Prophetic Stages

UN-EARTHED

Understanding Prophetic Stages

Brandon Woodson

THE BIRTH OF A UNIQUE INSPIRATION

As I was walking out of a coffee shop one evening, when I noticed a large mural of a
coffee tree hand drawn on the wall. It depicted the stages of development that a coffee
tree grows through from conception to cup. As I stood staring at this beautiful relic, The
Lord whispered to my spirit, “stages of the prophetic”. At the time, I had no clue of what
that meant. So I took a picture of it and went on my way.

Over the course of about 6 months, the Lord has been endowing me with prophetic
teachings and understandings. To the gracious blessing from my spiritual covering, I was
released to unpack this mystery of understanding Prophetic Stages

SOME BENEFITS OF DISCOVERING YOUR
UNIQUE PROPHETIC GIFTS:

When you understand which stage of the prophetic gift you’re at, there is a confidence to
minister through the Holy Spirit with God confirming and affirming the proclamation (1st
King 17:1; Mark 16:20). As you identify your unique gift(s) your mind and focus open to
the realm of that gift. Identity is more than just a knowing but an enablement. It’s the key
to activate your full potential and allows your ministry to be released effectively through
the direction of The Holy Spirit.

Now I will say this, as many of you already know, The Holy Spirit often communicates in
mysteries, such as dreams, visions, prophetic parables and symbolic pictures. For some,
this is a primary way they receive and minister prophetic insights. A mystery requires
interpretation and its meaning is not always immediately discernible. Relationship breeds
interpretation and obedience increases authority to minister that interpretation. Be
informed though, God is not wasteful. There is no need in releasing interpretations to a
non-compliant heart.

Through this guide, God is inviting us to go on a journey with Him and discover Him as
‘the revealer of mysteries’ (Daniel 2:28). We can see this evidence through the prophet
Ezekiel as many of his revelations were received and conveyed in the realm of mystery.
Some visions, such as the valley of dry bones (Ezekiel 37) were symbolic while other
mysteries were Heavenly realities—visions of the cherubim and throne of God—that
could not be comprehended by the natural mind. (Ezekiel 1, 10,11)

Today, amid the tyrant like acts of police brutality, social and economic injustices, and
viral diseases, God is pouring out his Spirit amidst us. He is cultivating and growing us in
the area of prophetic to be the echo of a continued life demonstrating His power, glory
and love throughout. Let’s explore these stages from a broader depth of field through the
analogies of a coffee tree!

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STAGE ONE - PROPHETIC EVIDENCE

At this stage, the gift of prophecy is in you but the fruit isn’t quite evident but it’s
budding. To the untrained or even the unbeliever, you may call it, intuition. Have you
ever had a moment where you felt something wasn’t right? Perhaps walking across a
parking lot late at night, or feeling negative around someone without knowing exactly
why? Most likely you have, and probably shrugged it off as illogical nonsense when, in
essence, this is prophetic evidence untapped.

Logic is the thief of faith because its methodology is cryptic to the subconscious mind.
In other words, your logic is your safe place because it keeps you grounded to the
conventional laws of time and space. The Prophetic gifting defies conventional laws.
When God wants to speak, He transcends time and space. Probably why you keep
getting called awake at 3-4a!

One must submit unto the Lord
Jesus to be groomed because
redemption and submission
cultivate the gift. God will guide
you to the right person to groom
you (Jeremiah 3:15) “I will give you
shepherds after my own heart,
who will lead you with knowledge
and understanding”.

The danger at this stage is not
knowing what the flower is
(misappropriation) and
misuse/abuse it (no water) or hide
it (no sunlight) so it dries out.

Recall the parable of the talent
(Matthew 24:14-30). As it’s in
budding it is thus, vulnerable and
can easily be taken advantage of.
When you feel unction’s and
utterances, document the details
of your experience (Habakkuk 2:2-
3). Create a journal of God’s
interactions and instructions.

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STAGE TWO - PROPHETIC IMPRESSION

This stage speaks of a repented heart.
You’ve submitted to God by way of
salvation in the acceptance of Jesus
Christ as Lord, but you still don’t know
what to do with the calling.

You may have encountered dreams
and visions imposing your mind and
sleep. You may hear and see things
and think you’re crazy or people around
you may think you’re weird.

God called Samuel as a boy, but
because he was not yet groomed he
ran to Eli thinking that he was hearing
the voice of Eli.

It’s a stage of grace to bear fruit (John 15:16). (The vine and the branches). Knowing you
are the branch, Jesus Christ is the vine, and God is the vinedresser is the key element to
grasp. God will definitely dress you according to the calling He has ordained for you. The
key to prophetic elevation here is prayer & worship. Worship is what draws The Holy
Spirit close and prayer is the channel by which lines of communication are established.
Worship is dialing the phone number to heaven, and the beautiful thing about it -His line
is never busy!

