February 15, 2002

A word from Rick Joyner

Introduction
In July of 1999 while my wife, some good friends of ours and I were visiting Switzerland we had a profound prophetic experience that we will never forget. The following word chronicles this prophetic experience and interpretation that resulted from it. The Lord downloaded much revelation in regards to the Swiss people, the Swiss Church, their past, and what I believe is a foreshadowing of their spiritual future.

On September 29, 2000 at 6:11 a.m., I was awakened out of a dream. The time of the dream I believe is very significant as the Lord gave me this scripture… Ephesians 6:11 “Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.” There is a great war coming with the demonic realm, and the Church must be fully equipped and prepared to stand against these wicked forces that will soon be unleashed in the earth. The only way to successfully stand against what is coming is to be entirely fortified with the full armor of God. This word, which has been entitled “The Lion of Light,” I believe has much to do with the preparation for this great conflict, but more specifically it speaks of the strategic role that the Swiss are to play in the closing chapters of the Church Age.

I saw a gearshift of a vehicle that I knew represented Switzerland because it was in neutral. The vehicle was not moving and it was actually stuck in a pit. Then a hand, which I knew was the Lord’s, reached down and strongly grabbed hold of the gearshift and began to shift it. The engine of the vehicle immediately began to roar, and I knew that this vehicle, which represented the Swiss Church, was getting ready to move.

Then much to my surprise the Lord shifted the gear not into 1st, 2nd or 3rd but into reverse! This at first was a little disappointing to me because I so believed that it is time for some real action and for the Swiss church to move forward into the fullness of their calling and destiny in the Lord. But then the Lord revealed to me — the “R” did not stand just for reverse — it stood for Reformation. I knew immediately that this meant that God is about to initiate great change in His church. Many things are getting ready to shift!

The reverse gear also meant that the Swiss must first look back and touch their history in order to adequately move forward into their destiny. In the dream, the vehicle had to first back up out of the pit before it could proceed forward. Sometimes we have to look back to be able to look forward. There are some things in Swiss history that have not been fully resolved, and there are some important truths about the Swiss identity that have been lost in recent times that must be recovered. God desires to reverse the curses that have been holding back the Swiss Church and He desires to move them on toward great victory and blessing. The only true perspective is the Lord’s, and the Father’s desire is for the Swiss believers to begin to see themselves in the same way that He does. This word speaks much of that.

One important note before you read any further is that we must understand that a prophetic word is not necessarily a done deal. Many prophetic words are an invitation for God’s people to get involved in what God desires to do through them. If Naaman did not dip in the Jordan seven times after he had received his prophetic word from the Prophet Elisha he would not have been healed of his leprosy. When the prophetic word of the Lord comes to us, it is critical that we respond to it with obedience. If a prophetic word is truly a word from God it is accompanied by the grace needed to accomplish it. I believe this word is not just revelation or inspiration, but it is more importantly an invitation for the Swiss Church to rise to their high calling in Christ Jesus!

The Swiss are called to take a lead in the great Reformation that is coming upon the Church, which will result in a worldwide Jesus Revolution (Revolution means…a sudden or momentous change), which will lead into an unprecedented harvest of souls that will break out across the nations. God is presently shifting the Swiss church into “R” which will move it forward into the next three sequential gears… Reformation… Revolution…and Redemption! The end result of this divine shifting will be multitudes of souls won to Jesus Christ!

The Beginning
While we were waiting at the Charlotte, NC, airport to board our plane to Switzerland, a large group of youth that were heading on a mission trip pulled out their guitars and began to exuberantly sing praises to Jesus right in the middle of the airport. It was an amazing time as some of the MorningStar worship team joined in with them. The sheer jubilation of celebrating the goodness of the Lord began to fill the room! Before long you could feel the exhilarating presence of the Lord absolutely permeating this public setting. The praise changed the entire atmosphere, and I could see on people’s faces a sense of wonderment and amazement as they listened to this on-fire army of youth unashamedly singing about their Jesus. The darkness was being pushed back with the entrance of this childlike praise.

I looked at my wife and she was crying. I asked what she was feeling and she said, “It’s incredible. I can feel the presence of the Lord so strongly.” Then she said something strange and yet profoundly foreshadowing for what we were about to experience in Switzerland. She said, “Aslan is on the move.” Now Aslan is a great lion that represents Jesus in C. S. Lewis’ classic book, “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.”

In this intriguing story, there was a wicked witch who had cursed and enslaved the entire land and it was frozen in perpetual winter. It had been many years since there had been Spring, flowers, fruit, or even the sound of birds singing. But then things began to change and there was a glimmer of hope that began to break out across the horizon of this barren land again, for it was rumored, “Aslan was on the move again!” Aslan was the only one who had the power to defeat the witch and deliver the land from this oppressive curse.

The Lord spoke to us through this incident and told us that He was going to be “on the move” in the land of Switzerland. A spiritual winter was about to come to an end!

A few days before we were scheduled to return home to Nashville, TN, it all began. That night at the Stiftung Schleife conference Geri Keller let out an awesome war cry that absolutely electrified me. It was like a sword cutting through the thick spiritual atmosphere. I could feel it pushing back the darkness. I saw colored light breaking forth… and I sensed history and destiny at the same time. My spirit awakened for I knew that the Lord Himself inhabited this the great battle cry. I felt that something of great magnitude in the Spirit was taking place, but I couldn’t quite get a grasp of what it was.

I was then reminded of a clear word that I had received from the Lord just as we were boarding our flight to Europe, and it was — “This is a Moment of Truth.” And here are the definitions for this phrase — The Moment of Truth. First definition: the final sword thrust in a bullfight. Second definition: a moment of crisis on whose outcome much or everything depends.

I had believed that somehow during this trip there would be a moment in which the sword of truth would be revealed and that it would “kill the bull” (in English “bull” stands for “lies”). Strongholds of lies, falsehood and deception were about to be exposed, and somehow it would be a critical and decisive turning point for this nation. This moment had begun.

