The Only Hope in the Coming Storm!

By Reverend David Wilkerson

March 30, 1998
GOD promised the prophet Zechariah that in the last days, he would be a protecti
ve wall of fire around his people: "For I, saith the Lord, will be unto her a wa
ll of fire round about..." (Zechariah 2:5).
Likewise, Isaiah testifies: "For thou has been a...shadow from the heat, when th
e blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall" (Isaiah 25:4). "The
re shall be a tabernacle for a shadow in the daytime from the heat, and for a pl
ace of refuge, and for a covert from storm and from rain" (Isaiah 4:6).
These promises are meant to comfort us beforehand - because all the prophets war
n of a great storm coming in the final days, which will beat against God's wall
of protection with ferocity!
Indeed, Jesus says this coming storm will be so frightful and overwhelming, peop
le's hearts will fail them as they see it developing (see Luke 21:26). Now, if J
esus says this storm is going to be ferocious, we can know it will be an awesome
moment in history. Yet, the Bible assures us God never sends judgment on any so
ciety without first revealing to his prophets what he plans to do: "Surely the L
ord will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets"
(Amos 3:7).
This is a marvelous expression of our Lord's great love for his people. And if y
ou study the biblical prophets' writings carefully, you'll see that God acts thi
s way consistently. Just prior to an impending storm of judgment, he always comm
ands his prophets to warn the people to return to him: "I have also spoken by th
e prophets, and I have multiplied visions, and...by the ministry of the prophets
" (Hosea 12:10).
Moreover, God is faithful to speak in times of prosperity, just before the fury
of his judgment strikes. While the storm clouds are still gathering, he raises u
p prophetic voices all over the land. And, according to scripture, whenever a si
nful nation was prosperous and at peace, God told his prophets to warn that the
good times soon would end: "...the Lord hath cried by the former prophets, when
Jerusalem was inhabited and in prosperity..." (Zechariah 7:7).
At times God made his message so strong, he instructed his spokesmen to issue cu
tting, searing warnings: "Therefore have I hewed them by the prophets; I have sl
ain them by the words of my mouth..." (Hosea 6:5). In other words: "The word I b
ring will be so clear, it will smite you if your heart is open at all. It will c
ause you to fall on your face and repent!"
We always have to keep in mind, God's only purpose in lovingly calling us back t
o himself is to protect us in such times of storm. Yet often in biblical history
, when he gave these warnings, the people refused to listen: "He sent prophets t
o them, to bring them again unto the Lord; and they testified against them: but
they would not give ear" (2 Chronicles 24:19).
Almost always, God's people grew weary of these warnings. This was especially tr
ue if a prophet cried out about a coming storm over a period of years, but the s
ociety only continued to be prosperous and at peace. Over time, the people simpl
y switched off the prophet's voice. They simply didn't want to hear it anymore.
We see this in the Israelites' response to the prophet Isaiah. They told him: ".
..Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy decei
ts" (Isaiah 30:10).
Can you imagine ever falling to such a condition? These people knew Isaiah was t
elling the truth - that a great storm was coming - but they got tired of hearing
about it! They preferred to hear "smooth things." And the Hebrew word for "smoo
th" here means "pleasant, unperturbed." They were telling Isaiah, in other words
: "Don't preach anything to us that will upset the status quo or make us nervous
!"
This very condition is creeping into the church of Jesus Christ today. Believers
who have been devoted to Jesus for years now turn on their television sets only
to see more horrible reports of violence, disasters, hunger, crime, immorality.
After a while, their minds become satiated with all the bad news, and their hea
rts become hardened to it. To them, even the worst news reports are "just anothe
r news story."
I often wonder: Can anything move us anymore? We've already heard every type of
bad news we could possibly hear. What disaster or calamity is left that could sh
ock us?
Beloved, God is appalled by this kind of response among his people! We see this
in the warnings of the prophet Ezekiel. At the time Ezekiel prophesied, Israel w
as prosperous and at peace with the surrounding nations. Yet the Lord told Ezeki
el to give the people this message: "I will lay the land most desolate, and the
pomp of her strength shall cease; and the mountain of Israel shall be desolate..
