Spirit and Truth Ministries

GATES OF HEAVEN / GATES OF HELL

A Prophetic Dream Given the Night of April 16, 1997

Don Hawley

THE DREAM

I was staying in a home in a residential area, whether it was my own home or whether I was merely visiting was not clear. In any case, it was not my actual home in real life. The house looked much like others on the block except for one intimidating feature; to the left of the entrance was a yawning hole about 15 feet across with perpendicular sides. It was a black pit, and one sensed it was very, very deep. However, no one dared go right to the edge and peer down. Strange as this phenomenon was, for most it remained a curiosity rather than a serious threat.

Then there came a decided sense of impending danger; I felt a heavy foreboding. The earth trembled lightly, and a faint but ominous sound issued from the pit. A dull red glow, visible from where I stood, was reflected on the side of the hole. Suddenly I realized this whole area was built over a giant volcano that was coming to life. The major vent of this threat of nature was only few feet away, and the red glow was reflected from molten lava waiting to erupt. We were right at the epicenter of a mighty force that any moment would blast a huge section of the surrounding landscape high into the sky!

Man cannot trigger a volcano, and neither can he keep one from erupting. I marveled at the fact that no one around me seemed to be particularly concerned, although our lives were about to change forever. I felt the need to issue a warning while there was still time to prepare in some way. At this point God used an unusual method of awakening me that is not relevant to the dream itself. But had I not been deliberately awakened, I most likely would have forgotten the dream by morning.

THE INTERPRETATION

The general meaning of this dream was easy to determine due to my first prophetic dream given on August12, 1995. This dream can be found elsewhere on my web page (see "Worldwide Fire"). In that dream I saw a volcanic eruption in the "sides of the North," and following is a quote from the interpretation:

"The central focus of my dream was the great volcano to the north. A volcano is an "act of God;" men can neither trigger nor stop a volcanic eruption.To many it is the ultimate display of power with fire and smoke, and a fitting representation of the power with which God will work when his Spirit is poured out in the latter rain. It will take such intervention to force slumbering and indifferent Christians to decide whether they want to end up as sheep or goats."

I also want to refer to my second prophetic dream given the night of November 25, 1995. It also can be found on my web site (see "A New Wind Blowing"). In that dream I saw an awesome tornado sweeping down from the "sides of the North," and following is a brief quote that also relates to my most recent dream.

"Once again a force of nature was used to illustrate the power of the Lord, and once again it was so awe-inspiring as to create a certain amount of fear. Joel the prophet quoted God as saying in the last days, 'I will show wonders in the heaven above,' and what I saw in my dream truly was a wonder."

I also want to quote from my dream of November 30, 1996, " Incline Railway to Heaven."

"About half way through the Renewal experience we should expect a massive attempt by the devil to derail us. There will be those within Christianity, particularly among religious leaders, who will not accept the reign of the Holy Spirit. They will oppose the work of the Comforter, and there will be war, civil war, in the camp. This will be God's means of dividing all humanity into two groups for eternity, the sheep and the goats.

Each of my first two dreams was given to strongly confirm the message of sermons I had preached the previous day. In the same manner, this latest dream is confirmation of a Bible study I gave yesterday evening. Since the Lord has confirmed the message, I think it important to present an abbreviated account of that study.

GATES OF HEAVEN / GATESOF HELL

In the book of Matthew, our Lord presents one of the gravest scenarios in his Word.

When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit upon his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered in his presence, and he will separate them as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep at his right hand and the goats at his left. Then the King will say to those on the right, "Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world."

Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, "Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the Devil and his demons!" Matthew 25:31-34, 41.

This seems to indicate that when our Lord appears the second time, he immediately will divide the entire human race into two camps, one on his right and one on his left. This separation will be final; either eternal life or eternal death. Serious business indeed.

We need to ask, "How will Jesus make these solemn decisions?" Will he flip a coin; heads to the right, tails to the left? Or will selections be based on a lottery? No, all Jesus will do is recognize decisions that have already been made prior to his arrival. Decisions we ourselves have crafted.

Choose today whom you will serve. Joshua 24:15.

I reject any religious philosophy that claims our eternal destiny has been determined before birth, or that some other person or force can make that final decision for us through action or inaction. One of the most precious gifts God has given us is our free will, and he will not force the issue. Each of us will determine for ourselves where we will spend eternity.

BUT WHAT ABOUT THE FENCE SITTERS?

God is very unhappy about the spiritual fence sitting so prevalent today.

I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish you were one or the other! But since you are like lukewarm water, I will spit you out of my mouth! Rev. 3:15, 16.

We live in an age when people are too busy, or too uncaring, to either fully accept or fully reject the Savior. But God will take care of that with events now pending. He will shake the fence so hard that every member of the human race will fly off on one side or the other, even the politicians.