The next day our Swiss hosts graciously took us out to see some of the sights of Switzerland and they mentioned that the first place that we would be heading to was Lucerne. While in Lucerne, we were looking at tourist attractions when my eyes were drawn to a postcard displaying a picture of a magnificent lion lying on its side. It looked dead. A broken off spear, that seemed to have pierced its heart, protruded from its massive side. Then suddenly the Lord spoke to me. “The Lion isn’t dead… it’s been wounded.” Being quite intrigued, I inquired
around and soon found that this was a picture of a famous sculpture that was located just outside one of the old gates of the City. It is called the “Lion of Lucerne.” We were on our way to the Alps so we did not have time to go see it. I bought the postcard.

A day later as I was again looking at this postcard picture of the Lion something quickened in my Spirit. The Lord immediately spoke to me these words, “You will discern at Lucerne.” I knew we had to go back. And I knew that we had to see this Lion for ourselves.

Journey to the Light
It was a beautiful, sunny day as we traveled to Lucerne. The Lord prompted us to corporately proclaim this word over the nation…“See! The winter is past; the rains are over and gone. Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come, the cooing of doves is heard in our land.” (Song of Songs 2:11)

As we arrived in Lucerne we were all puzzled when the weather suddenly became miserably overcast and drizzly. The light of the sun was now almost totally eclipsed by dark clouds that were pressing down upon this charming city. This irregular weather seemed quite strange to me because as we were on our way to this city I had just found out that the meaning of the word Lucerne is — “the light, the lamp, or to shine.” Something or someone was clearly trying to snuff out its light.

Through the oppressive fog and rain we made our way to the home of the great Lion, the Glacier Garden. The Garden contains distinctive rock formations that are the result of the Ice Age that once covered this entire area. The sculpture that we were adventuring to see was said to be a masterpiece that had been hewn out of this solid rock glacier formation in 1821 by the Danish sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen.

And then there it was! Before our eyes was the impressive “Lion of Lucerne.” We stood there in amazement for a few moments; the Lion was magnificent enough, a masterpiece indeed, but I was deeply astounded because I could feel the strong presence of the Lord all over this place! God was up to something!

As we stood there mesmerized by the strength and beauty of that extraordinary sculpture, a deep and solemn sense of sadness began to come over me. My heart agreed with Mark Twain’s comment about the Lucerne Lion when he said, “The Lion of Lucerne is the most mournful and moving piece of stone in the world.”

I instinctively knew that there was something much more here than what met the eye — something of immense spiritual significance. By the prompting of the Lord, we moved to a higher vantage point and out of the way of the many tourists and observers. Not really knowing why, except that the Spirit of the Lord impressed upon us to do so, we corporately began to speak out loud a scripture proclamation. We repeated this seven times over the lifeless Lion…

“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the LORD rises upon you and his glory appears over you. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.” (Isaiah 60:1-3)

We sensed that we were prophesying into the heart of the nation! I was soon to find that this was much truer than I could have imagined.

As we proclaimed the word of God, vibrant rays of sunlight began to burst forth through the clouds. The heavy clouds began to disperse, and what appeared to be a divine light began to shine directly upon this stone Lion. The light now warmed and illuminated the beauty of the Garden. We were amazed! The great lion, which lay there motionlessly in cold wet stone, seemed to be coming to life in the sunlight before our very eyes. The Lord said to me, “There’s a lion under the ice.” It felt as if the lion was about to literally rise up with a mighty roar and burst into life at any moment.

The Vision
Then I began to see it by the eyes of my spirit as I slipped into an open trance… As the light shone, the ice began to melt. I could hear tremors. Foundations were shaking and fracturing as if under immense pressure. Color rushed into the Lion and it became a radiant gold. This Lion was not dead after all! I could see it rising up with resurrection life from its surrendered, wounded and defeated posture.

The foundations of the earth shook as the lion rose to life and swung its mighty head, breaking off the constraints of age-old complacency. It shook its heavy golden-haired mane, and pieces of ice and stone went flying in every direction. And when the debris settled, I saw the most glorious and fearsome lion I had ever seen. It stood there for a moment swaying slowly. Its every movement was animated with tremendous muscular power and grace. The great lion then filled its massive chest and let out a thunderous roar that must have been heard around the world. My heart was trembling. I had never felt such a perfect mixture of fear and excitement… terror and splendor… at the same time.

I was perceiving all of this by the Spirit. And I also knew that what I had just seen with the eyes of my spirit would surely come to pass. Then the Lord spoke these words to me, “The ice age is ending, and the Lion of Light will rise again.”

The sun was now shining brilliantly and the day was beautifully warmed. We all stood there absolutely amazed at what was being manifested in the natural realm as we prophesied God’s Word into the dismal situation. The immediate change in the weather we all knew was no coincidence. God was speaking something supremely consequential for the nation of Switzerland. But I still didn’t know what all this really meant. The Lord told me to keep digging deeper and I would find “the light of the truth.”

So I did, and as I further investigated the significance of this remarkable Lion, I soon found that it is a symbol with immense historical meaning. I discovered that it is a monument commemorating the heroism of the Swiss Guard who perished defending the Royal Palace, the Tuileries, in Paris during the French Revolution. On that fateful day, August 10, 1792, approximately 500 (some say more than 700 Swiss officers and soldiers) of the Swiss Guard were tragically slain as they bravely defended the Tuileries against an overwhelming
revolutionary mob.

This historical occurrence began to open up a panorama of present-day truth, which I believe is of great importance — especially for the Swiss, but not only for them, because the awakening the Lord has revealed is about to take place among the Swiss, will affect the entire world. The interpretation ... In the following pages I will try to communicate the fullness of the prophetic word and its interpretation that I believe the Lord gave me in regard to our experience in Switzerland.

