GOD'S UNFOLDING BATTLE PLAN

[copyright: 2007]

Introduction: The Changing Structures of War

by Chuck D. Pierce

Like it or not, we are at war. Almost a year before the tragic events of 9/11 unfolded, I began prophesying through this nation that we as a church were entering into a seven-year season of warfare like none we had seen before. 

It was not a popular message, yet after that fateful day it became clearer:  

God was requiring His people to face battles that went beyond retaliating against terrorist attacks or liberating the Iraqi people from a tyrant. These were spiritual battles, to be fought by spiritual warriors. Some wars were to be waged inside our own borders, others on foreign soil.

We are now at the tail end of that seven-year period, and the warfare has continued to escalate in intensity. Yet the question is still the same as it was when this season began: Are we prepared?

To wage war - and win - we must have a battle plan. More than 20 years ago God began preparing me for this time of war and revealing to me His plan for the unfolding days. I was not heavily active in prophetic ministry at the time, nor was I looking for some divine strategy from God. But the vision I received from the Lord on December 31, 1985, forever changed my life. I have written about it before in The Future War of the Church, but I feel this vision still remains so applicable that it is worth sharing for those who have not heard it.

On New Year's Eve, I opened my Bible to read and pray in preparation for the coming year. As I went before the Lord, I felt a nudging to close my Bible, lay aside my prayer list, and just wait for God to speak to me. As I waited, God indeed began revealing many things to me. I felt He was showing me how the Church was to prepare for the future. 

He began by saying that within 12 years from that time, the government of the Church would change to reflect the pattern given to us when Jesus ascended to heaven. The Lord then said He would release revelation and gifting for new administrative methods that would cause His people to become influential and victorious in the next season of history. In this visitation God showed me three distinct governmental structures on this earth and their importance for the future of society.

1. The Existing Church Structure

God first showed me the church as I knew it. At the time, I was a member of a mainline denomination and I really didn't know any other method of doing church. I had always been open to a move of God, but as far as church government was concerned, I knew only the democratic, congregational form of decision-making in church matters. In my vision, that form of church appeared to me as a large building of about 50 stories. Each room in the building was brightly lit and the structure well built, though the building was also flexible. 

Yet as I watched, the building became more and more rigid and unchangeable. 

As it grew rigid, the lights grew dim even though there was still some light emanating from the rooms. The structure began to look more like a prison than a flexible organism of change. And God said, 

"I will have an opportune time when many will come out of this church government and begin to flow into another government structure that will arise."

2. Adverse Antichrist Governments

God then showed me two other buildings rising up. The first building was labeled Militant Religious Governments (the "-Isms"). This building was being constructed rapidly and had great strength. I saw rooms that represented religious systems from nations around the world, including the United States. The Lord showed me the effects these religious systems would have on our society in the days ahead. I saw strategy rooms where plans for terrorist activity were being devised. The proposed acts of terrorism were designed to create great fear in the target areas, meant to cause people to convert to these religious systems and to cause wealth that God intended for His kingdom to be withheld and controlled by other religions. I then saw the Lord's heart for those ensnared by and working in these religious systems - He longed to see them released and their trapped gifts liberated for Kingdom purposes.

One key religious system God showed me was Islam, which will have great influence on Earth in the days ahead. (One important note on this point: When I refer to Islam, I am not talking about the Muslim people per se, whom God loves and for whom Christ died. I am referring, rather, to the religious structure of Islam, which is controlled by satanic principalities and powers.) I saw that Islamic religious forces would be positioned in key places throughout the world. The Islamic religion understands the spiritual principle of treading to gain territory (see Josh. 1:3). First, they march militantly to gain control of territories. Then they establish their authority through war, bloodshed or whatever else may be necessary to maintain and secure the ground they've gained.

In this portion of the vision, there was another smaller building located in front of the -Isms. The smaller building was called Lawlessness. In this building, there were hidden lawless forces linked with secret societies such as the Ku Klux Klan and Freemasonry. I saw the influence of this building  begin to result in acts of violence and murder taking place in schools, churches, shopping malls and supermarkets.

The building of Lawlessness was actually connected in form and administration to the religious systems located in the -Isms building behind it. I thought this peculiar at first, but the Lord began to show me that the same type of religious spirit controlled both of these entities. I then saw how the governments of the earth were being influenced by these structures and how some of these governments were trying in vain to resist them with their own strength.

The Lord then showed me what the foundations of these two buildings were made of. Words appeared on their foundations:  mammon, Ashteroth, Jezebel, Ahab, Babylon and Baal. Next to these were anti-Semitic slogans and Hindu philosophies, among others. God said that if we could understand how these structures operated, we would have keys for victory in the future when the structures of the -Isms and Lawlessness would rise up and attempt to gain control.

3. The Church of the Future

God then showed me a third picture, of a building filled with light. The Lord called it "My Future Kingdom Authority." The building was very small. It was just beginning to form and was still lacking in size and shape. Even so, the structure was nothing but light (similar to a hologram) and glory.

Several words appeared on its foundation. They were the five ascension gifts listed in Ephesians 4:11 that make up the government of God: 

apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers. God was bringing order to these five gifts and placing them in the foundation. Each time one gift was set in order, the light would increase tremendously.

He said that this order would become very visible over the next 12 years. 

Once the proper order had been established, He would rapidly transfer His people to the new structure. I saw many leaders from the first building (the Existing Church Structure) move their offices from the old building to this new structure. As they turned out the lights of their offices in the old structure, that building grew darker and much more rigid, and it was unable to withstand the    -Isms and Lawlessness. However, the Lord's new structure began to arise, and it had the ability to resist the -Isms and Lawlessness structures and could overcome their governments.

God then said to me: "This is the government of the Church of the future that will arise and spread My light throughout the world in the latter days. 

This government will overcome all other governments. 

When this government is in order, you can then command governments of the earth to come into order. 

This will be the government that My latter-day blessings will rest on. This will be the government in which My glory will be seen. This will be the government that comes into a double-portion anointing and will dethrone the systems of Babylon on this earth. This government will not be one of compromise but of determined commitment to My purposes."

[(c) 2007 Chuck D. Pierce, published by Regal Books

 From Gospel Light, Ventura, California, U.S.A.]