Weeping between the porch and the altar is a mandate for leaders to assemble God’s people together for a time of prayer, fasting and consecration. The porch represents the flesh; the outer court of worship, whereas the altar represents the spirit, the place of sacrifice, the place of giving up and re-dedicating one’s life back to God. It’s time to weep between the porch and the altar until the Spirit of the Lord be poured out upon us from on high.
It’s time to make haste and take up a wailing, mourning and crying until our eyes run down with tears and our eyelids gush out with waters before our God. It’s time for the altars of our heart to return back to God. Jeremiah says, “Oh, that my head were waters and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night.” (Jeremiah 9:1) It’s time to let our eyes run down with tears night and day and not cease for the people and our nation. Lord, we acknowledge our wickedness and the iniquity of our fathers for we have sinned against you. It’s time to go back to the true place of worship which starts with headship.
“Blow the trumpet in Zion, consecrate a fast, call a sacred assembly, gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children and nursing babes; Let the bridegroom go out from his chamber, and the bride from her dressing room.
“Let the priests who minister to the Lord, weep between the porch and the altar. Let them say, spare the people. O’ Lord and do not give your heritage to reproach, that the nations should rule over them. Why should they say among the peoples, where is their God”. (Joel 2:15-17)
Church leaders are given a mandated assignment to gather God’s people for a time of prayer and fasting. Why? Because the meat and drink offerings are withholden from God’s house. The solid meat of God’s word and the power of His Holy Spirit are being withheld, watered down, causing, a drought, and dryness in the house of God. God exhorts leaders to encourage the people to cry out and turn back to Him with their whole heart.
Joel 1:13 – “Gird yourselves, and lament, ye PRIESTS: howl, ye MINISTERS of the altar: come, lie all night in sackcloth, ye MINISTERS of my GOD: for the meat offering and the drink offering is withholding from the house of your God.”
Joel 1:14 – “Sanctify ye a fast, CALL a solemn assembly, GATHER the ELDERS and all the INHABITANTS of the and into the house of the Lord your God and CRY unto the LORD.”
Joel 2: 1 – “Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in My Holy Mountain; let all the inhabitants of the land trembles for the day of the Lord cometh for it is nigh at hand.”
Joel 2:12 – “Therefore, now, saith the Lord TURN you even to me with all your HEART, and with FASTING and with WEEPING and with MOURNING;”
Joel 2:13 – “And rend your heart and not your garments and TURN unto the Lord your God for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.”
Joel 2:17 – “Let the PRIESTS, the MINISTERS of the Lord, WEEP between the porch and the altar, and let them say, spare thy people, O Lord, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them…”