The “Washington for Jesus” event in 1980 became a turning point for a nation reeling from the Vietnam War, Watergate, Roe v. Wade and the feckless presidency of Jimmy Carter. A 20-year-old Jonathan Cahn was there and deeply moved. Forty years later Cahn, now a bestselling author and Messianic rabbi, had a vision to call America to return to God during an even darker period—once again on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
I believe “The Return” on Sept. 26 marked a similar turning point. I was there for the entire event from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., and I was deeply moved—much more so than I have been at several other large gatherings I’ve attended. This event had a prophetic edge. In the era of COVID-19, crowd estimates were huge at more than 100,000, but millions more watched in simulcasts or online.
Yet the purpose of The Return wasn’t to garner media attention or emphasize the huge voting bloc Christians represent in the upcoming election. Instead it was to get the attention of God, who promised, “if my people who are called by My name will humble themselves and pray, and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land” (2 Chron. 7:14).
Only time will tell what shifted in the heavenlies that day in Washington. But I believe it was significant. America (indeed the world) seems on a century-long rush toward godlessness, now manifested in culture and government. True revival will take more than one solemn assembly and a few thousand Christians crying out to God.
But The Return was more than that. It was something God ordained.
Toward the end of the event, Pastor Kent Christmas of Nashville, Tennessee,
prophesied a great harvest of souls in 2021, following this tumultuous year of pandemic, racial division and violence. Many saw the prophecy live and many more on YouTube. We reported on it on charismanews.com. I want to share a few high points from the prophecy because I believe it’s a true word from the Lord.
“Hear God today,” Christmas said. “This is not about color. This is not about culture. This is about the church, and God said, ‘The church is My body. So today I release healing into you. I release a spirit of boldness on you. The Spirit says rise up,’ saith the Lord. ‘Whatever you bind, I’ll bind. Whatever you loose, I’ll loose.
“‘And the church is going to begin to fill up, and the glitter of sin that has drawn the sinner to the world is now going to be tarnished, and I’m going to cause the church,’ saith the Lord, ‘to rise to her feet,'” Christmas decreed.
“‘By the end of this year,’ says God, ‘the greatest outpouring that you’ve ever seen is going to hit the United States of America, starting in January.’
“Thus saith God, ‘I’m coming after the strongholds that have ruled over this nation for decades, and I am pulling them down by the power of the Spirit of God.’ For the violence that you see in the land, the roaring that you hear over our nation, is demon spirits that are crying out because the angels of the Lord have come to silence them for this hour.
“‘I am also coming after a generation of young people that have never been in church, that have never known God. I’m going to invade the homosexual community, and I’m going to set them free by the power of the Holy Ghost.
“‘There is anointing,’ saith the Lord, ‘that I am releasing over this nation. Just as the laws have come out of this city in the natural,’ saith God, ‘There is now a law being released out of heaven that says my church will not be silent.
“‘For the spirit of Jezebel has ruled over this nation for a century. But I have raised up an Elijah anointing,’ saith God, ‘that’s going to break the spirit of Jezebel, and there’s going to be peace in the land.
“‘There is a liberty,’ saith the Lord, ‘that I am releasing over this land. And it is a harvest of souls. Your churches are going to fill up. Your children are going to praise the Lord. Your bodies are going to be healed because I declare it,’ saith God, ‘and it shall be done,’ saith God.”
We as a body of Christ must now judge this word as to whether it’s from God. I hope and pray it is.
Stephen Strang is founder of Charisma. He believes God, Trump and the 2020 Election (Charisma House), available wherever Christian books are sold, is his most important book. Listen to his new podcast by the same name on the Charisma Podcast Network.
This article was excerpted from the August issue of Charisma magazine. If you don’t subscribe to Charisma, click here to get every issue delivered to your mailbox. During this time of change, your subscription is a vote of confidence for the kind of Spirit-filled content we offer. In the same way you would support a ministry with a donation, subscribing is your way to support Charisma. Also, we encourage you to give gift subscriptions at shop.charismamag.com, and share our articles on social media.
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