The prophet's handbook

damage. I later learned the woman was of considerable rank in the military. This vision has happened to me more than once. On another occasion, I delivered the word of the Lord to a young man, also a stranger to me. Again, I stood before him to prophesy and saw all these occupational signs. I was initially confused and thought, I cannot figure what God wants to focus on with this man. Suddenly, in the midst of the panorama of work symbols, an officer’s hat appeared. I knew he would be an important person in the military and that in his preordained position, along the way, he would have ample opportunity to acquire the skills needed to be effective. The path the Lord had him on meant that he would have to do many seemingly odd jobs that appeared unrelated to one another. But ultimately, his experiences would all converge, and once he completed his course, he would serve the Lord in high rank in ministry, as well. Without the imagery of well established occupations or practices, it would be hard to set God’s lively stones in their rightful place in His body. Also, knowledge of such imagery further helps in vision and dream interpretation. They say silently what the Lord needs His messengers to voice publicly. As you can see, mantles reflect more than rank in the Creator’s service callings. They indicate the learning path of the wearer, the ultimate position, and the assortment of preparatory training skills that would finally comprise the mantle’s power and authority. Using various imagery, prophets’ mantles signify their range of ministry and the predecessor their calling descended from, as in the case of Elijah and Elisha, and Elijah and John. The mantle and its condition coincide with the message the prophet concentrates on and the position he or she holds in the eyes of the sending deity on account of what a prophet’s predecessor experienced. Sometimes, what seems tattered to humans is celebrated by God as triumphant. Prophets’ mantles were more than adornments to decorate them for service. They were viewed as the reflective power of God and thus worthy of honor, respect, and reward. When a prophet’s word failed or the prophet wanted to be recognized, what distinguished him was the cloak he wore. Often, disappointed monarchs or peers would tear a prophet’s mantle to signify the prophet’s word was not backed by any spiritual power. This is what occurred between Jeremiah and Hananiah in Jeremiah 28. The coarseness of Elijah’s and John’s mantles was meant to indicate the harshness of the word they preached and the cost of that word to themselves and their hearers. Isaiah and Ezekiel, two prophets stripped of the customary prophet’s mantle, were not exempt from this explanation in that