The Season of God
September 13, 2024
A Threefold Cord Is Not Easily Broken
By Pastor Alphonze Owino
Ecclesiastes 4:12
In the bible the number 3 is predictably unique in meaning and experiences. There are dozens examples in the book that relates or testifies about the number 3. Something is special about this number
A few examples are :
- Father son and the holy ghost
- Son moon and stars – Genesis 1:16
- God told Noah to build the ark, three stories high – Genesis 6:16
- Seed, Time and harvest – Genesis 8:22
- Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob the three patriarchs
- Moses, Aaron, and Miriam
- The outer court, the holy place, and the holy of holies in the tabernacle
- Three main Jewish feasts: Passover, Pentecost, and tabernacle
- Prophets, kings, and priests were the only offices anointed with oil in the old testament
- Meshack, Shadrach, and Abednego were delivered from the fiery furnace
- In Psalms 133:2 We see three functionaries of the anointing, the head, the beard, and the garments
- Ask, seek, and knock – three distinct ways Jesus spoke of concerning prayer
- We see Jesus, Moses, and Elijah at the mount of transfiguration – Matthew 17:3
- Jesus said where two or three are gathered I am in their midst
- Three types of Eunuchs – Matthew 19:12
- Christianity is based on three major occurrences: Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection
- Peter, James, and John – the three pillars of the Church
- Jesus died as a Lamb, serpent, and seed – John 1:29, John 3:14 and John 12:24
- Good, acceptable, and perfect describes the types of the will of God – Romans 12:2
- Faith, hope, and love is how Paul ends the great chapter of love – Corinthians 13
- In Ephesians 5:19 the three dimensions of worship: songs, hymns, and spiritual songs
- Spirit, soul, and body – 1 Thessalonians 5:24
- For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one – 1 John 5:7
- And there are three that bear witness in earth: the spirit, the water, and the blood, and these three agree in one
- Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever – Hebrews 13:8
- In Him we live, and move, and have our being – Acts 17:28
- We see three generations mentioned here in Proverbs 13:22: A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children’s children
…Just to mention a few..
We find the threefold phenomenon unfolding all over scriptures.
One of the Examples we are going to use is the threefold cord factor in the life of Elijah. Then to his servant Elisha and eventually to the life of Gehazi. Gehazi disqualified himself resulting to the threefold circuit being incomplete. King Joash kind of stepped up to be the third cord but failed as well. The incompleteness of the threefold cord had to be achieved.
We will see later how the circuit was finalized.
After Elisha died without having anyone qualified to pass on the mantel of God, God had to start all over again at Jordan. It was there where it all started with Elijah, though this time he had a different Elijah but the same mantle, and the same system – John the baptist.
John the Baptist will run this system and it will continue with two others to make the threefold cord complete, namely Jesus and finally the church of Jesus Christ.
Elijah is not your ordinary prophet. He is a mantle, he represents a dimension in the spirit. He represents a system in a certain order and space in the spirit.
Every time God wants to introduce a dimension of his possibilities to a generation and to his people, He finds a man or a woman and enters into a personal covenant through the sacrifice of alignment. That covenant becomes the legitimate authorization for God to reveal that dimension of Him in the world. Any person who desires to operate in that dimension must do it in alignment to God and that system He has created.
ELIJAH THE FIRST CORD
Elijah is a system that is a forerunner of revival. Elijah represents the preparations for the turnaround of the nation. Of course we know that Jezebel the wife of King Ahab (which in itself is a system) wanted him dead, just the same as Herodias the wife of Herod wanted the head of John the Baptist on a silver platter. John was also a type of that same system of preparations, another Elijah as Jesus called him.
Matthew 17:11-12
And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things. But I say to you that Elijah has come already, and they did not know him but did to him whatever they wished. Likewise the Son of Man is also about to suffer at their hands. Then the disciples understood that he spoke unto them of John the Baptist.
Luke 1:17
And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, 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.
There is something About Elisha that the prophetic world by then, (the sons of the prophets in the prophetic school) did not understand. Elijah was no ordinary prophet, He was the HORSEMAN AND THE CHARIOTS OF ISRAEL. In other words, when you have Elijah you need no soldiers, he was the covering of Israel.
