Asa Alonzo Allen (a.k.a. A. A. Allen) was an American pentecostal evangelist who had a faith and healing ministry (b. 1911 – d. 1970). During his trip to New York he had a remarkable vision of America atop the Empire State Building revealing God’s impending judgment and the miraculous salvation of His elect. It was first published in his book, My Vision of the Destruction of America in 1954.
The vision has circulated widely in various publications since that time. It has survived the ages and is shared here in earnest that all those who read would hearken and respond accordingly.
The Empire State Building
“As I stepped inside the elevator at the Empire State Building, I never dreamed of the experience which awaited me just 86 stories up.
“My ears began to close, due to the sudden increase of altitude, as the elevator shot upward to the first observatory 86 floors above the ground. This was the first time I had gone atop the Empire State Building, and it was a trip I had been eager to take, since no visit to New York City can be considered complete without a trip to the observatories up the 1472 foot tall building…
“As I stepped off the elevator and went onto the outside terrace, I went expecting to see all of New York City, New Jersey, Manhattan, the Bronx, and on across the Hudson River to Westchester in a great panoramic view. But little did I realize that God had an even greater view awaiting me there; as, through a supernatural vision, He would let me see that which is soon to take place on the whole North American continent.
The View of New York City and America
“As I stood there…, just to the south of me, on Bedloe’s Island, I could see the Statue of Liberty illuminating the gateway to the new world. To people everywhere, this 300 foot statue has become the symbol of liberty. It was presented to the people of the United States by the freedom- loving people of France in 1883…
“I looked to the east. There I could see the United Nations Building, which had been called ‘The last sacred temple for the rediscovery of human brotherhood.’ The great statesmen of the world have declared we must remain at peace with one another or die…
“The Empire State Building, located at the intersection of 34th Street and Fifth Avenue, covers only about two acres of ground, yet it is so high that people in the observatories can see the sun rise a half hour sooner and set a half hour later than people on the street… from the 86th floor observatory, if you look up, you will see the huge television tower rising 222 feet above the previous height of the building. This tower sends signals of all of Manhattan’s important TV broadcasters, who have their transmitters in the building.
“The 102nd floor observatory, 1,250 feet above the street, in glass enclosed so that one may see in all directions the surrounding areas of the city.
“The 86th floor observatory has both indoor and outdoor terraces. When you step out on the 86th floor terrace, you are standing where famous people from every country of the world have been before you… As I stood there, I was aware that I was only one of 10 million people representing every nation on earth who have visited the Empire State Observatories. But I still did not realize that I was to be the only one of that ten million to whom God had chosen to give such a revelation as I was to receive atop that great building.
“There, on the east side of the terrace, I noticed a giant telescope, of the kind into which you can drop a dime and see for approximately fifteen miles. I knew that a dime slipped into that telescope would enable me to see much farther than the natural eye could reach. I got a dime from my pocket and held it in my hand, ready to drop it into the telescope when the man in front of me was through viewing the scene… As I stood with my dime between my fingers, waiting my turn, suddenly the Spirit of the Lord came upon me. I noticed the two giant eyes of the telescope as the man who was manipulating it turned it in my direction. I was amazed that the Spirit of the Lord should so move upon me, there, atop the Empire State Building. Why should I feel such a surge of His Spirit and power there?
“Then suddenly I heard the voice of the Lord. It was as clear and as distinct as a voice should be. It seemed to come from the very midst of the giant telescope. But when I looked at the telescope, I knew it hadn’t come from there, but directly from heaven. The voice said,
The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars. [This was a direct quotation from 2 Chronicles 16:9.]
“Immediately, when I heard the voice of God, I knew this was a quotation of Scripture. But never before had I had a thing come to me so forcefully by the power of the Spirit. The ticking of the telescope stopped. The man before me had used up his dime’s worth. As he stepped away I knew that I was next. As I stepped to the telescope and dropped in my dime, immediately the ticking started again. This ticking was an automatic clock which would allow me to use the telescope for a definitely limited time only.
“As I swung the telescope to the north, suddenly the Spirit of God came upon me in a way that I had never thought of before. Seemingly in the Spirit I was entirely caught away. I knew that the telescope itself had nothing to do with the distance which I was suddenly enabled to see, for I seemed to see things far beyond the range of the telescope, even on a bright, clear day. It was simply that God had chosen this time to reveal these things to me, for as I looked through the telescope, it was not Manhattan Island that I saw, but a far greater scene…
“That which I was looking upon was not Manhattan Island. It was all of the North American continent spread out before me as a map is spread upon a table. It was not the East River and the Hudson River that I saw on either side, but the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. And instead of the Statue of Liberty standing there in the bay on her tiny island, I saw her standing far out in the Gulf of Mexico. She was between me and the United States.
“There, clear and distinct, lay all the North American continent, with all its great cities. To the north lay the Great Lakes. Far to the northeast was New York City. I could see Seattle and Portland far to the northwest. Down the West Coast, there was San Francisco and Los Angeles. Closer in the foreground, there lay New Orleans, at the center of the Gulf Coast area. I could see the great towering ranges of the Rocky Mountains, and trace with my eye the Continental Divide. All this and more, I could see spread out before me as a great map upon a table.
The Cup of Judgment
“As I looked, suddenly from the sky I saw a giant hand reach down. That gigantic hand was reaching out toward the Statue of Liberty. In a moment her gleaming torch was torn from her hand, and in it instead was placed a cup. And I saw protruding from that cup a giant sword, shining, as if a great light had been turned upon its glistening edge. Never before had I seen such a sharp, glistening, dangerous sword. It seemed to threaten all the world. As the great cup was placed in the hand of the Statue of Liberty, I heard these words:
Thus saith the Lord of hosts… Drink ye and be drunken, spue, and fall, and rise no more, because of the sword which I will send…
“As I heard these words, I recognized them as a quotation from Jeremiah 25:27. “I was amazed to hear the Statue of Liberty speak out in reply, ‘I will not drink.’ “Then, as the voice of thunder, I heard again the voice of the Lord, saying:
… Thus saith the Lord of hosts, Ye shall certainly drink (Jeremiah 25:28).
“Then suddenly the giant hand forced the cup to the lips of the Statue of Liberty, and she became powerless to defend herself. The mighty hand of God forced her to drink every drop of the cup. As she drank the bitter dregs, these were the words that I heard:
…should ye be utterly unpunished? Ye shall not be unpunished: for I will call for a sword upon all the inhabitants of the earth, saith the Lord of hosts (Jeremiah 25:29).
“When the cup was withdrawn from the lips of the Statue of Liberty, I noticed the sword was missing from the cup, which could mean but one thing. The contents of the cup had been completely consumed! I knew that the sword merely typified war, death, and destruction, which is no doubt on the way.
“Then, as one drunken on too much wine, I saw the Statue of Liberty become unsteady on her feet and begin to stagger and to lose her balance. I saw her splashing in the Gulf, trying to regain her balance. I saw her stagger again and again, and fall to her knees. As I saw her desperate attempts to regain her balance, and rise to her feet again, my heart was filled with compassion for her struggles. But as she struggled there in the Gulf, once again I heard these words:
Ye shall drink and be drunken, and spue, and fall, and rise no more because of the sword that I shall send among you.
“As I watched, I wondered if the Statue of Liberty would ever be able to regain her feet—if she would ever stand again. And as I watched, it seemed that with all her power she struggled to rise, and finally staggered to her feet again, and stood there swaying drunkenly. I felt sure that any moment she would fall again—possibly never to rise again. I seemed overwhelmed with a desire to reach out my hand to keep her head above water, for I knew that if she ever fell again she would drown there in the Gulf.
