Shaking the Nations!

[C8-@]

Has anything similar ever happened to you?

In November 2004 I went to a 'Men's Weekend Away' event with the church where we fellowshiped at the time.

I didn't really want to go but when I got in from work that day my wife had already packed my clothes, sleeping bag and dug the campbed out of the garage. She practically bundled me and everything else into the car and started the engine. (I think she needed some space).

I turned up that Friday night at this dusty old church in a shabby little seaside town on the South Coast of England. I was dreading spending the night in a damp sleeping bag on a rickety old campbed, along with 19 other brothers all twisting, turning and snoring in unison like a host of somnolent angels.

Time gradually wore on.

By Saturday evening's meeting I was flagging after a poor nights sleep and a long prayer walk along the stoney beach that afternoon.

About 9pm after the Praise and Worship and hearing the Word of God it was suggested that we spend some time in meditation and prayer before going to bed.

Wearily I knelt down in front of the blue plastic chair in front of me, leaned heavily on it and closed my eyes. After a few moments in contemplative prayer the strangest thing happened.

Everything around me began to shake. I could hear my brothers still praying, but I could also feel the room shaking beneath where I was kneeling.

I opened my eyes, and the shaking stopped. I closed them and it started again. I did this 3 times and each time the same result.

Feeling a little perturbed by this I lay down on the floor, which was fine until I closed my eyes, then the shaking started again. I didn't share this with anyone at the time or ask if anyone else had felt the same thing.

The next day at the Sunday morning meeting we were invited to share what we felt God had spoken to us the previous evening. I shared my experience about the room shaking (apparently no one else in the room had felt this ) and said that I thought that God is going to 'Shake the Nations'.

I went home and in the days and weeks that followed promptly forgot about it. It wasn't until about 3 months later whilst watching a Documentary on TV that I remembered it again, around February 2005.

My wife and I had gone up north to spend Christmas 2004 with my folks, we had then come back down on 27th December as we were spending New Year with her folks in France and had a Ferry to catch.

Half way down the motorway (Freeway) we hit a huge traffic jam, near the airport. A journey that should have taken 4 hours took 7 with a detour through the Centre of London. We only just caught our boat to France.

We later discovered the reason why. A Tsunami had struck the Indian Ocean that day and folks had descended on the airports en mass looking for freinds, family and loved ones. We had been caught up in the chaos caused by this.

Whilst watching the Documentary about the Indian Ocean Tsunami in February 2005 the penny suddenly dropped. I remembered my experience the previous November and God's words to me about 'Shaking the Nations'.

I was dumbfounded! That God should give me a tiny glimpse of something like that, why? Of course at the time I'd had no idea what it meant. Since then though I beleive that God has been and will continue to 'Shake the Nations'.

I know that many people professed to have had dreams and visions about 911 before it happened (I didn't), yet no one actually accurately 'prophesied' it (did they?).

What do people think of such things? Am I even right in beleiving that God gave me a tiny 'glimpse' of the Christmas Tsunami of 2004?

 

[gracechick]

I think it is quite possible. Also if you search I bet you will find some dreams and visions about 9/11. I know I've read some believer's testimonies of disaster dreams and visions that they feel were warnings of the attack, but I cannot recall what sites.
Have you searched Youtube as many people are video taping their testimonies of prophetic dreams and visions. Some interesting stuff there.

 

[Hiroyuki]

'Shaking the nations' is a big concept scattered all through Scripture, and very heavy in Revelation.

In a sense, natural disasters are a symbolic message - hate to say, almost - and a real thing that happens as the earth approaches convergence with singularity.

Psalms speaks of how God will shake the very foundations of creation. Heaven, hell, and earth. (To use such terms.)

In Revelation, there is a lot on this, but it all ties into the Prophets and Moses (the Law).

The earth has to change to accept something horrific like the Kingdom of God coming to it.

All the powers and authorities get overturned in that process and an entirely new rule is set up. A lot of people end up looking at the bad of this, because Revelation speaks of a world world kingdom. But, what is important here above all is that is the last grasping of the "powers that be" on earth, or in the heavenly realms of the air, against the great change they see coming.


People really shouldn't be expected to have a lot of information on these things. Even the concept of death bothers them a great deal. People can be very solid, good Christians and not have much information at all, or have "filled in the blanks" through popular - or even legacy - "answers"... which are either entirely wrong or simply pointing in a far, far stranger direction.


