Visions of the Eagles and the River of God

Seen by Lance Sneath

I felt led to post these two visions from the Fall of 2003 that I did not have the freedom from the Lord to release at that time and season. I have been praying about this, and my sister Swarna jha from Bombay also released a vision involving white eagles - which really got my attention. My prophetic eagle brother in Kansas City had just asked me four days ago if I thought it was time to release these visions. I now believe the timing is of the Lord and will share this for those who have eyes to see, and ears to hear.
Vision I

September 13, 2003 at Christ Triumphant Church, KC

During Revival and Revolution Service
(This was the third day I had attended the Revival and Revolution Services. I had particularly been hearing and seeing from the Lord quite clearly during these meetings. This morning when I came in to the service, the Lord said to me, "Today you will hear from my word in Ezekiel 47, and you will be swimming in the River. Today you will receive a double portion from My Spirit." I told my friend Don Shanks what I heard and we looked up Ezekiel 47 and read it together. Later when Dutch Sheets got up to speak, he told us to turn to Ezekiel 47. Several of the other things he said confirmed what I had heard from the Lord. Later, when the Lord had moved on the entire body in the service and there were a great number of prophesies, I experienced this vision as I lay down on the floor before the Lord.)

I found myself flying as an eagle over what I knew to be the River of God. There were hundreds of other eagles flying there also. Along the banks of the River were thousands of deadly snakes that were attacking people who were trying to get to the River. People were terrified of the snakes, and many were turning back. Others were getting bitten, but continued towards the River. Those who made it to the River were healed and restored to life. The snakes died upon contact with the River. Other people who ventured toward the River turned back once bitten, and they died.

We (the eagles) were flying down and grabbing snakes with our great talons, carrying them up into the air, and tearing them to shreds. I found this very bloody and messy, and the snakes would writhe and attempt to bite me. I also found that I enjoyed it every time I rescued one of the persons being attacked, and I especially enjoyed tearing apart the snakes. I began to realize how urgent the situation was, and how there were many times more snakes than there were eagles, and people were not getting through to the River in great numbers. Once people were in the River, they were safe. But many, many people had turned back from the River. I also realized that I had to go back to the River, as did the other eagles after every few flights of killing these snakes. Our feathers protected us from the poison, but our eyes became blurry with just the slightest trace of anything from the snake that touched them. When my eyes became blurry, I returned to the River and immersed myself in it, restoring my eyesight. The vision ended as I surveyed the scene along the banks of the River and saw the daunting number of snakes there were yet to kill, and the relatively few numbers of eagles there were to kill them. I had a sense of desperation - something had to change for people to make it to the River!

Vision II

September 15, 2003 while Running along the Missouri River

(I had been in a deep sleep in the afternoon, and I awoke to the reality that the presence of the Lord was in my room and His glory was heavy upon me. I could not move, and I did not want to move. I had a real sense of peace. I felt like I was in a Holy Spirit incubator and that the Lord was implanting a message within me. Then the Lord told me, "Get up and run with me." This had been a pattern of the Lord with me in recent months. As I ran, the Lord began to give me some personal revelation regarding my son, and a word regarding a friend. Then, as I was running by the Missouri River, I entered into a vision of the eagles and the River of God once again. The scene was vivid and intense. The sounds were sharp and clear.)

I was flying with the hundreds of eagles swooping down on the serpents and freeing the people from their deadly grasp. There were some who made it to the river, but many more were dying as they turned back and ran away. The screams of pain and terror filled the air. The many hisses of the tens of thousands of serpents echoed through the great plain in an eerie and intimidating way. I returned from one of the serpent killing trips to the River to dive in and be cleansed and have my eyesight restored. As I left the River of God, I could see very clearly, and I saw at a distance, great multitudes of people standing there. They had desire to get to the River, mixed with fear. They desperately wanted to get to the River, but they heard the cries and screams of the people who had been bitten, and they heard the loud hisses of the tens of thousands of serpents. I experienced a sense of desperation and extreme urgency. There had to be a breakthrough!

I realized that with the relatively few numbers of eagles, we were not being successful in many people getting through to the River. Many more were dying than were making it to the River and living. I knew that something would have to change. At that time, a Great White Eagle screamed in the heavens. He shouted with a loud voice, "Clear pathways! Clear pathways! Birth eagles! Birth eagles!" Then all of the eagles began to sing back and forth to each other with antiphonal singing: "Clear pathways! Birth eagles! Clear pathways! Birth eagles!"

