In May 2004 my friend Kathy and myself were doing a prayer walk around the perimeter of my families 10 acre farm, praying over the land and those who dwelt on it as God would direct us.  We stopped midway along the boundary of the east side of the property adjacent to my brother Dennis’ house when Kathy saw a vision of a giant sword coming down out of the heavens.

A Giant Sword

A giant, glistening, gold sword came down from heaven next to the back section of my brothers house, his workshop area.  It came down with such force that when it hit the ground the dirt splattered high and wide.  Then a second time, again coming down in force, but this time in a controlled manner.  The extremely sharp point of the sword would just touch the ground, as if to touch on something specific.

Interpretation of the Double Stroke of the Sword

1. The first time the sword comes down is symbolic of ‘divine judgment.’  The psalmist in 7:12 warns us,  “If one does not repent, God will whet His sword.”  In Ezekiel, Scripture speaks of God’s judgment as ‘the sword of the Lord.’  A sword, a sword, sharpened and polished. . .to be grasped with the hand; it is sharpened and polished, made ready for the hand of the slayer.   Ezekiel 21:9-10  NIV.
2. Controlled and precise is the image of the sword coming down the second time; Pointing to specific issues, issues requiring repentance.  A clear indication for individual responsibility.
3. The significance to the sword coming down twice is symbolic of war.  With injustice on our family farm and corruption at every level, I would hear a resounding echo of the Spirit referencing Ezekiel’s time with Jerusalem in chapter 21.  Ezekiel confronts Jerusalem with all her detestable crimes, and proclaims;

‘You are a city which has made itself guilty through injustices toward others and unclean through idolatry.  You have hastened your end by doing so.  Many strands of corruption are within you, but I will put an end to it.’ 

The Charred Barn

Two months after the vision of the Sword I had a dream.   As I enter the front section of our old barn (now my brothers home) it is dark; the walls look to be black, as if charred.  Continuing through the next section, it’s pitch dark and I can barely see.  I bump into a huge boulder.  It’s very wide and high, obstructing and blocking the entire area.    Edging myself around, squeezing between the boulder and the wall, I get to the other side where I can see Debbie’s desk.  There is much destruction all around, and whatever structure and furniture remain is badly scorched.  As I continue through to the next area (Debbie’s bedroom), I’m by a wall structure and I can see through it.  The framing is exposed and aflame.

Next Scene – I’m outside.  As I walk away I turn to look back.  I see smoke, a lot of smoke.  

Fuel in Hand

March 2009, five years after the vision of the Sword and the dream of the Charred Barn, I begin to have the following open vision. . .

In the back section of my brothers barn-house was his work shop and storage area.  I saw a huge arm extending from heaven downward, passing through the structure of the roof and ceiling into the work shop.

In his hand he had a large container.   He began to shake out the contents, spewing out large quantities of liquid all around the area.  I had the sense that it was gasoline.  The fuel was pouring out rapidly and forcibly, large quantities of it.

Daily, for two weeks, I received that vision.  I was sensing in the Spirit the echo resounding over the last five years concerning Ezekiel 20-21 was now coming to an end, which the Lord says, ‘I am about to set fire to you.’  ‘The blaze will be unquenchable.’

The fulfillment of God’s word – At the end of that vision, and five years after the vision of the Sword and the dream of the Charred Barn, 60-70% of Dennis’ home would burn to the ground while the remainder would be charred from the flames.  The local newspaper would say,  The fire started in a rear workshop.  Fuel for mowing fed the fire.

         An Unquenchable Blaze – A Lot of Smoke

As 911 was a warning to America of it’s need to repent unless a worse judgement come upon her, so was Dennis fire that took his home.  It was a warning to those family members of their need to repent in order to be saved from eternal judgment.

God’s Charge Against Them –

Two Categories of sins are developed in Ez 22:1-12.  The first, shed blood:  injustice toward people, such as, ill-treatment of others, and bribery and extortion.  The second category being idolatry; unfaithfulness to God.  All sin is a breach of one or both of these relationships.

In Proverbs 6:16-19 is a list of six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to Him.  They are sins of both action and attitude:

 Haughty eyes, (they reflect a proud heart)

A lying tongue

Hands that shed innocent blood (injustices toward people)

A heart that devises wicked schemes

Feet that are quick to rush into evil

A false witness who pours out lies (Proverbs emphasizes the damage done by the false witness)

And a man who stirs up dissension among brothers (through slander he creates distrust that culminates in alienation and conflict)

Humans are both physical and spiritual beings.  Biblical words that refer to the non physical aspect of people—soul, spirit, mind, heart—overlap in meaning.  Among these, biblical counselors tend to use the word heart to refer to the seat of one’s desires, emotions, values, commitments and beliefs. While our hearts are the rudders that steer our lives, we are whole people: body and heart, material and immaterial, mind and brain. We express and experience evil as whole people. Two aspects of evil that can be distinguished—but often cannot be clearly separated, are sin and suffering.