The Swiss Guard
The Swiss have a long tradition of supplying mercenaries to foreign governments. Thousands of young men were regularly hired out to fight wars for foreign powers. The Swiss Guard, which was originally formed about 1505 by Pope Julius II, is still assigned as the personal guard of the Pope of the Vatican in Rome. It consists of 6 officers and 110 men. Only Swiss can enter the guard, and the privates are not allowed to marry. The Guard has been traditionally known for their colorful uniforms, which are said to have been designed by Michelangelo.

The institution of the Swiss Guard dates from the time, between the 15th and the 18th centuries, when Swiss mercenaries were a prized fighting force in the armies of Europe. These preferred Swiss warriors were hired to guard foreign kings, high-ranking officials and noblemen throughout Europe. The Swiss have been politically neutral for centuries and have long held a reputation for honoring their agreements; therefore it was believed that a pope or king could be confident that his Swiss guards would not turn on him when the political winds shifted direction.

The Swiss were renowned as exceptional warriors and they became the most sought-after fighting force in Europe. They were soldiers of great discipline, excellence, order, courage, nobility and strength. These outstanding warriors had been given a God-given gift of war. There was something about them that Kings desired and trusted, so much so that foreign kings would prefer to hire the Swiss Guard to protect them, their families, their personal belongings and royal properties, even over the soldiers of their own country. The commemorative verse engraved in the stone above the Lion of Lucerne says it well: “To the Loyalty and the Bravery of the Swiss.” Uncompromising faithfulness and undaunted courage is the true essence of the Swiss identity- so much so that they earned the confidence of kings!

I was truly amazed to discover this, and knew right away that just as the Swiss in the natural had this high calling, so it is still true in the spiritual. As I pondered this, the Lord told me that the Swiss were, and still are, some of His “finest warriors.” The Swiss have an inherited capacity to be exemplary soldiers of Christ Jesus. Then the Lord revealed to me that decades of gradual compromise have undermined and disheartened this high spiritual calling, but that this spiritual erosion is about to stop. Their spiritual destiny is still unaltered, and the best is certainly yet to come! There will be a clear trumpet sound, and many will rally!

The more I researched, the more I realized that the Swiss have been given a rich spiritual inheritance and destiny in the Lord. Then the Lord impressed this Scripture upon me in regard to the Church of Switzerland: “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.” (Luke 12:48) The King of Kings is anticipating much from the Swiss believers, and He is ready to again put great confidence in these elite warriors.

Lionhearted
The truth is that the heart of the warrior still resides in the Swiss people. There is presently a pent-up war cry inside the Swiss, both young and old. This valiant war cry is waiting to be released again, but this time when it is released it will send not just foreign armies fleeing, but the enemies of the Lord!

There’s no mistake that this monument was made of a mighty Lion because the Swiss people are created by God to be “lionhearted.” The word lionhearted means “extraordinarily courageous.” Proverbs 28:1 tells us “the righteous are as bold as a lion.” As true righteousness returns to the Swiss church, so will its lion-like boldness.

Scripturally, the Lion also represents Jesus himself as “the Lion of the tribe of Judah.” The name Judah in Hebrew means “praise.” So in other words, Jesus is the Lion of the tribe of praise! I believe the Lord has shown me that the Swiss people are created by God to not only be lionhearted, but also praise hearted! These worshipping warriors have been chosen to help lead the way in bold and passionate praise of our Lord.

The Sellout
I continued to study the great catastrophe of August 10, 1792, when at least 500 to 700 of the finest Swiss warriors were tragically slain. Why did this happen? Then the Lord spoke it to me in one word ... “mercenaries.” The Swiss soldiers had become mercenaries. That was the great problem! In short, they had, or had been, “sold out” for money. The following is the definition of the word mercenary:

1. Motivated solely by a desire for monetary or material gain.
2. Hired for service in a foreign army.
3. One who serves or works merely for monetary gain; a hireling.

In those times it was common belief that the perpetuation of this war industry was essential for the health of the Swiss economy. I learned that Swiss mercenaries fought in various European armies from the 15th century until the 19th century and at one point there was said to have been up to 40,000 mercenaries serving foreign nations. But the soldiers themselves were clearly not the only ones to blame. These mercenaries were put at the disposal of foreign powers by treaties between the Swiss legislative authorities, the separate cantons, and the foreign power concerned, in return for monetary payments. These treaties were called “capitulations.”

Note the definition of the word capitulation:

1. The act of surrendering or giving up.
2. A document containing the terms of surrender.

Whenever we “sell out” for money it may provide temporary benefits and pleasure, but ultimately it is an act of surrender to the enemy. Whenever we give up the use of our God-given gifts in a way that is not pleasing and honoring to God, it is always a form of prostitution. The result is that we also surrender our God-given freedom and we become slaves to that which we give ourselves to. Compromise always looks like a shortcut, but the truth is that it’s never a shortcut; it is actually a costly detour. When we compromise, for a while things may appear to be prospering, but there is always a severe price to pay in the end.

These mercenaries had hired out their God-given gift (or they had been hired out) for the sake of monetary gain. Of course everyone needs to make a living, and God, our provider, knows and understands this better than anyone. It is not necessarily wrong to offer one’s gift and receive income for the use of it, but there was one calamitous difference in this case that the Lord revealed to me. It was this — the Swiss Guard was guarding the wrong king! They had become hirelings serving in the wrong kingdom! Their lives and their gifts were being
used to promote and preserve injustice rather than justice. Disaster was bound to come.

The Wrong King
The Swiss Guard had been hired to be the personal and palace guards of King Louis XVI (1754-93), King of France (1774-92), who lost his throne in the French Revolution and was later beheaded by the revolutionary regime.

