First of Three Promised Throne Room Trance Visions…
Near the beginning of January, 1998, Pastor Shelley was told by the Lord that within two weeks he would have the experience of a trance vision where he would be carried away in the Spirit. On Sunday, January 18, 1998, he entered into a heavenly realm at the end of the evening service. He was brought by the Angel of the Lord to the shore of a river called “The Great Divide.”
The Angel told him that soon many would walk in this place where only a few have previously stood. He said that across from this misty, spiritual river was the Throne Room of the Most High God, where is the Throne from whence came the bloody Lamb. It is the Seat of God, and all who stand before this Throne can say that they have seen the fullness of God. The Angel said that in the next season, Pastor Shelley would receive a true, clear revelation of His Glory, His Image, His Person and His Throne, and He would anoint him to tell His people.
While he was in the vision, Pastor Shelley was able to describe to those around him what he was seeing, hearing and experiencing. Here are some excerpts from what he related:
We have been called to His Throne Room. It is at the top of the mountain, across a wide spiritual river. I know it seems strange, a river on a mountain, but it’s not on the mountain, it’s spiritual. The Throne of God, the Throne Room, His true Presence is on top of Mt. Zion. He has taken His seat in the hearts of men, but His Throne is a place of true victory. It is safe ground, and when we stand before His Throne we are safe. No enemy has any right or authority over us when we stand before His Throne.
It is across the river, beyond the veil. The sweet and kind Angel is teaching me. When we have spoken on His Presence, it is understood to mean, He is in our midst. But He has sent His Presence before Him, and His Angel has taken His Presence to God’s people. When we stand at His Throne, it will not be His Presence, as the Presence that has gone before Him. It will be the very Person of His Presence. I understand what He is saying. In other words, you could be in the midst of His Presence and Him not be standing there, but His Angel has brought His Presence. He is calling His Bride to stand before His Throne and receive Her promise.
This vision of the Throne Room of God will come in three parts. It appears that I will not journey all the way this time. The next time will be soon. The next time I will cross the misty river, the Great Divide, with the help of this Angel. With spirit eyes I will behold the Throne of God.
The third vision, He says, I will come back with a word of instruction to bring this endtime fellowship into the Throne Room of God. He sees that I would rather go tonight, but He says that God reveals His true person in three’s. I told him, maybe you and all the rest of the people will be too disappointed. He said, “How could they be when they can now anticipate a time when a Word will come from God that will catch this people into the Throne Room of God for a real meeting.” He says, “Some people’s eyes will be opened to see the glory of God descending, some will see His Light, others will tell of what God has allowed them to see, and all in the same service.” But first I go to receive a Word next time. You could never imagine the Power and the Presence of God that will fall when this Word straight from the Throne of God is brought down.
The Angel says, “Tell My people to prepare their hearts to stand in the Throne Room of God.” Such strength. It is in that hour that we will move past the Power of God, into his Presence, the Person. We must move beyond the Power of God to His Presence in order to be like God. Every answer to every question lies just inside the Throne Room. Somebody has to go to help us. Then when we have learned the way, the Bride will have access to stand in God’s Throne Room. Whenever She’s in need, God’s knowledge will be Her knowledge, His wisdom will be her wisdom.
“For as Esther came before the throne in royal robes, and the king extended his scepter of favor to make her queen, My Bride will come into My Throne Room dressed in royal robes of praise and worship,” saith God. “And I will extend to her My scepter of favor, and all that I have will be Hers. The Kingdom will be at Her command, even as it has been at My command. She will speak, and the host of heaven will carry out her request. For it is in My Throne room that My favor will be shown to her.”
“She leads when She steps from that place. She will never again question who She is, nor why She has been sent. For I will reveal to Her all She has need of. For the time is near,” saith God. “For such a time as this She is being summoned. As Esther feared for her life to stand before the king, so will My Wife come before My Throne with fear and trembling and reverence. But she will see My favor extended,” saith the Lord.
Second of Three Promised Throne Room Trance Visions…
Pastor Shelley had this second trance vision about six months later at the end of a Sunday evening service and was unable to stand. Someone held a tape recorder close to him to capture his attempts to describe the experience as it was happening. This is what he was able to speak:
Vision of July 19, 1998 PM
Pastor Steven L. Shelley
Columbus, GA
Oh. Oh. Oh. Praise.
I’ll try. I’ll try to stay here. Could they praise the Lord? Saints, let’s praise Him. Quiet, reverently.
Scary this way.
I’m waiting for the Angel to come back. He told me to stand right here.
He left me standing by this beautiful, beautiful River. I was here before. I see His shining, shining city, shining city on the other side.
I told Him, I’ve got to swim by myself.
He told me to wait. This time I could go in. There is a mist on the water. It almost looks stormy.
It comes to try to hide the view.
I see walls and towers in this city. I hope He, the Angel, comes back. He told me not to try to cross alone.
He’s coming my way, walking on the River.
He says, “All things are ready for My coming.”
Oh! Hallelujah! Cold, cold water! He’s laughing at me. The Angel is laughing at me, because it’s cold. He doesn’t feel the cold.
I’m coming. I’m coming. It’s just cold. I’m coming. I wouldn’t miss this for anything.
He, He touched, He waved His hand toward me and touched the water. It became warm. He says, “Most people would turn back when they feel the cold.” But I kept wading. Now He has made the River warm, so warm. Real relaxing.
Oh, wading. Oh, we’re stopping in the middle. He wants me to see something from this point. Now I see the Gate. It is, it is carved from pearl, shiny carved, beautiful designs. Opens in the middle. Two sides, two sides of the gate. Two sides. Left, right side.
I hear music, trumpets. Loud, royal trumpets. Sweet music.
Standing, I’m standing with Him, my Angel, in the middle of the River. He said we were waiting here for our grand welcome.
The gate, the walls are wide, shiny. Stones, beautiful jasper stones cut and laid upon each other.
Beautiful facets, cut stones, jasper like bricks.
The Gate opens in the middle. First left side, now right side. Big crowd coming out with trumpets, harps, some other instruments playing beautiful music – heaven’s music. So beautiful.
Angels coming. Some look like men. Others have wings, tall wings. Some with wings have beautiful blonde hair like men, but wings. It’s a parade for me. So many coming. Standing along the walls, waiting for our crossing.
Four angels are carrying a beautiful, beautiful banner, beautiful banner. It’s green, with gold letters, carrying it out the gate with praise. It says, “Welcome. Welcome.” (Smiles) They even know my name. (Laughs) This Angel, He’s funny. He asked me, “Did you think we were going to sneak you in the back door?”
He said, “Every son of God has a welcome parade.”
Big crowd, praising the Lamb. They’re singing a song about The Lamb. We’re moving, wading towards the crowd. Some angels are clapping, clapping their hands. Some are moving, fluttering their wings. He said to me, “Even Cherubim and Seraphims are welcoming you.” Hallelujah.
How will I ever come back to see this? To see this City is my goal. He said, I will come back to tell others how to stand before the Throne.
They’re dancing now in circles. They’re moving. (Laughs) You know, that little dance that the sisters here move forward and back, turn around and go backward in little ranks like two by two. The angels, some are doing the very same dance. (Laughs) Two by two. Some are dancing hand in hand, shouting praise, all praise to The Lamb, “Forever and ever.”
He will soon call His Bride. They’re singing. “He will soon call His Bride.” The angels are singing the song, “Worthy is The Lamb. Worthy is The Lamb. The Lamb will soon call His Bride. She will stand at His side. Worthy, worthy is The Lamb.” You can hear it in their voices. They want Him to call His Bride. It seems like they want Him to be happy, so they are anxious for His Bride to come.
