Spirit & Power of Elijah - Fire of God (10/8/23)

On 4/10/23, the Lord began speaking about the nearness of His release of the Spirit and power of Elijah that will come upon some. Specifically, the anointing of the double portion that Elisha ministered in. This ministry will be characterized by the fire of God. Messengers called to minister in this anointing will demonstrate the fire of God and be clothed with a mantle of fire. This grace will cause His messengers to be burn with an intense desire to see the Lord’s bride engaged in intimate fellowship with the Bridegroom. It will also cause His ministers to hate the religious system that keeps the Lord’s people from knowing Him fully. The Lord will use the ministry of the Spirit and power of Elijah to help carry out His will of bringing people before Him in the Most Holy Place and leading His people on the inward journey of the Spirit.

The Jordan

The Lord said to me, “Where did the three men who ministered in the Spirit and power of Elijah begin their ministries?"

I looked up the first mentions of Elijah, Elisha, and John. All three messengers started their ministries at or near the Jordan River. After Elijah gave his first public word of the Lord, he was sent to a small brook right by the Jordan River (1 Kings 17:1-5). Elijah also finished his ministry at the Jordan when he was caught up into Heaven. His anointing was then doubled and transferred to Elisha:

“Then Elijah said to him, “Stay here, please, for the Lord has sent me on to the Jordan.” But he said, “As the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you!” So the two of them went on. And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went and stood facing them at a distance, while the two of them stood by the Jordan. Now Elijah took his mantle, rolled it up, and struck the water; and it was divided this way and that, so that the two of them crossed over on dry ground. And so it was, when they had crossed over, that Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask! What may I do for you, before I am taken away from you?” Elisha said, “Please let a double portion of your spirit be upon me.” So he said, “You have asked a hard thing. Nevertheless, if you see me when I am taken from you, it shall be so for you; but if not, it shall not be so.” Then it happened, as they continued on and talked, that suddenly a chariot of fire appeared with horses of fire, and separated the two of them; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. And Elisha saw it, and he cried out, “My father, my father, the chariot of Israel and its horsemen!” So he saw him no more. And he took hold of his own clothes and tore them into two pieces. He also took up the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and went back and stood by the bank of the Jordan. Then he took the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and struck the water, and said, “Where is the Lord God of Elijah?” And when he also had struck the water, it was divided this way and that; and Elisha crossed over.” (II Kings 2:6-14 NKJV)

Jordan means “descender.” It has been symbolic of crossing over into the promised land of God. We know that the primary and greatest promise of God is His Son—the true promise land of God. As we descend or decrease in self-life, we are filled with Christ’s life. This is “crossing over” in the spiritual sense. The anointing was transferred to Elisha at the crossing over the Jordan River. The double portion of this anointing of the Holy Spirit could only be carried by Elisha if he decreased in self-life and increased in Christ-life. It’s a prophetic type and a shadow for our day and the return of this grace to the end-of-the-age messengers.

The Lord sent Elijah to the Jordan for a reason. This was not random. The Lord is speaking to us through the specific location where this transference took place. I believe the Lord will release more understanding on this as we seek Him and meditate on it.

Finally, John the Baptist started his public ministry at the Jordan (Matthew 3:1-6). "Preparing the way of the Lord” began at the Jordan. So as it is in our time. Preparing the way of the Lord begins with the “crossing over” into Christ. John baptized Jesus in the Jordan which sparked the beginning of the greatest ministry of all time:

“When all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, the heaven was opened. And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, “You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.”” (Luke 3:21-22 NKJV)

The Holy Spirit descended on Jesus in bodily form at the Jordan. Again, Jordan actually means “descender.” The descending of the double portion of the Spirit and power of Elijah will occur when those called to this are completely submerged into the Holy Spirit. The absolute yielding to the will and purpose of God is needed to minister in this grace. Then the Spirit and power of Elijah will descend from Heaven and burn like fire in the messengers.

This fire will be an inward burning for Christ. It’s the Lamb of God Himself burning inside the messengers and releasing the fire of God straight from the throne of God. This fire will lead God’s people to an “absolute surrender” to the Lamb. It will turn the hearts of the people back to God and cause there to be many more devoted disciples of Jesus. The ministry will first manifest in this way. As evil progresses throughout the world and we get even closer to the coming of Christ, the ministry of the Spirit and power of Elijah will confront the darkness.

