Strasbourg and was hired to manage the city's timber operations, which also included the entire section of the timber transport by river. It was here he came up with an idea to revolutionize the weaving industry by establishing a bleaching operation for the entire community.
Being that the industries were all built, at the time, along the waterways, those further distances from the water were poorer due to lack of trade and production. Marpeck come up with the idea of storing water higher up to produce pressure in the water so that the areas away from the river could have what we now call "piped and pressurized water." This opened up an entire new door for industry in regions that otherwise would have never had anything but dry dirt. His creative and intuitive thoughts propelled him in 1550 to Public Works Director of the entire region. In spite of those still wanting to persecute him, his inventions made him in greater demand than for the grave. During this entire time, he set right under the noses of people that wanted him dead because he consistently wrote to the growing movement of the Anabaptist, which at the time was illegal. God gave him such favor and authority in creativity that many overlooked that he was a fugitive.
This goes to show how powerful a creative mantle really is. It is one that can prolong your life and affect many people around you. Complete communities were touched by just one mantle. As this mantle stood hovering over the earth, it was apparent that those who would soon carry this precious commodity were folks who did not have selfish motives. They were not the hoarders of their time nor the greedy. Like a seed planted in the ground, funds (currency) began to flow through these mantles. The more the carriers released to others, the more God watered their seed. They were Believers who loved to give more than they received. I felt the Lord say during this encounter, "Many have tried to create money in their own strengths. I AM the Creator. Are you ready for Me to generate for you?"
The Third Mantle: The Unseen and Undiscovered Dimensions of God
While watching this breath-taking episode unfold, I understood what some of the mantles represented. Unlike the others, this third mantle was revealed at a much later time than the rest. This robe was unlike any ever seen. It was not shaped like the others and had no name either. It had many rare and distinct colors unlike any ever discovered. It was exquisitely brilliant. At some instances, you could see a reflection upon the mantle. At other times, one could see right through it, but you knew it was still there. It was as if the material was reflective, transparent, and mixed with undiscovered colors all at the same moment. Sensational...for lack of a better word!
This is the Lord's creative, unseen, and undiscovered dimensions that have not touched man's comprehension yet. Yes, we know a lot about Jesus. Many can talk about Him day and night, but there is still much more to be exposed. Imagine looking into space or going deep down under the oceans for the first time. Wouldn't it feel like a whole new world? This is how I feel about this spectacular mantle. Obviously, this splendid robe was on the earth when Jesus came because He is truth and in Him is completion. This extraordinary mantle solely represents the many undiscovered and unseen aspects of Jesus Christ.
John 21:25, Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.
There were more of this mantle than any other one. This robe fell last, yet brewed on the earth longer than them all. This is new. It is being unveiled like a child in the womb. You know it is there. You feel it. Briefly, you have touched it. Most of all you know it is real. We have not fully laid hold of it like we will begin to in the coming years. This is the unseen and undiscovered dimensions of God. The Lord's realm of new enlightenment and gleaming glory has finally begun.
Romans 8:18, I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.
Andy Sanders
Andy and Cathy Sanders Ministries
Email: andycathy7@yahoo.com
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