The Enemy’s Cloud of Death
“Then as I watched, another amazing thing was taking place. Far to the northwest, just over Alaska, a huge, black cloud was arising. As it rose, it was as black as night. It seemed to be in the shape of a man’s head. As it continued to rise, I observed two light spots in the black cloud. It rose further, and a gaping hole appeared. I could see that the black cloud was taking the shape of a skull, for now the huge gaping mouth was plainly visible. Finally the head was complete. Then the shoulders began to appear, and on either side, long, black arms.
“It seemed that what I saw was the entire North American continent, spread out like a map upon a table with this terrible skeleton-formed cloud arising from behind the table. It rose steadily until the form was visible down to the waist. At the waist, the skeleton seemed to bend toward the United States, stretching forth a hand toward the east and one toward the west—one toward New York and one toward Seattle. As the awful form stretched forward, I could see that its entire attention seemed focused upon the United States, overlooking Canada—at least for the time being. As I saw the horrible black cloud in the form of a skeleton bending toward America, bending from the waist over, reaching down toward Chicago and out toward both coasts, I knew its one interest was to destroy the multitudes.
“As I watched in horror, the great black cloud stopped just above the Great Lake region, and turned its face toward New York City. Then out of the horrible, great gaping mouth began to appear wisps of white vapor which looked like smoke, as a cigarette smoker would blow puffs of smoke from his mouth. These whitish vapors were being blown toward New York City. The smoke began to spread until it covered all the eastern part of the United States.
“Then the skeleton turned to the west, and out of the horrible mouth and nostrils came another great puff of white smoke. This time it was blown in the direction of the West Coast. In a few minutes, the entire West Coast and Los Angeles area was covered with its vapors.
“Then toward the center came a third great puff. As I watched, St. Louis and Kansas City were enveloped in its white vapors. Then it came toward New Orleans. On they swept until they reached the Statue of Liberty where she stood staggering drunkenly in the blue waters of the Gulf. As the white vapors began to spread around the head of the Statue, she took in but one gasping breath and then began to cough as though to rid her lungs of the horrible vapors she had inhaled. One could tell readily by the painful coughing that those white vapors had seared her lungs.
“What were these white vapors?… Could they be the horrible nerve gas recently made known to the American public?
“As I looked with wonder upon the vision God had given me, I wondered: ‘Could it be that it was the horrible nerve gas which was causing the Statue of Liberty to react so violently as it floated about her head, looking like an innocent cloud?’
“Then I heard the voice of God as He spoke again:
Behold, the LORD maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof.
And it shall be, as with the people, so with the priest; as with the servant, so with his master; …. As with the buyer, so with the seller; as with the lender, so with the borrower; as with the taker of usury, so with the giver of usury to him.
The land shall be utterly emptied, and utterly spoiled: for the LORD hath spoken this word.
The earth mourneth and fadeth away, the world languisheth and fadeth away, the haughty people of the earth do languish.
The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant.
Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate; therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left (Isaiah 24:1-6).
The End of Liberty
“As I watched, the coughing grew worse… The Statue of Liberty was moaning and groaning. She was in mortal agony. The pain must have been terrific, as again and again she tried to clear her lungs of those horrible vapors. I watched her there in the Gulf as she staggered, clutching her lungs and her breast with her hands. Then she fell to her knees. In a moment she gave one final cough, made a last desperate effort to rise to her knees, and then fell face forward into the waters of the Gulf and lay still—still as death. Only the lapping of the waves, splashing over her body, which was partly under the water and partly out of the water, broke the stillness.
“Suddenly the silence was shattered by the screaming of sirens, sirens that seemed to scream, “Run for your lives!”