Another astounding fact in this story is that the Swiss regiment was strangely ordered by the King to lay down their weapons. Louis the 16th then fled for his life, as the Royal Guard was torn to pieces by a murderous mob. The Swiss guards remained faithful to their imperial post to the bitter end.

This is an accurate picture of what Satan, the foreign king, does to us. He promises us honor, position, money and security within his kingdom, and then commands us to lay down our God-given spiritual weapons. We are left standing there helpless as he flees and as we are destroyed by his demonic mob. Many people faithfully serve Satan to the bitter end. We mustbe faithful to the King of Righteousness!

A desire for monetary gain had led the young Swiss warriors into this precarious situation. God’s Word tells us “the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.” (1 Timothy 6:10) The Swiss at this time found themselves guarding King Louis the 16th who was widely known for great injustice and for coldhearted indifference toward his subjects. This king was widely known to be foolishly and selfishly aloof to the plight of his people. He was frequently preoccupied with elaborate hunting trips, court excessiveness, and other expensive diversions, while the common folks of France were literally starving and suffering under heavy taxation. Whenever we give our gifts and ourselves in service to “a foreign king,” we are destined for disaster and excessive heartbreak. As believers, we serve only one King, and He is Jesus Christ, the King of Kings!

Not for Sale
There is about to be a people coming out of the Church of Switzerland that are… “Not for sale.” The Lord is raising up a people of no compromise from within the Church of Switzerland. The only way to be not for sale is to first be absolutely “sold out.” Sadly many people, even in the Church today, are up for sale to the highest bidder. They call Jesus “Lord,” but when an offer comes along that feeds their carnal desires or strokes their ego, they will jump at it. “Many a man claims to have unfailing love, but a faithful man who can find?” (Proverbs 26:6)

The courageous spirit that was on the three young Israelite men, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, is about to come again upon God’s people. They would rather face the fire and be willing to perish in it than to bow to a foreign god or king. Their unwavering and sacrificial stance turned a king and a nation from idolatry to the true living God.

These sold-out ones will be bond-slaves to the Lord. They have given the Lord their all! They will be a people who have joyfully sworn wholehearted allegiance and loyalty to their King… Jesus Christ. These people will not be detracted from their high calling. No matter what the price, they will not sellout or betray their King, for they know that nothing this world can offer compares to Him! These people will have fierce loyalty to King Jesus, and they will not shrink back from their royal commitment, even if it means death; they will walk in unwavering devotion to their Lord.

Purity will be their standard. To be pure means to be without mixture. It is to consist of just one element. Pure gold doesn’t even have a touch of silver in it. Passion (the love for God) will lead to purity, which in turn will lead to power. Purity is the result of saying no to the lures of the world, the flesh and the devil, and saying yes to the goodwill of the King. Sexual immorality and bowing to the unclean standard of this corrupt world, which is primarily projected through all forms of media, movies, TV, and entertainment, has prevented many from entering into their high calling.

This polluted mixture and friendship with the world has stunted the spiritual growth of multitudes. Much like Samson of the Bible, some of the Lord’s greatest warriors who have been anointed to do great exploits and to do great damage to the enemies kingdom, are still suffering under this debilitating bondage. This perverted association with the lusts of world is the root cause of tremendous heartbreak, weakness and disillusionment within the Church.


Wounded Warriors
After enduring very tragic losses, such as the battle of Tuileries, the warrior heart of the Swiss began to wane. Zwingli, the great Swiss reformer, while serving as a pastor in Glarus went as a chaplain with mercenary troops into Italy. During the Italian campaign Zwingli saw 6000 Swiss youth die in the service of the Pope at Marignon. He returned home convinced that “selling blood for gold ” was corrupting and destroying his people. From this point on, he and many others began to fight for the abolishment of the mercenary system.

After a couple of centuries defending foreign kings and fighting foreign wars, and after a series of costly defeats, the nobility and even the need for mercenary troops began to be greatly challenged. The era of the Swiss mercenaries soon ended after many Swiss troops were massacred at Bourbon, in the July Revolution of 1830. After this, Swiss mercenaries were permanently abolished. The Swiss Constitution of 1874 forbade all military capitulations and recruitment of Swiss by foreign powers. The Swiss focus shifted to defense.

Neutral
Although Switzerland today is well respected and admired by many as a neutral country in the international community, this stance of neutrality has also influenced their spiritual calling and condition. There is a “spirit of neutrality” which presides not only over Switzerland as a whole, but over much of the Church as well. This nonaligned spirit must be abolished. It tries to hide itself under the guise of “peacemaker,” while in reality it is not a peacemaker, but a passion stealer. It brings with it a spirit of indifference and of apathy. But nothing great is ever done without ardent passion.

A good soldier is never neutral, for to be neutral means to be non- committed to either side of a war or controversy. It means to belong to neither side. A true warrior, like a true Christian, cannot waver between two sides or two opinions if he or she desires to be victorious. A warrior cannot remain neutral because the truth is that every believer has ruthless spiritual enemies, which are Satan and his wicked forces. And he is dead-set on destroying us. We must understand that neither Satan nor any of his demonic regimes will ever be won over by negotiations or diplomacy. The only way to win this war is to have a strong and aggressive offence. We do this by being fully submitted to God and by forcefully exercising the authority that the Lord has given us over the enemy.

Neutrality might be workable in the international and political realms, but never is it effective or acceptable in the spiritual realm. Spiritual neutrality will lead to nothing less than complete disaster and the loss of many souls. To be neutral is to be lukewarm… which is absolutely unacceptable to God. We must be totally freed from the spirit of neutrality; for it will only breed a “play-it-safe” and non-committed Christianity… which in actuality is no Christianity at all.

The Kingdom Advances By Force
In God’s kingdom there is no such thing as neutrality. Jesus tells us that “…the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.” (Matthew 11:12) By these words we understand that the only way the kingdom advances is by forceful aggression against its opposing enemy forces. To effectively win any war it takes relentless determination and unwavering commitment.

