Eagles are everywhere in the Old Testament; have you noticed? It's because God is trying to use their example to teach us many things. He is making comparisons between us and this amazing bird—if only we will choose to rely on His strength for everything.
"Those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles, they shall run and not be weary" (Isa. 40:31).
Our all-sufficient Creator does not leave us on our own any more than a mother eagle leaves her chicks on their own. And He cares for us in every way, anticipating our weaknesses and putting fresh wind under our wings day after day and year after year.
As we follow the Lord and follow His call, we can certainly get weary. He wants to show us how to have both of our wings ready—the Word of God and worshipful prayer—so that when the wind of the Spirit comes in force, we can climb up and draw beautiful circles as we wheel in the sky.
Everywhere in Scripture, eagles represent swiftness and strength—and the glory of God.
Eagles as a Prophetic Symbol
The eagle is one of the biggest and certainly the most majestic of all living birds. This is why so many countries, no less than 25 of them, depict eagles in their coat of arms. North American native tribes use eagle feathers in their religious lives.
Here in North America, we are most familiar with the golden eagle and the bald eagle. The writers of Scripture would have seen golden eagles, along with three other kinds of eagles, and more during migration seasons. Mature eagles have come to be admired the world over as living symbols of freedom, power and transcendence.
Eagles are often considered specifically representative of the prophetic anointing. People who make lists of scriptural symbolism always interpret eagles this way—just think about the proverbial sharp-sightedness of eagles, not to mention their capacity to "come up higher."
Eagles are even more meaningful to me. For years the combined ministries of Encounters Network and Compassion Acts served the Cherokee Nation headquartered in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, with acts of kindness, humanitarian aid and prayer. Because of this connection, I was adopted by the Cherokee tribe and given the name "White Eagle" during a special day of prayer. I was honored in a ceremony, presented with a long white eagle feather, and commissioned to "soar into the heavens" in prayer and prophecy.
I call the late Bob Jones, one of my prophetic mentors, my "prophetic papa." He was known as a seer, and he wore this one sweatshirt often. Yes, his blue sweatshirt had the picture of an eagle on it. Nothing could have been more appropriate.
Bob had been commissioned as an eagle who would call forth and equip the eagles who would in turn equip more eagles for the next two or three generations. I am now one of those "papa eagles" in my own right, commissioned by the Lord to empower a global prophetic company.
Eagles and Us
When you look at the facts about eagles, you can see all kinds of parallels with prophetic expression. Let's look at some of them, keeping in mind the wisdom of Paul: "However, that which is spiritual is not first, but the natural, and then the spiritual" (1 Cor. 15:46). Remember: First the natural, then the spiritual. The spiritual does not come first.
There are over 60 species of eagles in the world. Undoubtedly, there are over 60 "species" of prophets and prophetic expression in the world, too. Prophets come in all shapes and sizes and, as you will see in the chapters of this book, they express God's heart and mind in a wide variety of ways.
As you may remember, 50 years ago bald eagles in North America used to be on the endangered species list, since only about 500 breeding pairs were thought to exist. About 10 years ago, they were removed from the list, and now enjoy a "protected" status. I see some similarities with what has happened to prophetic voices in the church. Once in danger of extinction, the importance of the prophetic has now been restored and elevated in status, at least in many places. In fact, it happened over the course of that same 50-year period, in both cases starting in 1967.
When I first started out ministering in the body of Christ, prophecy was rare. In 1967—the same year that the bald eagle was put on the endangered species list—three important movements in the church came into being: the charismatic movement, the Jesus People movement and the Messianic movement. Back in 1967, there were not very many "eagles" flying in the church. Oh, that eagles would multiply in the church, that they would continue to be no longer endangered, but rather protected!
It's a natural fact: Eagles can out-fly and out-hunt many other species, and they take advantage of the food sources they have at hand. They may have a big range to cover, and they stay within it once they mature. They fly so high in the sky that they seem to come from a heavenly realm when they plunge to earth in their single-minded pursuit of their prey. I think you can see how this might be analogous to prophets!
