In One Hour, Everything is Going to Change
By David Wilkerson


September 3, 2007



The prophet Isaiah warns us that in the last days God is
going to "turn the world upside down." He declares,
"Behold, the Lord maketh the earth empty, and maketh it
waste, and turneth it upside down" (Isaiah 24:1).

According to this prophecy, sudden judgment is coming upon
the earth, and it will change everything in a single hour.
Within that short span, the whole world will witness
fast-falling destruction upon a city and a nation, and the
world will never be the same.

If you are attached to material things - if you love this
world and the things of it - you won't want to hear what
Isaiah has prophesied. In fact, even to the most righteous
of God's people, what Isaiah says might seem unthinkable.
Many would surely ask, "How can an entire world be stricken
in one hour?"

If we didn't believe the Bible is God's pure Word, few of
us would take Isaiah's prophecy seriously. But Scripture
makes it clear: in a single hour, the world is going to
change. The church is going to change. And every individual
on earth is going to change.

The apostle John gives a similar warning in Revelation. He
speaks of destructive judgment coming upon a city and
nation: "In one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and
she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the
Lord God who judgeth her.... For in one hour so great riches
is come to nought" (Revelation 18:8, 17).

In Isaiah's prophecy, the city under judgment is cast into
confusion. Every house is shut up, with no one coming or
going. "The city of confusion is broken down: every house
is shut up, that no man may come in" (Isaiah 24:10). The
entire city is left desolate: "In the city is left
desolation, and the gate is smitten with destruction"
(24:12). All entrances and exits to the city are gone. The
passage indicates that a fire has come, a blast that has
shaken the very foundations of the earth (see 24:6).

We who live in New York City know something about this kind
of scene. When the Twin Towers were attacked, the ominous
fires and smoke could be seen ascending to heaven for
miles. Recently, New Yorkers panicked as a mass of steam
erupted from below a city street. People ran in all
directions screaming, "Is this it? Is this the end-all
attack?"

Today, multitudes of secular prophets are saying a nuclear
attack is inevitable. The target they mention most often
is New York, but it could happen in any major city: London,
Paris, Tel Aviv, Washington. Neither Isaiah nor John names
the city upon which destructive judgment falls.

I don't intend this message to frighten anyone.

Let me make clear at this point: I don't intend this
message to frighten anyone. Paul tells us that as disciples
of Jesus Christ, we have already passed from death into
life. We who call on Jesus as Lord should be confident that
no matter what happens in this world, his shed blood saves
and redeems us.

Therefore, we are not to fear any newscast, but rather to
be attentive to what the Lord is doing in the world. Like
many people, I hear grievous reports that make me want to
tune everything out. But the truth is, God moves in the
midst of such times, and through them he speaks warnings to
all who would hear his voice.

Isaiah's prophecy points clearly to our generation.

I believe, along with many eminent Bible scholars, that
Isaiah's prophecy points to the last days. By that, I mean
our present time. In short, sudden judgment is coming, and
Scripture strongly indicates it is now at the door.

At this point you may be wondering: "How can we be sure
we're the generation this prophecy points to?" We can know
by two reasons that such judgments are imminent:

1. A growing number of prophets warn of an apocalyptic
disaster at the door. When I use the word "prophets," I
speak not just of those in the church. I'm talking also
about "secular prophets."

There are several precedents for secular prophets in
Scripture. God used Assyria as his rod of correction with
Israel. And he appointed King Cyrus as his servant to
assist Israel: "(The Lord) saith of Cyrus, He is my
shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure" (Isaiah
44:28).

Likewise today, God uses secular prophets to send warnings.
These become "his prophets" for a season. And their
prophecies can be harder than those delivered by believers.
The message I'm writing here is mild compared to the
prophecies being delivered by all manner of secular voices.
Just check your newspaper or radio reports.

"Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his
secret unto his servants the prophets" (Amos 3:7).

