THE THRESHING FLOOR

What is the purpose and meaning of the threshing floor? What does the threshing floor really represent? There are several examples in the Old Testament, two of which are the setting of powerful breakthroughs for King David and for Ruth.

In 2 Samuel 24:18, David purchased a threshing floor, and made sacrifices of repentance that stopped a plague that had killed 70,000 Israelites. His son, Solomon later constructed his temple in that place.

2 Chronicles 3:1 helps us to see the threshing floor as the place where God intervenes when good is separated from evil.

This is what God desires to achieve through you as an intercessor.

As we begin to deal further with being in the manifest presence of God on the threshing floor, you will learn about the story of Ruth (symbolizing the church) and Boaz (typifying Christ). When Ruth went into the threshing floor (the intimate place of Boaz) to seek his favor, she came to his feet first. In turn, he covered her with his mantle (prayer shawl). This was a powerful exchange that we will go into in much greater depth in my next chapter.

The point that I would like to bring out is this. Before Ruth entered the threshing floor, her mother-in-law had given these instructions: "Wash, change your clothes, and anoint yourself."

Please make note that every time we see instructions being given to individuals to enter the presence of the Lord, it may require something. In other words, to wash something, to remove something, or to anoint yourself.

Ruth washing herself - changed her clothes (holy garments), and anointed herself before going into Boaz on the threshing floor. Do you see the comparison? Moses was required to remove his shoes when God spoke to him from the burning bush. Whenever there is the sanctifying of holy ground for a holy purpose, you will always be required to remove something that represents the old you and your own direction.

Now that the pattern for operating on the threshing floor has clearly been established, you should be able to see the revelation of the threshing floor being made manifest through the story of Ruth. Including the things Ruth had to go through before going to the threshing floor, the things that were accomplished while on the threshing floor, and what she was able to carry away from the threshing floor. This can be compared to the same pattern we follow by coming into prayer at the feet of Jesus. Washed by the Blood of the Lamb, and going all the way to the altar of incense to be anointed to come into the divine presence. (Remember that Ruth came into the threshing floor at Boaz's feet (Ruth 3:1-7).

To get a better picture of this, when we go before God on our threshing floor, we do not only come out with victory for ourselves; we come out with victory for those who are assigned to our lives. Though the threshing floor in the Old Testament may have been in an open field on the far side of the country, God is still establishing the fact that wherever you make your threshing floor, and wherever God sanctifies that spot, you are guaranteed to come out with the same result --because this is truly a biblical pattern that is being established; it is not an opinion, it is a fact that always leads to victory.

Although there are situations in which the Lord requires that we stand, yet there will come a time in His presence when He will require us to prostate ourselves before Him. Believe me when I tell you that you can't see your deliverance while standing in your own power, because as you stand, you are standing face-to-face with your situation and as soon as you get passed one, another one is staring you in the face. This is why you stay discouraged and often find yourself overwhelmed. When you are lying down, you don't see all of that, you see only what God is revealing to you. You can see what governs and dictates events in the natural realm.

This is how the intercessor learns to operate. He or she understands that "the impossible" is simply an assignment designed to reveal how great God truly is. When you take the posture of intercessory prayer, you will begin to see that nothing can pierce God's power and bring you down. God uses "light afflictions" to further empower and anoint you. In this, He demonstrates to you that the greater your warfare, the greater your anoining will be.

First and second realm believers say, "Satan, the Lord rebukes you." I bind you, devil. Come on out, Satan. The third realm intercessors enter the threshing floor and lie before the mercy seat saying, "God, I worship you. I give your name the highest praise," because they know that before they come to God, they must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them who diligently seek HIm (Heb. 11:6). Third level people don't tell God the problem, they lie down in His glory and praise God for the answer, "God, I thank you because you are more than enough. I thank you because you are Jehovah Jireh, my provider. I thank you because your blood covers and washes me. God, I thank you because you are already making a way out of no way." (They begin to decree and declare a word).

There's no failure from this posture on the threshing floor. There is nothing in this realm that can interfere with the Will of God. His will cannot be tampered with; it cannot be hindred or touched by Satan. His will is revealed and carried out. From here you get results. The Word tells us that when you decree a thing, it shall come to pass. So remember, you may have been feeling like the enemy is all around you, but God has been waiting to bless you. This is true because He can only prepare the table of blessings when the enemy is present. So rejoice, I say and gain I say, rejoice.
 

God Bless!

Rev. Millie M. Colon