The Great Darkness/The Great Anointing
Clifton H. Payne, Jr
The following is my account of a vision from our LORD in the fall of 2011. As with the report of any supernatural event, I ask the reader to prayerfully seek God as to the truth of the statements made and if this testimony has any bearing on your life. “By the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.” Matt.18:6/2Cor.13:1
I was sleeping when suddenly I saw myself looking down on my body asleep in the bed. I sensed a presence with me that I knew was God although I did not see any form. I was fully conscious that my body was sleeping but somehow, I was outside of my body looking down on it. God then took me down into the earth into a rocky corridor or crevice deep in the earth. We walked along until the passage led to a large chamber. On the opposite side of the chamber was a huge black wall that went from floor to ceiling. Momentarily I saw blood start to seep through the wall at about the height of my knee and then water started to seep through the wall after the blood. The water formed a little stream that came down to me and wet my feet. The stream then began to get stronger and the stream came up to my ankles. As the stream continued to grow stronger it came to my calf and then to my knees and then to my thigh and when it got to my waist it became a rushing river getting stronger and stronger. Suddenly God was pulling me up in the air and I heard Him say, “There is an anointing coming that cannot be withstood. Tell this to Guiding Light.” (Guiding Light was the church that we attended at the time and we were there for over 15 years. I am an ordained minister through this church.)
I suddenly found myself back in my body with my wife shaking me very hard saying, “wake up, wake up, what’s the matter with you? I’ve never seen you this hard to wake up, we have to get ready for church.” I was stunned! I thought what was that? I didn’t know what it meant and I had never experienced anything like it in my life. It was not at all like a dream. It had a strong impact upon me and I was puzzled. I didn’t say anything to my wife, Melanie. I just pondered in my mind what it could mean.
When we arrived at church this Sunday the pastor, Bishop Jim Lowe, preached on Ezekiel chapter 47. Ezekiel 47 is a vision that Ezekiel had of the Temple with water flowing from under the threshold of the Temple from under the right side of the Temple south of the altar that formed a stream that came to his ankles and then to his knee and then to his waist and then it became a river that he could not cross. It is a vision of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and the gospel of salvation and of God’s healing power.
Ezek. 47:1 Then he brought me back to the door of the temple; and there was water, flowing from under the threshold of the temple toward the east, for the front of the temple faced east; the water was flowing from under the right side of the temple, south of the altar.
Ezek. 47:2 He brought me out by way of the north gate, and led me around on the outside to the outer gateway that faces east; and there was water, running out on the right side.
Ezek. 47:3 ¶ And when the man went out to the east with the line in his hand, he measured one thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters; the water came up to my ankles.
Ezek. 47:4 Again he measured one thousand and brought me through the waters; the water came up to my knees. Again he measured one thousand and brought me through; the water came up to my waist.
Ezek. 47:5 Again he measured one thousand, and it was a river that I could not cross; for the water was too deep, water in which one must swim, a river that could not be crossed.
Ezek. 47:6 He said to me, “Son of man, have you seen this?” Then he brought me and returned me to the bank of the river.
Ezek. 47:7 ¶ When I returned, there, along the bank of the river, were very many trees on one side and the other.
Ezek. 47:8 Then he said to me: “This water flows toward the eastern region, goes down into the valley, and enters the sea. When it reaches the sea, its waters are healed.
Ezek. 47:9 And it shall be that every living thing that moves, wherever the rivers go, will live. There will be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters go there; for they will be healed, and everything will live wherever the river goes.
Ezek. 47:10 It shall be that fishermen will stand by it from En Gedi to En Eglaim; they will be places for spreading their nets. Their fish will be of the same kinds as the fish of the Great Sea, exceedingly many.
Ezek. 47:11 But its swamps and marshes will not be healed; they will be given over to salt.
Ezek. 47:12 Along the bank of the river, on this side and that, will grow all kinds of trees used for food; their leaves will not wither, and their fruit will not fail. They will bear fruit every month, because their water flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for medicine.”
As I listened to the sermon, I thought wow what a coincidence. The pastor was preaching on scripture that had the same image that I saw in the vision. To my knowledge this was the first time in 15 years that I heard him preach on these verses. When the service was coming to a close, I made my way to the stage because I was the percussionist with the praise and worship team. As with many churches, I entered the bema from behind the stage. The pastor was still speaking to the congregation and had his back to me and could not see me. I prayed and said to God, “If this is real and from you and I’m supposed to share this with the church then you need to make an opening because I can’t presume anything here.” Suddenly, Bishop Lowe turned around and said, “Minister Clif, do you have a word from the LORD?” In all the years that we had been there he had never done this. I said yes and came forward. As I began to tell what I had seen and heard, God began telling me what it meant. I don’t know how to explain how supernatural this is to speak and hear at the same time. This is not normally possible for me.
God said that the black wall represented that from deep within the earth great darkness was coming on the world. But because of the blood of Jesus, God was going to pour out His Spirit in an unprecedented way. He said that when it began it would barely be noticed, as it would only be a trickle, but that it would slowly become stronger and stronger until it became a force that could not be withstood. He said that it came out at knee level on the wall meaning that we must begin to pray so that He may use us when it comes. At this point God’s Spirit became very heavy in the church and many people came to the altar for prayer.
