The Jebusites inhabited Zion

Zion in scripture is the city of the great King. The place of the throne. But it was inhabited by the Jebusites. In another words, this enemy is squatting in a place that does not belong to him. The name Jebusites mean to tread down under foot, to pollute, to defile the holy things of God. The Jebusites had no intention of relinquishing its ground. Hell does not open the house of its prisoners (Isaiah 14:17). Once Satan gets you into his prison, he does not let go.

Now Zion was a stronghold that was impenetrable. It was impenetrable because of the natural topography of the land. It was a fort on top of a mountain. To scale the sharp walls of the mountain, you’ll have to be heavenly armed as the defenders inside the fort would shoot arrows at you, pour hot oil on you and do whatever is at their disposal to stop the invaders from scaling the walls from the outside. Let’s say, that you have managed to scale the wall. Then on the North side there was a thick iron gate that would stop you entering into the fort.

Because of its strategic position high on a mountain and its thick iron gate blocking the entrance into the city, Zion had a long history of successfully withholding invasion. Under Joshua, Judah could not drive the Jebusites from its stronghold (Joshua 15:63). Later on in Judges, when the Benjamites settled in Jerusalem, they also were unable to dislodge the Jebusites. It was not until the time of David, that Zion was conquered.

You need the 100 fold anointing to conquer the stronghold of Zion .The 100 fold anointing is the anointing to rule and reign as king and priest unto God in the holy of hollies

David’s mighty men

David’s had 3 mighty man of which all three were mighty. He had another 30 mighty men of which there was three that stood out.

David’s mighty men were selected based on their exploit in battle. They were not selected based on their family name, their status, their appearance or personality. They were selected based on their exploit in battle.  To qualify as a warrior in David’s army, you have to have at least achieved one remarkable feat in a specific battle.  The more remarkable the exploit, the greater the leadership entrusted to that warrior. David wanted men in his army that would rely on the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit for impossible victories. Men who knew that the impossible can be overcome because greater is He who is in you than he that is in the world.  

The three of which there was three:

Adino killed 800 men at one time. He did so by the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit.  On one occasion, Samson killed 1000 philistines with the jawbone of a donkey. Adino is as powerful as Samson.

Eleazer: they were in battle formation facing the philistine army. The philistines happen to deploy some of their most elite troops in battle. All the other warriors retreated in fear but Eleazer lifted up his sword and smite the philistines until his hand was weary and clave to the sword. The LORD wrought a great victory.

Shammah: it was lentil season. Israel had worked hard to plant, cultivate and nurture the crop during the growing season. It was now time for harvest and a band of philistine thought they would raid the harvest. Everyone else ran for their lives but Shammah stood in the midst of the lentil field and defended it and slew the Philistines. The LORD wrought a great victory.

The 30 mighty men of which there was three that stood out. Three of the 30 men visited David when he was in the cave of Adullum. While there, David expresses a heartfelt desire for water from the well at Bethlehem. The three men broke through the bands of the philistines, drew water from the well and brought it to David. David refused to drink the water pouring it out before the Lord. It was the blood of the men who had risk their lives.

Their names were: Abisha- he killed 300 men. Benaiah- he killed two lion like warriors of Moab. He came against a tall Egyptian with a club, seizing his spear from him and slew him with his own spear. He went in a pit and slew a lion on a snowy day.

With such man of statute like Adino. Eleazer Shammah, Abishai and Benaiah who will David appoint as their captain? David needed a captain for his army but he needed a man with an achievement that would command the respect of his most decorated generals. There has to be an unusual exploit that would qualify this man to be captain of the army of Israel.

The unusual exploit:

Zion can only be taken from the inside  

David had a divine revelation how to conquer the stronghold of Zion. Whoever climbs up the water shaft, and defeat the Jebusites, he shall be chief and captain (2 Samuel 5:8). So Joab the son of Zeruiah (David’s sister) went first up, and was chief (1 Chronicles 11:6). The name Joab means YAHWEH is Father.

The stronghold of Zion can be taken but you will have to climb up by way of the water shaft and open the city gate from the inside. Zion had an inbuilt water supply. It was located adjacent the Gihon spring. Water from the spring was channelled through a network of underground channel. One of the channels led to an underground cistern (underground reservoir) inside Zion. Using a rope and a bucket, drinking water for the city was drawn up from the reservoir below.

