David Wilkerson, the legendary street minister who changed the lives of thousands in New York City, was more than just a voice for the lost—he was a prophetic watchman for a nation.
As Perry Stone pointed out in a new video, Wilkerson was known for his courageous work with gangs. His ministry began when he answered a divine call to the streets of New York, a city riddled with violence and despair. There, he encountered gang leader Nicky Cruz, whose conversion sparked an unprecedented revival among the youth and gang communities.
Yet Wilkerson’s ministry was not only about saving souls; it was about sounding alarms. In 1985, he penned Set the Trumpet to Thy Mouth, a prophetic call for America to awaken before judgment. As Stone noted, Wilkerson prophesied that: “America is going to be destroyed by fire. Sudden destruction is coming, and few will escape. Unexpectedly, in one hour, a hydrogen holocaust will engulf America, and this nation will be no more.”
He later warned of another attack, writing, “The great holocaust follows an economic collapse… the enemy will make its move when we are weak and helpless because America will not repent.”
Perhaps his most chilling prophecy came on Sept. 7, 1992, during a sermon in which Wilkerson shared a vision that had haunted him for years: over 1,000 fires burning simultaneously in New York City. “I’ve had a recurring vision of over 1,000 fires burning at one time in New York City,” he said. He spoke of an eruption of rage sparked by economic hardship: “New York is now…ready to blow. Federal and state welfare cutbacks will be the spark that ignites the fuse. A 100,000 angry men will be on the streets, enraged because they’ve been cut off from benefits. Fires will rage everywhere.”
Wilkerson’s warnings did not end there. In March 2009, he released a public statement foretelling an “earthshattering calamity.” According to Stone, Wilkerson said, “It’s going to be frightening, and we are all going to tremble, even the godliest among us. Major cities across America will experience riots and blazing fires… There will also be looting.”
What makes Wilkerson’s prophetic voice particularly compelling is its consistency and weight. Stone reported that this particular vision came through an angelic visitation, which he kept private to avoid ridicule. Stone emphasized, “He would never say he saw an angel as he knew people would probably mock it and not believe it… But the Lord had showed him that in the future this was coming.”
Wilkerson’s prophetic words serve as both a warning and an invitation: a warning of the consequences that await an unrepentant nation and an invitation to pray and prepare spiritually.
As New York and America face economic and societal pressures, the call is clear: the prophetic voice of God is not silent, and His servants continue to sound the alarm.
Abby Trivett is a writer and editor for Charisma Media and has a passion for sharing the gospel through the written word. She holds two degrees from Regent University, a B.A. in Communication with a concentration in Journalism and a Master of Arts in Journalism. She is the author of the upcoming book, The Power of Suddenly: Discover How God Can Change Everything in a Moment.
This was published only a few days ago, yet it doesn’t mention that very few of the judgments David Wilkerson prophesied have occurred to date, even those for which he gave specific years. I have great respect for David Wilkerson’s teachings and his walk with and devotion to God, but what are we to make of these unfulfilled prophecies? Some of the events forecast by the Old Testament prophets for Israel didn’t happen until many years later, but they did happen. Very few were specifically dated, such as Jeremiah’s prediction of a 70-year exile. Deut 18:21-22 says, “And if you say in your heart, ‘How will we recognize the word which the Lord has not spoken?’ When the prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, and the thing does not happen or come true, that is the thing which the Lord has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously…”