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David Wilkerson:  Earth-Shattering Calamity is About to Happen.  Stock up on Food.

Orginally published on Monday, March 09, 2009 at 6:25 AM
by Todd Rhoades


Over the weekend, famed evangelist says he felt "compelled by the Holy Spirit" to send out an urgent message to all of his friends all over the world. Here is what he said (all caps included):

AN EARTH-SHATTERING CALAMITY IS ABOUT TO HAPPEN. IT IS GOING TO BE SO FRIGHTENING, WE ARE ALL GOING TO TREMBLE - EVEN THE GODLIEST AMONG US.

Practically speaking, Wilkerson advises to "lay in store a thirty-day supply of non-perishable food, toiletries and other essentials."

When I read things like this, I think that this message, and its messenger, in particular, has to be one of three things:

1. Wilkerson is right: this is a legitimate message that Wilkerson heard from God that we need to take seriously and heed.

2. Wilkerson is wrong; God didn't tell him this and it won't happen; but Wilkerson truly feels this is a legitimate message and that God told him to tell everyone (Wilkerson is duped)

3. Wilkerson is wrong; God didn't tell him this and it won't happen; and Wilkerson is trying to dupe us all for some good publicity.

Are there really any other choices?

I am not saying that Wilkerson is trying to dupe anybody (as in #3).  But I am not saying that #1 is correct either.

Personally, I always have a bit of a problem with God speaking directly and specificially to one person, particularly in an audible voice; kinda like the way God does with Pat Robertson every December.  Particularly when it turns out the God is wrong more than half the time.  Call my cynical and skeptical, but I just have a hard time believing #1 with my whole heart.  Maybe I’ll feel different if/when God speaks that directly and audibly to me.

It reminds me of the lady who comes up and says that God told her that she was supposed to sing a certain solo.  I told her that God definitely hadn’t told me that (and, by the way, she couldn’t sing.)

It would be kind of like me telling you that God told me that I was supposed to come to your house for dinner today.

OK… back to the matter at hand.  How do you take this word from Wilkerson?  What’s your choice:  #1, #2, or #3?  And is there really any other choice?

Are you running to the grocery store to stock up on canned food items?  Are you laughing this off?  Or are you seriously thinking about what might happen?

I’d love to hear your input…

You can read Wilkerson’s full blog post on the topic here...

Todd


This post has been viewed 5669 times so far.


  There are 85 Comments:

  • I read about this over the weekend, and just don’t know what to think about it.  Typically, I am skeptical of this type of thing; however, I really do respect this guy and I can’t help but wonder....what if he is right?

    In short, I’m stumped.

    But I am not going to panic and I am not going to stockpile food.  That’s not in my gameplan.

  • Posted by

    First thing first David doesn’t say that God spoke to him in an audible voice.

    Secondly David Wilkerson has never been about publicity. It was a blog post on a Saturday and he has been saying something very similar for ten years. Wilkerson’s ministry has been about calling people and the nation to the to the Lord. An example of a publicity stunt would be Fellowship church’s sex challenge.

  • Posted by Gary Ellis

    I personally believe there is a fourth plausible possibility. 

    #4 God was speaking a message to David that could be published as a warning for intercession.  The purpose would be that God’s people heed, pray, and change the devastating outcome.

    I believe an important component in prophetic words is that they are normally conditional. 

    “If my people will humble themselves and pray and turn from their wicked way I will hear from heaven and heal their land.”

  • Posted by

    He’s probably sincere-- just sincerely mistaken:
    Joe Fraternity told Suzie Sorority “God told me that you’re the one for me.” She replied, “Funny, He didn’t tell me that!”

    Had someone leave our church last year for no other reason than that they claimed God had told them to-- how do you argue with that?  There’s no way to have conversation with them.

    Pat Robertson and the like need to re-read Hebrews 1:1-2…

  • Posted by

    I see nothing in his blog claiming to have received a word from God.  He is simply looking at the signs of the times, knows the Lord’s return is near and warning those who will listen to repent and others to prepare.  Jesus warned us in Matthew 24:33 that we would know when His return was near, even at the door.  No man knows the day or hour and Mr. Wilkerson makes this clear in his blog.  Our church has been warning our members for several years that God will not withhold his judgment on America much longer and they need to repent.  We do not set dates but we sincerely believe we are in the time Jesus spoke of right before his return for his church.

  • Posted by Jim Sparks

    Whenever somene says “God told me...” that smacks of theological blackmail.  It places a non-debateable statement in a context where response will not be tolerated.  I believe God speaks to people and I believe those words can be helpful to many others, but there are better ways to share God’s words for a more positive response than by fiat and manipulation.

