Fall
1988
A Prophetic Vision For Our
Day
Wade E Taylor
"My beloved spake, and said unto me, Rise up, my love,
my fair one, and come away. For, lo, the winter is past, the
rain is over and gone; the flowers appear on the earth; the
time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the
turtle is heard in our land; the fig tree putteth forth her
green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good
smell. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away" Song
of Solomon 2:10-13.
This passage of Scripture expresses, in beautiful spiritual
imagery, a prophetic vision of the out-pouring of the Holy
Spirit during the latter days. It speaks of a special time
of "Divine Intervention" during which the Lord will
reveal Himself through a prepared corporate witness, as foreseen
by Isaiah,
"Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the Glory
of the LORD is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness
shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but
the LORD shall arise upon thee, and His Glory shall be seen
upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings
to the brightness of thy rising" Isa 60:1-3.
At this present time, the Lord is seeking out a people who
are willing to set aside past religious concepts and cultivate
afresh their spiritual ear to hear a "present word"
from Him. To these He is saying,
"RISE UP, MY LOVE, MY FAIR ONE, AND COME AWAY."
This progressive "upward" call, out from the busy-ness
of "human activity" and into an atmosphere of "divine
activity," is drawing those who respond to this expression
of the Lord's intention into a time of preparation for the
coming time of "Divine Intervention."
THE WINTER IS PAST,
THE RAIN IS OVER AND GONE;
The recent "Charismatic" visitation within the
Church resulted in a broad exposure to the supernatural through
the outpouring of the "Baptism in the Holy Spirit"
which has been received by multitudes. The operation of the
Gifts of the Holy Spirit within the Body of Christ became
common. This is helping to establish the foundation for a
new and greater outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
"Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in
the Lord your God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately,
and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former
rain, and the latter rain, in the first month. And the floors
shall be full of wheat, and the fats shall overflow with wine
and oil" Joel 2:23-24.
The present "seeming" time of spiritual dryness
is accomplishing its purpose by causing within the Lord's
people an intense desire for a further moving of the Holy
Spirit. During this time, the Lord is seeking out those willing
to undergo a time of preparation for the coming DAY OF HIS
POWER. "Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy
power," Psalm 110:3a.
THE FLOWERS APPEAR ON THE EARTH;
One of the benefits of the recent Charismatic visitation of
"former rain" is that choice sons (overcomers) are
growing towards spiritual maturity (the flowers appearing).
These choice sons are finding others who are going through
the "dealings" of this present time of preparation.
They are encouraging each other as they share their testimony
of how the Holy Spirit is accomplishing His purposes within
them.
THE TIME OF THE SINGING OF BIRDS
IS COME, AND THE VOICE OF
THE TURTLE IS HEARD IN OUR LAND;
True worship is being restored within the Body of Christ.
This "singing of the birds" (prophetic worship)
is the key that unlocks the door to the heavenly realm (Zion).
Here "in our land" (places where the activity of
His Holy Spirit is welcomed), the voice of the turtle-dove
(prophetic revelation) is revealing the unfolding pattern
of this last day visitation. A vast new realm of spiritual
understanding and experience is becoming available to all
who are responding to this upward call.
THE FIG TREE PUTTETH FORTH
HER GREEN FIGS
Though yet a green fig, "Israel" is functioning
as a nation and the entire world is becoming aware of her
presence and importance.
AND THE VINES WITH TENDER GRAPES
GIVE A GOOD SMELL.
Though the grapes are yet tender, these "prepared witnesses"
are beginning to function in a higher realm of prophetic anointing
and the entire world is about to become aware of their presence
and importance.
"The LORD shall arise upon thee, and His Glory shall
be seen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light,
and kings to the brightness of thy rising" Isa 60:2b-3.
Untold blessing and growth is taking place within the Church
through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. In the midst of
this outpouring, there is yet a further call that is going
forth from the Lord to those who hunger for more. He is saying,
"Rise up and come away with me." Those who hear
this call and respond are being prepared to become vessels
through whom His Glory will be revealed in this coming visitation.
The temptation to turn back and stay in the security and
comfort of past glorious visitations often beckons those who
are hearing this call to a still higher realm, which they
little understand. A determined choice must be made to come
apart and pay the price of this calling, whatever it may be.
To these, the Lord is revealing Himself as standing outside
the door of their present religious comfort, knocking. He
is saying, "Behold I stand at the door and knock, If
any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to
him, and will sup with him, and he with me" Rev 3:20.
As we rise up to open this heavenly door and "sup with
Him" (by expressing our spiritual hunger and need to
Him), He will "sup with us" (by counselling us to
"buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be
rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and
that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint
thine eyes with eye-salve, that thou mayest see") Rev
3:18.
As we receive this word of counsel from the Lord, we will
be strengthened and enabled to rise above our present tendency
to be satisfied with natural provision and blessing alone.
Then we will be enabled by the Holy Spirit to become this
witness of His Glory in the coming day of His power.
John heard this call. "After this I looked, and, behold,
a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard
was as it were of a trumpet talking with me (prophetic revelation);
which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which
must be hereafter. And immediately I was in the spirit: and,
behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.
And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine
stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in
sight like unto an emerald" Rev 4:1-3.
This is a vivid description of His Glory. His present call
is to progressively come upward towards this realm of His
Glory. Only those who are experiencing this time of preparation
in His presence will be able to receive the revelation of
His purpose, thus becoming as a "burning bush" (Exodus
3:2) that will reveal the risen Christ in all of His Glory
to a sin darkened world.
During this present time of preparation for the coming "day
of His power," there is much that the Lord desires to
make known. Because of manifold demands upon our time and
our reluctance toward change, let us again meditate upon the
purpose for His present calling.
"My beloved spake, and said unto me, Rise up, my love,
my fair one, and come away."
May we be careful to both hear and heed what He is saying
to us at this time.