Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy…

It’s ironic.  At the minute I’m working on the dissertation which will, for me, complete University.  These are the last 20,000 words before my time at Queen’s University Belfast is finally over.  Each of those 20,000 words is somehow tailored to prove my hypothesis that evangelical Christians in the 19th century viewed contemporary events through the lense of biblical prophecy.  The famine in Ireland, the wars which burned through Europe and the unbridled success of mission just a few examples of things which I believed would, for believers in the 1840′s, point to the fact that the world was surely coming to an end.

“And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.
Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.”

Matthew 24: 6-14

The thing about prophecy and vision is that it isn’t always easy to make sense of.  Whether we’re looking for a time frame in which things are supposed to happen or even just simply looking for meaning, it’s often hard to get a grasp of what it all means.  I think that’s why I was so sure in my hypothesis that the 19th century would mean something to evangelicals.  I mean it seems as though so much is going on, so many things, all of which link together and make sense, are happening that it can’t all be conincidence.

“And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams…”

Acts 2:17

It’s one thing trying to make sense of Biblical prophecy, of accounts which have been mulled over by theologians for centuries, and a completely separate thing to try and fathom some kind of meaning out of what “may or may not” be prophecy occuring now.  I mean the bible clearly tells us that “in the last day’s” Christian’s are going to prophesy.  We are living in these “last days” now, of that I have no doubt.  How can I be so sure?  Simply put, “the last days” is the period of time between Christ’s ressurection and His second coming.  Yes, thats a powerful amount of time, of that I am aware.  Nonetheless, I believe it to be truth and I believe that some Christians today may have the ability to prophesy.  I also beleive that some are visionaries and bring messages through whatever kind of vivid experience they percieve.  The hard part, as I said, is trying to make sense out of it all.  I’ve heard many people tell me about their visions, about their dreams and about their prophesies but sometimes I just have to throw my hands back and say “I really don’t understand.” 

Sometimes, however, things just click and seem to make sense.   What follows may seem like an overly melodramatic narrative.  What it actually is is the assimulation of two years of dreams, visions and prophesies all rolled into some stragely coherent text.

- – - – -

I saw a ruined city, nothing but rubble, destroyed buildings and fires. In this ruined city were people; people with dirty faces, broken bones, wounds and sores and with a look of pure sadness about them. Beyond the city was sheer darkness; as if the people in this ruined city were surrounded by a sea of night. They were afraid of the darkness, almost as if hid from their view a tide of demons ready to break against the ruins and sweep away those who remained. Inside the city, however, there was a change. One man sat looking towards the darkness. As he sat he heard the sounds of change… the sounds of revolution. In broken buildings secret crowds started to gather… started to move. Some came together in worship. Each of their faces told a different story: some stories of pain from the past, some of hope for the future and some just stood with hands aloft in adoration. Others gathered to mull over an ancient text. They studied words of scripture, letting it permeate each and every one of their thoughts. They read it together and were filled with joy at the good news of which it told.

From the rubble of the city the people got up and started to move purposefully towards the darkness, like an army ready to attack. Then I saw the reason. The people emerging from the city were backed by an Army of Angels. I heard a voice sing “maybe redemption has stories to tell” and on those notes the people and the Army of Angels started to run, like a charge had been sounded against the darkness. Then the music stopped and the voice just cried ‘salvation is here.’ Time slowed down, like the people and the Army of Angels were bracing themselves for when they broke upon the darkness. Then time stopped altogether.

- – - – -

I saw darkness all around, except for people dressed as soldiers standing in a circle of light, colour and grass, all facing outwards towards the darkness. The boundary was marked by a bright line. The line grew outwards, and as it grew the land which it touched became light, green and alive. The soldiers stepped forward to occupy the new area, stopping when they reached the new boundary. The boundary grew again and once again the soldiers advanced.

 - – - – -

I saw a tent appear from nowhere… It stood in front of a lake… It was bright, like light, though not lighting area around it, and not dazzlingly bright. I tried to photgraph it but it disappeared…

- – - – -

You’ll come…

The tent, the tabernacle… The prophets would meet with God and God’s law was that no one else should enter the tabernacle when the prophets were coming before him… By the end, the tabernacle had changed… God had “pitched his tent” amongst men… He lives with them and they with him.  Is God coming…?

Is He already here…?