INSIDE THE DEVIL'S WAR ROOM

Since this choice has eternal consequences, a just God somehow must force people to pay attention to an intense decision-making process. There are, of course, two supernatural forces vying for man's soul, and the devil has plans for drawing individuals to the Lord's left hand. Interestingly enough, I believe we can be privy to some of the details of how Satan will work in the days just ahead.

A few months ago there came to my hand a book entitled The Thunder of Justice by Ted and Maureen Flynn. If copies are not available at your local Christian bookstore, they may be obtained from Maxkol Communications, 109 Executive Drive, Suite D, Sterling, VA 20166. Telephone (703) 709-0200; Fax (703) 709-1499.

In this volume an earnest Catholic couple has brought together and correlated the earthly apparitions of "Mary" since 1830. The result is an amazing flow of information that blends together and seems to culminate in 1998. I must point out that although I believe God carefully selected a lovely young lady to be the earthly mother of our Lord, I do not believe she has been appointed a mediator for our day. Mary doesn't appear on earth with messages from God's throne. But if not, then who does appear during these memorable occasions? I submit that the forces of darkness are represented. For such an important assignment, I can envision the devil himself assuming the role.

I will not take the space to detail the wondrous events foretold, but they include a revelation of the final message from Fatima, Portugal, the great warning that "will exceed anything that has taken place since the beginning of the world." The most widely witnessed miracle of all time is to appear above a pine grove at the edge of the village of Garabandal, in Spain, and accompanying it will be a sign in the sky so dramatic that the attention of all living will be drawn to it.

So many naïve Christians expect Satan to show up with a forked tail and cloven hooves, when the Word has warned us he is more likely to come as an "angel of light." With this in mind, it's fascinating to see how much truth is interwoven with the Marian lies. This small bit on page 347 comes to mind.

"In those days, the ones who are not in the state of grace are going to die of fright because of the horrible demons that they will see. The Virgin told me to close all the doors and windows and not to respond to anyone who calls from the outside. The biggest temptation we will have is the devil who is going to imitate the voices of our loved ones. She told me, 'Please do not pay attention because those are not your loved ones; those are demons trying to lure you out of the house.'"

Sound strangely similar to things you yourself have said about the end times?

Mary clearly points out that Pope John Paul II, the reigning Pope, will be the last one to occupy the papacy. Considering his age and frailty, that is an interesting observation. According to the message of the book, we should not look very far into the future for these events to unroll; we are already in the midst of the projected scenario.

What I find so very fascinating about these Marian messages, is that I believe most of them will come to pass. I think we have been permitted to look inside the devil's war room, and can know much of what will soon transpire. Take note.

AND IN GOD'S WAR ROOM?

God doesn't need Mary to be his spokesman; he can speak, and has spoken, for himself. In his written Word (Logos) God has revealed much of what we can anticipate in the end time, and today he continues to unroll the scroll through his spoken Word (Rhema). Those who are going to comprehend clearly what transpires will have to have their lives in balance.

The time is coming and is already here when true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for anyone who will worship him that way. For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth. John 4:23, 24.

In my web site article "Christianity's Shameful Divorce," I point out that the devil has been highly successful in keeping the church split between those who champion "truth" and those who champion "spirit." In these last days true worshippers will remarry the two. "Where there is no vision,the people perish." Prov. 29:18.

A merciful God will not leave the dedicated Christian without any help needed to see him safely through to the Kingdom. It's up to us to retain such a close relationship with Christ, that our minds are enlightened during our walk.

Has everything that God will cause to transpire already been made plain? No, we must stay tuned. However, remember that the devil, though evil, is not entirely stupid. He is an avid student of the Word and of the prophecies. Counterfeiting has always been one of his most effective tools, and in the Marian pronouncements should we not expect to see replicas of that which God will bring to pass?

TIME IS RUNNING OUT

We have a human tendency continually to push things into the future, so we won't have to deal with them in the present. But one day "tomorrow" will be "today," and many will be caught short. One generation since the Garden of Eden will be totally unique; that will be the generation alive when Jesus returns. We can anticipate that God will deal with this generation in a unique manner. I unabashedly state I believe that generation is alive right now.

I know many religious organizations believe they have the key to the finishing of God's work on earth, and the Lord will just have to wait until they get their act together. Religious men have had 2,000 years to do their thing, and have failed miserably. The emphasis is always on men, money, and methods. I would be lost in discouragement were it not for this promise.

He (God) will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth. Rom. 9:28.

