End Times Backdrop
I. Great Tribulation vs. Increased Birth Pains:
A. The Timing of the Rapture is Irrelevant to What is Coming First:
Whatever a group may believe about the timing of the Rapture (whether before, after, or during the Great Tribulation) it is universally accepted that we will all be here for the Increased Birth Pains (Mt. 24:8) which precedes the Great Tribulation.
B. Defining the Increased Birth Pains:
This hour will be a very dark time for the Earth, it is in the same vein as the Great Tribulation though not as severe. The Increased Birth Pains will have no equal up to that point in human history. By comparison The Great Tribulation that follows it will be so over the top that it’s hard even to talk about. The reason this point is important
C. Decades vs 7 Years:
The Great Tribulation only lasts 7 years while the period of the Increased Birth Pains will likely last decades. These decades that lead up to the Great Tribulation will be the worst years the Earth has ever known defined by deception, increase of wickedness, persecution, murder, global injustice, droughts, plagues, water shortage, chaos, fear and great pain.
D. World Impact:
Far surpassing the Great Depression of the 1920’s these decades will completely change the world and redefine life as we know it. Mankind will labor at all costs to overcome the woes of that season, this will result in the rise of what the scriptures call “The Harlot Babylon” -a world wide network meant to unify economics, the political landscape and religion in order to pull together to accomplish the most during the world’s greatest difficulty. These decades are the set up for a coming leader (Antichrist) to arise with answers to the world’s problems.
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II. The Prophesied End Time Global Prayer Movement:
There is a suspiring amount of information in our Bibles about God’s desire and man’s destiny in the Last Days regarding a prayer movement. This movement will be global in scope and focused on the purposes of God to be released through prayer.
A. Involving 10’s of Millions or More:
1. King David had 24/7 Prayer & Worship with singers and musicians; in many places the scripture speaks of this ministry being resurrected in the Last Days all across the Earth. It is spoken of in connection with the Lord’s 2nd Coming.
“After this I will return And will rebuild the tabernacle of David, which has fallen down; I will rebuild its ruins, And I will set it up; So that the rest of mankind may seek the LORD, Even all the Gentiles who are called by My name, Says the LORD who does all these things (Ac. 15:16-17 NKJV).”
2. In the Gospel’s Jesus quotes from the below prophecy that describes a time when all the Gentiles who love the Lord will be invited into the house of prayer.
“Also the sons of the foreigner Who join themselves to the LORD, to serve Him, …to be His servants…Even them I will bring to My holy mountain, And make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices Will be accepted on My altar; For My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations (Is. 56:6-7 NKJV).”
B. Defining The House of Prayer:
1. House of Prayer: This is the actual Biblical language for what is about to happen to Christianity (Is. 56:7; Mt. 21:13). A modern interpretation of this Biblical phrase is broader than a ministry that calls itself a House of Prayer. It is most accurately defined by any place where prayer is the primary thing done whether in a church, a para-church, a small group in someone’s living room, or any other expression. The central key is that the group/ministry is defined primarily, not only, but primarily by actual prayer meetings (whether organized or unplanned).
2. The House of Prayer, as defined above, will become the Primary Expression of the Church in the Earth.
3. No one has to make this happen, it’s the Lord’s agenda so it is out of place to accuse the Church that is thus far removed from the prayer movement. This global shift has so much more to do with His sovereign timing and purpose, it isn’t going to be ushered in by “get with it” preaching, so that is distracting rather than helpful.
C. The Role the House of Prayer Plays:
1. The Global Prayer Movement is still in it’s introductory form and the ministries that exist now –calling themselves “Houses of Prayer” are simply the down payment of what is coming. This is all part of God’s timing and these ministries serve a unique role in the Earth right now “preparing the way” for what is coming. Some version of what is currently fringe, small and misunderstood (the houses of prayer) will become the normal way we relate to each other and live as believers later in this generation.
2. Most of the formation of “The House of Prayer” (again we are talking about the entire Church of the Last Days) will actually come about by necessity of survival or by introduction through great power causing an irresistible heart connect.