To open up the city gate from the inside, you will have to tunnel through the underground channel, then climb up the water shaft and into the city. This would require much more than mere swordsmanship. Swordsmanship together with reliance on the anointing of the Holy Spirit might be able to kill 800 men in a single battle.

But to take the stronghold of Zion, a warrior would have to excel in:

• Tunnelling
• Climbing
• Swordsmanship
• Reliance on the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit for impossible victories

This is a challenge akin to a triathlon. To win a triathlon an athlete must excel in swimming cycling and running.

To take on this challenge, Joab needed a compelling reward. No one has ever successfully taken Zion before and the chances of dying in the process is extremely high. Joab was about to go where no man has ever gone before. But because of the reward set before him he was motivated to take on the challenge.

Revelation 5:1 the lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David has prevailed. The word “prevailed “is the same word as to overcome, to conquer. When you overcome in this life, it qualifies you to receive all the 14 eternal rewards in the new age to come:

Eat of the tree of life in the midst of paradise

Receive a crown of life

Not be hurt of the second death

Eat the hidden manna

Receive a white stone and a new name written on the stone

Power over the nations

Receive the morning star: the brightest star before day break

Clothed in white garments

Confess one’s name before father and his angels

Pillar in my temple

God’ name, New Jerusalem and Jesus’ new name written on the heart and mind

Sit on His throne (to sit speaks of governmental ruler ship)

The bible gives us no detail as to how Joab pulled off this job. So you will have to use your imagination. There was no map. With a network of channels, how do you know which one leads to the water shaft? How full is the water channel? Is it completely air tight with no space to breathe? You don’t know, no one has ever done it before. And if I do find my way to the water shaft, is there a rope to climb up? Most likely not, you probably have to push your way inch by inch climbing through the crevices in the rocks with your hands and feet. Joab was excited about the challenge of taking on the impossible. After all if God be for us who can be against us. They are bread for us. Their defense is departed from them for the LORD is with us.

Tunneling through the underground water channel

You are underground with a network of channels. It’s all dark with no flashlight, no light from the stars. How do you know which one will lead to the water shaft!

If you find yourself in a network of channel system and its all dark, you better immerse yourself in the Holy Spirit for guidance and direction. Joab is completely drenched in water and in the Holy Spirit. He is led to the right channel. Now is the time to start tunneling

Tunneling: to dig or force a passage through. The scripture says out of his belly shall Flow Rivers of living water (John 7:38). For the rivers to flow, you will have to start digging so that a fountain will flow from the depths of your heart. You will have to drop everything else and set your face to wait upon God in prayer. The set of specific prophetic songs that the Holy Spirit has given you, you will have to start eating them day and night, night and day. You will have to be regular consistent and locked in that position of waiting in prayer for years after years until you come out of the water channel.

That is not just for one year or two but it could be over a decade until the word has taken root in your heart and done its transforming work in you. You are now becoming a voice not an echo. When you lift up your voice to pray, that word now comes out of your mouth with force power and authority. It’s shifting things in the spirit. 

This is the confession of my faith:

I am a conqueror; Greater is He who is in me than he that is in the world

Thanks be to God who leads us in His triumph

We will walk in the power of His might and shine forth His glorious light for greater is He that makes me overcome

Isaiah 45: 3   I will give you the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that you may know that I, the LORD, which call you by your name. What you have gain by waiting on God in your darkest hour, it’s an eternal treasure that you will take with you to eternity. It’s yours forever: treasures that you have gained in darkness.

The darkness will not last forever. Psalm 97:11 Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart. A harvest of light and gladness will spring forth from this time of waiting upon God.  You are now ready to enter into a new season. The season of climbing the water shaft.

Climbing the water shaft

After a season of darkness and tunneling through the water channel, Joab find himself in a pool of water. He could almost stand upright. There is an opening leading upward. Could this be the water shaft?

Now he has to climb up but there is no rope. To climb up he has to push upward inch by inch by getting his hands and his feet into every crack and crevice he could find making sure that he does not fall to his death. How long was the water shaft? We don’t know!  But climbing upward and pushing upward is certainly a new season in the Holy Spirit for Joab.