Christ bore long with the people during his earthly sojourn, but once he set his face to go to Jerusalem, once God the Father called time, everything progressed with blinding speed. In virtually hours Jesus was taken, tried, tormented, crucified, buried, and rose again. When God says "short" we had best believe he means just that. Those scoffers who think our Lord will delay his coming unduly will be found unready and lost. I think the cup of this world's iniquity is brimming over, and once again the Father is about to call"time." The trumpet of God is about to sound.

THE FINAL SEPARATION

Millions who lived through the milleniums had no clear understanding of truth, and yet they did not reject the Savior in the light available to them. A compassionate God has said:

God overlooked people's former ignorance about these things, but now he commands everyone everywhere to turn away from idols and turn to him. Acts17:30.

Now, when the last generation must make eternal decisions, the "winking" time is over. Soon God will present to each man and woman that which will make their final choice fair and just. That means God must capture everyone's attention, and cause them to focus on eternal verities.

We can anticipate God will do something so powerful, so intense, that every human mind will be riveted, unable to turn away. There are those who think the final choice will hinge on some cherished doctrine. They are wrong. The vital choice always has to do with Jesus Christ himself, and in our day that means in the person of the Holy Spirit. Since Pentecost this has been the dispensation of the Third Person of the Godhead. Somehow, millions of professed Christians have not understood this vital truth.

The work of God will not close with less manifestation of his power than that with which it began. The early rain was awesome, but the latter rain will be infinitely greater. The firestorm of the Holy Spirit that swept through Jerusalem at Pentecost is once again sweeping around the world in the greatest Renewal since the dawn of time. (See the section of my web site entitled "Present Move of the Holy Spirit.") Sadly, many Christians are not even aware of what is going on. They smugly assume that God will never do anything significant unless it starts in their own little congregation or denomination. Just as those with preconceived ideas missed his first coming, so many will miss his second.

THE GATES OF HELL

We serve a supernatural God who is about to bring to final account a supernatural devil. The supernatural armies of God and Satan have been warring for eons, but the final battle of that war won on Calvary is underway. God is going to allow the gates of hell to be opened wider than at any other time in human history. The devil will work with more miraculous power than ever before, and the hordes of hell will be engaged in their last frenzied activity. God allows this because it is part of his plan for separating the human race into two eternal camps.

This evil man will come to do the work of Satan with counterfeit power and signs and miracles. He will use every kind of wicked deception to fool those who are on their way to destruction because they refuse to believe the truth that would save them. So God will send great deception upon them, and they will believe all these lies. 2 Thess. 2:9-12

Even in our imagination we can't conjure up how dangerous these deceptions will be.

False messiahs and false prophets will rise up and perform great miraculous signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even God's chosen ones. Matt.24:24.

The battle is for the souls of men, and the forces of darkness will throw in everything they have.

THE GATES OF HEAVEN

Fortunately, the gates of heaven also will be open wider than ever before, and the devil and all his minions are no match for the power that flows from the throne of God. The armies of righteousness will emerge like lightning, with the Commander of the Host, Jesus Christ, leading his celestial troops. This truly will be "the mother of all battles." There never has been any doubt about the outcome of this war, only about how we will fare as individuals.

Since we are caught between two supernatural forces, those who automatically fear anything supernatural are in special danger. Soon we will see unprecedented signs and wonders on every hand. Miracles, true and counterfeit, will boggle our minds. How will we hold fast in such a struggle?

You can throw away those detailed endtime charts so many have trusted in; our God has many surprises in store. In times past, we often have said something is true because, "I saw it with my own eyes." That no longer will be good enough. In this climatic fray, our natural senses will be of little value. If we trust them, we will end up believing a lie and losing our souls. Our only hope, will be the voice of the Holy Spirit indwelling those who have maintained an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ.

Many religious groups are willing for the Spirit of God to come into their midst only if he behaves himself, only if they can write his agenda for him. The Third Person will not allow anyone to dictate to him; he is sovereign God. Christians, and there are many, who actually fear the ministry of the Holy Spirit are in grave danger.

Do not put out the Spirit's fire; do not treat prophecies with contempt. Test everything. Hold onto the good. Avoid every kind of evil. 1 Thess. 5:19-22.

I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come. Matt. 12:31, 32.

Strangely, many Christians are more convicted of the power of the devil to deceive than they are of God's power to protect. This in spite of the fact he has promised that when we ask for a fish, he will not allow us to receive a snake instead. Be sure that anyone who has his hand in the hand of Christ can safely negotiate the devil's minefields.

The gates of heaven and hell are swinging open wide. Like the volcano of my dream, the earth under our feet is beginning to tremble. Soon, pent-up forces will erupt with unprecedented fury, but out of this chaos will emerge the Kingdom of Glory. What a time to be alive! Praise God!

Time is running out. Wake up, for the coming of our salvation is nearer now than when we firstbelieved. The night is almost gone; the day of salvation will soon be here. Rom. 13:11, 12.

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