I heard a story last week that quickened my heart. It was about a teenager who survived a horrific accident as a child to become endowed with great depth in the Spirit. The boy came to his pastor one day to share a dream he’d had. After hearing about the dream, the pastor told him it was one of the most profound revelations he’d ever heard of the end time battles that Christians will find themselves in.
In his dream, the young man saw a beautiful golden wheat field gleaming in the sunrise, ripe and ready for harvest. As he glanced around, he saw an army gathering and knew that the people were believers. They were anxious to enter the field and had long wished for harvest. In their hands, they held both sickle (sword) and shield. With each firmly in place, the people of God entered the perimeters of the field to gather the harvest.
As they did so, large vultures with massive wing spans swooped in unexpectedly in such numbers to darken the skies. The talons of the birds of prey were ugly and in them were missiles poised like razor sharp arrows. Immediately the birds started to release the missiles upon the people of God. At first, the believers did an amazing job of deflecting the enemy’s missiles. Their shields moved in unity to protect against the arrows that assailed them and the sickles were swift to harvest.
As they moved deeper in to fields however, they started to encounter obstacles they hadn’t seen from the perimeter. There were tares in the wheat that began to wrap themselves around their legs, and stones hidden in the wheat that caused them to stumble. As the unity in focus started to shift to personal difficulties, large gaps began to appear in the covering provided by the shields.
There were some who came into the fields with no shield of their own, but depended upon the shields of others. These were the first to fall prey to the vultures. The young man grieved as he told his pastor about the grandmother trying desperately to protect her grandchildren behind her shield. The teenagers wanted to engage the birds, to play with them. They danced away from the shield, only to be lost and consumed. One by one, the believers fell as the protection of shield and sickle fell in the heat of battle.
Soon, there was left only a remnant that stood together. These believers were protected not only by sickle and shield as they made their way to the end of the field, but they had also clothed themselves with other protective garments: helmet, breastplate, and belt. Weary and battle worn, but standing firm in the defense of the sickle and shield they carried, they gazed up to see a mighty King upon a white horse standing before them!! Right behind Him was the outline of the New Jerusalem!! They rejoiced and began to sing knowing that the battle was forever over!!
It is clear to see and understand most of the symbolism in this story. As believers, one of the first things we see is that the majority of the army was not equipped with the whole armor of God. They went into battle unprepared. And then of course, the vultures seem to represent the internal battle we all face with our own carnal, fleshly nature and the Holy Spirit residing in us who calls for obedience. The sin of the world around us calls us to come and play with subtle suggestions that hide the end result of the consequences: death. The enemy has no loyalty to the deceived. When he is finished with them, they are consumed. The missiles present a clear picture of an enemy who seeks to kill, steal and destroy.
The tares and the stones are explained by Jesus in the parables in Matthew 13. The saddest part of the story is that the victory was within reach for the army as they worked in unity, protected by the shield of faith. Yet because the enemy-planted tares and troubles of the world shifted the focus to their own trouble and away from God, they left themselves open to the enemy’s arrows. Only a remnant remained to see the glory of the New Jerusalem!!
What about us? Do we clothe ourselves in the whole armor of God? Do we play with the enemy? Do we really understand the consequences of sin? In the hidden places of our hearts, are we sifted and tossed about when the cares of the world bring trouble to our fields? Do we desire to be among the remnant? Do we really (I mean really) believe what we say we believe? Do we accept the Bible in its entirety or do we pick and choose? Do we even know what the word of God says or are we dependent upon someone else for access to God, upon someone else’s accountability? If the bridegroom were to come tomorrow, would we be ready?
There is a shaking taking place. Is the Lord calling us to get our houses in order? Whether death itself visits us unexpectedly or the Lord raptures us and calls us to await the wedding feast, Scripture says: For it is written: “As I live, says the LORD, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God.” So then each of us shall give account of himself to God. Romans 14:11-12. What will our account be?
