In a recent dream I found myself in an expensive clothing store filled with the most marvelous garments. Rack after rack of amazing colorful coats filled the fine establishment. I thought, “Who wouldn’t want one of these fine garments?”
As I gazed over the racks of coats one in particular caught my attention. I carefully pulled it from the racks and tried it on. The coat had a ‘Carolina’ sky blue front, a colorful wide striped back with a delicate expensive amber colored leather collar. I looked at myself in a full-length mirror admiring the fit. It had unusual ¾ length sleeves and was made to fit as a waist length jacket. It fit perfectly. It was as if it were tailor made for me.
I stepped outside to see how it looked in natural light. I was delighted with such a colorful and fine fitting coat. I turned to go back into the store to pay for it only to discover that the store was nowhere to be found. It had disappeared -but the coat remained. I could not pay for it.
Interpretation
God is ready to clothe many with a ‘tailored made’ new anointing in 2014 typified by the coat of many colors that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. This new anointing will release a new level of prophetic revelation represented by the heavenly sky blue color that covered the front of the garment.
In the dream I could not pay for the coat. It had already been paid for. We could never pay enough to obtain something that only God can provide. It is not something we can earn. It must be given and we must deeply appreciate that truth to wear it and use it with humility and wisdom.
The fact that the back was striped speaks of a new level of healing anointing. Isaiah 53:3 records:
“But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.”
The expensive leather collar speaks of how everything of value must be paid for with shed blood just as the Lord shed the blood of animals to cover Adam and Eve with leather garments after their fall. Collars can speak of identity. Some crimes are white collar ones while other ones are blue collar crimes distinguishing between the societal level of the crimes. This collar was amber speaking of the color of the glory of God. This coat will be attended by the glory of God.
We find other significance of this anointing from the life of Joseph and his colorful garment:
"Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age. Also he made him a tunic of many colors" (Genesis 37:3).
Bible scholars have differing understandings of this coat's appearance. Aryeh Kaplan in the Living Torah explains it this way: "It was a royal garment. The word passim can be translated as colorful, embroidered, striped, or with pictures. It can also denote a long garment, coming down to the palms of the hands and the feet. Hence, it may be translated as a 'full sleeved robe', 'a coat of many colors', 'a coat reaching to his feet', 'an ornamented tunic', 'a silk robe', or 'a fine woolen cloak'.
The coat represents the favor Joseph had from his father and spoke of the primary leadership of his family he would one day obtain. His coat was one of great promise, giftedness and authority.
The coat was a gift. We could never pay for something so precious. But as many of us have discovered, some gifts become very expensive. This next new anointing will be that way too.
In Joseph's case the coat focused his brothers' jealousy and hatred. We will discover that this new coat may generate just such responses from those who don’t understand why God anoints those He does. Ultimately his brothers stripped Joseph of his coat, sold him into slavery, dipped the coat in blood, and lied to their father about him having been killed by wild animals.
It was necessary for Joseph to lose the outward sign of the anointing and be severely tested in order to function at the highest level the robe initially promised. The jealousy and hatred of his brothers were part of the price Joseph paid to live out the gift he was given. The garment being soaked in blood reveals that every anointing must be sanctified for it to be ultimately successful. When Moses anointed Aaron and his sons for service he stripped them, washed them, clothed them, then anointed them. Afterward he sanctified them with blood: "Also he took some of its blood and put it on the tip of Aaron's right ear, on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot. Then he brought Aaron's sons. And Moses put some of the blood on the tips of their right ears, on the thumbs of their right hands, and on the big toes of their right feet." (Leviticus 8:23-24).
How many men and women have been destroyed because they did not submit to the entire process meant to insure the success of the ministry gifts and anointing God gave them? Many. We must be men and women who have submitted to the processes of the Lord if we are to ‘wear’ his anointing successfully. We must never submit to jealousy and selfish ambition if we are to function effectively. Such selfish ambition releases much evil:
“But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there” (James 3:14-16.
God is releasing new levels of anointing, colorful mantles He freely gives, but with each one comes a price. Joseph graduated from God's school of the anointing and ruled in Egypt with dignity, mercy, and kindness. His understanding of the redemptive ways of God and his lack of self-centeredness enabled him to revive his father's household and preserve the lineage of the Messiah. That is the purpose of the anointing. It is not primarily to make your ministry a success, although it can. Joseph used his anointing to empower and enrich many who had lost their inheritances. It is to restore households, free prisoners, reclaim legacies, and declare the glory of God through the lives of redeemed people.
"That we might be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He might be glorified" (Isaiah 61:3).
Prepare your hearts. A new precious and dangerous anointing is being released even now. Use yours with wisdom, humility, and dignity.