I love how the Bible has so much depth to it. There are that many secrets and depths of wisdom hidden there that even a thousand years of study would not uncover them all. That’s because the Bible hides the mysteries of the facets of God’s heart only revealed by the power of the Holy Spirit. Proverbs 25:2 says,“It is the glory of God to conceal a matter and the glory of kings to search out a matter.” One of my dreams and prayers is for a kingly spirit to seek out the treasures of God’s heart hidden in the Word.
One of my favourite secrets in the Bible is the story and significance of the Tabernacle of David. 4000 years ago the Lord gave David a revelation. David’s revelation had two facets. Firstly, he came to understand that in heaven there was unceasing worship in the presence of God. Secondly, he encountered God’s burning desire to dwell amongst His people.
David was so captivated by this revelation that He made a vow to the Lord as recorded in Psalm 132:1-5:
“Lord remember David and all his afflictions; how he swore to the Lord, and vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob: “Surely I will not go into the chamber of my house or go up to the comfort of my bed; I will not give sleep to my eyes or slumber to my eyelids, until I find a dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob.”
David made a vow that he would give all the energy and resource of his life into the pursuit of one reality, having God dwell in the midst of His people, having the presence of God tangibly live amongst His people.
David responded to this vow by being the first one to pray, “On earth as it is in heaven.” He asked himself, “if the Lord longs to dwell with His people, what kind of atmosphere would be conducive to His abiding presence?”
Working from what he had seen in heaven, David took 288 prophetic singers and 4000 musicians and he brought the Ark of the Covenant, the resting place of God’s presence, to Jerusalem and set the singers and musicians before the Ark to worship God 24/7. (1 Chronicles 23 and 25)
David paid these singers and musicians out of the national budget and commissioned them to do nothing except stand/sit in a tent and worship God as their full time occupation. In today’s terms their wage bill comes to around 220 million dollars a year on a wage of $50,000 a year (quite an average wage by modern Aussie standards). That’s 220 million dollars away from the army, away from city building, away from so many other things. From a worldly point of view we look at that and say, “What a waste, you’re crazy David.” In fact, Psalm 69:8 records how many people, even those close to him, questioned his sanity. “I have become a stranger to my mother’s sons because zeal for your house has consumed me,” David writes in Psalm 69:8. In other words, ‘…even my own family thinks I’m crazy because zeal to build You a house has consumed my life.’
Yet when we have a revelation of the beauty, worth, majesty and desire of God and the incredible blessing of His presence amongst us we must conclude that 214 million a year is a drop in the bucket. Australia’s GDP in 2020 was 1.34 trillion USD. 214 million IS a drop in the bucket. It’s small change in comparison to the overwhelming blessing of God’s tangible presence dwelling in a geographic location. The establishment of David’s tabernacle in Jerusalem and the continuity of the 24/7 worship into the time of Solomon’s temple ushered in season of prophetic revelation that resulted in a significant portion of the bible being written (large numbers of the Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiasties, Song of Songs and the Prophets) as well as unprecedented peace and prosperity. 2 Chronicles 1:15 says of this time, “Also the king (Solomon) made silver and gold as common in Jerusalem as stones…”
And here’s the incredible part about this story. It’s not a story that happened 2000 years ago with no relevance to us today. There is a little prophecy in the book of Amos that says this,
“On that day I will raise up the tabernacle of David which has fallen down and repair its damages I will raise up its ruins and rebuild it as in the days of old; that they may possess the remnant of Edom, and all the Gentiles who are called by My name, Says the Lord who does this thing.” (Amos 9:11, also quoted in Acts 15:16)
Right now all across the world God is raising up Houses of Prayer in the spirit of the Tabernacle of David – families of believers who have set themselves to offer up unceasing worship, praise and prayer to God unto the breaking in of His glory and His presence coming to rest on geographic regions.
The amazing thing is that this is happening sovereignly. It’s not happening because a group is coordinating it across the globe. I’ve heard testimonies about houses of prayer starting on remote islands in the Pacific where there’s no electricity. The Holy Spirit visits His people and tells them to do it. It’s happening everywhere, it’s an explosion across the planet in our time. God is fulfilling the prophecy of Amos 9:11 and preparing His people for the return of His Son to dwell with them forever.
A list of Houses of Prayer around the world
Part 3: The Core Identity of the Bride
J. Ratcliffe
Photo by Joyston Judah from Pexels
Chasing the Beautiful God 
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