It’s a long way, but we’re almost out of the water. There is a place under the wall, where the River flows into the city. Under the wall. But we will wade out.
“No. Tell them not to do that.” (Cries) “Tell not to.” They are bowing, the angels are bowing their head, standing at attention.
I told them not to. They bow their heads for me. He said, “They honor The Lamb and His Wife.”
(Cries) “They honor and respect the Lamb’s Wife.
He said, “When all of God’s Bride comes home, some of these angels will serve her, serve the Bride, as they have so faithfully served The Lamb.”
It’s too much to contain. It’s too much, it’s too much to contain, to be the Lamb’s Wife.
“But we’re not worthy to be His Wife.”
The Angel said, “It’s not who is worthy, but who is chosen.” (Cries) We’re not worthy. Chosen. Chosen.
“They know, they know…” He said, “They know by my coming, that it is very soon.” I’m not sure why I’ve been summoned. I’m the least. But He said, “I would tell it, so I’ve been called to come home, because I would tell it far and wide.” But the way is being made.
Spiritually, the Bride will soon be given access to the heavenly realm. Not naturally to visit, but spiritually, she will visit. In spiritual realms, she will visit. She will be then given strength, wisdom, and learn of His character for the final, for the final work that she is called to do. She cannot be trained in this, in the dimension we have lived in. She must be trained in heavenly realms for the final work.
So He is calling her to come, stand even before His Throne. Realms of Glory that we have never known. We will then receive power to cast out even the strongest demons, to break even the strongest chains, to set even the most captive lives free. Trained by the Spirit before the Throne.
This is not the curtain of time. That is future. This is present. He said, “I have not seen today what happened in heaven, but I am seeing what is happening in heaven now, not beyond the curtain of time when we are all gathered there.” But He is letting me see what is happening right now.
They’re still dancing. They were very quiet while the Angel was talking to me. Now they are circling us. Some are joining hands. I don’t see any people, only created beings and angels of a different sort. They look, some look like men, some are much more beautiful than men. Some have faces that shine like rods of brass, some have faces almost flesh-looking. But no people or saints.
He said to me now, “This is not where the saints live now, but where they will live when the rest of the Lamb’s Wife comes home.” He said, “The saints are near, but in another realm that I cannot see.” I cannot believe that I am seeing a realm above, where the saints are dwelling, but I cannot deny what He has said.
Some angels are joining hands and dancing in a circle around us, as we move closer through, to the Gate. To the Gate closer. I can still hear the rushing water from the River, as we enter through the Gate. He leans over to speak in my ear. The Angel says, “Remember, this time you will see, but next time you will receive Revelation to teach others how to stand in these realms. This time it’s for me to see and tell only what I see. Next time, more.”
The angels are lining up to follow us through the Gate. On either side of the avenue are more, more, more angels lined up. Three deep, for as far as I can see. The streets, the street is gold in color, but almost transparent. I can see depth.
“Where are my shoes?” Huh. No one walks on these streets with shoes.
I must not tell everything He said now, but they want to know. “Not now, next time more.”
There is a Presence in the air, the most beautiful fragrance like roses. He calls it “heavenly Perfume.” He said, “It is for The Lamb’s Wife. She will even smell it in her times of prayer. She will smell it when she comes many times into His Presence. Heavenly perfume, made special for The Lamb’s Wife.”
I cannot take it in. It is too much. I want to run to see as much as I can, quickly, before I must go. Flowers so big, so beautiful. No gardeners necessary. The excitement is more than I have ever seen. They love to see my reaction to all I see. The angels are watching me close, to see. Some are laughing. I didn’t really know that angels laughed. Some are laughing hard.
He said, “Laughing in the Spirit is part of heaven’s atmosphere. When we laugh in the Spirit, we’re tasting heavenly atmosphere.”
Where are my clothes? It’s beautiful, white linen. Crisp. No shoes. Just my size. “Hang it somewhere for me when I’m through. I’ll be back to get it later.”
I keep falling on my knees, and they keep picking me up. I don’t know why. It must be the Presence. It’s so strong, I can hardly stand. But they pick me up. It seems to be louder now, praise, singing. Behind us, in the streets they dance. Oh my, what dancing, jumping, running! Angels. But it’s wonderful. Singing songs I’ve never heard. Never heard.
He said to me, that in just a few moments we would turn down the street. Between two beautiful buildings, I will see the view. Not too close this time, but from a short distance. It must be the Throne. They say it will hold me back to protect me.
Very soon, the anointing in my ministry will change, He said. When it does, next time I will stand very close to the Throne to receive words and Revelations for the Lamb’s Wife. This time, I should be content for a quick glimpse of the celebration that goes on constantly before the Throne, even now. I cannot yet see it, but I hear it. To think that one day we will stand together close to His Throne, in this heavenly celebration!
He said, “There will come services here, when no man or woman will be standing. We will all rest in His Glory, for the work will be hard and long and we will cherish the opportunity to rest in His Glory.” He said, “It’s better than twelve hours of sleep, two seconds resting in the Glory of the Lord.”
My feet want to dance now. He is holding me. Almost as though they have a mind of their own. I’m telling them to be still. My feet want to dance before the Lord.
They are speaking to each other in a strange language. Not English. He said to me, “We learn by the Spirit of The Lamb, languages of men. But we have languages of angels, for we speak here with tongues of men and tongues of angels. So it is when men are filled with God’s Spirit, they too speak with tongues of men and tongues of angels.” So we will speak in languages unknown to us, even in that realm.
I’m so glad I didn’t let them talk me out of speaking in tongues. Now I find out, they speak in all kinds of tongues here. Hallelujah.
Thank You, Jesus. Thank You, Jesus.
Oh. We are climbing stairs to a little, a little balcony on the side of a beautiful building for a better view. The music is loud. They’re shouting, “Worthy! Holy! Worthy! Holy!”
The sky is filled with the Rainbow from sky to sky. Brilliant color. Oh, the sweet smell! Underneath the Rainbow is an Ivory Throne, inlaid with gold. Beautiful jewels. So tall, so big.
There is a mist, a vapor of fog that surrounds the Throne. It’s rose color, amber. Even some blue. Very thick. The Rainbow is just over the Throne, from sky to sky. There’s much dancing, bowing, singing, worshiping before the Throne.
I’m so afraid. With all of my heart I want to see, but I’m so afraid to see. There is such a holy fear that causes me to fall on my face. Two angels are picking me up. I’m falling again. “Do not be afraid.” They say, “Do not be afraid, for you have been summoned. This time to see, next time you will stand at the very front of the Throne.”
The Angel calls another angel. He says to him, “We’re ready. Go and take the message. We’re in place.” We’re a long way, much activity between us and the Throne. But I can see golden rain, the same mercy rain that I’ve seen before falls over my head. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah.
Hallelujah. What a fearful place.
On either side of the River flowing straight from the Throne, angels are worshiping, “Holy, holy, holy.” Oh! Oh! Ohhhhhh. To the right side of the Throne He stands. His feet, even from where I’m standing, I see, as we’ve heard, like brass. Like gold, tried in a furnace. I see His robe, soft and white. Even from a distance, I see His waist is girded about with a golden rope.
The cloud covers, mist covers His face. But through the mist, I can see the outline of His head. Through the mist I see fiery eyes. Oh Lord, I shall never be the same.