  • Posted by John Burton

    We really have to think this through.  There is a crisis of ‘despising prophecy’ in the church.  We are all to prophesy, yet when people do, eyes tend to roll, or judgments tend to arise.

    Do people ‘miss it’ regarding prophecy?  Of course.  We prophesy in part.  We see in part.  Imagine a 5000 piece jigsaw puzzle with 4000 of the pieces missing.

    That’s usually the way prophecy works.  We do our best to deliver a message that has a lot of data missing.

    I believe we must have a ‘prophetic reformation’… and expect God to talk continually to each of us.  Let’s see schools of prophecy launch so we can be sure every believer hears God… sheep here his voice.  I think it’s a dangerous thing to live our life and make daily decisions without knowing what God’s Rhema delivered directions are.

    If we do this right, words like Brother David’s won’t seem strange at all.

    Oh, and I totally agree that prophecy is very often conditional, and the intercessors must pray when such info is received.

  • Is there one rightous in the USA? Of course there is because we are covered in the blood of Jesus we carry His righousness! Before God unleashes His punishments on the world He will sweep us out of here. This nations has been a mess for a long time and we indeed need to repent but Christians will not endure the wrath of God. Jesus already paid that price!

  • Posted by

    I agree with Gary Ellis. If we indeed believe that such a disaster is pending, we have a spiritual responsibility to seek the Lord in hope of postponement or cancellation of judgement.
    At the same time, I believe the Lord confirms His word. Is this prophecy consistent with the written Word? Do men of God experience confirmation of its truth in their spirit?
    30 days worth of food represents a very large investment, not to mention a storage problem. I’d like to believe the guy, but I need some confirmation. I will certainly pray about it and continue to watch developments, but I can’t call it true prophecy...yet.

  • Posted by David

    “An Earth-Shattering Calamity” just seems a little general to me.  I wish modern day prophets would be a little more specific, like Isaiah saying, “The Assyrian king will not win against Jerusalm but instead he will go home and be killed.” I’m just saying…

  • Posted by

    Measure Wilkerson’s comments with those of Joel Rosenberg ... http://flashtrafficblog.wordpress.com/2009/03/06/economic-meltdown-what-does-the-future-hold/ ... I’m not too concerned with who sends the warning. It is expedient for us to be wise and consider the times!!!

  • Posted by

    My question is: “Why only 30 days?” if it is going to be as bad as he predicts what is going to happen after the 30 days is up? Frankly, I see everything that is happening in the world as an “opportunity” for the church to rise and be the church.

  • Posted by

    You know what strikes me as important here is that we don’t measure Wilkerson’s words against our measuring rod, but against Scripture.  There are some very clear guidelines laid out to help us determine if this man’s words are prophetic or not - 1 Corinthians 14 indicates that prophecy is for the edification, exhortation and consolation of the body and goes on to indicate that it must be done properly and orderly.  It must check out with God’s Word and we are called to examine prohetic words carefully as in 1 Thess 5:21, and of course, there are warnings of false prophets as is given in Matthew 7:15-18.

    I don’t see what Mr. Wilkerson is saying as edifying, exhorting or consoling, on the contrary, there are many who will be spun into anxiousness and worry - red flag #1.

    But of course, with or without Wilkerson’s words, it is always a good idea to have emergency supplies on hand - our schools do that for our children, in California we are asked to do that in case of fire or earthquake and all across this country people are encouraged to prepare for weather related emergencies such as hurricanes, tornados, snow/ice or even heat and that pretty much covers all of us!

    We don’t need a prophetic warning to know this.  We also don’t need a prophetic warning to know we live in ever changing and dangerous times.  The thing we do need, as does the rest of the world, is God!

  • Todd, you are so funny. Great article bro.

    I also admit that I wasn’t sure what to believe when I read this.  My first thought was “Oh God… not now.”

    True or not we have to trust God.  I respect Wilkerson… and I’ve seen his messages of urgency before but don’t recall him ever saying we needed to stock up on food. 

    I’m also leary when people pull “the God card.” His name gets used more in vain by believers than anyone.

    --Terrace Crawford
    http://www.terracecrawford.com
    http://www.twitter.com/terracecrawford

  • Posted by Jim Sparks

    As I’m following these comments, a separate thought occurs to me:  Would we pay more or less attention to this if the “prophet” were Joe Schmoo rather than David Wilkerson.  If Joe Schmoo were to have his words published and publicized (as David Wilkerson can do), would our responses be the same. 

    I say this because many prophets that we know now were not “known” then.