2. Sudden destruction comes when the cup of violence
overflows. Sensuality, perversion and greed are running
rampant throughout our society. Yet, when God sent the
Flood upon the earth, it was because of a worldwide
eruption of violence: "The earth also was corrupt before
God, and the earth was filled with violence" (Genesis
6:11).

Right now, there are numerous wars and bloody uprisings
taking place around the globe. Yet foremost in my mind is
the violence being waged against children worldwide:

* I think of the sexual violence of pedophiles. Children
all over the world are being raped, kidnapped and forced
into enslavement in the global sex trade. Recently, a
pedophile in the U.S. was discovered running a web site
that advises other pedophiles on the easiest places to pick
up children. There is no law in place to stop this man.

The world's largest church denomination has spent hundreds
of millions of dollars to settle the claims of those who
were molested in childhood by clergy. Tell me, how long
will God endure the pitiful cries of children who are
molested by those who would represent Christ?

* Thousands of children in Africa are being slaughtered in
tribal wars, hacked to death by machetes. Young boys - even
those under ten years of age - are enlisted into tribal
militias and forced to murder men in initiation rites.

* Here in the U.S., the blood of millions of aborted babies
cries out from the ground.

* Reports of school murders no longer shock many of us but
continue to terrorize our children. We may grow hardened to
such reports, but God's heart is grieved by them.

I tell you, there is no worse violence than the brutalizing
of children. Heaven is crying out, "Woe, woe! Your
judgments have no cure."

1. In one hour, God is going to change the whole world.

A sudden cataclysmic event will strike, the first of the
final judgments of God. This great event will cause the
earth to reel. And Isaiah says that when it hits, there
will be no place to escape: "The lofty [proud] city, he
layeth it low...even to the ground; he bringeth it even to
the dust" (Isaiah 26:5). "The inhabitants of the earth are
burned" (24:6).

Once this happens, utter chaos will erupt. All civic
activities will stop, and society will descend into massive
disorder. Government agencies will be helpless to restore
any kind of sanity. No state troopers, no national guard,
no army will be able to bring order to the upheaval.

You well remember that when the Twin Towers were destroyed,
help poured into New York from all over the world. An army
of people came to assist in whatever way they could. But
the scene in Isaiah's prophecy is different: this calamity
is clearly beyond humankind's capacity to respond.

Once this judgment strikes, it will devastate the economy.
Rich merchants will stand by watching in torment, weeping
and mourning, as they face bankruptcy. In an instant, all
the wealth they amassed will be reduced to nothing. John
describes the scene: "The merchants of these things, which
were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of
her torment, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas that
great city... For in one hour so great riches is come to
nought" (Revelation 18:15-17).

Overnight, all buying and selling will cease. Every
restaurant and bar will be shut down, and all drinking and
music making will end. Indeed, every trace of mirth and
delight, joy and gladness, will vanish: "All the
merryhearted do sigh. The mirth of tabrets ceaseth, the
noise of them that rejoice endeth, the joy of the harp
ceaseth. They shall not drink wine with a song.... The mirth
of the land is gone" (Isaiah 24:7-9, 11).

Yes, this is a picture of gloom and doom. But it is not my
prophecy. This word was given by the Holy Spirit of
Almighty God, to be delivered by his righteous prophet
Isaiah. Even the secular world is preparing for it to
happen. Billions are being spent on homeland security in
the U.S., England, Europe and Israel. Why? Military experts
warn that a world-impacting terrorist attack is sure to
come.

You may ask: "Why would the whole world change, if a
nuclear attack occurs in just one city?" It will happen
because of the fear of retaliation. If a rogue nation sends
such an attack, you can be sure that within hours that
nation will be wiped out. Consider the plan Israel has in
place, known as the Samson Option. The moment a nuclear
warhead is launched against them, within moments Israel
will unleash nuclear missiles to devastate the capital
cities of all enemy states.

The world has become a ticking bomb, and time is quickly
running out.