To His right there is a large, beautiful porch with golden stairs. He raises His eyes toward the balcony, where I’m standing so far away. With His right hand, He stretches toward the porch. “For My Bride. It is all for My Bride. It is all for My Bride.” Angels are falling on their faces. I, I must join them. I wished that I could be closer to see. But even from a distance, the Glory, the Power and the Anointing is so real.
I ask the Angel, “Does He know that I’ve come?”
The Angel said, “Yes. He’s the One Who has called you.”
He motions with His hand, and the angels stand. I am standing too.
Prophecy – July 19, 1998 PM
Pastor Shelley – while still in vision
For the Lord would say unto thee in this hour:
Prepare Thyself. Prepare thyself, My children. Prepare thyself, saith the Lord.
For yea, the Lord would say unto thee, even this night the way has been made.
And yea, even I, the Lord thy God, have opened the heavenly realm, saith the Lord.
And yea, the Lord would say unto thee, even that which has been seen by spiritual eyes,
yea, the Lord would say unto thee,
it is only a foretaste of that which I desire for My children to see.
Yea, the Lord would say unto thee, I will train My children.
I will teach them My ways before My Throne, saith the Lord.
I will catch her away into heavenly realms in My Spirit,
into deeper anointing, saith the Lord, and she will flow.
Yea, she will taste the water from the River of the Living God.
She will feel it as it flows across her, saith the Lord.
Yea, the Lord would say unto thee, prepare thy heart,
for you are about to step in, even as a Body, saith the Lord,
to the greatest hour of deliverance that thou hast ever known.
For the Lord would say unto thee,
even soon you will see blinded eyes opened again,
saith the Lord.
And the lame shall be raised to walk.
Yea, the Lord would say unto thee, even cancer will be healed, saith the Lord.
Tumors shall fall.
For I, the Living God, will open up to thee realms of Glory and Anointings
to prepare thee for the final harvest, saith the Lord.
The emphasis of that which I’m about to do will not be upon healing,
but I will manifest healing.
Yea, even the miracles that thou hast heard about,
the things that you have heard that I have done,
I will surely do even in your midst.
Ye will know that I am the Living God that changes not.
But yea, the emphasis, saith the Lord, will be upon deliverance and salvation.
For I will deliver even the ones, saith the Lord, who seem the most bound.
But yea, the Lord would say unto thee, in this hour,
count these things not lightly, saith the Lord.
And do not let them pass over.
For I say unto thee,
it is a big world and there are multitudes of people upon this earth,
and yet I have called thee even this night to hear,
yea, even a foretaste of that which stands across the Divide, saith the Lord.
Yea, My children, My children,
walk softly before Me
and seek My face as never before,
even as I am seeking after thee.
Pray and call upon My Name, for the Lord would say unto thee,
I will meet you. I will meet you in your place of prayer.
I will meet you at your fasting. I will meet you at the place of your dedication,
and I will call thee even as I have called My servant,
I will call thee, saith the Lord.
And yea, even I will begin to reveal through him the things that you must know,
that you might also come and stand in realms of Glory.
Yea, I say unto thee, doubt not in your heart as some already doubt.
Doubt not in your heart even as some have already tried to reason these things.
But I, the Lord thy God would say unto thee,
to whosoever would not reason, but would trust Me and believe
that I am God, and that I am able to show.
Did I not show John? Did I not show Moses?
Did I not show even Apostles and holy men the things that I have prepared?
Knowest thou not that I love you, My children,
and I am able to show you that which I have prepared for thee,
that I might help thee to be ready, saith the Lord,
for that which is about to take place.
Even the final and the greatest harvest.
Yea, the Lord would say unto thee, the greater days are before thee.
Yea, the Glory of the latter shall be greater than the Glory of the former.
For I will pour out rain, saith the Lord, the former and the latter rain together.
And I will cause, saith the Lord, the people that have walked in Truth,
and those who have walked in Spirit,
to come together, saith the Lord.
Yea, like a River they shall flow together in My anointing,
and I will establish My Truth in the hearts of many.
And I will touch her with My anointing and with My Glory.
Yea, the Lord would say unto thee, men will tremble before Me,
falling upon their faces, saith the Lord.
For My Glory shall fill the House, even as it filled Solomon’s temple.
And yea, the Lord would say unto thee, I am getting ready to make thee builders.
Prepare thyself, saith the Lord.
Take up thy hammer. Yea, for the Lord would say unto thee,
I am getting ready to make thee builders.
Yea, for there is work yet to be done to prepare.
Prepare Me a place, saith the Lord,
Prepare Me a place where I can bring My Glory.
Prepare Me a place where I can call men and women in, saith the Lord,
and deliver them by My Spirit and equip them for the final work.
Yea, you look among yourselves and see but a few.
But I will add, saith the Lord, and I will multiply.
Yea, and it will not just be those who have known the ways of religion.
But it will be those who have known the gutter-way.
It’ll be those who have known the ways of sin and the ways of death.
But I will change them in a moment, even in an instant, saith the Lord.
For I say unto thee, the struggling deliverances that you know now,
you will not always know.
For even soon I will begin to bring instant deliverances among thee, saith the Lord,
by the power of My spoken Word I will manifest instant miracles,
and instant deliverances,
saith the Lord.
It will not always be a struggle.
But I will manifest Myself in ways that you have not yet thought about.
Prepare thyself and wait upon Me, saith the Lord.
For the Glory of the latter will surely outshine the former,
thus saith the Living God.
It was a long wait of over seven years before Pastor Shelley would have the third trance vision of this series that had been divinely promised. He had it on October 22, 2005 during Succot (Feast of Tabernacles). But before he had this vision, he had another divine experience which you can read about in the next link.
Third of Three Promised Throne Room Trance Visions…
On Saturday, October 22, 2005, the evening service in his church in Alabama, Pastor Steven Shelley had the long-awaited third Throne Room trance vision that had been promised by the Angel of the Lord in two previous trance visions in 1998. In the climax of this experience he was brought before the Throne to the very feet of Y’shua (Jesus), our Messiah, who then spoke to him!
He began to go into the vision during the worship time. Some of the brothers carried him to his office behind the sanctuary where he could be made more comfortable while the saints continued to worship to keep the anointed atmosphere. The vision lasted for about two hours.
The next morning in the Sunday service he shared with the congregation much of what he experienced. (The next day he went to Iceland to preach on the Gospel Channel, which broadcasts via cable to the UK and via satellite to Europe, the Middle East and North Africa.) Here are some major excerpts from his testimony:
Thank you for praying for me. I need prayers this morning. I’m not feeling one-hundred percent. But in the Spirit I’m feeling 200%. Just tired. I didn’t rest well last night at all.
My wife said this morning, “How are you going to remember all the things you didn’t tell, you didn’t say?”
And I said, “Oh, I’ll remember them because they rang over and over and over and over again all night long, so I won’t be able to forget them.”
I just feel sluggish. But we’ll get through this because I know you’re anxious to hear a little piece. That’s all I can give you this morning. But it’s more than you had yesterday.
Deuteronomy chapter 31. I’m going to read just where I was planning to read this morning anyway before the Lord came and gave us this wonderful blessing – something that we have waited on for seven years.
The Lord spoke to us and said, “There’ll be three visions in sequence.” Two were just a few months apart, January to July apart. And then it has been seven years.
I believe the seven years is a sign. The reason it took seven years is a sign. And I also believe that the season that we had this vision was a sign. This is Succot. This is when the Lord Jesus was born. He was born during this time – not Christmas-time, but during this time.
I heard someone say that Jesus didn’t fulfill the Feast of the Tabernacles.