Most eagles mate for life, and the males and females look quite similar to each other. After constructing large nests with care, they maintain them for their two or three chicks each season (taking turns feeding the chicks and passing on to the next generation what they need to know). Some eagles build their nests in tall trees. Others, like the golden eagle in Israel, build on inaccessible cliffs.
From such heights, they can catch the wind currents and soar even higher—or plummet to earth at fantastic speed to capture the prey that their "eagle eyes" have spotted. As prophetic people, we too hope to be able to start high, having nested and rested, from there to catch the wind currents of the Holy Spirit. From such a high perspective, our God-given spiritual sight can spot a target that other eyes would miss. We can see the enemy, and we can see provision.
Did you know that eagles can see more colors than humans can? We can see the three primary colors, red, blue and yellow, and their gradations. But eagles can distinguish more colors, including those in the UV range, which helps them follow invisible-to-humans urine trails of small animals.
More about eagles' vision: The eyes of big eagles are about the same size as human eyes, but their vision is up to four times as sharp as human 20/20 vision. This means that an eagle can spot prey over several miles from a souring altitude of a thousand feet. Do prophets seem to have extra-sharp vision as well? I believe they do.
Eagles never look back over their shoulders or worry about competitors. They are beautifully confident and highly focused. Remember what Jesus said about putting your hand to the plow and not looking back? (See Luke 9:62.)
Andrew Murray, prolific South African writer-pastor of the early 20th century, once composed a book called With Wings as Eagles. In it, he stated:
How did the eagle get its wings? By its birth. It was born a royal eagle. It has royal descent. ... We are all born with eagle wings; we have within us a divine nature; we have within us the very Spirit of Christ Jesus to draw us heavenward.
Regardless of whether or not you think of yourself as a prophet, you are prophetic. You have a connection with heaven that you can renew on a daily basis. You can bring heaven to Earth through your words and actions. You are called to fly higher. As an eternal being, you have been called to dwell in the heavenlies. You—yes, you!—have been called to mount up with eagles' wings so that you can bring heaven to your little patch of the Earth.
You can move from the natural to the spiritual in a really natural way. An eagle waits for the perfect time to launch into the air currents so that he can ascend without flapping unnecessarily. Be still and just wait for that perfect moment, which will come in its season. Eagles do not fly high all the time, and neither should you.
The most powerful prophetic words are relational, not professional. Reaching out with acts of kindness may be the best prophetic ministry of all, and you certainly do not have to punctuate every word with "thus saith the Lord." Feel free to change your language, making it less religious and more ordinary, more approachable. I will have much more to say about this as the following chapters unfold.
Let love be your aim (see 1 Cor. 14:1). Love is the conduit that carries faith. Just be a genuine person who cares about people. Ask questions and get to know people. Learn to move in the gifts of the Spirit as you grow in the fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness and self-control—see Gal. 5:22-23).
It's a process. Like an eaglet, you were not hatched knowing how to soar or hunt. Even when you reach maturity, you will have to learn new things. Just remember that you have the best teacher you could possibly have, and that He has promised to perfect the work He has begun in you (see Phil. 1:6). He will also recondition you all along the way, much like the way He reconditions the feathers of a molting eagle.
Never forget your goal, which is the goal for anyone who is called by His name: to exalt Jesus. After John was invited into the heavenly throne room, he recorded these words: "The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy" (Rev. 19:10).
What's important is not the sweep of your wingspan or the accuracy of your eye. What matters is that you train your eagle eyes to keep your focus on Jesus Himself. As an eagle of God, are you releasing His testimony?
James W. Goll is the president of God Encounters Ministries and has traveled around the world sharing the love of Jesus, imparting the power of intercession, prophetic ministry and life in the Spirit. He has recorded numerous classes with corresponding study guides and is the author of more than forty books, including The Seer, The Lost Art of Intercession, The Coming Israel Awakening and The Lifestyle of a Prophet. James is the father of four wonderful children with a growing number of grandchildren, and makes his home in Franklin, Tennessee.
For the original article, visit godencounters.com.
Dr. James Goll is the founder of Encounters Network, Prayer Storm and helps carry on the work of Compassion Acts. For information on his online school visit: geteschool.com. James continues to live in Tennessee and is a joyful father and grandfather today.
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