JEREMIAH 33:3 –“CALL TO ME AND I WILL ANSWER YOU AND SHOW YOU SECRETS YOU DID NOT KNOW TO COME”

Growing in the love of God and the Holy Spirit instead of just His gifts removes
boundaries and prevents idol worship of the gift. There are some who worship the gift
greater than the giver. Submit the gift to God or you’ll grow in love with the fruit. Holding
on to the fruit only overloads the branch and makes it sag. Understand, the fruit is to
serve those in needs and to replant the seeds that it bears (John 15:4-6).

Do you know people who need to let it go? The well has dried, the oil has burned and
they still want to keep going. Don’t allow your tenor to become a terrorist! (1 Kings 13:11-
26) -The story of the old prophet.

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STAGE THREE - THE CALLED VS THE ELECT

God’s calling is unique, you may receive
your call in the womb like Samson and
the prophet Jeremiah (Judges 13:1-4;
Jeremiah 1:5-7), or from your vocation
like Gideon, Elisha, and Saul who later
became Paul. Perhaps you are the
prophecy fulfilled like John the Baptist
and Jesus Christ (Luke 1), or perhaps
you were dedicated to God like Samuel
(1st Samuel 1:9-28). Either way, you are
who you are -a prophet of God!

HAND PICKED BY GOD

Strip Picked vs Hand Picked

Strip Picked: In this stage of the coffee tree, all of the cherries are stripped off of the
branch at one time, either by machine or by hand.

You have to be careful not to seek to be validated by the crowd. Everyone in this stage of
picking will often fall prey to the deception of riches, schemes, & clout chasing. The office
of a prophet appeals for the wrong reasons because of its heightened sense of authority.
Often times I’ve come across people who are always searching for an opportunity to
stand out or come up.

Hand Picked or Selectively Picked:

Only the ripe cherries are harvested, and they are picked individually by hand.

There’s a difference between the Right Time and the Ripe Time. The right time speaks
that you’re in the right season, area, and properly nurtured. The ripe time signifies the
time to be plucked and processed.

Once the coffee has been picked, processing must begin as quickly as possible to
prevent fruit spoilage. This is critical. Often times you’ll find people who are lone rangers.
Never wanting to stay consistent or be covered by a church -resistant to authority.

Hear me here, resisting authority is a sure tell sign of an agenda. Sometimes you’ll run
into a rogue prophet -one who becomes argumentative and stubbornly promotes their
thoughts on how the ministry should go, grow an flow. Understand this, the prophet has a
gift for the church but it does not make them the gift of the church!

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STAGE FOUR - MANIFESTATIONS OF IMPARTATIONS

This is your first revelation or indication of the prophetic calling in your life. It could be
through the laying on of hands by the church as seen in the case of Timothy (2nd
Timothy 1:6-7). However, you can still be susceptible to ambition. As you rise from the
dark places of life, you can be enamored with the potential that you see around you.
Bigger, more established trees who have developed fruit can entice you to grow too
quickly.

This can spoil the prophetic gift because the marketplace may not accept you for lack
of maturity. In fact, a very few people will notice you because you’re still fairly new.
The governing authority should be giving you slack but not slacking off.

Notice though, that people are watching you at this stage. You may not be strong
enough to support your own load (carry a congregation), but as you worship, study,
pray, love and honor, the deeper your roots spread in the Lord.

Understand your gifts may be hidden from the
public, but, that does not mean it is
insignificant. Some ministries, by their very
nature, are hidden. For instance,

Prophetic intercession can be a private
ministry
God may call you to minister to one or a
few, and your gift may be unseen by
people

Just as invisible light, such as infrared, x-ray,
beta rays, gamma rays, and ultraviolet can
have extraordinary power when focused; a
hidden but focused ministry is equally
powerful. This is the grooming period where
you learn, like the boy Samuel, to recognize
the voice of God and to accurately separate
truth from error.

Many people get frustrated at this stage because the breakthrough has been a long,
tumultuous ordeal. It took a lot for you to get here. Yet, know this --you’ve come a long
way but you still have a long way to go.

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STAGE FIVE - PLANTATION

This is the stage where God has now planted you in a pasture (church) under
authority according to (Psalm - 23:2) and the environment can properly support you
for growth. You’re identified but people are still investigating you -fruit inspectors.
Although you’re seen and demonstrate the gift, you still have the fruit to display. You
know what you’re made of, and what’s in you (potential) but the fruit that validates it
hasn’t fully shown. This is like having a great word for Sunday service but only 5-10
people show up. Your Facebook views are minimal even though you have such an
excellent word that you believe everybody should hear. The danger of this stage is not
to resort to desperate measures. Leaching churches for congregants is a low level
morality. Gene Edwards says in his book, A Tale of Three Kings, “Those who feel
qualified to split God’s kingdom never feel satisfied to start another kingdom
somewhere else but would rather steal from another leader.”

