* John the Baptist Foreshadowing an End Time Revival * (Dream)

Dream: 11-24-09 In this dream I found myself in ancient Jerusalem. A narrator was speaking explaining what I was seeing. Jesus had just died and even some of His disciples had not heard what happened to Him. The sky was still dark from when it darkened after his death. People were gathering in confusion as they murmered about the things that had happened in the past couple days. Then the narrator said, "One of the disciples went to the tomb of John the baptist and raised him from the dead." The people were already drifting toward his tomb. It was a typical biblical style tomb with a large stone rolled in front. I stepped forward to fulfill what the narrator had spoken. I directed the peoples gaze to the entrance of the John's tomb which now had the stone rolled away. In a loud voice I called out, "John, come!" John stepped out of the tomb and seemed to stumble each time he put his foot down, as you might expect a recently resurrected person to do. As he came out the people began to loose it. Some ran away, some seemed to be running in circles, some gasped in shock, and I believe some were sincerely encouraged by this encounter; I could feel them treasuring what they saw in their hearts. I knew that encouragement was the real reason for this miracle being displayed. This was just a sign to show that death would not hold our Lord down, but He who has the power to resurrect will be resurrected himself. John then told the story of his execution. As John described his execution, I was shown what he spoke of. I saw him in what must have been Herod's palace. There was a pit inside it where he would execute people. John was knealed over the pit so his head would fall into it. The sword came down and off his head fell. However, what he described was unexpected and remarkable. "When my head was cut, I fell into the pit, but the Holy Spirit caught me and comforted me with His presence." I saw as his head fell into the pit, yet at the same time I could see the invisible Holy Spirit waiting at the bottom. I saw as John's head fell, his spirit was loosed from his body and was caught by the Holy Spirit as He embraced him and loved on him. It was like a father holding and loving his own child. John continued, "At first I was going to turn around and tell the executioner, 'is that all the better you can do? These executioner's are supposed to be the best in the land and they can't even kill a man right!'" What John didn't initially realize was he was actually alive because of Christ, even though he was dead. There was the sense that even death is nothing to fear for us who believe. Again, I was back in ancient Jerusalem, looking at John standing in front of me. I now understood the reason for this miracle. This was to show that not only would Christ be resurrected, but so would we who believe and follow Him. No matter what we have to face on this earth, we are guaranteed a life of eternal comfort in the presence of God once we die. John, having finished his mission for being raised from the dead, turned around and ambled back to the tomb. As he walked, my heart welled up and I called out, "So long old friend!" John turned around one last time and looked at me; he smiled in recognition, "So long friend!" This blew me away. I was surprised that he knew me, I was a follower of Christ 2000 years after his time, yet he seemed to be aware of me; he knew me on a personal level. I could tell that he genuinely liked me. The feeling was that we shared something elementally the same. I understood that because we both deeply loved God, that love for God made us friends of the deepest nature. It wasn't because of anything special that I did to get his attention, just a shared common value that was so intrinsic, that it went as far as making us friends as affectionate as brothers. John then returned to his tomb and jumped onto a high bed set inside. He returned to sleep and earthly death. Suddenly, it felt that I was alone in the landscape. The reality of the resurrection was hitting me like never before. I knew the reality of the resurrection is what made the apostles so passionate that they would daily risk their lives to share this, "Good News" and it was the driving reason for everything they did. I began to pray desperately in the dream, "God make me like Peter, make me like Paul, make me like John the Baptist!" I knew that each of these men were consumed with the message of the resurrection and the kingdom of God. I knew that they were fiery preachers, compelling the lost to come to the Lord. There was also a sense that each of them had a constant awareness of the looming second coming of the Lord. This also added a measure of desperation to their message and a willingness to risk all when sharing it. When I woke up, the last prayer to be like Peter, Paul, and John the Baptist was resonating in my heart. As I lay in bed, my body shook as I cried and asked God to make me a bold witness like Peter, Paul, and John. My prayers soon shifted as I became aware of fears in me that keep me from speaking more boldly about Jesus. I could feel all sorts of fears which I so often face when considering sharing my faith. I often opt out for a less confrontive, indirect route to sharing my faith. For instance, I feel that others will not want me to live the selfless life of a preacher or discipler, that I will have to fight other's feeling of self-comfort to be a thorough messenger. I fear people rejecting me and my message. I fear being inaccurate and not saying the right thing. Probably more than anything, I fear giving up my own comfort. I also fear failure. I feel a strong awareness that I will not be able to fulfill my call if I don't get free of these fears.

Thoughts:

Initially I was concerend with the scriptural accuracy of this dream. I didn't know what had happened to John's body when he died. I assumed Herod did something dishonoring to it and would not have put it in a tomb. About a week after having this experience I told a close friend of mine what happened as well as my misgivings about it. Sure enough, earlier that very day he was reading an article citing historically that John's body was taken and buried in a tomb. Having been confirmed in this way, I knew this dream was truly from God. Later I discovered that this was even stated in the Bible in two places (Matthew 14:12, Mark 6:29). There were many similarities with the scriptural discription of the death of Christ and what happened in Jerasalem as well such as the sky darkening and great saints of the past coming out of their tomb.