Many Christians have suffered defeat, disappointment and even tragic loss. Too many times when we get wounded or disappointed our natural response is to shutdown. We become cautious, defensive and neutral. The Lord is never looking for a natural response from us even in our times of great failure or disgrace. He requires a supernatural response… one that is called Faith! Supernatural faith is an overcoming faith. Those who walk in true faith can stand and win against all odds, because in all situations they remain...“sure of what they hope for and certain of what they do not see.” (Hebrews 11:1)

Many who have been wounded and disillusioned within the Church have said, “Why should I hope again or risk it again, when it will only lead to more failure, pain and regret?” They lay down their radical call and burning vision that they had formerly carried with great enthusiasm and simple child-like faith. They settle down and they become what we call “conservative.” Operating more out of fear than faith, these wounded people now want to have everything controlled and all thought through. They have become so “balanced” that nothing of consequence ever really happens. They sit on the sidelines and say, “But at least we’re safe!” - or so they think. Sadly, they are deceived, because in reality the only safe place for the good soldiers of Christ Jesus is fighting on the frontlines whole-heartedly doing exactly what their Commander has commissioned them to do.

Fear Must Be Cast Out
There have been many in the Church of Switzerland who have been paralyzed and neutralized by fear. God is about to spit out those who continue to obstinately walk in a lukewarm nominal faith. People who are nominal in their faith are actually people who are not willing to pay the true price of the Gospel. They cannot become radical because they are usually plagued with fear and self-preservation.

True faith is always risky! To refuse to walk in faith is infinitely more risky. When we walk in faith we can no longer predict, calculate, or control our life, but rather we trust our life in its entirety to our Faithful Father. Throughout the history of God’s dealings with man, God has always required that His people trust Him with all of their hearts… He has not changed! Once we let go of our fears and our desire to control our own destiny, we are truly free. We are then no longer our own… and we belong fully to the Almighty. The good news is that in this place of utter submission to God, the victory is absolutely inevitable!

From the Swiss will come faith to move mountains! There are many age- old mountains that have not budged for centuries that the Lord is getting ready to move. There are great strongholds of fear, prejudice, greed, politics, and lifeless religion, which stand like impenetrable fortresses all across Europe that God desires to take down. He will have a humble people of great faith through which He does these great exploits. Multitudes will come out running free when these ancient mountains and fortified walls begin to crumble.

In The Fight Again!
God is about to put the fight back in the Swiss Church. They are God’s highly prized fighters! They do not belong to any other king! We will see the Biblical pattern again… first in the natural and then in the spiritual. (1 Corinthians 15:46) There is a radical remnant of Swiss believers who are about to take an offensive stand against some of the greatest forces of darkness the world has ever known. They will pick up their spiritual weapons again and be fully girded for battle. These forerunners will carry such contagious love, joy and courage that they will impact the hearts of many; and as a result, many more will join this last-day offensive. They too will take a noble stand for the Gospel.

All who are in Christ Jesus are called to “fight the good fight of faith,” and are to be “more than conquerors.” (Romans 8:37) If we are not aggressively going forward subduing our enemies and setting captives free, we have either knowingly chosen to live a substandard form of Christian existence, or we have been deceived into it. We can know when this conquering spirit is alive and well in us when we don’t shrink back from conflict, but rather we can positively identify with this statement… “A true warrior loves a good fight!”

The world needs the warrior heart of the Swiss to rise up from within them again! There are many Swiss leaders who are called by God to lead in the frontline battles of the last-day Church. Many of these lionhearted warriors are surprisingly young. There is a generation of leaders about to come up into their high calling in Christ Jesus. They, just as young King David, are presently coming onto the battlefield and observing the senseless standoff between the Church and the forces of darkness. They see the opposing giants not as objects of fear, or as obstacles, but they see them as the greatest opportunities for victory. Sometimes all it takes is bringing down one stronghold, one giant, and the entire enemy army will flee and fall.

These warriors are currently being prepared to take their places on the battle lines and they are not willing to accept the paralyzed condition of the Church. They will not accept defeat, and they will forcefully and fearlessly attack the giants because they understand this one truth well … “ The battle is the Lord’s.”

There is a pent-up war cry within the Swiss people that soon will be heard again! This time when they rise up to fight they will be fighting the good fight of faith. They will be battling the greatest forces of wickedness. They will heroically snatch victims from the fires and clutches of hell, all the while defending the honor of their one true King! The Lion of violent and forceful faith will roar again!


Missionaries of Mercy
The Lord spoke and said that He is “changing the heart of the Swiss mercenaries … into Swiss mercy… aries.” The heart of a mercenary speaks of the “love of money,” but this divine change that is coming will lead to “the love of many.” They will no longer be mercenaries, but “missionaries of mercy.” The Swiss Church will be known worldwide as a church of mercy.

To show mercy is to show the deepest and most profound expression of God’s love. God not only requires us to walk in mercy, but He also commands us to love mercy… “He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8)

The God of Mammon must be confronted in Switzerland. This will happen as the Church itself stops worshiping and serving money and begins to walk in an opposite spirit. “The love of money” is intricately intertwined with the selfishness and greed that runs rampant in the twisted theology of materialism. Materialism is a ravaging spirit that values things above people. Those who are under its power will callously neglect, oppress and trample on the weak to get their temporal fix.

Materialism, or the love of money, is the central motivating force of most of our modern culture and tragically much of the Church as well. The spirit of the Antichrist will one day win the affection of the entire world by controlling what they love most — money. The gospel of Jesus Christ is the exact opposite of this defiling spirit … for it is all about people and not possessions. The message and the example that Jesus left us is all about lifting up broken people and giving to those who cannot repay… especially the poor, the outcasts, and the weak. Jesus personally touched the despised lepers of His day, and He commands us to go forth and to do the same. “Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.” (1 John 2:6) If we talk it, we must walk it!