3. The Church will become a House of Prayer for all nations not by sheer grit or determination but God will accomplish His call through the coming circumstances both positive & negative.
a. There is coming a release of unprecedented persecution causing the destruction of much of the current organization and structure of what we now call the Church. We will loose many buildings, privileges, and in coming years it will require much of the Church to go underground (that is, the Church that still holds to the Truth and many congregations will not).
b. There is coming a release of power on preaching & singing in the midst of the above trial. In the scripture singing is actually mentioned MORE than preaching as related to the release of power, and this is why there is such an importance on raising up prophetic singers, because the anointing comes on them first and foremost. This will usher in the greatest harvest of souls the world has ever known, it will also make alive the hearts of millions of complacent believers.
c. This power will rest on the House of Prayer that is already in place at that time and will show forth as God’s sign of approval. This will result in the House of Prayer becoming the primary expression of Christianity. As persecution increases so will God’s response to prayer (just as in Acts or in modern day China). Thus it is not a stream in the Body of Christ called “the house of prayer folk” that God is blessing, it is prayer…it just so happens that the “the house of prayer folk” are the ones doing the praying. And wherever there is communal prayer (a corporate people living out lives of prayer and fasting) there will the same anointing of power.
4. The Forerunners now are laying the foundation by sheer grit/determination and calling, but the majority of the Church will adopt “The House of Prayer” as a result of what is coming.
5. The question that needs to be asked is how is God going to convert the current expression of Christianity in the Earth into a praying people? The answer is by raising up little groups all over that will embody that reality for a season (decades perhaps) and then in His perfect timing anoint only those groups with power. The logic is that only those with a deep prayer life will be able to handle the power, further God will use this distinction to ensure that those who come into the Kingdom through the Great Harvest are discipled to become a praying people –by those that have been praying for years.
6. Overnight God will change the expression of Christianity in the Earth. Many will for the first time see the value of corporate prayer as a lifestyle and so join the praying expression, many current believers will fall away because of the difficulties and pressure and so will no longer consist of the Church, and then a billion new souls will come into the Kingdom under the very intentional leadership of the prayer movement (Houses of Prayer in their various forms).
D. Recent Explosion of the Prayer Movement:
1. History is full of expressions of literal night and day prayer. The largest of which occurred during the dark ages in the form of monasteries across Europe and encompassed thousands of monks. But for the most part these movements were relatively small and unknown.
2. The recent explosion of this pursuit of night and day prayer in the Earth in this generation however is in my opinion the most dramatic Sign of the Times we have in full view.
3. In September 1999 the Lord simultaneously launched multiple initiatives across the world, many of which were unconnected relationally at that time. 1999 was a pivotal year.
a. IHOP-KC with Mike Bickle
b. 24/7 Europe with Pete Greig
c. Jerusalem House of Prayer for all Nations with Tom Hess
d. Succat Hallel in Jerusalem began later that year with Rick Riding
e. ANHOP in Grand Prairie TX at Shady Grove Church
f. Initiatives in Asia
g. Other unknown works are still being uncovered as having their start in 1999 (many in September of that year)
4. What’s happened since 1999:
Keeping the definition of a House of Prayer (HOP) as a ministry that would make their primary expression of what they do be actual prayer meetings the following are some impacting stats
a. There are now somewhere around 1500 HOP’s in the U.S.
b. HOP’s are now all over Europe, Africa and the Islands
c. The Movement is exploding in Asia
5. IHOP-KC began their global web streaming of their prayer room in 2006 which exported the concept across the planet giving vision/resource to any who needed it.
6. There are right now for the first time in human history millions of people across every continent in most nations attempting some form of night & day prayer (the very aspiration of such a thing is unheard of). This is the kickoff of that which is prophesied in the scriptures as a Global End Time Prayer Movement.
III. Subjective Prophetic Words:
A. Related to the Prayer Movement:
Without going into all the background on each of these stories the important part to keep in mind is that all these prophetic promises were tied to God raising up a prayer movement in the Earth with Singers and musicians in order to answer the coming global threat.
1. God will change the Understanding and the Expression of Christianity in a single generation
2. IHOP will go from 500 to 5000 overnight (then to 10k, 15k and then 25k birthing five 24/7 HOPs in KC with 5k intercessors at each).
3. People watching Mike Bickle on wrist watches and handheld TVs in China
4. There is coming an Unholy Union of Islam and Communism
5. Harry S. Truman will give IHOP his Land
6. Stadium Christianity is coming to America
7. No Disease Known to Man will stand before this people
B. Subjective Words Related to the End Times:
1. John Paul Jackson The Perfect Storm
2. Terry Bennett June 2011