In response to these commands, we began to work together to clear a path from the River to the great multitude of people. After killing several of the serpents, each of us had to fly back to the River to dive in and have our eyes cleansed and our strength renewed. Each eagle would then light on the back of those persons who had just made it to the River and beat their wings over them. When this happened, eagles emerged out of the River, and the number of eagles began to multiply exponentially. Soon the growing numbers of eagles were able to expand the pathways and rapidly open more pathways. The singing continued "Clear pathways! Birth eagles! Clear pathways! Birth eagles!" There was an incredible unity of effort between the eagles as we went from clearing pathways, guiding people to the River, and birthing eagles. We were truly working in concert with one another as we sang out: "Clear pathways! Birth eagles!"

The multitude began to experience significant breakthroughs to the River. With each breakthrough, thousands of eagles were born out of the River. The pathways began to open exponentially. As the multitude began to swell towards the River, they trampled over the serpents, and those bitten by the serpents were carried along by the multitudes into the River where their life was restored to them. The multitude in the River had become so great, that the River swelled over the banks and killed all the serpents on the surrounding banks. The water swell from the River began to move toward other groups of people as they were traveling toward it. Soon the River began to look like a Sea of People, and the air was filled with eagles. The River had become a huge plain, and it was a glorious sight of victory for the people of God through His eagles working together. I found myself exclaiming "Hallelujah! Hallelujah!" For I realized God had just given me a glimpse of a great and awesome movement of His people on the planet that would move millions and millions into the River of God. Amen! The vision ended.

Interpretive Comments
I have sought the Lord regarding the meaning stored in this vision and His intent for it. He told me that He wants this to go out to Church leaders across the Body of Christ for prayerful and careful reflection. He especially wants those who serve in prophetic ministries to hear the strategy embedded in the vision. I understand that the first vision was a picture of the current state of the prophetic and in particular, the Body of Christ. The second vision pictures the future move of God and His strategy for moving multitudes on the planet into the River. Here are some specifics He has given me:

Unity of Effort - In the first vision, there were simply not enough of us working on our own to make any significant breakthroughs. I felt the despair of how futile it seemed to be, when facing such odds and feeling out numbered and alone. In the second vision, the word came to clear pathways and birth eagles. The singing and working in concert with one another turned the tide, and allowed strategic breakthroughs to occur. The Lord is saying that if we really want to defeat the forces of darkness and experience great breakthroughs for the Kingdom, we in the prophetic must work in concert and work towards the common strategy that the Lord directs us.

Clearing Pathways - In the first vision, there were no pathways. People found themselves wandering toward the River, and the snakes ambushed them, and their hisses frightened them away. In the second vision, the eagles were successful because we were obedient to the command to clear pathways so that people groups could make significant breakthroughs at the River. I see this in both the prophetic ministry of being a forerunner, where we as Spirit-filled men and women have authority over the evil one and use it in strategic places. I believe that the Lord is saying we need to work together in the Spirit to identify those strategic pathways that will lead to great breakthroughs. This "Clear pathways!" also implies a need for intercessory prayer ministry in calling on the armies of God to defeat these demonic forces arrayed against the Kingdom of God.

Birthing Eagles - In the first vision, the enemy simply outnumbered us and it was a daunting, discouraging task. Each of us were just doing our own "snake killing and people saving," but we were not making any real significant breakthroughs. In the second vision, the response to "birth eagles" began to multiply the number exponentially. This enhanced number of eagles allowed for an exponential clearing of the pathways to the River of God, resulting in the birthing of more eagles. What was profound to me in this vision was how the birthing of the eagles took place. It required touching them (laying hands) while they were in the River of God, and beating the wings over them. I understand the touching them to be the spiritual impartation of the gift of prophecy while filled with the Holy Spirit. I also understand the beating of the wings over them to be the intense kind of nurture and discipleship we must give to new eagles to enable them to fly. Growing eagles that can fly require
intense and personal nurture and commitment.

The implication is that the Church must birth and grow eagles who move in the prophetic gifting. This is scripturally is in line with Moses who said "I wish that all the Lord's people were prophets and that the Lord would put His Spirit on them!" (Numbers 11:29). Also, Peter cites the prophet Joel at Pentecost regarding the last days and says "I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy."(Acts 2:17-1.

Cleansing and Renewal - The River of God, the Holy Spirit, is central to all God is doing in healing, delivering, cleansing, and renewing the soul and spirit. I also found it quite interesting that when the River swelled from such a great swell of people flowing into it, the snakes on the surrounding banks died. In times of status quo for the church, demons move right up close to the church. When revival comes, a refining fire will come through the communities next to the revival and be cleansed and purified. Demons will flee to avoid the floodwaters of the River of God!

The work of "killing snakes," that is, destroying the works of the devil and delivering people is messy and poisonous business to the soul. I found my vision blurred after much contact with these snakes, and I new I had to return to the River to immerse myself in it. The result was incredibly noticeable in the clarity of my vision after leaving the River and the renewed strength I experienced from it. Those who do the prophetic work of the eagle must take care to make regular trips back to the River of God to have spiritual sight restored and spiritual strength renewed.

