A Heaven Quake?

I’m very aware I lack insight as to what is taking place behind the scenes in heavenly places.  That’s where the real action is.  That’s where the things that take place in the earth are initiated.

Last year great shakings took place in the Arab world.  They call it Arab spring.  Unrest that began in Tunisia in 2010 spread to Egypt where in February, 2011 President Hosni Mubarak resigned after 18 days of protests that filled TV screens across the world.  Since then, further shakings have taken place in other parts of the Arab world.

Arab Spring is viewed largely from a political perspective, and certainly it has political ramifications.  But the interesting thing is that God called an Egyptian church to forty days of prayer and fasting just prior to the upheaval in Egypt.  The rest is history, as they say.  Great shakings took place subsequently, and are still taking place.

And in the midst of it all many Moslems are turning to the Lord, as the pastor of the church reveals.  Not only that, Christians previously divided along denominational lines are coming together.  During the upheaval in Egypt, Copts, Catholics, and evangelicals laid aside their differences to fast and pray together, embracing one another in true Christian fellowship and love.  It sounds like it’s ongoing.

I’ve attached a link to a video interview with this pastor.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwPf48ouNMA&feature=youtu.be

The interview moved me, especially the latter part where the Egyptian pastor calls on the church of America to humble herself.

My point is… people across the world were glued to the news watching what was unfolding in Egypt.  But where did these shakings originate?  We need to be awakened as to just what it is that causes the things that take place in our world.  Sometimes things happen that… you just wonder, what was that all about?  Not just on the world scene, but in the smaller circle of our own lives.  I am saying that we don’t know what’s going on in the heavenly realm.  Great forces are in conflict there.  Great purposes are unfolding.  We can suddenly find ourselves in the midst of great upheaval unaware that it was caused by something that took place in the heavenly realm.

Daniel saw in vision the four winds of the heaven striving upon the Great Sea (Dan. 7.2).  Why was the sea so roiled and agitated?  Was it just earthly politics?  No, it was caused by the winds of the heavens.

Take this a step further.  Daniel tells us of a time of prayer and fasting he entered into that had repercussions in the heavenly realm (Dan. Ch. 10).  The Prince of Persia and the Prince of Greece were stirred up; Michael, “one of the chief princes” became involved.

What caused it?

Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for (as a result of) thy words (Dan. 10.12).

This grips me.  We Christians here in the earth– if we are walking seriously with God– we play a vital part in what happens in the heavenly realm.  Maybe we often feel we aren’t making much of an impact on our world.  But that church in Egypt by their response of obedience to a revelation of the will of God, humbling themselves, chastening themselves before their God… suddenly they became keenly aware that they certainly did have a vital part to play in the unfolding purposes of God.  Their whole nation was suddenly in the throes of revolution.  I wonder if that might be in the category of what the Bible calls a heaven quake.

And what caused it?

Let’s lay this to heart ourselves… and humble ourselves as Daniel did, as they in Egypt are doing.  Our walk with God, our sensitivity as to His leadings… our response to Him… our prayer and seeking… our obedience… getting our hearts right with God… in all this we find ourselves walking in harmony with the heavenly hosts behind the veil… and great shakings take place.  Unexpected things break forth.  A step of obedience in the will of God can produce shakings round about us.  Upheaval.  Spiritual attacks.  Conflict.

…All that.  And more.  The rule of the kingdom of God!  What took place in Egypt and is still taking place is far more than political change.  It’s only a step toward the manifestation of the kingdom of God that ultimately is to cover the whole earth as the waters cover the sea.