The Twelve Tribes of Israel
(Chapter 11)
"Dan"
Dan was born the Fifth son of Jacob and the first son of Rachael's maid, Bilhah. Rachel said in Gen. 30:6 ,
"God has vindicated me: He has listened to my plea and given me a son. Because of this she named him Dan."
Dan means 'Judge'. Dan also means an umpire, to execute judgment, or to minister judgment. One of the names of God is Adonai. The name `Adonai' means Lord, Master or Ruler. So the purpose of Dan is to judge and to rule, therefore, I am going to focus my attention in teaching Dan to those who are to rule over the House of God.
Dan was called to be a judge. He was called to lordship, to rulership. If you have not gone through the sixth gate, Issachar, it disqualifies you to enter the seventh gate, Dan. Because, if you can be bought, you cannot be a judge. But, if you cannot be bought, then you can minister pureness of judgment.
Jesus said in John 7:24, "Stop judging by mere appearances, and make a right judgment.
Judgment is not negative.
It is positive. There is a judgmental kind of criticism that will condemn you, but I am speaking of a ministry of no condemnation. The judgment that flows out of the old nature will condemn you. Judgment that flows from the new nature will not condemn you, it will not minister death, but it will minister reconciliation, life and righteousness.Jesus said in Matt 7:1-2,
"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."
The word for judge used in Matt. 7:1, is the word `KRINO', which means to separate, to select, to choose, to determine, to conclude, to correct, to esteem, to decree, to sentence, to think, to approve, to have an opinion, to deem, to resolve, to pronounce an opinion concerning right and wrong, to pronounce judgment, to rule or govern, examine, investigate, discern, to decide, etc.......
Simply stated, "If you make a judgment, you have made a decision." It's a cop-out to say, "We must not judge." Discipline requires decisions and a following through. Unfortunately, the chaos that is in the home because there are no decisions made, has been carried into the church and many pastors are afraid to rock the boat. Sons of the Kingdom do not condemn or criticize others. Those who have such a critical spirit will reap what they sow.
There is a nature in the us called Dan that is tempered by the nature of Issachar and cannot be bought. Because I cannot be bought, I don't allow our friendship to cloud the decisions I must make concerning the welfare of this assembly. I don't care what Moma thinks, here is my judgment. I don't care what the consensus of opinion is, here is my judgment. I don't even care what I think, here is my judgment.
My goal is always that my judgment is His judgment; righteous judgment. Am I always right? No! However, the judgments that I make come from a pure heart based on my understanding of what the Lord is saying. In the same way, your judgments should be made in this maner. If we differ the Lord will show each of us the truth of the matter.
In any given situation, Jesus would render the right decision. Then why have so many wrong decisions been made? . We will see the key in just a few minutes, but most of the time we have not waited for His word to come.
While it is true that those who are unqualified are forever giving free advice, it is also true that judgment and justice is rendered by those the King has called, appointed, chosen and anointed. Those who are given the responsibility of judgment must judge themselves. These are proven ministries have gone through God's trying process just as Abraham did and have been proven by Him.
This self examination is currently being experienced in the church as a Day of Atonement. This feast day is a day of humiliation when justice may be denied to us in order to prove us. We are all reluctant to judge ourselves, but this is the day in which we must consider the plank in our own eyes. This will qualify a ministry to render pure and righteous judgment in the earth.
What then, is the basis for that righteous judgment? Righteous judgment is the judgment of Jesus; His fairness and His decisions. Righteous judgment cannot be based on our experiences. You may say, "Well, It has been my experience-----" Our experiences are valid and may be helpful, but we must not limit God to deal with others the same way He has dealt with us. When you are making a righteous judgment concerning another person's life, you must realize that they are a unique person and God will deal with them in their uniqueness. There are no two people alike, just as there are no two snowflakes alike. The principal of no two snowflakes being alike indicates to me that God's judgments are unsearchable.