Oh, but He did fulfill a portion of the Feast. God came down and tabernacled in the flesh of a little baby. But He’s going to fulfill it in great fullness and reality around the corner where the Bible said, “And God Himself . . .” He’s going to tabernacle with man. And God Himself is going to wipe away the tears from their eyes – a literal fulfillment of these things.
[At this point, Pastor Shelley preached a short message about how the Feast of Tabernacles is the Feast of the Open Book. God commanded the children of Israel to gather together every seven years at the time of the Feast of Tabernacles and read the Torah, the Instructions of the Lord. The “Book” was to be “opened” to them so that “they may hear, and that they may learn, and fear the Lord your God, and observe to do all the words of this law.” (Deuteronomy 31:10-13)]
Thank you for pulling in the Spirit, praying. I know some don’t understand yet. Some of you have joined us in the past seven years. You don’t understand perhaps what it really means, why we’re talking about it all the time. But you can surely get a hold of it, too.
My idea was that we would leave the streaming on if I was to go out. But they didn’t know whether I was going to go out or not. I remember hearing Brother Enzo ask one time, and I said, “In a little while,” or “Not yet,” or something like that. And then I don’t remember much anything else.
For a little while I think I remember being moved. How could you miss that? I wanted to use my legs. I tried to use my legs, but they weren’t all there. So they just picked me up and carried me out.
I appreciate those who were in the room, although they were a noisy bunch. I’m so glad that they were there to help to record and to do so many different things. When I finally came to, I had a microphone on my chest, two video cameras on my cheek and a tape recorder in my ear.
You know, I can’t help but laugh because I think, “Moses didn’t get this much press, you know. Moses didn’t have all the . . .” My, technology has come a long way to help us record visitations.
But anyway, it’s just all precious. And you’ll never know what it means, those simple things. It means a lot to me because it means that somebody believes, and somebody wants to know, and somebody takes it real and serious. And that’s a tremendous vote of confidence. And I need it during these kinds of times.
We’ve known for some time that God was about to do something. A few Sunday nights ago I felt the vision coming – just wasn’t quite time.
Early yesterday morning the thought crossed my mind, “Perhaps tonight, today,” because I remembered that many of these visions had come on a weekend before I was leaving on a Monday to go overseas. And I thought, “Maybe.”
And I came over here about . . . I think it was ten minutes after two when I got here. I brought my church clothes with me. And the first thing I did, I took off my shoes. I came into the sanctuary. I started praying a little bit. And I felt the wonderful Presence of the Lord.
And then I finished. I thought of things I needed to do to get ready for my trip from my office – sermon notes and things. And I started doing that, and in a few minutes I felt the nudge of the Lord again, pulling me into the sanctuary. And I came back in here and I’d no more than got in, He just came so wonderful, so sweet. And prayer just rolled. Tears just immediately came. And a prayer just rolled out of my spirit.
And I don’t know if I’ve ever touched the Lord that quick. Because in the first two minutes I felt like I would agonize an hour, you know. It was heavy Presence. And I thought, “This is the time to pray.”
But I had no more than prayed just a few minutes and the peace came. And I didn’t have to agonize. I didn’t have to pray any more. It was just there. God had done it. Whatever it was I was going to ask, He had already done it.
And I just wiped my tears and went on back in. It was over. And it made me wonder, maybe, if God was going to do something.
And then in the early part of the service those pictures started flashing by. Things just fly by me – sitting still, standing some of the time, and catch over here like this and cross there like that – little pictures.
If I described some of them, it wouldn’t mean much to you at all. I saw something like a hammer go flying by. I know that sounds very strange, but it’s preparing me for something. I felt like something . . .
And I was sitting down and I sensed . . . Brother Enzo was leading the singing and Brother Greeley was over there behind me. And I motioned to him and I said, “Come here.” And he came.
And I said something like this. “I feel something very different. Just watch real close. I feel something very different. I’m not sure.”
And it wasn’t so long after that. I don’t even know exactly what song was being sung or what was going on. But these little flashes would get longer and longer. And it would start over here like this and play out a little something, and start over here and they’re just coming down like that.
It doesn’t mean anything to anybody, but I have so many people ask me, “How does a vision come and what does it look like, and so forth?” So that’s a little information.
And then all of a sudden it just filled the whole screen of my mind – just filled the whole screen. In other words, I couldn’t see anything else any more except this vision had started – only looking over a beautiful, beautiful scene, almost like out in a forest.
And I came kind of over to the top of a little mountain. I’m pretty sure I was still on the platform then. And I looked down and I saw again, in the distance, Mount Zion.
And only one thing really stands out. And that was that I never expected to be at Mount Zion. I expected to be back crossing the River. So that was a little bit of a shock to me.
[Pastor Shelley has now had 9 major trance visions. The first one was on June 4, 1995 during Communion in their Sunday night service. It is now obvious that all the visions are connected.
In this vision, he saw spiritual Mount Zion as a great pyramid, symbolic of the City of God. He saw Mount Zion having birth pains, convulsing in spasms. A Voice told him that it was birthing the virtues of Jesus Christ in the Bride so that she could come into her perfection. (2 Peter 1:5-7)
In a series of messages during his Summer Campmeeting 2005, Pastor Shelley shared all 8 of the prior trance visions. These messages are now available in MP3 format on his website (www.revival.org). Click here to order from the online bookstore.
I remember Brother Enzo coming. And I felt him put his hands on my shoulder and I heard him ask something about the platform or going to my office. And I either replied, “Not yet,” or “Not just yet,” or “In a little while,” because I was seeing, but very conscious of hearing everything that was going on around me. And there was that wonderful Presence of the Lord that I didn’t want to disturb.
How many of you ever feel God? You’re worshiping, you’re praying or something, and you just feel the Presence of God. You just wish that’s all you had to ever do – never wash another dish, never iron another shirt, hallelujah – just stay in that Presence.
And that was the feeling that I had. “Just let me stay here in that Presence.”
And then he said to me that after that he asked me again. I don’t know if I ever responded to him. But it seemed like his voice was way off out there somewhere, and I remember really wanting to say something. But whether I ever did, I don’t really know.
He said that I said something – indicated that I wanted to go to my office, I guess.
What’s the difference in a trance vision and another kind of vision? I don’t know that I can describe it all except to tell you that the focus in a trance vision is so different because it’s almost like going somewhere in the Spirit instead of just . . . You know, I might be sitting there and see a little vision of eye surgery or something, and then . . .
But this is so different. It’s like making a journey. And sometimes it will draw out of focus and get blurry, and then clear again.
I just assume . . . I don’t know for sure, but I assume that that has something to do with what the saints are doing. It may not. I may be blaming you for something you’re not guilty of. But I just always felt like that since there was one of those visions where it was such a struggle to get all the way into the vision.
And I said, “Tell the people there’s a battle going on and they need to pray.” And it cleared right up. So that’s where I have drawn that assumption.
I appreciate you praying and worshiping God. And I know some of you don’t know what to think. You don’t know what to do. Maybe some of you that are worshiping with us only recently, you just think we must really be weird. And we are. We try to keep it from you, but you found us out.
Anyway, they got me into the office. I don’t know what they were doing with me, but it felt like for a little while, just a few seconds, like they were killing me. Really, I felt like they were stretching me. From the best I could make out, they had laid me on the couch. But honestly, it felt like a stretching machine.
And I remember trying to say, “Chair. Put me in a chair or something.” They helped me get to the chair. And as I settled down again, then I felt myself going off again.