A problem can get is when we stop evaluating when we are really very sure about something versus when we aren't really sure about anything. The sort of evaluation that is ultimately in the heart, despite whatever "knowledge" we may have.


It is very difficult to comprehend that which we have no framework for. We need frameworks to hear the Spirit on matters, especially if it is gargantuan and strange. Scripture gives some direction on these matters, but clearly, when one gets to "end times" prophecy the wording is extremely mystical, vague, puzzling.

 

[heron]

I was dumbfounded! That God should give me a tiny glimpse of something like that, why? Of course at the time I'd had no idea what it meant. Since then though I beleive that God has been and will continue to 'Shake the Nations'.

What are some of the things that we are called to do and sanctioned to know, as children of the Most High King?

We are asked to bring truth and light to others, spread the good news of redemption, heal and set others free, pray without ceasing, feed and clothe the needy.

How would each of these activities fit into a forewarning from God? Ideally, we would develop enough concern for the people in the troubled situation, to take some of these steps to act on their behalf.

It is not that God gives us perks like a fortuneteller would want, to be right all the time. It is that He actually wants things done. We are privy for a great reason -- because we live for Him.

You learned from this experience that you can trust a quirky jostling that got your attention. The next time something strange happens, ask God what He'd like you to do next. Ask that He work through you.


Aside... I have felt a lot of earthquakes in the last year or two, in different locations, after a lifetime of never feeling them. I've even physically felt some that others didn't feel, but were a few hundred miles away. That is different than the phenomenon you experienced, but maybe related. I should be more attentive.

There is the possibility of seizures of course, but I also heard a rumbling or rattling.

'Shaking the nations' is a big concept scattered all through Scripture, and very heavy in Revelation.

This is important. We can conjecture about dreams, but we always need to live out what we suspect, in line with scriptures. Be responsible with information, respond as God would desire we would.

It is a fact that scriptures show shaking in this way. The tsunami event shook the whole world, and sparked people and nations into action.

 

[C8-@]

Hi heron

"It is not that God gives us perks like a fortuneteller would want, to be right all the time. It is that He actually wants things done. We are privy for a great reason -- because we live for Him.

You learned from this experience that you can trust a quirky jostling that got your attention. The next time something strange happens, ask God what He'd like you to do next. Ask that He work through you.

Aside... I have felt a lot of earthquakes in the last year or two, in different locations, after a lifetime of never feeling them. I've even physically felt some that others didn't feel, but were a few hundred miles away. That is different than the phenomenon you experienced, but maybe related. I should be more attentive.

There is the possibility of seizures of course, but I also heard a rumbling or rattling."

Thanks for your insight.

I agree it is not at all like being a fortuneteller (the Devil shares what little information he has with them). I didn't want or ask for this experience to happen to me, I hadn't prayed for it or any kind of 'Revelation', I didn't even want to be there at the time.

I learned, but not until some time after, that God wants more of my attention (I'm a slow learner) and He has been reinforcing this message ever since. Your very own words are just the latest evidence of this for me.

Sadly at the time I didn't ask God the question "What do I do with this so that you may work through me Lord?" Although I did share it with my brothers, no 'answers' or 'suggestions' were forthcoming either.

I suspect though that had I asked this question, had God been explicit about the Tsunami, there may have been nothing for me to do. What could I have done in that situation?

I too have felt earthquakes since then. One in France whilst sat in a 5th floor appartment (that was scary) and one shook me out of my own bed, on a Sunday morning in the South of England a couple of years ago (I thought the Lord had returned).

These were very different experiences, more violent, the Lord was very gentle with me that night in the upper room of that dusty old church.

As a medical professional I'm pretty sure my 'strange experience' wasn't seizures. As far as I am aware they don't stop and start when the sufferer opens and closes their eyes.

I intend to be much more attentive from now on though.

1 Samuel 3 vs 9 "Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening."

 

[Hiroyuki]

I agree it is not at all like being a fortuneteller (the Devil shares what little information he has with them). I didn't want or ask for this experience to happen to me, I hadn't prayed for it or any kind of 'Revelation', I didn't even want to be there at the time.

