I placed an oak leaf in a book to press it.
This fall it is as if the earth is on fire—and I am not just thinking of multicoloured leaves in red, orange and yellow. This autumn follows an unprecedented record number of forest fires in British Columbia. This September was the hottest one on record. This scenario is akin to watching something I love die. As much as we would like the earth to live on, and ourselves to live with it, we are faced with more and more evidence that climate change and global warming are just fancy names for “The Time of the End.” What is this time, and what is my place in it? This is the question we must ask ourselves as residents of earth, and citizens of heaven.
Ever since I was a child I had a sense that I would be chosen to live in “The Time of the End.” My parents read us stories every night about missionaries in far away countries, but they also read us the Bible nightly. I was conditioned to recognize that I would not be here forever, that I was to live as if my real home was heaven. Even the last book of the Bible, Revelation, by the Apostle John found its way into our children’s literature in form of Hal Lindsey comics. These children’s renditions of his apocalyptic books blared that the end was coming. One of his most popular books is The Late Great Planet Earth, which was published in 1970 and became a bestseller. It’s a treatment of literalist, premillennial, dispensational eschatology that compares prophecies in the Bible with modern events.
“The Late Great Planet Earth . . .compared end-time prophecies in the Bible with then-current events in an attempt to predict future scenarios resulting in the rapture of believers before the tribulation and Second Coming of Jesus to establish his thousand-year (i.e. millennial) kingdom on Earth. Emphasizing various passages in the books of Daniel, Ezekiel and Revelation, Lindsey originally suggested the possibility that these climactic events might occur during the 1980s, which he interpreted as one generation from the foundation of modern Israel during 1948, a major event according to some conservative evangelical schools of eschatological thought. Cover art of the Bantam edition suggested that the 1970s were the "era of the Antichrist as foretold by Moses and Jesus," and termed the book "a penetrating look at incredible ancient prophecies involving this generation." Descriptions of alleged "fulfilled" prophecy were offered as proof of the infallibility of God's word, and evidence that "unfulfilled" prophecies would soon find their denouement in God's plan for the planet.
“He cited an increase in the frequency of famines, wars and earthquakes, as major events just prior to the end of the world. He also foretold a Soviet invasion of Israel (War of Gog and Magog). Lindsey also predicted that the European Economic Community, which preceded the European Union, was destined (according to Biblical prophecy) to become a "United States of Europe", which in turn he says is destined to become a "Revived Roman Empire" ruled by the Antichrist. Lindsey wrote that he had concluded, since there was no apparent mention of America in the books of Daniel or Revelation, that America would not be a major geopolitical power by the time the tribulations of the end times arrived. He found little in the Bible that could represent the U.S., but he suggested that Ezekiel 38:13 could be speaking of the U.S. in part.
“Although Lindsey did not claim to know the dates of future events with any certainty, he suggested that Matthew 24:32-34 indicated that Jesus' return might be within "one generation" of the rebirth of the state of Israel, and the rebuilding of the Jewish Temple, and Lindsey asserted that "in the Bible" one generation is forty years. Some readers accepted this as an indication that the Tribulation or the Rapture would occur no later than 1988. In his 1980 work The 1980s: Countdown to Armageddon, Lindsey predicted that "the decade of the 1980s could very well be the last decade of history as we know it".
“The Late Great Planet Earth was the first Christian prophecy book to be published by a secular publisher (Bantam, 1973) and sell many copies. 28 million copies had sold by 1990." (1)
It was in this troubling world of prophecy and arena of predictions that I was dunked. No more just fantasies of fairies, I was waiting for the world to end, and I would watch it. Believe it or not, thanks to Hal Lindsey, I spent my life watching for an army to come out of the Orient numbering 200 million. After all, Hal Lindsay’s books indicated that the Book of Revelation predicted it. I imagined them amassing a secret army behind closed doors. If I have ever seen a war with that many people fighting an enemy it would be Covid, and ironically it originated in China.
Now I have a few trusted prophets, believe me, I have dwindled that number down to a trusted few after living in what became a septic system of bad prophetic words and visions, nightmares, and horror. The most frequent and most trusted prophet I have is my prophet of the day, Prophet Russ Walden. You can see a sample of what he has said to me over the years here:
Prophetic word given Sept 21, 2017 from Russ Walden, Father’s Heart Ministry
"The Father says today, I have not forgotten. I have not forgotten your determination to serve and please Me. I watch you and I am closer than your very breath. I am not a distant God who observes from afar but I am intimately acquainted with you beloved. I know what was said and how you were treated. Even as I was with Joseph in the times of slander and accusation and false imprisonment, I am also with you. He left his reputation in My hands and continued to trust Me and I bestowed much honor upon him in his day. I am going to bring you out intact and all the attacks against your honor, your integrity and your reputation will be dealt with swiftly as you pray for those who despitefully use you and persecute you.
