A Prophetic Vision of Transformation (Part 1)

– by Steve Driessen

Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it. For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay. — Habakkuk 2:2-3

In a prophetic vision, I saw a large forest of ancient trees. Some of the trees were one hundred years old; others were four or five hundred years old. They stood tall and straight, their height over one hundred feet. At the top of the trees, the branches and leaves formed a massive canopy that blocked out all sunlight and rain from hitting the earth below. Because of their age, I understood that the trees had weathered many storms and times of great drought without faltering. They were firmly rooted and would not yield to any forces of nature that came against them.

As I looked at this huge forest, I saw out of the corner of my eye a firestorm. My first thought was of fear for the trees, because the fire was headed towards them. I even had the sense that the fire had been sent, or released, upon the forest. At first, I thought it was an evil fire, but as I watched it approach the trees, I knew the source of the fire was not evil, but good.

When the firestorm hit the forest, all the trees were consumed by the flames. Their branches and leaves were burned off in an instant, and only their massive trunks and huge limbs were left standing. By burning off the trees’ top growth, the fire removed the canopy that covered the forest floor, and for the first time in many years, even generations, the floor received sunlight. As the light hit and warmed the forest floor, new growth began to come out of the earth. Seeds that had lain dormant for many years sprouted, took root, grew, and bore fruit.

I also noticed that when the trees had been full of leaves, the earth could not produce any vegetation, and there were no creatures living in the forest. The ground was barren of any type of life except the trees themselves. After the firestorm, the earth produced plant life and the living creatures returned to eat and fill the transformed forest with new life.

This is what I heard in my spirit as I experienced this vision:

The trees represent systems of thought: economic, socio-political, religious paradigms that have been established in our minds and lives for generations and remain very strong and firm against any winds of change. The canopy was a protective covering, but also a blockage that kept the light of revelation from penetrating into the forest.

The sunlight was the revelation of Father’s love for His children — His grace and mercy that would bring new life to the earth. The lack of sunlight caused barrenness in the forest, and all the living creatures (people), had left the forest because there was nothing for them to eat or drink.

As I stood watching the vision, I realized I was facing the south, looking at the forest before me. The Hebrew meaning of the word south is “on your right hand when facing east” and represents the natural, the world or worldliness, sin, temptation, corruption, and deception.  

When facing south, the firestorm in the vision came from my left side. The left side represents man’s weakness and God’s strength or ability demonstrated through man’s weakness. My left hand is weaker than my right hand, so I understood this to be God’s firestorm, not man’s. As I saw the storm coming, I turned to the left as an indication of spiritual change coming from God. Because I was facing south when the storm began, it came out of the east. The Hebrew meaning for the word east is “in front of you when facing the rising sun.” This indicates a new beginning, a new day, a new life.

The storm represents a disturbance, or change. I had the sense of it being spiritual warfare and judgment wrapped together, a sudden destruction of the established ways of thinking and doing business, God’s power being released in revival fire. Fire is heat or passion for God’s Word or Spirit.  

A picture of devastation such as I saw in my vision can seem very frightening. But as I said at the beginning of this post, I felt God was showing me that it was being released for good.  God’s purpose is always to release good and to bring restoration in the midst of radical change.  We see this in Malachi 4:1-3:

“Surely the day is coming; it will burn like a furnace. All the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble, and that day that is coming will set them on fire,” says the Lord Almighty. “Not a root or a branch will be left to them. But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. And you will go out and leap like calves released from the stall. Then you will trample down the wicked; they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day when I do these things,” says the Lord Almighty.

In coming posts, I will share with you what I believe God plans to accomplish through the coming firestorm.

Part 2  
Part 3 
Part 4

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