2. In one hour, God is going to change the church.

This hour of devastation will suddenly change churches,
whether they are alive or dead. Isaiah writes, "There shall
be the shaking as of an olive tree" (Isaiah 24:13). The
image is of God shaking an olive tree after it has been
picked of fruit. In short, he's going to shake everything
that can be shaken, sparing nothing. It will be a time of
cataclysmic destruction and overwhelming darkness.

So, you ask, "What about God's people in the midst of all
this? What will happen to the church?" Isaiah gives us an
incredible word about what will happen with believers.

In the midst of the terrible shaking, a song will be heard,
and its sound will grow steadily stronger. Suddenly, in
that darkest of hours, a worldwide chorus of voices will
sing praises to the majesty of God: "They shall lift up
their voice, they shall sing for the majesty of the Lord,
they shall cry aloud from the sea" (24:14).

Do you get the picture? There will be panic everywhere.
Men's hearts will fail them for fear, as fires belch smoke
seen for hundreds of miles. Disorder and chaos will reign
on all sides. Yet amid the devastating fires and calamity,
the world will hear a glorious song being sung: "Glorify ye
the Lord in the fires, even the name of the Lord God of
Israel... From the uttermost part of the earth have we heard
songs, even glory to the righteous [One]" (Isaiah
24:15-16).

A holy remnant is going to awaken, and a song will be born
in the fire. Instead of panicking, the people of God will
be praising his awesome majesty. Imagine it: in the darkest
hour of all time, a collective voice will rise by the
millions out of every nation, not in fear or agony, but in
joyful praise to the Lord.

How will this happen, you ask? In one hour, God is going to
regenerate and restore his church. Dry bones will shake and
rattle, and the righteous will be awakened, as the Holy
Spirit calls multitudes of lukewarm believers back to their
first love. In his mercy, he's going to rouse those who
have neglected him, ignoring his Word, avoiding prayer,
perhaps even contemplating divorce. Suddenly, their souls
will be flooded with pangs of remorse and godly sorrow. And
many will fall on their knees, crying out in repentance.

There will be a revival of glorifying God's majesty. And
the song of this revival will be heard from the uttermost
parts of the earth. East, west, north and south - from Arab
lands to China, Indonesia, Africa and all parts of the
earth - a glorious song will rise up from the midst of the
fires. In one day's time, those who survived the fires are
going to be singing a new song throughout the world.

Isaiah 25 tells us wonderful miracles will come in this
time, as "God makes all things new."

All around the world, the Lord's people are going to
"feast" on his Word: "In this mountain shall the Lord of
hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things, a feast
of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of
wines on the lees well refined" (Isaiah 25:6).

"And he will destroy in this mountain the face of the
covering cast over all people, and the veil that is spread
over all nations" (25:7). Right now, in this time of
prosperity, the world's masses seem to be covered with a
veil, unable to see the truth of Jesus Christ. But when God
rises up to shake the world through judgment, the shrouds
covering the minds of billions will be cast aside. The veil
of darkness will be removed, and many will see the Lord in
his glory. The Holy Spirit won't force Christ upon these
opened eyes and hearts; rather, a remnant is going to rise
up from among them.

I believe the darkest shroud-coverings today are over the
eyes and hearts of youth worldwide. This is especially
true of college-age students, whose faith has been
bombarded for up to four years. Over that time their minds
have been indoctrinated by godless professors in classrooms
where belief is attacked, mocked and scorned. Now these
young men's and women's faith has been shipwrecked. They
leave college convinced God is dead.

But in one hour of devastation - nuclear, economic and
social - all such hypocritical veils are going to fall
away. Those same professors who mocked them will realize,
as they face the possibility of death, a choice must be
made: "What about eternity? Is there life after death?"
They're going to look for someone to explain to them all
that's happening.

When the song is sung, it's going to be heard by young
people from every walk of life, from every nation under the
sun. Many will harden their hearts and curse God at the
sound of this song, but multitudes of others will join in
singing of his majesty.

