The Lord “will suddenly come to His temple!” Indeed, the Lord will one day roar from Jerusalem. Moreover, the roar that shakes the earth at that time will also provide strength and shelter for His blood-washed people. “When He roars,” Hosea prophesied, “His sons shall come trembling from the west, from [Egypt (the south)], and from [Assyria (the north and east)], and I will let them dwell in their houses” (11:10-11). This will be a glorious time, and we long for its fulfillment. It will be a time when all the children of God will find unending joy and happiness in the presence of the reigning King!

But does the Lion of the Tribe of Judah roar today? Does the sound of His roar yet cause fear and trembling, passion and obedience? And if He does roar, what does it sound like? Is the roar something we hear with the natural ear, or is it something we hear with the spiritual ear? Let me tell you how I think we hear the Lion roar today. I would like us to read something the prophet Amos recorded nearly three thousand years ago:

Surely the Lord God does nothing unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets. A lion has roared! Who will not fear? The Lord God has spoken! Who can but prophesy? Amos 3:7-8

As we consider Amos' words, I want to lift a phrase from these verses that will help us understand the importance of the Lion's roar. That phrase is this:

The Lord God will do nothing unless He reveals!

Revelation

When a redemptive work is planned; where a spiritual vision is birthed; where heavenly power is to be released; and where a people are to be engaged—the Lord will only get things rolling if He has somebody He can reveal something to. God must first find a person to whom He can communicate His revelation, and through which He can

release a compelling vision for His purposes. This person must have an ear to hear what the Spirit is saying on earth. This person must be prophetic—a prophet, a prophetess, or perhaps a simple prophetically motivated person. Maybe this person's sole responsibility will be to pray God's revealed will into manifestation. Perhaps they are to prophesy and call the revelation forth. Perhaps they are simply to record the revelation, so others can receive and run with it. Regardless of their role, they must first be recipients of the revelation; they must first hear the Lion roar!

Every time one of us receives a revelation from the Holy Spirit, we hear the Lion roar! Every time someone gets fresh insight into the written Word of God, they hear the Lion roar! Every time we receive a word of wisdom, or a word of knowledge, we hear the Lion roar! Every time the logos word becomes rhema, we hear the Lion roar! And when we hear the Lion roar, God is ready to do something significant in us and through us!

A Rock

In Matthew 16: 15-16, Jesus asked His disciples: “Who do you say that I am?” Peter responded, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God!” How did Peter come to this dynamic realization? Did he learn it from men? No! Peter received it directly from the Holy Spirit! He may have heard it from the lips of one or two men—even from the lips of Jesus—but it was not until the Spirit of God sealed this truth in his heart, that the revelation became a rock. Jesus declared that upon this rock of revelation, He would build His Church, and the gates of Hades would not prevail against it!

When a deep-seated revelation of Jesus' true identity comes to anyone—and they receive it—to them it becomes a rock! When I first received this revelation, the adversity of popular opinion, the pull of the world, sinful habits, etc., could not keep me from following Him. I was suddenly hooked on Jesus! A life that is not founded on such a rock of revelation is mired in quicksand! A Church that is not established on this rock is without foundation! And people without this roar in their hearts will never overcome the powers of darkness that seek to retain them as captives, or resist their advance.

How about you, beloved? Have you heard the Lion roar? Has your church or ministry received this revelation? Hearing Jesus' roar results in two undeniable outcomes: First, the fear of the Lord, and second, the anointing to prophesy. The fear of the Lord addresses our heart attitudes, and the need to prophesy speaks of our actions on His behalf.

Regarding the first outcome, the fear of the Lord, Lion-roaring revelation thrills us to the core of our being, and the more alive we are to God's voice in our lives, the more we are willing to adjust and improve our attitudes for the sake of pleasing the God of the roar. Self-centered, resentful or sour attitudes of heart are symptoms found within people who rarely hear the Lion roar. The verse reads: “A lion has roared! Who will not fear?” When we are accustomed to hearing the roar, the fear of God works like an antiseptic, purging and cleansing our hearts of destructive attitudes and emotions.

Regarding the second outcome, the need to prophesy, the Lion's roar stirs us to action with our mouths (to preach or prophesy), and with our bodies (to serve). When revelation strikes our hearts, we become like wineskins filled with new wine. As the new wine ferments, the skins must give vent to the pressure building within, or they will burst! Those of us who have heard the Lion roar must do or say something! The most impacting words of prophecy or preaching, or the greatest works in kingdom service, come on the strength of the Lion's roar! People who regularly receive revelation become the greatest movers and shakers in the kingdom of God!

Ways to hear the Lion Roar

Revelation is not something we can turn on and off like a switch. It comes only at God's will, and in His timing. However, there are certain things we can do to make ourselves more apt to receive revelation when it comes. There are certain things we can do in order to better hear the Lion roar.