The Prophet’s Uniform
A mantle is a prophet’s uniform or garment worn for a specific job, work, or calling. By a person’s physical uniform, we can quickly identify someone in the United States Armed Forces—whether in the Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, or Army. The prophetic mantle is recognized in the realm of the spirit from the ministry offices of apostle, evangelist, pastor, and teacher. The mantle represents a uniform of authority that a prophet wears that identifies his or her spiritual authority, power, and rank. It is similar to a coat that a police officer, FBI agent, or firefighter wears that identifies the office or organization they represent. The office of the prophet wears a mantle to identify his or her calling as an officer of God.
The spiritual mantle represents a uniform of authority that a prophet wears that identifies his or her spiritual authority, power, and rank.
There are different mantles, clothing or garments, that also reflect what rank of authority someone carries. For example, apostolic mantles represent the power and authority of an apostle, a sent one. Apostolic and prophetic offices are the highest degrees of spiritual authority in the church. Therefore, this gives us an understanding of the weight upon those who carry apostolic and prophetic mantles of God. All authority is ordained of God (Romans 13:1). A mantle represents ordained authority by God. Spiritual mantles reflect spiritual authority. All believers function out of the spiritual mantle of Jesus Christ who gives us a measure of authority over the powers of the devil. Every believer carries spiritual authority out of the mantle of the Holy Spirit imparted and sent by the Father and Jesus Christ.To fully comprehend the function of the prophetic coat, cloak, and covering, the prophetic mantle is a mantle of power that empowers us to prophesy with greater strength, depth, and authority. When you prophesy with a prophetic mantle, you are essentially prophesying with a cloak of the powers of the ages before you. You prophesy out of a portal of power where you will literally see the word of the Lord become flesh. God is moving us into a realm of speaking things into existence by the manifestation of the word of the Lord being released out of our mouths.
When you prophesy with a prophetic mantle, you are essentially prophesying with a cloak of the powers of the ages before you. You prophesy out of a portal of power where you will literally see the word of the Lord become flesh.
The ancient mantles unlock the true essence and power of the prophetic that give us the ability to carry that same power and greater into the future. Ancient mantles that were locked up, preserved, and hidden in former ages are coming upon believers today to walk heavy in impartations of the prophets. The mysteries behind the mantles are being revealed today by the New Testament prophets who are decoding and unfolding the mantles of the Old Covenant prophets for us to release that same thrust of prophetic power in our generation and generations to come. I believe there are greater mantles to be released out of Heaven for the prophets, prophetic people, prophetic churches, and prophetic generations of leadership to do greater work.
Ancient mantles that were locked up, preserved, and hidden in former ages are coming upon believers today to walk heavy in impartations of the prophets.
Mantle of Responsibility
Mantles are worn on the shoulders of the bearers as signs of carrying burdens and the weight of responsibilities. When a mantle is given to someone, it is a sign that the person has the ability and strength to shoulder responsibilities, tasks, assignments, heavy loads, and work. Mantles are not given to those who are incapable of carrying such a mandate from God.
A prophetic mantle can signify the responsibility, grief, distress, persecution, attacks, and all that encompasses the calling of the prophet. The prophet is able to endure and carry all of what comes against him or her because of the mantle on his or her life. There are various types of prophetic mantles that collate with the prophet’s assignment, mission, anointing, and jurisdictional authority. Prophet have specific assignments and mantles upon their lives. The nature of the office and ministry is indicative of the mantle that they carry.
The mantle of Jesus Christ was governmental according to Isaiah the prophet: “For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder” (Isaiah 9:6).
What is upon a prophet’s shoulder becomes part of his or her mantle. What your burden and area of calling is represents the mantle on your life. If you have a burden for healing, then essentially a “healing mantle” rests upon your life to see people healed. You will eat, sleep, and rest with a mantle of healing—it becomes part of your life’s mission. The mantle and the bearer become one. You must become one with your mantle.
What your burden and area of calling is represents the mantle on your life.
What is a Mantle?
