By Andrew Williams
Series: The Year of the Prophet- Month 4: The Seer Realm & Divine Senses
Week 16: Discerning the “Burden of the Lord” (Feeling & Knowing)
Anchor Scripture: “…of the sons of Issachar who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do, their chiefs were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their command.” — 1 Chronicles 12:32 (NKJV)
The Teaching
Sensing the “times and seasons” is a high-level function of the prophetic office. It is often referred to as the Issachar Anointing. While the “Seer” looks at objects (what is happening), the “Issachar Prophet” looks at timing (when it is happening).
There are two types of time in the spirit: Chronos (sequential, calendar time) and Kairos (the opportune moment, the “fullness of time”). Most people live entirely in Chronos. They see the world through the lens of weeks, months, and years. But the prophet senses the Kairos. They have an “Internal Clock” that is synchronized with the heartbeat of God.
The sons of Issachar had “understanding of the times.” This wasn’t a political analysis; it was a spiritual perception. They sensed when the “Saul season” was ending and the “David season” was beginning. Because they understood the “Time,” they knew exactly what the nation “ought to do.” When a prophet has Issachar sight, they provide a “map” for the people, ensuring that the Church doesn’t try to harvest in the winter or plant in the autumn.
Prophetic Insight
Prophetic timing is as important as prophetic truth. A true word delivered in the wrong season is a “clanging cymbal.” If you tell someone “God is going to promote you” during their “wilderness season,” you may cause them to become impatient and bypass the training they need. The Issachar anointing allows you to sense the “rhythm” of a person’s life or a church’s history. You sense when a door is opening, when a “window of heaven” is over a city, or when it is time to “hide” (Day 62). If you find yourself “feeling” that a season is over before it actually ends, or “sensing” a shift in the global climate before it hits the news, you are operating in this anointing. Your job is to tell the people: “The season has changed. It is time to move.”
The Activation
Identify a situation in your life or your church where there is confusion about what to do. Today, instead of asking “What?”, ask the Lord “When?”. Say, “Lord, what season is this? Is it a season of ‘Building’ or a season of ‘Waiting’? Is it a ‘Midian’ season or a ‘Galilee’ season?” Look for the “clues” in the atmosphere (the “smells,” the “colors,” the “weight”). Write down what “time” you perceive it to be.
Daily Prayer: Lord God, I thank You that You are the Master of the Times and Seasons. I ask for the Issachar anointing today. Give me an understanding of the spiritual ‘clocks’ around me. Forgive me for my ‘hurry’ and my ‘lateness.’ Sync my heart with Your divine rhythm. Help me to know what Your people ‘ought to do’ because I see what ‘time’ it is in Your Council. Amen.