Note: The Holy Spirit is a Person (part of the Godhead) and descended on Jesus “like” a dove would descend (in a swooping motion). The Holy Spirit is not a bird. The sentence is a “simile” and shows the motion with which the Holy Spirit came from Heaven. A simile is defined as: ‘a figure of speech in which two unlike things are explicitly compared, as in “she is like a rose.”’ The Holy Spirit is definitely ‘unlike’ a created bird. The Holy Spirit did not take the form of a dove, but He did move in a similar motion as a dove would.

Crossing Over

In October 2020, our family was visiting Chattanooga, Tennessee. As we were walking across the Walnut Street Pedestrian Bridge, I was looking out over the Tennessee River. Suddenly the presence of God came upon me and reminded me of a prophetic word my wife and I had received in 2013. The prophetic word involved my wife and me crossing a river in a row boat. When we had crossed over, we were given crowns and royal garments. This was the Lord speaking prophetically about crossing over and becoming the royal priesthood. The Lord was reminding me of our purpose and the purpose of all who choose to follow Christ as disciples.

In 2022, our family moved to Northern Idaho and rented a house right by the Priest River which flows from Priest Lake. The Lord continued to point us to the crossing of the river into the promise of Christ and the entering of His ‘rest.’ The symbolism of Priest River and Priest Lake was shouting ‘The Royal Priesthood.’ The royal priesthood is made up of those completely possessed by the Lord Jesus Christ because they chose to ‘cross over’ into the fullness of the measure of His stature. The priesthood ceases from self-centered praying and living; it brings forth the eternal will of God in prayer, worship, preaching, and in life.

When my wife and I were first looking for some property in Idaho, we discovered that the area we were most interested in was called ‘Seneacquoteen.’ This is the Kalispell Indian word meaning “crossing, crossing over, or deep water crossing.” Seneacquoteen is located on the Pend Oreille River, in between Sandpoint and Priest River. The Lord continued to speak of the necessity for His church to cross over into the promise of becoming His royal priesthood:

“But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light” (1 Peter 2:9 KVJ).

Our primary ministry, ‘Generation Chosen’ was born from that very verse. I didn’t come up with the name. It was given by the Lord to an intercessor named Georgia Penniman in 2015 when we were praying with her about starting a gathering. The Lord was speaking about the priesthood and how our purpose was to enter into it so we could help others come into it. He desires an entire generation to enter into His royal priesthood and be a holy people completely dedicated to His eternal will and purpose.

We are to literally show forth the Lord’s virtue, uprightness, excellence, purity, and moral goodness (as the Greek word for ‘praises’ can be translated). We are to be a representation of Christ by allowing His life to transform us into His image and then shine forth from us. As Christ’s life and light shine forth from us, it demonstrates the One who called us out of darkness and into His marvelous light.

Only a selected company is called to minister in the Spirit and power of Elijah. However, all believers are called to become the royal priesthood. The Spirit and power of Elijah is not the high calling of God. The royal priesthood is the high calling. The Spirit and power of Elijah is an operation of the Holy Spirit released to certain messengers to help believers attain to the high calling.

Understanding the Spirit and Power of Elijah

This anointing is very difficult to control. The immature are not able to bear it. The anointing of the Spirit and power of Elijah is like a ‘fire shut up in your bones.’ The anointing wars against the man-made religious system and everything that is in opposition to the Lord. The anointing combats false religions, false doctrines, man’s way of doing church, traditions of men in the church, sin, self-life, and numerous other things and ways that oppose God and His purpose.

Only messengers who have attained a certain level of the 'measure of the stature of Christ’ can function in this anointing. The immature will scorch those around them who shouldn’t be scorched. The fire that emanates from this anointing can only be controlled by Christ living in the messenger. The inward burning that the Spirit and power of Elijah produces is so intense that only Christ living in a person can handle it, as it takes the wisdom of God to properly steward it.

Immature messengers that are functioning in the Spirit and power of Elijah will scorch their spouse with the fire from this anointing. They will scorch pastors and leaders with fire when the Lord has not told them to confront the leader. If Christ does not have the 'majority control’ of the vessel, then the messenger vessel will operate in the Spirit and power of Elijah apart from the will of the Lord. This causes damage and messes in the home and the church. When the self-life of the messenger is crucified with Christ, then the Lord can release His ‘controlled burn’ through the messenger. This doesn’t mean the fire will be small or burn dimly, but it means that the Lord will be in command of the burning.

