John Paul Jackson’s Vision: The End-Times Move of God Prophecy

John Paul Jackson came to see me at Westminster Chapel in September 2001.

He had a word for me. He wanted to share a vision he had on November 27, 1986. When he first shared this, he spoke from memory. But he also wrote it out; these are his own words:

I was in a large room in Heaven, much like a Temple setting. It was pure white in color. Everything was white. To my left were tall double doors, each about 20 ft. tall and totaling 20 ft. in width. So the total opening was 20 ft. x 20 ft. To my right were four rows of white stone like bleachers or rows of seats.

I heard the doors open and watched as a line of men began to walk into the room, crossing in front of me toward the four rows of white stone. The first men who walked by were all well-known and some were internationally known. However, not all well-known preachers were there, but all who were there, in the front of the line, were. I did not know the men who came later in the line. The line was led by a well-known pastor who led the men to fill the third row (next to the highest row). Once that row was full, the men then began to fill in the second row and then the first row. All those there stood as if waiting for something to happen. The men on the third row were so proud to be there, standing above the others. There was one well-known pastor/ evangelist on the third row who was to the left of the center and was jockeying to take the center position. I was wondering why no one was standing on the top or fourth row, which was empty.

A tall, fiery white-haired messenger, with piercing green-blue eyes, came walking in, and he suddenly appeared on this high podium as if he were translated there. It was the highest thing in the room, and the fiery messenger stood looking down at the rows of men. He opened the Bible and said, with a commanding voice, “Gentlemen, I have a word for you and the Body of Christ from the Throne Room of God concerning the next great move of God in the earth. The key to this move of God is found in the Bible, in the book of Romans, and in particular Romans chapter 4.”

He said, “This word is contained within the whole of the Scripture, but it is an unseen truth. The key is unseen, due to the current doctrines of the church. This truth is so hard to embrace and attain that it is not even considered by most.” He went on to say, “This truth will mark the church in the coming move of God, and it will separate and distinguish the coming church from the present church.” He then began to unveil this truth for what seemed to be a long period of time, but I do not remember what he said about those things. As I returned, it was removed from my memory, as if I was not the one to proclaim the fullness of it.

The messenger then looked around and said once again, “This message is from the Throne Room of God concerning the next great move of God on the earth. The secret to this move of God is found in the book of Romans and Romans 4 in particular. But you men on the third row have already violated the Romans 4 principles. None of your ministries will grow, many will languish, and some of you will die without fulfilling your purpose. However, you men on the second row and first row, if you do not violate the Romans 4 principles—in a day you think not, in a day you think least likely—the Lord will suddenly catapult you over those who currently lord their ministries over you to the fourth row where no one has stood since the early church.”

The men on the third row began to protest and argue with the messenger, but He would not argue with them. It was as if what was said was said.

That is the end of the vision.

My Reaction

What made me feel that this vision had a ring of authenticity was the reference to the book of Romans generally and Romans 4 specifically. I immediately thought to myself, and said to John Paul, “People today do not appreciate Romans. I am amazed that you, John Paul, have come up with this. It is very neglected. Romans 4 is about the gospel— justification by faith alone—what Luther and the Reformers taught. This would mean that the next great move of God will be characterized by a restoration of the gospel!” What was even more interesting is that John Paul admitted that he himself did not know what Romans 4 was about. This suggests to me that he couldn’t have made this up or even thought of it!

Romans 4 was in fact at the heart of Martin Luther’s discovery in the sixteenth century, which turned the Western world upside down. It is what Jonathan Edwards preached in Northampton, Massachusetts, from 1733–1738 as the New England Awakening was reaching its zenith. Edwards wrote that during that time “the whole town was filled with the talk of God.” John Wesley had grasped the teaching of justification by faith before Whitefield did and actually taught it to George Whitefield (1714–1770).

After having that vision, John Paul of course read and studied Romans 4 many times. When he read the first edition of the book Word and Spirit by Paul Cain and me—which included my address on Ishmael and Isaac—he said he cried as he read my reference to Romans 4 because he had never read anyone or heard anybody who referred to Romans 4. I will add that what gripped me most about Romans 4 was the teaching of the gospel; what gripped John Paul was the implication of the miraculous—that Abraham at almost age one hundred and Sarah around ninety would have a son. To John Paul, then, the next great move of God will be characterized by miracles.

