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Prophetic word for today

Katrina is hard on Big Easy (Part 8)

First posted: November 15, 2005

Word received: August-November 2005

Received by: Shamah-Elim Bible Studies

 

This is a continuation of the words on hurricane Katrina posted earlier...

 

 

This is the prophetic interpretation of these events:

Individual thinkers

As we have been studying in previous words, the Lord laid down a powerful prophetic word for the Cushites (i.e.- black people) in Isaiah chapter 18. The beginning and the end of this chapter are very similar. Here are the "retranslations" of these verses that we studied earlier (the King James translation is very poor):

 

"1Woe to the land shadowing with wings, which is beyond the rivers of Ethiopia: 2That sendeth ambassadors by the sea, even in vessels of bulrushes upon the waters, saying, Go, ye swift messengers, to a nation tall and shiny, to a people feared throughout ; a nation mighty and downtreading, whose land the rivers have cleaved!" (Isaiah 18:2)

 

"In that time shall the present be brought unto the LORD of hosts of a people tall and shiny, and from a people feared throughout; a nation mighty and downtreading, whose land the rivers have cleaved, to the place of the name of the LORD of hosts, the mount Zion." (Isaiah 18:7)

 

The wording of verses 2 and 7 are almost identical, but a closer look reveals that there is a "small" difference: while verse 2 speaks of a "nation" tall and shiny, verse 7 speaks of a "people" tall and shiny. To understand the spiritual reason behind this difference, we must look at the 3 characteristics that the Lord attributes to the Cushites:

 

Characteristic Verse 2 Verse 7
Tall and shiny Nation People
Feared throughout People People
Mighty and downtreading Nation Nation

 

Notice that the first characteristic is physical in nature ("tallness" and a "shiny skin"). The second characteristic is emotional in nature ("fear" is an emotional reaction). The third characteristic is more spiritual in its nature ("might" and the ability to "downtread" are internal characteristics inherent in the individual). This means that we can relate each characteristic to the 3 components of the human being (body, soul, and spirit -- 1 Thessalonians 5:23). Based on what we have studied before, we can now relate each characteristic to the 3 components of the soul and to the 3 "male" ministries:

 

Characteristic Verse 2 Verse 7 Type of characteristic Human component Soul component "Male" ministry
Tall and shiny Nation People Physical Body Mind Apostle
Feared throughout People People Emotional Soul Emotions Prophet
Mighty and downtreading Nation Nation Spiritual Spirit Heart Evangelist

 

As we have studied before, Cushites have a strong "prophetic" and "evangelistic" impartation from the Lord. Notice that the characteristics related to these 2 ministries (prophet and evangelist) are left the same in both verse 2 and 7. Only the characteristic related to the "mind" and to the "apostolic" ministry is changed. When God is declaring a "woe" against the Cushites in verse 2, the word used is "nation"; on the contrary, when God is declaring a restoration prophecy for the Cushites in verse 7, the word used is "people". To understand why, we must first understand the spiritual connotation of the words "nation" and "people".

 

As we have studied before, "nations" revolve around learned traditions passed down from generation to generation. This means that "nations" revolve around a common ethos. Therefore, the word "nation" is "collective" in its nature. In other words, it emphasizes the conformity of each individual to the traditions and values accepted by the rest of the group. The word "people", however, has a different connotation, as shown by the following passage:

 

"16And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 17Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, 18And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty." (2 Corinthians 6:16-18)

 

Notice how the Lord calls us to "come out from among them" and "be separate" (v17), which means that we are to reject the standard paradigms accepted by others. Therefore, God is calling us to assert our individuality in the midst of the misguided understanding of others. When we do that, He will be our God, and we shall be "His people" (v16). From this, we can conclude that the word "people" speaks of a group of individuals who have independently come to agree on a common set of principles. Each individual is bound to these independent principles, and not to the principles accepted by others.

 

Therefore, when God changed the word "nation" to "people" between verses 2 and 7, He was declaring that He would restore Cushites by turning them from a nation with a collective mind into a people with individual minds. Because of their prophetic impartation, Cushites are prone to moving in "emotional streams", which makes them susceptible to making judgments based on "collective emotion" rather than "individual thought". When that happens, Cushites get swept away by Canaanite trends that condemn individual judgment. When people are not allowed to think individually, they judge something to be "true" when it is believed by the rest of the group. Instead of being an independent entity, truth becomes bound to the opinion of others, and, when that happens, people lose their spiritual independence. God will break the spirit of collective thinking among Cushites, and He will raise up a Cushite people of individual thinkers who will not be afraid to seek after truth on their own. Cushites will be endowed with a strong impartation of apostolic judgments, and their prophetic and evangelistic grace will operate over a foundation of righteousness and judgments.

 

As we have said before, the red-horse anointing begets spiritual salmon that swim against the currents of man. These "begotten salmon" are teacher-apostles who use their individual minds to seek after a truth that does not depend on the opinion of others. This is the reason why God speaks of "Cush begetting Nimrod":

 

"7And the sons of Cush; Seba, and Havilah, and Sabtah, and Raamah, and Sabtecha: and the sons of Raamah; Sheba, and Dedan. 8And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth. 9He was a mighty hunter before the LORD: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the LORD." (Genesis 10:7-9)

 

Notice that Nimrod's name is mentioned separately from all the other descendants of Cush. In these latter days, the Lord will raise up "Nimrods" who will not be afraid to think differently from the rest of the Cushites. Through these Nimrods, God will throw a red right-hook against Cushite unrighteousness, and the Cushite people will be restored.

 

The red mark of courage

Many of the New Orleans evacuees from the Katrina disaster were forced to take refuge in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, a city to the west of New Orleans. The name "Baton Rouge" literally means "Red stick" or "Red staff" in French. Therefore, it speaks of the people of New Orleans being forced to heed the red-horse shout that they had ignored before. To heed the red-horse shout requires the willingness to think differently from others and to challenge their misguided judgments. It means the willingness to go out into the lonely wilderness of black-horse scarcity where you look to God and God alone to verify what is true and what isn't. God is calling black America (and Cushites in general) to heed His red-horse shout. This is why He forced much of the mostly-black population of New Orleans to take refuge in Baton Rouge.

 

As rescuers searched through the flooded homes of New Orleans, they would leave a red mark on each house to indicate how many people remained inside the house. Many people refused to leave their homes, even in the midst of all the flooding. This reveals how many people (in black America and in the Church) are unwilling to heed the red-horse call to separate themselves from others, even in the midst of God's harsh judgments against them. It takes courage to separate yourself from cultural roots, and many people refuse to muster the necessary courage to be free from those roots, choosing instead to remain dependent on human structures that have no spiritual future. Even when the roof is caving in on them, some people refuse to leave what they have grown to know as "home".

 

"15And when the morning arose, then the angels hastened Lot, saying, Arise, take thy wife, and thy two daughters, which are here; lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city. 16And while he lingered, the men laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hand of his two daughters; the LORD being merciful unto him: and they brought him forth, and set him without the city." (Genesis 19:15-16)

[Notice how Lot "lingered" (v16), even when he knew that the city was about to be destroyed. This reveal man's tendency to delay the inevitable. For man, it is sometimes difficult to let go!]

