From: northwestprophetic.com
Original is a pdf at fotb.com — www.fotb.com/Publisher/File.aspx?ID=1000011128
Emphasis mine
Mike Bickle: Prophetic Dream: Victorious Church in the End-Times (Rev. 12:7-12)
I. PROPHETIC DREAM ON FEB. 13, 2009
A. I was speaking at a conference in a baseball park inside a large fair ground. About 40,000 people were present. Many leaders and their people (from many “charismatic” streams) were present. I saw a certain leader who was representative of other leaders in the Body of Christ who seek to walk in God’s power and who walk with an excellent spirit. We were enjoying warm fellowship together.
B. I preached on prayer, God’s power and end-time judgment. I spoke at two afternoon sessions. In the break between the sessions, some were debating on what I was preaching. Some IHOP-KC people debated each other and some were speaking to believers from different ministry streams. They were debating in a friendly way about God’s power and His end-time judgment. There was no hostility, but only sincere dialogue with humility and love. It was enjoyable and intellectually stimulating but none of the different points of view stirred up real faith and revelation.
C. Immediately, as I finished the second session at 5 PM, I saw a token of a few of the events that John prophesied about in Rev. 12:7-9 when war breaks out in heaven between Satan and Michael the archangel. The result is that Satan will be cast to the earth at the beginning of the Tribulation.
7 And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, 8 but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. 9 So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan…he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him… (Rev. 12:7-9)
D. I did not see Satan, but only demonic principalities being cast to the earth. They looked like large snakes (over 100 yards long and 50 feet thick). Each had a large head that looked like a dragon. Many of them were coming from the sky down to the earth.
E. Every one at the conference was filled with panic. Most were terrified. No one, including me, had understanding or faith that was mature enough to respond in the power or confidence that I had just preached on. I ran as I felt the terror of the event. The leaders and their people felt terror. All wanted to quickly get out of there. Most were in confusion, including the IHOP-KC people.
F. These snake-like demonic principalities and demonic hosts with them were filled with rage against the people. They were angry and even humiliated about being confined to the earth. Satan’s rage is related to his short amount of time before going to prison (Rev. 20:1-3).
12 Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath (fury), because he knows that he has a short time…17 The dragon was enraged… he went to make war with the rest…who have the testimony of Jesus… (Rev. 12:12, 17)
G. Soot or wet, muddy, thick ash was raining down from the sky. It darkened the sky as it fell on the people who were running. I ran out of the vast fair grounds to the park offices (at the entrance). Wet ash was all over me as I ran. Many did not get out. They were bitten by the large snakes.
H. There were evil policeman at the entrance. They told me, “You have to go back into the fair grounds or we will put you in jail.” They were calloused about the danger I would face by going back into the fair grounds. I then understood they were in the Antichrist’s system. I was in a dilemma. I thought, “I just escaped from the most intense danger imaginable and now I have to go back in”. There will be no natural way out of this crisis except by the power of the Spirit.
I. When standing by the police I thought, “I wish IHOP would have taken the events in Rev. 12 more seriously and therefore, prepared more urgently in the early days when we had time. I said to myself, “the debate about power is much bigger than the power we actually walk in”. I woke up with urgency that the IHOP leadership needs greater zeal to walk in the things of the Spirit.
J. After I woke up, I was clear that fear and confusion will NOT be the condition of the entire Body of Christ when the events of Rev. 12:7 literally occur. Many will have understanding and be in a place of mature faith. The Lord was showing me what it would be like if these events happened today with the Church in its current condition (in being unprepared in understanding and faith).
K. The message of the dream was that IHOP needed to be more urgent in going deep in our walk with Jesus, in growing in faith to operate more in the Holy Spirit right now, and to eat the scroll in order to have much more understanding now and for that specific hour.
20 The anger of the LORD will not turn back until He has executed and performed the thoughts of His heart. In the latter days you will understand it perfectly. (Jer. 23:20)
L. I felt strongly that IHOP and other streams in the Body have “empty” arguments about power and insight into the end-time drama. Most arguments, in either direction, do not actually prepare people to go deeper in Jesus, His Word and Spirit. They are not helpful, thus they are empty.
M. IHOP is simply too immature to give time to theoretical debates. In this dream, the Lord was warning me to set my face toward Him and His Word and to refuse the temptation to invest time in seeking to look wise to others. What is coming is so much more intense than we imagine. Those with the most insight do not understand the intensity of the events in Rev. 12:7-12.
N. The point of the dream: I and the IHOP leadership are not mature enough in our understanding to entertain debates and casual arguments that will arise much more in the Church in the future.
O. The “now” word of God must be confirmed with power. The only way to be culturally relevant in society is to move in power to confirm the Word. Without this, many in the Church are looking for ministries with trendy language and clothes, interesting technology, or to talk about current affairs to identify together. Many are trapped in an abyss of entertainment.
P. We will only penetrate that bubble by power and the real fear of the Lord. People will not get free from the vice of our pop culture without it. People must walk away from their gatherings knowing that He is involved in their lives in power. We must experience manifestation of His majesty that makes us tremble and His kindness that moves us to repentance and servanthood.