And it’s a very strange thing. You’ll never believe the first words I heard. The first words I heard was, “Brother Branham is resting.” That was so strange.
And I didn’t repeat those words out. But when the vision was over and we were talking about it, I told them what I had heard. That was the first phrase I heard twice. A strong man’s voice said, “Brother Branham is resting.”
And when I heard that I thought, “Oh, I’m going back to the tent.” But I didn’t.
[Pastor Shelley is referring to the very significant tent vision that Brother William Branham had many years ago. In part of that vision, Bro. Branham saw a large evangelistic healing meeting taking place under a huge tent. At one point, a man in the vision said, “Now while Brother Branham is resting a little bit, we’ll call the prayer line up.” The people then entered into a door of a small building to the left of the platform and emerged on the other side of the building totally healed and delivered.
We now know that this was symbolizing that the Bride’s Revival would take place sometime after Bro. Branham’s death (1965). We believe that it will be soon. The fact that these were the first words that Pastor Shelley heard seems to be for the purpose of tying his trance vision to this historic prophetic tent vision.]
I saw Mount Zion. And one minute I was standing on a hill looking at it and the next minute I was about two-thirds of the way up it. How I got from the top of the hill to the mountain, I don’t know. But I was climbing. And there were people all around me climbing.
I remember the sensation of dirt and rocks hitting my mouth because of the struggle that some were having ahead of me climbing. And I was so bearing in on my climb that . . . And those ahead of me were climbing so hard that they were dislodging rocks and dirt. And it was rolling down the hill, hitting me in the mouth. It wasn’t painful. I just recall the sensation of that.
And I never saw anything like this before. I’ve seen Mount Zion several times. But right near where I was, to my right, where I could have reached out and touched it, was a crack – a large crack in the rock of the mountain.
And I thought, “My, that is so strange.“ And down in that rock crack was Fire. The Fire was not coming out of the crack, but inside the rock was Fire – inside the crack.
And I reared back like that and looked up. And all ahead of me I could see that the mountain had these fissures or cracks in it. And I could see the light of the Fire that was coming through – the Fire that was on the inside of that mountain.
And that was so strange to me. And I reached out and put my hand over the crack to touch the Fire, and it was not hot. It did not burn my hand. But I know it was Fire. And I knew it was on the inside of the mountain.
And I knew in my spirit that I had to get that Fire, the Fire that was inside of that mountain. I know it sounds strange. Just try to take it in spiritual terms if you possibly can.
I knew that that Fire in that mountain was important and that I had to get it inside of me. I knew that that Fire was not to stay where it was. It was to get inside of me. But I could not for the life of me think of how to get it in me.
That sounds weird. But I couldn’t think of, “Should I reach in and get some of it?” I just could not think of a way. And I felt real disappointed because something told me to get the Fire inside but didn’t tell me how to do it.
And it was a very . . . You’ve felt that way before in the Spirit. “Oh, we need to get closer to God. Oh, we need to do this.” And you think, ”You’ve told me what I need to do. Now if you’ll just tell me how to do it . . .”
And there are people who say . . . They’re telling us to yield. “How do you yield?” “How do I tell somebody how to yield? You just let go.” “Oh, I don’t know that I’m not letting go.”
You see, it’s one of those strange mysteries. You’ve just got to get it in the Spirit, I reckon.
And I noticed about that time there was a man, a brother, a little bit ahead of me. There were several around him and lots near me, right and left, and lots behind me. And I hope you won’t think I’m boasting when I tell you there were a whole lot more behind me than there was ahead of me.
But I sure noticed that one brother for some reason. I never saw his face. I don’t know who he is or who he was. But I saw the Fire when it went into him.
And I wasn’t jealous, but I aimed to find out. And I said, “How did you get it? How did you get it? How did you get that Fire to go out of the mountain to come into you? How did you get that Fire? We want to know.”
He said, “All I did was ask for it.”
And I thought, “I never thought to ask for the Fire. I knew I had to have it in me. I didn’t know how to get it in me. And all that man did was ask.”
And then he said, “I placed my mouth down near the crack and swallowed it.”
Now I know that sounds strange. “I asked for it. And then I bent over, opened up my mouth, and that Fire came out of that mountain and went inside of me.” And he said, “I feel so much stronger.”
That’s all. I knew the Fire was inside of him. And I said to those in the room, “I’m going to try it.” And I asked the Lord to give me the Fire. In the vision I put my mouth over that crack and I felt the Fire when it went inside of me. When I swallowed it, it started burning in my belly.
And as soon as that happened, I began to hear thunder and voices. Lots of voices talking at the same time. And they were higher than I was on the mountain, higher than that brother ahead of me was.
I could tell later that it was English. I don’t know if I knew it here or not, but later I could tell that the words were English. But I still couldn’t make them out. It was like being in a room with everybody talking at the same time. And I could not tell what was being said. But at some point in the vision I recognized that it was English.
And I said, “I can’t hear what they’re saying. It’s higher than I am. But I’m going to try to swallow the Fire so that it’ll strengthen me.” And we decided to do that. And I did it and felt it in my belly.
And I knew that there was hesitation in those behind me to take that Fire. I felt hesitant at first. And I knew that people behind me were hesitant.
And in the room I spoke out while in vision, and they wrote it down. “Go ahead. It’s His Life. Don’t be afraid to swallow it. It looks like Fire, but it’s His Life.”
And all we did was ask for it, open our mouth.
And I made a comment and I said, “Some are lapping it like a dog. Once they found out how easy it was to have it, they put their mouths down over those cracks.” And I could see their tongues lapping that Fire.
That sounds so strange. Doesn’t it?
“I don’t know why they’re afraid.” (I’m saying what I spoke out loud in the vision.) “We all saw what it did for that brother. I feel it in my belly like Fire in my belly – even in my bones.”
I could feel that Fire in my bones. And it wasn’t just Fire, it was His Life. That is what’s going to make my soul eternal.
One of these days you’re going to wake up and realize that it’s more than a sinner’s prayer, “Lord, forgive me of my sins.” It’s a real birth. You’ve got to get His Life in you. And you may have to lose your pride and stick your lips down and suck the Rock to get it.
“That’s what some of you are looking for.” It’s like some brother said to me this morning, “I want to get closer to God. I want to worship God. I want to get my mind on Him. I want to get closer to God.”
That’s what you’re longing for – His Life – a birth, a real one.
I don’t know why, but I could feel that everybody around me, behind me, was afraid. And I said, “I hate to leave some of those behind who will not swallow the Fire. But I hear those Voices, and they’re higher. And I need to hear what they’re saying.” I could hear them roaring like thunder.
And then I said, “When they saw us leaving them . . .”
I meant it. I meant it. I had said to those around me and behind me, “Swallow the Fire. It’s His Life.” And some did, and some wouldn’t. They were afraid. Fear paralyzes us from faith. Fear is the opposite of faith. It’s a human thing we battle with.
But I knew I couldn’t dilly dally any more. I wanted to hear what those Voices were thundering on top of Mount Zion. And it was so funny. I laughed. I said, “It’s funny. When they saw us leaving them . . .” This is how it’s going to be. I’ve always known this. That’s why God spoke to us about forerunners.
I’ve always known that it’s going to take some of you seeing somebody get it. I said, “It’s funny. When they saw us leaving them behind, you should have seen them. They swallowed the Fire.”
When they realized that we didn’t have time to pet them in their fear and talk them out of being afraid but we were just going to go off and leave them, they put their mouths down. And that’s how they began to lap the Fire. They were going to get it in them one way or the other then.