In order to pass the mantle to the next person who will also pass it on to the third person to complete the cord, there was a requirement. That person had to fully understand both who Elijah was and his own responsibility as the successor. Not just the prophetic side which he had and he was, but to see beyond that, who he really was, the horseman and the chariot of Israel.
Elijah had told Elisha, “if you see me go…” The Hebrew connotation is, if you see the end of my purpose, the responsibility of my purpose, you shall receive what you asked for- the double portion of the anointing!
ELISHA THE SECOND CORD
(MY FATHER MY FATHER THE HORSEMEN AND THE CHARIOT OF ISRAEL)
Elisha amongst the other sons of the prophet was the only one able to see who Elijah really was. In fact the others only saw a whirlwind while Elisha saw the chariots. He saw who Elijah really was: The protection and the army of Israel. Elisha called him “My Father My father the chariot and the horsemen of Israel”.
2 Kings 2:12
And Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. And he saw him no more: and he took hold of his own clothes, and rent them in two pieces
As soon as Elisha was able to say that and see him in chariots of fire, Elijah knew he had found the second cord, his successor. He did not frustrate the law of inheritance, he fulfilled it. Every time that order is broken, something in the spirit realm begins to frustrate the law of inheritance. It is amazing that the other sons of the prophet knew of Elijah’s departure but did not see the chariot of fire and the horsemen.
Accessing the things of God can be denied because of ignorance, and lack of understanding (Isaiah 5:13, Hosea 4:6). What do you know and understand about God, His capacity, His purposes, and mode operandi? The bible says Moses knew His ways but the children of Israel only saw his works.
Psalms 103:7
He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel.
Elisha, by seeing the responsibility Elijah had, qualified to be the next, the SECOND CORD. Now Elisha subsequently has to pass it over to the third person so the cord may be complete.. A threefold cord is not easily broken.
The same scenario is played with Jacob and his sons. We know Reuben was Jacob’s firstborn ( his mother was Leah) and was to receive the double portion, but Reuben abdicated the responsibility of the purpose of the firstborn. He misbehaved and played around because he never understood the responsibility of the first born. He went into his fathers concubine and defiled his fathers bed, so Jacob was forced to turn to the next first born, Joseph, his first born with Rachel. It is a small wonder Jacob decided to be close to Joseph and to train him and pour unto him.
Reuben missed the transition and the inheritance of the firstborn.
Genesis 49:3
Reuben, thou art my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power: Unstable as water, thou shalt not excel; because thou wentest up to thy father’s bed; then defiled thou it: he went up to my couch.
GEHAZI
Elisha received from Elijah the mantle.
Elisha’s servant was a man by the name Gehazi, he was the one situated to be the beneficiary of inheriting the anointing from Elisha.
Gehazi never understood the weight of his position or the responsibility of what he was in line to carry. Like Reuben and Esau, he acted irresponsibly, disrupting the intended flow of succession. He was selfish and worldly, and he followed Naaman, lying to him by claiming that Elisha needed the gifts Naaman had offered. This happened after Naaman had been healed of leprosy by following Elisha’s instruction to dip himself in the Jordan River (2 Kings 5:20-27).
2 Kings 5:25-27
But he went in, and stood before his master. And Elisha said unto him, Whence comest thou, Gehazi? And he said, Thy servant went no whither. And he said unto him, Went not mine heart with thee, when the man turned again from his chariot to meet thee? Is it a time to receive money, and to receive garments, and oliveyards, and vineyards, and sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and maidservants?The leprosy therefore of Naaman shall cleave unto thee, and unto thy seed for ever. And he went out from his presence a leper as white as snow.
The conclusion of the matter is that Gehazi Missed it. He failed to understand the overarching of what Elisha represents. He was cavalier with the mandate and failed to see the responsibility of Elisha as the horseman and the chariot of Israel.
JOASH
King Joash narrowly missed becoming the third cord.
The inheritor of what was in Elijah and now was domiciled in Elisha. Here we see the same words Elijah uttered to Elisha now being uttered by King Joash…
2 Kings 13:14
Now Elisha has fallen sick of his sickness whereof he died. And Joash the king of Israel came down unto him, and wept over his face, and said, O my father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof.
I believe Elisha got excited in the spirit thinking Joash is the one since Gehazi missed it. King Joash presented himself as a man who understood what Elisha stood for, he mentions the same words Elisha Mentioned to Elijah years back: MY FATHER MY FATHER THE CHARIOTS AND THE HORSEMEN OF ISRAEL meaning the covering and protection of Israel.
