An Upside Down Wedding Cake!

By Hazel Holland

The Church is the Apple of His Eye!

By Hazel Holland

(This is a dream that I had on June 28, 1995).

I found myself entering the front lobby of a large, hotel-like building. Since there was no one around to answer any questions I might have, I walked past several closed doors before I found an open one. Curiously, I walked through the doorway and found myself in a large, empty, brightly lit room surrounded by white walls. The white tile floor seemed to flow into the white walls on the far side of the room. Its airy openness reminded me of a banqueting hall or a spacious cafeteria, but without any tables or chairs. 

Immediately, my eyes were drawn to the only object in the room: a black, rectangular picture hanging on the distant wall. I wondered what the creator of it had in mind, for it appeared to be nothing more than an empty black canvas. 

Suddenly, a small, light blue dot appeared in the center of the blackness. Slowly it began to grow into what at first looked like a round ball. But as I watched it grow, I began to see a recurring pattern. Soon I realized that it was not a ball, but our earth. I recognized the different continents as the earth slowly turned on its axis. It was obvious to me now that this was not a painting, but more like a movie on a screen. 

As I continued to watch the earth turn, a small red speck appeared on the continent of North America. As the red speck began to grow, it looked at first like another ball.  Then, quite unexpectedly, the red object appeared to leave the continent of North America as if pulled by a magnet.   It moved out to the right, and away from the earth and from the screen, growing in size as it traveled in a clockwise direction around the room. Like the earth, it too was slowly turning on its axis as it moved toward me in an arc formation. Quickly, it became clear that this was not a ball, but a beautiful, red, shiny apple. 

As the apple came to a stop within a few feet from where I was standing, I could clearly see that every part of it was perfectly shaped and free from bruises.  It appeared to be about seven-feet in diameter and was the largest and most perfect looking apple I had ever seen. The rich crimson color stood out in stark contrast to the black background that now surrounded it.

The side of the apple closest to me was so highly polished I thought it was ceramic! Then a gentle stream of soft light appeared above it, penetrating the darkness as it shone down on the right side of the fruit.  Immediately I was puzzled by what I saw because the ray of light created a shadow on the apple nearest the light instead of illuminating it! 

As I stood puzzling over the contradictions, the blade of a huge knife slowly emerged from the light above the apple. It came forward and stopped, hesitating inches above the beautiful fruit. The knife looked powerful and sharp as it gleamed and sparkled, like it was studded with a thousand diamonds, but at the same time it appeared to be made of transparent silver. 

Slowly but deliberately the knife descended and began to cut the fruit in half. I was impressed with the precision and care of the unseen hand that held it. At times I could clearly see the reflection of part of the apple in the knife. Brilliant flashes of white light continued to emanate from the point and blade of the knife in every direction, making it appear like a double-edged sword! As the light from above caught the edges of the knife it seemed to shine like the sun! But the shadow on the apple nearest the light became so dark that it blended into the black background. 

I was surprised when my mouth began to water as the sweet aroma of fresh delicious apple filled the air. I hadn’t realized until now that the apple was real. It hadn’t appeared to be edible. Now I wanted to taste its sweetness. I started to move toward the apple, but the brightness and beauty of the knife held me back. As the knife continued to cut through the fruit, I heard a loud crisp, crunching, gurgling, sucking sound. I didn’t understand how one large ripe apple could make so much noise.

When the knife had finished cutting the fruit in half it was withdrawn. Immediately the half of the apple nearest the light that had been in the shadow vanished into the darkness! But the other half stood firm, held up by an unseen hand. I noticed that the flesh inside this half of the apple was very white and firm. It contained no blemishes or bruises. It was perfect. The outer red skin that framed it made it appear like a white heart inside a red border. Against the backdrop of darkness it gleamed like a priceless pearl! At the half apple’s center were many rich dark brown seeds. They gleamed as if they had been freshly polished. I was amazed that none of them had been cut or damaged by the powerful knife. They were plump and ripe and whole and seemed ready to burst open at any moment. 

One by one the seeds began to fall very slowly from the center of the apple. As soon as they began to fall, they appeared to become larger and fuller. Some were so swollen that they were starting to split, and I could see green shoots between the cracks. Just as soon as these seeds left the apple’s center, more seeds appeared to take their place.  Then they also began to slowly fall from the apple’s core. 

As I stood gazing at this awesome scene, I was amazed at how much stronger and sweeter the aroma of the apple had grown. The fragrance became so intense that I could taste it in my mouth.   Then I heard a strong but gentle voice from above me say, "You are the apple of My eye! The seeds are ripe and ready for harvest!" 

Then I immediately woke up from the dream and knew it had been from God!  

*I'm still waiting on God's timing to release the interpretation of this dream...

The Cleansing Stream Vision

By Hazel Holland

Introduction

Hundreds of Christians representing many different denominations and churches in the body of Christ were worshiping the Lord along with me at this Cleansing Streams Seminar on November 19, 1995 when I received this vision.  We had chosen to come together on this particular weekend for one purpose, because we wanted to experience personal cleansing and deliverance from the strongholds of sin in our lives.

