Podcast Summary: The Mantle’s Past & Present

Podcast: Promise of Life Church Podcasts
Episode: The Mantle's Past & Present | Pastor Craig Field | Wed. Jan. 1, 2025
Host/Speaker: Pastor Craig Field
Date: January 1, 2025

Episode Overview

In this special New Year’s message, Pastor Craig Field shares the prophetic journey of Promise of Life Church—including the spiritual parallels between his ministry’s progression and the stories of David and Elisha. He outlines detailed prophetic timelines received from God regarding the church’s calling, seasons of preparation, and the significance of 2025 as a pivotal “year of increase” and “year of prayer.” The message blends humor, transparency, and urgency, offering both a retrospective and a vision-casting for the church’s next phase. The tone is earnest, deeply spiritual, sometimes playful, and always passionate about honoring the move of God.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Importance of Honoring Spiritual Timelines and Mantles

• Pastor Craig explains how divine mandates and mantles are progressive, relating his experience to David’s progression from obscurity (Ziglag) to public anointing (Hebron), as well as to Elijah and Elisha’s transitions (00:02–22:30).
• Quote: "You can't be in a rush for things. 12 years... to position and then to prepare another six, 12 years. You can't be in a rush for things." (20:20)

Milestones, Parallels & Prophetic Timelines

• Ziglag/Cave Years (Early Ministry, 2004–2010):
  Six years of hidden preparation, compared to David’s time before being revealed.
• Peru Calling & Private Anointing (2004):
  Prophetic word likened to David's private anointing.
• First Mantle Marking (2010):
  Public marking by Dr. Dufresne, but not yet receiving the full mantle.
• Preparation Period (2010–2016):
  Six more years of positioning, “talk about it, show honor for it.”
• Laying Hold in the Spirit (2016–2020):
  Experienced a spiritual shift at 25 years in ministry, culminating in receiving the mantle in December 2020 after a period of intense testing (including COVID-19) and a 40-day fast.

2. The Dual Prophetic Parallels: David & Elisha

• Outlined specific overlaps in David’s and Elisha’s biblical timelines with Promise of Life’s journey (22:45–33:48).
• Quote: "Now the Elisha parallel starts, and you are in 2017. He said, this year is the Bethel year... each represent a year. Now, 2019, you're at the Jordan River, and he said, you're about to cross over, son." (23:20)

The Elisha Timeline (2017–2020)

• Year 1 (2017): Bethel—preparation
• Year 2 (2018): Jericho—testing
• Year 3 (2019): Jordan River—on the brink of receiving the mantle
• Year 4 (2020): Plain of Jordan/container for the mantle; public prophetic recognition as “apostolic.”

The David Timeline (Post-2020)

• Entered Hebron season, paralleling David’s public anointing and kingship.

3. Lessons from Testing and Distractions

• Pastor Craig explained that key advancements often followed major distractions/trials, most notably during the COVID-19 pandemic (42:15–51:10).
• Quote: "If it didn't happen, there would have been another fiery chariot. It wasn't God's sovereign plan for that to happen. So I would have a distraction... I had to pass that test." (44:12)

4. The Vineyard Parallel: Years of Death, Order, and Increase

• Drawing from Leviticus’ instructions for new vineyards (first three years fruitless, fourth year tithe, fifth year onward blessing), he described the parallel process for the church and himself (101:00–108:00).
• First 3 years: "Years of death."
• 4th year: "Divine order (tithe year, 2024)."
• 5th year: "First year of increase (2025)."
• Quote: "The dead years are over. The divine order has come. Now there's no more death, no more suffering, no more scrimping. Now there's eating of that vine every year." (106:15)

5. Transition to the Year of Increase & Prayer (2025)

• 2025 marked as a breakthrough, turning to abundance after years of struggle, personal debt cancellation as a “Jubilee year," and a call for the church to expect personal and corporate blessings (119:20–128:00).
• Quote: "You watch what I do for you in 25... I'm about to bless you. I'm about to reward you for your faithfulness." (126:45)

6. The Elijah at Carmel Parallel & the Call to Prayer

• 2025 as the year to prioritize and double-down on prayer (pouring the water on the altar), creating a “trench” to contain the outpouring, leading to fire (move of God) for hearts to be turned (129:00–153:00).
• Quote: "The water is required... there's a price to pay for the fire. And our price is prayer for the fire." (148:12)

Three Four-Month Phases in 2025

• January–April: First level/phase of prayer
• May–August: Second, greater level if faithful
• September–December: Third level—anointing ratchets up each time.

