Hillsong, Haggai and Holy Spirit Outpouring | A Prophetic Picture of What's To Come!
While watching a recent service at Hillsong Church in Sydney, Australia (online), the Holy Spirit gripped me deeply. I was not expecting this prophetic word to come forth, but nevertheless, it started to bubble up out of me. I sensed that what I was watching during Hillsong’s “Holy Spirit Night” with Guatemalan apostolic leader, Cash Luna, was a prophetic picture of what the Spirit of the Lord was pouring out to whosoever wanted it in the days ahead. No one is safe from revival and awakening.
My Hillsong History
I first encountered the Living God through the power of the Holy Spirit summer of 1999 at Christ Fellowship Church in Palm Beach Gardens, FL. At the time, I was on a quest for God that I certainly did not initiate. I heard about this church from friends at school and rumor was they were quite edgy (because at the time, we were at the height of the late 1990’s praise and worship movement, and this church had electric guitars, drums, etc.). To be candid, I was not interested in the music aspect of church. I found the people clapping and raising their hands a little extreme for me (never thinking I would ever be like those people). Actually, I would regularly skip out on the praise and worship, and simply come to hear the message. Well, one evening, the Sovereign God set me up and I just happened to be in the church service during worship.
The praise team led a song written by Australian worship leader, Reuben Morgan, called “In Your Hands.” While the team sang the lyrics, “So close I believe You’re holding me now / in Your hands, I belong, You’ll never let me go,” I tangibly experienced the manifest Presence of the Holy Spirit. I felt fire burning in my chest and electric current in my fingers. I didn’t need faith to feel it; literally, I was having a physical response to the powerful presence of God moving in that room. My naïve, but spiritually-hungry teenage mind thought: “Wow! I need to find more of these kinds of songs so I can connect with God this way.” That introduced me to the world of Hillsong Music and Hillsong Church back in 1999. One step further, in May of 2000, Hillsong Music hosted a worship night in Ft. Lauderdale that I attended (I might have snuck in for both services when I was only supposed to be at one). The measure of God’s presence that I experienced that night is, perhaps, without comparison. It was unique because I was still being introduced to a God who could be touched and encountered, the God of Revival. That provoked me to give my life to bringing as many people as possible into dynamic, power encounters with the Holy Spirit and meet the Risen Jesus.
Since then, I’ve listened to several hours of podcasts (and CDs and even cassette tapes back in the day) of different leaders at Hillsong Church. I regularly purchased the new worship albums immediately upon release. I even traveled twice to attend the Hillsong Conference in Sydney, Australia.
Bottom line: Hillsong has roots in classical Pentecostalism. Hillsong has been around for a while (it started off as Hills Christian Life Centre, and became Hillsong due to the music popularity). When you go back to their origins and beginnings, they are truly rooted in a denomination that was forged in the fire of Holy Spirit outpouring. We’re going back to our roots so we can actually become the church of the future. We must return to the glory, power and manifestation of the Holy Spirit in order to be a lighthouse in the midst of what Isaiah 60 describes as thick and deep darkness. If there is darkness in the Earth and deep darkness upon the people, that should provoke us to be a church that walks in a manifestation of glory that is superior to the darkness.
Hillsong, the Prophet Haggai, and the Shaking
Fast forward to a very rocky last five years or so. From very public moral failures in high profile leaders to news media spinning all manner of stories concerning leadership, to accusations and allegations, Hillsong has been undergoing shaking. Perhaps most notably with the global senior leaders of the movement, Brian and Bobbie Houston, no longer being part of the Hillsong family. The Spirit of the Lord did not give me clearance to speak into any of those issues. They are what they are, and right now, the church community is recovering and healing from a bombardment of trauma.
To be quite candid, Hillsong is one among many churches (and leaders) undergoing what we read about in Haggai chapter 2: Shaking.
6 For thus says the Lord of hosts: Yet once more, in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land. 7 And I will shake all nations…
Similar language is re-stated by the author of Hebrews, which provides further clarity and relevance to this present prophetic moment:
At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” This phrase, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of things that are shaken—that is, things that have been made—in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain. (Heb. 12:26-27)
Since 2020, shaking has been happening left and right. Covid. Politics. Cultural upheaval. Churches closing their doors for extended periods of time (and some, permanently). Every prophet I trust has been speaking into this subject. From Lance Wallnau (in God’s Chaos Code) to Emma Stark to Che’ Ahn, shaking has been a common theme. Many churches are experiencing a shaking right now where God is removing things that are not of Him, confronting areas that are incompatible with His Kingdom, and downright demolishing systems and structures that war against bold proclamation of the Gospel, uncompromised teaching of Bible Truth, and the dynamic, demonstrative outpouring of the Spirit. He’s shaking the shakable so that the unshakable Kingdom would break through and begin to impact a world in crisis.
And here is the good news: The shaking is not meant to destroy; the shaking is unto glory.
Welcome the Sounds from Heaven
Finish reading the “Shaking section” of Haggai 2 to get a picture of what God intends to produce:
And I will shake all nations, so that the treasures of all nations shall come in, and I will fill this house with glory, says the Lord of hosts. 8 The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, declares the Lord of hosts. 9 The latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former, says the Lord of hosts. And in this place I will give peace, declares the Lord of hosts.’” (Hag. 2:7-9)
Back to the Cash Luna “Holy Spirit” service at Hillsong in July of 2022. That happened side by side with, what I heard, was a Hillsong Conference unlike any other where the Holy Spirit moved in Pentecostal fire and power.
Taya, one of the key singers from Hillsong Worship / Hillsong United, posted this concerning the Hillsong Conference (July 6, 2022):
“Not many words for last night. Final night of Hillsong Conference 1 and what I will say is this — I grew up in a tiny Pentecostal church where evident outpourings of the Holy Spirit on His people was an every week type thing. Catching people, placing modesty cloths, uncontrollable bursts of laughter and regular interpretations of tongues for the edification of the church. In this season I’ve been asking the Lord if I could see with my own eyes again evidence of His Spirit being poured on and into people like I did when I was a little girl. Then last night happened. It was beautiful and I am grateful.”
While watching Cash Luna minister at Hillsong Church, walking through the congregation and praying for people, I heard the sounds of revival, sounds from Heaven. They are not frenzied bursts of excitement because of hype-man TED-TALK communicators. They are not tears trickling down one’s cheek because they are feeling “all the feels” as their favorite song is being played. It’s not clapping, shouting, or loud singing. Sounds of revival burst like rivers out of the spirit. They sound like groans and wails. They are guttural cries. They are overshadowing moments of holy laughter, where depression, rejection and shame are broken in the presence of God. They look like people laying prostrate on the ground, falling under the weight of God’s glory, or shaking (because their body cannot handle the heavy measure of His power).
I saw a measure of this at Hillsong. I sense a hunger and receptivity to revival. And if that community continues to move in this direction, I could see a massive move of the Spirit that would shake the nation of Australia and impact the planet.
The invitation is going out: Who will embrace the shaking, turn from old ways, and fully welcome the Holy Spirit no matter what the cost or consequence. The good news is that glory is on the other side of the shaking that’s happening right now. Let’s partner with Heaven and watch as the dynamic outpouring of the Spirit continues to sweep through churches, entire denominations, and ultimately, territories and nations!