Standing in support of Israel, Jews, and believers in all the nations, in the name of Jesus (Yeshua). Sharing biblical truth, encouragement, news and prophecy.
God is big on honoring the memory of the righteous (see Proverbs 10; Mark 14:9; 1 Kings 11:13, 32, 34, 36; Jeremiah 15:1; Ezekiel 14:14, 20). Like many people, I sometimes go to the graves of my parents, grandparents, soldiers, great leaders, etc. to honor their memory and reflect on their lives. I don't try to communicate with them, which obviously is forbidden in Scripture, nor do I try to receive impartations from them. I do, however, usually spend some time visiting with the Lord while there.
Typically, I thank God for the person's life and the heritage He gave me through them; I usually acknowledge the price they paid for the Gospel or, if appropriate, for my freedom. I remind myself that I'm a link in the chain of history and that I must continue their legacy. In the solemnity of the moment and as an honor to their faithfulness and sacrifice, I often rededicate myself to the Lord's cause.
While ministering near Oberlin, Ohio on Sunday, September 21, I had the privilege of visiting the grave of Charles Finney. Finney, an attorney turned evangelist, was one of the greatest revivalists that has ever lived.(Photo of Charles Finney via Wikimedia)
He was a leader in the Second Great Awakening, and often called, The Father of Modern Revivalism. He also promoted social reforms, such as the abolition of slavery and equal education for women.
Just as I have with stumps, trees, rocks, monuments, chairs, beds, pews and wooden benches in the front of churches, I used his grave as an altar. I thanked God for Finney and those like him who have left us powerful legacies and examples.
Appeal to Heaven for Another Great Awakening
I reminded Holy Spirit of the First and Second Great Awakenings, and appealed to Heaven for another. As I pondered and honored the work of Finney and others gone before me, I once again committed myself to God and His cause. Then, in a very holy moment, I pledged to the young men and women with me that I would be a faithful father to them and their generation.
As we prayed, God chose this time and place to meet with me in a powerful way. I was overcome, as I have been before, with God's heart and love for America. I wept, as we all cried out for revival in our land. Why did God meet me there in such a strong way?
Perhaps it was to honor the memory of Finney, a faithful son; or, since awakening and harvest is what Finney so powerfully represents, maybe it was a confirmation that God is, indeed, going to give us another great awakening. It could have also been to remind us that we are part of something bigger than ourselves – that the great cloud of witnesses are watching and cheering us on, knowing fully that we're the continuation of their efforts (Hebrews 11:39-12:2). Whatever His reason for choosing this time and place, the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon me. I was re-mantled and re-anointed.
A Fresh Mantle and Anointing
A mantle in Old Testament times was simply a garment that pictured or symbolized an individual being clothed with the Holy Spirit and His ability. Jesus said, "The Spirit of the Lord is 'upon' me..." (Luke 4:18). An anointing in the Old Testament referred to rubbing or smearing with oil as a picture of the Holy Spirit's impartation and empowering.
In the above verse, Jesus referenced this, adding, "He [Holy Spirit] has anointed Me." Those of us who speak of "mantles" and "anointings" are using Biblical symbolism to describe impartations that empower and equip us for a particular task or function. Sunday, for my assignment to America, I was re-mantled and re-anointed with a fresh impartation of Holy Spirit. (Photo by Jennifer Page Enter In via elijahshopper.comr)
God is not finished with America. Don't be moved by the naysayers and don't give in to hope deferred. There is a third Great Awakening coming to our land. There is another broad and passionate "appeal to Heaven" occurring in our land, which will be honored, just as it was when our nation was born.
There is a re-connecting to the covenants, promises and sacrifices of our forefathers.
And there will be an answer from Heaven in the form of the greatest outpouring of the Holy Spirit the earth has ever experienced – in America, and around the world. You are part of this! Keep crying out for revival – and cry out for revivalists like Finney to be raised up in our day.
Dutch Sheets is an internationally recognized author, teacher, and conference speaker. He travels extensively, empowering Believers for passionate prayer and societal transformation. Dutch has pastored, taught in several colleges and seminaries, and served on the board of directors of numerous organizations. Dutch's greatest passion is to see America experience a sweeping revival and return to its Godly heritage. Dutch is a messenger of hope for America, encouraging Believers to contend for awakening in our day and reformation in our lifetime.