In his dream, the young man saw a beautiful golden wheat field gleaming in the sunrise, ripe and ready for harvest. As he glanced around, he saw an army gathering and knew that the people were believers. They were anxious to enter the field and had long wished for harvest. In their hands, they held both sickle (sword) and shield. With each firmly in place, the people of God entered the perimeters of the field to gather the harvest.
As they did so, large vultures with massive wing spans swooped in unexpectedly in such numbers to darken the skies. The talons of the birds of prey were ugly and in them were missiles poised like razor sharp arrows. Immediately the birds started to release the missiles upon the people of God. At first, the believers did an amazing job of deflecting the enemy’s missiles. Their shields moved in unity to protect against the arrows that assailed them and the sickles were swift to harvest.
As they moved deeper in to fields however, they started to encounter obstacles they hadn’t seen from the perimeter. There were tares in the wheat that began to wrap themselves around their legs, and stones hidden in the wheat that caused them to stumble. As the unity in focus started to shift to personal difficulties, large gaps began to appear in the covering provided by the shields.
There were some who came into the fields with no shield of their own, but depended upon the shields of others. These were the first to fall prey to the vultures. The young man grieved as he told his pastor about the grandmother trying desperately to protect her grandchildren behind her shield. The teenagers wanted to engage the birds, to play with them. They danced away from the shield, only to be lost and consumed. One by one, the believers fell as the protection of shield and sickle fell in the heat of battle.
Soon, there was left only a remnant that stood together. These believers were protected not only by sickle and shield as they made their way to the end of the field, but they had also clothed themselves with other protective garments: helmet, breastplate, and belt. Weary and battle worn, but standing firm in the defense of the sickle and shield they carried, they gazed up to see a mighty King upon a white horse standing before them!! Right behind Him was the outline of the New Jerusalem!! They rejoiced and began to sing knowing that the battle was forever over!!
It is clear to see and understand most of the symbolism in this story. As believers, one of the first things we see is that the majority of the army was not equipped with the whole armor of God. They went into battle unprepared. And then of course, the vultures seem to represent the internal battle we all face with our own carnal, fleshly nature and the Holy Spirit residing in us who calls for obedience. The sin of the world around us calls us to come and play with subtle suggestions that hide the end result of the consequences: death. The enemy has no loyalty to the deceived. When he is finished with them, they are consumed. The missiles present a clear picture of an enemy who seeks to kill, steal and destroy.
The tares and the stones are explained by Jesus in the parables in Matthew 13. The saddest part of the story is that the victory was within reach for the army as they worked in unity, protected by the shield of faith. Yet because the enemy-planted tares and troubles of the world shifted the focus to their own trouble and away from God, they left themselves open to the enemy’s arrows. Only a remnant remained to see the glory of the New Jerusalem!!
What about us? Do we clothe ourselves in the whole armor of God? Do we play with the enemy? Do we really understand the consequences of sin? In the hidden places of our hearts, are we sifted and tossed about when the cares of the world bring trouble to our fields? Do we desire to be among the remnant? Do we really (I mean really) believe what we say we believe? Do we accept the Bible in its entirety or do we pick and choose? Do we even know what the word of God says or are we dependent upon someone else for access to God, upon someone else’s accountability? If the bridegroom were to come tomorrow, would we be ready?
There is a shaking taking place. Is the Lord calling us to get our houses in order? Whether death itself visits us unexpectedly or the Lord raptures us and calls us to await the wedding feast, Scripture says: For it is written: “As I live, says the LORD, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God.” So then each of us shall give account of himself to God. Romans 14:11-12. What will our account be?
1 comment:
I do not believe that the Church has any clue about the dangers of spiritual warfare and the cunning strategies of the evil one. Most of the Church is running around on fire, but 'who's' fire? I believe the better way of saying this is; most of the Church is on fire, with the flames of wickedness. How many brothers & sisters have no clue what the Scriptures say and become swayed by 'Christian' sounding words that have no foundation in Scripture, then can't figure out what happened when the evil one spring's the trap! They fall away because God 'let them down' or 'maybe He really isn't real' etc...spiritual warfare.
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