As we were lifting up our hands in praise to the Lord, singing the song, "God is My Redeemer", I saw this dark and desolate wilderness emerge before my eyes.  It was very bleak and covered with a thick blanket of snow.  How fitting that as I was acknowledging Jesus Christ as my Redeemer from sin I should receive this picture of a desolate wilderness covered with a thick blanket of snow.

 In the Old Testament “desolate land” often represents God's judgment for sin, whereas “white snow” represents how our sins look after they are covered by the blood of Jesus Christ.  Since Jesus already took the judgment for our sins upon Himself at the cross, we have been set free from sin by the Blood of the Lamb!  Although our sins were red like crimson, in Christ they are as white as snow (Isaiah 1:18). Yes, His mercy triumphs over judgment (James 2:13).  Such is the healing, reassuring, overwhelming, overcoming and redeeming love of God for His children!

 SCENE 1: The Desolate Wilderness 

 The Wide Road 

This dark, barren and desolate wilderness that lay before me looked like a wide desert valley had become trapped between two mountains of snow.  As already mentioned, the scene was extremely bleak and empty, and the coldness along with the darkness made me shiver. 

Although there was no moon or stars in the night sky, my eyes gradually adjusted to the intense darkness that surrounded me, and I realized that I was facing a wide, snow-covered road with high banks of snow on either side of it.  The snow on the surface of the road appeared untouched, and very deep.  It covered up the tracks of those who may have traveled down this road earlier. Just ahead of me a few leafless, snow-covered trees lined the right bank of the road.  

 As I looked toward the brow of the snow-covered hill, a short distance from where I stood, I noticed that the road ahead made a broad swing to the right.  Then suddenly it sharply curved to the left and disappeared from view behind a high bank of snow as it wound its way down the other side of the hill into the valley below.

Beyond the brow of the hill this same thick blanket of white snow covered the entire valley below.  The broad road I was standing on had become a narrow trail winding its way back and forth through the valley to the distant gray horizon.  I assumed that the descent of the hill on the other side that was beyond my immediate line of vision must be very long and steep, because of the drastic reduction in the size of the road down in the valley.

Seeing there were no visible signs of life anywhere, I wondered what this forsaken wilderness valley that appeared inhabited by neither man nor beast represented.  As the snow covered up the ugly desolation and barrenness of the land it also seemed to provide the "light" that helped me see another snow-covered road that I had failed to notice earlier. 

    

The Narrow Road

As my eyes moved from the distant valley to the immediate foreground of the scene, I saw another snow-covered road to my left.  It was much narrower than the one I was on, and appeared to hug the base of a tall snow-covered mountain a couple of hundred yards away from where I was standing.  I had not noticed it earlier because dead tree branches partially blocked me from getting a clear view of it.  I noticed that this narrow road was at a higher elevation, but paralleled the road I was on for a short distance, before disappearing from sight around the edge of a mountain.

 For a moment my eyes dropped to the ground to the left of me, and I saw what appeared to be an opening in the high bank of snow that lined the wide road.  In order to reach the narrow road I had just discovered I would have to forge a short trail through a section of uncharted, snow-covered land that separated the two roads.  The dead branches that had earlier blocked my view of the narrow road needed to be removed from the ground, so that others who came to this place in the wide road would be able to see clearly that there was another road for them to choose.

    

As I lifted my eyes to take another look at the narrow road, I looked back over my left shoulder to see where the narrow road came from.  It appeared to trail off to the left a short ways, hugging the side of the mountain, before disappearing into the darkness.

As I was pondering what I had just discovered, I heard the Spirit say to me, “Which road will you choose?”  I remembered the words of Jesus, “...broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many find it...but narrow is the road that leads to life and few find it” (Matthew 7:13-14).  My immediate response was “The narrow road, Lord!”

    

SCENE 2: Staking Out the Land

Now I could see for a short distance what lay around the corner of the narrow mountain road I had just chosen.  Like the first scene, black clouds prevented the moon and stars from giving any light.  In spite of the darkness the white snow continued to give off its own light.

To the left of the narrow road, beyond the high banks of snow, a sparse forest of leafless, dead looking, snow-covered trees trailed off into the mist and darkness.  Hugging the road to the right loomed another snow-covered mountain. From where I stood it appeared more like a giant wall of rock covered with snow, almost leaning into the road, as it protectively towered up above me and became one with the dark heavens.

Stretched out in front of me the narrow, snow-covered road appeared deserted, and the fresh layer of snow covered up the tracks of those who had traveled upon it earlier.  However, at the end of the road, a short distance before the road curved right around the side of the mountain, I noticed many black stakes about a foot high, sticking up out of the snow.  They appeared to have been placed closely together, and with such uniformity and precision that it looked like they had been “purposefully” driven into the snow.

Taking one look at this “roadblock” up head would be enough to discourage most travelers from venturing on any further down this road.  Were the stakes designed to discourage people from continuing their journey down this road, or were they there to provide some kind of direction that was not obvious at the present?  From where I stood I could see no relief from the "barrier" up ahead.  The stakes appeared to continue around the corner until the overhanging cliff finally cut them off from view.  It was impossible to tell how far around the corner the stakes continued—whether feet or miles.  It became obvious to me that to continue down this road one would have to “walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7).

