The Lord had begun a separate but parallel thread of His story in 1979 that would later converge with the story that was unfolding in Kansas City (Rhema Now #12).
Both parties were unaware of the other. Both were living their own lives in separate parts of the nation. But the Lord, through them, spoke about the generation that would arise at the End of the Age.
A Visitation to the Throne of Heaven
New Orleans, USA, August 1979…
Howard Pittman, a Baptist minister, dies of haemorrhage of a major blood vessel in his body. God brings him before His throne in heaven, where He soundly rebukes him for a life lived for himself and not for the Lord.
It was a rude awakening for Howard Pittman who was totally shocked by God’s evaluation of his life. However, he was given a second chance and sent back to earth with an important message for the Body of Christ. (His full account, with the message that God gave him, can be found in his book, Placebo.)
He was made to understand the following:
- His “ministry of prophecy” would last exactly three years;
- At the end of the three years, a supernatural event would occur;
- There would be an “announcement in the sky” to mark this event.
His ministry began on 7 May 1980, when God told him to “go”.
It ended exactly on 7 May 1983! This was the first day of the 21-day fast that was called by Mike Bickle and confirmed by the unpredicted comet!
Surely this is more than just a coincidence! The Lord is so precise in His timing!
The End-Time Gideon’s Army
God’s promise through Howard Pittman was this: the end of his three-year ministry would mark the beginning of the recruiting of the Gideon’s army in earnest (the supernatural event) and it would be accompanied with an “announcement in the sky” (the unpredicted comet).
The Two Threads Converge
November 1983…
God sovereignly places Howard Pittman’s book in Mike Bickle’s hands, unfolding His prophetic puzzle and divinely weaving these two threads together. This not only brought another confirmation of the significance of the May 1983 fast, but also added greater clarity to the words given to Mike Bickle.
Putting together these two separate threads, the picture becomes very clear:
- The End-Time prayer movement for Israel is also the End-Time Gideon’s Army (Judg. 6 – 7);
- Just as Gideon’s army stood with God and fought for Israel, the young people in this End-Time move of God will be fearless and radical. They will partner with God in supernatural works, and faithfully stand with Israel until the end!
The supernatural confirmations from the Lord regarding these promises are nothing short of astounding! He sent the angel Gabriel. He sent a surprise sign from heaven. He sent a man back down from His throne in heaven.
God is so zealous for the fullness of this End-Time generation! Surely we want to give ourselves fully to be part of His story in this generation!
Besides these promises from May 1983, God also gave various other words and promises, especially between the years of 1982 – 1984 that give more insight into what He is doing and the kind of people He is raising up.
The Change in Understanding and Expression of Our Faith
19 September 1982…
The Lord speaks to Mike Bickle through an encounter: “I will change the understanding and expression of Christianity in the whole earth in one generation.”
This change refers to a shift in how we live our lives as believers. Specifically, God is emphasising values that are important to Him that need to be embraced by the End-Time Church. He spoke that His people will become people of:
- Prayer and Intercession — a people of prayer and fasting, both individually and corporately, living out the Joel 2 Lifestyle (Joel 2:12–17).
- Holiness — a people who walk in the Sermon-on-the-Mount Lifestyle, and who are wholehearted in love, relentless in trust, radical in obedience and reckless in abandonment for God.
- Extravagant Offering — a people who live simply for themselves and extravagantly for God and His Kingdom.
- Prophetic and Power — a people who have a history with God in His providence, protection, leadership and guidance, and move in His supernatural power.
In short, how we understand and express our faith as believers in Christ will change!
Indeed, things have been changing post-Covid, both in the world and in the Church. As believers, we need to shift to align with God’s heart for us, and not align with the world or find our own “new” expression of Christianity based on our own wisdom.
Because the Lord says that He is the One who will bring about this change, we can be confident that His people will live out all four of these values individually and corporately! There will be the emergence of a generation who will persevere in these necessary lifestyle traits that God desires and requires!
The Anointed Ones on the Isaiah 35 Highway of Holiness
3 July 1984…
Bob Jones sees a vision of about 35 young leaders exalting and carrying the Lord in a procession, like how the ark was carried during King David’s time (2 Sam. 6). They were leading a great procession of people who had been healed through their ministry.
The number 35 points to the Isaiah 35 highway — a highway of holiness. Through this vision, God promised the following:
- Leaders will arise that God will use as vessels for releasing His unusual glory and power;
- They will have the power to preach the gospel and heal the sick as in the Book of Acts;
- They will bring God’s glory in through the Isaiah 35 highway of holiness.
While there have been leaders in the past who have unfortunately sold Jesus out to immorality, gold and fame, the Lord is promising that a generation of leaders will arise who will be completely holy unto the Lord! They will keep Him high and lifted up all the days of their lives. They will not sell Jesus out but will serve Him and be faithful till the end.
Pressing In for the Promises in this Sovereign Appointed Time (1 Tim. 1:18)
We are now at or around the 40th-year mark of many of these promises. It is truly God’s Sovereign Appointed Time, the prophetic moment when we are entering into their actualisation.
If the Lord has divinely orchestrated the global Isaiah 62 fast for Israel as that down payment, surely we can have confidence that the rest of His promises will come to pass!
Knowing this, it’s time to ask ourselves some questions:
In this prophetic moment, how does the Lord want us to respond?
How do we position ourselves so that we can participate in their fulfilment?
God has given us His great and precious promises so that we can contend fervently in prayer unto their fulfilment (1 Tim. 1:18), and reach for them in our individual lives. But while these promises will certainly come to pass for the generation, whether each of us will be part of that depends on our individual response.
Whether it’s the unprecedented outpouring of the Holy Spirit, or the emergence of a people holy unto the Lord, let’s take these promises into our hearts, believe and fully embrace them, and contend for their fulfilment!
Indeed, let’s throw ourselves fully and wholeheartedly into His story, and be the Joshuas and Calebs who boldly step into the actualisation of God’s promises in this Sovereign Appointed Time!
Further background details on the promises can be found at these links: