ECONOMIC COLLAPSE AND COMING JUDGMENT

Many of us have heard about "Y2K" or a possible economic depression or collapse. Some of us know people who are storing up supplies and food to prepare for one or both of these situations. Dave Wilkerson has recently written two books regarding a coming economic depression called America's Last Call and God's Plan to Protect His People in the Coming Depression.
I had been debating on whether or not to include this chapter I had initially written back in the spring of 1992. After reading Dave Wilkerson's books, I decided to include some of my thoughts here.
While reading the passage Isaiah 32:9-20, I was reminded of what the Lord has been speaking to me since the mid-1980s…economic collapse.
You women who are so complacent, rise up and listen to me; you daughters who feel secure, hear what I have to say! In little more than a year you who feel secure will tremble; the grape harvest will fail, and the harvest of fruit will not come. Tremble, you complacent women; shudder, you daughters who feel secure! Strip off your clothes, put sackcloth around your waists. Beat your breasts for the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vines and for the land of my people, a land overgrown with thorns and briers - yes, mourn for all houses of merriment and for this city of revelry. The fortress will be abandoned, the noisy city deserted; citadel and watchtower will become a wasteland forever, the delight of donkeys, a pasture for flocks, till the Spirit is poured upon us from on high, and the desert becomes a fertile field, and the fertile field seems like a forest. Justice will dwell in the desert and righteousness live in the fertile field. The fruit of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever. My people will live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure homes, in undisturbed places of rest. Though hail flattens the forest and the city is leveled completely, how blessed you will be, sowing your seed by every stream, and letting your cattle and donkeys range free. (NIV)
When I read this in April of 1992, I was thinking in terms of the United States of America and the up and coming economic collapse (which I thought had already started. There was a recession. A number of people were out of jobs. A lot of businesses were closing down and there were some serious economic problems for people.) But I believed this was only the beginning of the economic problems that we would be seeing in the future.
I believe the Lord may be saying that His judgment is going to be poured out in such a way that unless the Church is secure in Him, have taken their refuge in Him, have put their roots deep in Him, have made Him their first love, they are going to be devastated by the things that the Lord will be pouring out on His people. I believe it will affect the United States of America; I believe it may even affect the world, and I think it will certainly affect the Church. Whether this specifically refers to economic collapse or not, I believe those who are complacent now, those who feel secure, will tremble.
I believe the Lord is telling those of us who are complacent, who feel secure, those that are in Him for security, those that are in His Ark (so to speak) will be preserved. But those who are not will be devastated...maybe even destroyed. God is no longer going to wink at our sin and at our unbelief. For we have been a land that has been overgrown with thorns and briars - cares of this world, riches of this life, lust of other things, and pride of life. We have been a place of merriment and a place of revelry. But that will no longer be tolerated. That no longer will be allowed. What we have thought was fruitful will be a wasteland; it will be barren. There will be hardship beyond what we have seen before. (Not that the whole Christian church is going to be destroyed - and I am not talking about the Lord's return.) There have been judgments and there will be other judgments - but this is something that is more severe than has been seen for a number of years, for a number of decades, and it will shake and shatter things down to it's core. Do not think that you can hide from it, except by hiding in the Lord. So He is saying to you: "Get your life right now."
Read the following as if the Lord were speaking to you: "I would say to you, My people, to hear My words that I am speaking forth. You are going to be seeing some things that your eyes wouldn't believe that you'd see, that your ears wouldn't believe that you'd hear. You would be afraid. You would be devastated, some of you, except for trusting in Me and knowing that I am your Provider. I have told you this ahead of time, so that you can prepare - prepare not in the physical means by stocking up provisions, as some of you would do - but prepare by coming to know Me, by getting to know Me in a way you haven't done before. Some of you I have called and I will send you forth to minister in a greater extent than you have, so as to prepare the hearts of My people, for there is much work yet to be done before this time falls. But it has been decreed, for this land's sin has come before Me and I will not hold back much longer. I will not hold back My anger and My fury against this people that have turned continually away from Me. Know that My fires are already burning and are already sweeping through the land. Know that My fiery judgment has already begun and it will continue and it will get hotter. You will see some things that you would never would have thought you would have seen in your lifetime.