.because of all their abominations which they have committed" (Ezekiel 33:28-29)
.
The prophet went up and down the land, preaching God's warnings over several yea
rs. But the people grew weary of listening to him. After all, over the years not
one of Ezekiel's words had come to pass. On the contrary, the nation only grew
more prosperous!
Over time, Ezekiel's prophecies became a source of entertainment for the people.
They began calling him names behind his back - names that were probably similar
to the ones I've been called over the years: "Doomsday preacher," "The man who
never smiles," "Mr. bad news." Finally, Ezekiel finally got fed up and said, "Lo
rd, you've deceived me. Nothing you told me has come to pass. And now everyone's
mocking me!"
"...(Israel is) saying, "Come, I pray you, and hear what is the word that cometh
forth from the Lord. And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit
before thee as my people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them: f
or with their mouth they shew much love, but their heart goeth after covetousnes
s...they hear thy words, but they do them not. And when this cometh to pass, (lo
, it will come,) then shall they know that a prophet hath been among them" (Ezek
iel 33:30-33).
Let me ask you: Have you come to the place where you've said in your heart, "I'v
e already heard it all! I don't want to hear any more!" If so, beware!
As It Was With All Past Societies and Church Bodies,
The Church Today Is in No Mood to Receive Bad News!
The majority of churchgoers today soundly reject all prophetic warnings of a com
ing storm. Indeed, the American church today is the most blatant "feel good" chu
rch in all of history. But, like Israel, we're only experiencing the calm before
the storm!
While Moses spent forty days on the mountaintop, Israel indulged in a spirit of
lawlessness. The people wanted to play and relax, so they abandoned all godlines
s. You remember the result: It ended in a drunken, naked orgy around a golden ca
lf.
Likewise today, Christians by the multiple thousands are casting off the yoke of
Christ, tossing aside all limits and restrictions. This attitude is prevalent i
n many of the books and magazines you find in Christian bookstores. It's almost
as if our leaders are saying, "Relax! God isn't hard. He's our Daddy, we're all
his kids, and we're meant to have a good time. Don't let anyone disturb your fun
!"
A few years ago, three pastors of large charismatic churches publicly stated the
y believed God would use rock-and-roll and rap music to bring in the next great
revival. One of these ministers even declared that God used the Beatles to open
people's hearts to the Holy Spirit. No - never! Those young men glorified sex an
d drugs. How could that ever be the work of the Holy Spirit?
One Christian magazine predicted that the next big movement in the church would
be a "nightclub" approach - including services that feature dancing, "near-beer"
alcohol, and comedians. One pastor told me this is already happening in churche
s throughout England and Europe. The churches can't hold the people's interest -
so they turn them into nightclubs!
In addition, many "sinner friendly" churches in America now serve coffee during
their morning services. The people sit with their feet propped up on chairs, nev
er standing up for worship. At one such church, a visiting gospel singer was adv
ised not to sing anything that mentioned sin or Christ's blood, because it might
offend the visitors. That church's leaders were trying to create a "comfort zon
e" for sinners!
You may find it hard to imagine the Israelites dancing naked around a golden cal
f. But don't for a second think the same thing couldn't happen in the church tod
ay. Soon we're going to witness lewd, sensuous, blasphemous forms of religion, s
traight out of the pits of hell. Indeed, the Bible says a time is coming when Go
d's people will no longer blush. And right now, the church's blush is gone - bec
ause we've seen and heard so much already. yet this is just the beginning!
You may ask - why are so many ministers and believers being deceived? Why is the
re so little discernment in God's house? Why do the most bizarre, worldly moveme
nts attract so many followers? I believe the answer lies in a prophecy form Amos
:
"Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the lan
d, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of th
e Lord" (Amos 8:11). Notice, this verse doesn't say there will be a famine of pr
eaching. The fact is, God would never hold back his warnings from his church - b
ecause only his truth can set us free. That's why he sends his prophets, teacher
s and evangelists to speak truth to us.