"Be kind in response, and let My kindness flow through you as it is My kindness that leads men to repentance. I will move you out of the situation and circumstance. It will be soon. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. When I speak honor over My children, who can speak against it? None can. So, rest in My proclamation over your life. You are the head and not the tail. You are the beloved. You are worth so much, I gave up My greatest treasure in all of the universe, Jesus. The honor I give Him I give you because you belong to us. You are ours. The harm intended by the enemy will not prevail and the strength of his plan is brought to nothing even this moment, says the Father."
Sept 22, 2017
"The Father says today, you have cried out to Me for My glory. You have cried out and said I will not move another step unless Your glory and Your presence go with me. But you already have My glory beloved. You have My glory and power and presence. You need not just hope for it because it is already on the inside of you. It is Christ in you, the Hope of Glory. You have a limitless account and access to the substance of My glory. The substance of My glory contains the dunamis of resurrection power and unending supply. Have I not said I will provide for all your needs according to My riches in glory in Christ Jesus? It is not according to your riches but according to My riches.
"What is it you have need of? Reach into the substance of My glory to obtain it. My healing is there. My provision is there. My help is there. My deliverance is there. My favor is there. My coffers will never be empty and the vaults of My treasury are overflowing with immeasurable supply. My provision is accessed by those with grateful hearts and they enter in with thanksgiving and praise to the inner courts of the treasuries of heaven. The substance of My glory breaks open the windows of heaven and pours out from within where My glory resides. Wait for it. Wait for My glory to be manifest. Wait for the weight, for the heaviness of My glory will fill you and cover you. You will know and recognize and embrace the glory, and reach into that very substance to obtain what you need in this hour to turn every situation and every circumstance to your favor and your benefit, says the Father."
Fast forward to September 10, 2023 . . . he is still prophesying daily.
"The Father says today I am the God who never planted anything in a row. I take delight in surprising you with what I have in store. It brings honor to Me when I conceal things for you to discover, just as it brings honor to kings when they uncover hidden treasures. You hold a special position in My heart as both a king and a priest unto Me. Though you are a servant of Christ, know that you have the authority and power to overcome the enemy's schemes. Know this, my child, I am breaking any false authority that seeks to hold you back. Those who have told you that you have no choice are mistaken, for where humans restrict you, I am waiting there for you. I call upon you not to wait for My glory but to actively walk in it. My glory resides within you, yearning to burst forth. Embrace this divine birthing process and let it shine through you. As you enter a room, declare within yourself, "I release the glory here." You will witness inexplicable and remarkable events unfold before your eyes."
September 25, 2023
"The Father says today, My Spirit is moving in your situation to shed light on the deceptions that the enemy has sought to weave into your life. I am bringing forth in glaring illumination the secrets that have been hidden in darkness and ensuring that they are proclaimed loudly, resonating from the very depths of your being. The enemy's strategy is to entangle you in disappointment and overwhelm you with frustration. However, I implore you to redirect your focus away from people and circumstances, fixing your gaze firmly upon me, your loving Father. It is inevitable that people will let you down, and situations may bring forth frustration, but I urge you not to place your trust solely in human strength. Instead, trust in the Word that I have planted deep within your heart. My love for you is unwavering; I will never forsake you or disregard your pleas for help. My beloved child, do you truly trust me? If you do, then allow me to step in and take control of every aspect of your life. I will guide you from where you currently are to a place of victory and abundant blessings. The promises I have made in your life are the very catalyst for the breakthrough you yearn for. In this journey, it is crucial that you do not invest your energy or initiative into anything or anyone that contradicts the promises I have spoken over your life.
"The enemy seeks to isolate you, to cut you off from the vital resources that will lead you on the path to breakthrough. Therefore, I encourage you, dear one, to test the spirits around you. True discernment is not fueled by suspicion or doubt masked as religious behavior. Rather, it is rooted in love, which casts out all fear. It is a perfect love that is unconditional and brings rest to your weary soul. Enter into the rest that I have lovingly prepared for you. As part of this process, it is important to forgive those whom you hold anger against. Release those you have unjustly judged in your thoughts. Remember, dear one, that all humanity is prone to evil, and wickedness can manifest in every action. However, I offer you cleansing and redemption at the foot of the cross. There, I will set you free and bring you to a place of renewed and vibrant purification. Let go of the need to be right and release the demand for justice that does not align with the principles of my kingdom. Surrender these burdens to me, and I will bear them for you. I am here for you, ready to expose the deceptions of the enemy and lead you into a life of victory and blessings. Trust in me, lean on me, and allow me to guide you through every step of your journey. Embrace the rest and freedom that come from forgiving others and surrendering your burdens at the cross. Together, we will overcome the enemy's schemes and walk in the fullness of the life I have prepared for you."
Thank you Russ, today I am thankful for your faithfulness to deliver a timely prophetic word. When I was only ten years old, I penned my own book titled "The Enemy's Schemes." It was written out on longhand, for those of you who would be interested in my childhood pursuit of the Lord.
Happy Thanksgiving!
References:
"The Late Great Planet Earth" Wikipedia. Verbatim . https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Late_Great_Planet_Earth