He is like Ruth who finds herself in a new season: at the threshing floor with Boaz. The threshing floor is the place where the bride meets the bridegroom and they recognize each other. The threshing floor is the place where you will begin to soar in the beauty realm. The voice of the bride is now like the voice of the bridegroom. Like the voice of many waters, like a mighty thundering. You declare, you decree with power and authority. You prophesy to your stronghold: Greater is He that makes me overcome. Thanks be to God who leads us in his triumph. 

You can no longer pray nice prayers anymore. You are now praying from your belly. Sometimes it’s a groan. Sometimes it’s a roar, the roar of the lion of the tribe of Judah. Sometimes it’s a shout of triumph. This is the language of the Holy Spirit that we are all meant to express. Praying like this is essential to unlock the stronghold of the Jebusites spirit. Besides it makes us a warrior of another Calibre.

Hebrew 5:7   who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears. Other translations says: with vehement cries and tears. With loud cries and tears. Jesus offered up prayers that were charactered by forcefulness of expression, intensity of emotion and intimacy and loud cries. You cannot pray this kind of prayer in the comfort of your home. You will have to go in the wilderness somewhere where you can shout from the top of your lungs.

We need to contend for this kind of praying. This kind of praying has instant impact. It pushes back the darkness and at the same time it changes us on the inside at an accelerated space. The word of God is now consuming your whole being, it’s bringing you to a new level of power and authority. When you speak under the anointing of the Holy Spirit, a sharp two edged sword is coming out of your mouth piercing the enemy and ripping him to shreds

How much superior is this kind of praying compared to our best and well-meaning prayers which we express comfortably in the comfort of our home?

Why has God made the journey to spiritual authority so strenuous?  

Why does it require our all-consuming effort, our focus attention, our full devotion, our determination our tenacity in the area of prayer fasting meditation and study of the word day and night?

These are the disciplines that will cultivate within us the greatest level of intimacy with Jesus. Daniel 11:32 the people who know their God will be strong and do exploit. Authority to conquer the enemy can only be released through intimacy. That is why the journey to spiritual authority is so strenuous.

Proverbs 21:22 A wise man scales the city of the mighty, and casts down the stronghold in which they trust. For the stronghold of Zion to come down, it was necessary for a forerunner like Joab to go before and open the gates from the inside. But it was equally necessary for the army to be prepared and waiting ready to advance once the gates are opened. Once the gates are opened all the mighty man of valour can come in and take the city for God. At the end of the day, it was a team effort. But it required a forerunner to go before the army and open the gates from the inside.

What happens when the stronghold of Zion is taken?

2 Samuel 5:6-8 the lame and the blind are mentioned 3 times in the space of three verses. This Jebusites spirit is holding the lame and the blind captives. Today in our churches, the lame and the blind are not being healed. They come in lame and they go out lame. There is a reproach resting upon the church. But when this Jebusites spirit is broken, we are going to see the eyes of the blind opened. The lame shall leap as a hart and the tongue of the dumb shall sing.

When the floodgates are opened and lame and the blind are set free, it will open the doors for the multitudes to be saved as in the books of Acts. They will come in the 1000’s to be saved. Disciples will multiply. Houses of worship will flourish in the land. David was not able to establish a 24/7 house of prayer until the stronghold of Zion was taken

When the stronghold of the Jebusites is taken, houses of prayer will proliferate and the power of prayer will be unprecedented. The glory of God will not be containable in our buildings. It will overflow to the stadiums of the earth. The kingdom will advance at an accelerated rate and this will hasten the return of the LORD.

Invitation to all

Whoever climbs up by way of the water shaft (2 Samuel 5:8)

The challenge to conquer the stronghold of Zion is given to every warrior in the nation. It was an invitation to all. Why can’t it be you?

Why not lay everything down and go for it. It’s a lifelong commitment of being forged as a deliverer in the wilderness for 40 years. But get ready to brave the loneliness of the quest. Be prepared to navigate unforseen darkness. Recognise that the risk of drowning and even death is real. Be prepared to go deep in God. Devote yourself to a lifestyle of worship prayer fasting and vigorous study of the Word. Get immerse in the Holy Spirit. And boldly prophesy to the walls that they are coming down. And do not cast away your bold confidence which has great recompense of reward.

Stay with it and you will WIN.

Isaiah 35:5-6

Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as a hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.