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Prophetic Position - Part 1: Covenants And Chivalry
By
Lars Widerberg
The prophetic dimension is a matter of quality. Prophets represent quality, standards of excellence. A prophet’s prayer is: "As in Heaven so on earth". The prophet’s role is to address the issue of quality and to correct the Church according to the measuring rod of Heaven.
Prophets are men of integrity. As such they are made able to bring the people of God back to holiness.
Prophets are men of the Covenant. Prophets do not compromise, certainly not in times of apostasy.
The prophet is made a man of correspondence, of agreement. Therefore his role is one of probing and testing (Jeremiah 6:27). His words and behaviour must be refined words and behaviour according to heavenly standards (Psalms 12:6, Psalms 11:7). The prophetic dimension is marked by perception and discernment that goes far beyond common thinking.
Prophets are men of protocol and set standards. A prophet’s psalm is Psalms 119 - loving the truth, defending the faith, behaving with integrity and holiness. The prophet may be as rugged as the Baptist, but nothing belonging to the prophetic dimension displays itself in the bizarre or the vulgar. Prophets are not prone to flippancy. Rather, such an attitude attracts the demonic. The flesh and the demonic are two of a kind. The prophetic dimension equals the necessity of separation, it produces separation.
God defines the interaction between man and man and between man and God in terms of covenants, in terms of loyalty. E. M. Bounds said: "Prayer is loyalty to God". Worship is loyalty to God. Worship is dependence. Sin, at its root, is a moving away from utter dependence and away from the proper relation to the Father. Re-established relation to God is re-established dependence, even re-established covenant reality. Salvation is reinstalled dependence and obedience.
The covenant reality
Covenants uphold the balance between men, as well as between powers. Any power structure defines and speaks peace, protection and prosperity in terms of covenants. Fatherhood is the foundational covenant-reality. Any pretender has to play the covenant game. The spiritual reality is a covenant reality. God offers a covenant, so do pretenders, the spiritual powers. This sets the stage for the spiritual war, for prayer warfare. Any covenant besides God’s covenant opposes the true covenant. Any covenant set up, holds a spiritual dimension and opposes the allies and covenant partners even if promising anything and everything positive. Any covenant set up is a competitor to the Better Covenant (Hebrews 8:6).
The covenant reality of pretence is intentionally constructed as a mystery to the outsider, warding off the intruder and functioning as a pattern of identification for the participant. The one not elected and initiated, the one standing without the privileges of the lodge defines and regards the guild or the secret society rightly as bringing enmity. The guild is the focus of exclusiveness and partiality.
The covenant reality of pretence is a reality established through oaths and by psychological violations and offences for the sake of control. Dependencies and points of accusation - ties and holds - are created for the sake of loyalty. The covenant reality of pretence is a mystery even to the covenant partners themselves.
The Guild Church
The correction of the first churches brings home some solid points of truth to our generation. The guild Church was soon to be established, and John delivered messages from the Lord to Pergamum (Revelation 2:14-15) and to Thyatira (Revelation 2:20) addressing the issue of covenants. The trade guilds established in these two cities, as in any other city of merchants, demanded participation in ritual meals as a common denominator within and as a point of initiation into the world of trade and business. These meals were held as a sacrifice to the patron, the spiritual protector of the guild and were related to the mystery cult common in those days. It meant commercial suicide not to partake.
As today, there were groups of influential men in the growing churches, who were not ready for the uncompromising standpoint of true christianity. An improved - as they saw it - type of Christianity was quickly to be developed, and the cult of the Mystery was included as an exclusive privilege for the upper class, the world class division in those churches.
The commoner, the lay people were transformed into consumers, becoming a target and tool for the Nicolaites’ ambition and drive for self-realisation and self-exaltation. This elite invented doctrines of perversion inspired by and based on the legends of the gnostics, calling the new system the secret teachings of Jesus. The Guild Church, the prosperity cult was an unavoidable fact. The Church of compromise and covenants with the powers was born. The christianisation of the heathen practices had begun.
