Dear People Who Keep Company With God,
We are witnessing the devastating effects of the largest earthquake in the history of Japan. This followed the quake that struck Christchurch, New Zealand. Jesus told us one of the signs that point to His return is an increase in earthquakes (Matt. 24:7). I believe these earthquakes are signs of His return and we will see more of this in the future. According to the U.S. Geological Society, earthquakes are increasing. For the past five decades, every decade has seen an increase in the number of earthquakes.
I will never forget the first time an end time event got up close and personal in my life. It was in the spring of 1981 and my friend Jim Hill was caught up into the spirit world and saw and heard some things that were disturbing, but it was what happened afterwards that awoke me. Within days of Jim’s vision Pope John Paul II was shot four times in the square of St. Peters in Vatican City. Our pastor, Harry Bizzell was so stirred by this that he picked up the small wooden pulpit and slammed it down and broke it while exhorting us. I had never witnessed Harry display that type of emotion while speaking. Harry passionately believed that the shooting of the Pope was connected to the vision. It is hard to explain, but when Harry broke that pulpit something broke inside of me.
Thirty years have come and gone, however, the Lord stirred Jim afresh about the vision recently. In light of the shaking going on in the world I think it is right to share the vision and Harry’s plea for us to wake up, but I will not break the pulpit doing it. It is not necessary. All we have experienced over the last couple of years has already broken us, but it is time to wake up.
So, here is Jim’s account of the vision. It is truly a pulpit breaking word.
“Suddenly, it was as if I was actually standing in the court of the KING of kings, off to the left side facing HIM among a multitude of people. There were very large, strong, fierce looking, yet beautiful angels in attendance before the throne along either side of a central aisle. They seemed to be directing the activities that were taking place. One by one, or in small groups, different people were brought before the throne and the Lord was hearing their cases. I could not hear what was being said or what the Lord’s directives to the angelic hosts were concerning these issues. I was totally awestruck by the power of His Majesty that emanated from the throne, and the overwhelming splendor of all that I was witnessing.
Suddenly, I was drawn to the center of the courts attention without ever having moved from my original position. Several of those around me stepped aside so that I could be seen. This terrified me, because I had no idea what was happening or what I should do. Then from the other side of the aisle “The enemy” of our souls stepped forward into the center of the aisle that led to the throne, but he would not approach it too closely. He began to speak in a loud voice. (It seemed odd to me that as he talked, he constantly looked around to see who was listening and to watch other’s reactions to what he said. I realized that all the others, who had spoken before the throne that day, had only looked toward the Lord or at the floor in front of HIM.)
He said very loudly and pompously, “Yes, You can have a victorious overcoming Church that gives YOU glory if they are persecuted and have no other options but to call upon Your Name and trust in YOU. But if YOU bless your people they will always heap YOUR blessings unto themselves, and use YOUR blessings for themselves, while pretending to trust in your NAME.”
This was an open insult to the LORD of hosts and his Church. There was total silence in the throne room. Everyone was waiting to see what the KING would say or do and I was trembling with fear and anticipation.
The Lord raised his hand and I heard a voice saying, “I am about to send the sword of circumstance to divide the Spirit from the flesh in my Church.”
(I knew that a sword was about to be put in the hand of an angel as a sign of authority to accomplish this thing. Also when I heard the words “sword of circumstance” I knew instantly that no one who was now alive had ever seen this kind of thing in America before. I also knew that there would be open violence in the streets with the shedding of blood, not just a great inconvenience.)
Then I was suddenly filled with the Spirit of God in the vision, and the Holy Spirit began to make intercession for the Church through me. I heard myself crying out in a voice loud enough for everyone in the throne room to hear, “Oh LORD of mercy, have mercy on your Church. Give them a short space to repent, before you send the sword of circumstance. Oh Lord, have mercy. Let the young men who are pinned up with the sword of the WORD in their hand ride forth to divide the Spirit from the flesh in your Church, before you release the sword of circumstance.”
(The Holy Spirit would only make the petition for a “short space” to repent. In my conscious mind within the vision, I was struggling with the Holy Spirit pleading with Him to let me ask for a longer period of time. It was as if it was not my place to suggest what amount of time was appropriate, because my understanding was so limited.)
As I was saying this prayer, everyone in the throne room could see over to the right side of the aisle in front of the throne something that was happening on the earth. It was like looking at a hologram of young men mounted on warhorses with doubled edged swords raised in their hands stampeding about in circles in a fenced enclosure awaiting release. (I at the time only recognized one of these young men.)
I heard another voice much deeper and stronger than mine that said, “Let them ride forth with the Sword of the Word in their hand to divide the Spirit from the flesh in my Church.”
(I understood that a short space had been granted for the Church to repent and that if the Church truly repented the sword of circumstance would be withheld. I remember asking the Holy Spirit with my thoughts, not my voice because I was now afraid to speak, “how long is a short space?” No answer was given, nor was the question even acknowledged.)”
For an excellent message on the second return of Christ go to our web site www.riverlifefellowship.com and click on media and messages. The title is End Times: Is Imminence Biblical? by Scott Forsyth given on March 13, 2011. There are also notes you can download.
Many Blessings, BW