SCENE 3: Worshipers in the Night

Before me appeared another scene on the snow-covered mountain road beyond the stakes.  Hugging the road to the left towered another mountain completely covered with snow.  This time I could see its summit.  To the right of the road, on the bank of snow was a large dark object.  It stood out because it was the only object that was not white, except for the night sky.  At first I thought it was a bare black rock, and wondered why it wasn't covered by the carpet of snow like the rest of the bleak landscape.

Suddenly, something stirred in the dark area.  As I looked again at what I had thought was a solid rock, I saw that several rows of people had been sitting, huddled so closely and tightly together on the snowbank that they appeared to look like a solid rock!

The people all appeared to be wearing dark midnight blue hooded parka-like jackets and pants.  I couldn't see their faces, because they were crouched over with their heads bowed.  I felt sure that they were trying to keep warm as they prayed and interceded together.

Having successfully finished their journey through the roadblock of “stakes” in the previous scene, I sensed that they were exhausted from their journey and in need of rest.  I wondered if the original group had been larger at one time, but some had turned back because of the “stakes” blocking the road.  Had some left friends or loved ones behind who had refused to continue with them on this journey?  Were they now praying for them, too?

All of a sudden I noticed that the black night sky above the mountain appeared to glow.  Warm, pink rays of light, appeared to beam down on the people.  After a few minutes people began to lift up their heads.  Slowly, people sitting in the back row began to rise, one after another. They stood tall, with their arms held high above their heads as they faced the pink light.  One by one, people in the second row joined them, as did the people in the front row.  Everyone stood with their hands lifted up above their heads as they looked towards the pink light in the sky above the mountain.  In the midst of this intense night of darkness, everyone had chosen to rise above the bleakness that surrounded them and worship the Lord together. The pink glow of light that shone down upon them was reflected in their faces!

SCENE 4: Footsteps in the Snow

The fourth scene was identical to the third except for the fact that there were no people in it, and there was no pink glow in the night sky.  Instead, a trail of footprints led from the snow-covered bank where the people had been worshiping, and continued on down the short stretch of narrow road towards the next curve that turned left around the side of the mountain.  Apparently everyone had chosen to continue on their journey even though the way ahead was cloaked in even thicker darkness.

As the Spirit took me up close to the footprints, I noticed that the snow on the surface of the road was fresh and crisp and new.  It was not pressed down into a hard pack like I had seen in the earlier scenes.  As I looked down at the footprints that had been made in the fresh snow, I could clearly see that every impression left in the snow by their boots was crisp, clean, and freshly made.  Each footprint had heavy tread with a different, but distinct pattern on the sole.  No two patterns were alike, and no one had walked upon one another’s footprints.  Each had made his own footprints in the snow.  Judging by the depth of each footprint, I guessed that they were walking in snow that was at least a foot deep.

SCENE 5: Climbing the Mountain

Before me stood the vertical edge of a snow-covered mountain, whose base and summit I couldn't see.  Like the previous scenes, the darkness of night stood out in stark contrast to the white snow.

Suddenly, a person appeared in front of me wearing the dark blue, hooded jacket and dark blue pants that I had seen earlier.  The hood of their jacket was drawn tightly around their face.  They were holding on to what appeared to be a black cable that hung down from the top of the mountain. As they carefully placed one hand above the next, they pulled themselves up the vertical face of the cliff in front of me.  I noticed that their feet never slipped for a moment from their footing as they continued to plant them one in front of the other on to the solid rock beneath the covering of snow.  Soon the person climbed up beyond my line of vision.

As I looked down the side of the mountain I saw another person below me climbing up the same way.  They too were holding on to another black cable as they slowly moved up the vertical face of the snow-covered rock.

One by one, and at different places on the face of the mountain, I saw more people pass before me in the same manner.  People had both feet firmly planted on the mountain, and each held on to a different black cable that hung down from above them.  Slowly they would emerge into the picture, and then disappear from sight as they moved on up the face of the rock.  Not once did I see anyone lose their footing, fall, or swing dangerously.  I knew these were the same people I had seen earlier, worshiping.  Had they come to the end of the narrow road and been faced with this steep mountain they each knew they had to climb?

SCENE 6: Forsaken Cabin

Stretched out in front of me lay a very flat and wide field of snow.  At the far end of the field there appeared to be an old abandoned cabin.  Winding through the field of snow was a narrow snow-covered path that finally led up to the door of the dilapidated building.  The path was much narrower than the previous road had been.

The cabin was heavily covered with snow—not just on the roof, but also the walls, windows and door.  Behind, and on either side of it, stood a forest of stark, leafless, trees also covered with snow.  I wondered if this was what the mountain climbers would see when they reached the top of the mountain?

The sky in this scene appeared to be an oppressive murky gray instead of black.  Was this an indication that the “night” would soon be over and that dawn was coming?

As I asked the Lord what this cabin represented, the Spirit took me up to the chimney to look inside.  I was amazed to see that down inside the opening, the chimney was full of fire, yet no smoke came out of the stack, and nothing seemed to be crackling or burning in the cabin.  In fact there was no light of any kind shining through the windows, and the door was closed.

Then the Spirit took me back to the path and had me look at the cabin again at a closer range.  This time I noticed a large sheet of ice on the path a short distance from the cabin door.  The ice looked very slick and thick and completely covered the pathway that led to the cabin.  The ice appeared to be another stumbling block designed to discourage travelers from continuing on the path to the cabin.  The banks of snow on either side of the path appeared to be several feet high—too deep to safely walk in.