I learned, but not until some time after, that God wants more of my attention (I'm a slow learner) and He has been reinforcing this message ever since. Your very own words are just the latest evidence of this for me.

Sadly at the time I didn't ask God the question "What do I do with this so that you may work through me Lord?" Although I did share it with my brothers, no 'answers' or 'suggestions' were forthcoming either.

I suspect though that had I asked this question, had God been explicit about the Tsunami, there may have been nothing for me to do. What could I have done in that situation?

God expects us to know the truth and admit it.

No, there is nothing you can do about a tsunami.

People die and they are resurrected. They go through pain... but unless you can convince the governments of the world to listen to you because of... the accuracy and strength of your visions & dreams... you are completely out of luck.


And even then, it would be just putting a bandage on a wound that would happen.

See, God will plague the earth until people repent.


Has nothing to do with physical preparations, nor anything like that.


I try to get people to listen, but they like their own way better.

*shrug*


Power struggle... with Almighty God.

It takes time for people in a power struggle who are used to false, material power... to give up.


I feel sorry for them. But, they are also arrogant & conceited.

*shrug*


People only adapt because of purifying their hearts and *believing*... and therefore... adapting.


God does not play favorites.

Jerusalem is wherever believers are.

Period. The End.

 

[heron]

Hi C8-@ ,
When I brought up fortunetelling, I wasn't directing it at you -- just a general statement of how some people see dreams and interpretation. Rounding out the feedback.

Sadly at the time I didn't ask God the question "What do I do with this so that you may work through me Lord?" Although I did share it with my brothers, no 'answers' or 'suggestions' were forthcoming either.
I suspect though that had I asked this question, had God been explicit about the Tsunami, there may have been nothing for me to do. What could I have done in that situation?

We develop our responses over time. Now that you know you can trust that these odd parallels can happen to you, you can make decisions from there on what you would do the next time. There should be no guilt in retrospect; but if regret hits, you can make choices for what you might try the next time.

I too have felt earthquakes since then. One in France whilst sat in a 5th floor appartment (that was scary) and one shook me out of my own bed, on a Sunday morning in the South of England a couple of years ago (I thought the Lord had returned).

Fifth floor... what goes through the mind! My first shakings were out in the open, where nothing

Dreams and prayer are two areas with undefined expectations. Aside from the Lord's Prayer and ask, seek, God does not give us many guidelines or restrictions in how we talk to him -- He is hoping that we will express our love for Him on our own, and hoping we will care for others without policing. He also does not insert into dreams "Now you must." Most of them are thought-provoking.

Like a father, God watches how we respond to situations, and is pleased when we make good choices. And when we take initiative. He is not demanding initiative. Look at the difference between what the apostle Paul did, in taking leadership instead of following. He took "Saul, why do you persecute me," and carried it to other countries with passion.

Saul took what he reasoned to be true, believed in, and compared it to the needs of those around him. When he saw how precious the gospel message was (my interpolation), he imagined how many people would miss out (again, an educated guess) if they did not know that God was offering debt forgiveness and full redemption, eternal life with Him in heaven. What a thing to spread!

Paul sought God's continual guidance on what steps he should take each day. He had the core mission in his heart, his vision to carry the gospel outward, and he asked for advice on a normal daily basis.

What to do with a dream that we find later echoed a real crisis...
Many people here have heard me talk about prayer expanding from dreams. I don't believe that every dream was meant for intercession, or that every person has dreams for the same reason.

Some people tend toward internal understanding from dreams, some toward prophetic announcements, warnings to avoid a situation, a grasp of a work situation or strategy, dealing with one's demons and past injuries, organization... on and on. The Bible does not come with a mandate on what a dream should be, and the human handbook does not tell us how to respond. Oh dern, there is no human handbook.

Eze 21:7
"And when they say to you, `Why do you groan?' you shall say, `Because of the news that is coming; and every heart will melt, all hands will be feeble, every spirit will faint and all knees will be weak as water. Behold, it comes and it will happen,' declares the Lord GOD."


As you know, the Holy Spirit prays through us when we don't know how to pray. And our inner spirit prays when we can't put it all into words. So we can pray for people when we don't know their whole situation, and even when we don't know yet if there's a situation. God sees everything that is lined up to happen.

Ro 8:26
In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.


1Co 14:14
For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful.


Jas 5:16
Pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.