And I said out in the room . . . And I am. I’m not ashamed. I’m not taking it back. I spoke out in the room at that time and I said, “I’m so tired of slow pokes – too busy to swallow the Fire. I wish you could see them now, licking, lapping that Fire like dogs. They didn’t like us leaving them behind.”
“Can’t you see them?” (I’m telling the people that are in the room.) “I told you to watch them, but you can’t see them.”
You see, I was aware that there were people in the room I was talking to, but I also knew they weren’t . . .
I said, “I should call their names. You know them. But they’re catching up now.” Glory. I’ve had one person hint to me . . . This only happened, what, only a few hours ago? I’ve already had one person to see if I’d tell them if they were one of the slowpokes.
Do you really need me to tell you? Didn’t you dress yourself this morning? Didn’t you look in the mirror this morning when you were getting ready? Don’t you know who’s lagging behind and who is not? If you perceive that you’re lagging behind, you were behind. You don’t need me to tell you.
I said, “This is the final portion. That Fire, it’s burning in my belly.”
I said, “Look, they’re pointing at something. It’s still thunder. I still hear Voices. It’s English. I can tell it’s English, but it sounds like they are all talking at the same time so I can’t hear exactly what they are saying.”
But I could see people pointing. “Look, look,” they’re saying. It was an Eagle – “one large white Eagle with a Sword in his mouth. And it looks like a globe in his feet, his talons. And he is circling, flying around the mountain, heading in and out of the clouds.”
And a Voice said, “He’s coming to take you.”
I cried out to him. I wanted him to know where I was. I began to wave at him. “This great white Eagle, he’s coming to take you.”
“Where?” I asked, “Where?” twice. I couldn’t hear the answer. An answer was given. I couldn’t hear the answer. I said, “Please say it louder.”
The answer came back, “To the Throne – not to the top of Mount Zion, but higher.”
All of a sudden I felt such strength again from that Fire. And listen at this. It’s kind of a revelation.
I said, “Oh, I’m not weak.” I thought He said before, “When you can’t go any farther on your own . . .” I thought He meant because we were so weak.
[Pastor Shelley is referring to the fifth trance vision that he had on September 29, 1996 at the end of the evening service. He again saw Mount Zion, but this time he saw the saints of God climbing up the rough sides of it. The Angel of the Lord said to him, “Saints are stuck on Mount Zion. They have climbed so far in His virtues, His attributes, but they seem to be stuck. They can’t go any higher. But don’t worry.”
Then he sees a beautiful white Eagle flying to Mount Zion. He sees that the Eagle represents something wonderful happening.
In the vision, he wondered how all the saints would ever make it to the top of Mount Zion, which represents coming into perfection. Then he saw the Eagle swooping low and coming up higher.
The Eagle screamed, “I will bear you on My wings to the top of Mount Zion. Don’t worry, My Bride will make it to the top. She’ll have My virtues if I have to carry her on My wings. She will not receive them by struggling. She will receive them supernaturally.”]
How many of you . . .? That’s what we thought. We were so weak. We were so weak. When we’ve done all we can and we can’t go any higher, He said He would take us to the top, spiritually, on the wings of a white Eagle.
But that is not right. That is not what He was saying. It’s the way I took it. I thought He meant because we were so weak, we couldn’t go on any farther, so He came to help us, to take us home. But I feel so strong. I said, “We’re not weak at all. We swallowed the Fire. It’s in our bones.”
How can you be broken and weak if the Life of God is moving in you?
And I said, “I feel like I can run to the top.”
He said, “Not yet.”
I asked Him for somebody else to go with me. There were brothers around me – sisters, too. I asked Him for somebody else to go with me.
He said, “It’s not wise.”
“So just wait here. I’ll not be gone too long,” I’m saying to those around me. “Just keep climbing. I will meet you soon.”
I said to those around me, “No smart remarks this time. Keep climbing.” Isn’t that strange? Must have been the young brothers.
I said, “Oh, I’m flying again. There’s no seatbelt. I’m laying across His back. He must be a strong bird.”
I hope you can hear this. I was laying, my belly across His back. And my head was on one side, my ankles on the other side. I laid over Him like that. I was not afraid of falling off. But I was aware of the fact that I wasn’t strapped on in the Spirit.
But here’s the most amazing thing. I had a tremendous view of his feathers. And though He looked snow white to me when I was laying across his back, I saw words written on His feathers.
I said, “But He looked so clean and white. He’s supernatural – not a real bird – but words written on His feathers.” And all of a sudden, when I saw those words, He screamed – that Eagle screamed. And because I was so close to Him, I thought it was going to stop my ears – pierce them. I thought it would almost make me dead, it was so loud. He screamed so loud, it made me shake all over.
And I began to read the words on His feathers. On one feather I saw a lot of words. And it was things maybe you recognize. I sure do hate to read it. “Final Harvest Cycle,” I saw written, and “What We DO Know About the Seventh Seal.”
[These were the titles of very anointed messages that Pastor Shelley has preached. “What We DO Know About the Seventh Seal” is an in-depth, major message in several parts that he preached at his Winter Campmeeting in Alabama at the beginning of 2005. It is available in MP3 format on his website (www.revival.org). Click here to order from the online bookstore.
I said out loud, “So much more. I’d better not tell it. Somebody might misunderstand.” But I was so surprised at what I was reading on those feathers.
He asked me if I wanted to make a stop.
Only I would give this Eagle a smart answer. I didn’t mean to. I read this. I couldn’t believe I said it. I don’t even remember saying it. I couldn’t believe I said it. But two scribes have vindicated it.
He asked me if I wanted to make a stop. And I told it out loud. And I said, “No, I prefer a direct flight.”
How many times have I told my travel agent that. I’ve said many times, “I’d rather have a direct flight. I’d rather have a direct flight.”
So the Angel said, “You want to go now or make a stop?”
I said, “I’d rather have a direct flight.”
He said we should stop and that I would like this place.
This is precious. I think everybody in the room just about was moved with emotion when this came.
“It looks familiar, but I’m not sure. There is an angel coming to meet us. He said, ‘Welcome. This is where the saints rest.’”
I said, “I’m going to the Throne.”
The Angel said, “That’s higher. We want you to visit here for a while behind a big Gate.”
Hallelujah. Thank You, Lord. Thank You, Jesus. (Pastor Shelley weeps.) Hallelujah.
The angel opened the Gate like this, stood with his back against the Gate and held the Gate open. I took about three steps inside the Gate, and Brenda . . . she grabbed me. Sister Brenda grabbed me and hugged me. I was hardly inside. She greeted me.
[Sister Brenda was a young middle-aged woman who went to be with the Lord almost two years ago. She had been part of Pastor Shelley’s congregation and had been sick for some time, but her death took everyone by surprise.]
She stepped back, and I turned. And there was such a crowd of people gathered in a semi-circle all around. I began to recognize them one by one.
I saw two sisters walking toward me that kind of stepped out. They were hand in hand. I recognized that it was both of my grannies. They were holding hands.
I had one big, tall, fat granny and one little short granny. Most of the time she was skinny. But they were sure opposites. One was loud, and one was quiet. And one was rough, and one was meek. Here they were, holding hands. I guess I knew my little Baptist granny was saved. But you know, you just don’t really think about it.
They told me that they loved my babies. I don’t know how many times – only God knows how many times – I have said, “Oh, I wish my grandmothers would have lived to see my children.”
Both of my grandmothers loved me so much. I was the favorite on both sides of the family. That’s why I’m so rotten – they both loved me so much. And I just have thought so many times how much they would have loved my children.
