A Prophetic Dream for
the Church & the U.S.
by Stephanie Johnson
November 4, 2008 Election Eve

I was in a resort town - seemed to be a Mexican resort, but the location was not important.  I was about the age of 45, although I was not really me (my family was not with me).  I was staying in a facility that was almost like a mission facility with two story apartments overlooking the ocean.  Behind the facility was a large parking lot on a slope that lead up to other buildings.  In the distance on the right of the building, was a kind of valley with athletic fields.  On the left were rocky hills leading up a mountain.

The resort represents the Church (Body of Christ) in its present state.  My age represents an age of maturity, and my identity is irrelevant other than I am a member of the Body of Christ.  The fact that the condition of the Church is represented by a resort should be self-explanatory.  A resort overlooking the ocean (or the sea of humanity).  Behind the resort is a slope (slippery, no doubt),with other buildings higher up.  In the valley are athletic fields - or a large expanse of land - representing this nation and the world.

In the first part of the dream I was walking with someone (not sure who) inspecting these apartments for flood damage (which is funny because there had been no flood).  We went through some very specific units, looking for mold and rot, etc.  I mentioned that I was glad that I was not in this unit, having just put all of my things in a newer second story apartment away from the flood level.

Inspecting the damage in the apartments from previous floods represents inspecting damage from the past and judging oneself.  We are admonished in the Word to judge ourselves daily that we be not judged.  This is critical in this hour.  The Catholic Church calls this “the Dark Night of the Soul.”  It is called dying to self and becoming alive unto God.  Old things must pass away and all things must become as new. We must move out of our old, damaged apartments into new ones on higher ground….or we need to shake off the old wineskin and receive the new. In other words we must totally move out and move UP into HIM else we suffer the same fate again - and next time, even worse!

Next …..I was in the pool area where there were many, many people recreating near the ocean (which was totally calm).  In the distance was a storm and the water began to stir.  I had an urgency to get away from the area and began to run uphill, away from the ocean front, urging people to join me.  Many of us got to the parking lot and watched as the waters came up and flooded the lower levels of the resort.  I remember putting my things in my car.

People were laying in the sun by the pool and on the beach, oblivious to the storm brewing in the distance. They were asleep.  I ran to and fro, trying to wake them from their slumber, urging them to run to higher ground.  Some listened and followed.  Others stayed asleep.   We got to the parking lot - to a level midway point between the higher ground and the beach resort.  I put some things in my car, thinking they would be safe, but I was wrong.  There was to be no escaping this judgment….no driving away from it. The waters crashed into the resort and rose up into the parking lot.

I looked up towards the hills and saw a dark cloud.  Then, I looked down in the valley over the athletic field and saw a swirl of five tornados dancing around.  They looked almost like colorful yarn in a hair ribbon, all connected at the top and dangling down, bouncing off of the ground.  At this point I was with a crowd of people who were making their way up the incline of the parking lot.  To our horror we saw that a flood was coming from the top - coming down from the mountains rather than up from the sea.  The small tornados had moved over us and settled.

The dark cloud in the hills was indicative of a storm which could not be avoided.  The tornados dancing in the athletic field (America and the world) represented the turmoils going on today in our lives and in this nation.  The tornados were all linked together at the top - colorful and intertwined - and dancing (almost playing with the country).  These tornados were demonic, but God was allowing them to happen - almost as if He were holding the top of the piece of yarn and the five strands (tornados) were bouncing around.

Waters from the bottom rose up, and we were all in water over our heads in the parking lot.  Suddenly, the water rushed down from higher ground.  At this point I knew (from the Lord, I assume) just exactly where I needed to aim to land, knowing that the flood waters would soon be carrying me rapidly downhill.  I was to grab onto a chain link fence at the far end of the parking lot, which was in the path of the rushing waters.  I took aim, grabbed the fence, and quickly got behind it (more instruction from the Lord) so that the fence would shield me from any fallen trees, etc., rushing down the incline.

This inevitable flood of God’s judgment was coming from higher ground.  But the Lord gave me instruction to grab the chain-linked fence.  This represents His raising a standard against the flood.  The chain-linked fence is JESUS, and it is the only refuge against the flood wall.  Any who did not grab onto the fence did not survive.

There were others around me grabbing onto the fence as I cried out to them.  We all held tightly to the fence, and it served as a shield as the debris smashed into it from the pounding waters.  A short while later the waters subsided.

Next part of the dream was the aftermath.  This “resort” was now a church, but on the mission field.  I was in the same parking lot, sitting in folding chairs with people who I assume were members of this church.   I sat next to a young pastor (30), and we discussed things about the flood.  I told him that I had met a very nice young Christian woman with a small son who had no father. (I knew that I was purposely matchmaking).  He was very receptive to the idea.

What remained after the flood was a barren, destroyed shell of a church.  There was nothing tangible within the building that could be saved.  The survivors were all forced into the parking lot (a place of coming and going), seated in folding chairs (portable, not stationary).  The young pastor is an example of the pastors that God is raising up to shepherd the remnant.  My matchmaking represents the placement of a pastor with his flock, and a protector with the widow and fatherless child.

He and I talked with the people and children about the flood, and what was damaged or destroyed.  The pastor was talking to the children, specifically about the books and papers that were destroyed, but he and I together explained that while the building was destroyed, there was much to be done from outside of the church.  We should all go out from there and do the work of the ministry for Jesus.

In the end what is left is the Church, commissioned to do the work of the ministry, evangelizing the nations without the frills, pomp and circumstance. What is left is the true remnant.
End of dream