 

Southern Cain

Just as Katrina revealed a spiritual message for black America, it also revealed a spiritual message for the American South. Besides devastating the state of Louisiana, Katrina also devastated nearby Mississippi and Alabama. To understand why God did this, we have to peer into the spiritual nature of the American South.

 

The U.S.'s South is a land where traditions are revered, which reveals its "teacher" impartation. It is also a place where laws are emphasized and enforced, which reveals its "apostolic judgment" impartation. Because of this, the "Bible-Belt" South has turned into a bastion of "traditional Christianity" where "churchgoing" and "reading the Bible" are promoted as part of the "Southern tradition".

 

Both the teacher and the apostle ministries are mind-oriented. Therefore, when teachers and apostles go astray from God's purposes, they turn into Girgashite teachers and Jebusite apostles who are focused on what is visible to their natural mind. This in turn leads to a great deal of external religiosity that does not deal with the hidden things of the heart.

 

"23Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. 24Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel. 25Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. 26Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also. 27Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness. 28Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity." (Matthew 23:23-28)

 

In the passage above, the Lord speaks against two groups of people: scribes and Pharisees. The scribes of ancient times were the "Xerox" machines of their days. They dedicated themselves to the manual copying of Scriptural manuscripts, which led to them memorizing the Scriptures forwards and backwards. They were "Girgashite warehouses" of literal Bible knowledge. They could have won any Jeopardy game show based on Bible trivia, but they did not understand the spiritual meaning of the passages they recited so well.

 

The Pharisees, on the other hand, were the "enforcers" of the religious laws of their day. They were the "religion police" that roamed the streets, making sure that all the Jews abided by every code in their religious book. This means that the Pharisees had a strong Jebusite influence on them. They did not hesitate to slap and humiliate anyone who failed to live up to their religious "high" standards. Therefore, Jesus' indictment against the scribes and the Pharisees in the passage above is an indictment against Girgashite teachers and Jebusite apostles who care more about external regulations than about internal transformation. The Church is unfortunately full of such people, and the American South has also been plagued by them.

 

External rules and regulations can be easily mastered through mundane repetition. Therefore, they generally give people a false sense of "moral mastery". As people become adept at following these rules, self-righteous pride slowly creeps in. This means that a place full of Girgashite teachers and Jebusite apostles invites the manifestation of Amorite pride, which leads to spiritual Cains who stubbornly stick to their ways because they are too proud to admit their mistakes. And, wherever Cains arise, the murder of young, red-horse Abels inevitably follows. This is the reason why KKK murderers were prevalent in the South. These vicious racists did not hesitate to kill innocent people in the name of "tradition" and "religion". Mississippi, the state hardest hit by Katrina after Louisiana, is "famous" for the murder of 3 young civil rights activists in the 1960s, and Alabama, the other state hard-hit by Katrina, is famous for its very violent opposition of the civil rights movement during that same decade.

 

The name "Mississippi" has 11 letters, and, as we have said before, the number "11" is spiritually related to judgments. Therefore, it is related to the apostolic ministry, which can get distorted into the Jebusite spirit. The name "Alabama" has 7 letters, and, as we have said before, the number "7" is spiritually related to "perfection" or "completion". Therefore, it can also be related to the teaching ministry, since teachers are endowed with the "Spirit of Perfection", and, when teachers go astray, they turn into Girgashites who become obsessed about spiritually-insignificant details. God's attack against Alabama and Mississippi, therefore, was a figure of God's attack against the Girgashite and Jebusite spirit in the American South. It was God's attack against the remnants of Cain that linger in the southern states of America.

 

Abel understood that God wanted blood sacrifice (Genesis 4:4, Hebrews 9:22). Blood runs on the inside of the body and is not visible to the naked eye. This means that Abel understood that God wants sacrifices that flow from within, not sacrifices "plucked off" from without. Cain would offer the fruit of the ground (Genesis 4:3) because that is what his natural mind could perceive. He was unable to understand why the invisible life of a sheep would be so important to God. Therefore, when the spirit of Cain predominates, people become interested in external signs of religious devotion, and they lose sight of God's invisible prophetic purposes. To Cain, the "kingdom of God" has been established when every resident in the city or town is a churchgoing, Bible-carrying "moral citizen". To Cain, it is impossible to visualize the "kingdom of God" as God's supernatural presence permeating the atmosphere of entire towns, cities, and nations, transforming them from stagnant and decaying places into regions full of life and righteousness. To Cain, it is impossible to visualize the "kingdom of God" as an atmosphere of righteous judgments where people are constantly growing in the Spirit and manifesting God's Nature with greater and greater power every day. If the "Bible Belt" were really a place where God's Kingdom is being established, it would be a place full of supernatural manifestations and a dynamism that would transcend the spiritual realm and impact the natural realm. To Cain, however, quantity is more important than quality. He actually thinks that a greater number can make up for inferior quality. God is calling the "Bible Belt" to recognize its spiritual emptiness. Like the fig tree that Jesus cursed, Cain tries to make up for its lack of supernatural fruit by filling itself with worthless leaves (i.e.- human works):

 

"12And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he was hungry: 13And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find any thing thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet. 14And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever." (Mark 11:12-14)

[Notice that it was not "the time of figs" (v13), meaning that the fig tree was not "supposed" to have figs. Why, then, did Jesus curse the fig tree for not having figs? Because God was demanding "supernatural" figs from the fig tree. Any tree can produce figs when it is time for figs. Only a supernatural tree can produce figs when it is not the normal time for them. In the same way, any human organization can fill its schedule with activities and "charitable" events. Only a supernatural organization, however, can change the spiritual atmosphere around it and birth the supernatural manifestation of an Awesome and Almighty God.]

 

After Katrina hit Mississippi and Alabama, many coastal towns in those states were left with a dried-up layer of clay on the ground. This was an indictment from God against the "clay-dwelling" Girgashite spirit in the American South. Whereas God left Louisiana "all wet", He left Mississippi and Alabama "all-dry" after Katrina. This is to show that God was confronting Louisiana's excessive left-handed wetness and the South's excessive right-handed "dryness". What Katrina did in the U.S. Gulf Coast is a mirror image of what God did in Europe recently. While France, Spain, and Portugal were gripped by an intense drought, Central and Eastern Europe were hit with intense flooding.

 

Southern geysers

As we have said before, places populated by Jebusite spirits beget "spiritual bedwetters". Jebusites try to impose their understanding of "morality" through the repressive pressure of external measures. Since external, human regulations are useless against sin (Colossians 2:16-23), they do nothing but cause people to internalize and accumulate pressure within them, which makes it necessary for them to find an outlet for that pressure. This is the spiritual reason for the surfacing of sinful places like New Orleans in the middle of so much "Southern Christianity". Spiritual "geysers" such as New Orleans are God's way of shaming the Jebusites by showing them that all their external religiosity does nothing to transform the spiritual atmosphere around them.

