Yesterday morning in worship and now this morning in prayer I am hearing the Lord say, “The battle is being turned at the gate!” Over and over again i am hearing this phrase and it is coming with hope not fear. It is about the war in Israel, this I know, “The battle is being turned at the gate!” I open my phone and there is a news article on the home screen that says, “Due to weather, Israel has postponed its advance into Gaza.” Immediately the Lord says, “The battle is being turned at the gate.”

I open my Bible for I know this has to be a Bible verse, and sure enough, it is located in Isaiah 28 and here is what it says, “In that day the LORD Almighty

will be a glorious crown, a beautiful wreath for the remnant of his people. He will be a spirit of justice to the one who sits in judgment, a source of strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate.” In what day is the first question I asked, because context matters and we must know what the context is to confirm what we are reading and hearing.

Isaiah 28:1-2 says, “Woe to that wreath, the pride of Ephraim’s drunkards, to the fading flower, his glorious beauty, set on the head of a fertile valley — to that city, the pride of those laid low by wine!” Ephraim is one of Joseph’s sons, who he had with Pharoh’s daughter when he was brought out of prison. His other son is Mannasseh. Ephraim means double fruitfulness. Remember pride puffs us, don’t forget fermented wine also puffs up, just like leavened bread. The proud are being laid low, by God Himself, for the Lord is still exalting the humble and humbling the proud.

The battle is being turned at the gate because the Lord is strengthening the remnant who is praying for the peace of Jerusalem, for they know in there peace we have peace. We are gatekeepers, watchmmen on the wall, ones who turn the battle at the gate. God can use any resource at His disposal to turn the battle at the gate, but yesterday He used weather, for we know our battle is not against flesh and blood but against spiritual forces of wickedness in high places and God Himself is turning the battle at the gate for He so loved the world He gave His one and only Son!