The Towers Have Fallen (Sept 16 2001) - Part 2 — David Wilkerson

Prophetic Understanding in Times of Disaster

Never in the history of mankind has God ever left his people clueless during a time of disaster. Never. He has never left us clueless. He's never left us trying to figure it out on our own. He's always given an understanding.

God spoke to his people in a time of calamity. And even now, while I stand here, God is raising up prophetic messages today in pulpits all across America and around the world that are preaching just what I'm preaching to you this morning.

I received a call from a pastor, a friend of mine from the West, last night. And he said, Pastor Dave, I have to deliver a message tomorrow to my people and I'm scared to death. Because it's so against what everybody seems to be telling people today.

And I'm scared to death and I want to run it by you. And when he ran it by me, I said, well, my friend, that's what I'm preaching tomorrow. And all over the country, because these men have heard from God and they weep and they grieve, they repent.

But still they know they have to proclaim what God's word says and to bring the message home to our hearts. I'm going to give you a word that I don't think I really don't want to hear in my flesh. And most of you don't want to hear.

It's going to sound heartless to some and cruel and untimely and unkindness in a time of grieving. But if we don't hear it, if we don't face it, the nation is doomed. Absolutely doomed. Therefore, the Lord.

Isaiah's Warning of Judgment and the Rod of Assyria

Look at verse 11, Isaiah nine, verse 11. Therefore, the Lord shall set up the adversaries and raise them against him and join his enemies together. Verse 13. For the people turneth not unto him that smiteth them, neither they seek the Lord of hosts.

The Lord himself set up the adversaries. The people did not turn unto him that smiteth. Now, let me tell you that God uses God for Israel during Isaiah's time, using the enemies of Israel as a rod to chase and warn them to repent.

God had to use it as a last resort to bring them back into his heart. To bring back the blessing and to destroy their enemies and to put up walls of protection. If you read Isaiah five, he said because of the sin, God let the walls down.

God let the walls down. God used Assyria. Let me read it to you as a rod to correct Israel. Oh, Assyria, the rod of mine anger and the staff in their hand is my indignation. The weapons in their hand are my indignation.

I will send him against the hypocritical nation and against the people of my wrath. Will I give him a charge to take the spoil, to take the prey and tread them down like the mire of the streets. Isaiah 10, verses five and six.

It's the next chapter, verses five and six. You'll see it. He said, I'm going to take an evil nation and I'm going to use it as a rod, as a last resort to bring my people to repentance and to my heart.

That I may make provisions and provide for it and protect it. But they've turned their backs upon me. Now, folks, let me tell you, God is going to do as soon as he was finished with Israel or with Assyria, he destroyed it.

God's Judgment on the Pride of Assyria

Now, let me tell you what's going to happen to the terrorists. Please go look at chapter 10, Isaiah 10, verses 12 through 15. Wherefore, it shall come to pass when the Lord hath performed his whole work upon Mount Zion and upon Jerusalem.

I will punish the fruit of the stout heart of the king of Assyria. Now, verse eight says Assyria is his rod. Assyria has already attacked. Syria has done its work against the nation. And now God says, now I'm going to deal.

I will punish the fruit of the stout heart of the king of Assyria and the glory of his high looks. For he is, he saith, by the strength of my hand, I've done it. And by my wisdom, for I am prudent and I've removed the bounds of the people and I have robbed their treasures.

And I put down the inhabitants like a valiant man. My hand has found as a nest the riches of the people. And as one gather eggs like are left and I've gathered all the earth. There's so none that move their wing or open their mouth or peaked.

But shall the axe boast itself against him that he was there with? Or shall the saw magnify itself against him that shaketh it as if the rod should shake itself against them that lift it up? Or as if the staff should lift itself up as if it were no wood?

For God is saying, yes, now you've lifted yourself to pride, now I'm going to destroy you. And I can assure you that it won't be long until everyone are in hell. God is going to do it. God himself is going to deal in some miraculous way.

He will deal with all these adversaries and the terrors. You can mark it down. God will deal with this. God will deal with it. Suddenly, as the Assyrians come and God in his love is chasing Israel. Suddenly the buildings are collapsing.

Israel's Failure to Recognize God's Chastening

The Bible says in verse 10, the bricks are falling down. Look at it. Verse 10, chapter 9. And the bricks are falling down. The sycamores are cut down. In fact, the forest were on fire. Buildings were on fire.

Israel was in flames. But I ask you a question. Now listen to me closely, please. Did Israel repent? Was there any national acknowledgment that God was warning? Did any of those who were rulers see God in the calamity?

No, because it's very clear from the scripture. The initial fear gave way to a flood tide of national pride. Look at verse 8 and 9. And all the people shall know, even Ephraim and the inhabitants of Samaria.