No, Amos' prophecy is not about all the shallow, light preaching we hear today;
it isn't saying there will be a shortage of truth. Rather, what the church today
is experiencing is a famine of hearing! There is an unwillingness to hear the t
rue word of God. Instead, people are closing their eyes and ears, hardening thei
r hearts, and saying, "I don't want to hear any more!"
We Are Experiencing the Calm Prior to The Greatest Storm
America Has Ever Suffered!
I first delivered this message as a sermon to Times Square Church on April 4, 19
97. Just two days before that, on Friday, April 2, the stock market reached an a
ll-time high of over 7,000. Newscasters and magazines boasted: "America is enjoy
ing its greatest prosperity ever. Unemployment has fallen below 5 percent, and t
here is very little labor strife. Profits are at an all-time high, and people's
purchasing power is up. At the same time, interest rates are low, and home sales
are increasing. America is riding the crest of a booming wave of good news, pro
sperity and peace."
It all sounds like good news, doesn't it? Yet the Bible says whenever people are
crying, "Peace and prosperity!", sudden destruction is about to fall. Over the
years, I have received letters from people saying, "You've been prophesying for
years about 'gathering storm clouds' and a 'coming crash.' Yet all you've done i
s scare a lot of Christians who trust your word. The truth is, the opposite has
happened. Instead of experiencing a storm, we've seen a boom, with record-breaki
ng prosperity. There isn't one sign on the horizon to suggest a coming crisis."
The fact is, the apostle Peter warned that many believers would react this way:
"...there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, a
nd saying, Where is the promise of his coming? For since the fathers fell asleep
, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation" (2 Peter 3:3)
. In other words: "People will say, 'Where's the so-called storm? Everything is
continuing today as it always has!"
Beloved, God has judged every past society for lesser sins than America's. Consi
der: No other nation has killed more babies than the United States has through a
bortion. Our soil cries out with the blood of these children! We'd rather save t
he life of a whale than one of our own babies. America has the world's highest r
ate of illegitimate pregnancies. Teenage crime in this country is the highest in
the free world. Americans now spend more money on dog food than on foreign miss
ions.
We have begun to glorify homosexuality and lesbianism. Our media applauds the "b
ravery" of gays who declare their sexual orientation - but we ought to weep over
it! TV's "Ellen" was hailed as a heroine when she came out of the closet on nat
ional television. Yet at one time, Christians across the country would have been
on their faces crying out to God for mercy over such immorality. Network newsca
sts showed images of half-naked gay women in Florida celebrating "Lesbian Pride
Week." An estimated 30,000 women gathered to indulge in drunken orgies all night
long for a whole week. And local officials applauded it, saying, "It's wonderfu
l that they're all together here." But it must have been breaking God's heart! R
adical homosexuals cry out to society, "In your face!" Yet what they're really s
aying is, "In your face, God!"
America has brazenly kicked God out of its schools and courts. Now there's even
a movement to remove his name from the Pledge of Allegiance and from all U.S. co
ins. People no longer want to hear even the mention of his name! Fifty million A
mericans now smoke pot, and millions more are hooked on heroin, crack and other
hard drugs. Our schools have become bastions of blasphemy and agnosticism. Our c
hildren have been robbed of all moral standards, denied all access to God - and
they're reacting by becoming more violent and rebellious. Beloved, God destroyed
Noah's generation, as well as Sodom, all for lesser sins than ours. What arroga
nce to think that while these societies were judged severely, we might be spared
!
Very Soon, America Is Going To Wake Up to a Sudden News Report of Calamity - and
the Storm Will Be Upon Us Suddenly!
The psalmist describes how God's rod of judgment will fall overnight: "In the ha
nd of the Lord there is a cup, and the wine is red; it is full of mixture; and h
e poureth out of the same: but the dregs thereof, all the wicked of the earth sh
all wring them out, and drink them...all the horns of the wicked also will I cut
off..." (Psalm 75:8, 10).