Dutch has written over 20 books, many of which have been translated into over 30 languages. His international best seller, Intercessory Prayer, has sold nearly 1 million copies worldwide. His book, The Pleasure of His Company, was released January 2014 and his new book The Power of Hope: Let God Renew Your Mind, Heal Your Heart, and Restore Your Dreams was just released. Dutch and his wife Ceci have been married for 35 years and now reside in the Dallas area. They treasure time spent with their two grown daughters, son-in-law and grandson.
WASHINGTON -- Former GOP presidential candidate Mike Huckabee and conservative group Concerned Women for America joined forces to sponsor a "Stand with Israel" rally on Capitol Hill Sunday.
CWA's president Penny Nance kicked off the rally explaining how it was birthed last year while she was in Israel. She came to see why it's important to support the Jewish nation today as it faces enemies who want to wipe it out.
Just after visiting Jerusalem's Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial, she asked herself if she would have supported Jews during World War II when they also faced the threat of extinction.
"If I had been alive during the Holocaust, what would I have done?" Nance told the rally crowd. "Would I have been one of those people, one of those Christians, who just turned away and turned a blind eye to the evil that was right before me?"
Many of the speakers at the rally pointed out that supporting Israel is certainly a moral choice. But they also insisted it's in America's own best interest because if Israel's enemies ever succeed in destroying it, they'll then turn all their guns on America and the West.
Huckabee said he believes God will save Israel from destruction, but ISIS, Hezbollah, Hamas, and Iran still want to wipe it out. He warned they wouldn't stop there.
"Do you honestly think that if they were to achieve that, that they would say, 'Well, that's it. We're done?'" Huckabee asked.
"Israel isn't the ultimate target. We are. Let us never forget it," he admonished the crowd gathered on Capitol Hill.
CBN Terrorism Analyst Erick Stakelbeck talked about how Iran is developing ICBM missiles that will be able to cross oceans by 2015. He explained why this Persian superpower that's threatened to destroy nearby Israel needs intercontinental missile.
"Israel is the little Satan, a bump on the road to the Great Satan -- us. Their words, not mine," Stakelbeck said of the Iranian leaders and their fellow radicals. "So if you think you can ignore ISIS, ignore Iran, and leave Israel to its own devices, you're sadly mistaken."
CWA also wanted to demonstrate that there are many young concerned women for Israel. They brought three of them to the podium.
One was Raquel Minka, a Baltimore Jew in her 20s who when she heard this July there was to be an anti-Israel protest in her neighborhood, organized a counter-rally. It ended up having hundreds more participants than the anti-Israel protest.
To Minka, this struggle is personal.
"My grandparents were Holocaust survivors. They fought the fight," she told CBN News. "My dad is a wounded IDF [Israel Defense Forces] veteran. He fought the fight. And now I'm doing the same. I'm taking it upon myself to also fight."
Bill Kristol, founder and editor of The Weekly Standard, is acknowledged as one of the most vocal and ardent neo-conservatives, who advocates an activist American military presence in the world.
Before taking the stage at the rally, Kristol told CBN News it's essential America both ensure Israel's survival and stand in the Middle East and fight.
"We know what a world without Israel and with an America that's weak and withdrawn looks like," he said. "And that's the world of 1939 -- 75 years ago. And that's a world that leads to a world war, and that's a world that leads to a Holocaust."
Kristol said President Barack Obama's non-interventionism has led to worse outcomes than George W. Bush's much-maligned interventionism.
"Almost 200,000 dead in Syria. ISIS on the rampage. Iran close to nuclear weapons: it's unbelievably dangerous for Israel; it's unbelievably dangerous for us," Kristol said, surveying the present crises.
"If Iran gets nuclear weapons, that's a threat to Israel. But it's a threat to the U.S., too," he continued. "So I think we are seeing how dangerous the world can be when America, unfortunately, looks weak."
"Three times you shall keep a feast to Me in the year: You shall keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread […] and the Feast of Harvest, the firstfruits of your labours which you have sown in the field; and the Feast of Ingathering at the end of the year, when you have gathered in the fruit of your labours from the field.” (Exodus 23:14-16) Three times a year the people of Israel were required by God to come to Jerusalem for a holy convocation. Passover, Pentecost and Tabernacles are the three great pilgrimage feasts which the Israelites were instructed to celebrate. All three biblical feasts were celebrations of thanksgiving for the different seasons of harvest in Israel’s calendar. In this and coming issues of the Word From Jerusalem magazine, we will feature a three-part teaching series that looks at the important lessons these festivals teach us about “Harvest”, which is the theme of this year’s Feast of Tabernacles celebration in Jerusalem.
