“Blue and purple from the coasts of Elishah was what covered you …” (Ezek. 27:7b, NKJV)
This opening Scripture from the prophet Ezekiel is an important prophetic pointer to the importance that the colour purple plays in all forms of covering, and obviously also when it comes to mantles, especially if it is linked to the prophetic inheritance of Elishah (and thus also the inheritance of Elijah). We are currently examining the typological importance of Carmel, and within this Song of Solomon 7:5 has lead us down a couple of important paths: “Your head crowns you like Mount Carmel, and the hair of your head is like purple; a king is held captive by your tresses.” From a couple of other translations this somewhat murky image was elucidated and explained in more depth.
From the New Testament we then become acquainted with the prototype of Lydia, the seller of purple: “Now a certain woman named Lydia heard us. She was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God. The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul.” (Acts 16:14). It is very important that we know that the name Lydia means “travail”, in other words her ability to produce royal mantles (as a so-called keeper of mantles) is dependant on her intercession and prayer, as well as her ability to “labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you” (Gal. 4:19).
In Greek Thyatira means “odour of affliction” (also Thayer), in other words, like the shellfish in which the purple ink is found first has to be crushed before the ink can be released, the same process also applies to the person who needs to carry this responsibility as keeper of mantles within the spiritual realm – they need to sacrifice themselves for the agenda of God, and experience the pressing birth pangs of those that need to be clothed in mantles. Like the Son, they learn obedience (with regards to others) by experiencing suffering themselves (Heb. 5:8). To wear a mantle, and to thus be clothed with Christ (Rom. 13:14) means that you need to be obedient without any compromises, in this way spreading the fragrance of Christ (2 Cor. 2:15; Eph. 5:2).
Concerning Thyatira it is very interesting to note that in Rev. 2:20-23 the church in this symbolic province is warned against Jezebel: “Nevertheless I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. And I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality, and she did not repent. Indeed I will cast her into a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of their deeds. I will kill her children with death, and all the churches shall know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts. And I will give to each one of you according to your works.” It seems as if almost all mantles are countered by the spirit of Jezebel. We should read the entire extended history of Elijah’s confrontation with Jezebel as a teaching on the manifestation of personal and collective mantles.
- Selah: Are you an intercessor?
- Read: Acts 4-6.
- Memorise: Acts 4:12.