3. In one hour, God is going to change us as individuals.

In a single hour, the focus of our lives will be changed.
We'll no longer obsess about our own adversities and
troubles. Suddenly, so many things that we held dear will
no longer be of any value to us. Why? In that hour,
everyone will be in the same boat:

"It shall be, as with the people, so with the priest; as
with the servant, so with his master; as with the maid, so
with her mistress; as with the buyer, so with the seller;
as with the lender, so with the borrower; as with the taker
of usury, so with the giver of usury to him" (Isaiah 24:2).

The sudden judgment that comes will not be a respecter of
anyone. Rather, it is going to touch all who are within the
realm of its fury. Presidents, kings, the world's richest
and most famous - all will tremble just like the poorest of
the earth. And this cataclysmic event will bring to naught
every idol, purging iniquity and tearing down all false
altars:

"By this [the calamity] therefore shall the iniquity of
Jacob be purged; and this is all the fruit to take away his
sin; when he maketh all the stones of the altar as
chalkstones that are beaten in sunder, the groves and
images shall not stand up [be left standing]" (Isaiah
27:9).

The world's most prominent idol is money, and right now
America is facing a monstrous financial disaster. Investors
are scrambling to move their money out of high-risk funds,
and mortgage companies are going bankrupt. One recent
financial headline read, "Abandon Ship!" Everyone is
selling and nobody is buying. Many households are in a
panic, as overnight their lives are changing. I think of
the president of a multi-billion-dollar hedge fund, who
recently put up for sale his 142-foot yacht and his
sixteen-bedroom mansion in Aspen, Colorado. His fund had
dried up virtually overnight.

The day is coming when sports will be the last thing on
people's minds. I have nothing against sports, but soon
there will be no more 250-million-dollar deals for
athletes, when so much of the world is starving. All idols
will come crashing down, crushed to dust, and the playing
field will be leveled. The richest and the poorest alike
will face the same conditions.

It will all happen within a day. "When they shall say,
Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them,
as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not
escape" (1 Thessalonians 5:3).

Why such apocalyptic warnings?

You may wonder: what good can come of these prophetic
messages? Why should anyone have to live under such
anxiety?

I remind you, Jesus warned Jerusalem of sudden devastation
to come upon that city. It was going to be burned to the
ground, with over a million people murdered. Christ
explained his warning: "I have told you before it come to
pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye might believe"
(John 14:29). He was saying, in essence, "When it happens,
you'll know there is a God who loves you and forewarned
you."

Paul calls such warnings "light," insights that expel
darkness. He says, in short: "You are children of light,
because you know what's coming in the future. So, when
destruction comes, and there's panic all around, you will
have the calm of the Holy Spirit. Something will quicken
inside you, and you'll remember, ŒGod warned me.' This
prophecy isn't a message of wrath to God's people, but a
wakeup call to begin preparing."

"God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain
salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that,
whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him"
(1 Thessalonians 5:9-10). Paul is speaking here of a time
of possible destruction. Therefore, he says, "Comfort
yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye
do" (5:11).

In this day of prosperity, nobody wants to hear a message
like Isaiah's. I certainly don't want to hear it. But we
cannot ignore it, because it is here at our door. In such
times, Paul says, when we have knowledge that sudden
destruction is coming, we are not to tremble or sorrow as
the world does. Instead, we are to comfort one another in
faith, knowing that God rules over every aspect of our
lives.

"Be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love;
and for an helmet, the hope of salvation" (5:. Paul
instructs, "Arm yourself with faith. Build up your belief
now, before the day comes. Learn your song, and you'll be
able to sing it in your fire." "Glorify ye the Lord in the
fires, even the name of the Lord God of Israel" (Isaiah
24:15).

This is the hope of our most holy faith: our Lord causes a
song to come out of the darkest of times. Start now to
build up your holy faith in him, and learn to praise his
majesty quietly in your heart. When you sing your song, it
will strengthen and encourage your brothers and sisters.
And it will testify to the world: "Our Lord reigns over the
Flood!"




Patrick
www.revivalarmy.com