Minneapolis Bridge Disaster

Last evening a major eight-lane bridge on Interstate 35W collapsed into the Mississippi River, tossing about 50 cars into the water and smashing more on the bridge itself. Official casualty figures are yet small, because they have yet to determine how many people drowned in their cars in the river. But at least 79 were treated for injuries at nearby hospitals.

I do not know any of the casualties personally. I want to assure you that I and those I know are all safe.

One interesting story that came out of this was from a woman and her mother (a pastor). They had decided to turn off and take a different bridge because of the backup of traffic, and when they looked back, they saw the bridge collapse behind them. They were shaken, but it is apparent that God spared them injury and possible death. I suppose they will have an interesting testimony in their church this week end.

The bridge was built in built from 1964-1967, so it was 40 years old. We have noticed for many months the importance of 2007 as the end of a 40-year cycle, first from the Six-Day War in June of 1967, but also from the great cultural change in which the Hippie movement migrated to San Francisco in the summer of 1967.

We have noticed the 40-day time of fasting from May 28 to July 7, 2007 called by Lou Engels.

We have also noticed a 40-month period of intercession from March 19, 2004 to July 19, 2007.

All of these 40's seem to indicate a major terminal point in 2007 and may possibly be related to the collapse of this 40-year-old bridge as well. Certainly, this is no mere local event, for all the news services world-wide have considered it to be the top news story.

As for its possible prophetic meaning, it is too early to say. The Mississippi River has always represented the Holy Spirit to us, insofar as signs are concerned, because on the old Spanish maps, it was originally called The River of the Holy Spirit (El Rio del Espirito Santo). But just how this might fit as a "sign of the times" is not yet clear. Perhaps as more details emerge we will see something in it.

There may be a connection between this disaster and the start of the first Gulf War. Recall that on August 2, 1989, Iraq invaded Kuwait, which plunged the region into war. Eighteen years later, the Minneapolis bridge collapsed on August 2, 2007 (Iraq's time zone). If you have read my booklet, The 1986 Vision of the Two Gulf Wars, you will notice that as the result of this vision, we were led to hold a prayer campaign on August 2, 1988, designed specifically to postpone the Gulf War, since we knew we could not stop it altogether.

Perhaps when we have had time to pray and think about this further, a clearer connection might emerge that may speak to us about the signs of the times.