Jan and I live along what is considered by many seismologists to be the most dangerous earthquake fault line in the world. It is called the Cascadia Subduction Zone.  This fault line runs just off the coast of northern California, Oregon, Washington, and into Canada. The last earthquake that took place along this fault line was in 1700. Based on research data spanning thousands of years noting repeated quakes, the Cascadia Subduction Zone is overdue for its next event. When this quake takes place, it will be catastrophic and produce a tsunami of unimaginable power.

When an earthquake takes place, it emits two seismic waves. They are described as P-waves (primary) and S-waves (secondary). A P-wave is the first wave of shock to be released. A P-wave moves faster through the mass of the Earth and arrives earlier at an event site than an S-wave. It initially registers its presence on a seismometer warning us of what is to come when the more powerful S-wave finally arrives. These first P-waves are so subtle only dogs and other animals can detect their presence. When the S-wave finally arrives, the earthquake delivers the full expression of power damaging buildings, opening up fissures in the Earth, and destroying infrastructure.

As I study and explore the prophetic gift, I am seeing two kinds of prophecy. The first words of prophetic insight are imperceivable to human reasoning and logic. They are offered by prophets who hear a P-wave prophecy and announce what is coming. Since these initial words are not realized by most of the Church, they can be prematurely dismissed or even mocked. The prophets who deliver these P-wave prophecies are not always appreciated and can be dismissed as either sensationalism or a “there’s nothing to see here, keep moving” kind of comment.

There is a second kind of “prophetic word” which is not really prophetic in nature because it defines what is obvious to all, like the arrival of a real S-wave seismic event where fissures in the Earth open up and buildings collapse. It doesn’t take prophetic insight to proclaim what is obvious to all.

To hear and digest what I would call a “P-wave prophecy” requires that we deal with our fears, a perceived loss of control, or when in our need to be accepted, we join with the chorus of those who look with either disgust or mockery of a prophetic word when they hear a warning of that interrupts their state of slumber – a slumber that continues until the fulfillment of a P-wave prophecy has announced the coming reality of a spiritual S-wave prophetic event.

The Lord has been issuing a significant number of P-wave prophecies of late. They are the first rumblings of coming change in politics, finance, and a reset of the existing world order. Delivering and discerning these initial waves of prophetic insight is not to create fear. It is to build our faith by offering us a forewarning and an understanding that no matter what is coming when the quaking begins and splits apart our world, we will not abandon our faith in God. We will be prepared to trust Him at a deeper level. 

When the P-wave prophecies arrive they will seem out of step with our assumptions and what we have been told to believe. We ignore them to our peril, a peril that will be expressed in both spiritual and physical terms. Lord, give us ears to hear and a willingness to receive what the Spirit is saying.