 

As we have said before, when Cain is attacked by God's red horse, his immediate reaction is to "flee west" and morph into a more "liberal" and "condoning" Balaam in order to maintain control over his followers. In many traditional churches, this happens when the leaders start granting a few "Pentecostal concessions" as they see congregation members leave for churches with greater spiritual freedom. Because of the harsh attack on "religious rigidity", many churches in the American South have partially "liberalized" their doctrine and styles of worship, but without making a full and sincere commitment to the freedom of the prophetic spirit.

 

When Katrina attacked the South, many riverboat casinos were thrust inland. In southern states such as Mississippi, gambling is illegal if done "on dry land", but it is legal if it is done "on water". This is a figure of how legalistic Cain tries to have his cake and eat it too. He is too "moral" and "righteous" to allow gambling on his holy soil, but he allows it on floating casinos because he needs spiritual geysers to relieve his followers from all the legalistic pressure he imposes on them. This is why Katrina viciously threw these casinos on to dry land. It was the Lord's way of saying to the South:

Even though you pretend not to be dry, even though you pretend to have "wet liberties", you are still an arid land in need of My true prophetic freshness, for what you perceive to be righteousness is nothing but useless fruit before My eyes. For I have demanded your blood from you, but you refuse to give it to Me. I have called you to shed yourself in love for Me, but you refuse to admit your pride. I am standing against you, American South, and I will not relent on you until you buckle under the pressure of My prophetic oil.

 

Southern tightness

On July 1 (2005), the Lord prompted us to post a prophetic word on Billy Graham's last crusade. After we had written most of that word, the Lord prompted us to add a section called "Effeminizing evangelism". As we wrote that section, the Lord insisted that we specifically mention "Carolina", and He prompted us to speak briefly about the U.S.'s South. At that point, I began to understand that God had a word of confrontation against the South. Exactly 60 days after that prophetic word was posted, Katrina hit Mississippi and Alabama. This points to Psalm 60, which has the following introduction:

 

"To the chief Musician upon Shushaneduth, Michtam of David, to teach; when he strove with Aramnaharaim and with Aramzobah, when Joab returned, and smote of Edom in the valley of salt twelve thousand." (Psalm 60 - Introduction)

 

Notice that this psalm is designed "to teach", when David was in strife against Aram-naharaim and Aram-zobah. The word "Aram" means "high, exalted place". Therefore, this psalm speaks of teachers striving against proud people, which correlates with the red horse, since red-horse riders are teacher-apostles who enter into strife with the proud Cains who refuse to accept the mistake of their taught traditions.

 

Notice also that Psalm 60's introduction speaks of Joab smiting Edom. As we have said before, the name "Edom" is strongly related to "Girgashite-teacher redness". It is also related to Amorite pride, since Edom was a man who was never willing to admit that he was responsible for his own demise (Genesis 25:29-34, Genesis 27:30-41, Hebrews 12:16-17). Therefore, it is safe to say that Edom was a "spiritual Cain", which means that Psalm 60 is an imprecation against the spirit of Cain. No wonder Katrina hit the American South 60 days after the prophetic word on Billy Graham's crusade was posted.

 

Notice also that Psalm 60's introduction speaks of Edom being smitten at the "valley of salt". This correlates with Katrina's attack on New Orleans, since New Orleans is a low-lying region that turned into a "valley of salt" after the salty waters of Lake Pontchartrain flooded it.

 

Notice now what is declared in the first few verses of Psalm 60:

 

"1O God, thou hast cast us off, thou hast scattered us, thou hast been displeased; O turn thyself to us again. 2Thou hast made the earth to tremble; thou hast broken it: heal the breaches thereof; for it shaketh. 3Thou hast shewed thy people hard things: thou hast made us to drink the wine of astonishment." (Psalm 60:1-3)

 

The reference to "scattering" in verse 1 correlates with what Katrina did, as it scattered the citizens of New Orleans across many states, and it forced the coastal residents of Mississippi and Alabama to flee their towns and run for cover as Katrina approached. The reference to God being "displeased" in verse 1 refers to how God showed His displeasure at the South, even when the South considers itself "Bible-Belt righteous".

 

Verse 2 speaks of the earth being broken by God, which points to God's attack on the South's Girgashite spirit of earthliness. Verse 3 speaks of the "wine of astonishment". A synonym for "astonishment" is "shock". Therefore, verse 3 speaks of God's judgment against Cain's "refusal to be shocked". Because of Cain's stubborn "right-handedness", he always reacts angrily at anything that "shakes his conservative world". Cain is a staunch enemy of "change", period, regardless of whether that change is an improvement or not. Cain hates the prophetic anointing of God, because its fresh creativity shocks his limited little paradigms. Cain will not even touch the "wine of shock" because it is abhorrent to him. This is why God will tie him up and ram the "wine of shock" down his throat, whether he likes it or not. This is what God did when Katrina hit the American South. Our Lord God is a God of creative power that will not be boxed in by any man. Those who try to box him in will be forced to face the prophetic power and evangelistic devastation of the God of Israel. This is what Mississippi and Alabama faced in Katrina.

 

In verse 6 of Psalm 60, the Lord says the following:

 

"God hath spoken in his holiness; I will rejoice, I will divide Shechem, and mete out the valley of Succoth" (Psalm 60:6)

 

Notice how God speaks of "holiness" and "rejoicing" in the same breath. To legalistic Cain, "holiness" is synonymous with "solemnity" and "emotionless reverence". Cain literally frowns upon any spontaneous outburst of emotional freedom because, to him, such outbursts are tantamount to irreverence and "unholiness". This is why the God of Israel will shock him by showing him that His holiness does not exclude rejoicing and Spirit freedom.

 

In verse 6, the Lord speaks of dividing "Shechem" and measuring the "valley of Succoth". The name "Shechem" points to Genesis 34, which speaks of Shechem, the son of Hamor the Hivite. Therefore, the name "Shechem" in verse 6 is a spiritual reference to the Hivite spirit of ease, which correlates with New Orleans.

 

On the other hand, the name "Succoth" literally means "tabernacles", which speaks of "coverings". This in turn points to the Girgashite spirit, since Girgashites are obsessed with the need for "clay coverings" over their head. Because of their obsession with "human methodologies", Girgashites are uncomfortable unless they are within the confines of a well-defined and visible human hierarchy. Therefore, the "valley of Succoth" is a spiritual reference to the Girgashite spirit, which correlates with the traditionalist American South.

 

From all of the above, we can see how Katrina was a physical manifestation of the judgment word in Psalm 60:6 against the "Shechem-ite" state of Louisiana and the "Succoth-ite" states of Mississippi and Alabama. Katrina came out of the mouth of God in holiness and rejoicing. Katrina came to judge the profane abuse of holy things by Hivite New Orleans, and it came to judge the "anti-joy" legalism of the Girgashite South.

 

Southern bubble boys

On July 2, 2005, one day after we posted the prophetic word on Billy Graham's last crusade, the Lord made me hear a report on the Fox News Channel about a movement called "Christian Exodus". In the report, they interviewed a "Christian" who was promoting that believers move to South Carolina so that a Christian government would be established there. Apparently, the idea was for this "Christian" government to eventually break free from the United States and become an independent "Christian" nation. As I listened to this idiotic idea, the Lord spoke to me, and said to me, "This is why I prompted you to mention the word 'Carolina' in the word on Billy Graham".