Immediately, I understood that the fire in the chimney was what was needed to melt the sheet of ice on the path. But how could the two come together?

SCENE 7: Corridor and Doors

I saw a long, narrow corridor with high gray walls and ceiling.  It was the same shade of gray as the sky in the previous scene.  At the end of the corridor there appeared to be two black doors standing side by side, with a few inches of gray wall separating them.

Slowly, the two doors merged and became one door.  As I approached closer to the door I noticed that a white, mist-like substance that looked like a veil seemed to come from the walls just in front of the door.  Although I could see through the veil, it hung there like a cloud, separating me from the door beyond.  Gradually the corridor faded and I was left in darkness.

SCENE 8: Angelic Hosts

Out of the darkness appeared a small circle of swirling light.  A glorious double rainbow appeared above and beneath it, totally surrounding the circle of light.  The light grew bigger and brighter until it filled my whole line of vision. Fluffy white clouds, etched in gold, began to appear within the circle of light as it drew closer to me.

Breathlessly, I watched as angels began to quickly appear in the white clouds that surrounded the circle of glory.  Thousands upon thousands of angels seemed to fill the whole universe.  Everywhere I looked was filled with their glorious presence.  Each was holding a golden trumpet to his mouth.  Although I couldn't hear them I knew that they were blowing their trumpets.

In the center of the scene was a wide corridor of light, lined with thousands of angels.  It stretched for many, many miles into the distance.  It reminded me of the aisle a bride walks down to meet her husband.

As I stood there looking down the corridor of light, the Spirit enabled me to clearly see miles into the distance—far beyond my natural vision.  I knew that someday Jesus was going to come down this corridor of light to receive His waiting bride—the bride of Christ from all ages.

Beyond the corridor of light tens of thousands of angels kept appearing so that the whole heavens seemed to explode with their shining presence.  But my eyes kept being drawn back to the corridor of light.  As I watched, a white, fluffy cloud appeared in the distant center of that corridor of indescribable light and glory.  Above the cloud I saw the outline of a golden crown.  Was it one of the crowns that will rest upon the head of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ?  I knew that the cloud veiled the light and glory that emanates from the face of our King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Although I couldn't see my Redeemer's face, I could feel the warmth of His love penetrating my being.  I could sense the longing in His heart to return, and feel the urgency of His desire to reclaim us—His chosen bride.  The trumpet is at His lips!

SCENE 9: Framing the Saints

Having just witnessed the heavens become filled with thousands upon thousands of angels blowing their trumpets, I was taken aback and perplexed by what the Lord showed me next.   In this scene I had no peripheral vision as in the previous scene, and no sense of depth perception, but everything was seen through a square picture frame—like I was looking through a window.

Instead of seeing thousands of saints being resurrected and translated, I saw an elderly couple in the bottom left hand corner of the picture posed with their arms outstretched towards the glowing night sky.  The bottom part of their bodies was cut off at the groin by the picture frame so that I couldn't see their legs or feet.  Although no angels were visible in this scene, I knew they were just outside the frame because the light from above was reflected on this couple’s faces.  Towards the right, a short distance above the heads of the elderly couple, appeared the end of a large golden trumpet, surrounded by a golden haze of pink light.

The smile on the elderly couple’s upturned faces reminded me of some of the traditional paintings we have all seen in Bible story books that depict the Second Coming.  However, their smiles appeared to be staged, like they had practiced it for some time and were now posing for the perfect picture to send to their grandchildren!

The clothing and hairstyle of the elderly couple were plain and reflected a simple lifestyle free from any adornment.  Behind the couple were other people who I couldn't clearly see because they all appeared to be lined up behind one another so uniformly that no one stood out from any of the others.  All I could see was their outstretched arms.  I couldn't tell from my perspective how far the line went back.  I was limited in my understanding of what I saw because I had no bird's-eye view of the situation.

All of a sudden bodies of saints began to rise up into the air in the dark background of the picture and move beyond the confines of the picture frame to where I could no longer see them.  As they were being caught up in the air I noticed that they had no distinct characteristics like the elderly couple or the people standing behind them in the foreground of the picture.  They appeared to be ethereal silhouettes of bodies being caught and moving beyond my frame of reference towards the heavens…

After a few moments of watching people being caught up in the air in the background of the picture I was wondering when the elderly couple and the people standing behind them in the foreground would be translated.  But it never happened!

As I watched the end of the huge trumpet that was a short distance above the heads of the people in the foreground, I wondered if the trumpet was sounding forth a message of celebration or a message of warning.  Suddenly the scene began to fade without the people in the foreground of the picture being translated.  They continued to appear frozen in their happy pose as they looked with outstretched arms towards the sky, still oblivious to and unmoved by the events happening all around them. 

SCENE 10: Ark of the Covenant

Words cannot adequately describe the awe and splendor of this final scene.  Before me was a golden stairway of steps that led straight up to the Ark of the Covenant.  On either side of the Ark angels stood, with their heads bowed, and their wings folded covering their faces, reverently bowing before the Mercy Seat.  They, along with the Ark of the Covenant appeared to be bathed in brilliant golden light.  The Scripture that came to my mind as I saw this is found in Revelation 11:19: "Then God's temple was opened, and within His temple was seen the Ark of the Covenant."

