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The Crowning of David

The year 2000 is best known for the Y2K computer problem that didn't happen, but it was very important for other reasons. It was the end of the 7 1/2 year transition from Saul to David (May 30, 1993 to Nov. 30, 2000).

It was also the end of the blowing of trumpets in the Jericho march in our 7-year Jubilee Prayer Campaign (Nov. 29, 1993 to Nov. 29, 2000).

It was also the end of the 7-year peace process initiated between Arafat and Rabin (Sept. 13, 1993 to Sept. 29, 2000). The peace agreement stated that the Israelis were supposed to give the Palestinians their own state and recognize that they had a right to exist, too. In July 2000 at Camp David, they were making good progress on this, but then they could not agree over the status of Jerusalem. The meetings broke up with both sides angry at the other, and nothing was accomplished.

Then on Sept. 29 Ariel Sharon made sure that no peace would be concluded by taking a trip to the Temple Mount to "pray." He took 2,000 police with him, showing that he knew his presence would cause a riot. His little visit put the nail in the coffin of any peace process that might have been signed. The Israeli government does not want peace; it wants the entire land of Palestine with the Palestinians driven out or killed. In fact,  Prime Minister Rabin was assassinated in 1995 for signing a peace deal with Arafat.

So the year 2000 was indeed a pivotal year. First, it forever buried the possibility of peace between the Israelis and Palestinians, making war a certainty at some point. Secondly, a month later at the feast of Tabernacles, we began to pour out the seven bowls of water and wine from 2000-2006. This was how God intended to fulfill the final day of the Jericho march, wherein the Israelites marched around Jericho seven times on the seventh day in biblical times.

Barak's last-ditch attempt at peace with the Palestinians had failed, and Sharon's calculated visit to the Temple Mount had succeeded. The result saw the seven bowls of wine poured out upon Babylon, the city of seven hills. Incidentally, while it is true that Rome sat on seven hills, Jerusalem also sat on seven hills: Scopus, Nob, Mount of Corruption, Mount Zion, Mount Ophel, "The Rock" (site of Fort Antonia), and the later Mount Zion (southwest hill).

The seven bowls of wine (judgment on Babylon and old Jerusalem) were accompanied by seven bowls of water (outpouring of the Spirit upon New Jerusalem). Thus, the judgment is not to come without a corresponding level of mercy. The destruction of Babylon is matched by the construction of the Kingdom of God. It is not all bad news. There is as much good news as bad. The bad news is only "bad" to the Babylonian supporters of old Jerusalem. The news is all good to those of the New Jerusalem.

The seven bowls of water and wine signified the seven days of the feast of Tabernacles, wherein the priests used to pour out drink offerings of water and wine for seven days in ancient times. We merely followed their prophetic pattern each year during the feast of Tabernacles.

In observing the 7 1/2 year transition from Saul to David, we came to see from 2 Sam. 5:5 that this time period was the time that David reigned in Hebron before moving his capital to the newly-captured city of Jerusalem. David was crowned king over all Israel shortly before capturing Jerusalem. And so, as this prophetic pattern manifested in the year 2000, we saw the "crowning" of David occur at the feast of Tabernacles in October, followed by the "capture of Jerusalem" on Nov. 29. The following day, Nov. 30, the New Jerusalem was established by prophetic decree as the capital city of the overcomers.

Hence, the seven-year war went from Nov. 29, 1993 to Nov. 29, 2000, while the 7 1/2 year transition in Hebron extended from May 30, 1993 to Nov. 30, 2000.

There were many who were involved in these prophetic events. Many people contributed words, insights, and discernment. Please do not think that I did all this on my own while hidden in a corner. The story is much too big to include all the details. But I will say that Sunny Day Roberts played a major role in this without realizing it. In the year 2000 she was led to organize seven prophetic gatherings, culminating with the seventh on Nov. 28-30, 2000. These gatherings foreshadowed the seven feasts of Tabernacles from 2000-2006. The gatherings were:

1. Dec. 22, 1999 "Directive"

2. Feb. 14, 2000 "Exigency" (urgent requirement demanding immediate action)

3. May 23, 2000 "Wedding Symposium"

4. June 21, 2000 "Firstfruits Awakening"

5. July 22, 2000 "Addendum to Firstfruits"

6. Sept. 23, 2000 "Trilogy"

7. Nov. 28-30, 2000 "Meeting of the Right Guard, White Horse Army"

Each of these gatherings brought forth additional revelation that added to our understanding of the divine plan. Each is a story in itself. In fact, there is such a volume of information that it brings to mind the last verse in John:

"And there are also many other things which Jesus did, which if they were written in detail, I suppose that even the world itself would not contain the books which were written."

I have to try to find the right balance between enough detail and too much detail in sharing these things. There is no lack of marvelous things that God has done, but because He is always doing so many things at once, it is difficult to relate these things without confusion. My method, therefore, is to try to speak of one theme at a time, so as not to confuse you by jumping from one theme to another. And I must limit myself to the major themes, letting go of all the minor themes that God has revealed as well.

Probably the most important outcome of the year 2000 was seen at the feast of Tabernacles, which corresponded to the crowning of David as king of all Israel. We saw it take the form of a wedding between Richard and Sharon in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois.

The Lord had begun to give us revelation of this wedding as early as February 2000 when everything seemed to be about roses and the name "Sharon" and "Rose of Sharon." I was then invited to the West Coast where I attended an event at Portland, Oregon--the City of Roses. We also understood that the seven bowls ahead of us typified the seven days of Tabernacles, followed by the eighth day. The eight signs in the book of John--seven before the crucifixion, and one afterward--were meant to prophesy of the feast of Tabernacles.

The first sign in John is the wedding feast of Cana in chapter 3. We had no idea how this would play out in the year 2000. We had scheduled the conference to be held at a hotel in Quincy, Illinois, but that was obviously the wrong place, because a group of ministers from Chicago came down to threaten the hotel owner for allowing such radicals to meet there. They even threatened to pressure the city fathers to withdraw his license to operate in Quincy. So he had no choice but to cancel our meeting. This is what brought us to right place, because, as we quipped, "We have to have Champaign for the wedding."

About ten minutes after changing the location for the meeting, I had a phone call from Idaho asking if perhaps I might find time to perform a wedding for two people who wanted to attend. It was Sharon, and suddenly all the revelation of the year 2000 began to come together.

So often God has us act out the prophecy as direct participants on earth of things that are going on in the spiritual realm. Sharon and Richard came into marriage (unity), even as King David had come into unity with all Israel. This time, however, it signified the overcomers (Davidic company) no longer considering itself separate from Christ.