Is there a horrible "earth-shattering calamity" in the near future, which will leave fires raging throughout New York City and moving to other urban areas of the globe?
The famed author of the The Cross and the Switchblade, pastor David Wilkerson thinks so, according to the socially conservative, Christian right website WorldNetDaily.
Wilkerson felt it necessary to warn people of his prediction over the weekend of March 7th-8th.
"An earth-shattering calamity is about to happen," Wilkerson alerted readers of his blog. "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," the pastor predicts.
"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 Psalm 11 it is written, 'If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?'"
Wilkerson concludes, "I do not know when these things will come to pass, but I know it is not far off. I have unburdened my soul to you. Do with the message as you choose."
The Cross and the Switchblade is a 1963 book written by Wilkerson with John and Elizabeth Sherrill. It tells the true story of Wilkerson's first five years in New York City, where he ministered to gang youth, encouraging them to turn away from the drugs and violence they were involved with. The book became a best seller, with more than 15 million copies distributed in over 30 languages.
The film version of The Cross and the Switchblade was released in 1970, starring Pat Boone (who is a direct descendant of the American pioneer Daniel Boone) as David Wilkerson and Erik Estrada as Nicky Cruz, the teen gang member whose life was transformed by Wilkerson's ministry.
According to Run Baby Run, the autobiography of Nicky Cruz, the Mau Mau gang actually wore black leather jackets with crimson double M's on the back instead of red jackets with white double M's, as depicted in the film. Cruz tells of how he was born to witchcraft-practicing parents from Puerto Rico, before he discovered Christ.
Loren, why do the majority of future "prophecies" seem to end badly? Few "prophets" see us living happily ever after.
ReplyDeleteConsidering the history of Christianity, or any other monotheistic religion for that matter, their published "holy books" have littered the world with bloodshed and horror, yet they always conveniently overlook their own complicity in those horrors.
Why does this preacher man's prophecies warrant attention since I can turn on my TV on any given day and find legions of self styled "holy men" spewing the same gibberish?
My guess is that David Wilkerson has no more insight into future events than my dog does.
Of course, I don't rule out the possiblity that the delusional "belief systems" peddled by pseudo "holy men" like Wilkerson will hasten some kind of self-fulfilling apocalyptic scenario,but I do strongly doubt that Jesus will come riding over the ridge line like the Lone Ranger to save the "true believers."
Religious folk of all persuasions seem to share the same masochistic need for a good caning that possessed Victorian era Brits.
It is utterly amazing how all these "love filled" "religious creeds" have, at their heart, a God who resembles Rambo more than He does Ghandi.
You'll have to excuse me if I place Wilkerson's prophetic gobble-de-gook in my "who gives a hoot"
file.
Hmmm. The track record of all the religious figures who have prophesied doom and gloom and fire hasn't been very good to date.
ReplyDeleteEither that or the Apocalypse has been seriously over-promised and under-delivered.
The usual out after it doesn't happen is to say that "your prayers and your listening to me (maybe even sending me money) averted it." Others like the "but it happened symbolically, there was a small fire in a theologically significant alley that was caused by four men all of whom had the word Philip somewhere in their name, and since Philip means lover of horses, they're the four Horsemen, and the firefighter who put it out was named Jesus."
Besides, from a Biblical point of view, nobody knows when the end of days will come other than God the Father. (Matthew 24: 36-39)
So by prophesying the end, the Christian figure who does so automatically indicates that he or she doesn't believe in the authority of the Bible, so cannot claim Biblical authority, so cannot make the claim.
AMEN
ReplyDeleteI think this is a warning from God. But I think it can cause fear in christians hearts. Zac Poonen brings a balance to this here: http://www.sermonindex.net/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?topic_id=27808&forum=34
ReplyDeleteGreg
It's not just him. I am getting a lot rumbles that tbings are going to get a lot worse before they get better. What till the food riots start.
ReplyDeleteI remember this guy, I think I maybe even read his book when I was a teenager. I, of course, think the U.S. is totally playing the part of Sodom (and the gay thing is a smokescreen) in the recurring time loop theory, so whatever. Wilkerson (as in sword?) isn't predicting Armageddon, he's predicting judgement on the U.S. He is like many Jonahs the US has had over the years, pointing out her sins. She refuses to listen, proclaiming her "light to the nations" status even in her absolute darkness. Not that David's vision will come true as his dreaming mind sees it. There are many kinds of fire.
ReplyDeleteCheers, Oilcan Michael
Oh, doubting thomas - as I read your comment I wanted to give you a huge hug - so here it is (((o)))
ReplyDeleteA lot of Christian ministers I know also think that something is looming ominously on the horizon. I think everyone can feel it. But is it the pouring out of God's Wrath as Wilkerson says? Or are we coming into a new 'Dark Age' after the fall of the Euro-American economic Empire which will lead to the end of our lifestyle as we know it?
ReplyDeleteI do not trust Mr Farah and his political agenda.
ReplyDeleteThe neocon movement is not something I subscribe to and in fact blame a lot of our problems today upon.
Anyone with any access to the internet would know that the fraud that is the national government and the banking system and mainstream media is not on our side and in fact is hostile to us.
Its demise is very possible.
Pastor Wilkerson predicted 911 also. There are some other very interesting things about 911 that are foretold in the Bible, a particular passage in Ezekiel that Pastor Wilkerson quoted after the destruction. If you are interested in these events, please read the following article:
ReplyDeletehttp://kittykit.wordpress.com/2009/03/19/the-watchmen-911-and-the-harbingers/