於2011-08-21發佈

關乎我們時代的一個異象

還記得先知性的三大層面:1)啟示,2)詮釋,3)應用。為了協助說明這些層面,我會講述一些個人故事,以及我所見證的他人故事。我先以廿四年前的啟示開始談起,如今卻變得非常切題。

1987年,我有二天半的先知性經歷,神讓我看見未來重大事件的影像。在此經歷中我所看見的最大事件,就是史上從未有過的靈魂進入神的國度。這是一連兩波的靈魂大收割,第一波大到許多人相信是耶穌說的末日大收割。然而,第一波只是為了聚集第二波的工人,而第二波則是神在全地更大的工作。我認為第一波已經來到,現在我們正在為第二波預備。

除了此影像式異象外,還有許多其他重大事件會發生,有些我只看見一部份,有些我則看得非常明確。有些太過極端與怪異,連我自己都很難相信,也很難怪別人不相信。沒想到此收割的異象幾乎廣為接受,視其為從主來的信息。

我將裡面的摘要寄給二百個人,這基本上是我寄聖誕賀卡的名單,信件立刻被接收、影印、重印,傳送速度之快,有些人說可能在一個月內傳到世界每個國家。這是在網際網路和電子郵件之前的年代;一些人說這可能是最廣泛散佈的先知性話語。

出乎我意料之外,幾乎每個人都接受此話語,需求量大到我花了一年時間寫下整個異象的細節。後來出版了『收割異象』(The Harvest)一書,很快這本書就成為暢銷書,二十多年來仍繼續成為最佳暢銷書。當我再次閱讀二十週年紀念版,我驚嘆裡面有許多我看見的異象如今已發生。現在讀起來比較像是一本歷史書,而非預言書,但你可以從所揭露的時間看見我們在哪裡,我們將往哪裡去。

其中一個我在1987年看見並記下來的事件是在日本有大地震,接著是美國西岸連環地震,這些都與全世界經濟溶解綁在一起。沒有人想要聽到此,包括我自己,但這些即將要發生。當然,問題是:我們該如何防範呢?

毫無疑問,這些話呈現出住在西岸基督徒所面臨的重大問題。另外兩位先知性朋友也看見重大事件與剛過的日本大地震,還有將臨到美國西岸的災難息息相關。他們在幾年前就開始告訴住在西岸的人搬家,我相信他們所做的是出於神。

我詢問主當人們問我應該留下還是搬走,我該怎麼回覆,主說告訴他們留下,除非他們聽見祂要他們搬走。但在日本大地震之後,我需要改變說法要他們搬走,除非他們聽見主說要他們留下。此帶出一些重要議題,但這些時候非常重要,我們必須快速成長,為將要揭開之事預備。

首先,我對於許多在西岸的人對此反應如此負面並不感到意外。倘若我住在那裡,或在那裡建造教會或事工,我的反應可能也會一樣。這會影響到成千上萬的生命,一個好牧者一定會對這樣的預言發出疑問。這是非常嚴肅的事,我從未隨意說出這樣的話。我相信那些回應的人也不是隨意說說。

當然,我考慮到這會影響到許多生命,但我知道此話語是千真萬確的,我所想到的是可以救多少生命。進退兩難的是我必須禱告此災難盡可能的延後,聽見的人並不多,預備的人更少。我裡面有一個為西岸超自然的憂傷,我從未領受一個先知性話語像此一樣,我盼望並禱告不會發生。我知道那天會臨到,那會是我生命中最糟的一天,也會是我們國家歷史上最糟的一天。

多年來我一直禱告若有任何方式可以避免,而我認為主已經用延後許久來回應祂子民的禱告。主總是渴望顯出祂的憐憫勝過審判,但到了一個時間審判是無法避免的。我們已經跨越此無路可退的境界,更大的災難即將來到西岸。強度仍可以減弱,災害也可能減少,但仍會發生。我鼓勵我所認識的人更多禱告來預備,使得災害可以降低,主在審判時能以憐憫為念。

現在的大問題是:會在什麼時候臨到?哪裡是安全的地方?我們要如何準備?另一個重要問題是:為何不能全然停止?我們會在未來幾週盡所能的來回覆這些問題。

(摘自 喬納 word for the week, Week 31, 2011)


The Prophetic Experiences, Part 8
A Vision For Our Time
Week 31, 2011   

Remember that the three aspects of the prophetic are the following: 1) revelation, 2) interpretation, and 3) application. To help illustrate these, I will relate some personal stories as well as other peoples’ stories that I personally witnessed. I will start with one that reaches back 24 years but is becoming relevant today. 

