In this day, the Lord is calling us to see things as they really are so that we can do all that remains to be done and regain all that has been lost. I want to share with you a dream that I had recently, which will encourage you to press into God for the harvest that is to come.
Fields of Ripened Wheat
I had a dream in which I had come to an English farm. The farm was plentiful in what looked like ripened wheat, but at a closer look it seemed that the wheat was overripe. In the midst of the fields of wheat was an empty oast house, in which the wheat was supposed to have been stored. Next to the oast house was an area that looked like a place of rest for the farm laborers.
Also, in the midst of fields of overripe wheat stood a group of people. They had microphones, speakers and amplifiers with them. A board they set up had “008” written on it. They had been trying to make themselves heard, but the wind had not been carrying their voices. They had since turned on their amplifiers and were making great declarations about the harvest. They seemed to have the impression that they were making their declarations to a bigger crowd than was there and seemed to think their voices were reaching further than they did.
An elderly lady came out from among them. She was 97 years old. She went over to the oast house and into the rest area. When she came back, she had a match in her hand. She then lit the match and started to torch the overripe wheat. Although there was fire, it did not burn the wheat; rather, the fire was exposing the porcupines and foxes, causing them to scatter and run everywhere.
The people in the group suddenly seemed to realize then that they had been surrounded by ripe wheat but had not harvested it. Their declaration was thus being made without harvesters. When declarations are made, they equip. In essence, there was a lot of smoke with no fire. No substance. No authority.
There are many like this who fail to realize the real work has been done. No need to reinvent the wheel. All that is needed is to acknowledge what is in existence, align and come alongside in agreement rather than wanting to be seen as the prime instigators and thus ownership so fame and applause are given. They fail to realize and acknowledge the sacrifice and labor done beforehand for them, and now only to simply reap the harvest that is.
When the dream ended, I began to ponder on all of this and seek out its meaning.
A Missed Harvest
Since the moment had been tampered with, many had missed it. They had missed that kairos time for real harvest. The dates 2008 and 2018 are of great importance. The porcupine and the sly fox had so distracted and stolen the vision and understanding that It seems that what God wanted to do in either of dates was missed! Let’s look into it.
What went wrong at these junctures that caused us to miss and hinder the promised harvest? Strategic relationships were not forged to maximize what God wanted to pour out in these dates. We need to look into what went wrong. We need to activate again for that great harvest. It has become overripe, but it can still be harvested.
It was also a time where when key people and resources had come together, and it was as if they anticipated that their declarations would bring about great change. The natural thing for them to do in making the declarations was to allow their voices to be carried on the wind, which represents the Holy Spirit (John 3:8).
For some reason, however, their expectations were not immediately met in the way they wanted, and they decided to use artificial means to amplify their voices and make themselves heard. Rather than relying on God’s means, they went about the task in their own strength. Truly, a ripe harvest was around them, but they abandoned the partnership with God that was going to bring it in without even realizing what they had done. Because of this, a major harvest had been stalled, and the harvest became overripe.
A Divine Strategy from a Place of Rest
The elderly lady who came out from the group reminded me of Anna, the prophetess. She was one who practiced truly waiting on the Lord and had retained her sensitivity to His voice and Spirit.
After enough time had passed and she had discerned that the group was acting in its own strength, she decided to make her way out from among the noise and into a place of rest. In that place, she was able to discern the true nature of the situation and find an unexpected but powerful strategy to turn it around.
Porcupines and Foxes
In torching the wheat, I believe her aim was not to destroy it, but to expose what was hidden within it that had deterred people from coming to harvest it. I saw porcupines and foxes. Porcupines and foxes have different natures and represent different things. Porcupines have sharp quills and can cause pain, but only where people have left themselves unnecessarily exposed. They represent those things that might hurt a laborer because they have not wisely covered or prepared themselves carefully as they enter the harvest.
Foxes are known for their sly and cunning nature. They represent those people who push their own agendas, breaking up strategic partnerships and subverting voices of truth to their own advantage. To have control, such people set up obstacles to prevent others from reaching their potential and hinder others who have the character needed to bring in the harvest. They prevent people from being fruitful, for as the Scripture says, they are “little foxes that spoil the vineyards” (Song 2:15b).
The fire that the old lady started was needed. Both porcupines and foxes can cause wounds. Wounds are the unresolved emotional hurts and relationship issues that underlie division, and when these are not healed, the laborers cannot come together. As long as the porcupines and foxes remained hidden, the harvest could not come in.
A True Voice
Now is not a season to amplify our own voices falsely. When there is a drizzle, we like to call it a rain because we want it to seem like things are happening. And although things are in fact happening, we are not yet in the deluge we really need and are looking for.
We are coming to the season when what we call a deluge will really be a deluge, and the declarations about it will be carried by the wind of the Spirit and not amplified artificially. This will be as it was when Elijah resolutely waited “on the cloud as small as the size of a man’s hand rising out of the sea” to become a deluge that wasn’t just a sound, but a mighty deluge of rain that watered and caused the land to become fertile again for a mighty harvest (1 Kings 18:41-45).
The true voice of God that comes on the wind of Spirit will drive out the foxes and porcupines and call forth the harvest. There is an acceleration that will surely bring the deluge we await.
Jesus said the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. And so, we pray that the Lord of the harvest will send workers out into His harvest field! (Matt 9:38, Luke 10:2). Let your fire come, Lord Jesus!
Rev. Betty King is a world-renowned speaker and prophetess. She is a true embodiment of the Father’s love and compassion. Her passion to fulfill God’s call has seen her travel to all the continents, moving in the prophetic, touching and transforming many lives and rekindling hope. She is a woman full of love, wisdom, kindness, hope, compassion and grace.