In Revelation, this cup is called "...the cup of his indignation..." (Revelation
14:10). In other words, it's full of God's wrath. Simply put, America's cup of
iniquity is overflowing - and all of our sins are going to turn into his holy wr
ath! You may be saying, "Why do you have to put such a scare into people? Why sh
ouldn't we just enjoy this prosperity while it's here? You should be glad about
all the goods things that are happening, especially in New York City. Walt Disne
y has moved in and taken over the once-seedy 42nd Street. Now all the smut and p
orn shops are gone, and everything in Times Square is family-oriented. There won
't be any riots here, as you predict, with over a thousand fires burning. Relax,
pastor, and enjoy it!"
No - Mickey Mouse can't stop the coming storm! The fact is, Disney has become on
e of the world's most corrupt media systems. Its movies are rife with homosexual
ity, violence and the occult. Indeed, such businesses are the very reason God wi
ll send the storm - and it will come quickly!
I remember as a young boy hearing a sudden news report that instantly changed Am
erica's peaceful slumber. Our family was riding along on a beautiful, peaceful S
unday afternoon to a country church where my father was going to preach. We had
just stopped for ice cream when a sudden news flash came over the car radio: "We
interrupt this program to bring you this news report: Japan has bombed Pearl Ha
rbor!" I still remember the look on Dad's face; he was in utter disbelief.
That night at church, everyone was baffled. "What's happening?" they wondered al
oud. "How could we suddenly be bombed? In the days that followed, we had "blacko
uts" in which we all had to cover the windows in our homes and schools. Everyone
feared a sudden bomber attack! And, beloved, so it will be suddenly when the st
orm hits. It will come like a thief in the night, bringing sudden panic and disb
elief. Right now you may be thinking, "Let it come! If calamity strikes, I'll de
al with it then. After all, I'm in God's hands. I'll be ready - so I'm not going
to worry about it. Jesus will see me through."
Yet, let me ask you: Why does God tell his prophets to shout their warnings from
the housetops? He wants to warn his people - to stir us up to seek him! He want
s to convict us of all our attempts to cast off Christ's yoke and cozy up to the
world. He wants us to keep our eyes on Jesus - to seek heavenly things - becaus
e those are the only things that will stand in the coming storm!
The Only Hope in the Coming Storm!
Just before his death and resurrection, Jesus stared into the face of a horrible
coming storm. He saw what was just ahead: Jerusalem would be surrounded by powe
rful armies, the temple would be destroyed, the city would be burned to the grou
nd, and thousands of people would die on crosses erected by the invading enemy.
Their entire society was about to collapse!
Now, Jesus was the very embodiment of God's love. And yet he warned, prophesied
and wept over his society, because he saw what was coming:
Matthew 24:2 "And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I sa
y unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not
be thrown down."
Matthew 24:19-20 "And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give s
uck in those days! But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on
the sabbath day."
If you think about it, Jesus' day was very similar to ours: Peace, calm and pros
perity ruled. Children played in the streets. There were no signs of judgment an
ywhere. Yet Jesus described his society as a generation of vipers: priests who r
obbed widows, scoffers blasphemers, adulterers, child offenders, a corrupt churc
h full of moneychangers, a ministry filled with wolves in sheep's clothing, fals
e accusers, liars, cheats, hypocrites, lovers of pleasure, fornicators, corrupt
children. He warned, "You're about to be surrounded by enemy armies. Now, prepar
e your hearts - because there's a storm coming!"
When I first prepared this message, I was overwhelmed by a spirit of foreboding.
All I could think of was the church's terrible condition and how the devil was
using subtle evils to deceive God's elect. Christians seemed focused mostly on t
heir own needs - "my needs, my problems, my past, my future - how my parents hur
t me, how the church has wounded me, how my friends have failed me..." God's peo
ple were no longer weeping over a dying world! For a while, this truly overwhelm
ed me. Then the Holy Spirit showed me how our Lord reacted in the face of the co
ming storm.
The apostle John writes, "...as he is, so are we in this world (1 John 4:17). Th
e simple fact is, we have to have Jesus' mindset in all things - or our hearts w
ill fail us! The Bible gives no evidence of Christ being downcast, fearful or ho
peless. He didn't panic or despair. In spite of all he saw coming, Jesus knew th
e final outcome. He knew the gates of hell wouldn't prevail against God's people
!
