Anne Graham Lotz recently issued a call to prayer on the Internet. She said,
“I am blowing the trumpet. . . sounding the alarm. . . issuing a national prayer initiative, entitled 777: An Urgent Call to Prayer. The call is for God’s people to pray for each of the first seven days in the seventh month—July 1-7. Then on the 7th day, we are to pray and fast for 7 hours.”
Ten days later, a Boeing 777 commercial airplane—flight number 17—crashed on July 17th, when a surface-to-air missile struck it at 33,000 feet.
The crash left no survivors…nearly 300 souls violently ripped from their earthly lives.
You’ve heard the news. I felt utterly heartsick. I’ve been praying for the remaining families every day since.
What is God saying in times like this?
I couldn’t help but notice the coincidence of numbers here. 3, 7, 17, 33…what might they mean? Both number 3 and number 7 in biblical symbolism refer to completeness. Seven also points to the end of a season or the fullness of time. Three sevens together just accentuate the point. The number 17 has to do with complete victory over the enemy…the way to God is opened. 
The number 33 is connected to the promises of God. Jesus’s death fulfilled the promises and opened the way. And He was 33 years old when he died.
All the numbers carry intensely positive themes. Still, the darkest span of time is between death and resurrection. Perhaps we are prophetically in this season: the beginning death of the world and the accelerated advance of the Kingdom.
At some point in history, Jesus said we would enter a time of sorrows before the end comes. He outlined the scenarios: Wars and rumors of wars. Nations turning against other nations. Kingdoms against kingdoms. Famines, pestilences, and earthquakes. “But all those things are merely the beginning of birth pangs,”[i] He said.
A plane full of non-combatants was taken down by the unrest and wars below. Innocent people were caught in the crossfire. No one is immune. In these days, some of us will die and suffer tribulation though one of the 777 prayer initiatives was “for God the Father to restrain, protect, and deliver His people from the evil that has come into our world.”
Interestingly, Psalm 33 is all about the judgment of God, while Psalm 77 expounds on God’s comfort in times of trouble. We must remember Who God is, and His sovereignty over history.
Ezekiel 33:7 has been a significant verse in my life. I felt prompted to reread that portion of Scripture because of the numbers. In context it says:
“You, son of man, are the watchman. I’ve made you a watchman for Israel. The minute you hear a message from me, warn them.
Anne Graham Lotz and her entire original family are appointed watchmen in our day. The main prayer initiative of 777 was to ask, “for God the Holy Spirit to fall on us in a fresh way, compelling the church to repent of sin and our nation to return to faith in the living God, resulting in a great national spiritual awakening.”
We all need to be on our knees.
But at the same time, as human beings we get battle fatigue. So I asked the Lord, “How then shall we live day to day?” I came across a quote by G.K. Chesterton:
“What we need is not the old acceptance of the world as a compromise but some way in which we can heartily hate and heartily love it. We do not want joy and anger (or sorrow) to neutralize each other and produce a surly contentment. We want a fiercer delight and fiercer discontent. We have to see the universe at once as an ogre’s castle to be stormed and yet as our own cottage to which we can return to in the evening.”
I’d say it this way…
Be present in your joy and present in your anger or sorrow, but don’t let the latter contaminate the whole. Be present with those you love. And be attentive to the voice of the Holy Spirit, for we are indeed living in unprecedented times.
[i] Matthew 24:3-8
Hi Susan,
Thank you so much for sharing your insights. My husband and I have been hearing and processing some similar things with the Lord. Here is a blog post I wrote last week about it: http://processingtheword.com/2014/08/01/solar-eclipse-fuselage-33-lazarus/
I pray you are blessed and encouraged. Our Lord is speaking. His word is running swiftly throughout the whole earth! May we hear and heed Him and be His trustworthy messengers.
Blessings in Christ,
Natalie
Susan, once again, well said. I hadn’t put the numbers together. That is good encouragement for the times we are in. We are definitely in a new season. In great darkness there is greater opportunity to shine. You are shining bright. Jackie
Jackie… thanks for the feedback. We must encourage each other in these days….Susan
dear susan, I love your messages. I just got home to new York after completing a 12 hour solitary drive from Ohio, where the memories of my deceased parents flood over me, the radio plays Christian songs to comfort me and I pray for insight and wisdom for the year ahead. I am still missing my parents so much. im sharing this with you, as you have shared personal feelings with all of us at some risk..so here goes. During my prayer, and yes, I was tearing up at the time, I was filled with a lightness and joy as I drove east on 70, and an image of my soul being held in Gods mighty hands as I drove along…the hands holding me up, while I was still very much still driving forward, and the message was…detach these feelings of sorrow pulling at you from all the places and things you’ve been driving around to see again, thinking you might find a part of your dear parents there . They (your parents) are with Me, as you will be someday. Fly….spread your wings…. for your last 20 or 30 years for Me, reach out to those who are hurting, tell them about Me and my Love for them. Let nothing pull at you, but be filled with joy as you walk with Me on earth, doing my sacred work. Needless to say, my trip was wonderful, the scenery gorgeous and my soul full of gratitude for our caring God who comforted even me, in my little car, with my grieving heart. love you, keep up the good work. janet
Janet—I am so moved by this! It is so like God to enter into your space, even as you drove along. I get it! I do! I know what you are talking about! Thank you for taking time to put it into words for others here on my blog site. God loves you in your grieving and your worship!
your gift of seeing the spiritual clues in the things most of us miss is NEEDFUL. i have prayed to get glimpses like you do, words of wisdom i guess is what the bible calls it. through our Lovey Dovey, (holy spirit) you are a listener, a pay-attentioner-sentinel. it doesn’t come to me, i guess god has other stuff for me to take care of, but i sure do count on you and what he gives you for the rest of us. your heads ups are always confirmed as truth in my heart. and so encouraging helping remember how much god WANTS us to be aware of what he is about these days, what he’s doing and planning. it really is so thrilling. these times we are living in constitute the challenge of challenges. we will stand in faith or wilt. you help me stand.
Suzee…Thank you for this! I am hopeful that hearing God is something anyone can develop as I don’t regard myself as special at all. I do treasure the things of God–His whispers–moments of connection—so brief and yet they take my breath away. In fact, I was sitting with my daughter tonight and she described some of her God “inklings” that came unexpectedly. We both agreed that when the Spirit calls deep into our spirit, it’s so woven into the fabric of who we are that to even explain it to others might bring rolled eyes or odd looks, but it so real you can taste it, feel it, sense it in the core of your being. I want everyone to experience this!!