The authentic gospel is all about souls… not about sales! The spirit of mercy is the antithesis of the spirit of money. Today, many people, even within the Church, are at a critical crossroad… they must decide… will they serve the God of mercy, or the God of money? We must decide!

Jesus spells it out for us: “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.” (Matthew 6:24)


The Real Cross!
It is no mistake that The Red Cross, which originated from the Swiss, is headquartered out of Geneva. It is currently the world’s largest humanitarian and disaster relief organization. The Red Cross plays a profound role in actively showing mercy and alleviating suffering during wartime, but also during peacetime. They have become a respected symbol of fairness, compassion and peace worldwide. This is a picture, in the natural, of God’s spiritual destiny on the Swiss people. They are uniquely anointed to show mercy and to stand for justice.

The Lord said to me, “The Red Cross will not replace the real Cross.” The Red Cross has learned that for them to effectively accomplish this noble, and yet politically sensitive task, it is essential that they remain politically and religiously “neutral.” Although the Red Cross is to be greatly respected and commended for its virtuous and even heroic efforts (they do the job that the Church everywhere should be doing), the Red Cross does not replace the real cross of Jesus Christ! Jesus said, “If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.” (Luke 9:26)

God is presently recruiting and training up an army of radical Swiss warriors who are completely unashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ. They will not be politically or religiously correct. They will boldly declare as Paul did, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16) They will not shrink back, they will not look back and they will not hold back, for they are on an unyielding mission of showing mercy and standing for truth of the Gospel. They will deny themselves as they passionately carry and preach the cross of Jesus Christ. For they identify with these words well…“The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:18)

God is calling the Swiss Church back to the “more important matters of the law.” The heart of the Gospel has always been and always will be merciful love and uncompromising justice. As the idol of Mammon is crushed, and as the sin of pursuing self, power and prestige is authentically repented of, there will begin a “Revolution of mercy” that will spring forth from the heart of the Swiss. Compelled by God’s kindhearted love that desires to see no one perish, this Swiss missionary army will infiltrate Europe and even the outermost parts of the earth.

As the Swiss Church comes into the fullness of their merciful mission, God himself will again supremely bless it. For the Lord has declared, “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” (Matthew 5:7) The statement in James 2:13, “…judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful” will apply to those who continue on in coldhearted religion, the worship of money, and the pursuit of selfish gain.


The Heartland Of The Reformation!
There is going to be another reformation coming to the Church that will make the last Great Reformation seem like a practice run. As in years past, Switzerland will again become a land of reformation! In the 16th century Switzerland became the focus of the Protestant Reformation; being the home base of such renowned reformers as Zwingli and Calvin. Zwingli, the father of the Swiss reformation, died with a “sword in hand” while fighting for the freedom to preach Biblical faith and truth. There is a rich legacy left by a myriad of Swiss martyrs who have courageously laid their lives down for the sake of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

God is again calling for fearless, uncompromising reformers to take their stand on the truth. God is calling Swiss people back to the frontlines of His kingdom advance! There is an invitation for reformation going out to the Church of Switzerland today. This next reformation will be a reformation of both love and truth. God desires the Swiss to play a major role in leading the way into this coming divine alteration. These noble reformers are chosen by God to not only risk their lives, but to heroically lay down their lives for the sake of God’s kingdom and for the liberation and sanctification of souls. “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.” (1 John 3:16)

The blood of many Swiss martyrs who were willing to die because of their love and commitment to Jesus Christ has stained the land. I heard the Lord say, “The seeds of my righteous who have fallen into the ground have greatly blessed this land.” The spiritual soil of Switzerland is very fertile. Now is the time that these sacred seeds will begin to bring forth much fruit. An army of living sacrifices, who have died to their friendship and ungodly attachments with this world, will now boldly begin to arise! They will take an unbending stand on the truth of the Gospel, and will not be moved — even if it costs them their lives. The Lion of reformation is about to roar once more in Switzerland!


A New Seed And A New Breed
God, more than anyone else, wants to change this world. But for this world to change, the Lord must first reform His Church. There is no greater way for the Church to change than for her to begin to walk in her authentic apostolic anointing. Apostles are the ultimate reformers. They have an anointing to “turn the world upside down.” (Acts 17:6) That is, to set it right- side up! God is in the process of radically redefining what we call church. Those who are wise and who are in step with the Spirit will recognize this and begin to move with Him. He is moving swiftly now! A major part of this redefinition of the modern church is the return of the apostolic anointing on God’s people. Apostles in a couple of words are “dead men.” They are living sacrifices who can truly say, “for me to live is Christ.”

True apostles are ones who are willing and destined to die so that others can live. They “die daily” for the sake of the Lord and His bride — the Church. They are the pure seeds of reformation. Selfish, superficial Christianity will soon be challenged by the quality and sincerity of apostolic leadership that is about to come forth from Switzerland. For God is calling out a peculiar people who do not “love their lives so much as to shrink from death.” The entrance of these living martyrs will bring about the fundamental change that God is demanding.

They will not be a new and improved form of this counterfeit celebrity- like leadership that has polluted and diluted so much of the present Church. These men and women will be “the slaves of all.” They will be the last, the least, and the lowly. They will be despised, misunderstood and rejected by many, and yet they will be loved, revered and accepted by many. People will literally love them or hate them. But there is one thing that no one will be able to deny, and it is the fact that these leaders carry apostolic authority to reform the Church back to God’s unbendable standard of purity, humility and unity.

This true authority that they will walk in will not be acknowledged because of their grand charismatic personalities, or convincing oratories, but because of the fact that the hand of God will be backing them each step of the way. They will be ones who have died to the fear of man and who are now wholly motivated by a perfect blend of a holy fear and love of the Lord.