Elisha put him to the test, he wanted to make sure Joash was the right one and that he had the revelation and understanding of what that meant. If that is so, then Joash will be the inheritor and custodian of the anointing from him, and this will complete the threefold cord from Elijah to Elisha to Joash.
However, it was not to be so.
So Elisha placed his hands on Joash ( a sign of impartation and transference), and told him to take some arrows and open the window on the east side and shoot the arrows to the ground. This was symbolic of a new beginning of victory over their enemies (the Assyrians) since the sun rises up from the east. A dawning of a new epoch, a new beginning.
Joash did not fire as many arrows that were required, he fell short, and it registered to Elisha that Joash does not comprehend what he needs to do.
He was devoid of revelation and not privy to understanding of what was required of him to receive this anointing. As we stated earlier: ignorance is a great set back in the lives of many actualizing the will of God.
2 Kings 13:19
And the man of God was wroth with him, and said, Thou shouldest have smitten five or six times; then hadst thou smitten Syria till thou hadst consumed it: whereas now thou shalt smite Syria but thrice.
Elisha died with the anointing intact in him. The threefold cord was incomplete.
We know the he died with the anointing because we see his bones raised from the dead…
2 Kings 13:20-21
And Elisha died, and they buried him. And the bands of the Moabites invaded the land at the coming in of the year. And it came to pass, as they were burying a man, that, behold, they spied a band of men; and they cast the man into the sepulcher of Elisha: and when the man was let down, and touched the bones of Elisha, he revived, and stood up on his feet.
RIVER JORDAN
The Jordan River is the ground zero of the impartation and transference of this anointing.
We see God going back to River Jordan and to Elijah once more – another Elijah – and this is where John the Baptist enters the scene.
John began to baptize people at the Jordan River
THE NEXT ELIJAH
Matthew 17:11-12
And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things.But I say to you that Elijah has come already, and they did not know him but did to him whatever they wished. Likewise the Son of Man is also about to suffer at their hands.Then the disciples understood that he spoke unto them of John the Baptist.
Luke 1:17
And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, 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.
Jesus identified John the Baptist with Elijah, and we can appreciate the overwhelming similarities between these two servants of God.
1. Both were anointed with the same spirit and power.
2. Both were familiar with deserts and solitude.
3. They wore the same kind of garment, and lived simply.Their appearance was the same
4. Both were fearless and bold to rebuke kings.
1 Kings 18:17 -18, 2 Kings 1:3-17, Matthew 14:3-4
5. They were sought to be killed by kings.
2 Kings 1:9-16, Matthew 14:3-4
6. Both were pruned to discouragement.They both suffered from depression and doubts.
7. They were preachers of righteousness.
1 Kings 18:20-24, Matthew 21:32.
8. They both had their lives sought by wicked queens- Jezebel and Herodias
1 Kings 19:1-7, Matthew 14:3-12
9. Both were fruitful in their ministry – they both preached repentance when Israel had turned from God
1 Kings 18:17-41, Matthew 3:5-6
10. Both had a great influence over Israel.
11. They were subjects of prophecy.
Malachi 4:5-6, Isaiah 40:3, Malachi 3:1
12. They have been or will be a fore-runner of the Messiah:
a. John before 1st advent. Malachi 3:1
b. Elijah before the 2nd advent. Malachi 4:5-6
14. Both were Prophets.
John the Baptist
John the Baptist was a levite and his father Zachariah was the high Priest. As we know, it was the order of the high priests to eventually pass the priesthood on to their sons.
John was the rightful legitimate priest in respect of the levitical order after his father Zachariah, his predecessor.
Oddly enough we see John is not ministering in the temple as it was supposed to be. He is ministering in the wilderness and at River Jordan because the political system of the day had seized the order of priesthood appointments. The political system at that time had appointed Annas and Caiaphas to the priesthood.
Annas the high priest of the day was appointed by the Roman legate Quirinius as the first High Priest of the newly formed Roman province of Judaea in AD 6. The Roman governor Valerius Gratus appointed Caiaphas as high priest too in Jerusalem.
So John had this calling and responsibility that Elijah had, to return God’s people back to God through repentance. Like Elisha, he had the responsibility of the whole nation, the horseman and the chariots of Israel.