First Fruits
The Passover feast was the first of the three great harvest festivals, and it was also called the feast of the first fruit or chag habikurim.
"Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘When you come into the land which I give to you, and reap its harvest, then you shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest to the priest. He shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, to be accepted on your behalf; on the day after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it. (Leviticus 23:10-11)
Every Passover, “on the day after the Sabbath”, a sheaf of firstfruits (bikurim in Hebrew) were to be waved before God. The firstfruit represented not only the very first produce of each year, it also represented the entire harvest. Paul explains this in Romans 11:16, saying, “For if the firstfruit is holy, the lump is also holy…” This means that through the offering and the setting apart of the firstfruits, the entire harvest was set apart.
Waving the firstfruits before God was a declaration that all the produce of the coming year belonged to Him. He owns it all, and His blessing on the seed is crucial as it is also He who gives the increase.
The same was true for all cattle and even for each family. God said, “Consecrate to Me all the firstborn, whatever opens the womb among the children of Israel, […] it is Mine.” (Exodus 13:2) So for each first child, there was a symbolic sacrifice brought to the Temple to represent the firstborn of the family.
By honouring God with our firstfruits, we declare that our families and all our possessions belong to Him. This holds a great potential of blessing for us. If we decide to dedicate our family and our possessions to God, we submit them to His Kingship and place everything under His hand of blessing. It means that we give our best to God, just as Abel gave the firstborn (bikurim) and it found favour and acceptance with God (Genesis 4:4).
Israel the firstborn
God called Israel as a nation His firstborn. “Thus says the LORD: "Israel is My son, My firstborn.” (Exodus 4:22)
This means that Israel has been given by God the rank of the firstborn among the nations. In saying so, God declared in a beautiful way His intention to bless all the nations of the earth. Remember what Paul said: “If the firstfruit is holy then the lump is holy.” (Romans 11:16)
In calling and blessing Israel as His firstborn, the Creator was declaring that He was also going to call and bless a redeemed people from all the nations. This corresponds to the election God placed upon Israel from the beginning: “In you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” (Genesis 12:3)
And indeed it was through the one “seed” of Abraham, Jesus the Messiah, that this blessing came to all humanity (Galatians 3:13-16).
But Israel’s calling as the firstborn among the nations also gives hope for the restoration of Israel. Being the firstborn assured the privilege of a double blessing (Deuteronomy 21:15-17).
The prophet Jeremiah proclaimed: “Behold, I will bring them from the north country, and gather them from the ends of the earth, […] I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters, in a straight way in which they shall not stumble; For I am a Father to Israel, and Ephraim is My firstborn.” (Jeremiah 31:8-9)
Other Hebrew prophets foresaw a future restoration of Israel which indeed involves a double blessing on the nation (Isaiah 61:7; Zechariah 9:12).
As the inheritance of a firstborn is ensured by God, in the same manner we know that He will fulfill all His promises given to Israel.
Jesus, the firstborn from the dead
During the Passover week, “on the day after the Sabbath” – that is, the first day of the week – the firstfruit offering was waved in the Temple. The Gospels record that it was on that very day when Jesus rose from the dead.
“Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb…” (Matthew 28:1). Jesus thus became “the firstborn from the dead,” (Colossians 1:18; see also 1 Corinthians 15:20).
Jesus was the first to overcome death, and as such he entered the heavens and presented himself to the Father. But he did so not just for himself but in him, as the firstborn, were presented all the millions who would “believe in Him and not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
That is why the Bible calls him “the firstborn among many brethren” (Romans 8:29).
Jesus is the “firstborn of all creation” (Colossians 1:15) and thus has the supremacy in all things (Colossians 1:18). Even though we can call him our elder brother, we honour and worship him as our King, Lord and Saviour.
Conclusion
We end part one of this teaching series with the thought that the firstfruits are a representation of the best that we have and of all we own. If we present this back to God with a thankful heart, He promises us His blessing.
“Honour the LORD with your possessions, and with the firstfruits of all your increase; So your barns will be filled with plenty, And your vats will overflow with new wine.” (Proverbs 3:9-10)
Mecca, also called Makkah, is the birthplace of the Prophet Muhammad and the site of his 1st revelation of the Quran.
In my last article, I explained the Judeo-Christian understanding of the Antichrist and that he will somehow be intertwined with Israel—and more specifically, Jerusalem.