[Pastor Shelley went on to tell the names of the people who greeted him there whom he knew and who had gone on to be with the Lord. Some had been part of his congregation, some were loved ones of people currently in his congregation and others were from his ministry travels. Surprisingly, he saw two people who were either old or very sick who had not yet gone Home, but they did not greet him.]
Somebody asked me after it was over, “Were they all young – teenagers?”
And I said, “To be honest with you, it wasn’t exactly like I thought it would be. Everybody looked younger and well and healthy and beautiful, but everybody didn’t look in their twenties.”
All I know is I’ve often thought that everybody didn’t reach their prime in life at the same time. I don’t know how it is.
And I said to those in the room, “I’m so glad we didn’t take the direct flight. I’m glad we stopped here.”
I told them after it was over that nobody seemed more important than any one else.
And I said out loud to the brothers and those in the room, “It seemed so strange to see them together. These are people that didn’t know each other.”
I glanced back over to my left and I saw little Sister Emmy that had just died this year in Jerusalem.
[Then he told about seeing the mothers of an older couple from the congregation.]
And they had different church histories, you know, but got along. I know they did. And it was so funny, but too holy to laugh at at the time. They were swinging hands like this and giggling like teenagers.
And I don’t remember who said it. It seemed like they said it together. They said, “We always loved each other, but now we like each other.” I like that.
I said, “Don’t feel bad about that ‘cause there are some people I’m going to have to wait to get to heaven to like, too.” But it doesn’t keep us from loving folks, does it?
I said, “Oh, there are so many others. I wish I could see them all and greet them all.”
And my granny said to me, “There is somebody else here that I want you to see.”
And I looked, and it was Brother Branham. It’s not the first time I’ve seen Brother Branham in vision like that, but this was very special. You’ll forgive me if I don’t tell you now what happened, but I’ll read what my answer was. It won’t mean much to you, but I’ll read it.
I said, “Yes sir. Yes sir. I’ll remember. Yes sir. Yes sir. Yes sir. I will. I will.”
He asked how we are doing, I think. It’s how it is here. I don’t remember exactly how that was.
And as they sensed I was getting ready to leave, people were pressing in to hug me. I just can’t name them all, but they were hugging me one right after another, squeezing me.
And I said, “It’s late.” And the Angel of the Lord said, “It’s time to go.”
I expected He was going to lead me toward the Gate. But instead, the crowd just parted and He led me over that way. And I looked up, and there was the tallest flight of stairs I’ve ever seen in my life.
And the Angel was taking me up those stairs. I kept talking about them, too. I said, “Oh, there’s lots of stairs.”
And then all of a sudden the vision broke a little bit. It went away. And I said, “Somebody check on the service. See that it’s not dragging.” I said, “No, it is dragging. People want to go home. I doubt if I’ll say anything to them tonight. I doubt if I’ll talk to them tonight.”
And all of a sudden I went right back.
As I started climbing the stairs to go higher, I heard a familiar laugh. I had only climbed about six stairs. Only one person in the world laughs like that.
And I turned over my right shoulder and just in the crowd I saw Sister Ruth Heflin. And she called out to me on the stairs. And she said, “Little brother from Alabama, prepare the way for the Glory. Carry the Word from Jerusalem to the Nations.”
The Angel nudged me on. We kept climbing. And the Angel said, “He is higher. His Throne is higher than where the saints are.”
And I just said, “A bunch of stairs.” I could hear the music, the singing. It sounded like trumpets and strings.
I said, “It’s even more beautiful than last time.” We went in through the City. I saw the balcony, the platform, where I had stood before and looked out over the . . . The only words to describe it is “like a Plaza.”
And He said, “No, this time we’re going closer.”
And such a fear gripped my heart. I said, “Oh, it’s scary.” I don’t ever remember being that afraid. There were people dancing, and there was noise. I said, “But it’s good noise.”
And finally I asked the Angel. I said, “Let me stay here and rest a little while.” I mentioned those stairs. But I said, “Really, I’m just scared.”
And all of a sudden there was a little handful of angels that slipped around me, and they were pushing me like this. My feet were dragging, and they were pushing me. And they were laughing.
I’m not going to tell everything I saw. I’m going to say what I said, and we’ll get the rest later.
“Wow, it’s big. It’s bright. Hurts my eyes. Just let me crawl. It’s too hard to stand.” And they kept picking me up. I said, “They don’t want me to crawl.”
I started worshiping in tongues. And then I said, “Please, a little closer.”
All I can tell you is, a strange thing happened. I was before the Throne of God. I saw His feet. I was on my face. Something was holding me just a little bit. I could feel that I wasn’t really to go any closer. But I said, “Please, let me go just a little closer.”
And whatever was holding me back released me. I made about three more strikes with my knees to get to His feet.
There’s no way to tell you what this feels like except I had no desire to look up. I guess I would have liked to have, but I couldn’t. I was so afraid to do it. But without ever looking up, I kissed His feet.
And He reached down and touched me on the back of my neck, just like He did when He appeared to me as a child. I don’t know how it was, but when the vision was over . . . Daniel was sitting next to me and he said that when I said that, the back of my neck was just red, just turned real red.
I said, “I don’t even want to see His face just now. Oh Lord, You know.”
And He spoke. I answered twice, “Yes, Sir. Yes, Sir.”
“I can’t look up. I don’t think I can ever tell it like it is.” And I just lifted my eyes a little bit. I could see His ankles.
I didn’t say this out loud last night, but I’m going to say it now. You’ve already made your opinion. This little detail won’t change your mind. But I saw it – I saw His ankles. I had already kissed His feet. And I just raised my eyes a little bit higher and I saw the hair on His legs. Now that’s the truth.
So that body that He wears now is glorified, but it’s so much like the body He wore when He was on this earth, because I saw the hair on His legs. It was very, very real.
One of the things He told me was there were many things He wanted to share with me. And He asked me if I would come away with Him for a season before the end of the year. He said it had to be before the end of the year.
I remember saying to Him at that point, “I want to know. Please, let me know what those Voices were. They were all talking at the same time. I couldn’t make out a one.”
He said, “You will hear each Voice clearly . . . Seven Thunder Voices clearly. You will teach them to those who will listen. You must teach them.”
[The Seven Thunders are mentioned in the Book of the Revelation 10:3-4.]
And I prayed, cried, “Lord, teach me.”
He said, “You must establish them in Present Truth before they can stand before the Throne. It must be clear, plain and simple. Man has complicated it. That’s why I chose simple men to make it clear. I did not want to have to do it this way. I made it plain through a prophet messenger. But too many followed their own spirit because they didn’t ever receive Mine.”
“Those Seven Unknown Thunder mysteries . . . they will be made known. You will find them in My Word.” He told me not to search for them. He said, “I’ll show them to you. You can back them up with My Word, even in the Words of the prophet messenger.”
[The “prophet messenger” referred to here is Brother William Branham.]
“Yes, Sir.”
The vision faded a little bit. And in a few minutes I came back into vision.
I said, “You tell me when.”
He said, “Listen to My Angel. He will tell you.”
And it started going in and out. And I was worshiping in tongues. I was concerned that I wouldn’t be able to tell a lot of what I heard and saw just yet.
And He said, “Remember, step by step.”
And I said, “You’ll have to show me what to say now.” And I said, “No, I won’t. I promise.” And then I said, “How will I remember? My memory is sick.”