((So hold fast to Me and know that this is a short thing that I will be doing. I am not talking about something that will last a long time. But it will be quick and it will be furious, so know that you need to hide in Me to be protected in Me. For the sake of My people, I will have mercy and it will not be long lasting and that is why. But know that My judgment already is being poured out. It will continue.))
You will be seeing things that you have never seen before (and hope you never see again!) Things will crumble that you have thought would last forever, that you have thought are totems that would stand and would not fall, but know they will fall. Even huge organizations that you never thought would crumble, will go under during this time. Yes, you will see turmoil and terror around you, but those that are in Me will be safe, for I will protect you and I will provide for you. But again hold fast to Me and know that I will be providing for you during this time.
Things that you never thought would happen will be happening ((and I am not telling you all the details right now and I do not want you to go forth, I do not want you to try to think of what will these things will be,)) but know that in some of your hearts I have already told you and I will be preparing for you. Those things that you think are secure are not secure. They will not hold fast in that day, says the Lord. They will not hold fast when I come and I bring judgment across this land for all its wickedness. Trust Me. Trust in Me and know that I will provide for you but I want you to prepare your hearts and repent before Me so that you will be prepared in that day. And I am sending this message out as a final trumpet sound to the Church to prepare your heart, for when this comes, it will be devastating and it will be hard for many of you in this land. But know that I will provide for you. I will continue to provide for you. But this needs to happen so that My people will turn to Me totally. They have not turned in lovingkindness. They have not turned in prosperity. So I hope and pray that they do turn to Me during this time of judgment and I know what I am doing. Know that some of you will be devastated very deeply because you have not taken refuge in Me. But yet I have sent My son and I have people and ((in Himself)) praying for you so that you will be spared in this day and I will spare many of you.
But please, come to Me now. I am pleading with you so that you will be true and strong when this time comes and you will be able to help your brothers and sisters that fall in the time of devastation. But know that this is not the end."
A friend told me something a friend of his dreamed about several years ago when we were younger: There was a gray-haired man playing a guitar and singing the Negro spiritual, “Nobody knows the trouble I’ve seen but Jesus” in what had been a middle class city with several office buildings. It was as if the people in this city had become very poor. In spite of this, there was a simplicity and a joy about them. Though there was poverty, there was joy.
We need to remember saints, that even if we lose what we currently have as material possessions, nothing and no one else can take away our relationship with Christ. We can have all of His blessings while we await His return…which I believe is very soon.

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Because of the nature of this chapter, much of it is word for word except where minor changes would make it more readable and grammatically correct. I have placed an endnote with the original wording where what might be significant word or phrase changes were made.
David Wilkerson. America’s Last Call. (Lindale, TX: Wilkerson Trust Publications, 1998.)
David Wilkerson. God’s Plan in the Coming Depression. (Lindale, TX: Wilkerson Trust Publications, 1998.)
The following wording was in the original: “to start repenting before Him, strip off your clothes, put sackcloth around your waist, to come before Him, to repent of wickedness, repent of turning away from Him, of following your own way, thinking that your own ways of doing things are secure. Because at that point, when His judgment falls…”
The original said, “Because God is no longer going to wink at our sin and our unbelief. For we have been a land that has been overgrown with thorns, cares of this world, riches of this life, lust of other things, pride of life and briars.”
I put this in double parentheses (( )) because I wasn’t certain about the accuracy of this part.
I put this in double parentheses (( )) because I wasn’t certain about the accuracy of this part.
I put this in double parentheses (( )) because I wasn’t certain about the accuracy of this part.
I put this in double parentheses (( )) because I wasn’t certain about the accuracy of this part.
This is an excerpt from one dream of a series of dreams.