Legacy, Judgment and Prophecy

by Nathan Shaw

I can’t recount the number of times that prophetic words have come out of my mouth that did not reflect my perspective about the person. Our perspective and God’s mercy can be poles apart. Even when a person or nation deserves the consequences of their sin, God is incredibly merciful. It’s easy to prophesy consequences for sinful behavior, however, sin has its own consequences and we must be careful not to wrongly add prophetic weight to them. The consequences of sin can teach a person the wisdom of righteous living, but so can the mercy of God.

God’s righteous judgment is another way that we learn. But God only releases His judgment when it is necessary. First He lets consequences and mercy do the work. Three things stand out about God as a righteous judge:

1. He is slow to anger.
2. His judgments are redemptive in purpose.
3. He is faithful to the legacy of previous generations.

When God looks at individuals or nations He sees them through eyes of mercy, patience, redemption and legacy. True prophetic ministry does the same.

Legacy is powerful. It shapes the destinies of individuals and nations. It testifies of God’s faithfulness—even when humans forget, God does not (2 Timothy 2:13). A common reason for inaccurate prophetic ministry is a failure to understand legacy. When prophets fail to see the prophetic power of legacy their vision becomes clouded. We live in a time of major transition. Transitions last for definable periods of time, the ongoing results last for generations. Legacy is one of the most powerful influences of transition and change.

A powerful legacy came to David through the devotion of his great grandmother Ruth (Ruth 1:16). From a young age David, like his great grandmother, had a heart after God (1 Samuel 13:14). God promised David that his throne would be established forever (2 Samuel 7:11-16). David went on to make some huge mistakes. Regardless, God remained faithful. Even when the northern kingdom of Israel went into exile, there was still a son of David ruling over the southern kingdom of Judah. Eventually Judah too went into exile. Jeconiah was one of the last sons of David to rule over Judah. Jeremiah prophesied over Jeconiah, “Even if you were a signet ring on My hand, I would still pull you off” (Jeremiah 22:24). Whoever had possession of a king’s signet ring was able to exercise the full authority of the king. It was the seal that verified a king’s decrees. For a king to be God’s signet ring meant that God’s authority and the king’s authority were in some way united.

With Jeconiah, it looked as if David’s legacy had failed. Seventy years later however, by the decree of King Cyrus, Judah returned from exile. The prophet Haggai dramatically reversed Jeremiah’s words. Haggai prophesied over Zerubabbel, “I will make you My signet ring, for I have chosen you (Haggai 2:23). Zerubabbel was Jeconiah’s grandson! David’s legacy was reinstated and eventually culminated in the birth of Jesus, the Messiah who rules forever and ever. Even although sin led to exile, God watched over David’s legacy. When Judah returned from exile they looked small, weak and even pitiful. Through Haggai, God affirmed that His authority was with them. God’s authority guaranteed their present success and future destiny. Three things could have clouded Haggai’s prophetic vision:

1. Judah’s past sin had been grievous.
2. The surrounding nations were hostile and intimidating.
3. Judah was now small, weak and seemingly insignificant.

Despite all of this Haggai prophesied from the perspective of legacy. We must do the same.

Recently God gave me a glimpse of the legacy of Queen Elizabeth II. According to Wikipedia Queen Elizabeth II is “the Queen of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms. She is the longest-lived and longest-reigning British monarch. She is the longest-serving female head of state in world history, and the world's oldest living monarch, longest-reigning current monarch, and oldest and longest-serving current head of state.” That’s quite a list of accolades. Of course legacy is far more important than current accolades. Queen Elizabeth II has served Great Britain and the Commonwealth nations with true devotion and humility. She has been a faithful servant. God is watching over her legacy. Great faith will come forth from her realms. Concerning the nation of Great Britain God says she will be Great Britain. Concerning Great Britain and the United States God says the lion will roar and the eagle will soar.

Here’s what God showed me about Prince Charles, Prince William, Prince Harry and Princess Diana:

• Prince Charles’ reign will be shorter than expected. (NB: Short does not mean insignificant).
• Prince William and Prince Harry will both be instrumental in continuing the godly legacy of their grandmother.
• God is also concerned about the legacy of Princess Diana. There is something in her legacy that He is watching over and will restore. Prince William and Prince Harry will play a role in this also.

Initially some of these details surprised me. When you see legacy in the spirit it changes the way you see many other things. If you take your perspective from the modern media you will almost certainly think differently.

God has some unexpected surprises up His sleeve. Unexpected people will be used in unexpected ways. Pop singer Ed Sheeran and activist Greta Thunberg are another two people who God is going to use in unexpected ways. Recently God spoke this to me: “People say this and that about many of those I am going to use. They try to shape and define them according to natural perceptions and agendas. But I haven’t spoken over them yet. They will hear My voice, know My heart and be My witnesses in surprising ways.”

The enemy wants to destroy legacy because he knows its power to shape a generation for righteousness. We must not be intimidated by his efforts. God is aligning His people with the prophetic power of legacy. Its power can cause that which has died to come alive again (Romans 4:17). He has given us a supernatural authority to call forth things that are not as though they are. He has also given us authority to speak directly to the heart of each generation. It’s time to see and prophesy from the perspective of legacy.

© 2020 Nathan Shaw.

Related Articles:
Discerning Times and Seasons – Nathan Shaw
2020: A Year of Seismis Shifts – Nathan Shaw
A Time of Great Reversals/The Legacy of Queen Elizabeth – Nathan Shaw

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