Because Islam borrowed a great deal from Judaism and Christianity, it is not surprising that they too have a figure with a messianic complex—the Mahdi, or the Guided One.
Muslims see the Mahdi as a savior who will lead a global revolution and establish a worldwide Islamic empire. The Mahdi will rule the Earth as the final Caliph of Islam (a caliph is both a political ruler and a spiritual representative of Allah on Earth).
Muslims revere Jesus (whom they call Isa) as the Masih or Messiah. In Islamic eschatology, the Mahdi will arrive at the same time that Isa returns. Isa will descend to Earth in Syria, east of Damascus, dressed in yellow robes, and will assist the Mahdi, who will rule over the world for seven years (or, in some Islamic traditions, nine or 19 years). At the end of the Mahdi's rule, there will be a Day of Judgment for the entire human race.
The parallels between the biblical Antichrist and the Mahdi of Islam are chilling. Both are associated with the End Times and the Judgment. Both are said to possess political, military and religious power, and head up a one-world religion. The Mahdi will force all non-Muslim people to convert to Islam. Like the Antichrist, the Mahdi will establish Jerusalem as his capital, from which he will rule the Earth.
Islamic scholars Muhammad ibn Izzat and Muhammad Arif write, in Al Mahdi and the End of Time: "The Mahdi will be victorious and eradicate those pigs and dogs and the idols of this time so that there will once more be a caliphate based on prophethood as the hadith states. ... Jerusalem will be the location of the rightly guided caliphate and the center of Islamic rule, which will be headed by Imam al-Mahdi. ... That will abolish the leadership of the Jews ... and put an end to the domination of the Satan who spit evil into people and cause corruption in the earth, making them slaves of false idols and ruling the world by laws other than the Sharia [Islamic law] of the Lord of the worlds."
Though Muslims revere Jesus as a prophet, they deny that Jesus is the Son of God. Jews and Christians are, to Muslim fundamentalists, "pigs and dogs" who must either convert to Islam or be eliminated. Bible prophecy makes it clear that the Antichrist will target Jews and Christians for destruction, just as Islamic prophecy states that the Mahdi will wage war against Jews and Christians. Those who oppose the Antichrist's worldwide religion will be executed.
Muslim scholar Imam Muhammad Baqir states clearly how the Mahdi will establish his one-world religion: "There must be bloodshed and jihad to establish Imam Mahdi's rule." And Ayatollah Ibrahim al Amini of the Religious Learning Center in Qom, agrees: "The Mahdi will offer the religion of Islam to the Jews and Christians; if they accept it, they will be spared. Otherwise they will be killed."
Daniel tells us (and Jesus affirms in the Olivet Discourse) that the Antichrist will establish "the abomination that causes desolation" in the Temple in Jerusalem. The apostle Paul adds that the Antichrist "will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God's temple, proclaiming himself to be God" (2 Thess. 2:4). Since the Temple was destroyed in 70 A.D., as Jesus predicted, this has led some (not all Christians) to suggest that the Jewish Temple must be rebuilt on Temple Mount before the Antichrist can be revealed to the world.
Yet the golden-topped Dome of the Rock shrine and the Al-Aqsa mosque stand on Temple Mount today. One of the Islamic Hadiths (traditions) records that their Prophet Muhammad said, "[Armies carrying] black flags will come from Khurasan [Iran and Afghanistan], no power will be able to stop them, and they will finally reach Eela [the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem] where they will erect their flags." In Islamic tradition, black banners symbolize violent conquest, and Muslims await the Mahdi's conquest of Jerusalem, when he establishes his reign from the Temple site.
Daniel 9:27 tells us the Antichrist will establish a seven-year covenant with Israel—but he will break the covenant after three-and-a-half years, defiling the Temple with "an abomination that causes desolation." The Hadiths of Islam also speak of a seven-year covenant that the Mahdi makes with Israel: "The Prophet said: There will be four peace agreements between you and the Romans. The fourth will be mediated through a person who will be from the progeny of Hadrat Aaron [Honorable Aaron, the brother of Moses] and will be upheld for seven years."
There can be no doubt: Muslims are preparing to accept the Mahdi as their leader—and the Mahdi is indistinguishable from the world leader we know as the Antichrist.
I bring all of this to your attention so we can have a knowledgeable perspective when viewing current events unfolding in the Middle East.
But Christians should not fear.
