No doubt, this will be an unsettling word for some in the Body of Christ. Yet, I can only share what I was shown and pass on the admonition I believe the Lord is giving us. There are some sacred cows based on doctrines of men that need to be left behind if we are to enter into this next phase of Kingdom expansion.
THE DREAM
On October 30, I had a dream about the Church. I saw it as a massive complex that had been used for a very long time but was now closing down. All the tenants were leaving and had left behind what was no longer needed for the new venture. Bobby and I were among the last group remaining and we were gathering up our things to leave with the others.
As I was walking towards the exit, I suddenly realized I didn’t have my purse with me. It was a nice leather bag with fringe tassels that was very special to me and I needed to find it because it carried all my personal belongings. I began to search various rooms but couldn’t find it and became worried that I wouldn’t find it in time. I finally found it in a storage room on a back shelf. However, I was surprised that when I looked inside, it was virtually empty. I thought for sure it held important personal information and belongings, but realized it wasn’t holding anything significant. Even so, I carried it down the stairs to join my husband.
When I got to the bottom of the stairs someone shoved an old wedding dress in my hands and told me to take it. It looked old and torn, but I thought maybe it had some kind of special meaning to someone, so I headed towards the exit, still looking at the dress in my hands. But then I was stopped again by, what I thought was, Bobby, and he told me not to take it. When I looked up, I saw that it wasn’t Bobby, but an older man wearing a badge. This policeman was wearing a light blue shirt, a cowboy hat, and cowboy boots, and touted a large white mustache. He even spoke with a slight drawl. He motioned to a large pile of other wedding dresses just like mine and said “You won’t be needing that.” I could tell he had been around for a while and was simply looking out for me, knowing where I was headed. So, I threw it in the massive pile with all the other wedding dresses and left. Then I woke up.
INTERPRETING THE SYMBOLS
Before giving the interpretation, I will clarify what the various components and symbols of the dream represent. The massive complex is the Church as we have known it. Bobby and I are leaders in the Church who are helping in making the transition ahead. Having had previous dreams about purses, I knew my purse represented my personal identity. It is a symbol of what I have “carried” in this season in terms of personal gifting and assignment. The cowboy policeman is a heavenly messenger who has been around for a while and is part of the initial pioneering of the Church. He is now overseeing the transition to the next phase of this Kingdom Age. Lastly, I knew by revelation that the wedding dress not only represented covenant but also our current understanding of what it means for the Bride of Christ to be ready for the Bridegroom’s return (Revelation 19:7-9).
THE CONSISTENT THEME OF TRANSFORMATION
I believe this dream illustrates the massive shift that the Church is now experiencing. We are not only entering another season but an entirely new era in Kingdom advancement. Church, as we have known it, is closing down. Much of what we have understood about ministry and our commission is about to radically change. And it’s not about being raptured out, but rather being upgraded to an entirely new wineskin. And to enter into this new era, we need to leave behind outdated mindsets, doctrines, and beliefs that will no longer be relevant in the days ahead. (You can refer to similar dreams I’ve had in the past ten years, both HERE and HERE.)
But these dreams do not indicate a preparation for a soon and coming rapture. In this dream, the wedding dress was not in pristine condition, nor was it “ready.” It was old and torn, suggesting that many doctrines related to our readiness for Christ’s return are old and outdated. And the heavenly messenger motioned to a pile of similar dresses. It was evident that many others had gone before me, trying to take this same relic with them. He told me they would not be needed, nor did they contain any intrinsic value.
But there’s something even more sobering. Because a wedding dress signifies covenant, I believe it indicates that many have made a dangerous covenant with various end-times doctrines – especially the rapture doctrine. This particular interpretation of Scripture has immobilized a segment of the present-day Church. Thinking we are about to be rescued from the ever-increasing darkness, many have avoided engagement in the public square and distanced themselves from getting involved. Holding to a belief that things are going to get worse to pave the way for an anti-Christ figure to appear, many are missing what our future is supposed to look like. For those who have been bound to this doctrine, the admonition is to let it go. It must be left behind. Yes, Jesus is coming again, but He never intended for us to figure out exactly when.
“He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!” (Revelation 22:20)
ISN’T HE “COMING SOON!?”
I believe we have many years left before Jesus physically returns. The Lord has been saying He is “coming soon” for thousands of years. This admonition isn’t signaling a particular timeline, but a spiritual reality that we must always be ready for. Especially preceding a time of harvest, the Spirit of God will release this same message, oftentimes to those with an evangelistic call, to prepare that generation for the winning of souls. It is a reminder that our time here is only temporary and that we need to be planning and preparing for our eternal destination.
“Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour.” (1 John 2:18 ESV)
Scripture also refers to the anti-Christ spirit which was already at work in the early Church. John stated there would be many anti-Christs, not just one. Those who have promoted the idea of one anti-Christ figure have usually interpreted books such as Daniel, Ezekiel, and Revelation to support this idea. But these books are highly symbolic and subjective, creating countless versions of end times scenarios that the Church at large has never agreed upon. Instead of predicting a coming “Anti-Christ” figure that will signal the end of the world, Scripture simply states we should be on guard against the anti-Christ spirit which shows up in every generation. We must be ready at all times to discern rightly the spirit of the age and those we follow.
UPGRADES COMING TO PIONEERS
Lastly, this massive change is not only about the corporate Body. It is about our individual roles and assignments that are also about to change. I have had other dreams where my purse represented my personal identity. In this dream, I thought I needed everything I was “carrying” in order to go to the next destination. However, even though the vessel was still unique and valuable (leather purse with tassels), it did not contain what I thought I needed.
The Lord is saying that what many pioneers have carried in this current season of ministry may not be needed for the next. This is not a demotion, but an upgrade by creative design. Grace has lifted from familiar ministry tools and assignments because something better is on the horizon. We can be filled with expectation for how He will fill us afresh and give us exactly what we need to be fruitful and productive in our ministries to come.
“For behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.” (Luke 17:21)
When Jesus came to the earth He announced that the Kingdom of God is here! Thus, we have been walking in the Kingdom Age for over 2,000 years. But there is a massive shift coming. This next phase is going to usher in a powerful move of the Spirit that will cover the entire earth. It will be a time of great harvest of souls and miraculous manifestations of Kingdom power and authority.
He invites us to leave behind those mindsets and beliefs that are no longer needed and prepare for a fresh outpouring of glory. Building on what has gone before, we are entering an era of His manifest presence and power that has never been seen before. Prepare to receive the upgrades!
