A Sobering Thought

Catastrophic destruction of American cities is the theme of a recent prophecy by well-known Charismatic pastor David Wilkerson. He first attracted attention by his journey from an obscure Pennsylvania town to New York City to establish Teen Challenge in 1958. This commendable ministry to hopeless drug addicts was told in the best-selling book and then the movie "The Cross and The Switchblade" starring Pat Boone. Periodically Wilkerson has offered prophecies that have not come true. Years ago, he predicted that a certain economic downturn would occur and that the Roman Catholic Church was about to come down hard on the Charismatic movement, neither of which came to pass.

Now, Wilkerson envisions New York City, it’s outlying metropolitan areas and even other U.S. cities in flames as the direct judgment of God upon sinful America as Psalm 11 forecasts, "If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?" While no specific date is declared, Wilkerson indicates imminent terrors. He wrote on his blog, "An earth-shattering calamity is about to happen. It is so frightening, we are all going to tremble, even the godliest among us." He urges everyone to stock a 30-day emergency supply of survival supplies to deal with the impending disaster. Wilkerson’s non-specificity is couched in vague terms. "I do not know when these things will come to pass, but I know it is not far off."

We hope Wilkerson is wrong, but biblical prophecy generally shows him to be eventually right. The inevitable judgments of God on a wayward American society should sober every believer to the need for spiritual revival and drive every unbeliever to receive Christ as Savior and Lord.
Our morally downward-spiraling country and the world in general cannot avoid horrible catastrophic judgments. Psalm 9:17 says, "The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God."

America’s consent to Obama administration policies such as increased government funding of abortions, homosexual marriage and free expression in the military, destruction of human embryos in stem cell research, possible loss of job protection for medical personnel who object to participating in abortions, the threat of removing tax exemption for preaching biblical truth against sin and general slippage of biblical norms does not go unnoticed by a holy God. Further, the unconscionable deficit bailouts leave us vulnerable to foreign domination since we’ve sold our economic soul.

Whether by fiery attack or financial collapse, America is likely rushing toward chaos. Wilkerson’s warning is well taken, not as a personal invention but as a reflection of God’s sobering word. After noting that ancient Israel acted as though God was deaf, dumb and blind, the Almighty said, "Now consider this, you who forget God, Lest I tear you in pieces, And there be none to deliver: Whoever offers praise glorifies Me; and to him who orders his conduct aright I will show the salvation of God" (Ps. 50:22-23).

The conclusion prescribes the remedy: focusing on God and behaving as He commands. Without these twin commitments, destruction is likely approaching.

Dave Virkler