As I recounted this dream to my wife Aysha, I said, "I believe a revival is just around the corner. Any year now." I tried to guess a year, but felt the Holy Spirit restrain me. We will know when it is time to know. However, I felt the Holy Spirit direct me to understand one inherant meaning from the dream, which he confirmed with a wave of His presence. The fact that it was John the Baptist being raised from the dead was a sign. His mission and ministry is going to be raised up again in these coming days. "It is he who will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, TO TURN THE HEARTS OF THE FATHERS BACK TO THE CHILDREN, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous, so as to make ready a people prepared for the Lord." Luke 1:17 Zacharias, John's father spoke of him while full of the Holy Spirit. "And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go on BEFORE THE LORD TO PREPARE HIS WAYS;" Luke 1:76 Jesus illuminates the role of this mission as well. "This is the one about whom it is written, BEHOLD, I SEND MY MESSENGER AHEAD OF YOU, WHO WILL PREPARE YOUR WAY BEFORE YOU. . .And if you are willing to accept it, John himself is Elijah who was to come." Matthew 11:10, 14 However, most fascinating and pertaining to our current time is what Jesus tells the disciples after being transfigured. They asked Him, ". . .Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?" Matthew 17:10 Jesus answers with a double answer referring to two time periods. First He speaks of the future which has yet to be fulfilled, but is actually just about to be. "And He answered and said, "Elijah is coming and will restore all things;" Matthew 17:11 I believe this dream was given to me because God is about to send the spirit of Elijah to restore all things, just like he prophesied would happen during His days on the earth. He then answers the past coming of Elijah. "but I say to you that Elijah already came, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they wished. So also the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands. Then the disciples understood that He had spoken to them about John the Baptist." Matthew 17:12-13 Here, this gives scriptural context to this dream. There is a correlating connection with John the Baptist being killed and Christ being killed in Mark 9 and Matthew 17. I believe many are going to be raised up in the spirit and power of Elijah these coming days who will likely die a martyr's death, but will ultimatedly prepare the way for the Lord's second coming. I believe this is the symbolic message of this dream. The end times are here and we are almost in their fulfillment. "Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the LORD. He will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, so that I will not come and smite the land with a curse." Malachi 4:5-6 Peter, James, and John heard that Elijah would come before the Lord from the scribes all their lives. Yet here, after seeing His glory they knew the Lord had already come. They did not understand then that there were two comings of the Lord or Elijah. As we all know the Lord is coming again, so also is Elijah.

It will be a whole generation like John the baptist who will arise to prepare the way of the Lord. That was the significance of John recognizing me and calling me his friend. I represent a generation that will rise in this power in our time who will have that same spirit of Elijah on them, just like Jesus prophesied so long ago. I believe for those called to this life the formative years of John will often mirror their own. Fasting, prayer, and hiddeness (the desert) for much of their lives, until they are released to proclaim Isaiah 40. Their message will be the awesome ressurrection of Christ and His emminent return. They will declare that the bridegroom is coming and they will all be burning and shining torches. Masses of people will come out to them because of the power of the annointing from the Holy Spirit will be on them. They will not care about numbers. They like John will say, "...but the friend of the bridegroom who stands and hears Him rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice. So this joy of mine is made full. He must increase and I must decrease." John 3:29-30

They will live to make the bridegroom great and will not care for applause or large numbers of people, they will live for the approval of Christ.

In Christ, David

PS: I shared this dream with my uncle who has a gift with understanding dreams and he without hearing my thoughts on it came to some very similar conclusions.

I see three important themes in your John the Baptist dream. 1. The spirit of Elijah coming upon the church in the last days. 2. Encouragement to sustain us through persecution and martyrdom. 3. The Resurrection of the Dead - a doctrine we are not yet fully walking in as the church. When the experience, power and revelation of this teaching comes to the church, then I believe we will see the church walking in the power of God as never before. This is one of the seven basic teachings of Christ as listed in Hebrews 6:1-2. The first five have been restored to the church since the reformation; 1. Repentance from dead works - Martin Luther & justification by faith 2. Faith toward God - holiness movement (puritists) & sanctification 3. Baptisms - The Baptist & immersion in water and Pentecost & Holy Spirit baptism 4. Laying on of Hands - Latter rain/Charasmatic movement & gifts of the Spirit These we haven't yet fully experienced or had revealed; 5. Resurrection of the dead - the church moving in power 6. Eternal Judgment - (we will enter into this before eternity) Psalm 149:7-9 7. Perfection - maturity, each saint in the full measure of the stature of Christ Jesus Since we have seen the first four elementary teaching of Christ restored to the church, I believe we will see them all restored before the coming of the Lord (Acts 3:21).