 

The idea of Christians all moving to South Carolina to live in their own little Christian bubble is pathetic and anti-Scriptural, and it reveals the attitude of people who want to impose God's righteousness through human legislation. No one, absolutely no one, can forge God's righteousness in others through the wrath of Jebusite legislation.

 

"19Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: 20For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God" (James 1:19-20)

 

Verse 19 calls us to be "slow to anger". As we have studied before, this means that our anger is not to be motivated by stubborn pride (Ecclesiastes 7:8-9) or by a rejection of the prophetic grace in others (Ezekiel 17:3). Cain is not "slow to anger" because he gets angry at anyone whose prophetic grace reveals his mistakes and shortcomings. He hates to be shocked by prophetic grace that makes him see that he is not as "complete" as he thinks he is. He is therefore unwilling to open his prophetic ears to the revelations of the Spirit. This is why verse 19 above calls us to be "swift to hear".

 

Whenever wrathful Cain is in charge, he will try to use his proud and anti-prophetic wrath to work "righteousness" in others. However, as verse 20 above declares, it is impossible for such wrath to work the righteousness of God. Only the wrath of God --- manifested through submissive human conduits --- can work the righteousness of God. True righteousness must be birthed from within in the Spirit, not through human means. Cursed be those who rely on human methods to do the work that only the Spirit can do!!! (Jeremiah 17:5, Zechariah 4:6)

 

Legalistic Christian Southerners have seen how their "wrath-of-man" methods have been useless in forging righteousness and devotion to God in America. Instead of recognizing the error in their ways, they stubbornly insist on their failed methods. They are like a proud man who thinks that he can put a fire out by pouring gasoline on it. As the fire grows stronger, he says to himself, "The fire is not going out; the problem is that I haven't poured enough gasoline on it. Yeah, that's it!! Gasoline puts out fires!! I can't be wrong!! That would be impossible!!".

 

"36Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence. 37Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice." (John 18:36-37)

 

The word "servant" in verse 36 above was translated from the Greek word hyperetes, which is derived from the prefix hypo, meaning "under", and the word eresso, meaning "to row". In other words, hyperetes literally means "underrower", which refers to the people who rowed in the bottom of large ships. Therefore, the word hyperetes has the connotation of a person at the bottom of some hierarchy or chain of command, i.e.- a "subordinate".

 

Notice that Jesus did not want "subordinates" who would struggle in the flesh to get him to a position of human power and authority. Before being arrested, the Lord said the following to His disciples:

 

"35And he said unto them, When I sent you without purse, and scrip, and shoes, lacked ye any thing? And they said, Nothing. 36Then said he unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one. 37For I say unto you, that this that is written must yet be accomplished in me, And he was reckoned among the transgressors: for the things concerning me have an end. 38And they said, Lord, behold, here are two swords. And he said unto them, It is enough." (Luke 22:35-38)

 

Jesus told each of His disciples to "sell his garment" and "buy a sword" (v36). His disciples unfortunately understood this in a Girgashite (i.e.- literal) sense, thinking that Jesus was referring to the purchase of literal swords. However, His angry reaction, "That's enough", in verse 38 and His words of voluntary sacrifice in verse 37 clearly show that He was not talking about literal swords. The word "garment" in verse 36 was translated from the Greek word himation, which literally means "outer garment, cloak, mantle". The himation people wore was a symbol of their status and authority in society. Therefore, when Jesus was telling them to sell their himation, He was telling them to sacrifice their visible authority before men in order to acquire an invisible sword in the Spirit. Many believers are not moving in the authority of the Spirit because they are more concerned about preserving their visible position as "deacon" or "coordinator" at church than about doing God's perfect will. God gives the mighty sword of the Spirit to those who are not interested in human accolades and recognition. He gives the mighty sword of the Spirit to those who will give up their visible himation in a New York minute if that means that they will operate at a higher level in the invisible but real spirit realm. Unfortunately, Jesus' disciples were more interested in the 2 visible swords (v38) than in the invisible sword that He was offering. These 2 visible swords are the "material sword" and the "emotional sword".

 

People who wield the "material sword" are those who believe that the key to spreading the kingdom of God is to print out more flyers, build larger buildings, and buy more air time on TV. In other words, they believe that the key lies in having more material resources. On the other hand, people who wield the "emotional sword" are those who think that the kingdom of God is spread by placing emotional pressure on people so that they will volunteer more time at church. The emotional-sword believers think that the work of the Lord is furthered through "cheerleading" and "win-one-for-the-Gipper" speeches that motivate people to do more "one-on-one evangelism", memorize more Bible passages, and participate in more church-related activities and events. However, the only sword that is useful in God's Kingdom is the invisible sword of the Spirit:

 

"Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts." (Zechariah 4:6)

[The word "might" was translated from the Hebrew word chayil, which can be translated as "army". Therefore, it refers to an abundance of material resources, i.e.- to the "material sword". On the other hand, the word "power" was translated from the Hebrew word koach, which often has the connotation of "effort", "travail", or "willpower". Therefore, it refers to emotional impetus, i.e.- to the "emotional sword".]

 

When the disciples said to Jesus, "Here are 2 swords", His reply was not, "Excellent; keep them handy!". Instead, He angrily replied, "It's enough" (Luke 22:38). Why? Because God is tired of stubborn, Cain-like believers who insist on using the "material" and the "emotional" swords. He is tired of a Church that tries to use human means to achieve things that can only be birthed in the Spirit.

 

The "sword of the Spirit" requires giving up your faith in natural means. It requires that you sell your visible garment of human authority in order to put on a spiritual garment that is not visible to the natural man. It requires a degree of courage that the other 2 swords do not require. The night that Jesus was arrested, Simon was not at all hesitant about taking a literal sword to "rescue" his master from the "evil Romans" (John 18:10). However, when Jesus told him to "quit it" (John 18:11), he turned into a cowardly man who denied Jesus 3 times. Why? Because the use of the 2 swords requires external effort and sacrifice, which Cain is more than willing to offer. However, the sword of the Spirit requires an effort and sacrifice that flows out from your innermost being. This is why the disciples (including Simon) fell asleep when Jesus told them to pray shortly before He was arrested. They were unable to pour forth the necessary "blood" sacrifice from within that was required to withstand the spiritual oppression of that dreadful night:

 

"39And he came out, and went, as he was wont, to the mount of Olives; and his disciples also followed him. 40And when he was at the place, he said unto them, Pray that ye enter not into temptation. 41And he was withdrawn from them about a stone’s cast, and kneeled down, and prayed, 42Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done. 43And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him. 44And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground. 45And when he rose up from prayer, and was come to his disciples, he found them sleeping for sorrow, 46And said unto them, Why sleep ye? rise and pray, lest ye enter into temptation." (Luke 22:39-46)

 

Cain is very good at pressuring others into doing things their way. They are good at killing others, if that is what it takes, but they are not very good at dying to self. To Cain, it is easier to shed the blood of others than to shed his own.

