While gathered at a great banquet with his lords, wives and concubines, King Belshazzar saw a mysterious hand write an encrypted message on the wall of the royal palace: “Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin.” Frightened by the apparition, the king of Babylon summoned Daniel—a prophet regarded for his ability to interpret dreams, explain enigmas and solve problems (Dan. 5:12). The prophet deciphered the inscription, explaining God had weighed Belshazzar in the balance and found him wanting, and that his kingdom would be divided by the Medes and Persians.
Today, the handwriting is on the wall again. But just as Daniel helped solve problems in ancient times, God is raising up prophetic leaders to offer hope and help release the next great move of the Spirit.
The cover story in this month’s issue of Charisma—”A Prophetic Army Rising Up”—features interviews with a number of respected prophetic ministers who believe the world is on the verge of a powerful new move of God.
This may seem counterintuitive given the troubled state of the world. Yet many are prophesying awakening. And while some believe a “great shaking” is coming, they also believe God is patient and is giving the world time to return to Him. “I believe we’re on the cusp of another phase of the release of the Holy Spirit that began with the Pentecostal/charismatic movements,” says John Eckhardt, overseer of Crusader Ministries. “Some things don’t happen unless prophets are involved. There has been a great amount of prayer worldwide for revival and awakening, and I believe God is answering those prayers by raising the level of the prophetic.”
Today, prophetic believers are rising up as part of a great intercessory army to prepare the way of the Lord. God is calling a global community of prophetic people to arise and decree revival. Some who have felt discouraged are receiving a touch from heaven. Others are recognizing dormant spiritual gifts such as the simple gift of prophecy used for edification, exhortation and comfort (1 Cor. 14:3).
As this prophetic movement unfolds, it’s important for mature prophets who have gone through the “making process” to train those with budding prophetic gifts. “The first thing is they need to find a mentor, somebody who is more seasoned,” says Hubie Synn, a speaker and author of The Tales of a Wandering Prophet. This training is also available at a variety of prophetic schools, including the Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry, where 2,100 students learn about healing, deliverance, the prophetic and supernatural gifts. “We are teaching people to leave the walls of the church and take the kingdom wherever they go,” says Kris Vallotton, senior associate leader at Bethel Church and co-founder of the school.
These and similar ministries teach people about prophetic gifts, how to receive prophecies and how to know if they are true or false.
“We still have prophets today who are issuing corrections, warnings, teachings and instructions just as they did in the Bible,” says DeGraw Ministries Founder Kathy DeGraw.
These prophets are encouraging church and ministry leaders to seek to understand those in their congregations and ministries with interest in this spiritual gift. Whenever God releases a new movement, teachers are needed to help the body of Christ understand what is happening.
“If you still believe in miracles and healings, then how can you remove prophets? God has always had prophets,” Eckhardt says. “If we need them at any time, we definitely need them today with all the challenges the church is confronted with.”
Just as Daniel was summoned to the royal palace in Babylon to interpret dreams and solve problems, Vallotton says more than 100 graduates of the Bethel school have gone to Washington, D.C., to work in government and “see the kingdom move into places of influence.”
The graduates of the school are also working in several cities. Like the sons of Issachar who understood the times (1 Chr. 12:32), they’re helping officials create “prophetic strategic plans” to solve problems before they occur.
This is why God is raising up a new wave of prophets—not just to sound a trumpet of warning in a world largely oblivious to the writing on the wall—but also to offer hope and godly solutions to the Gordian knots facing humanity.
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