Behind, and on either side of the golden stairway, tens of thousands, probably millions of angels were arranged in beautiful, orderly patterns.  They seemed to be divided into companies, some larger, some smaller.  The angel companies stretched out into the distance on every side of the Ark of the Covenant as far as my eyes could see.  All the angels appeared to be focused on one thing—the Ark!  All I saw was the backs of their heads and their folded wings, as they prostrated themselves in worship before the Ark of the Covenant—before the judgement seat of Jesus Christ.  All of the angels were focused on the Ark, and I knew the Ark represented Jesus Christ! 

Then the final scene of the vision faded…

“For in just a little while, ‘He who is coming will come and will not delay.  But my righteous one will live by faith…’” (Hebrews 10:37-39).

* I'm still waiting on the Lord for His timing to share the interpretation of this vision...  

A Wake-Up Call

By Hazel Holland
9/26/01

As I was watching the evening news several days after the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center Towers and the Pentagon, I was startled to see a particular snap shot of New York City and the bay. It was identical to the scene I had been shown in a very vivid dream that I received five years ago back in December of 1996.

At the time God gave me the dream I didn’t fully understand it and felt no anointing to write about it like I had other dreams I had received around that time. It wasn’t until 1999 that God began to give me the interpretation of this dream and prompted me to share it with my intercessor friends. Some of them encouraged me to try and post it on several prophetic web sites so that a wider audience might be reached. Unfortunately those web sites informed me that this word was either too long or too negative.

Since the recent terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center Towers and the Pentagon, on September 11, 2001, the Lord has impressed by to send this word out again. I believe God is bringing us an urgent call to REPENT. God is calling us as “priests unto the Lord” to hear the cry of His heart for His children. We are being called to stand in the gap and intercede for those who are asleep. It is time for God’s children to fall to their knees in crisis intercession!

In the dream I was an observer, standing on the shore of a sandy beach with my back to the ocean. Stretched out in front of me were hundreds of people crammed together on the beach. They appeared to be either sitting or lying almost on top of one another as they relaxed in the summer sun. In the background off to the right stood the outline of a large sprawling city. Its distant skyscrapers reached up like grasping fingers to the heavens, while the water of the bay lapped at its feet.

Suddenly a long, black missile appeared to drop out of the blue sky, headed straight for the city. Within seconds the doomed city exploded in a huge ball of fire. No one present on the beach saw the attack or heard the explosion.

As I watched in horror and stunned disbelief, another missile unexpectedly came from the right. Instead of flying vertically towards the earth as I had seen the other missile do, this one flew horizontally a few feet over our heads. Instantly pandemonium broke out. But before the startled people could run very far, another missile tauntingly zoomed over our heads from the opposite direction.

From the moment the first missile appeared over the beach, I saw a manifestation of God’s sovereign power displayed in the sky that immediately removed my fear of death. Blazing in large, gold, flashing letters above me were the words, “Jesus is your High Priest!” This same message appeared in several different languages, one of them being Spanish.

Although God was sovereignly intervening to assure us of His Son’s intercession, no one but I saw the writing in the sky. Totally ignoring the fearful sound of the screaming missiles, I called out to the fleeing people, begging them to stop running and look up! But no one heard my pleas. No one paid any attention to my words. Panic had gripped their hearts. They were beside themselves with fear as they stumbled over one another, running hysterically in every direction. I stood there alone, my eyes focused on God’s words in the sky. With tears of thankfulness in my heart, I lifted up my hands in praise and thankfulness to God as I interceded for the people. Immediately I woke up and knew that God had given us a word of warning, along with a message of hope.

Interpretation

Although I had this dream in the middle of winter, I believe the season of the year in which I witnessed these events was summer. Summertime always reminds me of harvest time, because of the abundance of produce during this season of the year. As I reflected on these thoughts, the Lord brought the following words of Scripture to my mind. “The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.” (Jeremiah 8:20).

As I read these words of the prophet Jeremiah in context, I saw that he was weeping and mourning over the devastation and horror that he experienced as he watched his people become crushed and destroyed by the enemy. God had told Jeremiah to prophesy to His people that He would take away their harvest because they refused to repent of worshiping worthless idols. God would remove His protective hand from them, and cause their enemies to triumph over them, because they had corporately as a nation forsaken their Spring of Living Water (Jeremiah 8, 9). In tears of anguish Jeremiah cries out, “The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.” (Jeremiah 8:20).

I believe God is calling many of His children like He called Jeremiah to weep and mourn and intercede for our nation so that we return to the Spring of Living Water.

The Church at Ease

The people in this beach scene who appear to be so focused on their own comfort and pleasure, reflect the attitudes of many of us within the Laodicean church of today. Unfortunately, much of the theology of our western world today appears to be self-centered and self-seeking. We want God to bless us, prosper us, heal us and protect us. Instead of seeking His face to know what is on His heart, we are more inclined to seek His hands with a list of things that we want Him to do for us.