 

Believers like the ones who were promoting the "exodus" to South Carolina are operating under the Cain mentality. They believe that the key to "taking back America" lies in passing "pro-Christian" legislation in the local and federal governments. They get frustrated at the "secularization of America", wondering why America is being taken over by the anti-Christian humanists. However, every time God whispers to their ears that they are using the wrong swords, they just put their hands to their ears and begin to mumble within themselves, "We know what we are doing! We know what we are doing! We are taking back America for Christ! We know what we are doing!".

 

As we have said before, the prophetic ministry is the one most related with the "fullness" of God's presence. Since Cain is distortedly right-handed, he is very unfriendly towards God's left-handed prophetic anointing. This is why he cannot understand that the Church is called to "fill all in all", not just fill "South Carolina".

 

"22And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, 23Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all." (Ephesians 1:22-23)

 

When his methods are proven worthless, Cain prefers to retreat into his own little bubble where no one can prove him wrong. Instead of expanding and filling all in all, Cain turns into the isolated king of worthless village-bubbles that in no way change the world.

 

Katrina and the waves

On Sunday April 17, 2005, the Lord prompted us to post a prophetic word on the latter-day revival in America (based on a dream that was sent to us from New York state). On that same weekend, news came out of a "Norwegian Dawn" cruise ship getting hit by a "freak" 70-foot wave. The ship had left New York on April 10, and it was on its way back to New York from the Bahamas when it was hit by this wave. The ship was forced to make a temporary stop at Charleston, South Carolina, for repairs and a Coast Guard inspection. The wave reached 7 stories high, all the way up to Deck 10 of the ship, flooding 62 cabins and causing cuts and bruises to 4 passengers.

 

When we heard these news, we were immediately struck by two things: the fact that the ship was on its way to New York, and the fact that the wave was 70-feet tall. In the prophetic word that we posted on that same weekend, the Lord had us speaking of the spiritual revival that will break out of New York and into the whole world. At the end of that word, the Lord prompted us to speak about the 70 nations mentioned in Genesis chapter 10. Therefore, we immediately understood that this "freak" wave was spiritually related to the prophetic word on New York.

 

When one studies the number "70" in Scripture, it becomes evident that it is a figure of places where Jebusite and Girgashite structures have been set in place that stifle the freedom of God's prophetic anointing:

 

"25And the LORD came down in a cloud, and spake unto him, and took of the spirit that was upon him, and gave it unto the seventy elders: and it came to pass, that, when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied, and did not cease. 26But there remained two of the men in the camp, the name of the one was Eldad, and the name of the other Medad: and the spirit rested upon them; and they were of them that were written, but went not out unto the tabernacle: and they prophesied in the camp. 27And there ran a young man, and told Moses, and said, Eldad and Medad do prophesy in the camp. 28And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Moses, one of his young men, answered and said, My lord Moses, forbid them. 29And Moses said unto him, Enviest thou for my sake? would God that all the LORD’S people were prophets, and that the LORD would put his spirit upon them!" (Numbers 11:25-29)

[As we saw before, this passage is a figure of how the prophetic impartation gets stifled when Old Covenant barriers are placed between God and His people]

 

"15So the LORD sent a pestilence upon Israel from the morning even to the time appointed: and there died of the people from Dan even to Beersheba seventy thousand men. 16And when the angel stretched out his hand upon Jerusalem to destroy it, the LORD repented him of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed the people, It is enough: stay now thine hand. And the angel of the LORD was by the threshingplace of Araunah the Jebusite. 17And David spake unto the LORD when he saw the angel that smote the people, and said, Lo, I have sinned, and I have done wickedly: but these sheep, what have they done? let thine hand, I pray thee, be against me, and against my father’s house." (2 Samuel 24:15-17)

[Notice that God killed 70,000 men, and He commanded the angel to stop by the threshing place of Araunah the Jebusite, which means that God's killing was motivated by the Jebusite influence that David and Israel had allowed into their lives]

 

"5Speak unto all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying, When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh month, even those seventy years, did ye at all fast unto me, even to me? 6And when ye did eat, and when ye did drink, did not ye eat for yourselves, and drink for yourselves?" (Zechariah 7:5-6)

[Notice how the Israelites' "fast" over a period of 70 years was worthless before God. This is a figure of how the self-denial produced by Jebusite and Girgashite regulations does nothing to make people right with God. God wants believers who fast in their hearts. Unfortunately, many people use religious self-denial to hide the fact that they have not given to God what He is really asking of them. Jebusite-Girgashite "sacrifice" gives what is on the outside. Prophetic sacrifice gives the life on the inside. Therefore, Jebusite-Girgashite "sacrifice" is in reality selfish and stingy, even if it looks "generous" on the outside.]

 

Therefore, the fact that the 70-foot wave forced the ship to dock at Charleston, South Carolina, (on its way up to New York) is a figure of how the U.S. revival (which will start in New York) has been delayed by the spiritual red tape of Jebusite-Girgashite regulations, of which the American South is a spiritual stronghold.

 

The name "Norwegian" is a reference to the "north", which is spiritually related to prophetic grace, since the prophetic anointing guides people to their destiny and purpose, and compasses used by navigators point to the magnetic "north". Therefore, the name "Norwegian Dawn" is a figure of the "dawn" or "open manifestation" of the prophetic remnant in America and the world. That manifestation will begin in New York, but the enemy, with the help of Cain, has successfully delayed the "dawning" of that New Day.

 

In Scripture, the Lord speaks about "wavy believers":

 

"5If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. 6But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. 7For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord." (James 1:5-7)

[As we have studied before, the word "wavering" in verse 6 was mistranslated from the Greek word diakrino, which means "to judge between". Therefore, this passage is speaking about those who ask God for wisdom and who "pick and choose" the wisdom of God that they do like, casting out the wisdom of God that is unpleasant to their souls. Cain is like that. He "loves" to learn about spiritual things, but those things that defy his limited understanding are immediately rejected and ignored.]

 

The word "wave" in verse 6 was translated from the Greek word klydon, which only appears in one other passage of Scripture:

 

"22Now it came to pass on a certain day, that he went into a ship with his disciples: and he said unto them, Let us go over unto the other side of the lake. And they launched forth. 23But as they sailed he fell asleep: and there came down a storm of wind on the lake; and they were filled with water, and were in jeopardy. 24And they came to him, and awoke him, saying, Master, master, we perish. Then he arose, and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water: and they ceased, and there was a calm. 25And he said unto them, Where is your faith? And they being afraid wondered, saying one to another, What manner of man is this! for he commandeth even the winds and water, and they obey him. 26And they arrived at the country of the Gadarenes, which is over against Galilee." (Luke 8:22-26)

[The word "raging" in verse 24 was translated from klydon]

 

This passage speaks of the time when Jesus went to the "country of the Gergesenes" (Matthew 8:28). As we have studied before, Jesus went there to struggle against Girgashite spirits. Since teachers become Girgashites when they go astray from God's purposes, Jesus was headed for a land spiritually oppressed by misguided teachings.