And all of a sudden I began to count out loud in the room, “One, two, three, four, five . . .” And the vision faded out. It came back in, and I counted again, “Five, six, seven . . . ”
I can’t tell you right now this morning. It’s late. I don’t know what to say yet. But the next thing was “Five years.”
My response was, “With Your help.” The next thing I said was, “Oh, that’s what we need. That’s how we overcome.”
And then I asked, “Did I misunderstand? Oh, I see.” And the Throne was gone just that quick.
“Let’s go.”
I’m flying again with the Eagle. The vision was breaking, and I said, “I can’t blow it. I’ll try.” And I worshiped in tongues. And I said, “I’m standing on the top, but I’ve tried. I can’t blow it.”
“Yes, Sir, I remember. That’s what He said.”
I started laughing. And then I said, “I love Him.”
And at 9:50 the vision ended.
What happened in that . . . I’ll just tell you this because that doesn’t make any sense to you.
What happened was He picked up the Shofar. I cannot blow the Shofar. In sixth grade I wanted to play the trumpet, but my teeth were bucked and I couldn’t buzz into the trumpet to blow it just right. I tried. I never could make that buzz sound. You don’t just blow. You have to buzz a little. I couldn’t do it.
And I cannot blow the Shofar. I’ve never tried many, many times. But every time I’ve tried, I can’t do it.
And all of a sudden I said, “But I can’t blow it.”
He said, “Blow. You’ve got to sound the Shofar.”
I said, “I can’t blow it.”
And all of a sudden the Angel of the Lord picked it up and put it in my mouth. And I remember my lips touching it. I remember the hardness in the vision – my soft lips making contact with the tip of the Shofar.
And all of a sudden the Shofar sounded so loud, but there was no breath come out of my belly. There was no breath from me. It was not me blowing it. It was only up to my mouth. And yet it was sounding loud – so loud and so clear and so plain.
God is good. Somebody say, “All the time.”
Now, how I would love to have more time. But if I had more time I wouldn’t know what to say with it. I invite you in the Spirit to the Feast of the Open Book. This is the time that God desires to make it plain – not to confuse us, but to make it plainer than it’s ever been before.
So let’s be about His business and pray and seek His face while God is seeking us. Be spiritual. Walk in the Spirit.
And know that God is going to be faithful to give us the opportunity to tell every detail and to reveal anything that needs to be revealed.
I don’t know how or when, but I made God a promise to be alone with Him. And I’m going to do that. It probably won’t be in the wilderness since I’m not a wilderness man. But I want to hear from the Lord more and more and more.
How many of you want your life to be what His is?
It took seven years to get us to this place. And if you’re only looking at it with natural eyes, you might say, “Oh, what is it then? A lot of nice details. But what really is it? It didn’t seem to be so much.”
Oh, it’s there, my brother, sister. When those Thunders began to sound, rumbled for a long time until I could hear the English words . . . And I can still see the Throne before me shaking as those Voices went out.
If you’ve been listening carefully these years . . . and even recently, even a few Sunday nights ago, God spoke to us and told us He was about to reveal those things and what it was going to accomplish. I believe Him.
[Pastor Shelley now shares the Words that the Lord gave him during the worship time in the Sunday evening service, October 9, 2005. ]
He said, “The sun is setting on the old order. Give it up. Give it up. A new day is dawning. It shall spring forth speedily. I shall shine My Light on a new path. I shall raise up a new anointed priesthood, fully established in the old but reaching forth into the new.
“I will draw again to this place. I will gather those that are Mine. Many shall learn a new way as you give the Truth to them. That which seems old shall spring forth in you and be even as a new thing.”
You know, that just makes sense to me. When God gives you an opportunity to share the Word with somebody, even though you’ve known it and it’s been in you all along, it just gets new again when you get to tell somebody else.
He said, “You shall become fully established in ‘Present Truth.’ [2 Peter 1:12] It will become easier for you to turn loose of your ways and embrace My ways.
“I shall allow a season of catching up for all who so desire.” It is time to cross over the line now and accept His covenant will for us. He is calling heaven to witness His promise to us for this new season.
He will soon remove us from the oven and let us “set up” on the counter. The temperature will continue to rise, but the product, the souffle, whatever it is, will begin to meet the right consistency, the right texture, as it is sitting outside of the oven.
Seven Thunder Truths will come forth soon. Some will be easier to grab than others. Some will push the boundary, stretch our thinking, but all will be confirmed by His Word. That’s all I need. I mean, that’s all I need, Lord.
They will draw us into Him, back into His side through a narrow spear hole. These Truths will gather a variety of people – people who look right, some who don’t, some who came from good backgrounds, holy heritages, some who did not, some with a background in the Message [what God gave to Bro. Branham to preach], others who do not, some older, more mature in the faith, some newborns with little self control. Don’t worry. We will in many ways lose our seniority and move together.
Maybe that’s how it was. You know, Brother Branham told us that in that age when we’re all gathered together, the Bride would gather together with the messenger of each age. And I guess that’s what I expected it to be.
But you know, the righteous dead are not before the Throne. They’re in the Presence of God, but they’re not before the Throne.
How many of you understand that? One day all the Redeemed of the Lord are going before the Throne. Together we’re going to go in with Him and live with Him forever.
But where He is is higher in the Spirit. That’s exactly how it was. It was bearing out in this vision. But I expected it would be the believers of the Message gathering with the messenger of the age. But not now. Not right now.
Because I saw those who walked in the Message and those who didn’t. They were all together in one group. It just seemed to be the ones that I was familiar with. And they were all together. And even Brother Branham was right in the crowd. He didn’t stand out.
There was a very important man of God, but he didn’t stand out above anybody else. He was just standing right in there with the believers. That will upset some people, but it’s just the way it was. And even Sister Ruth . . . God used her as an important prophetess, a missionary to the nations. And she was just right in the crowd. I wouldn’t have even seen her, but she called out. And when I did, I turned and I pictured her. I could see her head and shoulders in the crowd.
I like that. We must be going to practice, before we get there, losing some of our seniority. Is that all right with you? You know what? It really doesn’t matter whether it is or not. God’s not asking our permission. He’s just going to change us.
He said, “Remember, I will supply the needs. The White Eagle Revelation will take us all the way. All that is foggy and misty now will soon become crystal clear. Didn’t I promise that at the end of 2005 great change would come?
“There is such muddy water in the prophetic movement today across the Land, but I desire to send a clean wave. Another wave of Glory will soon roll in, pure from the Throne, waters to swim in.
“It will be a witness, even as the Two Witnesses were Moses and Elijah – Moses representing the Word and Elijah representing the prophetic moving of the Spirit. They’re My olive branches. They’re coming. But before they come I’m establishing that kind of order.
“Only Truth will unite with Truth. Oil and water will not mix. The Truth from both streams will flow together, all the way back to the Apostolic Fathers.”
(Not back to the Church Fathers, but to the faith that was once delivered to the saints. Apostolic faith is the faith of Moses. They’re cheering us on.)
God said, “I’m going to release the Manna that’s been stored up. Do not be afraid. I’m enlisting an army of volunteers. I’m requiring a change of vocabulary.”
I saw that healing River flowing out from the base of the altar, flowing out from the Temple, down into the valley of death and hell – purifying, clean, clear water flowing right into the midst of a black, sick-looking pool of water full of trash, causing the old dirty water to be pushed back and down the riverbed, bringing life, exceeding abundant Life. And I heard the Spirit saying over and over again, “Waves of Glory and showers of blessing.”
“My order is being revealed. Who will hear it? Who will know it? Who will obey it? Who will walk in it?”
“I will. I will.”