Usually, I can spot immediately, problems and scriptural solutions to those problems in a person's life. But what if I am not sure? Then this Dan nature from within me will cause me to wait on the Lord and I will receive the word of wisdom for that situation. If you ask a seasoned ministry a question concerning your life, don't be surprised if he tells you that he first must pray about it. Don't be surprised if he tells you to come back at the same time tomorrow and he will give you the answer. Be careful of the man who has all the answers. Chances are, he hasn't been through Dan. Chances are, he can be bought and is just trying to flatter you.
Have you ever made a wrong decision? Do you know why? Chances are you were hasty. Your good or bad experiences do not qualify you for the kind of judgment I am talking about. Experience is sense knowledge. The righteous judgment of Jesus goes beyond that, beyond what the eye can see into the realm of the spirit. God does not always deal with others the same way He has dealt with you. The Pharisee in you will always want God to deal with others the same way He deals with you. God's judgments are unsearchable. Even as each snowflake is different, every situation you face is different.
If God's judgments are unsearchable, then I must have some help to find them. This is why we must be in the Sspirit to make righteous judgments. We have the mind of Christ and the only way to access it is to be in the Spirit.
Jesus said in John 16:13,
"But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come."
And Paul said in 1 Cor 6:17,
" But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit."
If you needed to know something from the scriptures and you knew I was knowledgeable in that area, would you not come to me and ask, rather than not know? There is someone who is available to us who knows every answer. He has all the answers? The Holy Spirit is in us!!! If we will just wait on Him, Dan will come forth.
Paul said in I Cor. 2:9,
"No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him, but God has revealed it to us by His Spirit."
God has revealed to us things that no eye has seen. Things beyond experience.
Paul said in 1 Cor 2:11-12,
"For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man's spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God,
My problem is that I have said too many things that He didn't say, and I have done too many things He never did. But I'm learning to let Dan come forth. When Dan comes forth with the righteous judgment, the answer will be there.
Paul said in 1 Cor 2:12-15,
"We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. This what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught us by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words.
The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to Him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual man makes judgments (decisions) about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man's judgment"
The key to this statement is, "The Spiritual man." The natural man cannot be allowed to judge the Spiritual man. I must be in the Spirit to make Spiritual judgments. I cannot make Spiritual judgments (decisions) with my natural man (self-soul). In the Sspirit I have the mind of Christ.
Jacob's prophecy to Dan is recorded in Gen. 49:16,
"Dan will provide justice for his people, as one of the tribes of Israel."
Anyone in the five fold ministry must learn to dwell among the people of God and not above them.
Gen. 49:17 says,
"Dan will be a serpent by the roadside, a viper along the path, that bites the horses heels so that its rider tumbles backward."
Both Jesus and Satan were represented by the serpent.
1) In Matt. 10:16 Jesus said,
"I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as wise as serpents and as innocent as doves."
The word serpent is the Greek word (OPHIS) and carries the idea of sharpness of vision, wisdom. Jesus told us to be wise like a serpent. Satan has not only defiled the serpent but he has also perverted wisdom. Dan was to be a serpent by the roadside.
Jesus said in John 3:14,
"Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up."
Not only was Jesus lifted up as the representative of sin but also as all wisdom. His wisdom in offering himself up as a sin offering far exceeded Satan's wisdom in crucifying Him. Jesus is the Lion of the tribe of Judah and Satan is as a roaring lion.
Gen. 49:18 says, "I wait for your salvation, O Lord."
Do you know why I have made mistakes in the ministry? Because I did not wait on the Lord. Do you know why I have made mistakes in my personal life? Because I didn't allow time for God to work all things out. The word `WAIT' means to look for. Here are some scriptures concerning waiting on God.
Psalms 40:1 says,
I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand."
Isaiah 25:9 says,
"And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the LORD; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.