What made me feel most comfortable about John Paul’s vision, then, was that the “next great move of God,” assuming the vision was absolutely authentic, meant that the historic Christian faith would be central again. There is a continuity of understanding and similarity from the teaching of the apostles to Saint Augustine, Athanasius, Luther, Calvin, Edwards, Whitefield, Wesley, and C. H. Spurgeon. It is a far cry from what is popular today—“what’s in it for me” and “feel good” teaching. And if it also meant that apostolic power would be given to preachers today to stand where no one has stood since the days of the early church, then it would mean that the combination of Word and Spirit coming together simultaneously as seen in the book of Acts would be observed by all.

These things said, the second part of Romans 4 would, therefore, have equal relevance. It refers to Abraham having not only imputed righteousness but also personal righteousness. In other words, he would demonstrate true godliness and a robust faith that Sarah would have a son. That was part of Abraham’s own inheritance. The teaching of inheritance—as seen in Romans 4 and the Epistle to the Hebrews—is barely known, hardly taught, almost entirely overlooked, and therefore unappreciated. You may recall that the messenger of God in John Paul’s vision said it was an “unseen truth.”

I do indeed suspect that the truth of Romans 4 is largely unseen and unknown nowadays. The apostle Paul also referred to calling into existence “things that do not exist” (Rom. 4:17). This would indeed mean seeing undoubted healings and miracles. In my conversations with John Paul about Romans 4, which we had often, the main thing that he himself was most excited about was the promise of miracles as seen in the latter part of Romans 4: Abraham believing that Sarah would have a son. What gripped me most, however, was the promise of the gospel being restored. John Paul told me repeatedly that the next great move of God would include people being raised from the dead.

One other thing I must add: The teaching of cessationism will perish overnight.

You may also recall the words of John Paul as stated above in what he wrote out, “As if I was not the one to proclaim the fullness of it”; this could be seen as a cryptic reference to his own untimely death. John Paul was 36 when he had the vision in 1986. He was only 65 when he died in 2015.

I will now elaborate on the two parts of Romans 4.

Imputed Righteousness

The word impute means “to credit.” The Greek word is logizetai—“reckoned,” “imputed,” or “credited with.” It is a free gift. If you embrace the promise in the gospel—that Jesus Christ died for your sin—His righteousness is imputed to you; that is, you are treated by God as if His righteousness were yours. It is put to your credit. You are reckoned by God Himself to be righteous. This comes by faith, trust, relying on the promise.

This means you will go to Heaven and not to hell when you die. You have been “justified by his blood” and saved from the “wrath of God” (Rom. 5:9). I’m sorry, but seldom does one hear preaching nowadays on the wrath of God. Since people don’t like to hear it, preachers accommodate by not getting around to preaching it.

There are actually three “causes” that lie behind anyone being justified by faith.

First, the meritorious cause. This is the life, death, resurrection, and intercession of Jesus. By life, I mean the perfect life He lived. He kept the law for us. His parents had Him circumcised according to the law (see Luke 2:21). He was even baptized for us—“to fulfill all righteousness,” He said to John the Baptist (Matt. 3:15). He had perfect faith for us, which is why Paul said that if we believe “in” Christ, then we would be justified by the faith “of” Christ (see Gal. 2:20 KJV). Jesus promised to fulfill the law and to finish the work God called Him to do (see Matt. 5:17; John 4:34). He did it (see John 19:30). By death is meant His blood (see Rom. 3:25; 5:9). He was raised for our justification (see Rom. 3:25). He ever lives to intercede for us (see Heb. 7:25). He intercedes with a perfect faith so that Paul could say, “I live by the faith of the Son of God” (Gal. 2:20 KJV).

This, then, is the meritorious cause of our justification. Our faith in and by itself is not what saves us; it is the object of our faith.

Second, the efficient cause. What enables a person to believe? Since not all have faith and all are born “dead” in trespasses and sins, what makes the difference (Eph. 2:1; 2 Thess. 3:2)? The answer is the Holy Spirit. He “quickens”—gives life. No one “can” come to the Father unless he be drawn (John 6:44). It is the Holy Spirit that enables a person to rely on Christ alone.