7. The Purpose of Fire: Turning Hearts

• Underscored that the aim of spiritual fire is not spectacle but to turn hearts—especially among “two groups:” those hostile to God and those halted between opinions/confused (153:10–165:10).
• Quote: "Fire causes hearts to turn. Let us not be so impressed with the anointing and the power that we forget what's purpose. The anointing's purpose is to remove yokes and destroy burdens on the lives of people. The reason for the fire is to turn hearts." (162:07)

8. Vision Beyond 2025: The Coming Years

• Outlined a prophetic calendar:
  • 2025: Year of the Water (Prayer, Increase)
  • 2026: Year of Fire (Move of God, Revival)
  • 2027: Year of Mountaintop Intercession
  • 2028: Year of Divine Acceleration (going outward/“Jerusalem years”)
• Predicted global expansion of the ministry, including reaching new facilities and moving onto television to amplify the “voice” for revival (170:00–181:00).
• Speculated (with humor and caution) on Jesus’ return possibly in 2034, drawing parallels to Dad Hagin’s ministry start and God’s “100-year rule” (181:30–191:00).

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• On Patience and Faithfulness:
  "Sixteen years—a long time to be in a kind of a, what's next Lord? Because you're aiming to get something. Sixteen years, a long time. It's nothing to shake your head at. It's not 16 months, it's 16 years." (108:55 – 109:30)
• On Divine Reward:
  "I don't deserve what you're doing. He said to me, I'm rewarding you for your faithfulness. I said Lord, I'm not even that faithful... He didn't care whether I thought I was worthy. He said, I'm rewarding you for your faithfulness." (127:15)
• On Prayer:
  "You are the altar. You are a carrier of prayer. You're a container... Be generous with your time in prayer." (140:35)
• On the Church's Purpose in This Season:
  "The main reason that we're praying like this is because we've got to see the glory of God... because there are people halting between two opinions out there... and we've got another group that's demon possessed... This is why we're praying, because we need power." (147:30)
• On the Mantle and the Future:
  "We are carriers of that forerunner anointing... there's an anointing to bring that return [of Jesus]... that Elijah anointing is on us to bring back Jesus and to preach this message strong." (159:10)
• On the Coming Revival:
  "Fire is to turn hearts. Prayer is required for the fire. We start it now, we're going to increase this year, but we're also going to pay a heavy price. And it's a joyful price." (162:45)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:00–15:00 — Introduction, recounting church history, and early parallels to David.
• 15:00–33:00 — Timeline details: Peru calling, basement church, key prophetic events.
• 33:00–51:00 — Mantle symbolism, public/private recognition, importance of honor and speaking about the mantle.
• 51:00–63:00 — The Elisha parallel and years of preparation; the importance of prophetic specificity.
• 63:00–72:00 — Testings/distractions: COVID-19 as the “fiery chariot.”
• 72:00–108:00 — Vineyard law parallel (Leviticus): years of death, order, increase.
• 108:00–128:00 — The arrival of increase; personal testimonies on debt and Jubilee.
• 129:00–153:00 — First Kings 18, Elijah at Carmel, the call to prayer, and the three four-month cycles of 2025.
• 153:10–165:10 — Fire’s purpose: turning hearts, not spectacle; the two target groups for the coming move.
• 165:10–181:00 — Projected next phases: year of fire, intercession, acceleration, and the significance of Jerusalem years.
• 181:00–end — Speculative thoughts on Jesus' return, encouragement, closing prayer and consecration.

The Message in One Sentence

2025 is a divinely appointed year for Promise of Life Church marked by increased blessing and a call to deep, sacrificial prayer—preparing the way for an unprecedented move of God’s fire to turn hearts and fulfill a prophetic mandate for revival.

Final Encouragement

In closing, Pastor Craig urges every listener and member to embrace both the challenge and the promise—to pour their lives out in prayer as precious water, believing God not just for personal increase but for fire that will turn hearts, impact Canada, and prepare for Jesus’ soon return.

“Going to pay the price. We're going to increase, but we're going to pray. And fire is coming to turn hearts. To turn hearts.” (198:25)

For more, revisit this powerful episode any time during 2025 for renewed vision and encouragement on your journey.