In 1606 the Portuguese navigator Pedro Fernández de Quirós landed on one of the Islands of what is now called Vanuatu. Thinking he had discovered ‘Terra Australis’ (the great south land) he made the following proclamation… ‘Let the heavens, the earth, the waters with all their creatures and all those here present witness that I, Captain Pedro Fernandez de Quiros, in the name of Jesus Christ, hoist this emblem of the Holy Cross on which Jesus Christ’s person was crucified and whereon He gave His life for the ransom and remedy of the human race, on this day of Pentecost, 14 May 1606, I take possession of all this part of the South as far as the pole in the name of Jesus, which from now on shall be called the Southern land of the Holy Spirit and this always and forever to the end that to all natives, in all the said lands, the holy, sacred evangel may be preached zealously and openly.It wasn’t until 1770 that Captain Cook finally landed in ‘Botany Bay’ and Australia was officially noted in the History books.
Over the years many Christians have taken note of the earlier proclamation from de Quirós, and in 1993 it gained wide acclaim when Geoff Bullock (an Australian Christian song writer) penned the very popular worship song of the same name.
In 2006 a delegation of Christians from Australia, Vanuatu, a number of other Island nations as well as Spanish and European Representatives gathered in Hogg Harbour, Vanuatu to commemorate the 400th anniversary of this proclamation (which was by this time being heralded as a prophecy), and together held a communion service with speeches from many dignitaries including President Kalkot Mataskelekele of Vanuatu.
Since 2006 increasing numbers of intercessors and prophets from Australia and around the world have been casting their spiritual eyes upon Australia and the South Pacific.
In 2008 a series of significant yet widely un-noticed prayer meetings were held in Sydney to pray for a great outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon our nation. Significantly, one of these meetings (held in Blacktown – in Sydney's west) hosted pastor Raynold Bori also known as the Apostle of Vanuatu. At this meeting Pastor Ray (as he is affectionately known) spoke of the Protocol by which we are to approach the Father, and prayed a very powerful prayer of the Nations of Australia and the South Pacific Islands.
I myself was deeply touched by these meetings as they held particular significance for my own prayer journey.
For me this prophecy began to stir more than 10 years ago. Although at the time I had no idea what the Lord was up to.
I was driving down a local street one day when I saw a Mazda 808 wagon drive past. It was very similar to a vehicle a friend of mine had driven when I shared a house with him for a few months back in 1984. I remembered him that day, but did think too much more about him until that evening when as I looked up at my digital clock it flicked over to 8:08pm. I immediately thought of my friend again.
What really surprised me was that the next morning as I was glancing at the clock it flicked over 8:08am. This time the Lord had my attention. “ok Lord” I whispered under my breathe “maybe you want me to pray for my him”, so I did.
The next day I saw 808 in a phone number, on the clock and on the back of a bus. I told my wife… “I think I am supposed to pray for my friend whenever I see 808”. She laughed and said, “OK, I suppose you had better do that then”, and so for the next 10 years I don’t think I would have gone for more than a week at any time without praying for my friend, and sometimes up to five times in a day, always based on whenever I saw the numbers 808. My wife and I would constantly chuckle to each other at the frequency and the randomness that 808 would come up in my line of sight.
Then something really strange happened. In 2008 I received an invitation to be a part of a meeting to pray for revival in our nation. It was to be held on the 08/08/08 at Prayer Mountain in Merroo, in the Mountains overlooking Sydney.
It was an amazing day which culminated in a large group of us interceding and prophesying over the City well into the evening.
It was at this meeting that I heard the Lord confirm in my heart that my apprenticeship was over that from now on whenever I saw 808 I would need to pray for a Holy Spirit outpouring for the nation of Australia and it was at the very next meeting a month later that I first met Apostle Raynold Bori.
I have consistently been praying for revival for the past two years and it had been amazing how many places I have seen 808. But it was recently (sometime in May this year) that I began seeing 404.
I rise early each day, and during one particular week I was setting my alarm for 4.00am. But what happened was that for 5 days running each time I picked up my phone in the morning to check the time, it showed 4:04am. The Lord had my attention once again.
“Father, what does this mean?” I asked. The answer I got at that time was “I’m doubling your shift… It’s getting closer”.
So from that time I began to see 404 and 808 everywhere. And I was praying even more than before. I even saw 808 on the back of an ambulance while I sat at the Lights in my car near my home one day.
Recently (July 10th, 2010) after I had been to a prayer meeting and having received a message from a friend which stirred my heart about the coming revival I got onto twitter.com to post a message saying “I sense REVIVAL is hitting Australia. It has been so close, and this week the signs are... it is here! Can't wait to see what it looks like!” Now what I didn’t realize is that because twitter is based in America, it is set on US time, and my post actually registered at 8:08pm, when It was really 1:08pm in Australia when I posted it. (you can check it out for yourself… http://twitter.com/paul_from_oz )
What’s even more interesting is that it is now exactly 404 years (in May) since de Quirós made his declaration over the Great South Land of the Holy Spirit. And I have since reconnected with Pastor Ray (another amazing story of the Lord's timing) in Vanuatu, and he has invited me (not knowing any of this story) to speak at a conference on the Prophetic with him a week before there is to be a gathering of Apostles from around the world who will seek God together for the Great outpouring of the Holy Spirit prophesied 404 years ago.
To say that I am excited would be an understatement.
To say that I feel humbled to be able to be a part of all this is also incredibly understated. Anyone who knows me will know that I don’t feel I deserve to be in a position where the Lord has entrusted me with such things.
But with all that has happened in my life, and the many other experiences I have had along the way, I am increasing in my boldness and courage, and have such a strong belief that this is the time when God will pour out His Spirit.
As the Prophet Joel wrote, and Apostle Peter quoted,
‘I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your old men will dream dreams,
your young men will see visions.
Even on my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days.’
As I stood up in that meeting at Prayer Mountain back 08/08/08 the Lord laid a prayer on my heart which declared that a wave of Holy Spirit power was about to sweep the world starting in Australia, NZ and the South Pacific, sweeping from East to West around the Globe.
Many prophets from around the world have been having similar visions and dreams, and I am only one of many voices whom the Lord is using to raise up a crescendo of prayer that will shake the Heavens and move Gods hand.
My Prayer is that if you have taken the time to read this that you will also join me and countless others in praying for revival for our nations. That as I share the pulpit with Apostle Raynold Bori in Port Vila, and as many Apostles from around the globe gather a week later (14th – 17th September 2010), that the heavens will be opened and that the Lord will hold back no longer and His great Glory will fall on all flesh.
Blessings to you all in Jesus name.
Paul DeWildt