Prophets understand the covenant reality. Prophets are seers and watchmen. "Do you see what they are doing" (Ezekiel 8:6). "Go in and see" (Ezekiel 8:9). "Son of man, do you see what the elders are doing in the dark", (Ezekiel 8:18). Do you see what the covenants are causing?
The prosperity cult is fascinated with authority, with absolute authority. The prosperity cult is inclined to ruling people and events by mind over matter techniques. The Guild Church is fascinated with the mysterious, the sensual and spiritistic. Hers is the realm of the legends, the heroes and she is obsessed with heritage and numbers. The activities of the Guild Church belongs to the realm of the principalities and the powers, to the Queen of realms, the Lady of dominion (Isaiah 47:5). Prophets never hold any loyalty to this realm. Mixed convictions, double loyalties produce a defiled message. The prophet’s mouth is pure.
The Guild Church presents its own view of heroism and discipleship. Saints and patrons are presented to capture man’s mind as patterns of behaviour and spiritual sources of protection. The obsession of the Church in the age of the post-modern society with issues like Chivalry, Celtic tradition, legends of the saints and a general return to the heathen spiritual concepts is but one sign of the general apostasy. We will focus on a particular trend among certain representatives of the prosperity cult who hold fort Chivalry as a pattern to look to for inspiration.
One expression of the Guild covenants
The Sovereign Military and Hospitaller Order of St John, called Rhodes, called Malta is a phenomenon in the world of politics, economics and religion worth considering due to its exceptional influence. The Order, often called the Knights of Malta, was established in Jerusalem in the late 11th century and was recognised by the Pope in 1113. As its companion order and competitor, The Knights Templars was developed as a structure of protection and aid for the pilgrims on their way to and especially within the Holy Land. The lives of the warrior monks soon became a wealthy source of legends, of spectacular power and of inventive rulership.
The Order of Malta was later on to carry a spiritual heritage of significant potential as it was granted all the lands, preceptories and other installations owned by the Templars. The Pope together with the French king, Philippe le Belle succeeded in dissolving the Order of the Templars, in 1312 in an extremely thorough and well organised operation. The Templar branch of the Knights did not easily let go of their aspirations of international rulership. The two orders merged and were duly integrated to preserve the spiritual heritage.
One can but imagine the scope and cunning of the intrigues and role plays taking place in courts and churches to produce the necessary alliance. Yet, we do well in staying away from legends and vain imaginations. Reality proves to be more interesting and also more horrific.
Goals of the Order
The Order of Malta had, and still has, two general goals: The protection of the poor and the defence of the faith, i.e. the Catholic tradition. Knights and nobles are supposed and expected to become and live as examples of the Catholic faith. Its militancy is concentrated on the defence of the Tradition. Unlike purely charitable institutions, the members of the Order of Malta have a very special and particular responsibility to "lead an exemplary Catholic life, and to follow the magisterium of the Church" (Grand Master Andrew Bertie). This duty and both the honour and the obligations of membership require the Order, its knights, dames and donats, to provide an example of leadership, looking to the lives of those knights who sacrificed themselves in the service of Saint John over the last nine centuries. Their pledges and oaths redirect ambition and resources to comprise the Order, and the Order alone. "I promise to do everything in my power to contribute to its glory, protection, prosperity and utility" is but one version of the forceful pledges causing deviation from man’s proper aim which is worshipping God, and God alone.
A deep religious commitment and extensive hospitaller and humanitarian activities, however, cannot be considered the only obligations of knights of Malta. The Order has always included the word "military" in its title, and with good reason; in the words of a senior member of the British Association, it is necessary "not only to support good works but to fight evil" and the Order is well positioned to play an active leadership role not only on a local, national level but in the international sphere.
Ambitious Order
This mirrors a knighthood aspiring on, and adjusted for, global political as well as religious claims. The Order is a sovereign body on the playground of nations, a sovereign subject to international public law. Its leadership holds diplomatic immunity. The Order relates to nations as a nation though without land, but lately returned to Valetta from Rome to re-establish its organisational headquarters on the island of Malta.
