Musical Prophecy by Larry W Peebles May 24, 2019 19.17
He was a prophet to presidents, but the first time I saw Kim Clement I thought he was so strange. He had long dark curly hair and spoke in a South African accent. He played a grand piano, which he began to play at an early age and continued through years of classical training. He would play and worship God. Sometimes he transitioned into prophecy while playing. Other times he would stop the music altogether to prophesy. The music and the piano were the instruments he used to connect with the heart of God and relay His voice to the people. He flowed seamlessly back and forth between worship and the prophetic while playing. He could be a bit hard to follow at times, but most of his work was recorded so that it could be analyzed and studied after it was first spoken. He passed away in 2016 at age 60, but his prophecies are still being studied, as many spoke of future events. One of his more notable prophecies occurred in 2007 when he prophesied Trump would become president. He also prophesied in 2015 the “sound of prayer coming from the White House”. He was not a doom and gloom prophet, rather his prophecies often spoke of hope for the people and this country.
My purpose in this article is not to study the life and prophecies of Kim Clement. His body of work speaks for itself, and the information is readily available on his website and the internet. I am simply remembering my first exposure to musical prophecy, and presenting a scriptural basis for it. When I first saw Kim Clement, the boundaries of my mind and logic were pushed to the limits. This was supernatural, new and very unconventional to me. People probably felt the same way about John the Baptist. My wife and I now worship in a church where prophetic worship can break out at any moment, and I appreciate it even more as a way God can and does speak to His people. When the atmosphere of worship is strong, those from the congregation with a gift of prophecy will share words from the Lord along with those on the worship team.
Go back to the time David was made king over Israel and Judah. After he had recaptured the ark and brought it to Jerusalem, he organized the combined military, and the various functions of the Levites and priests regarding the temple. (1 Chronicles, Chapters 22-24). 1 Chronicles Chapter 25 is dedicated to the musicians. David had an appreciation for worship music. Evidence of this is in the volume of the psalms he wrote, many of which are the lyrics for songs of praise. He also had a gift for the prophetic, as some of his psalms spoke of the coming of Jesus. The origins of his heart for songs and praise to God probably lie in his years as a shepherd boy. He spent countless hours alone in the fields caring for the sheep. He learned to sing to the sheep, and to sing to God. Through this time alone with God, and through his songs of praise, he came to know God and His presence is presenceHiHin an intimate way. God knew and appreciated his heart, and spoke to David in the quiet of the time alone.
He sent Samuel the prophet to anoint David as king while he was still a boy (1 Samuel 16:1-13). In verse 13, the Bible says when he was anointed “the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward.” Then in verses 14-23 of 1 Samuel 16, we read that the Spirit of the Lord immediately withdrew from Saul, and he became distressed and troubled. A servant to Saul suggested they find a man “skillful in playing the harp, a mighty man of valor, a man of war, prudent in speech, and a handsome person; and the Lord is with him” (v.18). David was that man, and when he played before Saul, “Saul would become refreshed and well, and the distressing spirit would depart from him” (v. 23). David’s anointed music was more than a beautiful sound. It ushered in the presence of the Lord, bringing peace and healing.
When David became king, recapturing the ark (which represented the presence of God) was given top priority. He then went about setting the temple in order, and organizing the worship of God. Concerning the music, in 1 Chronicles 25, we read that David and the captains of the army:
- Separated the sons of Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun “to prophesy with harps, stringed instruments, and cymbals” (v.1).
- The sons of Asaph “prophesied according to the order of the king” (v.2).
- The sons of Jeduthun “prophesied with a harp to give thanks and to praise the Lord” (v.3).
- The sons of Heman “were the king’s seer
in the words of God, to exalt his horn” (v.5).
- All of these [sons] were under the direction of their fathers “for the music in the house of the Lord, with cymbals, stringed instruments, and harps, for the service of the house of God” (v.6).
- Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun reported directly to the king (v.6).
- In all, there were 288 who were “skillful”. Twelve served each day, on a 24 day rotating schedule (v.7).
How interesting to learn that not only David, but also the captains of his army knew the power and importance of skillful music that worshipped and praised God. Further, it is interesting to see how the various specialties had developed. Some were ready to prophesy upon the order of the king. Some specialized in thanks and praise to God. Others specialized in words from God that spoke to the issue at hand or encouraged the king or his people. It is wonderful that this type of intentional worship is coming back to the church today.
David was not a perfect man. His census of the army was costly (1 Chronicles 21), and his lust for Bathsheba (1 Samuel 11) caused a child out of wedlock and the death of one of David’s mighty and most loyal soldiers. The child also died. Still, his heart of worship, which developed out of a personal relationship with God, and the knowledge and experience of how to worship were keys to David’s success. He knew God, chased after Him, and sincerely wanted to worship and praise Him.
God repeatedly handed David military victories. His fame grew, and the enemies of Israel came to fear their God. The plunder of gold and silver from their defeated foes enriched Israel and David personally. David and his military captains and leaders contributed great personal wealth to the construction of the temple (1 Chronicles 29:2-9). David was not chosen to build the temple, but his son Solomon was, and was well supplied by these contributions. According to 1 Chronicles 29:28- “So he [David] died in a good old age, full of days and riches and honor; and Solomon his son reigned in his place.” This is an amazing summary tribute for the end of a life well lived before the Lord. All of this was a direct result of David’s heart for God and desire to worship Him.
Jehoshaphat, the fourth king of Judah after the monarchy divided into the kingdoms of Israel and Judah, was reminded of the importance of worship. In 2 Chronicles 20, Judah faced “a great multitude” of the Moabites and the Ammonites in battle. In verse 3, we read that Jehoshaphat “set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.” He gathered a great assembly in Jerusalem, and stood before them to pray and proclaim before God the urgency of the matter and their dependency on God. This public appeal to God was a form of worship and honor, and it stirred a prophet to give the king the solution from the Lord. The Spirit of God came upon Jahaziel, son of Zechariah, and he told the king and the people who were gathered “Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s” (v. 15). It is probably not a coincidence that these are the same words David spoke to the giant Goliath before he killed him in front of the Philistine army (1 Samuel 17:47). With God on their side, the size and the equipment of the army of the children of Israel never mattered.
Jahaziel went on to say that the next morning, the army of Judah needed only to take their position, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord (v. 17). Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Jerusalem bowed and worshipped before the Lord (v. 18). Then all the Levites “stood up to praise the Lord God of Israel with voices loud and high” (v. 19).
The next morning, Jehoshaphat appointed “those who should sing to the Lord, and who should praise the beauty of His holiness” (v.21). Those appointed went out before the army. When they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes against the enemy. In the confusion, the enemy turned on itself and was defeated. They literally destroyed themselves. When Jehoshaphat and his army arrived, “there were dead bodies, fallen on the earth. No one had escaped.” (v.24)
We do not worship God to see what we can get from Him. The examples of David and Jehoshaphat serve as powerful reminders that when we worship God from the heart because of who He is, we have a mighty ally and supreme help. Our enemies cannot stand against us. God will fight for us and hand us the victory. He will tell us secrets of what is to come, and give us ideas and strategies. Music, songs and worship from the heart are not only a powerful tribute to God, they are a weapon against the enemy. Praise God that powerful worship is returning to the church.