Regardless of whether the Antichrist comes in this generation or a hundred years from now, those who have placed their faith in God's Messiah, Jesus the Christ, fear no one nor even death. Their eternity is secure in the One who is the only One to defeat death and rise from the grave.
Michael Youssef, Ph.D., is the founder and president of Leading the Way with Dr. Michael Youssef, a worldwide ministry that leads the way for people living in spiritual darkness to discover the light of Christ through the creative use of media and on-the-ground ministry teams. Youssef was born in Egypt.
Many people—religious and non-religious—are asking questions about a word they hear the media use when referring to ISIS and other Islamist jihadists. That word isapocalyptic, which is used when specifically referring to the fatalism of Islamists.
People wonder, why do so many Muslims (both Sunni and Shi'ite) operate with such an "apocalyptic," end-of-world mindset?
Our secular society, however, coupled with the media's carelessness, is bandying about words like apocalyptic without using them properly and without explanation. That creates a great deal of confusion for some, many of whom just throw up their hands in resignation and say, "I don't understand this."
But for those who want to understand, I am offering this two-part column, taking excerpts from my newest book, Jesus, Jihad, and Peace. I hope this will put things into perspective, so when the media says that an Islamist entity (such as ISIS, al-Qaeda, Iran, etc.) operate with an apocalyptic vision, you can make sense of it.
The word apocalypse does not, in fact, refer to a disastrous, catastrophic, end-of-world event. It's a Greek word, the root of which means revelation, or revealing things that are hidden. For instance, we know the last book of the Bible as Revelation, but in the original Greek language, it is Apokalupsae. It reveals what is happening in the heavenly realm, as well as events in the future.
The Concept of the Antichrist
Both the Old Testament and New Testament spoke of an end-times figure, the Antichrist, some 600 years or more before Islam came on the scene. That timing will be important when I explain Islam's "end of time" coming of a Mahdi in my next column.
The Antichrist is known by various names. Paul calls him "the lawless one," "the man of lawlessness," and "the man doomed to destruction" who "will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshipped, so that he sets himself up in God's temple, proclaiming himself to be God" (2 Thess. 2:1-12). The most detailed description of the Antichrist is in Revelation 13, where the Apostle John refers to the Antichrist as "the beast." The Old Testament prophet Daniel describes the abominable works of the Antichrist, but gives him no name or title (Dan. 9:27).
Who, then, is the Antichrist, whose brief but terrible reign is predicted in both the Old and New Testaments? He will be a world leader of unparalleled political, military and religious power. He will be charming, persuasive and popular beyond measure. The world will not know him as the "Antichrist," but by some attractive name and appealing title. But just as the word "Antichrist" suggests, he will be the opposite of the Lord Jesus Christ in every way. Everything Christ is, the Antichrist is not; everything Christ is not, the Antichrist is.
Jesus came from heaven (John 6:38); the Antichrist comes from the Abyss, the spiritual domain of evil (Rev. 11:7). Jesus came in the Name of the Father; the Antichrist comes in his own name (John 5:43). Jesus was despised by the world (Is. 53:3); the Antichrist will be worshipped by the world (Rev. 13:3-4). Jesus came in humility as a servant (Phil. 2:7-8); the Antichrist comes in pride, claiming to be God (2 Thess. 2:4; Dan. 11:36). Jesus is the truth (John 14:6); the Antichrist is the lie (2 Thess. 2:9-11). Jesus is the Son of God (Mark 1:1; Luke 1:35); the Antichrist is the son of perdition (2 Thess. 2:3, KJV).
The Apostle Paul tells us that the mystery (or secret) of godliness is that God Himself has appeared to us in human flesh (1 Tim. 3:16)—and that the mystery (or secret) of lawlessness is that Satan has produced a counterfeit Christ, the Antichrist, Satan wrapped in human flesh (2 Thess. 2:6-8). Jesus is the true Shepherd; Satan will have his evil shepherd, the Antichrist. Jesus is the Holy One of God; the Antichrist will be the lawless one of Satan. Jesus is the Man of Sorrows; the Antichrist will be the man of sin.
One Antichrist and many antichrists
First of all, the Antichrist is coming—a lawless man who will come in Satan's power, demanding to be worshipped as God, destroying all those who love God. But John tells us that there are many other antichrists, lesser deceivers who are also self-exalting, evil and destructive. They are antichrists, but they are not the Antichrist.
Jesus tells us that, shortly before His return, the Antichrist will arise during a time of global chaos and confusion, when the world is in political, social, financial and ecological upheaval. The terrified people of the world, desperate for a strong leader, will turn to this man and give him control of the governments of the world.