And see, this is the heartland. That say in the pride and stoutness. The word stoutness there in Hebrew is a sense of greatness. In their pride and a sense of greatness of heart. And they are saying the bricks are falling down.

But we will build with hewn stones. The sycamores are cut down, but we will change them into cedars. Here's what they were saying by their actions. And listen closely, please. These calamities are just fate.

Unfortunate disaster that can't be explained. Oh, but we are a great people. We're a mighty nation unbending. We are proud people. Let the world know we will build it up bigger and better. Where there were bricks, we will rebuild with impregnable stone.

Where there was cheap construction destroyed, sycamores we'll build with better materials. We'll build with cedar. We are a blessed nation, proud and powerful. We will come through this trouble better than ever.

But you see, no one was asking, is God saying something to us? Is God trying to speak to us? Does it sound familiar? God himself sent a covert chastisement on Israel to wake them up and to bring them back to himself to protect them.

But they don't even once acknowledge his working in it. They don't heed the message. But they use this disastrous occasion to defy the very thought that such a proud, great nation could ever be humbled or chastened by God.

National Prayer, Political Hypocrisy, and Abortion

Now, folks, I thank God for a moral president. We prayed for him before this happened. We were praying. Remember, we were pleading and interceding. God, give wisdom to this president. God, something is about to happen.

Give him wisdom. We have prayed and interceded for him. Thank God for the Christians in high places. Thank God, at least temporarily, there's a turning to prayer around the nation, around the world. Do you remember the Gulf War?

Do you remember how packed all the churches were in New York? Do you remember a whole three days of prayer? And the next week, New York City came apart with parties. Do you remember it? The whole nation called to prayer.

Thank God President Bush, Sr. spent the night with Billy Graham on his knees. And that's probably why we were successful in that occasion. Thank God for people that are sober and beginning to rethink their lifestyle.

And we're to pray for our leaders. And thank God we live in a land of freedom. But still, we're missing the message. We have moments of silence. And we call that repentance. We see politicians in the steps of the government buildings singing God bless America.

And we call that turning back to God. We applaud the NFL for calling for a moment's silence at halftime. And we call that a spiritual experience. Is that all that's going to come out of it? One moment of silence.

And back to the painted faces. Back to chugging beer. And screaming for their favorite team. Back to sitting in front of the television laughing with Leno. This morning I turned on the radio to see what was happening.

And they were replaying the senators and congressmen on the congressional building steps. And they were singing God bless America. Stand beside us, lead us, guide us. And I wept and cried. I could hardly stand it.

Because God was saying David don't you understand. There's only a handful that believe that these are the same men that have ruled me out of their society. They're trying to remove my name from their school books.

They have aborted babies. And now they're singing God stand beside us. What hypocrisy. These politicians pontificating about God now. The very ones that are protecting abortion rights. Now see when a nation is under divine correction, it will do one of two things.

Humbling Ourselves Rather Than Trusting National Strength

It will humble itself as did Nineveh. Or it will give God lip service and then turn to its own strength and power to rise above the correction. The cry is rising now. Now we have the strength and the power and the might, the ability, the resolve to endure any disaster.

Because we're a proud and great nation. Now thank God for patriotism. Thank God for the American flag. I thank God for the temporary national unity. And folks that's what it is, it's temporary. I thank God for the incredible heroic efforts and sacrifices we've witnessed.

The world wonders at the fortitude and love of the New Yorkers in this time. And the Americans in general in Washington D .C. and everywhere. But folks we face now the same danger of missing God's message as did Israel.

Israel's Example and the Exemption of Jerusalem

We're at the same crossroads now that Isaiah spoke of. If you and I lived in Jerusalem and Judah in the time of this prophet. I have a sense that many of us would have walked out on him. We wouldn't have listened.

We wouldn't have heeded it. Because the nation refused to believe Jerusalem their favorite city. Or their nation of Judah could be brought low. And here comes Isaiah preaching. While all the false prophets were preaching peace.

He said, shall not God as he has done to Samaria and her idols, so do to Jerusalem and her idols? He said, what makes you think you're exempt Jerusalem? Don't you know that I have just destroyed nations all around you for their idolatry?

The same idolatry you're practicing? And he comes now with this, shall not God as he has done to Samaria and her idols, so do also to Jerusalem and her idols? What makes you think your nation is exempt?

From Remembrance and Revenge to Repentance

All across America now we hear of prayer and remembrance meetings. Prayer and remembrance. Now folks, we've got to remember those who died. That's scriptural, that's honorable. Thank God for what's happening.

But why do we find it so impossible to call for prayer and repentance meetings? Why is it remembrance and revenge? Yes, God will take care of it. This has to be dealt with for that 100%. But where is the call for turning back to God in America?

Where is the call? Where is anyone hearing the message? Let me give you the message. God is trumpeting. Time is running out. I've sent you prophets and watchmen. You've been warned over and again. I've prospered you above all nations.