Sin and Suffering

Suffering includes any kind of trouble from my social, spiritual, emotional, financial or physical environments, including biological problems in my own body.  There are three reasons for suffering.  There is a suffering one incurs due to someone else’s wrongdoing.  Next is the suffering we experience because of our own sin.  Lastly, is the suffering due to no one’s wrongdoing, such as, being born with a birth defect.  One example is when Jesus healed the blind boy.  Jesus attributed the boy’s blindness to no one’s sin, not the parents or the sons, but so that the glory of God may be seen.

The issues regarding the sign of the sword is pointing specifically to the family members of that household who have repeatedly sinned over time, causing suffering to others.  Examples of suffering due to another’s wrong doing would be victims of rape, child abuse, or like Joseph who was cast out by his older brothers in Genesis 37 because he was favored in the eyes of God and was his fathers favorite.  Joseph’s brothers were envious and jealous of their younger sibling.  The brothers wanted to kill Joseph, instead they cast him out and sold him to the first caravan passing by.  They returned to lie to everyone about what happened to their younger sibling.

My story is very similar to the story of Joseph.  I was cast out by one brother, and betrayed by the other.  Any part that my mother took part in during this time period, she would repent of in front of two leaders of our church (just months prior to the fire).  In this story of Joseph, the father would never be comforted when Joseph was taken from him, likewise, our mother would never be comforted when I was kept from her.  (See other articles for details).

Next is the suffering we experience because of our own sin.  For example, my brother Dennis has the proclivity to squander money foolishly, rack up credit card debt, and have issues with gambling to name a few.  The pressure and anxiety he would experience under that debt load is a natural consequence of his actions.  Throughout his adult life his lack of self-control in areas of finances, along with his willingness to act dishonestly in return for personal gain has made him an unprincipled and an untrustworthy man.

What happens when I respond to suffering by finding comfort for my pain in a sexual encounter, or a gambling spree, or enjoying causing pain to another?  I experience that comfort—however temporary—in my whole person, body and heart.  But which drove me to seek comfort, my body or my heart?  It’s me that goes there, my whole person, driven by my heart, acted out in my body.  Our actions result in consequences, and we experience those consequences, again, as a whole person.  Now suppose we continue in a pattern of scheming, lying, and bearing false witness repeatedly.  The consequences compound and influence future states and desires of the heart and body.  Case in point; Dennis’ fire.

One example of this is an incident that cost myself and my mom the devastating consequences of the loss of my daughter and granddaughter from the family farm due to the sinful choices of both my brothers.  The incident involved Dennis’s wife Deborah and her daughter Kim and her children.  It was of a delicate matter concerning sexual abuse.  Because the small children of both Kim and Deanne played together it was only natural Deanne’s concern.  It was advised that the two mothers go together for counseling to discuss how to handle the situation to relieve any fears the mothers may have.

When Kim refused counseling with Deanne, my mother would insist that Kim cooperate or she would be asked to leave.  Jim would interfere, disregarding our mothers decision.  He refused support to Deanne, choosing to ignore the implications of sexual abuse.  Jim’s absence of concern would undermine the direness of the situation.  Jim left Deanne no other choice but to have to move from the family farm to protect her child.  Jim’s response to Deanne leaving was, “That’s your choice Deanne, you can leave if you want, but Kim needs our help.”   Jim’s cool indifference pierced both our hearts.

Both were young, single mom’s needing support.  The consequences of the loss of a daughter and granddaughter under those circumstances would be heartbreaking for mom, as well as for myself.  Deanne would be the first of three families to leave the farm because of Jim’s foolish unrighteousness.  It would be the first shed blood; the injustice and ill-treatment done to another.  Jim’s decision to undermine mom’s authority would result in the furthering of shed blood in the years to follow, influencing the state of the Fife family.  Both Jim’s, Dennis’, and Debbie’s motive and actions had deviated from God’s design for harmonious, responsible human living.

Both my mom and dad had intended the farm to always be home for any immediate family members to live, if any of them so had a need and/or desire.  What had always been a place of refuge and security for all of us Fife children, had now become a source of great heartache and bitter betrayal for Deanne and myself.  A sinful pattern that would be repeated and intensified in the years to follow.

Loyalty to family is given only lip-service by my brothers, and is discarded when it gets in the way of self-fulfillment or personal gain.  There is easy abandonment of verbal promises when something more attractive comes along.  Commitment is severely shaken when I trust them to do righteousness, but discover later that my trust has been violated.  The sinful actions of Dennis, Jim, and Deborah in this one incident, would be the beginning of the end of the Fife family as we would know it.  And if such an act of judgment by fire would come upon them for their years of deeds of unrighteousness up to that point in time, what eternal judgment will they recieve when their ill-treatment toward a direct heir of the Fife farm is denied all rights as an heir?  (see articles, Pride Invites Destruction and Jim Fife OCPD.)

God is gracious and patient, but there is a limit to His patience toward those who do not repent.  Like that of the fig tree that produced no fruit (Luke 13), it is fit only for destruction. . .

Charred barn done by the fire

By their works men shall be justified or condemned; for though God knows their state and their principles, and looks chiefly at these, He will try their principles by their practices, and so will be justified when he speaks and clear when he judges.