A good model for understanding the four stages of church life is that of the three chief ministries of Jesus Christ—Prophet, Priest, and King. There is the prophetic stage, the priestly stage, and the kingship stage.
The honeymoon stage can be likened unto the prophetic ministry of Christ. Prophets are seers. They possess spiritual sight. During the prophetic stage, God’s people are given a spiritual vision of Christ and His Body. That’s the only foundation upon which to build a church, by the way. Matthew 16:16-18; 1 Corinthians 3:11. That vision is meant to grow in us. It should be watered, fertilized, and nourished. Out of such vision comes life, joy, and peace.
But just as the honeymoon period ends, so does the prophetic stage. The prophetic stage is followed by the priestly stage. What are priests known for? Sacrifice and death. The ministry of the priest is to minister at the altar. His ministry is one of sacrifice.
In the priestly stage, the vision is tested through suffering. The Lord’s object here is to move the vision from revelation to reality. So this stage involves the crises of church life and the cross that comes with it. The fire comes to test the vision.
Following the priestly stage is the kingship stage. If the Lord gains some ground in the members during the priestly stage, He will be able to use them to extend His Kingdom. The church is no longer simply meeting for it’s own enjoyment. It’s now beginning to impact spiritual powers in the heavens and temporal powers in the earth. A church cannot move into the kingship stage without first experiencing the prophetic and priestly stages.
I think Joseph in the Old Testament beautifully depicts all three stages. Joseph is a powerful type of Christ, representing His suffering and His glory. God gave Joseph a wonderful and powerful vision. And then what happened? His brothers became envious of him. So much so that they tried to take his life. Joseph met the fire and the cross, and it came through his own brethren. The wonderful prophetic vision that he received turned into a priestly encounter of great suffering.
Joseph’s brethren threw him into a pit and left him for dead. Later, he was imprisoned in a dungeon, falsely accused of committing a gross sin for which he almost got his head cut off. A wonderful place to live for a future king, eh? I love how the Psalms describe Joseph’s story:
He sent a man before them—Joseph—who was sold as a slave. They hurt his feet with fetters, he was laid in irons. Until the time that His word came to pass, the word of the Lord tested him. The king sent and released him, the ruler of the people let him go free. He made him lord of his house, and ruler of all his possessions. Psalms 105:17-21, NKJV.
After much suffering, the vision that Joseph originally received proved true. The prophetic word came to pass. It wasn’t a pipe dream after all. Joseph became ruler over Egypt. He entered into the kingship stage.
Note the words in the Psalm: “The word of the Lord tested him.” There is thunder and lightning in those words. If you set out to gather outside the traditional church, the word of the Lord will test you. It will try you. The vision for the restoration of God’ House will be sorely tested in your life.
And when that moment arrives, you will be tempted to think to yourself: “Is this vision real or is it a pipe dream” . . . “Maybe it worked in the first century, but it doesn’t seem to work today” . . . “Is this high and lofty goal really worth the struggle?”
When such thoughts cross your mind, I have but two words for you—Remember Joseph.