This word “covering” is a very misunderstood word in contemporary America today and also in other countries. The importance and meaning of covering is getting lost with American filth being propagated on television, movies, songs and social media.
The content of this sermon is derived from the Bible and Dr. Emmanuel Ziga’s book, THE COVERING YOU NEED.
God is a God of order, as explained in my book, The Science of Judgment. The concept of covering is recognized as a fundamental principle of God’s actions, applied effectively across all creation.
In the beginning, the entire earth was under God’s covering, until man broke that covering when Adam entertained his wife’s thoughts and violated the clear warnings of God. This cracked the protective covering of God, allowing Satan to hamper God’s blessings and prosperity over Adam and Eve.
In Matthew 23, Jesus reproved, “I sent you wise men, scribes, and prophets, whom you killed and rejected.” (paraphrase)
Jesus warns us that rejecting those sent by God can undermine or even nullify our spiritual protection and covering.
Isaiah 62:6 NKJV
6 I have set watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; They shall never hold their peace day or night. You who make mention of the Lord, do not keep silent,
Matthew 23:34-36 NKJV
34 Therefore, indeed, I send you prophets, wise men, and scribes: some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city, 35 that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. 36 Assuredly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.
NOTE: These men of God were sent as a protective covering from the Lord, providing spiritual defense against ungodly and wicked attacks…By rejecting these divine messengers, Jerusalem was essentially rejecting God’s protection and the blessings that came with it. Jesus warned that such rejection would lead to desolation, underscoring the critical role of divine covering in sustaining and protecting communities.
THE COVERING OF ANGELS
Angels are spiritual beings and celestial attendants of God. As messengers, they play a crucial role in facilitating the work of both the heavenly kingdom and the earthly realm. Their responsibilities ensure the smooth execution of God’s plans and the harmonious operation of His will on earth.
Hebrews 1:14 NKJV
14 Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?
The scriptures illuminate the role of angels in assisting believers on earth.
Revelation 5:10-11 NKJV
10 And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth.”
11 Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands,
NOTE: This passage highlights the dual role of angels who serve and minister to the saints.
Whenever an angel visits us, they bring with them an extension of God’s presence, since we are also within it. As long as we are part of God’s kingdom, His presence envelops us, shaping our atmosphere and environment….
The primary functions of angels are to provide divine covering and seal everything God entrusts to them. Their activities are fundamentally acts of covering, protecting and securing everything in alignment with God’s will.
The protective role of angels involves bringing all their power and resources to dismantle anything that is contrary to God’s will and righteousness.
NOTE: All this protection and power is provided if we stay under the covering God has placed over us on earth. Our spiritual covering is our pastor/apostle; our husband (who God himself judges if in error but you are blameless); our employers etc.
FLAWLESS COVERING
Effective covering ensures that something is well-sealed and protected…For example: a mother protecting the baby in her womb and after birth with food, clothing, blankets, protection and love.
Covering is vital for safeguarding valuable things from destruction or decay…
Therefore, covering serves as a principal of protection, enhancing preservation, growth, and value in life…
Covering, therefore, offers benefits that the covered subject lacks. If heaven protects the earth through its covering, then this planet can experience a taste of heaven and earth.
Exodus 13:20-22 NKJV
20 So they took their journey from Succoth and camped in Etham at the edge of the wilderness. 21 And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so as to go by day and night. 22 He did not take away the pillar of cloud by day or the pillar of fire by night from before the people.
NOTE: This holy covering shielded them from decay, deterioration, infirmities, and lack of productivity. Their clothing did not wear out, their feet did not swell, and there was no sickness among them. Life thrived under God’s protective covering, demonstrating its profound significance.
The Jewish people could have been annihilated numerous times, but this effective covering gave them divine protection to survive and prevail. For example, the six day war between Israel and Egypt on June 5 to 10, etc.
The principle of divine covering is established to ensure success.
The following is a testimony by Dr. Emmanuel Ziga on God's Covering and Timing:
During a pivotal period in my life, while serving as an associate pastor at Action Chapel in Accra, Ghana, the Lord spoke to me about establishing Grace For All Nations Ministries in the U.S.A. For nine years, I devoted myself to prayer, seeking clarity on His plan for my life. After seven years of steadfast prayer, I shared with Bishop Duncan Williams my intention to relocate to Washington State, believing it was God’s will.