You are here…

- – - – -

I saw a room.  There were people there.  It was like a boardroom and there was a meeting underway.  Then I saw the ‘chairman.’  Now that I think back, there was a familiarity about him.  I feel now like I knew him, that I still know him.  He looked at me.  He spoke to me saying “don’t forget about evangeline…”

Evangeline?  The Good News.  The bearer of Good News. “Don’t forget about evangeline…”

- – - – -

I saw a city.  The rain was pouring down, not just a little shower but a torrential downpour.  I saw a man in the middle of the street.  I couldn’t see his face because he had his hood up to offer some kind of protection from onslaught of the weather.  I glanced at him again.  Something was ‘odd.’  I wasn’t looking straight at him.  It was like looking through the rear-view mirror of a car only there was no car and no mirror.  The man started to walk down the street heading away from me.  Crowds lined the street watching him.  Most were inanimate except for one man.  He was angry.  I don’t know why but he was shouting at the man.  The rain continued to fall.  The the man stopped.  He fell to his kness on the wet street.  All of a sudden he wasn’t alone.  There was another man on the street with him.  I couldn’t his face but he stopped next to the man who was still on his knees.  The new man put his had on the others shoulder and whispered something to him…

- – - – -

The world is screwed up. That’s a fact
Its one big rotating mass of deceit, violence and storms
lightning rips through the skies of human existence, evidence of the storms raging within every life
the torrential dounpour of hatred, racism, intolerance, of INDIFFERENCE, beats down upon me…

Whilst the world tears itself apart into darkness
Whilst the ‘martyrs’ breed wars of hatred and revenge
Whilst the west walks the road paved with indifference and apathy
I find myself trudging through the endless mediocrity that my life has become

The rain still pours down upon me
The lightning still flashes above
and from within the pits of my dispair and self-loathng at what i have let myself become, I finally see it

The figure, standing in the midst of the raging storms of self-doubt and destruction
He stands on the streets, in the secret world of peoples hearts
Standing on the boulevard of broken dreams, of broken bottles, of tears that well up in the darkness of the Private moments
The alleyway of pain
The arena of self-destruction
The backyard of apathy
Standing barefoot among the rocks and glass

The rains of doubt and dispair beat against his body
A torrential downpour surges over him
But he does not become wet
He does not absorb it
He does not drink it in

The winds of indifference, of apathy, of fear and of impatience tear past him
But he is unmoved

The lightning of disruption sears open the sky above him
But he stays focused on those around him

I see him now, standing amidst the darkest of the worlds dark, the most agonising of the planets pains
He looks up at me, tear-stained face and puffy eyes revealing his pain for the suffering around him

Then he smiles

And I see all that I’ve become, all that I am – and realise I fall hideously short
But in that same moment, rain pummeling against my body, Wind tearing against me, i see something else
I see what I can be…

The smile…

Raises me from my stupor
The rain beats harder
The wind tears stronger
The lightning flashes hotter
And he is beside me

‘come… my strength i give to you, with my light i fill you…
come… this is your path… take up your cross, and follow me…’

I can feel it now
The opposition grows stronger
The apathy fighting to control me grows more intense
The rain, the wind, fight to keep me in place

But he is with me
The road before me is no easier
The rocks and glass do not disappear
The storm does not ease
But together… we take a step forward…

- – - – -

I appreciate that this may mean little or nothing to some of you folks reading this.  The truth, however, is that I don’t mind.  It means so much to me.  To see that some of my thoughts, combined with some of the thoughts of others over the last two years can come together to form this ‘thing’… this vision is an astounding thought.

I hope and pray that it means something… Truth be told I believe that it does and I believe I know at least some of what that meaning may be.  Until that time, however, ask youself this.  As you read down through that, where did you fit in?  Did you see any of yourself in any one of those visitations?  Were you standing in a ruind city afriad of the darkenss?  Were you one of the soldiers or were you standing in the dark ground that they were reclaiming?  Were you in awe of the brilliant tent?  Were you inside that boardroom?  Were you on your knees in the rain or were you the one shouting from the street-side?  Have you given up or are you ready to take that step forward?

Amen

“This is my prayer in the desert
When all that’s within me feels dry
This is my prayer in my hunger and need
My God is the God who provides

This is my prayer in the fire
In weakness or trial or pain
There is a faith proved
Of more worth than gold
So refine me Lord through the flame

This is my prayer in the battle
When triumph is still on its way
I am a conqueror and co-heir with Christ
So firm on His promise I’ll stand

All of my life
In every season
You are still God
I have a reason to sing
I have a reason to worship

This is my prayer in the harvest
When favor and providence flow
I know I’m filled to be emptied again
The seed I’ve received I will sow

I will bring praise
I will bring praise
No weapon formed against me shall remain
I will rejoice
I will declare
God is my victory and He is here”

 Hillsong – Desert Song