By SHARON K. GILBERT
Originally Published: March 28, 2005
GOD IS speaking to many of us – some through specific words of knowledge, some through visions, and to some of us through dreams. A recurrent dream that comes to me first started back in 1979. Although I believe in a pre-tribulation rapture, over and over I’ve dreamt of imprisonment, terror among Christians, and even beheadings. In 1979, I dreamt of running through war-ravaged, burnt out buildings. Bodies lay in charred heaps upon the ground. Sirens blared, and police cars and footed officers pursued all believers. The final image of this dream was of a group of believers, including myself, being rounded up by the police and forced into the back of a panel van, bound for a prison camp in Poland, where we were tried and then beheaded.
Since that initial, haunting night vision, four more dreams have come to me, the most recent one a few nights ago. As with many others, this dream began with death, this time the murder of a loved one. As we planned the funeral and sought help from the police, my father (now deceased) came to “take me home”. As we traveled south towards home, the clouds in the sky began to form into terrifying shapes. We all looked up, and many pointed. Traffic stopped. Heading north on the opposite side of the divided highway, I could see a long line of military vehicles, and soldiers began to interrogate citizens and cataloging us as Christian and non-Christian. Those of us on the south “going home” side looked up and began to sing “I’ll Fly Away”. As we sang, gigantic, alien ships filled the skies, and many began to scream. The military began arresting the believers.
I woke that morning, my heart heavy from the dark visions. Friends, I believe this is our final year of freedom, but it is also the year of Grace. Let us not fail to take every moment possible to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ’s sacrifice and resurrection to all we meet! Let us put aside petty differences and love one another. Let us be wise as serpents but gentle as doves, knowing good from evil, and keep our eyes focused on the heavens, for our redemption is very near – even at the very doors.
Interestingly, newly uncovered facts about the early history of the pretrib rapture view are popping up on the web. I refer to “Pretrib Rapture Diehards,” “Famous Rapture Watchers,” and “Letter from Mrs. Billy Graham.” I saw these while I was Googling. And there is a new book “The Rapture Plot” (Armageddon Books) which reportedly is the best book on the same history. Interesting, eh?
Marge