Spiritual Realms & the Supernatural: Thresholds and Threshold Guardians Part 1
In my recent book The Seer’s Objective: A Training Manual on How to Decipher the Supernatural and Navigate Spiritual Realms, I discuss thresholds and connect guardians with them.
I purposefully left things out of my book to condense at much as possible as it’s already lengthy, but also to provide highlights of additional mentions – to give attention so that learners can delve deeper.
Giants represent threshold guardians.
But before we go there, let’s define a threshold and a threshold guardian.
Threshold(s) and Threshold Guardian(s)
The Bible is replete with actual identification of thresholds and alluding to thresholds.
The Hebrew definition means threshold, sill, or doorsill. It also means doorkeeper (Strong’s H5592). Thus, we derive the term threshold guardian.
Thresholds are the pieces comprised of what lies beneath a doorway that one steps on or over when entering or exiting through a door or gate. They are also allegorical of a door and a gate—an entryway.
Supernaturally speaking, a threshold is a spiritual boundary where a guardian can rule, test, or tempt. Spiritually, a boundary is a realm.
There are many threshold guardians and many kinds of threshold guardians. Giants are one kind of guardian. We won’t cover them all here.
The purpose of a threshold is to either aid us in determining where we’re heading spiritually or to decide if we can (or cannot) enter or exit based on our approach. And our approach has everything to do with character, which makes us ready for whatever is next in our journey with Jesus.
We approach thresholds as we enter spiritual doors and windows in the heavenlies (other realms) by faith. In the natural, with a supernatural undertone, mountains are one kind of threshold because they’re high places.
High Places
Mountains have always been significant to OT prophets, especially, and the people of God. God met people on or at the mountains. Prophets worshiped or waged war on mountains. NT apostles, prophets, and teachers had to deal with the spiritual mountains of society.
Evil relishes dwelling in high places, too. For one, many demonic entities (the upper-level ones) were assigned certain lofty boundaries. Another reason is that evil avails itself to be premier. What better way to bring this about than on or at a high place?
A high place is sacred for worship. It’s a place where the atmospheres between this realm and others are easily accessible.
The Mount of Transfiguration, where Jesus took some disciples, is only one example of a high place.
The Threshold Guardian Ishbi-Benob
Interestingly, the first giant (threshold guardian) we’ll discuss has his name rooted in high place. We find him in 2 Samuel 21:16
Ishbi-Benob translates to high place (see Strong’s H5011). His name also means habitation, dwelling, remaining (see Strong’s H3427). Putting it together, we can understand that Ishbi-Benob was he who inhabits the high place, remaining at its threshold to guard.
Another take on his name is he who is prominent over this boundary of Nob.
Just what was Ishbi-Benob guarding? Well, he was guarding that territory so it couldn’t become a stronghold and meeting place of Almighty God, of course. Ishbi-Benob was destroyed by Abishai. Nonetheless, the spirit inhabiting the twofold nature of the giant was not destroyed.
We still wage spiritual warfare against that spirit today – “the spirit at Nob,” it might be called. Another understanding is that it is a spirit of violent warfare (pillaging) that stops the success of the victory for the battle at the gates. A demonic entity that is a general of warfare.
But the promise is that there’d be victory for the children of God for the battle at the gates.
While this is similar to territorial spiritual warfare, threshold guardian warfare is much different because thresholds deal in spiritual realms.
The Threshold Guardian Sippai (or Saph)
Sippai is similar to Ishbi-Benob. We find him in 1 Chronicles 20:4 and 2 Samuel 21:18.
His name literally translates to threshold. Moreover, his name means that he was a doorkeeper (see Strong’s H5605) – a keeper of a realm.
Sippai’s shtick was to spread out his domain to have conquest and assert dominance.
This is why Elijah needed to have the showdown on Mt. Carmel…so that evil could no longer pervade beyond the boundary line it’d already encompassed.
The Point
Instead of these threshold guardians ruling from an evil realm in space on Earth, God says, “I am going to enact a group of people who will slay the giants so that My rule from heaven is expanded on Earth.”
Much of why we do not see “victory” as we should is because we do not realize we’re dealing with spiritual atmospheres, spiritual realities, spiritual realms, and spirits. We’re too busy looking with our natural eyes and filtering through our human brains and minds.
We must ascend in the spirit, and we must see supernaturally.
The Spirit of Violent Warfare (Ishbi-Benob) and the Spirit of Conquest (Sippai) represent final battles or the completion of assignments. They’re the fiercest warriors as they’re the ones who have remained. They’re last.
Significantly, the Spirit of Violent Warfare tries to remove the battle-worn ones. We must raise up giant slayers and teach spiritual warfare throughout the generations.
Additionally, it’s vital that we know when to rest and allow others to tag in. We should not return to the battle like David, but we should go back to having rested and allowing others to rest.
Finally, we must know how to approach thresholds and threshold guardians. David was appointed to take out Goliath, not Ishbi-Benob. Therefore, Abishai slayed the giant.
This era is about a generational army aligning to battle principalities, powers, and rulers of darkness spiritually.
God must commission us to acquire a threshold meant for Him to be worshiped. We do not send ourselves ahead of His command. If we’re ever going to be a mature spiritual army, we must adhere to the commands of the army’s Commander.
As you read through 2 Samuel 21, you’ll see that giant after various godly warriors slew the giant. God was saying then as He’s saying present-day: Let a company of giant slayers arise on the scene and draw their spiritual weapons!
The Niches of Warrior-Giant Slayers
Each giant was slain by a different warrior of God, each with his own individual anointing for giant slaying. Look at the examples below and get before the Spirit of God to find out what yours is.
- Abishai, son of Zeruiah
- His name means a father’s gift.
- Our heavenly Father gifts us with battle strategies and equips us with those who are gifted in warfare.
- Sibbechai, the Hushathite
- From the lineage of Judah – warrior was in his DNA.
- His name means he who quickly weaves together spiritual weapons of war OR he who quickly weaves together spiritual principles to outwit the enemy.
- Elhanan, the son of Jaareoregim, a Bethlehemite
- His name means God is gracious to us. God is gracious to us in spiritual warfare, protecting us and giving us conquering strength. He gives us what we need.
- Similar to Sibbechai, Elhanan was a weaver of battle arrays and of spiritual principles to win the battle.
- He battled a giant whose weapon was like a weaver’s beam. God knew who exactly to pit against this specific giant (the brother of Goliath) and it was Elhanan.
- Jonathan, the son of Shimea, David’s brother
- His name means God gives us the ability to hear His voice and know how to proceed in battle as we obey the voice of the Lord.
- Literally, we go forth in a spiritual battle; God gives us divine intel on how to outwit the enemies.
- He was assigned the final giant, seemingly the biggest of them all.
All in all, this story tells us this was a family war – a generational war. This aligns with the prophecy given to Rebekah’s children in Genesis. This extends to us.
