Over the past two or three years, I have been collecting all kinds of stories about fish and animals–new types of species have been discovered rapidly recently. My wife jokes about it, as nightly I have another fish story to tell her. I will try not to bore you with my many fish tales, but clearly something fishy is going on!
The largest fish ever caught was caught last month. And three of the rarest-never before seen fish were all seen this past year. Some of the biggest and rarest fish ever seen have been revealed–either caught by mistake, or washed up on shores (two different signs). I see that the things of the deep and the endless mysteries of God are being revealed; but also the deep is crying out for our stewardship help. And being willing to show itself to those who will “catch” a vision for God’s restoration of the earth. Many young people, even children have an emerging passion for wildlife, and a near obsession with caring for animals.
This stewardship of creation mantel is not like the fatalistic environmentalism being preached on the planet right now (from the UN etc.). It is not motivated by our guilt over messing up; it is motivated by God’s Heart, and this makes a world of difference in terms of true wisdom of how to implement true lasting change heading towards Jesus setting things in His Perfect Order. We are ministers of reconciliation of all things to Christ Himself who is, as Paul said the place of all Wisdom and Knowledge. It is those in Christ, therefore, who are to hold the keys to our relationship to the environment. This will continue to emerge in His Body at a rapid rate to where we will become true leaders in care for His Creation!
Because of increasing urbanization (in 1800, 3% of people lived in cities; now over 75% do, and it is increasing rapidly), animal care has become a global issue. How to not just co-exist, but to nurture and steward the animal kingdom is a key end times issue. Many will get mantels to take up this work, and the church can become a true leader in spiritual environmentalism if she will enter His Heart for His Creation. She will then be given Wisdom of stewardship of His Creation and His Creatures in particular.
Also many of the creatures of the deep which have revealed themselves have been likened to the leviathan and other “monsters of the deep”. I think this also is about the enemy getting exposed in these times, as nothing more than a wet ugly fish. Though a spirit of terror has come; we in Christ are to be fearless and not live in the conspiratorial reactive orientation of the world to terror. We are not to move in the same spirit. God is not conspiratorial He is reconciliatory!
Now back to this “deep” topic in order to fathom it. When we think of the symbol of fish, which is the symbol of Christianity itself, and is the core metaphor Jesus used with the fishermen he picked, we think of multiplication and of the teeming Life of His Kingdom. We think of the great commission. We also think of being fishers of men; and what it represents when all types of fish (humans) are exposed to His Light and made visible. This is the great harvest of fish which is preceded by the realization that they are there, and ready to be seen understood loved and brought into the Light of His Kingdom. God throws light on things before He separates things out. That is one of His Ways. Even in the creation story, He brings light, then divides things into proper relationships.
Kim Klement pointed out in a recent article, that there are many places lots of dead sea creatures have washed up which were key spiritual places where The Kingdom came and people entered into it. He points to the beach where St Augustine landed in England-and the seat of spiritual authority in Kent (Canterbury), and the shores of Virginia where Pocahantes came and ended up meeting God etc. He mentions many other signs of fish and sea life and their coorelations to spiritual happenings. It would be a great study I think!
We have also had lots of sharks wash up this year on the coast of New England (which is interesting, because currently, New England is spiritually rather dry, but is where many of the early revivals and awakenings landed into the Americas). And some of the rarest ever sharks washing up in New Zealand (the ends of the earth) this year. God always reveals Himself–always symbolizes things; before a fuller incarnation. The priests cross the Jordan first; the people walk around the walls before they actually fall etc; When we start to see recurring symbols globally, it is a good time to get with The Holy Spirit and ask what they mean. What is God trying to say through this symbol or sign. He likes to reveal Himself, but also never exhausts His Own Mysteries. We are not to be shocked by, but expectant of His Coming. For us, He is not a thief in the night, or unexpected lightning from the east; for us He is a Friend who reveals His Heart and ideas so that we can be ready in love and in peace, and partner with Him in preparation–making a high”way” for The Way of His Life to come more fully onto the earth!
Jesus Himself seemed to build His ministry with fishermen, did several fishy miracles, and even served fish in His resurrected form. There is something fishy about Christianity in general. Let us go deep and get to the bottom of this fish thing and pay attention to-what to us-may even be odd signs of the times. At least let’s keep fishing for signs of what our Great God is trying to reveal to and through us in our moment in history!
Learning to read global symbols spiritually, is a really helpful way of discerning the news of the times as well. Noticing which stories and specifically which aspects of stories the Holy Spirit draws your spirit to helps in cutting through the intense amount of daily information we ingest.
You think for instance, of the country Budapest getting so many gold and silver metals in the Olympics this year. Then match that with words of prophecy currently over her:
“As I flew along the Danube into Budapest I saw the crystalline image of a silvery angel hovering above Budapest. Showers of silver rained down upon the Danube and flowed to the east. And wherever the river flowed, revival flowed. For the Lord is redeeming His people out of the ravishes of oppression and into the total freedom of the Holy Spirit. The silver and the gold are His to give where He pleases, and it is time for the Eastern European Bride to step forward out of the ashes and into the adorning grace of redemption. He has set His gaze upon you. This is the time of your favor – Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Moldova, Ukraine, Romania – you who live where the Danube flows.”
(Julia Loren)
Or the recent opening of many once closed locks in England, and you compare prophetic words over that nation:
“Then the Lord said, “Look to the locks that are opening canals long closed.” The re-opening of locks in the U.K. is a sign that the ancient waterways are opening that have held back a move of the Spirit of God. New pathways of the Spirit are opening, new opportunities to spread the Word within the region are opening. As the locks become unlocked, the restored waterways of revival and evangelism will emerge and flow.
I looked this up online after receiving the vision, and read a note of significance concerning the ancient locks: “The Droitwich Canals opened Friday, 1 July 2011, 72 years after they were officially abandoned… 240 years after they first opened on 27 June 1771, the newly restored waterway is the final link in a brand new ‘cruising circuit’ – the Mid Worcestershire Ring. The Ring allows boats, cyclists and ramblers to make a 21-mile circular journey through some of the UK’s most beautiful and historic countryside, from the Worcester & Birmingham Canal to the River Severn, through the city of Worcester and back to Droitwich.”
In the 1770s, when many locks were being built or restored, England was in the middle of the John Wesley revival. It is also interesting to note that in 1939, when many canals and locks began closing, history records that WWII broke out that year. Also, religious historians believe that in 1939, one particular man brought Wicca out of the woods of England and spread its popularity throughout Britain and America, launching a Wiccan revival. It seems like 1939 was a good year to close off the waterways of the natural and spiritual enemy. But now is the time to reopen the waterways of the Spirit and let revival break out!”
(Julia Loren)
And you start to get a picture of how things in the natural become signs of things happenings in the spiritual. God is not being silent, we are just not always tuned in to how He is symbolically speaking. If He speaks through silver and gold metals, and opening locks, He certainly can speak through one of His oldest metaphors of fish! Think of Jonah who lived through a pretty intense incarnational symbol while being the belly of that whale!
Anyways, I’m thinking about fish recently. But also about how to read basic natural symbols for their spiritual significance. There really is no random news in the Spirit! If we open our true eyes all sorts of things start being vessels through which God is communicating. Even fish stories.