Although the once famous city of Laodicea had hot springs, a natural source of water that took care of people’s physical needs, it did not satisfy their spiritual needs. We in the church today are in much the same spiritual condition as that church back in John’s day. We have forgotten the Living Spring! We fail to come to Him to have our thirst quenched (Isaiah 55:1). Instead we have chosen to rely on empty cisterns—the pleasures of this life. As a result, our love [agape] has grown cold and indifferent because we are not filled with the Holy Spirit (Matthew 24:12).

The dream reveals that many of us in the church are so preoccupied with our selfish desires that we are oblivious to the real needs of others around us [the people in the city]. The urgency of the hour is upon us. While many of us in the church have had our guns pointed at one another, instead of the real enemy of our souls, the real enemy has been busy gathering troupes into his kingdom.

The destruction of the city that goes unnoticed by the people on the beach illustrates the spiritual blindness and deafness that is causing many in the church to be self-sufficient and preoccupied with the cares of this life. Spiritual pride has blinded us to the true condition of our hearts. We are devoid of the Spirit, yet we know it not!

This message of warning given by the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, Jesus Christ is given in love. “Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent.” God is pleading with us to repent—to change our minds—to stop resisting the Spirit’s work. In essence, God is calling us to stop living for God by our own righteousness and to start living for God by the Spirit’s power (Revelation 3:14-22).

Unless we wake up, turn around and repent, we will not “see” the missiles of the enemy coming upon us until it’s too late. When we are faced with the taunting attacks of the enemy, we will fail to look up and see the hand of our Intercessor and Deliverer, Jesus Christ. Paralyzed by fear we will run blindly for cover, unaware that we are still clothed in our own righteousness. We have not received His clothing [His righteousness] to cover our nakedness. Unless we put on the wedding garment of Christ’s righteousness in exchange for our own filthy rags, He will not know us.

The good news of this beach scene is mercy! God is revealing His mercy in the midst of the roaring of the enemy. God is “holding back the four winds of the earth” [strife] until He has sealed all His children (Revelation 7:3). The fact that the missiles didn’t hit their intended target on the beach [the church] is because God is sovereignly in control, not Satan. Jesus Christ is interceding for His people and He is calling us to join Him in crisis intercession for He is not willing that any should perish.

The Doomed City

As I thought about the outline of this city I had been shown against the blue sky, there was not a dark cloud in sight that would indicate that an attack was coming. Judging by the height of its towering skyscrapers, glistening in the sun, the city appeared to be strong and indestructible. No one would have imagined that it was soon to be devoured in a roaring inferno. For those who perished in the flames, the summer ended, the harvest was passed.

What is God saying to us by this tragic word picture? I believe He is showing us the Enemy’s wrath that will be unleashed when God removes His hand of protection. I believe this doomed city is also a warning of how God’s wrath will finally fall on those who refuse His offer of mercy and grace. I believe the Lord is giving us both a literal and a spiritual application of what this city by the sea represents.

Two years ago in 1999 when I first shared this dream with some of my intercessor friends, I was hit with a very heavy prophetic shake that reduced me to deep groaning and loud ho-ing that lasted for over an hour. At that time I felt sure this dream was a warning to intercede for the people of a city on the East Coast of the United States, quite possibly New York. It seemed that the anointing of the Holy Spirit seemed to fall heavier upon me when I spoke about the East Coast as opposed to the West Coast. But I sensed that the West Coast was not except.

For the past several years, every time I have visited beach cities on the West Coast, like San Diego or Newport Beach, I have been hit [actually doubled over] with periods of loud ho-ing [cries of intercession] that have not been understood by most people. Now I know that God has been giving us a warning to intercede and cry out for these cities to repent because they are possibly going to become future targets of terrorist attacks.

Spiritual Babylon

I believe that through this surprise attack that I was shown in this dream God is bringing us a message that has a dual application—both literal as well as spiritual. We all know the literal and devastating results of how commercial airliners became guided missiles in the hands of terrorists. To some degree or other we are all experiencing the grief, pain and shock of being victims of this cowardly attack. We all know that God loves the people of New York City as much as He loves the people in every city. His unconditional love is for all peoples, whether they ever accept His Son or not. But that is not the main focus of this dream. What I feel led to concentrate on at this time is the spiritual application of what this city represents.

As I thought about this tragic word picture—this prosperous looking city so clearly outlined against the blue sky with not a dark cloud in sight that would indicate that an attack from the Enemy was coming, I knew God was showing us spiritual Babylon. Judging by the height of its towering skyscrapers, glistening in the sun, this city by the sea appeared strong and indestructible. No one would have had any idea that it was about to be devoured in a roaring inferno. The summer ended for those who perished in the flames. The harvest was past for those who were taken by surprise.

I believe this city symbolically represents spiritual Babylon—a union of the world’s religious and political systems that opposes God and His Son Jesus Christ. It is spoken of in the last book of the Bible—the book of Revelation.

The word “Babylon” means confusion, and dates back to the time of the Tower of Babel where shortly after the flood, people began to build a city with a tower that reached to the heavens (Gen. 11:1-9). Their object in building this city and tower was to make a name for themselves. However, God interposed and defeated their design by confounding their language and scattering them over the face of the earth. Hence the name Babel, means "confusion." Seeing “Babylon” in the context of “confusion” helps us understand why this false system of worship spoken of in Revelation is in opposition to God’s kingdom of righteousness. It is designed to make a name for itself, instead of worshiping and glorifying God’s name!

