More than 50 years ago, famed pastor and evangelist David Wilkerson shared what he described as a terrifying vision from the Lord about the future of America and the world.
First revealed publicly in the early 1970s, the vision was widely dismissed at the time as extreme and implausible. Yet decades later, many of Wilkerson’s warnings appear strikingly aligned with present-day realities, from moral collapse and economic instability to cultural hostility toward biblical Christianity.
Wilkerson said the vision came with an “awesome sense of calamity” and centered on five major judgments he believed were approaching as a result of rampant sin and spiritual rebellion.
1. A Worldwide Economic Collapse
Wilkerson warned of a coming global recession driven by economic confusion that would affect “the lifestyle of every wage earner in the world.”
“I saw at most a few more fat flourishing years and then an economic recession,” he said, adding that world economists would be “at a loss to explain what’s happening.”
He foresaw major corporations going bankrupt, churches facing financial collapse and missionary projects floundering. Wilkerson urged believers to use the remaining years of prosperity wisely.
“One of the clearest messages I’ve ever received from God in my life is this: Use the next few good years left to prepare for financial crises. Get your house in order because hard times are coming,” he said.
2. Natural Disasters as ‘Labor Pains’
Wilkerson described nature itself entering what he called “labor pains,” marked by disasters that would increase in both frequency and intensity.
“I saw major earthquakes coming to the United States,” he said. “I saw worldwide famine… with millions starving.”
He also spoke of extreme weather, cosmic disturbances and global instability so severe that humanity would be forced to admit the world was under “supernatural siege.”
“These are labor pains,” Wilkerson said, warning they would intensify as the world drew closer to the establishment of God’s kingdom.
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3. A Flood of Filth and Moral Collapse
One of Wilkerson’s most detailed warnings involved what he called a “flood of filth” overtaking American culture, particularly through media.
“I see the prophecy of Nahum coming to pass,” he said. “God said, ‘I’ll pour abominable filth upon you.’”
Wilkerson predicted the normalization of explicit sexual content on television, the collapse of moral standards and the celebration of what was once considered obscene. He said restraint would be removed as society demanded immorality.
“Men are clamoring for nudity, streaking filth, dirty television programming — and they’re going to get it,” he said.
He warned that even children would be exposed to sexually explicit material under the guise of education, and that the culture would reach a point where older forms of obscenity would seem tame by comparison.
4. A Persecution Madness Against True Believers
Wilkerson said genuine, Spirit-filled Christians would face growing persecution worldwide, beginning subtly during a time of apparent religious freedom.
“I see now persecution coming such as mankind has never before witnessed,” he said.
Citing Jesus’ words in John 15 and Paul’s warning in 2 Timothy 3:12, Wilkerson said persecution would serve to separate true believers from false ones.
“This persecution will rise like a many-headed monster,” he said, adding that it would involve government pressure, harassment of ministries and restrictions on Christian media.
“I see a time coming when nearly all evangelical missionary projects… will be so closely monitored, questioned and badgered by government agencies they’ll be cautious about moving or expanding in any direction,” he said.
5. The Rise of a ‘Super World Church’
Wilkerson warned of a powerful global religious system he described as a “super world church,” formed through alliances between liberal Protestant groups and the Roman Catholic Church.
“This visible super world church is going to be spiritual in name only,” he said. “It will freely use the name of Jesus Christ but will in fact be anti-Christ and political.”
He said the movement would begin through charitable cooperation but evolve into a political force that would marginalize biblical Christianity. Wilkerson also warned of moral compromise within this system, including the affirmation of homosexuality, the ordination of openly gay clergy and the infiltration of occult practices.
“I see homosexual and lesbian ministers… heralded as a new breed of pioneer evangelists,” he said, adding that churches would increasingly replace prayer with spiritual counterfeits.
Wilkerson acknowledged that sharing the vision cost him friendships and credibility at the time. Even he admitted to moments of doubt, wondering whether he had simply imagined it. Yet more than five decades later, the accuracy of many of his warnings has caused renewed interest in the vision.
Despite the sobering nature of his message, Wilkerson ended on a hopeful note, insisting that God remains entirely in control.
“No matter how things look in this drunken world, all things are still working together for good to everyone who loves God,” he said. “Look up and rejoice.”
James Lasher, a seasoned writer and editor at Charisma Media, combines faith and storytelling with a background in journalism from Otterbein University and ministry experience in Guatemala and the LA Dream Center. A Marine Corps and Air Force veteran, he is the author of The Revelation of Jesus: A Common Man’s Commentary and a contributor to Charisma magazine.