Its ruling class equals a priestly caste and the Grand Master is regarded holding the magnitude of authority at the same level as a cardinal. The Order is a covenant unit gathering resources and men in a spiritual environment creating a reality of pretence. Its structure and codes are the same ones as the Guild Church holds on to. Its values and way to salvation oppose the better covenant (Hebrews 8:6).
We easily find a substantial discrepancy between the aim of the Order to assist and help the poor and the reality shown in the ever growing gap between the many poor and the very few rich. The accumulated wealth at the disposal of noblemen and lodgers rightly and justly handled would produce radical change as to the conditions of living for the poor. Prophets relate to this dimension of authority with utmost caution and watchfulness. Prophets cannot support any of the contending religious or political systems based on the existence and perpetuation of this gap. Prophets cannot associate and identify themselves with knights and lodges. The nobility of the Order of Malta - or any lodger for that matter - can by no means be regarded as representatives of biblical ideals.
Ritual instead of salvation
The Catholic tradition and way of salvation close the door for the process of sanctification of the Holy Spirit by adherence to the gospel of superstition and pretence. Mediators en masse instead of the sole Mediator Jesus Christ. Deeds and ritual as a means of salvation instead of the Cross. Communication with the dead in prayer instead of communion with the Living God in worship. The cult of the Order is the cult of the Mother Goddess in its various forms. The sword wielded by knights and their followers carry a "Fleur de lis", a royal sign, a covenant sign of Mother Mary signifying her promise of prosperity and life.
The Order holds yearly cultic gatherings at Lourdes in France, one of the most famous spots of spiritistic apparitions. The Mother Goddess, the spiritistic power of revelation and healing certainly is a "territorial power" demanding pilgrimages of penance, but she first of all builds temples in men’s hearts. Her realm is the realm of vanity and her prophets speak vain imaginations and visions of their own hearts (Jeremiah 23).
Return to the Covenant
True prophets do not build the Kingdom according to the patterns of the power of pretence. Prophets aspire not for power and dominion. Prophets wait for the Kingdom to be established by Jesus Christ at His return. Prophets dare to declare "it is all downhill" until He comes.
At the root of the issue we find the matter of covenants and worship. Man has to express dependence because he is created for dependence. In the midst of rebellion and uproar he seeks spiritual covering and protection. Survival lies in the realm of covenant making and covenant living. Isaiah 24:5-6 paints the picture in a simple statement: "The earth is also polluted by its inhabitants for they transgressed laws, violated statutes, broke the everlasting covenant. Therefore, a curse devours the earth, and those who live in it are held guilty. Therefore, the inhabitants if the earth are burned, and few men are left."
Man violates the Covenant of God by establishing covenants. Man violates his own dignity and nobility by cutting covenants of pretence. Nobility and knights have deprived themselves of manhood and stature by entering the covenant reality of the Great Mystery. Apostasy is a matter of covenants of pretence.
The world of covenants is the world of split loyalties: The world of the orders is the world of multiple curses. The world of covenants is the world of pretence. The optimum of deviation is found in the pretending protestant orders calling themselves the Order of Malta, not even able to produce a genuine mask of pretence.
Prophets, men of royal caliber, clarity and loyalty position themselves properly and without hesitation in the realm of the Better Covenant (Hebrews 8:6). Prophets understand the true price of compromise which is association and identification with the filth of the cup of the Great Mystery. True prophets never take man’s dignity lightly, they never tolerate any influence from any other covenant realm (Revelation 2:20).
Note:
This article has been presented to the principal defenders and practitioners of these mystical and spiritistic methods and viewpoints, among whom Rick Joyner is one who carries a heavy load of responsibility. - L.W.
Source: European Prophetic College - Email: EPC@Comhem.se
Recommended article: Prophetic Position - Part 2: The Spirit of Camelot - A Denial of Holiness, by Lars Widerberg
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