This new and renewed breed of leaders, which will include both young and old, will build the Church relationally. For they understand, that this is really the only way that the true Church of Jesus is built… life upon life… and one living stone upon another. Their greatest strategy will be to love one another the way that Jesus has loved them… and it will work! With sincere love and genuine heartfelt friendships they will begin to demolish and repair many of the former and faulty ways of building church. Unfortunately, the depth of many of the relationships within the church leadership in the past few decades has primarily consisted of being politically aligned, religiously related, and casually acquainted. Non-relational construction is one of the root causes for the great lack of depth, authority and victory within the church of Jesus Christ.

This renewed leadership will actually appreciate, enjoy and protect one another. They will not be territorial or competitive. These radically renewed leaders will restore a true sense of family back to the church. Church will begin to feel like family again- the family of God! The Apostolic Lion will be loosed in the land again! The Ice Age is over!

The Glacier Garden where the Lion of Lucerne is located represents the ice age that has come over much of the Church. It speaks of “the love of most has grown cold.” (Matthew 24:12) Whenever our love for the Lord or for one another grows cold, there is an inevitable defeat ahead. And whenever love is absent there will be perpetual wounding with no effective way of healing, for it is only God’s forbearing love that can cover over a multitude of sins. It is love that compels the true church of Jesus Christ — for love is the essence of the Gospel. In God… it all starts and ends with love.

There are presently many wounded Christians within the Swiss Church. There has been some outstanding spiritual progress in recent years and there are many that need to be commended for wholeheartedly pursuing the Lord. But the fact of the matter is that decades of lifeless religion, inflexible tradition, and a lack of progressive vision have wounded and stifled many. Many of the young people of this nation really desire to be in the Church, but they are presently out in the world because they do not feel there is a place for them within the Church. They do not feel understood or appreciated, and they themselves are working through their own issues of rebellion, arrogance, anger and independence. The lack of spiritual fathers and mothers is the root cause for most of this dysfunction that is seen in the young generation.

We must understand that this coming generation, no matter how much baggage and wounding they themselves may have, will not be attracted to a compromised or paralyzed Church. They would rather stay with the wounded on the outside than join with something that they know is not working. They are an “all… or nothing” generation. They will respond to honesty and will be attracted to sincere love.

God is presently preparing true spiritual fathers and mothers within the Swiss Church who are about to gracefully take their place and responsibility in the family. They are selfless spiritual parents who see and understand God’s radical purpose and anointing upon this next generation. They will not exploit the youth or sell them out for selfish gain. They will not try to conform these young ones into the flawed image of the Church, but they will lay down their lives to see that Jesus Christ is formed in them.

Jesus is coming to this next generation in a different form. The older generation must have keen spiritual eyes to be able to recognize this transformed expression of Jesus. One of the most profound evidences that the Spirit of the Lord is truly with this young generation is that they will have a heart of humility and they will have the wisdom to honor their spiritual fathers and mothers.

The following scripture is at the forefront of the Lord’s agenda in this day and it must become ours as well… “See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the LORD comes. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse.” (Malachi 4:5-6)


The Season Of Singing Has Come!
This is the scripture that the Lord had us proclaim over Switzerland… “See! The winter is past; the rains are over and gone. Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come, the cooing of doves is heard in our land.” (Song of Songs 2:11)

Much of the Church in Europe is presently under a dark cloud of demonic heaviness and oppression. This is an evil spirit that has been specifically assigned to steal the spiritual life out of God’s people. It projects a heaviness that stagnates and smothers the vibrant life of Jesus in many Christians. Many believers are not even aware that they are under its control because this heaviness and depression is all that they have ever known. But once they get a taste of “the life that is truly life” they will never be satisfied to live under the tyranny of that spirit again. God is about to send the light of His love and truth to dispel the thick darkness that has smothered his people.

Great freedom in worship will begin to disperse this shadowy spirit, and as God’s people learn to enter into the high praises, regardless of their present circumstances or feelings, the spiritual lethargy will begin to break off of them.

The warmth of the light of God’s love will soon be returning, even to some of the most coldhearted believers. Great healing and feeling is returning to the heart of the Swiss Church. Our Father’s kindhearted love will melt the hard hearts of many. Those who want to be free… will be.

With the proclamation of God’s prophetic Word, and the release of His pure praise, this demonic cloud will begin to lift off the land and the resurrection life of Jesus will rise up again in God’s people.

The spiritual seasons are changing for Switzerland. There is an open window pouring out divine grace upon the Church. I received this word for Switzerland almost two years ago, but the Lord would not let me write it or fully release it until now. Now is the time!

“The winter is past!” Winter speaks of the frigidity that is been over the Church. The hearts of God’s people are warming and turning toward Him and toward one another, and even toward the poor and the lost. There is a spiritual springtime that is dawning across the land. It is a time to fall in love again! Love is in the air, and true love keeps no record of wrongs. Centuries of age-old breaches, unforgiveness, and prejudices are going to be healed as God’s people begin to walk in His unfailing love. The freshness of new spiritual life is springing forth! Light and glory are coming once more to God’s people.

“The rains are over!” The rains speak of oppression that has kept people beaten down, secluded and hiding within the doors of the church. The true Church of Switzerland is about to come out from under its bowl, and it will begin to shine as a brilliant light blazing through the darkness of the world. Many of the lost will be attracted to this pure light. The rains are passing and many of God’s people will be promoted because they have passed the tests of this stormy season.

“The season of singing has come!” This speaks of exuberant praise and creativity being released from the hearts of God’s people. Incredible freedom for worship is coming! This freedom for worship is exactly what the multitudes of thirsty souls have longed for… they will know it when they hear it, see it and feel it. They will taste and see that God is good and they will never be the same! Divine creativity and high praise will begin to spillover into the streets, the clubs, the schools, the marketplace, and the nations. It will infiltrate the airwaves! The young generation will release revolutionary songs, dances, visual arts, and dramas as divinely guided missiles into the heart of the enemy’s camp. Prophetic evangelism will thrive in this divinely creative atmosphere, and countless souls will be set free as a result.

