Quote from Forum Archives on February 4, 2021, 2:26 am

Posted by: prophetic <prophetic@...>

NOTE: A total classic from the late 1970's. Very applicable
to today, sadly!

VISION - THE SWORD and THE SERPENT
by L. Vere Elliott

This is the vision/revelation. I was in the midst of a great meeting
hall (a church), and the walls and ceilings were covered with jewels
and ornaments, and the windows were made of colored glass (a
typical cathedral or church). The hall was full of people, some rich,
some poor, some sick and crippled, mute and blind; but all had
chains on and were hand-cuffed, and no one was free, (a picture of
today's church - they're in church but they're not free). In front of
the meeting hall was a large platform, with a pulpit on one side
and a large cage on the other, with a huge green serpent in it; and
hanging over where the speaker would stand, was a great sword
suspended by two strings horizontally; and on the platform were
several ministers, 8 or 10, clothed in clerical robes, sitting one
behind the other, one seated just a little above the other.

The assembly looked upon these men and they looked upon the
church. There was silence for a while, until a thundering voice
sounded from the pulpit, as if it came directly from God, saying,
Who will declare the whole counsel of God? And the first clergyman
arose with a Bible in his hand, and when he did, the old green
serpent uncoiled and stretched out hissing against the man with
sparkling eyes and protruding fangs; and the man of God, falsely
so-called, sank back into his seat and placed his Bible under the
chair. And when the serpent stretched up his head and touched
the sword, he said to that man, Anyone who obeys the voice of
God, I will kill with this sword. And for a little while, there was
silence again.

And then the Voice sounded from the pulpit again, Who will declare
the whole counsel of God? And then the second man in clerical
robes arose as if he would step forward, and again the serpent
uncoiled against him, and he tumbled back with fear and sat down
and placed his Bible under his chair (hiding the Word). The serpent
again touched the sword, and with the same remark said, I will kill
you, if you obey the voice of God.

And for the third time the Voice from the pulpit thundered, and a
third man arose and sat down like the two before him. And again
and again the Voice sounded until each of the clergyman had had
an opportunity to resist the serpent, but fear overcame them all,
like the first three had been overcome. And the serpent smiled
with his evil smile. And then the Voice sounded again from the
pulpit saying, Oh if there were a man, Oh if there were a man; Oh
if there were a man who would declare the whole counsel of God,
that these chained men might be set free! Is there not one man?

Then a man of little stature (meaning he was nothing in the sight
of the world), ascended the platform and stood under the sword,
and he lifted up his eyes toward heaven and said, Into Thy hands
O God, I committ my spirit. Then he opened the Bible and read.
He didn't add anything to It, and he didn't take anything from It;
he read the Word, and spoke as a man having authority. And
when he had finished, the old serpent stretched up to the edge of
the sword and cut off one of the strings holding the sword in place,
and the sword swung down and missed him and passed over his
head; because he was a man of "little stature"; and the weight of
the sword made the other string to break, and the sword swung
back and pierced the hearts of those clergymen who were lined up
and nailed them to the wall. And a great scream of despair sounded
from the pulpit; but an even greater cry of joy sounded from the
assembly, for every man's chains were loosed and they were set
free! (By the word they were set free).

When this vision had vanished, I saw another vision of the Savior
in a cloud, just above my head. He spoke saying, Hear my son
the meaning of these things. The meeting hall which you saw is
the secularized church, having a form of godliness, but denying
the power thereof. They are all covered with the jewels of the joys
of this world, and there is no end to their silver and gold. The
people which you saw, are those for whom I died, but My people
are destroyed for lack of knowledge; they have eyes, but they do
not see; they have ears, but they cannot hear. They are truly in
bondage and must be set free!

The platform in which you saw, on which the clergymen were sitting;
the platform is the preconceived ideas, having their origins from the
pit of hell. The pulpit is the throne of God; and the serpent, old
Lucufer himself. The sword which you saw, is the Word of God;
and the strings on which it was hanging, mean the power of the
Word to give life or the power of the Word to take life. Life was
given to the man of little stature and life taken from the clergymen
that did not preach My Word! The clergymen that you saw, are
men (& women) from every church who pretend to know Me, but
they teach My people things which are not written in the Book of
life; and their pride and their presumption, and their wordly spirit
force them to obey Satan, who is a liar and the father of lies; and
each of the clergymen try and exceed the other in elegance, in
extensive writings, argumentation and the like; but they only
consider the" letter" of the Word, and leave out the "spirit" of the
Word. And the day will come and now is at hand, when they shall
all perish, just like these.

After having considered this horrible scene, the Lord spoke again
with these words, Do you remember My words in the prophecy
of Jeremiah chapter 23, as well as My words in the prophecy of
Ezekiel chapter 34? Jesus said, Read it. And I opened my Bible
and read, Woe unto the shepherds that destroy and scatter the
sheep of My pasture, saith the LORD. (Jer.23:1) In the prophets
I have see a horrible thing, they committ adultery and they walk
in falsehood: (a perversion of the Word of God), and strenghthen
the hands of evil doers. (Jer.23:14).

Jesus said, At the end of days you shall understand this. Woe
to the shepherds that feed themselves, should not the shepherds
feed the flock! (Ezek.34:2). The weak you have not strengthened,
nor have you healed the sick, you've not bound up that which was
broken, and neither have you sought that which was lost; but with
harshness and with rigor have you ruled over them. (Ezek.34:4).
I will destroy the fat and the strong shepherds; and I will feed them
with judgement. (Ezek34:16). Then He said to me, That these
false shepherds shall in no wise escape when the sword falls upon
them. But My sheep must be warned, they must be set free! And
again He said, Do you remember My words in the prophecy of
Jeremiah in the latter part of chapter 25? Read it! And I read these
words, And the slain if the LORD shall be in that day from one end
of the earth, even to the other end of the earth: (Jer.25:33). Howl
ye shepherds, for the day of your slaughter is come! (Jer.25:34).

Then He said to me, These days shall come quickly, the shepherds
shall howl, yea, there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth; but
when the sword has fallen it will be too late forever. The man whom
you saw who was of little stature, is every man and woman who will
humble himself or herself, and be obedient even to the death of the
cross, putting his or her trust in God, and going forward declaring
the whole counsel of God! Oh, if I could find such a man, can you
tell Me where there is one? With such a man I could shake heaven
and earth, saith the LORD.

-SOURCE- www.revivalschool.com