The Mantles of Jesus

By Vance Royal Olson

‘Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man’ (John 1:51).
The white light of Jesus’ mantle—that fell upon the Church when He ascended; just as Elijah’s mantle fell, at his ascension, upon Elisha—has been refracted into a rainbow of callings and ministries since the first Pentecost. As the harvest of the earth accelerates in our times, these mantles will increase in number and in power. The great ministries of history will return in ‘glorified’ form; and new mantles—like ‘the good wine kept until now’—will come to the table for the first time. This is the ‘feast of the final harvest’; ‘the feast of booths’; and ‘the marriage supper of the lamb’. It is not a celebration after the great harvest; it is the great harvest.
Our host: Lord of the Harvest; God the Father Himself, invites us to deep and beautiful fellowship in the Holy Spirit with Jesus, the holy angels, and all the men and women of true faith throughout history. To bear a mantle, is to walk in living fellowship with Jesus and with the other bearers of that mantle across the centuries. Indeed, at the Father’s table, time is not the divider we have known; rather the servant of a love that surpasses knowing.
This book is an invitation to join the prophetic journey of Woolwich Community Church, London England, as we seek to understand God’s callings, upon us and the wider church, in these times.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Vance Royal Olson
• Release date: Feb 8, 2016
• ISBN: 9780993129988

Vance Royal Olson

Vance Olson, originally from Canada, worked as a church planter and pastor in London England for many years before returning to Canada. He has been married to Sarah for 29 years and they have 5 children.

Book preview

I. Preface

This is a record of the beginning of a prophetic journey of our congregation: Woolwich Community Church, London, England. In the first instance I’ve written it down to be an in-house reminder so that we can grow in understanding our calling and purpose.

Secondly I have decided to make it more widely available because most of its teaching pertains to the wider church and I have a great wish to be in fellowship with others who are on—or who may wish to be on—a similar journey. Incidentally, the personal names that appear from time to time are members of the congregation—down-to-earth, decent, London folk; not famous people you’d be expected to know.

My purpose is to direct our attention to the great ‘feast of the harvest’ and the ‘marriage supper of the Lamb’ which the Father himself is hosting; and to which he has heartily and urgently invited us.

Vance Olson, Pastor WCC

January 2015

II. The Jesus Centre

A. Jesus is coming to our House: get ready!

The first thing came from the story of Zacchaeus—the little man in the tree at Jericho—when Sarah (a congregation member) shared a prophetic word: ‘Jesus is coming to our house.’ It was one of those words the whole congregation caught in their hearts and continues to remember. At the same time she shared a picture of angels coming as a cleaning team to get the house ready. This identifies the era we have been in for the last months of 2013 and through 2014—house cleaning and preparation; individually and corporately being cleaned up and aligned for common purpose. This year, 2015, is a year of beginnings and fulfilment.

I should also note that several prophetic words or dreams given by another member of our congregation, Kelly (and perhaps others) over the previous two years had indicated that a fresh move of the God was coming. Therefore ‘first thing’ above, only means the first thing since I have been in Woolwich this time (July 2013).

B. Jacob’s Ladder

The second thing came as a prophetic vision in a prayer meeting. There was a ladder between earth and heaven with angels going up and down upon it, just as Jacob had dreamed on his first night away from home at Bethel. This was not a vague exchange between earth and heaven; rather, angels who had been working on earth for a long time were returning to heaven for a rest, and rested angels from heaven were coming to earth with fresh assignments. This was a ‘changing of the guard’.

Kelly added the revelation that angels were coming with new assignments for God’s people and that we would be woken up, as Peter had been woken by an angel in his prison cell, and led out of bondage; his shackles falling off, and the iron gate to the city opening miraculously (Acts 12: 1-17). This idea in conjunction with ‘the changing of the guard’ indicates that some current ministries or ‘mantles’ on the earth are returning to heaven and that new ones—along with rested ones that have been on earth before—are being released.

The New Testament reference to Jacob’s ladder was made by Jesus in conversation with Nathanael: ‘And he said to him, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven open and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man’ (John 1:51). The opening into heaven and the ‘ladder’ is found in Jesus himself.

Further consideration of the original Genesis dream brought another thought into play. Jacob made a twofold declaration as he set up a memorial pillar. First: ‘This is the house of God’—hence the name Bethel. And second: ‘This is the Gate of Heaven’—the very thing sought out by the tower builders of Genesis 11 (Assyrian: Babili = Greek: Babylon = English: gate of god). The difference of course being that those ancients sought a different ‘god’ out of rebellion against the true God. The true God introduced himself to Jacob at Bethel as the God of Abraham and Isaac. We now know him as the God and Father of Jesus Christ.

Every true church is called to be a ‘house of God’ and a ‘gate of heaven’. This can only happen when Jesus is in our midst; the centre of it all. In him heaven is open and upon him the angels of God ascend and descend. Through Jesus every gift, ministry, mantle, calling and assignment is given and empowered. He is the anointed one and from him comes every anointing for ministry. The ‘house of God’ and the ‘gate of heaven’ is the church with Jesus at the centre, for he himself is the ‘gate’ and the ‘cornerstone’ of the house.

C. Jesus at the Centre

The third thing came in another Wednesday night prayer time. We were praying for a new building to meet in and I was feeling that the key was Jesus’ presence there and that from him the virtue of healing and holiness would flow out to all who touched him; just as healing virtue had flowed out to the woman who touched the hem of his robe (Mark 5:21-43). Overlaid on this story was the story of David in the cave of Adullam where the gifts, strengths and virtues of David were replicated in his men; who were transformed from destitute and distressed ‘dropouts’ into great warriors and giant slayers.

When I had shared this with the group, Matt led us in the worship song: Jesus, be the centre. I immediately knew that the building we would get was to be called The Jesus Centre. The whole group responded in agreement. Jesus himself would be present and from him healing and holiness would flow out as with the woman who touched his garment; and also from him would flow out transforming power to make the weak and troubled into great champions of the Gospel. From him in our midst, anointed ministries would be raised up and sent out to the nations. Of course this fits in with the original word about Jesus coming to our house, the vision of angels ascending and descending and the whole changing of the guard idea—new assignments and ministries being given.

D. Buying Oil

A fourth element came through the story of David’s encounter with the foolish stingy man, Nabal, and his wise and beautiful wife, Abigail (I Samuel 25). The background is David ‘ducking and diving’ along with his band of about 600 men to avoid being killed by the jealous and vengeful incumbent king, Saul who still had control of the Israeli military, political and financial establishment—though David had been chosen and anointed as the new king.