A year and a quarter later I had a powerful dream that the outpouring had begun. In the dream God said that His church would be known by a new name, The Presence. Meaning that God’s church would be known by where His presence was manifest.
As the years passed, I have shared this vision with a few people and I have waited to see what would happen. In 2011 there was no Isis, no homosexual marriage nor any of a myriad of other things that are in opposition to scripture that now exist. I have seen the world become darker and darker. Last year two more elements of the vision were made known to me. In a message by Christine Cain, she made the point that scripture doesn’t say that it is our giftings or our abilities that breaks the yoke of bondage but rather it is the anointing that breaks the yoke. It is interesting to me that God chose to say that there is an anointing coming that cannot be withstood. God’s power to set people free from all that oppresses and enslaves is coming and already is here. It is here but it is growing stronger.
The second element that God showed me this year is in Isaiah chapter 60. I have read this passage of scripture many times but in light of the vision it has a whole new meaning for me now and is relevant to what I saw.
Is. 60:1 Arise, shine;
For your light has come!
And the glory of the LORD is risen upon you.
Is. 60:2 For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth,
And deep darkness the people;
But the LORD will arise over you,
And His glory will be seen upon you.
Is. 60:3 The Gentiles shall come to your light,
And kings to the brightness of your rising.
Is. 60:4 “Lift up your eyes all around, and see:
They all gather together, they come to you;
Your sons shall come from afar,
And your daughters shall be nursed at your side.
Is. 60:5 Then you shall see and become radiant,
And your heart shall swell with joy;
Because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you,
The wealth of the Gentiles shall come to you.
What Isaiah says in chapter 60 is exactly what I saw in the vision. For me it was a confirming word from scripture given to me six years after the vision. What lies before us may be what was said in Victor Hugo’s book Les Miserables, “It was the best of times; it was the worst of times.”
Although great darkness is coming upon the world, the greatest outpouring of God’s Spirit and power is coming as well.
In the words of the prophet Joel:
Joel 2:23 Be glad then, you children of Zion,
And rejoice in the LORD your God;
For He has given you the former rain faithfully,
And He will cause the rain to come down for you—
The former rain,
And the latter rain in the first month.
And also in the words of the prophet Hosea:
Hos. 6:1 Come, and let us return to the LORD;
For He has torn, but He will heal us;
He has stricken, but He will bind us up.
Hos. 6:2 After two days He will revive us;
On the third day He will raise us up,
That we may live in His sight.
Hos. 6:3 Let us know,
Let us pursue the knowledge of the LORD.
His going forth is established as the morning;
He will come to us like the rain,
Like the latter and former rain to the earth.
In these verses the rain is seen as an analogy to the Holy Spirit. Rain is always seen as the blessing and provision of God. And in both Joel and Hosea it speaks of the former and latter rain together, a double portion if you will. In John chapter 7 Jesus is at the Feast of Tabernacles during the water drawing festival known as Simchat Beit Hashoavah when the priests and the people pray for rain.
John 7:37 ¶ On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.
John 7:38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”
John 7:39 But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
Here in the context of the setting Jesus is making the analogy of water and rain to the outpouring of the Spirit. Returning to Joel in the preceding verses to verse 23 it says:
Joel 2:1 Blow the trumpet in Zion,
And sound an alarm in My holy mountain!
Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble;
For the day of the LORD is coming,
For it is at hand:
Joel 2:2 A day of darkness and gloominess,
A day of clouds and thick darkness,
Joel 2:12 “Now, therefore,” says the LORD,
“Turn to Me with all your heart,
With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.”
Joel 2:13 So rend your heart, and not your garments;
Return to the LORD your God,
For He is gracious and merciful,
Slow to anger, and of great kindness;
And He relents from doing harm.
Joel 2:14 Who knows if He will turn and relent,
And leave a blessing behind Him—
A grain offering and a drink offering
For the LORD your God?
Joel 2:15 Blow the trumpet in Zion,
Consecrate a fast,
Call a sacred assembly;
Joel 2:16 Gather the people,
Sanctify the congregation,
Assemble the elders,
Gather the children and nursing babes;
Let the bridegroom go out from his chamber,
And the bride from her dressing room.
Joel 2:17 Let the priests, who minister to the LORD,
Weep between the porch and the altar;
Let them say, “Spare Your people, O LORD,
And do not give Your heritage to reproach,
That the nations should rule over them.
Why should they say among the peoples,
‘Where is their God?’ ”
Joel 2:18 Then the LORD will be zealous for His land,
And pity His people.
In these verses scripture calls upon God’s people to pray and seek God, which is also what I saw in the vision. I have written what I saw and, to the best of my ability, what I have come to understand. I believe it is important to pray and seek God more than we ever have. I believe something of great power and significance has already begun and is growing in intensity. I believe that the glory of God is coming upon His people. May we all take this seriously and seek God with all our heart, soul and strength.