Later on John Baptizes Jesus and points him out as the lamb that taketh the sins of the world. As a matter of fact John testifies that he came to prepare a way for Jesus. He is the voice crying in the wilderness to prepare the way for the next one, the messiah. He went on to say that he (John) must decrease and Jesus increase. John is taking the back seat and disappearing into oblivion and endorsing Jesus to take the stage.
In John and Jesus we see the first and the second cord. The levitical priesthood is handing over to the priesthood after the order of Melchizedek.
As Jesus was from the tribe of Judah, not Levi, He established a new priesthood—the priesthood after the order of Melchizedek.
The priest of Salem, Melchizedek appears in three sections of Scripture. He is briefly introduced in Genesis 14:18–20. In a messianic psalm (Psalm 110:4), David addresses the “order of Melchizedek” specifically: after describing the victory and glory of the Messiah, David says,“The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind: ‘You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek’” (Psalm 110:4).
The author of Hebrews, in speaking of Christ, quotes the same verse in Hebrews 7:17. So, Genesis provides a background regarding the identity of Melchizedek, Psalm 110 connects Melchizedek to the Messiah, and Hebrews chapters 5, 6, and 7 describe the supremacy of Jesus as the Great High Priest, using Melchizedek’s role as an illustration of Jesus’ priesthood and kingship.
Psalm 110 describes the messianic nature of Jesus’ future rule, with an emphasis on Jesus’ eternality. It is in the context of Jesus’ kingship. Psalm 110:2 David writes about the Messiah’s being “a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek”. Priests according to the order of Aaron were not kings but priests alone. However, as the author of Hebrews says, Melchizedek was both a priest and a king (Hebrews 7:1). In the same way Jesus holds the dual role of a king and a priest.
THE CHURCH
Jesus Christ laid the groundwork and paid the price to fulfill the demands of divine justice. Through His sacrifice, He justified and qualified the Church, making her worthy to impart grace and righteousness. This established the Church as the third cord in the threefold cord, completing the divine circuit. The threefold cord cannot be broken.
He passed the baton to the church, it is called the kingdom mandate. Jesus said “As my father sent me so send I you” – John 20:21.
The New Testament refers to the Church as:
- the family of God
- the flock of Christ
- the habitation or temple of God
- the assembly of the separated, called-out people and
- the Bride of Christ.
The Church has a kingdom mandate and it is a commission to serve as the body for Christ to influence the earth. We are his hands and feet, eyes and ears and nothing can be accomplished by Him except we yield to Him.
The church must have influence and demonstrate a resurgence of the glory of God manifesting all over the earth. It matters how we view our role as the Church on the earth. We are the salt of the earth, the light of the world. The true purpose of the church and her role is in advancing the kingdom of God by manifesting his Kingdom on earth, as kingdom citizens. She must be on course and do away with the apathy we were witnessing.
In Ephesians 5:2 the bible states “For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.”
He went on to say that Greater things than this shall be done. And He said I send you as sheep among the wolves (sheep facing wolves is like suicide but Jesus promised to empower the church and by giving us the gift of His Spirit he has installed a technology that empowers us to undertake and fulfill that worthy assignment; so much so that the sheep can now face the wolves, and win).
He said whoever believes in him He gives them power to become the sons of God.
He continues to charge the body of Christ with the great commission: Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He said heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead. He is giving the believer the mandate.
He passes the baton to the people who have the revelation of who He is: “The Father, the Father and the horsemen and chariot of all.”
The Church must understand the mandate and the responsibility to carry this baton by the power and help of the Holy Spirit and manifest His will and power in our Judea, Samaria, and the uttermost parts of the world.
And as Jesus said “I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it,” the threefold cord cannot be broken.
It behooves the believer to understand the responsibility laid in their hands as Kingdom citizens and as craftsmen of grace. We must come to grasp and know the heart of God for humanity and how God is seeking to bring humanity back to the original intent.
The church is anointed for signs and wonders.
Isaiah 8:18
Behold, I and the children whom the LORD hath given me are for signs and for wonders in Israel from the LORD of hosts, which dwelleth in mount Zion.
Ephesians 1:22
And hath put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be the head over all things to the church, Which is His body, the fullness of Him that filleth all in all.
