Bishop Duncan of Pittsburgh has a prophecy. He writes, in the magazine of Trinity Cathedral of the Diocese of Pittsburgh, that 2008 is “the year of of the Gate.” And through this gate will march the true church carrying forward a new reformation.
In Hebrew, the number eight is rendered by the letter CHET, which is depicted in the form of a GATE.
The number eight is related to new starts and new life in the Scriptures – the most notable being the resurrection of Jesus which occurred on the eighth day…Eight is the number of the gate…
And I sensed the Holy Spirit saying simply this: 2008 is the year of the open gate. Prepare to pass through the gate. There are new beginnings ahead for those who have been waiting patiently for their moment to come. Obstacles are being removed. The Father is breaking his children out of a sense of captivity to past restrictions. The anointing for new beginnings is on many in this year. The time of frustration and exile is coming to an end. This is the Lord’s time for his people to rise up and follow him through the gates of opportunity. New starts are looming. Many are on the point of experiencing the new life that convergence brings. And the true church even though it will know many trials – is on the point of experiencing new life, a new season of vitality and creativity, a brand new Reformation.
Fr. Jake says that the Bishop is using the language of prophecy to mobilize his supporters in the diocese and the Common Cause Partnership/Network to break from the Episcopal Church and a Canterbury-centered Anglican Communion this year.
Translation…go ahead and leave TEC for another Province…thus saith the Lord.
I have some serious problems with such “prophecies.” First of all, it is based on the premise that the future has already been fully determined. That simply cannot be, as I’ve previously discussed.
Second of all, I find it very odd that the same group who is constantly repeating; “The bible said it, I believe it, that ends it,” would now give authority to this rather unusual form of additional divine revelation.
And finally, I find the use of such a “prophecy” by the Bishop to be a form of spiritual manipulation. If God has already given his blessing on the upcoming schism, then there’s nothing to discuss, right? It is no longer a debatable point. It is God’s will. Not only do we not have to talk about it, we don’t even have to think about it anymore.
And, of course, anyone who speaks against this prophecy will have proven themselves to be against God’s will. They will be identified as the enemy, and must not only be silenced, but must be cut from the community, so that they do not contaminate others with their apostacy.
Bishop Duncan was found to have abandoned the Communion of this church in January but was not inhibited from ministry at the time by three senior bishops of the Church.
At the time, Bishop Wimberly explained that he did not consent to inhibition because
We did not consent to the request for Bishop Duncan because the Diocese of Pittsburgh has not held their annual convention yet and therefore has not formalized any change to their membership within the Episcopal Church, as the Diocese of San Joaquin had.
The question is if, in invoking prophecy, if the Bishop of Pittsburgh is getting ready to attempt to formally remove his Diocese from the Episcopal Church.