In response, Bishop Williams lovingly rebuked me, expressing concern that my impatience might jeopardize my future. His reaction was difficult for me to accept, as I was eager to act on what I believed was a divine directive. I was deeply hurt and intended to pray and report my Bishop’s response to God, hoping He would affirm my plans.
However, when I prayed that evening, expressing my frustration, I was astonished by God’s immediate response: “Listen to your pastor.” This divine answer shocked me and revealed my error in challenging my spiritual leader. I realized that spiritual leaders and God are united in their guidance, and it is unwise to pit them against each other.
This experience profoundly deepened my humility and strengthened my trust in the covering of my Bishop and the spiritual leadership within our church. It reshaped my understanding of how God’s covering should operate.
Two years later, Bishop Williams, in alignment with God’s timing, supported and blessed my move. Grace For All Nations was established in 2000, fully endorsed both by God in the spirit and by my Pastor in the natural.
The journey taught me that respecting and submitting to spiritual covering is critical for protecting timing and ensuring success, both spiritually and naturally. When our hearts align with God, His covering will guide us into glory and fulfillment.
THE BLESSINGS OF A GOOD COVERING
One of the greatest benefits of having a divine covering is that it keeps us humble and focused on what truly matters, aligning us with God’s eternal plans for our lives.
Pride led to Lucifer’s fall from heaven, as he rejected God’s covering in favor of seeking power and control. In contrast, Jesus embraced humility under His Father’s covering, resulting in His exaltation as King of kings and Lord of lords.
The scriptures demonstrate that as long as the Israelites remained under the covering of God’s cloud, they received blessings beyond their efforts: lands they did not build, and garments and shoes that did not wear out. This reflects the supernatural blessings that come from being under God’s proper covering, rooted in His principles.
WITHOUT THE COVERING OF GOD’S LIGHT, DARKNESS SHAPED HER STORY
Exodus 13:20-22 NKJV
20 So they took their journey from Succoth and camped in Etham at the edge of the wilderness. 21 And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so as to go by day and night. 22 He did not take away the pillar of cloud by day or the pillar of fire by night from before the people.
HERDING DOGS AND COVERING
I have two herding dogs. Herding dogs gather and protect livestock. Herding involves bringing individual animals together into a group, maintaining their unity, and moving them from place to place under the principle of covering.
The mere presence of a herding dog is often sufficient to deter predators. If it cannot drive away the threat, the dog will confront and fend off the danger.
Psalm 91:4 NKJV
4 He shall cover you with His feathers, And under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler.
TRUST IN THE COVERING
ABSOLUTE TRUST is vital in the principal of covering. It is crucial that the confidence needed to remain under a covering is fully present.
No man is inherently trustworthy unless God’s hand is upon him, establishing his leadership and making His presence known to all. The concept of covering is entirely rooted in God’s divine order.
When we align ourselves with God’s ways, we witness His radiant light through the profound principle of covering within the kingdom of God.
Romans 15:12 NKJV
12 And again, Isaiah says:
“There shall be a root of Jesse; And He who shall rise to reign over the Gentiles, In Him the Gentiles shall hope.” (trust)
NOTE: We must trust in the divine order that God has established on earth for His covering to be effective through His earthly vessels.
1 Corinthians 11:3 NKJV
3 But I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.
Proverbs 3:5 NKJV
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;
King Saul was given instructions by the Prophet Samuel, but he saw the armies approaching and instead of trusting in the instructions of Samuel his covering, he looked instead to his own understanding and disobeyed God’s orders by disobeying Samuel.
1 Samuel 13:8-14 NKJV
8 Then he waited seven days, according to the time set by Samuel. But Samuel did not come to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him. 9 So Saul said, “Bring a burnt offering and peace offerings here to me.” And he offered the burnt offering. 10 Now it happened, as soon as he had finished presenting the burnt offering, that Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might greet him.
11 And Samuel said, “What have you done?”
Saul said, “When I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that you did not come within the days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered together at Michmash, 12 then I said, ‘The Philistines will now come down on me at Gilgal, and I have not made supplication to the Lord.’ Therefore I felt compelled, and offered a burnt offering.”
