I lay on the sofa in the afternoon to take a short nap. While I was still awake, but had my eyes closed, I had THIS VISION: I saw a person standing in my hallway, perhaps between my desk in my office and my bookcase. The person was wearing a hooded sweatshirt, only the sweatshirt, with hood, was turned to the side – to the person’s left and to my right. The opening in the hood for the person’s face was thus on the left side of his head so that his face was covered in the front by the right side of the hood. It appeared or looked as though there were other people hidden underneath this sweatshirt and hood so that the sweatshirt had bulges in it from all the people who were hidden underneath or inside. END
Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. I read I Corinthians 1:10-31:
I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought. 11 My brothers, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. 12 What I mean is this: One of you says, “I follow Paul”; another, “I follow Apollos”; another, “I follow Cephas”; still another, “I follow Christ.”
13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized into the name of Paul? 14 I am thankful that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15 so no one can say that you were baptized into my name. 16 (Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I don’t remember if I baptized anyone else.) 17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.
Christ the Wisdom and Power of God
18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written:
“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise;
the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”
20 Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. 22 Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24 but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.
26 Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him. 30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 31 Therefore, as it is written: “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.”
My Understanding: When I read about the missing people in New Zealand, I thought immediately of this vision with people hidden underneath this hooded sweatshirt. Then, I read that, since no one had been rescued alive for 24 hours, the focus from rescue was shifting toward recovery of bodies. Following this I read about one of the rescues. A woman described her rescuer in such a way as to mention that she could see his face right in front of her. This brought to mind the fact that, in this vision, I could not see the face of the person in front of me wearing the hooded sweatshirt, for the face was hidden behind the side of the hood.
Then, the Lord made the connection for me here between this woman’s testimony about her rescuer and this part of the article that mentioned a shift of focus that was to turn from rescue to recovery of the dead. Seeing a face in front of her symbolized rescue but this turning of this hood on the person’s head to where I could not see the face, symbolized this change away from a concentration on rescue to one of recovery of dead bodies. I was still awake (alive), i.e. I was not asleep (dead), and yet I saw no face of rescue, but only one covered by a hood which was turned to the side to face his left and my right.
So, what does this all mean? I think I need to look at what some of these words in this vision mean symbolically. Standing can mean to fight resolutely or give battle; an opinion; attitude; witness; stance, position, outlook or viewpoint on something. A hallway is a passageway. Wear can mean to display, show or present something. Hood is a covering for the head or an engine cover, or it can be a criminal or a gangster (hoodlum). Cover, in this context, seems to fit with “to conceal a feeling, action, or situation by presenting a different appearance or by directing attention elsewhere.” I think this is very significant here. Sweat is “the clear salty liquid that passes to the surface of the skin when somebody is hot or as a result of strenuous activity, fear, anxiety or illness.” If you lose your shirt, you lose everything you have, so a shirt could be symbolic for everything you own, and to own something can mean to take credit for it. Face can be symbolic of our countenance, the outward appearance of something, false appearance (not revealing the true nature; intended to deceive), reputation and/or boldness. Head is usually symbolic of someone in authority over someone or something. The word “under” means: beneath, below, less than and/or subordinate and subject to the control or authority of somebody or something.
So, this person wearing the hooded sweatshirt was strong in his stance and determination to fight resolutely as in battle. He was in process or on the way going from one place to another. He was criminal in his actions, yet he was concealing his true intentions, thoughts and actions, as well as he was hiding his true identity, character and authority (power). He thus, in order to conceal what his true authority (head) and intentions were, shifted the focus of what he was doing onto something else – in another direction away from the direction he was truly still headed. His covered (concealed) face (character) was still aimed forward with full resolve and determination to continue in his course of action.
He was wearing this sweatshirt, i.e. he took full ownership of the strenuous activity in which he was involved, including ownership of the people underneath the sweatshirt. I saw the people underneath as those now under his authority, rule, ownership and possession, but they were under through force, they were under anxiety and fear (sweat), and this, too, was being hidden and covered and was a concealment of the true relationship between this man and these people now under his rule and authority. This relationship was also concealed as far as its true character through directing the attention away from what is truly happening to give an appearance different from the true situation. I believe the Lord is showing me here that this is what is happening here in Christchurch, New Zealand.
