THE THIRD JUDGMENT THUNDER
by Bill Burns
The seven thunders shall roar, and the lightning bolts of the fire in the mouth of God's witnesses will produce the spirit of burning and will strike the demon powers which have been established in the world by unholy altars.
An altar is a place of sacrifice by dedication to one's god which establishes that god's authoritative right to rule over a specific area. Altars can be places of blood sacrifice or things dedicated to the gods served such as statues, pillars, or images. These altars become objects of idol worship.
The altars of the occult (Satan worshippers, witches, New Agers, and pagans) have been established in the land and have become strongholds, which will defile the land today. In addition to many pagan altars that exist there are also statues of Mary and other saints which have become objects of worship and idolatry.
1 Kings chapter 13 records the account of that which is about to happen again. The word of the Lord strikes the unholy altar of Jeroboam and the power of the altar is broken.
1 Kings 13:1-5, "And behold, a man of God went from Judah to Bethel by the word of the LORD, and Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense. Then he cried out against the altar by the word of the LORD, and said, "O altar, altar! Thus says the LORD: 'Behold, a child, Josiah by name, shall be born to the house of David; and on you he shall sacrifice the priests of the high places who burn incense on you, and men's bones shall be burned on you.'" And he gave a sign the same day, saying, "This is the sign which the LORD has spoken: Surely the altar shall split apart, and the ashes on it shall be poured out." So it came to pass when King Jeroboam heard the saying of the man of God, who cried out against the altar in Bethel, that he stretched out his hand from the altar, saying, "Arrest him!" Then his hand, which he stretched out toward him, withered, so that he could not pull it back to himself. The altar also was split apart, and the ashes poured out from the altar, according to the sign which the man of God had given by the word of the LORD."
The prophecy of the un-named prophet who struck the altar with the word of the Lord came to pass as recorded in 2 Kings chapter 23. Josiah cleansed the temple of God by removing idols and burned them and destroyed the altars of worship which had been established by the unrighteous.
Josiah's name means he will be sustained of Jehovah. Many of the servants of the Lord are about to be anointed (sustained) by God to destroy the demonic power established by unholly altars and thereby rebuild the waste places.
Isaiah 61:4, "And they shall rebuild the old ruins, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the ruined cities, the desolations of many generations."
The prophetic word will become the sword of the Lord in the mouth of those sent forth to strike the altars of the ancient strongholds and cleanse the land of demon powers and the captives will be set free.
Amos 9:1 I saw the Lord standing by the altar, and He said: "Strike the doorposts, that the thresholds may shake, And break them on the heads of them all. I will slay the last of them with the sword. He who flees from them shall not get away, And he who escapes from them shall not be delivered.
This word, doorposts, means capital of the pillars. The Amplified Bible says, "Smite the tops of the pillars until the thresholds tremble and shatter." Again, it will be the power of the prophetic voice of proclamation that causes this shattering.
Ezekiel 21:14-17 "You therefore, son of man, prophesy, and strike your hands together. The third time let the sword do double damage. It is the sword that slays, the sword that slays the great men, that enters their private chambers. I have set the point of the sword against all their gates, that the heart may melt and many may stumble. Ah! It is made bright; It is grasped for slaughter: "Swords at the ready! Thrust right! Set your blade! Thrust left; Wherever your edge is ordered! "I also will beat My fists together, And I will cause My fury to rest; I, the LORD, have spoken."
The Lord of all the earth is going to send His servants to unholy altars. Thus says the Lord, "I will go before you and stand by these altars. I will reveal them to you and call you forth. Then, it shall be that My Spirit will come upon you and My word shall be spoken by My servants and then I will beat My fists together and cause My fury to rest upon the tops of the pillars of power that have been established through unholy altars, and they shall be broken apart, and their ashes of defilement shall be poured out and removed from My land. Cry aloud, spare not. Lift up your voice like a trumpet, for you are being called in the likeness of Gideon. Was it not required that Gideon destroy the altar of Baal that his father had established? Notice that this was required before the victory came to My people in their land. And, so will it be in the land in which you live. Your fathers of ancient times and even in present times have established unholy altars that have defiled the land. Gideon means 'the cutter down,' and you will be My Gideons--those who will go forth in the power of My Spirit with My sword in your mouth, and you shall cut down the altars of Lucifer and his dominion will be destroyed. Thus, the land will be purged and those who are held under the sway of spiritual wickedness by the influence of rulers of darkness shall be set free. Is not the battle cry still, 'The sword of the Lord and Gideon?' Rise up, you Gideons. Come out of your place of hiding, for it is written, 'The Lord is with you, you mighty man of valor.'"