The Fall Guy
or Silence of the Lamb
“And when he had spoken such words unto me, I set my face toward the ground, and I became dumb.” Daniel 10:15
The Dominion pattern always begins with a Word from God. The one He speaks to then goes through a symbolic “Passover” death-and-resurrection. The new prophet is then “raised” to his feet (Firstfruits) and given a task. Filled with God’s Word, he opens it to the intended audience (Pentecost).[1]
The one who falls then rises is the mediator of a new covenant. Adam sleeps so he can be married to Eve. Abram sleeps so his “belly” can fill the world with living waters. The prophets fall as dead men before the chariot-throne of God so their words can slay the old order and initiate a new one.
“In that day shall thy mouth be opened to him which is escaped, and thou shalt speak, and be no more dumb: and thou shalt be a sign unto them; and they shall know that I am the LORD.” Ezekiel 24:27
In Luke 1, after the Word from God, it is Zechariah’s unbelief that makes him dumb. He himself becomes a silent Passover lamb, a sign to an Israel that has become Egypt. Blood is symbolically shed so that history may continue. A man falls (Zechariah) so that another may rise (John).
Zechariah was made dumb so that John could speak. In the same way, Lot’s wife and Sodom became barren at the same time that Sarah conceived; Saul received an evil spirit when David received the Holy Spirit. Someone carries the curse so that history can move on freely. Sin crouches at the door so that is where the covering blood of silent obedience is shed. Somebody provides cover so the people of God can be free. Somebody falls into the ground as seed and dies. Someone always takes the Fall.
When the previous Zechariah saw a vision in the Temple, it was of Satan attempting to prevent the reinstitution (or recovering) of the Aaronic priesthood after the captivity. The Accuser stood at God’s right hand - at Zechariah’s left - the Lampstand as the Law-eyes of God. The angel of the Lord presumably stood at Zechariah’s right - the Table of Showbread.
The devil occupied the place he usurped from Adam. Adam would take the throne from him via sacrifice, and a new priesthood would be made clean. Man only becomes a lucifer, a light-bearer, via the Table of bread and wine. The governing lights of Day 4 always come after the new grain and fruit of Day 3.
After the High Priest (Joshua) was reclothed, the prophet Zechariah saw a Lampstand with 49 lights, an abundance of spirit glory in God’s people. This time, the angel promised a child who would be filled with “Pentecost” from birth, a walking Lampstand, a burning bush proclaiming a new Exodus.
From the angel, Zechariah took the place of the Table (silence - divided by the Word) so that John could speak as a Lampstand. There is always a Passover Lamb before the Pentecost, always half an hour of silence before the seven thunders, always a willing Altar before the Coals of Fire glorify the sacrifice.
When Zechariah spoke again, it was after he wrote concerning the miraculous son at his right hand, “His name is ‘the Lord is gracious.’” His mouth was opened for the first time in the best part of a year.
God’s mouth too was opened for the first time in 400 years. A new nation was ready to be born out of the corpse of Egypt.
But, like his father, John’s mouth would also be silenced so that history could continue in the Lamb to which they all pointed.
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[1] Notice this pattern in the structure of Revelation. The Firstfruits Lamb precedes the scroll; the scroll culminates in coals from the heavenly altar (Pentecost) which begins the Trumpets of warning: the witness of the apostles, men with fire coming from their mouths.