In 1987, I had a 2 ½ day prophetic experience in which I was shown a panorama of major events unfolding. The greatest event that I saw in this experience was a major ingathering of people into the kingdom that eclipsed anything that had yet happened in history. This ingathering came in two waves. The first was so big that many believed it was the harvest that Jesus said would be the end of the age. However, that first wave was only the gathering of the laborers for the second, much greater move of God all over the earth. Since then, I think the first wave has come, and we are now preparing for the next one.

Included in this panoramic vision were many other major events that would take place, some of which I only saw in part and some that I saw very specifically. Some of these events were so extreme and bizarre that I had trouble believing them myself and did not blame anyone else who had trouble with them. To my surprise, this Vision of the Harvest was almost universally accepted as a message from God. 

The brief summary I wrote, which I sent to the then 200 people on my mailing list, which was basically my Christmas card list at the time, was instantly picked up, copied, reprinted, and distributed so fast that some said that it had gone to possibly every nation on earth within 30 days. This was before the Internet or email. Some said that it may have been the most widely distributed prophetic word ever. 

To my surprise, just about everyone accepted it without challenge. There was so much demand for it that I took about a year to write in detail the entire vision. When this was published as The Harvest, it quickly became a bestseller, and more than two decades later, it continues to be a top seller. When I was reading it again for the 20th anniversary edition, I was honestly surprised by how much of what I had seen had already happened. It now reads more like a history book than a prophecy, but you can see in it an unfolding timeline that shows where we are and where we are going. 

One of the events I saw and recorded in the 1987 vision was a major earthquake in Japan, followed by a series of earthquakes on the U.S. West Coast. These were all tied to a worldwide economic meltdown. Almost no one wants to hear this, including me, but these are imminent. Of course, the big question: What should we do to be prepared for them?

No doubt these words present major problems for Christians living on the West Coast. Two other prophetic friends who have good track records accurately foreseeing major events had seen the same link between the coming (now past) Japanese quake and what was coming to our West Coast. They began to tell people years ago to start moving away from the West Coast. I trust that they were doing what they were told to do. 

When I inquired of the Lord about what I should say when people asked me whether they should stay or move, I was told to tell them to stay unless they heard from Him to move, but after the Japanese quake I needed to change that to move unless they had heard from the Lord to stay. 

This brings up some important issues, but these are very important times, and we will have to grow up fast to be prepared for all that is unfolding.

First, I was not surprised that many on the West Coast would react negatively to this. If I were living there, or had built a church or ministry there, I probably would have reacted the same way. There are thousands of lives this can affect, and no shepherd would be a good shepherd who did not question this. This is serious business, and I would never lightly give such a word. I trust that those who reacted did not do so lightly either. 

Of course, I considered how this could affect so many lives, but I know this word is true, and I’m thinking about the lives that can be saved. No doubt I will look like a foolish or bad person until the day this begins to happen. The dilemma is that I have to pray for this to be delayed as long as possible. Few are hearing, and few are preparing. I have had something like a supernatural grief building in me for the West Coast. I have never given a prophetic word that I hoped and prayed would not come to pass like this one. I know the day it happens, it will be the worst day of my life, and one of the worst in our nation’s history. 

For years, I’ve prayed for it to be avoided if there was any way, and I think the Lord has long delayed this in answer to the prayers of His people. The Lord would always desire to show mercy over judgment, but there comes a time when judgment is inevitable. We have crossed this Rubicon. Great disaster is coming to our West Coast. It can still be reduced in intensity, and much of the devastation reduced, but it is now coming. I’m encouraging everyone I know to pray for more time to get ready, that the devastation would be reduced, and that the Lord would show mercy in His judgments.

The big questions now are: What is the timing? Where are the safe places? How can we prepare? Another important question is: Why can’t it be stopped altogether? We will attempt to answer these as we can over the next few weeks.