Daniel tells us that the Antichrist will speak "boastfully" (Dan. 7:8), yet it is clear that these will not be empty boasts. The Antichrist will appear to possess superhuman brilliance. He'll be the ultimate smooth talker, the greatest con man who ever lived, and he'll unite the nations under his rule. At first, he'll seem to be a wise and benevolent dictator, bringing peace, prosperity and hope. But once he is firmly in control of the gears and levers of power, he'll reveal his true intentions.
The way has been paved for such a leader. Atheists, humanists, New Age mystics, Hindus, Buddhists and Islamists have little in common with each other—but they all share in the belief that Jesus is not the only way to salvation. There are even many self-styled "Christians" who deny the Lord's claim to be the only way to God. So it will be easy for the Antichrist to establish himself to many as an acceptable alternative.
In these days of muddled and confused worldviews, it is vitally important to know the truth. After all, Jesus said, "The truth will set you free." As events unfold, we need to see them not only through the camera's lens, but also through the lens of biblical revelation.
That the Antichrist is coming is known—only the timing is unknown. Although we know not the hour of night that the thief comes, we must be prepared nonetheless.
In next week's article (Part 2), we'll take a look at the striking parallels between the Antichrist and Islam's Mahdi (savior).
Michael Youssef, Ph.D., is the founder and president of Leading the Way with Dr. Michael Youssef, a worldwide ministry that leads the way for people living in spiritual darkness to discover the light of Christ through the creative use of media and on-the-ground ministry teams. Youssef was born in Egypt.
Vehicles, like airplanes, in dreams often signify ministry. (Flickr/xlibber)
As I sat up high at Comerica Park the other night watching a Tigers game, I saw a mural on a building that God revealed to me when I first visited Detroit.
I had a dream, and afterwards I visited Detroit to minister, and then saw the mural of jumping whales, which was a key part of the dream.
It's a warning dream, and Detroit must respond in repentance and intercession—as must the nation. Here's the picture I took last night at the game and also the dream. (This is taken from the chapter in my bookThe Coming Churchthat's entitled "Their Freedom is Your Mission.")
Here is a clear example of a sharp, prophetic message. Will we respond to the call or casually watch from the sidelines?
It would be nice if all of our dreams, visions and communication from God had the feel of running and dancing through a field of daisies, but it's more important that we receive accurate data than imaginary, feel-good stories.
This dream was anything but candy canes and ice cream. To date, other than my encounter with hell in the early 1990s, I've never received such an urgent and troubling dream from God.
The first scene in my dream represented a typical American day. I was in my basement in a really comfortable leather recliner, sitting in front of a large television. I was excitedly watching my favorite NFL team, the Chicago Bears, play in a nationally televised evening game. I was thoroughly entertained and was settling in for a great night of football.
The scene then suddenly changed. I found myself in the captain's seat of the largest commercial airliner I'd ever seen. In fact, this jet was capable of holding more than 1,000 people. Everybody in the airplane was excited and ready for the journey—and they were all blood-bought Christians. They represented an end-time remnant being prepared by God for the days ahead.
In the cockpit, I was overwhelmed by the magnitude and majesty of the airplane. I put my hand on the throttle as we were sitting on the runway, ready to depart. Simply touching it revealed a power that was sobering indeed.
I understood that, as the captain of the airplane, my responsibility was immense. I felt completely incapable of fulfilling my duties, but at the same time, I felt such an overwhelming confidence. I had the grace to do what I was called to do, even though I didn't understand even how to take the first step.
In that grace, I gave the throttle a push. Every inch that I carefully moved the throttle forward it seemed that the power increased one hundredfold or more. The slight vibration that was caused by multiple jet engines kept increasing as I moved 1,000 people down the runway.
Suddenly, we were airborne, and we were catapulted into our unknown mission.
Almost immediately, as I followed the flight plan, we were flying over an ocean. As I looked down, something unusual caught my attention, and I yearned to move in for a closer look. I brought the jet down and flew just above the surface of the water. What I saw was remarkable. All around, sea life was leaping out of the water. Everybody in the airplane was glued to the windows as they were captivated by the same view. Dolphins and whales were jumping high into the air as were innumerable other creatures, many of which I had never seen before.
As I watched, my desire for greater revelation and encounter with this seeming other-worldly exhibition was rapidly increasing. I wanted more!
