Almost exactly two years ago, I attended a seminar about the prophetic and apostolic in Toronto, Canada. It was held in the Toronto Airport Christian Fellowship, the internationally renowned ex-Vineyard church led by John and Carol Arnott. Starting in 1994, millions of people gathered there to experience "the Toronto blessing". Up to 5,000 people attended the almost daily evening services. Observers spoke of one of the longest-lasting revivals in history, and when I wrote a Friday Fax report in 1999, they had just celebrated the 3 millionth visitor.
On this November evening in 2003, I sat in the empty hall, waiting for the seminar to begin in one of the upper rooms. (The seminar was only held there for logistical reasons.) A question started to nag at me as I watched the church's musicians routinely setting up their instruments for the evening service, to which only 20 people showed up, lost in the large hall. Where did all those millions of people go? And where did God go? So I asked him. "How do you see what happened here, God, and why it stopped? What does the church scene look like from your perspective?"
Over the next few minutes, I experienced that which prophetically-inclined people would call an 'open vision': not only did I see a film in my Spirit, but felt myself a participant, in the midst of the film. For many, this may be an astonishing new perspective on how God is moving right now:
The three booths
I saw a long line of newly-saved people entering the Kingdom of God. Everything was new for them, so there were three booths set up for them to pass through. At the first booth, they would sign up for God's army and pledge total loyalty to God. From then on, they were under orders, no longer their own, and were given a uniform and boots. At the second booth, they were given a sword, and at the third, a scythe - a harvesting tool. Astonishingly, only around one in a thousand of the new arrivals even went to the first booth; almost everyone went to the second stand, and almost everyone also ignored the third stand. Almost nobody went to all three stands, as God explicitly intended.
The Irregulars
Everyone hurried directly to a huge plain full of people and activity. Under an enormous dust cloud thrown up by the many feet, small groups quickly formed and were joined by the new arrivals. These countless groups made themselves banners, flags and uniforms decorated with very creative logos and emblems. It was an incredible colourful confusion of thousands of small militia. In other words, an irregular army. The chaos was complete; some blew for attack, others for retreat. Some acted out bizarre rituals, others sat around the camp fire laughing. Some practised sword fighting, others gathered their weapons and spoke of peace. Some of the groups even attacked each other. It was a scene of hectic activity, but without any recognisable order. Generals cooked, cooks were pilots, pilots dug trenches. I was horrified, and saw clearly that this army would never win any battle. Everyone was terribly busy, but all the zealous action came to nothing in the long term.
The Angels
Suddenly someone shouted "The Angels of God are coming!" They were right: some way off, I could make out a huge number of God's white warriors; powerful, almost larger-than-life angels. The people broke out in an ear-shattering shout and cheer, "Hallelujah, the angels are coming. At last, it's about to begin!" The cheering was indescribable. But the excitement slowly faded, and the shouts of 'hallelujah' died out. Finally, silence descended. Then I looked at the angels more carefully. Standing close together, they looked like a police cordon in front of a crowd of hooligans, with set, sad faces. Step by step the white phalanx slowly approached the motley crowd. Consternation spread, and some of the banners began to retreat. Pale-faced, the people stumbled backwards, shocked and unable to comprehend what was happening. In their shock, some even lost their swords and pennants. The mass of people were driven back into a large valley without exits as the rows of angels slowly but deliberately advanced. The people were finally trapped in the valley like sheep. Some began to cry, others called out to God for mercy, yet others called for help. Most were simply silent.
Continued...