“Never before had I heard such shrill, screaming sirens. They seemed to be everywhere—to the north, the south, the east and west. There seemed to be multitudes of sirens. And as I looked, I saw people everywhere running; but it seemed none of them ran more than a few paces, and then they fell. And even as I had seen the Statue of Liberty struggling to regain her poise and balance, and finally falling for the last time, to die on her face, I now saw millions of people falling in the streets, on the sidewalks, struggling. I heard their screams for mercy and help. I heard their horrible coughing, as though their lungs had been seared with fire [Note: brimstone?]. I heard the moanings and groaning of the doomed and dying. As I watched, a few finally reached the shelters; but only a few every got to the shelters, and above the groaning and the moaning of the dying multitudes, I heard these words:
A noise shall come even to the ends of the earth; for the LORD hath a controversy with the nations, he will plead with all flesh; he will give them that are wicked to the sword, saith the LORD… Behold, evil should go forth from nation to nation, and a great whirlwind shall be raised up from the coasts of the earth, and the slain of the LORD shall be at that day from one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth: they shall not be lamented, neither gathered, nor buried; they shall be dung upon the ground (Jeremiah 25:31-3).
Bombing & Destruction
“Then suddenly I saw from the Atlantic and from the Pacific, and out of the Gulf, rocket- like objects that seemed to come up like fish leaping out of the water. High into the air they leaped, each heading into a different direction, but every one toward the United States. On the ground, the sirens screamed louder. Up from the ground I saw similar rockets beginning to ascend. To me, these appeared to be interceptor rockets although they arose from different points all over the United States. However, none of them seemed to be successful in intercepting the rockets that had risen from the ocean on every side. These rockets finally reached their maximum height, slowly turned over, and fell back to earth in defeat. Then suddenly, the rockets which had leaped out of the oceans like fish all exploded at once. The explosion was ear-splitting. The next thing which I saw was a huge ball of fire. The only thing I have ever seen which resembled that which I saw in my vision was the picture of the explosion of the H-bomb somewhere in the Pacific some months ago. In my vision, it was so real I seemed to feel a searing heat from it.
“As the vision spread before my eyes, and I viewed the widespread desolation brought about by the terrific explosions, I could not help thinking, ‘While the defenders of our nation have quibbled over what measures of defense to use, and neglected the only true defense, faith and dependence upon the true and living God, that which she has greatly feared has come upon her! How true it has been proven that ‘except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.'”
God’s Last Word
“Then, as the noise of the battle subsided, to my ears came this quotation from Joel, the second chapter:
Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand;
A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of many generations.
A fire devoureth before them; and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the Garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them.
The appearance of them is as the appearance of horses; and as horsemen, so shall they run.
Like the noise of chariots on the tops of the mountains shall they leap, like the noise of a flame of fire that devoureth stubble, as a strong people set in battle array. Before their face the people shall be much pained: all the faces shall gather blackness.
They shall run like mighty men; they shall climb the wall like men of war; and they shall march every one on his ways, and they shall not break their ranks: Neither shall one thrust another; they shall walk every one in his path: and when they fall upon the sword, they shall not be wounded.
They shall run to and fro in the city; they shall run upon the wall, they shall climb upon the houses; they shall enter in at the windows like a thief.
The earth shall quake before them; the heavens shall tremble: the sun and the moon shall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw their shining (Joel 2:1-10).
“Then the voice was still. The earth, too, was silent, with the silence of death.
The Salvation of God’s Elect
“And then to my ears came another sound—a sound of distant singing. It was the sweetest music I had ever heard. There was joyful shouting, and sounds of happy laughter. Immediately I knew it was the rejoicing of the saints of God. I looked, and there high in the heaven, above the smoke and poisonous gases, above the noise of battle, I saw a huge mountain. It seemed to be of solid rock, and I knew at once that this was the mountain of the LORD. The sounds of music and rejoicing were coming from a cleft, high up in the side of the rock mountain.
“It was the saints of God who were doing the rejoicing. It was God’s own people who were singing and dancing and shouting with joy, safe from all the harm which had come upon the earth, for they were hidden away in the cleft of the rock. There in the cleft, they were shut in, protected by a great, giant hand which reached out of the heavens, and which was none other than the hand of God, shutting them in, until the storm was over-passed.
References:
World War III and the Destiny of America by Charles R. Taylor, pp. 96-109
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A._A._Allen
Cheers & Shalom,
Image Credit: TheDigitalArtist | Pixabay
