The Seed Shall Be Prosperous

By Apostle Aje Pelser, Harvester Reformational Church, Cape Town

23 June 2013

Assurances from Zechariah’s prophecy remind us that the Seed of God’s Word shall be prosperous!

Zechariah's name means 'the Lord remembers' and today we remember his prophecy and appropriate it for this move of God. The theif on the cross said to Jesus 'remember me when you are in paradise'; Joseph was remembered after many years in prision,; Jesus told us to remember His death and resurreciton through communion; His disicples remembered His teachings and prophecies after He ascended and hte HOly Spirit reminds us today of this prophecy so that we can continue to build and extend His Kingdom of righteousness and peace, joy in the holy Spirit!

We the Church are the Remnant

There is a remnant of people, just like it was in the days of Israel, that seek justice that seek the Lord with all their hearts and that understand repentance for the sake of the land. Zechariah the prophet revealed God’s judgement as well as His Zeal for Zion – the Church as we understand it with a New Covenant perspective.

The Word of God is the Seed

Zec 8:11  But now I will not treat the remnant of this people as in the former days,' says the LORD of hosts.

Zec 8:12  'For the seed shall be prosperous, The vine shall give its fruit, The ground shall give her increase, And the heavens shall give their dew— I will cause the remnant of this people To possess all these.

The Seed means many things here:

From a prosperity point of view it represents sowing and reaping physically and seeing crops grow. Fertility is implied and you can believe God for children too, in the spiritual sense – disciples. The seed, ground, vine and heavenly dew are all ingredients for prosperity on an agricultural level.

We know about the dew of Hermon that came from the mountains to irrigate the valleys of Israel.

Removes Hindrances to the Seed and it will Prosper!

But on a spiritual level we learn from Matthew 13 that the seed is the Word of God and the Sower is the preacher of that word. The Vine is Jesus Christ and we are his branches form John 15. The ground is the state of preparation of the heart in the hearer of the word being preached – sometimes birds come and steal the seed. Some receive the word gladly and then the seed shoots up fast, but because of hardness of heart they have no root in themselves and when the sun comes up the plant withers and dies. Others have weeds in their hearts that choke the word, cares of this life, the desires for other things creeping in, the deceitfulness of riches can all hinder the growth of the Seed of the Word of God. But a good heart produces good seed, the seed will be prosperous.

The Dew – moisture in the heart that nourishes the seed to germinate and shoot root and bear fruit. God speaks of the rain that comes down from heaven and waters the earth and does not return there but accomplishes that to which it was sent to do.

Blessings reverse the Curses

Zec 8:13  And it shall come to pass That just as you were a curse among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, So I will save you, and you shall be a blessing. Do not fear, Let your hands be strong.'

Zec 8:14  'For thus says the LORD of hosts: 'Just as I determined to punish you When your fathers provoked Me to wrath,' Says the LORD of hosts, 'And I would not relent,

Zec 8:15  So again in these days I am determined to do good To Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. Do not fear.

There is a reversal of the curses brought upon people because of sin. Jesus became the curse of sin for us on the Cross.

Instructions from God are to acted upon assuring Prosperity of His Word

Zec 8:16  These are the things you shall do: Speak each man the truth to his neighbor; Give judgment in your gates for truth, justice, and peace;

Zec 8:17  Let none of you think evil in your heart against your neighbor; And do not love a false oath. For all these are things that I hate,' Says the LORD.'

Zec 8:18  Then the word of the LORD of hosts came to me, saying,

Zec 8:19  'Thus says the LORD of hosts: 'The fast of the fourth month, The fast of the fifth, The fast of the seventh, And the fast of the tenth, Shall be joy and gladness and cheerful feasts For the house of Judah. Therefore love truth and peace.'

Understand the Lord’s values of truth, justice and peace. I pray for that in our country when I think about the injustice, the lies and corruption and the violence that is going on unnecessarily. Evil spirits are let loose through practises of witchcraft in South Africa at high levels. But we are not afraid:  “the seed shall be prosperous” no matter what the devil is doing, God has a bigger plan and His remnant of faithful believers in South Africa shall “possess all of these” the prosperity of the seed, the fruit of the vine, the increase of the ground and the dew of heaven.

It is not a time to be sad, but to rejoice forevermore in God’s presence – our confident joy in believing – our faith – is the victory that overcomes the world! There is joy and gladness in our hearts in spite of the atrocities and corruption in the world, because we know that Our Father, God Almighty upholds us by the Word of His grace.

His Seed – Jesus – the Word shall prosper in our lives world without end. Amen.

The Assurance of Prophecy for this Move of God

Zec 8:20  'Thus says the LORD of hosts: 'Peoples shall yet come, Inhabitants of many cities;

Zec 8:21  The inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, 'Let us continue to go and pray before the LORD, And seek the LORD of hosts. I myself will go also.'

Zec 8:22  Yes, many peoples and strong nations Shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem, And to pray before the LORD.'

Zec 8:23  'Thus says the LORD of hosts: 'In those days ten men from every language of the nations shall grasp the sleeve of a Jewish man, saying, 'Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.' ' '

Jerusalem and Jewish man should be understood with New Covenant realities in mind:

We have come to Mt. Zion, the heavenly Jerusalem where we are registered as part of the Church of the Firstborn in heaven. Hebrews 12:22-24

Apostle Paul also teaches us to think of ourselves as believers:

Rom 2:28  For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh;

Rom 2:29  but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God.

That allows believers in Jesus Christ to access this prophecy for today in the awareness of God’s plan for His Church. Why do the nations come and seek us out and grasp our sleeves to become part of this move of God? It is to pray before the Lord and to seek the Lord – let that always remain the focus of our worship – to seek the Lord and worship Him in Spirit and in Truth. Jesus Christ is the Head of His Church and the Centre of all our operations. His Word is our Highest Authority and we study his Life in the Gospels, His extended life through the early church and His Abundant Life released to us today by His Spirit throughout all the ages.

May the Word of God grow mightily in your life and prevail!

The Seed shall prosper!