The End of the Age

The ministry of the Spirit and power of Elijah is not just a ministry of healing, miracles, signs and wonders. If it were only this type of ministry, it would be praised and celebrated by the church. However, this ministry will also be characterized by releasing the judgments of God. We are now at the end of the age and Christ is returning soon to set up His Kingdom on earth. The book of Revelation is clear. Jesus’ judgments will be released globally and His messengers anointed with the Spirit and power of Elijah will actually see what Jesus is doing and, in perfect harmony with Him, release His judgment upon the earth:

“And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.” These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands standing before the God of the earth. And if anyone wants to harm them, fire proceeds from their mouth and devours their enemies. And if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this manner. These have power to shut heaven, so that no rain falls in the days of their prophecy; and they have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to strike the earth with all plagues, as often as they desire.” (Revelation 11:3-6 NKJV)

This scripture reveals two of God’s witnesses who will minister in Jerusalem. The Lord will have a company of witnesses throughout the earth who will carry out His will. Jesus told people to “love your enemies and do good to those who hate you" (Luke 6:27). But as we transition into the final years of this age, we will be transitioning into a time of the judgment of God. The Lord will still be merciful to those who humble themselves and repent as He has always been. But His enemies who hate Him and have refused to repent after having many opportunities (over many years) will experience the judgments released as Jesus opens the scrolls of Revelation Chapter 6.

The enemies of those witnesses ministering in the Spirit and power of Elijah will not be shown the love that Jesus spoke of in Luke 6:27. They will be shown judgment by fire that actually comes out of the mouths of these witnesses. When evil men persecute the messengers in the near future, the messengers will not be “blessing those who persecute them,” but rather releasing the wrath of God on those who persecute them. They will prophesy plagues, and the enemies of God and the enemies of God’s church will die by disease. These witnesses will be used by God to protect the church during the great tribulation:

“Now when the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male Child. But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent. So the serpent spewed water out of his mouth like a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away by the flood. But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the flood which the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” (Revelation 12:13-17 NKJV)

As Satan tries to utterly destroy the bride and the church (those who are born again and have testimony of Jesus within them), the Lord will use His witnesses functioning in the Spirit and power of Elijah to protect His people. Places will be prepared for His people in the wilderness but the Lord will use “firepower” to protect His people as well. Literally, He will protect His people with fire. The ministry of Elijah foreshadowed the fire that will be released through the witnesses mentioned in Revelation Chapter 11.

Calling Down Fire

In 1 Kings 1:2-4, Elijah gave a “negative” prophetic word to the king of Israel. The King of Israel had sought a false god for revelation instead of the true living God. Elijah told Ahaziah that he would die from his illness because he did not seek the true God. Ahaziah then proceeded to send soldiers to capture and probably kill Elijah:

“Then the king sent to him a captain of fifty with his fifty men. So he went up to him; and there he was, sitting on the top of a hill. And he spoke to him: “Man of God, the king has said, ‘Come down!’ ” So Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty, “If I am a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men.” And fire came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty.” (II Kings 1:9-10 NKJV)

Elijah could only do what the Lord was doing. If God had not released the authority for fire to fall and kill these men, then it wouldn’t have happened. None of us can perform supernatural miracles apart from God actually doing them. Elijah released the judgment of God on his enemies just as the witnesses will soon do. We are crossing over into the time period of judgment that precedes the second coming of Christ and the Kingdom Age.

Believers who refuse to acknowledge this and believe the judgment spoken of in the book of Revelation will be at great risk of being offended with God and falling away from Him. Remember Lot’s wife? Her heart was offended with God when His judgment fire fell on Sodom and Gomorrah. Those who fail to discern the season we are in are positioning themselves to be offended. We must know the times and the seasons so we can be in alignment with the Lord.

Rejecting the Spirit and Power of Elijah

The global elite and global leaders continue to push the world towards a one-world government or a one-world order that is prophesied of in Revelation Chapters 13 and 17. These leaders will eventually turn their authority and governance over to a one-world ruler who will attempt to control the entire world through war and dominance. Godless soldiers who have taken the mark of the beast will be sent to kill believers throughout the globe. These armies will be beyond salvation since they have sworn their allegiance to the beast and the false prophet and have taken the mark (Revelation Chapters 14 and 16). Many believers will be martyred and many will be protected through God’s power that comes forth from His messengers. 