I believe the Lord is saying to the church and to our nation that whenever we try to make a name for ourselves instead of lifting up His name, we are destined for confusion! I believe God is using this word picture to send out a warning message to those of us who are still living in spiritual Babylon. He is revealing to us the dark places in our hearts that He wants to immerse in His River of Mercy. Although Satan is coming with all the fury of hell to take captives, God is also coming with all the power of His love to release captives from spiritual Babylon.

Although we may have literally left the “city,” the city is still very much alive in many of our hearts. Like Lot’s wife we are still clinging to our idols. Our focus is still centered on ourselves instead of on those who do not know Jesus Christ. Unless we heed the call of His Spirit and come out of spiritual Babylon, we will eventually be destroyed along with those who are caught up in her false system of worship.

The Scriptures clearly teach us that spiritual Babylon will eventually be destroyed by fire when those who once supported her, turn on her, and bring her to ruin by withdrawing their support. “Therefore in one day her plagues will overtake her; death, mourning and famine. She will be consumed by fire, for mighty is the Lord who judges her” (Revelation 17:16; 18:8).

Just as Lot and his family were warned to leave Sodom before it was consumed by fire, and Christians were warned to leave Jerusalem before it was destroyed in AD 70, so God is calling His children to come out of spiritual Babylon. “Come out of her, my people, so that you will not share in her sins…” (Revelation 18:4). “I will keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth” (Revelation 3:10).

Urgent Call to Repentance

This word picture of unexpected destruction is an urgent call to repentance. God is “not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:8). However, He knows that many of us in the church today, like the people in Jeremiah’s day, are caught up in the world’s religious systems, and are involved in many subtle forms of idolatry. We have forsaken the Spring of Living Water, and instead are relying on polluted water. We have a form of godliness, but many of us have no Holy Spirit power. If we choose to remain in our sins [in Babylon] we are going to perish in our sins. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord”(Romans 6:23).

In a similar way that sudden destruction took the people in this coastal city by surprise, so sudden destruction will take people who are at ease in the church by surprise, along with many in the world. “While people are saying, ‘Peace and safety,’ destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.” Then Paul adds, “But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. You are all sons of the light and sons of the day… So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled… putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ”(1 Thessalonians 5:3-9).

In Wrath Remember Mercy

Just as redemptive judgments fell upon Judah because of her rejection of God, so they will eventually fall upon those of us who continue to cling to our idols, who continue to be clothed in our own righteousness. Having a profession of godliness, but denying the Spirit’s power and the all-sufficiency of Christ’s sacrifice will not protect us in the days ahead unless we are sealed by the Spirit of the Living God.

In the same way that God called the prophet Habakkuk to pray on behalf of his people who had been unfaithful, God is calling many intercessors in the body of Christ to do the same today. As we remember God’s fame and stand in awe of His marvelous deeds, let us cry out to God, “Lord… in wrath remember mercy”(Habakkuk 3:2)! Although Habakkuk saw that God was sending the Babylonians—a nation more evil than Judah—to take them captive, he knew that they [the Babylonians] would “exhaust themselves for nothing.” For he remembered God’s promise: “For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea” (Habakkuk 2:13-14).

Eventually the day of calamity would come on the nation invading Judah (Habakkuk 3:16). Eventually God would win and the enemy would loose. Therefore, in spite of the dismal outlook, Habakkuk still chose to rejoice in the Lord, and live by faith (Habakkuk 3:17-19; 2:4). We in the church are called to do the same. “For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: ‘The righteous will live by faith”(Romans 1:17). We are being called by the Spirit to live by faith in Christ’s finished work for us.

Just as Jeremiah, Habakkuk and many other prophets stood in the gap for their people, so God is calling forth an army of intercessors in the body of Christ today to stand in the gap and intercede on behalf of those who are at ease in the church and the world. We are being called to “wake up” and see the fields are ready for harvest. The promise that the “earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea” is a promise for us today. The Amen tells us that all of God’s promises are yes.

In order that we may be found in Him when He shall appear, let us buy gold—faith and love refined by the heat of trials so that we can become rich. Let us put on Christ’s robe of righteousness so that we aren’t naked. Let us receive the eye salve of the Spirit so we can see. Let us acknowledge and confess our true spiritual condition. Let us hear what the Spirit is saying to the church and REPENT!

We are called to be sons and daughters of the Light—sons and daughters of the day! Let us arise from our Laodicean slumber. Let us get on our faces and REPENT! Let us be led by the Spirit to boldly declare the praises of Him who has called us out of darkness into His wonderful light (1 Peter 2:9). How beautiful are the feet of those who bring Good News!”(Romans 10:14-15).

♥ You're His Beloved Daughter ♥

By Hazel Holland

(Originally written February 13, 2008)

I was rummaging through the archives in my file cabinet today when I came across an unfinished “letter” of sorts that I had written many years ago. The carbon paper I had used to make a more readable copy had become almost indelible. As my eyes began to scan the writing, now faded by time, my heart was strangely moved... I began to weep as I recognized how far I had come in my journey towards freedom in Christ.

I completed the letter today that I was unable to finish back then... and I want to share it with you now. I sense the Holy Spirit wants to use my healing from brokenness to bring healing to the wounds you may have received at the hands of a loved one or friend.