II. A LITERAL WAR WILL BREAK OUT IN HEAVEN IN THE END TIMES
A. Some teach that the war in heaven described in Rev. 12:7 occurred at the cross and that Satan is now confined to the earth. Satan’s host operate in the heavenly places in this age.
12 We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities…against the rulers of the darkness…against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. (Eph. 6:12)
B. Christ defeated Satan at the cross. However, the full scope of His victory has not yet been fully manifested on earth. At Christ’s ascension, Jesus was seated at God’s right hand, far above all authority (Eph. 1:20-22). Jesus disarmed the demonic powers and made a public spectacle of them (Col. 2:15). The “already and not yet” paradox of the Kingdom is now operating.
C. The windows of the heaven will be opened and demonic principalities will be punished. Demonic spirits and evil kings are also put in prison like Satan as prophesied by Isaiah.
18 The windows from on high are open, and the foundations of the earth are shaken. 19 The earth is violently broken…the earth is shaken exceedingly…20 Its transgression shall be heavy upon it…21 In that day that the LORD will punish on high the host of exalted ones (demonic principalities), and on the earth the kings of the earth. 22 They (demons and kings) will be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit (bottomless pit), and will be shut up in the prison (Rev. 20:1-3); after many days (1,000 years) they will be punished (Lake of Fire)…the LORD of hosts will reign on Mount Zion (Millennium)… (Isa. 24:18-23)
D. One of the most unique dynamics in the Tribulation is that Satan and all his demons will be cast to the earth (Rev. 12:9) and he will give his throne to the Antichrist (Rev. 13:2). Hundreds of millions of demons now in the bottomless pit will be released (Rev. 9:3, 16). Billions will be engaged in Satan worship. There will be more demonized people on earth than at any time in history.
2 The Dragon (Satan) gave him (Antichrist) his power, his throne … (Rev. 13:2)
21 There will be Great Tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world…22 Unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved… (Mt. 24:21-22)
E. The saints will overcome Satan in the Tribulation by the blood of Jesus, our testimony and commitment to Jesus even unto death.
10 I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren…has been cast down. 11 They overcame him (Satan) by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. (Rev. 12:10-11)
F. The Praying Church will overcome Satan and the Antichrist (Rev. 12:11; 15:2; 2:7, 11, 17, 26; 3:5, 12, 21; 21:7). The miracles of Exodus and Acts will be combined and multiplied on a global level. Fear need NOT dominate our spirit and extinguish our faith. We need not fear the Tribulation as powerless victims seeking to escape it.
12 The works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do… (Jn. 14:12)
G. End-time believers will engage in the prayer of faith to bind and loose according to God’s will. This passage is fulfilled on earth in the Tribulation with a victorious Church operating in power.
18 On this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. (Mt. 16:18-19)
H. The Antichrist will be the greatest oppressor the world has ever seen. Isa. 42 is one of the main Second Coming passages. It emphasizes justice. People do not rejoice in judgment until an oppressor is in power. Jesus brings justice to the earth in context to the Antichrist’s oppression.
I. Jesus will only confront the oppressor to the measure that prayers of the saints ascend in faith.
4 The prayers of the saints, ascended before God…5 Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and threw it to the earth… (Rev. 8:4-5)
7 Shall God not avenge (bring justice) His own elect who cry out day and night to Him…8 I tell you that He will avenge them speedily (in the Tribulation). (Lk. 18:7-8)
J. The most dramatic events in world history will occur in context to the greatest prayer movement that contends against the greatest oppression to see the greatest justice movement fulfilled across the whole earth. What is released in fullness then is released in part now.
III. JESUS WILL SUPERNATURALLY HELP THE CHURCH COME TO VICTORY (REV. 14)
A. The message of Rev. 14 is that Jesus will supernaturally anoint the Church to walk in victory.
B. In Rev. 14:1-5, Jesus will stand on Mount Zion in Jerusalem with 144,000 prophetic singers. Rev. 14:6-13 reveals four prophetic promises and proclamations that the Spirit will release conviction on and will confirm with signs and wonders to strengthen His people.
1. In Rev. 14:6-7, we will receive angelic assistance and great power that we may succeed in preaching the Gospel to all nations in the presence of hostility (Mt. 24:14; Rev. 7:9).
2. In Rev. 14:8, the anointed proclamation of the defeat of the Harlot Babylon stirs our faith.
3. In Rev. 14:9-11, the anointed proclamation of the certainty of eternal judgment coming on all who worship the Antichrist will embolden the saints to resist even unto death.
4. In Rev. 14:12-13, the anointed proclamation of the certainty of receiving eternal rewards for being faithful will strengthen the Church.
5. In Rev. 14:14-20, we see the two different end-time harvests to be released by prayer. The harvest of souls is seen in Rev. 14:14-16 and the harvest of sin in Rev. 14:17-20. These show the results of prayers that release power for salvation and the removal of evil.