You’ll find your roots are still spreading underneath even though above ground you’re still
the same height. However, the deeper the roots, the greater your “stability and
immovability”.
You don’t want to grow big with tiny roots! Without depth you’re prone to sway and at risk
of breaking or falling when the wind and storms of life come beating against you (Matthew
7:24-27). Did you know, the appeal of crowd applause can be your downfall? Sometimes
a prophet will only say things they know will get the crowd lively. This is an example of
small roots. You tossed about with giving people what they want to hear and see rather
than truth of God.

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STAGE SIX - PROPHETIC MANTLE

At this stage the coffee trees roots have shown to
be fertile and are at a stage where the roots need
to be planted in a more cultivating environment. In
other words, they need their own space or
department.

Revelationally speaking, this when the prophet is
granted a mantle. In the Bible, mantles imply
several meanings, but the most familiar usage is a
cloak or garment and the transfer of authority to the
prophetic office. This is seen in the case of Elijah
and Elisha (2nd King 2:8-14). One of its obvious
uses was to prevent being cold but to also
demonstrate authority. Prophets wear mantles as
symbols of their calling and sometimes their office
(1st King 19:13).

The prophetic mantle therefore represents the
authority of the office of the prophet. In
contemporary revelation, the mantle is seen as a
symbol of the Holy Spirit. Consequently, the
prophetic mantle represents the place where your
gift has been tested, processed, cultivated and
most importantly, covered.

This is the period of life where your roots have grown too wide for the area/environment
(church) that you’re in. Sometimes, God uproots you to uplift you. He packages you to
transplant you to an area where you can be most useful. Recall God instructed Jonah to go
and deliver His message to the city Nineveh (Jonah 1:1-4).

You will only grow as big as your environment can sustain you. You cannot remain in a
place where your anointing is not required or honored. However, let’s make this clear. It
does NOT mean you pick a fight with authority in order to validate your desire to leave. Even
David didn’t kill Saul though he had ample opportunities. Rebellion only begets rebellion.

Finally, the mantle represents a symbolic expression of the New Testament revelation of the
prophetic. Since the mantle was famously used as a covering to keep the body warm thus,
in the prophetic, it is a symbol of the prophets authority and anointing to warm the hearts of
people from a cold state. The mantle of the prophet is what covers them while God
transports them. It may be tight in this season but it doesn’t stay forever. It may be
uncomfortable but it is bearable. This could be the result of a new job, circumstantial or a
paradigm shift. But your faith has grown to keep you.

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STAGE SEVEN - THE OFFICE OF THE PROPHET

Listed in Ephesians as one of the fivefold ministries, the office of the prophet is one of
the oldest offices in the Bible, if not the oldest dating as far back as the epoch of
Abraham. The office of the prophet is much more than an office, it is a calling. It is the
foundation of your faith, salvation, and the church.
The entire Holy Bible and Christianity were birthed through prophecy. Even in
creation, God, through prophetic utterances, spoke the world into existence declaring
things that be not as though they were (Romans 4:17). Prophets are the foundation of
the new creation and the office of the prophet is the pinnacle of the prophetic gift and
the citadel of excellence. It is an exchange point where the intermediary is the
prophet.
On the one side are the people and on the other side is God. The occupier of the office is
accountable to God and to the people. To serve successfully you must be rooted,
established, strong, and supported. As a result, people are more confident to trust,
putting their buoyancy on you. You represent the image of God and by God you have
been graced to stand as you do. A brilliant scriptural example was Moses (Exodus 19-
20).

However, caution against pride, arrogance, and disobedience is required in
retaining the office. The moment you think you’re the one who got yourself
into the office, the axe is thrown at the root (Matthew 3:10) and see (Proverb
16: 18). The prophets occupied a very sensitive office and their value is felt
by the security and progress of the home, church, and nation.

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The absence of the prophet’s office means the absence of God’s spokesman and
welcomes the secular messenger as a fill in.
Perhaps this could explain some of the sudden major national and global catastrophe.
The prophet often gets premonition about such hazards through the Word of Knowledge
or the Word of Wisdom and comes with a solution. Prophecy is birthed out of chaos and I
believe this nation is going to see an outpour of God’s Spirit on a national level.
The prophetic voice is needed in these times of global uproar as prophecy echo’s that life
should continue on. Just as the prophetic office is depicted by the full grown coffee tree,
that we as a people and a nation hold the power to annul ignorance by declaring and
decreeing His word.
May HIS Kingdom come, May HIS will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven…

GOD BLESS!

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