Third, the instrumental cause. That is when we consciously transfer our trust in good works to the work of Jesus. The gospel must be believed. All that Jesus did for us by His life and death is of no value until we believe. That is the message of John 3:16—whoever “believes” on the Son has eternal life.

This is the meaning of “faith to faith” in Romans 1:17: In the gospel is “a righteousness from God” that is revealed “from faith to faith”—the faith of Christ and our faith. The faith of Christ in providing the meritorious cause must be ratified by our faith—or we will not be saved. It is the faith of Jesus joined by our faith that gives us an imputed righteousness.

It is the imputed righteousness of Christ that gets us to Heaven, not our own righteousness. As the hymn “My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less” affirms:

My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness;

I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus’ Name.

When He shall come with trumpet sound, O may I then in Him be found,

Dressed in His righteousness alone, faultless to stand before the throne.

—Edward Mote (1797–1874)

The instrumental cause—our faith—is conscious. But imputed righteousness is not a feeling. It is what God does when you believe that your only hope of going to Heaven is His blood.

You may not feel righteous. Someone may say, “You don’t look righteous to me.” You might even feel ridiculous—to think that God sees you as righteous merely because you believe the gospel. Indeed, it may make you feel utterly unworthy. Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones used to say that a Christian is someone who is “surprised” that he or she is a Christian!

It is not a feeling, then. It is the way God sees you. It is legal. Forensic. It is what is declared in Heaven. It is the way a most holy God regards you. When you trust His Word, He regards you as totally righteous because the righteousness of His Son has been put to your credit. When Abraham believed the promise that his seed would be as the sand of the sea, though he was eighty years old and his wife was past the age of having children, God declared him to be a righteous man. He had been a sun worshipper. He had no background that would endear him to the true God. He had no good works to show. That is Paul’s main point in the first half of Romans 4.

This teaching is not always easy to understand for many of us— even harder to believe! Not everybody can take it in. At least at first. It took Martin Luther some four years—1513–1515—to understand it. It seemed too good to be true. He referred to his breakthrough as his “tower experience.” This phrase has a double meaning. First, Luther studied in a tower near the church in Wittenberg, Germany. It stands there today. I have seen it. Second, when he had his breakthrough, it was equally a “tower experience” because of what it did for him. It set him free. He was set on fire and changed the world. When he saw what was described above—that faith means fide sola, “faith only,” and that Paul literally means “faith without works” in Romans 1:17—he became fearless.

For in it [the gospel] the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to [Gr. eis] faith, as it is written, “the righteous shall live by faith” (Romans 1:17).

The freedom from the gospel that made Luther fearless will make you fearless, too. If you have not had this explained to you before, and you see this for the first time for yourself, congratulations! It will turn your world upside down!

Most of my preaching during the last twenty years—all over the world—has been largely to Charismatics. Not all have been Charismatics, but many have been. I have been shocked how few Charismatics, especially in America, have understood and embraced this teaching. I don’t mean to be unfair, but a large percentage of Charismatics I have preached to have (apparently) had little if any teaching of the true gospel. Or it had not sunk in. You may ask, how do you know that? I answer, because when I present the gospel and ask people to stand who have been trusting in something other than the death of Jesus, a large percentage almost always stand.

I am not saying that all those who stood to confess Christ unashamedly were not saved. Many undoubtedly were following the Lord with sincere hearts, and the fact that they readily stood when I would give the invitation shows me that their hearts were eager to show their faith. I do not believe you have to be theologically sound to be saved. In fact, I think you could be theologically sound and be lost! I think you might be theologically short of the theology of Romans—as long as you believe that Jesus is God and rose from the dead—and be saved.

I’m sorry, but many Christians I have preached to in the last twenty years believe they get to Heaven by being good enough. When I ask the question “If you stood before God and He were to ask you, ‘Why should I let you into My Heaven?’” too many answer by saying honestly, “I have tried to live a good life.” Or something akin to good works or being faithful. People by nature cannot get it out of their heads that we get to Heaven entirely by what Jesus did for us.

This is why I was astounded—thrilled—by John Paul’s vision. It would not have come from a Reformed person. This is because most Reformed people don’t have (or believe in) visions. It came from John Paul Jackson, of all people—greatly loved and admired by Charismatics and Pentecostals.