by Paul McGuire

On March 7, 2009 David Wilkerson issued a strong prophetic warning of impending judgment upon America and the world.,   Wilkerson said,,   "AN EARTH-SHATTERING CALAMITY IS ABOUT TO HAPPEN. IT IS GOING TO BE SO FRIGHTENING, WE ARE ALL GOING TO TREMBLE - EVEN THE GODLIEST AMONG US.

"For ten years I have been warning about a thousand fires coming to New York City. It will engulf the whole megaplex, including areas of New Jersey and Connecticut. Major cities all across America will experience riots and blazing fires"”such as we saw in Watts, Los Angeles, years ago.

"There will be riots and fires in cities worldwide. There will be looting"”including Times Square, New York City. What we are experiencing now is not a recession, not even a depression. We are under God’s wrath."

In today's "seeker sensitive' church world those words may be an affront to the Evangelical Church's god, who is not the Biblical God. ‚   The Old Testament prophets, the Apostle Paul, the Apostle John and the Lord Jesus Christ Himself were not "seeker sensitive." ‚   They told the truth! ‚   Using Jesus Christ, the Apostles and the Old Testament prophets as God's standard, the seeker sensitive model could be characterized as false prophecy.

Some Bible teacher's, ‚   who teach a Pre-Tribulation Rapture, which I believe the Bible teaches, may have difficulty with David Wilkerso n's prophecy because at face-value it appears to describe events that would occur during the seven year Tribulation Period. ‚   However, I would like to point out two things.

First, there is nothing in the Old Testament or New Testament that states that God cannot allow judgment prior to the Tribulation Period. ‚   History is filled with examples, of what may have been God's judgment on a nation or an individual after the birth of the Church or what is commonly referred to as the "Church Age." ‚   It is a clear that "the time of Jacob's trouble" begins with the Rapture of the Church and the revealing of the Antichrist. ‚   But, ‚   judgment has and can occur before that time period. ‚   The difference is that the judgment and wrath of God during the seven year Tribulation Period begins with the Church of Jesus Christ being removed from the earth and the man of sin or the Antichrist is revealed.

Clearly, when one reads David Wilkerson's vision of judgment and his word's, it appears to reflect David Wilkerson's Post-Tribulation viewpoint. ‚   For example, ‚   Wilkerson writes, ‚   "In Psalm 11:6, David warns, 'Upon the wicked he will rain snares (coals of fire)"¦fire"¦burning wind"¦will be the portion of their cup.' Why? David answered, 'Because the Lord is righteous' (v. 7). This is a righteous judgment"”just as in the judgments of Sodom and in Noah’s generation." ‚   These words indicate a Post-Tribulation viewpoint. However, if Wilkerson's vision is from the Lord none of the things Wilkerson says necessarily have to occur after the seven-year Tribulation Period begins or we are on the verge of the Rapture immediately before the Tribulation Period begins. ‚   I am not saying this with certainty as to the date of the "Rapture," as the Bible warns against specific date setting.

Obviously, we cannot equate David Wilkerson's vision at the same level as the scripture. ‚   David Wilkerson has had earlier visions which did not seem to come true exactly as he saw them. ‚   Yet, many of the things he saw did come true. ‚   Some would raise the argument that if David Wilkerson's prophecy is not 100% accurate that he is not truly a Biblical prophet. ‚   There is no question that in the Old Testament, a prophet could be stoned to death for not being 100% accurate. ‚   However, there are many faithful leaders in the Body of Christ who are alive today who have missed God's timing or who have gotten certain things wrong. ‚   Yet, they remain faithful men of God. ‚   Again, the question could be legitimately raised, "Your argument is on a slippery slope theologically." In the strictest sense of interpretation that challenge is legitimate. ‚   That is why no man, vision or experience, including the opinions of this author can be put on the same level of scripture.

However, what if God did reveal something to David Wilkerson? ‚   What if, for example, what he saw was a consequence of an Israeli strike against Iran where computer guided missiles from Russia and other nations were launched. ‚   Intelligence experts are aware of the fact that there are thousands of missiles aimed at major U.S. cities and vice versa that are on a hair-trigger alert. ‚   What if Iran attacked Israel and that action precipitated a nuclear missile exchange through super-powers like Russia, China, Germany, Britain and the U.S. or Russian vessels armed with nukes traveling through the Panama Canal or off the coast of Venezuela ‚   or Cuba? What if an act of terrorism such as an EMP or Electronic Pulse Weapon crashed the power grid and U.S. system? ‚   Clearly, riots would occur and cities would burn. ‚   Or the possibility of an unexpected asteroid hit? ‚   The possibilities are endless. ‚   In addition, we have the theological debate among those who hold to a Pre-Tribulation position of an Ezekiel 38 scenario taking place before the Tribulation Period. ‚   I am not here to be an apologist for David Wilkerson, but I am suggesting that his vision does not necessarily conflict with the prophetic time table.

In the final analysis, David Wilkerson's prophetic warning should be heeded. ‚   It does not mean that the Tribulation Period has begun, even though Wilkerson probably believes that. ‚   The point is that David Wilkerson had a long-term track record of being a strong and faithful preacher of the Word of God. ‚   He has challenged apostasy and false prophecy for years. ‚   At every level, David Wilkerson's character is one of a true Biblical leader in a day where apostasy is epidemic. ‚   I for one take David Wilkerson's prophecy soberly. ‚   I do not put it at the same level as the Scripture and I do so, recognizing the fallibility of even the best of Christian leaders. ‚   But beginning to be prepared both spiritually practically is prudent. ‚   The American Church and much of the Church in Europe is the Laodecian Church described by Jesus Christ in the Book of Revelation. ‚   After 911, the Church continued to slumber and even in the midst of global economic crisis the modern Laodecian Church refuses to consider the real possibility that Christ could return and Israel is our major prophetic sign.

Without question we are in the last days and Israel is God's prophetic time clock. ‚   Iran is a threat to Israel's very existence. ‚   Although, the Church and what Henry Kissinger recently called, "the new world order" trifles with Israel's existence and right to the land, God does not. ‚   Isn't it interesting that Wilkerson issue's his warning as the threat to Israel is at the critical state. ‚   I don't know about you, but I am going to seek the face of God and pray for the peace of Jerusalem. ‚   I will not be headed to the hills in a camouflage outfit, but I will do what the Lord has commanded us to do which is "occupy until I come." Ultimately, my faith is in the Word of God and not the prophecy of any man.

---

Paul McGuire is the author of 16 books on prophecy including "The Day The Dollar Died." ‚   Paul is a conference speaker and a ‚   professor at the King’s College & Seminary. ‚   paulmcguire.com