13 And Samuel said to Saul, “You have done foolishly. You have not kept the commandment of the Lord your God, which He commanded you. For now the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. 14 But now your kingdom shall not continue. The Lord has sought for Himself a man after His own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be commander over His people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you.”
1 Samuel 15:1-31 NKJV
Saul Spares King Agag
1 Samuel also said to Saul, “The Lord sent me to anoint you king over His people, over Israel. Now therefore, heed the voice of the words of the Lord. 2 Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘I will punish Amalek for what he did to Israel, how he ambushed him on the way when he came up from Egypt. 3 Now go and attack Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and do not spare them. But kill both man and woman, infant and nursing child, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.’ ”
4 So Saul gathered the people together and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand foot soldiers and ten thousand men of Judah. 5 And Saul came to a city of Amalek, and lay in wait in the valley.
6 Then Saul said to the Kenites, “Go, depart, get down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them. For you showed kindness to all the children of Israel when they came up out of Egypt.” So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites. 7 And Saul attacked the Amalekites, from Havilah all the way to Shur, which is east of Egypt. 8 He also took Agag king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword. 9 But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep, the oxen, the fatlings, the lambs, and all that was good, and were unwilling to utterly destroy them. But everything despised and worthless, that they utterly destroyed.
Saul Rejected as King
10 Now the word of the Lord came to Samuel, saying, 11 “I greatly regret that I have set up Saul as king, for he has turned back from following Me, and has not performed My commandments.” And it grieved Samuel, and he cried out to the Lord all night. 12 So when Samuel rose early in the morning to meet Saul, it was told Samuel, saying, “Saul went to Carmel, and indeed, he set up a monument for himself; and he has gone on around, passed by, and gone down to Gilgal.” 13 Then Samuel went to Saul, and Saul said to him, “Blessed are you of the Lord! I have performed the commandment of the Lord.”
14 But Samuel said, “What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?”
15 And Saul said, “They have brought them from the Amalekites; for the people spared the best of the sheep and the oxen, to sacrifice to the Lord your God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed.”
16 Then Samuel said to Saul, “Be quiet! And I will tell you what the Lord said to me last night.”
And he said to him, “Speak on.”
17 So Samuel said, “When you were little in your own eyes, were you not head of the tribes of Israel? And did not the Lord anoint you king over Israel? 18 Now the Lord sent you on a mission, and said, ‘Go, and utterly destroy the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against them until they are consumed.’ 19 Why then did you not obey the voice of the Lord? Why did you swoop down on the spoil, and do evil in the sight of the Lord?”
20 And Saul said to Samuel, “But I have obeyed the voice of the Lord, and gone on the mission on which the Lord sent me, and brought back Agag king of Amalek; I have utterly destroyed the Amalekites. 21 But the people took of the plunder, sheep and oxen, the best of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice to the Lord your God in Gilgal.”
22 So Samuel said:
“Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, As in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams. 23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He also has rejected you from being king.”
24 Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned, for I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord and your words, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice. 25 Now therefore, please pardon my sin, and return with me, that I may worship the Lord.”
26 But Samuel said to Saul, “I will not return with you, for you have rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord has rejected you from being king over Israel.”
27 And as Samuel turned around to go away, Saul seized the edge of his robe, and it tore. 28 So Samuel said to him, “The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today, and has given it to a neighbor of yours, who is better than you. 29 And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor relent. For He is not a man, that He should relent.”
30 Then he said, “I have sinned; yet honor me now, please, before the elders of my people and before Israel, and return with me, that I may worship the Lord your God.” 31 So Samuel turned back after Saul, and Saul worshiped the Lord.
CONCLUSION:
There is protection, blessing, guidance, abundance and prosperity when we stay under our covering.
In these prophetic times manifesting with Israel & America bombing Iran’s nuclear sites; lawlessness with the L.A. riots; threats of a civil war; enemies within and without of the United States who want to destroy the Republic and move us into the New World Order; violence in nations throughout the world, one needs to stay under their covering to find peace and protection.
The Mark of the Beast is coming and we must be prepared to face the trials ahead with victory. May God richly bless you.
Jonathan Hansen