 

The word "wind" in verse 24 above was translated from the Greek word anemos, which also appears in the following verse:

 

"That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive" (Ephesians 4:14)

[The word "wind" was translated from anemos]

 

The phrase "tossed to and fro" was translated from the Greek word klydonizomai, which is the verb form of the word for "wave", klydo, mentioned above. The word "doctrine" was translated from the Greek word didaskalia, which literally means "teaching". Notice, therefore, how spiritual "waviness" is related to misguided teachings.

 

The American South is filled with devout believers who have a sincere zeal for the things of God. However, many of them are "wavy believers" who only accept teachings that fit within their limited, earthly framework. Any prophetic teaching from God that defies their limited understanding is immediately judged (diakrino-ed) as "false" and "blasphemous". This turns them into "double-souled" believers who have a zeal for God and a zeal for human traditions at the same time:

 

"A double minded man is unstable in all his ways" (James 1:8)

[Notice the reference to "ways", which points to the "ways of Cain" (Jude 1:11)]

 

The phrase "double minded" was mistranslated from the Greek word dipsychos, which is a combination of the word dis, meaning "twice", and psyche, meaning "soul". Therefore, it refers to a person who has gone back to living "in the soul", instead of living "in the Spirit". When we were lost, we were "living in the soul". When we were born again, however, we were enabled to "live in the Spirit" (John 3:8). Unfortunately, Cain allows his misguided teachings to return him to the "ways of the soul". This regression into "soulishness" is more deceitful than the "soulishness" of the world because it is wrapped up in pious religiosity that appears to be "holy" and "righteous" to the natural mind.

 

"1Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. 2For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. 3For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God." (Romans 10:1-3)

 

Therefore, the 70-foot wave that hit the Norwegian Dawn cruise ship on the 3rd weekend of April 2005 is a figure of the American South's "spiritual waviness", and it was a prophetic figure of what God would do to the Southern states of Mississippi and Alabama 135 days later. Katrina and her waves came to judge the waves that have been roaring through the American South for decades on end.

 

When the saints go marching in

One of the songs most readily identified with New Orleans is the "Gospel classic" entitled "When the saints go marching in". It is ironic that a song about "saints" is so closely associated with a city so wicked and sinful. There is a prophetic reason for this. As we said above, New Orleans is strongly Hivite, and, as such, it loves to "rape" and misuse things that are holy (Genesis 34:1-2). Therefore, New Orleans sees "no harm" in making "facetious" use of holy terms such as "saints"; that is why it didn't think twice about naming its NFL team the "New Orleans Saints".

 

On the other hand, the traditionalist South is quick to frown upon the "banal" use of "holy" and "pious" terms. Therefore, Katrina came to judge the understanding of "holiness" in Southern states. It came to judge the Balaams who treat holy things irreverently, as well as the Cains who associate holiness with human religiosity. Both groups of people have worked to delay the latter-rain revival. Both have worked to delay the real, prophetic-remnant saints from marching in.

 

Women attack

Interestingly enough, the Gulf Coast states were attacked by two hurricanes with female names: Katrina and Rita. This is no coincidence. As we have said before, the Lord prompted us to post the article entitled "The rise of women during the Revival" exactly one year before Katrina made landfall. That article was a study of what Isaiah 32:9-12 did not mean. Seven days later, we posted an article (entitled "Easy like Sunday morning") on what that passage did mean; in that article, God prompted us to speak about the "spirit of ease", which made us perceive that God was planning to attack the Big Easy.

 

Because his traditional bent, Cain is against the spiritual manifestation of "women" (i.e.- vessels that are weak in his eyes). Therefore, the article on the rise of women was a word of judgment against the Cain-like South, and the article on the spirit of ease was a word of judgment against New Orleans. The weak "women", whose grace Cain demeans and Balaam abuses, have come to judge them both. This is the reason why two "women", Katrina and Rita, did so much harm to Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama.

 

God confronted Cain through his younger brother Abel. This means that God will generally send "women" (i.e.- weaker vessels) to confront the proud and unyielding Cain. Cain's pride of life does not allow him to see the invisible grace in others, especially if that grace is wrapped in weakness. Cain will always stomp on that grace like an angry, wild boar, especially when that grace comes to confront his distorted ways. Yet, all the stomping in the world will not remove God's judgment against him, for the blood of Abel that he has shed will continue to clamor unto God until all justice is fulfilled (Hebrews 11:4, Genesis 4:9-12, Luke 18:1-8).

 

Vegas

As we meditated on the spiritual meaning of Katrina, the Lord immediately placed it in our hearts that there was judgment for Las Vegas, Nevada. Just like New Orleans, Las Vegas is a city that prides itself in its wickedness, happily calling itself "Sin City". 25 days after Katrina hit, we received an e-mail from two sisters in Christ confirming God's impending judgment of fire against Las Vegas. We have also received confirmation of this from other believers. Just as God has come against New Orleans, He shall come against Las Vegas, for God shall not be mocked. Every outpost on Earth that proudly defies God's judgments shall be judged. New Orleans thought that she would never see the "day", but the "day" came, and it shall come again. Las Vegas thinks that she shall not see the "day" either, but the "day" is fast approaching, like a thundercloud in the horizon.

 

The name "Vegas" is the plural form of the name "Vega", which, according to a names-meaning website, is the name of a star in the constellation Lyra. That star's name in Arabic is Al-Nasr Al-Waqi, which means "swooping eagle"; the word "Vega" is a variation of the Arabic word Waqi. In Scripture, the Hebrew word for the "swooping" of a bird of prey is iyt, which appears in the following passage:

 

"But one of the young men told Abigail, Nabal’s wife, saying, Behold, David sent messengers out of the wilderness to salute our master; and he railed on them" (1 Samuel 25:14)

 

The word "railed" was mistranslated from the Hebrew word iyt. Therefore, this verse should literally say, "... and he swooped down on them". Nabal was a stubborn and arrogant man who belittled David and his young men when they asked for help from him (1 Samuel 25:5-11). Nabal saw David and his young men as a "bunch of nobodies" with no rank and authority, as lowly fugitives running away from "king" Saul's "justice". In Cain-like fashion, Nabal mercilessly threshed them, and he refused to be "his brothers' keeper". Just like Cain, Nabal applied Girgashite and Jebusite criteria of law and justice against David, and he saw himself under no "legal" obligation to help the man whom God (not man) had chosen as king of Israel. Nabal was more than comfortable with "Level-1 righteousness", and he was not about to let anyone tell him that there was another level of righteousness (Level 2), which he had still not attained.

 

Whenever Cain sees lowly weakness, he is immediately motivated to swoop down and attack that weakness in order to humiliate the weak and prolong his sense of self-righteous pride. Therefore, Cain is a "Vega", a swooping bird of prey that is quick to attack the weak who dare challenge his self-righteousness.

 

Interestingly enough, the Hebrew word iyt mentioned above is closely related to the word et meaning "stylus, pen".