David gives us a clear picture of Jesus' attitude in the face of the coming stor
m. He speaks prophetically of Christ, saying, "...I foresaw the Lord always befo
re my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved" (Acts 2:25).
The literal meaning here is, "I was always in his presence, beholding his face.
" David quoted Jesus as saying, "Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue w
as glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope" (verse 26).
Here is the secret: Jesus kept the father always before his face! Jesus continua
lly sought out secret places to be shut in with his father. And it was only afte
r being in God's presence that Christ came forth to minister, fully persuaded th
at his father was always with him: "He's at my right hand - and nothing on this
earth can move me!" The Greek word for "moved" here means "agitated or shaken, d
isturbed." Jesus was saying, "None of these problems, evils or coming events can
cast me down or shake my confidence. My father is in complete control!"
Beloved, if we're going to face the coming storm, then we need to be prepared so
nothing disturbs our spirit. And the only way to do that is to spend time in th
e father's presence, beholding his face. We have to be shut in with him - on our
knees - until we're thoroughly persuaded he's at our right hand! God is clearly
telling us, "Don't be moved or agitated by anything you see. Keep your eyes foc
used on me - and you'll retain your joy!" And according to David, Jesus testifie
d, "...thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance" (Acts 2:28).
It's as if Christ is telling us, "I faced everything you're going to face in the
closing days of time. I had the same foreboding feelings, because I saw the com
ing storm. But I ran into the presence of my father, and he lifted all my concer
ns! He showed me the outcome to it all. And in his presence I found all the joy,
hope and rest I would ever need, to the very end. I have peace and joy because
I've been with him!" "...my flesh shall rest in hope" (Acts 2:26b).
________________
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hich is sent out every three weeks free-of-charge by regular mail and by e-mail
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few brief quotations.

_______________________________________________________
What Is Prophecy?
By Betty Miller
As some may not be familiar with prophecy in the church, we want to share this s
hort explanation of Biblical prophecy before we share an actual prophecy from Go
d.
First, what is godly prophecy? It can be summed up as words that are spoken on b
ehalf of God. A prophet or prophetess is one who is a spokesman for God. It is a
divine utterance that comes from the Holy Spirit. (Note: Just as there are prop
hetic words from God, there are also false prophecies that the Lord warned us ab
out in the Bible. In Matthew 7:15-16 Jesus said, "Beware of false prophets, whic
h come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye sha
ll know them by their fruits--." We must prove the source of prophecy before acc
epting it as coming from the Lord). God is raising up many prophetic voices in t
he earth today. His gifts of prophecy are basically of two types. One is the "si
mple gift of prophecy" which every believer can express under the unction or dir
ection of the Holy Spirit after they have been filled with the Holy Ghost.
The other is the "office gift" of the spirit which is given to a prophet or prop
hetess who is called to the "five-fold" ministry office as outlined in 1 Corinth
ians 12:28 which says "And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, seco
ndarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings,
helps, governments, diversities of tongues." Also Ephesians 4:11-12 which says"
And he gave some, apostles; and some prophets; and some, evangelists; and some,
pastors and teachers. For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the min
istry, for the edifying of the body of Christ."
The basic difference between these two types is, the simple gift of prophecy is
given to all spirit filled believers as spoken of in 1 Corinthians 14:31, "For y
e may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted." It
is for the purpose of edification, exhortation and comfort as spoken of in 1 Co
rinthians 14:3, "But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and e
xhortation, and comfort."
The "office gift" of a prophet or prophetess is given to speak to the body of Ch
rist at large. The ministers who are called to the office of a prophet or prophe
tess will deliver messages also which include edification, exhortation and comfo
rt but their messages can also be directive in nature and futuristic in content
as well (Ephesians 4:11-15).
Presently God is leading His people with prophetic preaching and teaching. A pro
phetic movement is taking place in the world.