Conclusion: The next major move of God will come through emphasis on birthing eagles and clearing pathways to the river of God! The Body of Christ must recognize that we need the spiritual eagles of the prophetic to strategically break through and see major groups of people move into the River of God. The River of God, the Holy Spirit, is drawing a generation to be healed, delivered, renewed, and set free to serve the Lord with a mighty prophetic anointing. The Body of Christ must also recognize that we need a unity of effort across the body, and especially in the area of people moving with the gift of prophecy. Also, we need to invest in actively birthing and growing Spirit filled eagles who confidently move in their prophetic gifting and calling. We cannot afford to stay with the status quo. The church needs a prophetic generation of eagles who will work together in the Spirit to clear pathways and birth more eagles!
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Lance

Always Praising Him!

Dream: Double Portions for the Army of God

I dreamed that I was the Officer in Charge of an Army "Chow Hall," or Dining Facility as they are more properly called these days. An army unit came in and went through the serving line. They had just been on a combat operation and had contact with the enemy. They looked very hungry and eager to eat. They got their rations from the servers and quickly devoured their plates of food. Everyone in the Chow Hall was looking around at each other, and they seemed to be thinking the same thing. There just wasn't enough food for them; they weren't full yet. I watched as they all started banging their trays on the table in unison, saying, "Seconds! Seconds! Seconds!" I realized they just hadn't been served enough food portions for the level of energy required of them for combat.

I turned to the senior cook and gave the order to serve everyone seconds and told people they were free to go back for more. Every one of the Soldiers stood on their feet instantly and headed back through the line. They were quite hungry! I gave the order for the cook to serve double portions for all future meals for these soldiers. End of dream.

Interpretation and Word from the Lord

I prayed when I awoke and asked the Lord the meaning of this dream. Here's what the Lord had to say: "My true warriors require the double portion of My Spirit, and are entitled to a double portion of My Spirit! The spiritual food being served in many of My houses is simply not enough for My spiritual warriors to achieve the victory. They must be thoroughly equipped with the meat of the Word that enables them to function and have dominion in a very hostile world environment. They need to be completely filled with My Holy Spirit! Half full will not do! The spiritual calories burned in spiritual warfare will quickly wear out those who are attempting warfare with reliance on the flesh, who have shallow reservoirs of spiritual nutrition. Only those with deep and full reservoirs of My Spirit will have the spiritual energy to have overcoming power against our spiritual enemy. Those who are filled with the food I give them - My Spirit - shall be victorious in the spiritual battle.

The defining characteristic of this victorious generation is their hunger and thirst for more of Me. Those who are hungriest shall become fullest. They will not be satisfied with half-empty spirits! They will resemble Elisha, who would not release Elijah until he received a double portion of his spirit. Just as Elisha said, "Please let there be a double portion of your spirit on me," so will this generation want to stay in my presence until they receive the fullness of the double portion of My Spirit.
Another characteristic of this generation will be their boldness to ask the difficult of Me. Just as Elijah replied to Elisha, "You have asked for something difficult," so this generation of true Holy Spirit warriors will not be content with the status quo that their predecessors settled for in the Church, but rather, they will ask the impossible and the difficult with the sure expectation that I will provide. I will!!!

This emerging generation of believers is a hungry, determined army that I am raising up to glorify My name and be champions of My kingdom. They will proclaim My eternal gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ among the nations with great authority and power.

Relevant Scriptures:

2 Kings 2:9-11

"After they crossed over, Elijah said to Elisha, ?Tell me what I can do for you before I am taken from you.' So Elisha answered, ?Please let there be a double portion of your spirit on me.' Elijah replied, ?You have asked for something difficult. If you see me being taken from you, you will have it. If not, you won't.' As they continued walking and talking, a chariot of fire with horses of fire suddenly appeared and separated the two of them. Then Elijah went up into heaven in the whirlwind."

Luke 24:49-51

(Jesus talking) "And behold, I am sending forth the promise of My Father upon you; but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high." Then He led them out as far as Bethany and He lifted up His hands and blessed them. While He was blessing them, He parted from them and was carried up into heaven.

Matthew 5: 6

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, because they will be filled."

Psalm 78:23-25

"He gave a command to the clouds above and opened the doors of heaven. He rained manna for them to eat; He gave them grain from heaven. People ate the bread of angels. He sent them an abundant supply of food."

Reflective Questions:

Am I hungry for God and want more than I have yet experienced of Him?

Am I asking for the difficult things of God and expecting Him to respond?

Am I seeing evidence of bountiful and supernatural provision and power in my life, work, and community?


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Lance

Always Praising Him!