 

"How do ye say, We are wise, and the law of the LORD is with us? Lo, certainly in vain made he it; the pen of the scribes is in vain." (Jeremiah 8:8)

 

Notice how et is related here to the Girgashite "scribe spirit" mentioned above. Notice also how it is related to people who believe to be abiding by God's law, which correlates with the Jebusite spirit of legalism.

 

The word was at times used to refer to iron styluses with diamond tips that were used to write on hard surfaces such as stone or metal:

 

"23Oh that my words were now written! oh that they were printed in a book! 24That they were graven with an iron pen and lead in the rock for ever! 25For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth" (Job 19:23-25)

 

Therefore, et has the connotation of "hardwired and immutable" laws. When applied to people like Cain, et speaks of hardened hearts who refuse to have their erroneous laws erased so that new, righteous laws may be written in their stead. Because of this, such people cannot enter into a New Covenant relationship with God:

 

"31Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: 32Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD: 33But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more." (Jeremiah 31:31-34)

 

This is the reason why Nabal died of a "hardened heart":

 

"37But it came to pass in the morning, when the wine was gone out of Nabal, and his wife had told him these things, that his heart died within him, and he became as a stone. 38And it came to pass about ten days after, that the LORD smote Nabal, that he died. 39And when David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, Blessed be the LORD, that hath pleaded the cause of my reproach from the hand of Nabal, and hath kept his servant from evil: for the LORD hath returned the wickedness of Nabal upon his own head. And David sent and communed with Abigail, to take her to him to wife." (1 Samuel 25:37-39)

 

Notice how Abigail, Nabal's wife, confronted her husband about the foolishness he had committed against David. When spiritual "Nabals" run across spiritual "Davids", they will receive a word of confrontation from weaker vessels like Abigail that will seal their fate. Through that "confrontation episode", the hardness of Nabal's heart will be made resoundingly evident once and for all, and Nabal will be on a slippery, downhill path to his own demise. Spiritually speaking, unrepentant Nabals must "die", because their "death" will free up people that are currently trapped by them and who are being prevented from fulfilling their prophetic calling in life. This is what happened to Abigail. Once Nabal was dead, she was free to become David's wife. Nabal's death, however, cannot come without a spiritual confrontation from weaker vessels. After that confrontation, the time bomb of Nabal's demise will begin to tick down.

 

Why did Nabal die after 10 days? Because, as we have seen before, the number "10" speaks of prophetic death and sacrifice (Revelation 2:8-11). God will always force Cain to die, whether he wants to or not, and his death will release the restoration that his stubborn heart has held up.

 

"17And Samuel said, When thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the LORD anointed thee king over Israel? 18And the LORD sent thee on a journey, and said, Go and utterly destroy the sinners the Amalekites, and fight against them until they be consumed. 19Wherefore then didst thou not obey the voice of the LORD, but didst fly upon the spoil, and didst evil in the sight of the LORD?" (1 Samuel 15:17-19)

[The word "fly" in verse 19 was translated from the Hebrew word iyt mentioned above]

 

Saul was sent to utterly destroy the Amalekites because of what they had done to the people of Israel in the wilderness (Exodus 17:8-16, Deuteronomy 25:17-19). The Amalekites had tried to take advantage of Israel's weakness, attacking them from behind when they were weak and tired. Therefore, God cursed them unto destruction. When God sent Saul to carry out that curse, Saul "pounced" on the opportunity to take spoils from the Amalekites, knowing full well that God wanted everything Amalekite destroyed.

 

A close study of 1 Samuel 14 reveals that Saul was a legalistic, Cain-style Jebusite. Therefore, the passage above emphasizes the fact that Cain swoops down on carnal weakness in order to aggrandize himself, not to carry out God's will.

 

When God sees "swooping birds of prey" like Cain, He sends spiritual "swooping eagles" to confront him:

 

"7I have forsaken mine house, I have left mine heritage; I have given the dearly beloved of my soul into the hand of her enemies. 8Mine heritage is unto me as a lion in the forest; it crieth out against me: therefore have I hated it. 9Mine heritage is unto me as a speckled bird, the birds round about are against her; come ye, assemble all the beasts of the field, come to devour. 10Many pastors have destroyed my vineyard, they have trodden my portion under foot, they have made my pleasant portion a desolate wilderness. 11They have made it desolate, and being desolate it mourneth unto me; the whole land is made desolate, because no man layeth it to heart. 12The spoilers are come upon all high places through the wilderness: for the sword of the LORD shall devour from the one end of the land even to the other end of the land: no flesh shall have peace. 13They have sown wheat, but shall reap thorns: they have put themselves to pain, but shall not profit: and they shall be ashamed of your revenues because of the fierce anger of the LORD." (Jeremiah 12:7-13)

[The words "bird" and "birds" in verse 9 were both translated from the Hebrew word ayit, which is derived from the word iyt mentioned above, and means "bird of prey, swooper".]

 

Notice how this passage is an indictment against the pastors who have "trodden" God's inheritance under their feet and turned His pleasant inheritance into a spiritual wasteland (v10). Therefore, this passage is speaking of how the Cains in authority inside the Church have trampled over God's people, attacking them like birds of prey who swoop down on a helpless animal. Therefore, verse 11 speaks of those weak believers mourning unto God like the widow of Luke 18:1-8 and like the blood of Abel, asking for vindication from the Lord. While Abels are being trampled upon all over the Church, no one seems to care. This is why the Lord says "no man layeth it to heart" (v11). Notice how verse 12 declares that God's judgment sword shall attack the land of Cain, not allowing his flesh to have any rest. This is a figure of the pestilent red-horse riders whom God always send against stubborn Cains. Through His red-horse riders, God makes it very clear to Cain that he has not "gotten away with murder" and that he will not get away with doing things his stubborn way.

 

Just like Cain, these red-horse riders are teacher-apostles, but the difference lies in the fact that the red-horse riders are teachers who move in the prophetic; as we have said before, teachers are perfected when they enter into the "prophetic stage". While red-horse riders are prophetic teachers, Cain is a Girgashite teacher. Therefore, the conflict between the red-horse riders and Cain is an internal conflict between "teachers". While God's red-horse teachers are prophetic eagles that swoop down from above to attack earthly traditions, Cain-style teachers are proud vultures that swoop down to attack the vulnerable.