“The cooing of the doves” speaks of the Holy Spirit no longer being grieved, but pleased. He will no longer be rejected, neglected, or suppressed, but will be cherished, welcomed and released into the fullness of His heavenly ministry. He will fly with power and purity into every place where He is welcome.


Called To Serve The True King
The Swiss Church presently has a royal invitation to again be one of the closest and most trusted personal attendants to none other than “the King of Kings.” In the past, they had been given this unique privilege — to guard and defend kings. The same privilege is offered to them today, except this time the offer is infinitely more noble, for this time these Swiss warriors will be offering their very best to the King of all justice!

God is currently looking for people whom He can trust with His royal affairs. The King’s eyes are searching for a people whose hearts are turned perfectly toward Him, and for a people that He can confidently bring into His inner courts. There are people coming who will be devoted to their King with such fierce loyalty that no matter how the political or religious winds shift, they can be trusted with the very secrets of the Kingdom. They are the ones who have endured great testing and yet have remained faithful. These valiant warriors are coming forth now… broken, humble and burning with undying passion for Jesus. They cannot be bought and they will not be sold — they are the Lord’s elite sentinels. The Lion of Loyalty will arise again.


Spirit of Excellence
The Swiss are known worldwide for doing things well. They do things with excellence and they are known for quality in their workmanship. There is a Daniel anointing coming upon the Swiss Church. “Then this Daniel distinguished himself above the governors and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king gave thought to setting him over the whole realm.” (Daniel 6:3) There is an “excellent spirit” that is going to be seen in the Swiss Church. This spirit of excellence is not a spirit of impeccable perfection, but rather it is a spirit of uncompromising integrity.

The Swiss will have the favor of the King… and therefore they will also have the favor of kings! They will not serve the Lord just for what they can get, but rather their heart’s desire will be to enthusiastically offer Him their very best. Their passion will be this — to wholeheartedly serve and please their King, fulfilling their royal duty with the utmost nobility and distinction. This kind of pure devotion cannot come to pass merely by human effort; it will only come to fruition by the divine empowerment of the Holy Spirit blended with great brokenness.

There is presently great grace being extended for this exceptional standard to come forth from the Swiss Church.


Creative Warriors!
Today the Swiss Guard at the Vatican still dress in the colorful and exquisite Renaissance uniforms designed by Michelangelo. Possibly more than any other person, Michelangelo represents divinely inspired creativity. These Swiss warriors are robed in God’s divine creativity.

In the same way, the Lord is preparing an army of creative warriors to be sent as lights into the great darkness of our times. In this day, God Himself is initiating a magnificent renaissance of creativity that will burst forth out of His people who have fully given themselves, their gifts, their talents, and their all to Him. This special force that is coming will be both extravagant worshippers and superior warriors. They are not one without the other.

Song, dance, drama, and visual arts will soon become some of the greatest offensive weapons of the Church. God desires to inhabit his creative people for this very purpose. We now have a “sound and sight” generation whose language is becoming increasingly multimedia. Creativity is a language of the Spirit that transcends words and communicates directly to the heart. God will pour His divine creativity through His purified vessels in order to do this. This coming Jesus Revolution will be fueled with songs and divine originality.

There’s a song and sound coming out of Switzerland that will impact the world, but again this divine creativity can only be given to those whom the Lord trusts. He will entrust this kind of anointing to those who are truly humble and broken, who have proven themselves faithful with small things, and who have resolved in their hearts that they will serve and obey only one King —Jesus Christ. The Lion of Judah (praise) will thunder again! The Lion of light is on the move


Summary
The Lion of Light will soon rise again over Switzerland! He is the almighty Lion of Judah — magnificent and triumphant. He brings with Him great kindness and severity, with comfort and calamity, with truth and trepidation. There are a people coming forth who represent and resemble this Lionhearted Leader.

They will joyfully volunteer to stand beside the great King and they will defend and serve His honor at any cost. They will be people of high praise and purpose... they will be people of profuse worship and of tremendous warfare... they will be people of unrelenting mercy and of uncompromising truth. They are a people that the King Himself can confide in.

The ice age is over... the winter is past... the time of singing has come! Great creativity, extravagant worship, and undaunted courage will rise again in the hearts of the Swiss Church. The sounds and sights of dancing, and of divine creativity, will blend together with the revolutionary songs. Prophetic preaching and evangelism will begin to spring forth from even the youngest.

The hearts of the fathers are turning to the children... and the children’s hearts to the fathers. There will be uniting of the generations under God, and together they will turn and fight the real enemy. Dead religion is going to die. Resurrection life will come for all those who desire to see life and to give life.

The love of money will grow cold, as God’s people selflessly give themselves to fulfilling their high calling — a life worthy of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Purity and holiness unto the Lord will be their invariable standard. Switzerland will again be a heartland for God’s last-day reformation of the Church and a catalyst for His purposes throughout Europe and in the world.

Heroic missionaries of mercy, the “mercy – aries,” will be sent from the land of Switzerland into the nations. They will carry a fire of perpetual passion for Jesus and of tenderhearted compassion for all people, which will ignite great restoration within the Church that will usher in the last-day harvest of souls.

There will again be a holy war cry that will be heard echoing in the mountains of Switzerland. It will be heard around the world, and it will strike terror in the enemy’s camp. It will be a roar of righteousness and of undaunted devotion rising up from God’s worshipping warriors as they boldly charge into the heat of the last-day battle for souls. The Lion of Light is on the move again!

Switzerland… hear the word of the Lord that is now being declared over you! “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the LORD rises upon you and his glory appears over you. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.” (Isaiah 60:1-3)



THE LION OF LIGHT
A Word for Switzerland by Scott MacLeod