“This is your fifteen year old daughter”, the therapist stated as he pointed towards the empty chair. “Now what are you going to tell her?”

I stared blankly at the vacant chair. I wasn't prepared for this kind of question... I couldn’t speak. I was too choked up. She was too real. She was me…and I was fifteen…alone and afraid.

“Thank God, I don’t have a daughter! This is just pretend...” I was trying to calm my racing heart. "But why does it feel so real...?”

She stared back at me, and I saw her confusion and helplessness. She really did need me. She really did need someone to be her friend, and tell her that she was living in a dream—a fantasy—not of her own choosing. I hated to intrude. But I must. She must get the chance I waited forty years to find…

“Daughter that I never had, but always dreamed of having… I give you the wisdom and folly of my years. They are my gift to you. May you succeed where I never knew I could. May you win where I never had permission to fail…”

“Daughter, I want you to know that you are very precious because you are you!” I never knew that when I was fifteen. I didn’t know that I was more than just “OK”…that I was actually precious, because I never received that message in growing up. Because I was neglected, I learned to neglect myself. Because I was rejected, I learned to reject myself.

Instead, I learned that my feelings were not to be trusted…my feelings would always lead me astray. My feelings were foolishness! So without realizing it I tried to ignore and repress the God-given means by which I could come to know myself, my God, and the world around me. I lived my life to please others, but never pleased myself. And then I discovered I never could… There was always more that I should have done… I never learned that I am not responsible for making others happy…or unhappy. They do that quite well without my help. But I am responsible for me. The way I choose to express myself now, and live my life in this world does affect others around me—either positively or negatively.

Because of the trauma and pain of my adolescent years I learned to distrust my feelings—especially when it came to relationships with men. Because I never felt accepted and loved, I was always searching for that special “someone” who would meet those neglected, but legitimate needs. Back then I didn’t recognize the victim role I was playing, and so I continued to play it right on through adulthood. And for every “victim” there is a “rescuer”. My needs for acceptance, love and security were so great that I felt unable to make wise choices. So they were made for me by the “other” person who always seemed to know that I was the “right one” for him! After all…shouldn’t I be grateful that someone even loved me at all?

Maybe…just maybe…if I never had to choose then I would never have to lose… Did it work? No! Three marriages and three divorces later I realized that I had left my fifteen year old on an emotional roller-coaster. I would have to go back and get her before I could put my life together…really for the first time. I could no longer avoid facing the trauma of my childhood and working through the painful experiences of growing up…

“Daughter, I abandoned you…just like I had been abandoned!” I am sorry that I ignored your silent cries to be loved. Please forgive me for pushing you away when you needed to know that you mattered..." I never knew there was any link, until now, between the fifteen year old I rejected and the broken relationships I have been through… Going back is painful. Remembering brings tears. But refusing to see and go back to where I stopped growing spells more heartache and tragedy…

“Daughter, you are beautiful! I know that…even though I have never seen you…or have I? Was I afraid to admit it because you reminded me so much of myself? Men will often notice your beauty on the outside before they ever see it on the inside. And that’s ok. You have both. Some only have one… Don’t put yourself down for the one, or be swept away by the other… Get to know yourself…your likes and dislikes. Both are important. Then you won’t have to cover up the “missing parts” you see in others with some of your own “spares”… You are a whole person when you realize that you do not need someone else to make you happy…and you enjoy your own company.”

We all have strengths and weaknesses. And we all need one another in a very real way to help us grow. When I share with you from my strength it does not make you feel weaker, but stronger, because I share with you as an equal. It gives you then the courage to share from your strength. But if I should come to you as a superior talking to a lackey (sorry for the English expression), I would leave you in your weakness and in your dependency… You would see me as the “rescuer” and yourself as the “victim”.

“Daughter, I give you the freedom to be your own person…to make decisions and choices…whether right or wrong. I give you permission to make mistakes. We all make them if we are to ever grow into healthy adults. Don’t let the fear of making a mistake lead you to let someone else make it for you, and then give you all the credit for making it!”

“Daughter, there is no Prince Charming after all—except the one you will recognize inside of you! Love yourself in a healthy way. Give yourself pats and strokes. Don’t wait for someone else to notice that you are “special”. Give yourself the first hug, and you’ll be surprised how many others will follow… There are many loving people out there, and there are also many “takers”. You will be able to tell the difference if you listen with your heart… Trust your judgment. It is good as anybody else’s and probably much better for you…”

“Daughter, continue to risk being open and taking chances. That way you’ll never get bored, or old, or set in your ways. Life is not easy, but it is a challenge worth taking. Life is not always fair. And sometimes we have to snatch joy out of the path of pain…”

“Daughter, you are loved…not only because you are part of me, but because you are made in God’s image. I have chosen to love you, because I am finally learning to love myself. Learning that He loved me before I ever chose to love Him back has freed me to receive His heart for you. Becoming more aware of who I am in Him has given me the courage to embrace your soul in all its gentleness and sensitivity, and discover my own.”

“Daughter that I now have, and always dreamed of having… I give you the wisdom and folly of my years… They are my gift to you. You will succeed where I never knew I could. You will win where I never had permission to fail. Thank you for coming back… In loving you, I have begun to love myself…because you see, dear one, it is me that I see when I look at you…”♥