The news stories suggest this was a natural disaster (an earthquake) and that the international community has come to help in the rescue efforts, yet I believe the Lord is showing me here that their (the global order’s) true mission is not one of rescue but is a mission of death (like a grim reaper). And the focus is being shifted away from what is truly happening there (and throughout the rest of the world) to make it appear as something other than what it is - a takeover by force to bring the people of New Zealand under the authority and rule of the New World Order – a forced unity via fear and intimidation.
Yet, I also see some symbolism here, which may have been intentional, with the location of the disaster – Christchurch. The Lord has been showing me for some time, and this agrees with the teaching in the book of Revelation – that one of the main missions of the New World Order, besides conquering and ruling the entire world, is the persecuting and eliminating of true believers in and followers (disciples) of Jesus Christ (Christchurch). Yet, I also see another sinister plot in place here and that is this forced union between the church and this New World Order in a manner that has deceived God’s people and has brought them into union with the New World Order so subtly and slyly (hidden) that they have been deceived and don’t even realize themselves what is truly going on.
This passage of scripture is talking about having no divisions within the church and being united in mind and thought as in opposition to quarreling about what man each person or group is following (man’s doctrines, denominations, etc.). This unity does not mean we will all think exactly alike on all points, but we will be united in purpose and direction, and that is to not be followers of men and of man-made religion but to be followers of Christ and to be united with Christ in thought, deed and action. This is not forced unity and it is not a unity that demands oneness of mind with man, which is what is happening in today’s church and is of this New World all-in-one government and religion.
The passage continues by letting us know that man’s wisdom is perishing and that God sees it as foolish, and that we are not to follow the wisdom of this world or man but we are to be followers of Christ and of his wisdom, which is the preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ, i.e. the preaching of the cross (Christ crucified, dead, buried and risen again and us dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus). When we follow man and man’s wisdom, it empties the cross of Christ of its power to radically change lives to the extent that we are no longer captive to or under the control and bondage to sin (like the people under this sweatshirt), but rather we are free to love, worship, serve and obey Jesus Christ and to walk in the light of his love and to fellowship with him because we love him, not because we are forced. The kind of unity underneath this sweatshirt is thus forced (literally or metaphorically), it brings us under bondage to fear, and it controls by intimidation and fear. This is not the kind of unity spoken of in this passage of scripture. The kind of unity God wants is the kind that brings us to the cross and that sets us free from bondage to sin and to man.
So, we should never give way or give a foothold to this kind of intimidation and fear of man to where we come underneath his control and power and authority; to where we are actually united with him in mind and purpose as is pictured in this vision. Rather, we must be those who follow the wisdom of Christ and who follow the way of the cross of Christ and who stand out and who make a difference in this world for Jesus Christ. We must be those who will show our faces (character) and are not afraid to be witnesses for Jesus Christ even if it means that we are killed because we would not bow to the New World Order and unity of mind with man and the control of man over our lives, i.e. this forced unity of mind with man. Instead, we need to stand as bold witnesses for Jesus Christ declaring the truth of the cross of Jesus Christ with full resolve and purpose and direction given to us by our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, under whose authority we live and breathe and have our being.
God Be With You Till We Meet Again / Jeremiah E. Rankin / William G. Tomer
God be with you till we meet again;
By His counsels guide, uphold you,
With His sheep securely fold you;
God be with you till we meet again.
God be with you till we meet again;
Neath His wings protecting hide you;
Daily manna still provide you;
God be with you till we meet again.
God be with you till we meet again;
When life’s perils thick confound you;
Put His arms unfailing round you;
God be with you till we meet again.
God be with you till we meet again;
Ended when for you earth’s story,
Israel’s chariot sweep to glory;
God be with you till we meet again.
Till we meet, till we meet,
Till we meet at Jesus’ feet;
Till we meet, till we meet,
God be with you till we meet again.
Sources: Hymn lyrics: http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/g/b/gbewiyou.htm
I Corinthians 1: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=I%20Corinthians%201&version=NIV1984
NZ earthquake toll at 98 dead, 226 missing - http://apnews.excite.com/article/20110224/D9LJ3M701.html
Dictionary Definitions - http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/features/dictionary/dictionaryhome.aspx
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