To understand the power of the prophetic mantle, the secret is hidden in its definition. A mantle was worn for a purpose; however, there is spiritual revelation that needs to be grasped if we are going to operate in realm of the prophetic. The ancient mantle is more than just a piece of cloth worn by the prophets. A mantle is far more significant in the spirit realm than what is understood in the natural realm. The prophetic mantle gives a prophet, or person functioning in this dimension operational, capabilities extending beyond the basic functions of the spirit of prophecy, gift of prophecy, prophetic grace, and prophetic anointing. It is important to examine what the prophetic mantle entails compared to the other dimensions of the prophetic. Prophets in the Old Testament operated minimally in the gift of prophecy versus how they operated and functioned primarily in their spiritual mantles.There are various meanings of mantle in the Bible, but the main idea is that of a covering such as a cloak, robe, or other article of clothing. In biblical times, an ancient mantle was typically described as a large, loosely fitting garment made of animal skin, probably sheepskin. Several people are mentioned as wearing a mantle, including Job (Job 1:20) and Ezra (Ezra 9:5). Women also wore mantles (Isaiah 3:22).The prophet Samuel’s mantle was torn by King Saul as a symbol that God was tearing the kingdom away from him. Mantles represent a realm of authority, as in the tearing of Samuel’s mantle in 1 Samuel 15:27-28: “And as Samuel turned around to go away, Saul seized the edge of his robe [mantle], and it tore. So Samuel said to him, “The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today, and has given it to a neighbor of yours, who is better than you.”Elijah cast his mantle upon his anointed successor Elijah as a sign of a prophetic call to the office of the prophet in 1 Kings 19:19: “So he departed from there, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he was with the twelfth. Then Elijah passed by him and threw his mantle on him.”These Scripture passages show that prophets were known for wearing mantles as a sign of their calling from God (1 Kings 19:19). Samuel wore a mantle as a prophet (1 Samuel 15:27). The prophet Elijah “threw his mantle” on Elisha as a symbol of Elijah’s ministry being transferred on to Elisha. The transference of the mantle from Elijah to Elisha signified the passing of prophetic responsibility and the power of God resting upon him. The prophet’s mantle was indicative of God’s ordained authority and responsibility as God’s chosen spokesperson (2 Kings 2:8). Elisha understood clearly what Elijah was doing when the prophetic mantle touched his life.The mantle also served the practical purpose of keeping people warm and protecting them from the outside elements. It also served a symbolic purpose, in the case of the prophets, showing they were wrapped in God’s authority and protective aspect against demonic attacks.Prophets were identified by their mantle. The prophetic mantle was their spiritual identification in the realm of the spirit. Saul perceived it was Samuel when he sought a medium to summon Samuel to inquire of the Lord regarding his death:So he [Saul] said to her, “What is his [Samuel] form? And she [a medium] said, “An old man is coming up, and he is covered with a mantle.” And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the ground and bowed down.
Mantle of Authority and Spiritual Covering
A mantle was an outer cloak used for additional covering and warmth, especially at night. The mantle was essentially the only blanket or protective covering the person had so even when used or borrowed as a pledge, the law of Moses explicitly required it be returned before bedtime (Exodus 22:26-27). From the idea of a covering in the natural, a mantle can easily be seen to represent a spiritual covering. Just as Elijah served as a spiritual covering for Elisha, mantles usually refer to spiritual authority and covering. Though the focus in this chapter is on the prophetic mantle, it important to understand that there are also mantles for business, media, arts, entertainment, science, education, government, medicine, etc.
A prophetic mantle is a spiritual garment of authority that endow the wearer with supernatural grace and an anointing of God to accomplish a specific assignment.
A prophetic mantle or mantles, generally speaking, is simply defined as spiritual garments of authority that endow the wearer with supernatural abilities, grace, and an anointing of God to establish and accomplish the assignment and appointment. Each mantle depicts a differing of divine election in the Kingdom and authorization of that calling required for operation. The prophetic mantle gives those who are called to carry the mantle of the prophet with the prophetic power and authority to access higher realms of the prophetic than the spirit of prophecy and the gift of prophecy. The mantle of prophecy is for those who are called to operate in prophetic ministry or the office of the prophet. Ancient mantles were distinct in description, the earliest was made of animal skin. Elijah and John the Baptist wore mantles of “fur” or “hairy mantles” indicating a similar nature and type prophetic ministries.
So they answered him, “A hairy man wearing a leather belt around his waist.” And he [King Ahaziah] said, “It is Elijah the Tishbite” (2 Kings 1:8).Now John himself was clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey (Matthew 3:4).In ancient times, a mantle revealed everything about a prophet and a person. An individual’s authority, office, gender, education, vocation, social and economic rank and status were ascertainable in just one glance with the distinction of their mantle. Priestly prophets wore royal or priestly mantles (1 Samuel 2:18). Prophets and kings wore mantles of fur, distinguishing them from common folk. These were ancient mantles. The mantle worn by Elijah is the Hebrew word, in Strong’s Concordance, adderet, a cloak that could be made of animal hair and a garment of distinction worn by kings and especially by prophets.The prophetic mantle activated in a believer will have the following effects:
Increase the level of operation in the sphere of the local church, where continual and progressive use of the gift of prophecy and prophetic anointing is recognized by leadership with maturity.
Leadership recognizes a prophetic calling.
Gifting and anointing are recognized, nurtured, and commissioned by the leadership for the primary ministry function in the local church.
Ministers more in the prophetic anointing than the simple gift of prophecy of edification, exhortation, and comfort.
Displays a greater level of commitment devoted to a prophetic lifestyle and call to the full development, preparatory, training, and equipping to function as a mature and seasoned prophet.
The height, width, depth, breadth, and scope of the prophetic gifting will broaden its usage to include words concerning people, places, situations, events, issues, and activities.
Increase in gift, grace, anointing, faith, wisdom and revelation, character, accountability, authority, and stewardship of the secrets and mysteries of God.
Unlocking of a higher frequency of dreams, visions, and prophetic utterance that is more directive and insightful.
Prophetic senses are trained and exercised (Hebrew 5:14).
Revelation and understanding of the Scriptures in both the logos and the