Jesus told His apostles that cities would experience worse judgment than Sodom and Gomorrah if they didn’t receive their ministry and message (Luke 9:1, Matthew 10:11-15). The disciples, not having the Holy Spirit yet, misinterpreted the timing of God’s judgment. They forgot that Jesus said, “in the day of judgment.” So when Jesus was not received by a group of people just a short time later (Luke 9:51-56), James and John wanted to call down fire on the city like Elijah did. Jesus rebuked them for listening to the wrong spirit (a common mistake for those who don’t have the Holy Spirit in them). Then, shortly after those events, Jesus prophecies that an entire city of people will burn in Hell:

““Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you. And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades. He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me.”” (Luke 10:13-16 NKJV)

Capernaum thought that they would all go to Heaven (the majority of the people in the city), but Jesus gave them a prophetic word stating that the majority of the people would suffer eternal torment in Hades. In other words, most of the people would not repent and be saved, even though they were going to live a bit longer on earth.

Could you imagine the ministry of Jesus functioning on earth right now and giving this word to an entire city? That is exactly how the ministry of the Spirit and power of Elijah will function when the Lord releases it in fullness. Imagine if Jesus were ministering today and gave that prophetic word to a major U.S. city. The prophetic community or prophetic movement would most likely be the first to condemn and rebuke Jesus. They would say, “You don’t know what spirit you are of! We don’t prophesy condemnation over a city like that. You need to speak in the opposite spirit and prophesy life! Life and death are in the power of the tongue!”

Many in the prophetic movement wouldn’t even recognize Jesus if He were ministering among us today. They would reject Him just like the Pharisees did. “He can’t be of God because He is healing on the Sabbath,” the Pharisees would say. “This Man can’t be of God since He is prophesying judgment over entire cities,” the modern charismatic prophetic movement might say about Jesus.

The fact is, Jesus is coming this way again. He is going to speak words of judgment over cities, regions, and nations through His messengers, prophets, and witnesses. Those in the charismatic and prophetic movements who can’t discern the ministry of Christ’s divine judgment released through His witnesses will be found opposing God. These are believers who preach revival yet reject the Lord’s judgment prophesied in this age in the book of Revelation. Judgment is coming before the ‘day of judgment’ in which Christ returns.

If these ministers and believers don’t stay out of God’s way as He releases judgment through His messengers, they may find their fate the same as Josiah. King Josiah did a lot of good for the Lord and was used in reformation. However, towards the end of his reign, he fought against the will of God and so he was removed from the earth:

“After all this, when Josiah had prepared the temple, Necho king of Egypt came up to fight against Carchemish by the Euphrates; and Josiah went out against him. But he sent messengers to him, saying, “What have I to do with you, king of Judah? I have not come against you this day, but against the house with which I have war; for God commanded me to make haste. Refrain from meddling with God, who is with me, lest He destroy you.” Nevertheless Josiah would not turn his face from him, but disguised himself so that he might fight with him, and did not heed the words of Necho from the mouth of God. So he came to fight in the Valley of Megiddo. And the archers shot King Josiah; and the king said to his servants, “Take me away, for I am severely wounded.” His servants therefore took him out of that chariot and put him in the second chariot that he had, and they brought him to Jerusalem. So he died, and was buried in one of the tombs of his fathers. And all Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah.” (II Chronicles 35:20-24 NKJV)

Conclusion 

Let us discern the season we are entering so that we can partner with the Lord in whatever He wants to do. He may release glory and revival over one region so His church can be built and prosper. While in another region the Lord may have His messenger (operating in the Spirit and power of Elijah) prophesy and release judgment. We need to be very close to the Lord so that we can see what He is doing in the days ahead. It will be critical for our own safety that we partner with the Lord and not fight against Him. He will shelter and protect those whose hearts are completely His and are in agreement with Him.

The scriptures are absolute truth. It’s time to see the book of Revelation as a near reality instead of a far-off fairytale. It’s time to study the ministry of Jesus and know how He functioned. Let us go inward to the secret place within our own hearts (the Kingdom of Heaven within). Let us find the Lamb there and come to know Him to a greater degree. May His grace and peace be upon us. May His understanding increase in us so that we recognize what He is doing and discern the operation of the Spirit and power of Elijah.

-Ty Unruh (October 2023)