THE MEANING OF “PORTENT"

01/13/2023

"I have become a portent to many, but You are my strong refuge." (Psalm 71:7 BSB)

When the Lord gave us the message for the Year of Wonder, He was specific to use the word, "portent" as the closest synonym to His description of us in the Year 2023. The reason was that other synonyms of His idea, like "wonder", "marvel", "sign", "symbol", "icon", "miracle", "awe-striking" and even, "monster" are encapsulated in the word, "portent."

The Hebrew word for "portent" which is "mopheth", occurs only once in the scripture and it means, "something or someone to be wondered at." This is how the Lord sees and describes you in 2023. You are somebody to be wondered at. 

And I prophesy: "Nations will see you; they will see your efforts and hear your voice and wonder at you. It shall come to pass, says God that when people encounter you they will be filled with wonder and awe."

Now the word "portent" is a double-edged word. As it evokes amazement in some, it will at the same time evoke terror in others. The closest Biblical picture to this word, "portent" is in a situation in 2 Kings 7 wherein Elisha had given a word in the middle of a desperate national food crisis. He said, "Hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord: ‘Tomorrow about this time a seah of fine flour shall be sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley for a shekel, at the gate of Samaria’ ” (2 Kings 7:1).

Now it didn't seem apparent how the word of the prophet would come to pass but that word came on four leprous men, who by the Law of Moses sat outside the nation's capital of Samaria. The Bible says these men, hungry and at the point of death,  said to one another, "...Why are we sitting here until we die?  If we say, ‘We will enter the city,’ the famine is in the city, and we shall die there. And if we sit here, we die also. Now, therefore, come, let us surrender to the army of the Syrians. If they keep us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall only die.” And they rose at twilight to go to the camp of the Syrians; and when they had come to the outskirts of the Syrian camp, to their surprise no one was there. (2 Kings 7:3-5)

Question: What happened to the Syrians? The Bible says, "...the Lord had caused the army of the Syrians to hear the noise of chariots and the noise of horses—the noise of a great army; so they said to one another, “Look, the king of Israel has hired against us the kings of the Hittites and the kings of the Egyptians to attack us!”  Therefore they arose and fled at twilight, and left the camp intact—their tents, their horses, and their donkeys—and they fled for their lives. And when these lepers came to the outskirts of the camp, they went into one tent and ate and drank, and carried from it silver and gold and clothing, and went and hid them; then they came back and entered another tent, and carried some from there also, and went and hid it. (2 Kings 7:6-8). The word that Elisha gave evoked terror in the hearts of the Syrians and at the same time, produced something to wonder at in the four lepers and eventually in all of Israel. 

The Bible says, "Then they said to one another, “We are not doing right. This day is a day of good news, and we remain silent. If we wait until morning light, some punishment will come upon us. Now, therefore, come, let us go and tell the king’s household.”  So they went and called to the gatekeepers of the city, and told them, saying, “We went to the Syrian camp, and surprisingly no one was there, not a human sound—only horses and donkeys tied, and the tents intact.” And the gatekeepers called out, and they told it to the king’s household inside(2 Kings 7:9-11). The rest was history, the word of Elisha came to pass evoking both wonder and terror at the same time. 

Now a similar event has occurred in the realm of the spirit and this time, you are the personification of wonder and terror. Some will marvel at your outcomes this year and others will be terrified of you. In all of this, they will give glory and praise to God because He is your strong refuge and His presence in your story will be undeniable. Hear me, this year, you will be someone to be wondered at and terrified of because the word of God has said so. 

You are Mopheth! You are a portent! And the people in your orbit are in for a shocker!

Speak in other tongues and have a blessed day!

Faith-Filled Confession

I am a wonder! I am a portent! I am someone to be wondered at! And my results and outcomes defy human logic all year long because God the wonder maker has decided that it will be so. Hallelujah! 

ONE YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Genesis 31-32; Matthew 10:24-42

DAY 12 OF 21 DAYS OF FASTING AND PRAYER

Pray for the body for Christ (Your local church). 

Pray that the Lord will cause us to be united in mind, purpose and in love, making it impossible for the enemy to gain any advantage over us. 

Pray against any misgiving in the house of God. 

Pray against talebearing and lying spirit (gossips) in the house of God. Pray for healing for those who are hurt by actions taken by individuals in the house of God that they will come to the understanding of the Spirit  in love and forgiveness. Psalms 133, Romans 15:16, Philippians 2:2.