 

As we said above, the word "Vega" is derived from an Arabic expression meaning "swooping eagle". Therefore, the battle between Cain and red-horse Abel is a battle of "vega" versus "vega". God sends His vegas to instigate a confrontation against Cain that leads to his eventual demise:

 

"11Then three thousand men of Judah went to the top of the rock Etam, and said to Samson, Knowest thou not that the Philistines are rulers over us? what is this that thou hast done unto us? And he said unto them, As they did unto me, so have I done unto them. 12And they said unto him, We are come down to bind thee, that we may deliver thee into the hand of the Philistines. And Samson said unto them, Swear unto me, that ye will not fall upon me yourselves. 13And they spake unto him, saying, No; but we will bind thee fast, and deliver thee into their hand: but surely we will not kill thee. And they bound him with two new cords, and brought him up from the rock. 14And when he came unto Lehi, the Philistines shouted against him: and the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and the cords that were upon his arms became as flax that was burnt with fire, and his bands loosed from off his hands. 15And he found a new jawbone of an ass, and put forth his hand, and took it, and slew a thousand men therewith. 16And Samson said, With the jawbone of an ass, heaps upon heaps, with the jaw of an ass have I slain a thousand men. 17And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking, that he cast away the jawbone out of his hand, and called that place Ramathlehi" (Judges 15:11-17)

 

The verses prior to this passage speak of how Samson had instigated conflict with the Philistines because of the evil things they had done. In this passage, therefore, the people of Israel were complaining to Samson for all the trouble he was causing them. They wanted Samson to stop "provoking" the Philistines. Instead of seeking "peace" with the Philistines, Samson used this incident to attack them once again, killing 1,000 of them with the "new jawbone of an ass". The word "Etam" mentioned in verse 11 is derived from the word ayit mentioned above. Therefore, it is spiritually related to "swooping birds of prey", i.e.- to "vegas".

 

"9Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, 10Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure: 11Calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executeth my counsel from a far country: yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it. 12Hearken unto me, ye stouthearted, that are far from righteousness: 13I bring near my righteousness; it shall not be far off, and my salvation shall not tarry: and I will place salvation in Zion for Israel my glory." (Isaiah 46:9-13)

[The phrase "ravenous bird" in verse 11 was translated from the word ayit mentioned above]

 

God is saying that His "counsel shall stand" (v10) and that all the resistance by the "stouthearted" Cain (v12) shall be to no avail, for He is calling a swooping bird of prey from the east where the Sun of Righteousness rises; this bird of prey is the man who executes His prophetic counsel from a faraway land (v11). Through His "vegas" (i.e.- birds of prey), God will come to reveal the veiled unrighteousness of the earthly "vegas". This is the spiritual struggle that is going on in America (and the world). Cain is holding on for dear life, but God has spoken, and the transformation He has prophesied shall come to pass.

 

Coincidentally, the word ayit meaning "bird of prey, swooper" also appears in Isaiah 18, the very chapter we have been studying in the recent words on Katrina:

 

"They shall be left together unto the fowls of the mountains, and to the beasts of the earth: and the fowls shall summer upon them, and all the beasts of the earth shall winter upon them." (Isaiah 18:6)

[The 2 words "fowls" in this verse were translated from ayit]

 

This emphasizes the spiritual connection between Katrina and Las Vegas (since "Vega" means "swooping eagle"). Las Vegas is a spiritual geyser-outlet that has emerged as a result of the legalistic pressure of the Cain spirit in America. This is the reason why Las Vegas is a city that rose up in the middle of desert dryness and limitation. Las Vegas is spiritually similar to the well-watered resorts in otherwise-dry Spain.

 

As God attacks the spirit of Cain in the American South, the groundwork is being laid for His judgment attack on the city of Las Vegas, for the Lord has already sent His "vegas" to fight against the Cain "vegas" that have hovered over the air in America for centuries.

 

Delay, delay, delay

After the week of May 11, 2005, the Lord made us understand that the latter-rain revival in America had been delayed 2 years. After Katrina, we understood that another year had been added. The unrighteous reaction to Katrina and the subsequent appearances of hurricanes Rita and Wilma (along with the Astros loss in the 2005 World Series) indicate that an additional year has been added. This makes for a 4-year delay.

 

Last night (November 14, 2005), the spirit of Cain unleashed a moment of great anguish upon me, and it did so through an incident that snowballed from a Halloween symbol (cursed is Halloween and all those who promote it). After this incident, the Lord prompted me to look up the prophetic word that Kim Clement gave last month regarding this past Halloween. This led me to visit his ministry's website for the first time. In an October 8 (2005) word, he spoke of a "shift in the atmosphere" that would happen after Halloween. After that, he said that a "better way" would be coming to America beyond October --- it is "interesting" that he spoke of a better "way", since the spirit of Cain is bent on preserving the old "ways" (Jude 1:11). After that, he spoke of "four years of revival", 4 years of "restoration and the greatest move that you have ever seen in the United States of America". I was personally surprised about the 4-year reference, since the Lord had spoken to my heart about a 4-year delay in the revival.

 

Fellow believer, the 4-year period mentioned in Kim Clement's word is actually a period of "recuperation", not a period of "breakout revival". Over the next 4 years, God will deal with the issues in America that caused the 4-year delay. It will be a period of purging that will prepare America for a 7-year period that will come after that. The foundation for the revival will have to be "redone" over these next 4 years. The Church in America is still too stubbornly set in its ways for revival to break out at this time. America is not yet ready for God's revival.

 

Kim Clement's October 8 word came exactly 40 days after Katrina hit. In Scripture, "40" is a number of desert purging, which correlates with what God will do over the next 4 years in the U.S. If you take the day that Katrina hit (August 29, 2005) as "Day #1", October 8, 2005 would then be "Day #41". Over the last 3 weeks, the Lord has been showing me the number "41", over and over again. One day some 8 years ago, the Lord said to me, "41 is a number of fornication". Later, I learned that fornication is related to the spirit of Amorite pride and opportunism. Therefore, the recurrence of the number "41" over the last 3 weeks is a sign of America's stubborn, religious pride, which has led to America's 4-year spiritual delay.

 

"Coincidentally", the number "41" appears 46 times in the prophetic word entitled "The 8 terrorists", which we posted on April 24, 2005, 205 days ago (205 = 41 times 5). In that prophetic word, the Lord had us talk about the "cautious pit of aborted dreams". Because of America's cautious half-heartedness, the revival has been delayed. As Cain stubbornly held on to his ways, the willing believers in America did not deal him the final knockout punch that would have kick-started the revival.

 

Halloween is the prelude to "All Saints' Day", a day dedicated to the dead. In fact, the name "Halloween" is a variation of the word "hallowed", which is a synonym for "saintly" or "holy". Therefore, Halloween is a figure of religiosity "gone dark". In a way, Halloween is the day when Cain kills Abel, and "All Saints Day" is the day when Abel's death is mourned by the very people who killed him.

 

"46And he said, Woe unto you also, ye lawyers! for ye lade men with burdens grievous to be borne, and ye yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers. 47Woe unto you! for ye build the sepulchres of the prophets, and your fathers killed them. 48Truly ye bear witness that ye allow the deeds of your fathers: for they indeed killed them, and ye build their sepulchres. 49Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute: 50That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation; 51From the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, which perished between the altar and the temple: verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation. 52Woe unto you, lawyers! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered. 53And as he said these things unto them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to urge him vehemently, and to provoke him to speak of many things: 54Laying wait for him, and seeking to catch something out of his mouth, that they might accuse him." (Luke 11:46-54)

[Notice how the scribes and Pharisees were trying to catch Jesus on some "religious technicality". In their Cain-spirit hearts, they wanted to kill the "Abel" who was standing before them (v53-54). Notice also how Jesus speaks of these Cains hindering the entering of others (v52). This is what Cain did in America, delaying the revival for 4 years.]