Isaiah 26:7-9 says,
"The path of the righteous is level, O upright One, you make the way of the righteous smooth. Yes, Lord, walking in the way of your laws, we wait for you; your name and renown are the desires of our hearts. My soul yearns for you in the night; in the morning my spirit longs for you. When your judgments come upon the earth, the people of the world learn righteousness."
Isaiah 33: 2-6 says,
"O Lord, be gracious to us: we long for you. Be our strength every morning, our salvation in time of distress. At the thunder of your voice, the peoples flee; when you rise up, the nations scatter. Your plunder, O nations, is harvested as by young locusts; like a swarm of locusts men pounce on it. The Lord is exalted, for he dwells on high; he will fill Zion with justice and righteousness. He will be the sure foundation for your times, and rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the Lord is the key to this treasure."
Isaiah 40:31 says,
"They that wait upon the Lord."
Psalms 25: 3-5 says,
"No one who waits on you will ever be put to shame but they will be put to shame who are treacherous without excuse."
Psalms 27:14 says,
"Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD."
Psalms 37:9 says,
"For evil men will be cut off, but they that wait on the Lord will inherit the earth."
Verse 34,
"Wait for the Lord and keep His way. He will exalt you to possess the land; when the wicked are cut off, you will see it."
Dan was the tenth stone on the high priest's breastplate and the stone is a Beryl stone. The word 'Beryl' means to break or subdue. God has called for the ministry in this hour to break and subdue and punish everything that is evil. Beryl is of the chrysolyte family. The word 'chrysolyte' comes from two Greek words: khroo-sol'-ee-thos; No. 5557. chrusos, khroo-sos'; perh. from the base of G5530 (through the idea of the utility of the metal); gold; by extens. a golden article, as an ornament or coin:--gold. 3037. lithos, lee'-thos; appar. a prim. word; a stone (lit. or fig.):--(mill-, stumbling-) stone.
The chrysolyte stone is what we know as the topaz. Topaz is a yellowish gold colored stone. Gold in the scriptures speaks of the divine nature. Song of Solomon 5:14 says, "His hands are as gold rings set with Beryl."
This is the seventh foundation in the wall of the Holy City and seven is the number of perfection.
Paul said in Hebrews 6:1,
"Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again these six foundations."
Paul is saying that we are to move beyond these six principles and go on into perfection. Let's don't just dwell in these first six foundations but let's press on into the deeper foundations of understand of God's eternal purpose.
This is the seventh foundation and it is a gold stone which deals with the divine nature. Or, to put it another way, Sonship. Sonship results when we begin to have a mature understanding of who we are and why God has chosen us. What, then, is Sonship? Sonship is nothing more or less than growing up in Christ in all things as a headship company. In other words, you have received the seed of Abraham, which is the Christ in you. And this seed is supposed to fill all of your earth. That seed is supposed to keep multiplying and increasing in you until completely absorbs every particle of your being. Until you, the new creation man, are absolutely one with the Lord Jesus Christ who lives in you. Sonship is going on into perfection or full maturity.
Dan's name was also written on the seventh Gate of the Holy City. When you pass through the experience of Dan you will be qualified to go on into maturity because you have learned to make righteous judgments. We are entering the seventh day from Adam. In this seventh day the Church will experience the gate of Dan corporately. This will be the death of the Harlot Religious System.
Lamentations 4:1-2 (NIV) says,
"How the gold has lost its luster, the fine gold become dull! The sacred gems are scattered at the head of every street. How the precious sons of Zion, once worth their weight in gold, are now considered as pots of clay, the work of a potter's hands!
Can you see that God says that the precious sons of Zion are like fine gold? Gold is symbolic of the divine nature.
When you pass through the gate of Dan you will begin to manifest the divine glory by making righteous judgments.
Moses said in Deut. 33:22 ,
"Dan is a lion's cub, springing out of Bashan."
Ministries that have gone through Dan are wise as serpents and bold as lions. When they spring, it is going to be at the enemy. When they claw and when they mangle and when they kill and destroy, it will be against the lack of knowledge in God's people.