I then did what makes no sense in the natural—I nose-dived and took the giant airship under the water. The moment I did, the power of the engines rapidly increased. The deeper I went, the greater the power. Under the water, I saw things I had never seen before. It was dark, but all of the sea life was easily visible as they glowed in various brilliant colors. Needless to say I, along with my passengers, would never be the same again.
I then re-emerged at the surface of the water and took the aircraft back up to cruising altitude. It was time to move on to our destination.
Just as we reached the appropriate altitude, I received an urgent radio transmission:
The airport you will soon arrive at has been overtaken by terrorists. When you land, you and your passengers will deplane and will be confronted by them. You have no option to divert to another airport. If you do, the missiles that are currently locked on to your aircraft will be launched, and you will all perish. You have no option but to continue according to your original flight path and land.
I then passed that information along to the 1,000 passengers. In a moment, our joyful awe of what we experienced just moments ago shockingly changed to sobriety. We were about to land.
After we did, my two older boys (who at the time were approximately 10 and 12 years old) and I left the plane and entered the terminal.
I expected to see mass chaos, but I did not. Though there were many thousands of people in the terminal's various public areas, it was so quiet that you could hear someone cough from 100 yards away. Fear had gripped everybody. They were scared silent.
Each public area looked the same. People were ordered to line up along the walls by a terrorist who was standing in the middle of the room. The terrorist was dressed fully in black and had a machine gun in his hands.
We were ushered into a room, and as we entered, my oldest son thought he saw someone he knew on the other side of the room. Before I could do anything, he broke away from me, oblivious to what was happening, and ran across the room to see his friend. I knew it was the last time I'd ever hold my son.
I then held my younger son closer than ever as we took our place on the wall.
The terrorist then started addressing people as he walked along the wall. He slowly, methodically moved closer to where we were standing. He then stopped and ordered the man who was standing next to us to move to the center of the room. The terrorist asked this terrified man a question, "Have you ever stolen anything?"
He didn't know how to answer. Should he tell the truth and reveal that, yes, he had stolen something at some point in his life? Would that earn him favor with the terrorist? Or, should he lie and attempt to convince him he was pure and should not be executed?
I knew that it didn't matter how he responded. He was about to take his last breath.
What I saw next was grisly. I shielded my younger son's eyes as the terrorist pulled out a machete and started hacking the victim's fingers, a half an inch at a time. He dismembered this man and was ready to move on to the next—us.
Then I woke up.
What did it mean?
Football. In America, football is one of the enduring symbols of passionate entertainment in today's culture. Of course, there is nothing inherently wrong with watching a football game, but the game's place in my dream was significant. It represented life as usual. I was happily distracted, and nothing else existed on my grid that night.
The sudden shift to the cockpit is key. Vehicles often represent ministry when they occur in dreams. We must, as the remnant church, be ready for a sudden move into critical end-time ministry. We have to be instant in and out of season. Our ears must be attentive to the prophetic voices that are sounding alarms in our nation.
Supernatural power and grace is coming to the true, remnant Church. The 1,000 passengers represented the true church—Christians who were ready to be carried by God and were not doing so for their own enjoyment. The massive airplane and the immeasurable power that it produced was there for a purpose—to carry people into a mission. The coming church will be marked by people, as in the first-century church, who are mission-minded and willing to lay down their lives. They aren't there for the benefits alone.
When the remnant church is in position, the adventure will begin! As in the dream, the first phase will include such glorious, supernatural revelation that we will be forever transformed. Those who are distracted by the offerings of the world will miss out on this remnant call into the shock and the awe of the glory of God! There is a consecration that's required for those who are interested in going into the deep places with God.
The deeper we go, the more power and wonder we will experience.
Joshua 3:1-6 reads, "Then Joshua rose early in the morning and they set out from Shittim. And they came to the Jordan, he and all the people of Israel, and lodged there before they passed over. At the end of three days the officers went through the camp and commanded the people, "As soon as you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God being carried by the Levitical priests, then you shall set out from your place and follow it. Yet there shall be a distance between you and it, about 2,000 cubits in length. Do not come near it, in order that you may know the way you shall go, for you have not passed this way before. Then Joshua said to the people, 'Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you.' And Joshua said to the priests, 'Take up the ark of the covenant and pass on before the people.' So they took up the ark of the covenant and went before the people."
God is raising up captains, leaders who, like Joshua, will call everybody into position. They will lead the remnant church out of typical, deadly desert life across the water and into promise.