    But of course, I could be wrong ... according to my wife.

  • Posted by Ron Forseth

    God has worked unmistakeable miracles through David Wilkerson in the past.  It’s blessed me personally.  That certainly doesn’t validate everything he has done or might do. I want to be attenentive and humble, listening if God might be saying something to me or all of us about this calamity. 1 Corinthians 14:29 allows people to prophecy and then instructs others to confirm or disconfirm the prophecy.  My discernment is that this particular prophecy is not from God.  But if it is, this is the kind of prophecy I would expect from one of the two witnesses (Revelation 11:3).  Whether this prophecy is true or not, calamity of the greatest magniture is on its way.  The Spirit will make the truth of this prophecy known to his people collectively as we walk with him.  And we can check in 29 days from now. God bless David Wilkerson and may we not act as sharks in the water toward our brother.

  • Posted by John Burton

    Friday night I was ministering in Detroit, and I received a vision of a ‘maddening spirit’ that’s coming.  I feel the church must be ready to minister to these people.

    You can read the article, along with Brother David’s at http://www.revolutionexperience.com.

  • Posted by

    I think you didn’t read this one close enough.  There is no indication he heard “an audible voice.” David Wilkerson has been a prophetic voice for many year.although he adamantly refuses the title of prophetc.  It is simply a warning he felt compelled by the HolySpirit to share.  Different from an audible voice.

    I tend to be skeptical too, but what harm can a warning like this do?

  • Posted by

    Todd:
    I agree it is hard for us to discern when God is speaking to us, whether to us directly, or through another, whether the person call themselves prophet or not.

    Even though this is a hard word to receive, I lean more toward heeding it, than ignoring it.

    Quote from A.A. Tozer, “If you’ve never heard God say anything hard, I doubt you’ve ever heard Him say anything at all.”

  • Posted by

    Does anyone remember Y2K? The Christians were the doom and gloom folks. Yes, let’s be prepared, but the reality is that we live by faith not fear. Remember Jesus comment to the disciples in the storm? “Why are you so afraid, do you still have no faith” (Mark 4:35 ff). I think these comments by respected Christians have the potential to flame the fire of fear. Everything that is happening now in the world, once again is an “opportunity” for the church to rise up and be the Body of Christ in the midst of the chaos.

  • Posted by

    This is a very interesting post.  I read Mr. Wilkerson’s post and I find nothing manipulative or out of line with it.  I personally find this somewhat of a comfort to me, as the Lord impressed upon me at the first of the year that I needed to stock my shelves as well.  There’s a difference between being prepared and hoarding.  We as believers are to always be ready in season and out.  Let us not be like the virgins who did not prepare for the Bridegroom.  If nothing happens, then we can praise God for withholding His wrath, not discredit a very fine man who is simply being obedient to the instruction of the Lord.

  • Posted by Peter Hamm

    If he’s wrong, can we stone him?

    “Do people ‘miss it’ regarding prophecy?  Of course.” “We prophecy in part” does not mean that. Sorry…

  • Posted by

    If you have doubt that God speaks to people I sugguest you read “The Cross and The Switchblade” David reltes how God told him to go to NY -------- results Teen Challange read on then express your doubt about Gods voice.

  • Posted by

    I’m not sure we have openness any longer to prophecy. 1) Because of the individuals who often do the prophesying. 2) The inaccuracy of their prophetic word or 3) because for some reason we think that God will somehow reveal it to more than 1 person. True, God at times in Scripture revealed his plans to more than one individual while other times it was only one person.

    On another note, the comment that we sometimes get it wrong is inaccurate. If someone speaks on behalf of the Lord as having a specific word from him, they should be right on. If not, then they are not representing God.

    Ultimately, my concern or fear is that we wouldn’t know if God is speaking to us or not as his people (what the Scripture reveals as rhema) because of the condition of our faith and hearts.

  • Posted by John Burton

    This is why there is such a need for schools of prophecy.  It’s a learned skill/gift.  We have to learn to discern, understand how to interpret when the data is less than complete. 

    We are weak humans, and we can certainly make a mistake.  So many have shut down the prophetic because of a presumed failure of a prophetic person.

    Remember, we are ALL to prophesy.  Every one of us.  We cannot shut it down!  There is a crisis of ‘despised prophecy’ in our churches today.  Some churches don’t even allow prophetic words!

    Another issue is that of stewardship.  Much of prophecy is conditional.  The results are based on our response. 

    What if a possible conclusion to David’s prophecy was for it to be averted if God’s people pray.

    If we pray, and it doesn’t happen… is David a false prophet?

    My God… help us!

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