The end-time company represented by the 1,000 on the airplane will be those who, as priests of the Lord, will carry the ark of his presence into the mission.
We have never been this way before. It is a mystery—but a mystery well worth the trouble to discover. We must consecrate ourselves on this side of the unknown as we, in faith, get ready to experience the wonders of the Lord!
As we emerge out of revelation of the glory of God, we will be functioning from a place of power and radical transformation. We will then be ready for the troubling warnings of God.
I believe the terrorists in my dream are less symbolic than we might hope. Fear is about to grip our land as the enemy puts his boots on the ground. We must stand firm in the grace of God, even when horrific trouble comes, as it did for me as a father, when in my dream, my older son broke away from my care.
Very troubling times are ahead of us. The enemy's primary weapon will be the spirit of fear. God's primary weapon? The shock and the awe of the glory of God. The coming church will be a church that has gone deep in God together and, my friend, this is the only church that will be able to stand against the wickedness.
Interestingly, I discovered after I had this dream, that it is known that Islamic terrorists will actually chop off the fingers of thieves just as I witnessed in my dream. I had never heard of this before and it was further confirmation that the dream was communication from the Lord and that we must be ready for an assault against his Bride.
"As to the thief, Male or female, cut off his or her hands: a punishment by way of example, from Allah, for their crime: and Allah is Exalted in power." Quran 5:38
Perfect love casts out fear, which is why we know the kingdom of darkness cannot win. This is all the more reason for the church to go deep into God! We need a revelation of Jesus! The coming church will have that revelation of deep, glorious love, and the enemy knows this. This is why he is unleashing a false-love movement that is actually founded on fear.
John Burtonhas been developing and leading ministries for over 20 years and is a sought-after teacher, prophetic messenger and revivalist. He has authored nine books, has appeared on Christian television and radio and directed one of the primary internships at the International House of Prayer (IHOP) in Kansas City.
Additionally, he planted two churches, has initiated two city prayer movements and is currently directing a prayer- and revival-focused ministry school in Detroit called theLab University. John also has a web- and graphic-design business and is continually developing new and exciting ventures. He and his beautiful wife, Amy, have five children and live in the Detroit area. He can be reached via his website at JohnBurton.net.
Though your outcasts are in the outermost parts of heaven, from there I will gather them and bring them to the place that I have chosen, to make my name dwell there.
The inspiring Book of Nehemia describes the return of the exiled Jews to the Land after the destruction of the First Temple. The book is permeated with stories of hope, as well as hardships, of the returnees, together with endless gratitude to God. Over the past 66 years, since the founding of the State of Israel, history is repeating itself, as Jews from Russia, Ethiopia, and elsewhere have all been brought home to Zion. Many more need your help in prayer during these awesome days of closeness with God.
The “Four Corners Prayer Journey” describes the call to Jews and Christians worldwide to join in interceding to help fulfill the biblical prophecy of returning the Jewish nation to the Holy Land.
If the Temple is to come down from heaven miraculously, already built, it is not just the Jews who will bring it down through their prayers and good deeds; all mankind has a share in this. Learn more about the future Temple, may it come soon in peace, in Rabbi Chaim Clorfene’s “The Messianic Temple.”
A panoramic view of the Western Wall by Joe Aminoff. Of all the places for prayer in Jerusalem, the Western Wall sees a diverse cross section of the world each and every day.
It’s great to hear from you and make new friends from all over the world. Please send me an email and let me know how you are enjoying Jerusalem365 (don’t forget to say where you are from!).
"Dear Rabbi Weisz, thank you for your emails. They are a daily inspiration to me and I enjoy ending my day reading about Jerusalem and the Jewish people. ISRAEL IS FOREVER. With love and gratitude. Jazelle F. South Africa"
From South Africa, We love you and pray for your peace !! Elisheva H
While ministering near Oberlin, Ohio on Sunday, September 21, I had the privilege of visiting the grave of Charles Finney. Finney, an attorney turned evangelist, was one of the greatest revivalists that has ever lived.(Photo of Charles Finney via Wikimedia)
In the above verse, Jesus referenced this, adding, "He [Holy Spirit] has anointed Me." Those of us who speak of "mantles" and "anointings" are using Biblical symbolism to describe impartations that empower and equip us for a particular task or function. Sunday, for my assignment to America, I was re-mantled and re-anointed with a fresh impartation of Holy Spirit. (Photo by Jennifer Page Enter In via elijahshopper.comr)
