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Dear friends,
I felt very strongly the Lord asking me to sending out this vision I had about The River of Shame. The Lord gave me this vision back in 2005
and I then published it in my book, Awakening: The Deep Sleep. My prayer is that this vision would impact you and be a seed of what the Lord wants to deposit in your heart. We are now living in what I saw in the visions of
this book, and I believe those who the Lord has awakened can feel it all around them.
God bless you as you read this, Victoria
The River of
Shame
Victoria Boyson
www.victoriaboyson.com
Darkness as black as night covers all the nations of the earth, but the glory of the Lord rises and appears over you. -Isaiah 60:2 NLT
Beloved found herself with
Jesus again - He brought her back to the place He'd shown her previously in a vision…
Beloved, now caught up in spirit with the Lord, remained yet within the inner room and shared the intensity of the
darkness the Lord had shown to her. Those assembled listened in anticipation, waiting to receive as Beloved told them of the vision.
She began... I joined the Lord while He was at a gathering of the saints. I was so
happy to see Him.
I rushed to His side and wrapped my arm in His. My whole being came alive in His presence and overflowed with joy. His smile refreshed me. I felt loved, but somehow I knew this would be no ordinary
encounter - something was troubling Him.
"Come with Me," He urged. "I have something I want to show you."
I was more than pleased to go with Him and felt no fear when He led me to the
embankment of a dark, forbidding river. It looked terrible. I shivered when I realized that everything around us, even the air and sky, seemed to match the river with its feeling of forthcoming dread as we stepped into
it.
The sky darkened and the air grew heavy and thick. An ominous foreboding swept over me and I suddenly felt uncertainty. I stopped with my hand still in His. Naturally, I didn't want to enter such a place, but
the Lord beckoned me, "Please come."
Jesus wrapped His arm tightly through mine and led me further into the river. The water was tangibly dark with a thick blackness. As if you could reach out and touch its
inkiness, the all-consuming cold of the river clung to me and seemed to want to penetrate my soul. As we waded into the water up to our necks, I felt emptiness rising from the vapors of the river.
Occasionally, I
wanted to grab hold of a log I saw floating in the water and cling to it for safety, but Jesus wouldn't let me. I realized there was something in me that did not yet fully trust Him. The fearfulness of the river made me
question His goodness toward me, since He was leading me into such a dark and frightful place.
He felt the thoughts of my heart, but did not rebuke me. He was patient with me in spite of my scattered, fearful
feelings, and drew me closer to His side.
As we walked, I saw people in the water who seemed to dwell in the river, as if they belonged to it. They were alive, yet they seemed lifeless. Surrounding each person were
sinister creatures of darkness guarding them, holding them captive to the dark river.
The demonic creatures possessively held tightly to each human they controlled. It seemed as if it would be easy for the people to
have gotten away from the creatures, but they didn't realize this and didn't try to break free from their grasp.
One particular person watched me walk with Jesus and I saw a jealous longing to be with Jesus
in his eyes. I knew he wanted to be walking with Jesus through this dark place. He believed it to be impossible, but continued to watch us longingly. I stared back at the man for some time while I continued to walk with
Jesus as He led me through the water.
We finally reached an embankment and pulled ourselves out of the river, but the black water clung to me as if it were a living creature obeying its master by doing so. Soon,
however, the water retreated back into the river and I knew in my heart the Lord had commanded it to do so.
Once the water had retreated, the Lord raised me to my feet and led me by the hand down the sandy bank of
the river. On one side of us was the treacherous black water and on the other, a thick menacing forest. The trees in the forest seemed lifeless with no leaves on them, yet they were alive with a hostile presence of their
own.
The river was repugnant, but not as frightening as the forest, which seemed filled with hatred. Jesus was unmoved by the trees, but their coldness terrified me and He kept me near the river's edge. It was a
more difficult and narrow path to follow, but at this time He was keenly focused on the river.
With my hand in His, I followed Jesus around the edge of the forest until we came to a sharp bend in the river. We came
across a small boat tied to a log at the turn in the river. He motioned for me to get in as He untied the boat from its mooring.
As we entered the boat, I was suddenly able to see the river clearly, and I saw that
the water was filled with people. Though they literally surrounded the small boat, they did not seem to understand its purpose. They looked to us for help as we approached them, yet shied away from us when we got near
them.
The river was teeming with people herded like cattle, it seemed to me, smashed together, pushed through the river and crashing into one another without any realization of what they were doing. They were,
indeed… lost. So very lost.
I looked into the eyes of a young girl close to me near the bank of the river. Her head and one shoulder were poking out of the water, but the rest of her body was covered in the
thick demonic shadows of the water. Her eyes were sunken, encrusted with dark, swollen circles around them. Her hair was pitch-black, snarled and matted to her head. Her face was ashen gray and her body was covered in
terrible scars.
She seemed to look at me without seeing me at first and my heart was captivated by an overwhelming, even desperate, compassion for her to awaken to the realization of her situation. I wanted so much
for her to know we were there. Suddenly, I saw a flicker of life come into her eyes - a breath of hope.
As she continued to watch me, I saw a very small light waver in her heart. In response, she tried to raise
herself from the water's grip. I saw, as she did, that her hands were held together in front of her, tied with an anguishing knot.
The creatures around her awakened to the solicitous thought of losing their prey
and gripped her hands even tighter, pulling her back down. They began flooding her with shame as she looked again at her hands bound and covered in bloody scars. I watched in anguish as the fog of hopelessness covered her
mind, shadowing her from the anticipation of deliverance.
My heart broke when she moved away from me to hide herself in the converging throng of hopeless victims. I lost her there, but not in my heart - where she was
alive and full of life. I saw her past full of years of victimization from a demonized father, an abusive brother, rejection from the church where she'd desired to find love and, finally, convinced of her own
unworthiness, attempts of suicide.
Wanting only to die and not live with the contempt she carried within herself, she tried again and again to end her pain. She didn't care now if she were loved - didn't
think she was worthy of being loved. There was no need for others to torment her now; she was well able to torture herself. With drugs, alcohol, and a life of perversion, she abused herself. She let herself be taken by any
man as punishment for her past "sins."
It was not her sin that bound her to the river, but shame imposed upon her by others. Still, she was convinced by the multiple creatures entrenched around her, using
her, that she was to blame for all that had happened to her. Any attempts to rescue her were successfully perverted by these demonic creatures who were used to push her down even deeper into the river of shame until, at
last, she was as much a part of that wretched river as the water itself.
My eyes then found another woman well advanced in age - her appearance was much the same as the young girl's. She looked at me with a
flicker of longing, but then the word 'abortion' flashed through her heart and mind, as though it were branded on her forehead. Shame filled her memory with thoughts of her past as I saw flashes of images of
unspeakable horror and then years of torment - torment that seemed to follow her like a welcomed friend.
I saw that many times the Lord had tried to remove this word from her heart, but she refused. Guilt forced her
to cling to self-hatred, tying her to her sin as if it defined her existence.
I then realized the river was teeming with women just like this woman who were held in bondage by their shame because of their guilt, with
the word 'abortion' consuming and destroying their lives and destinies. Then, suddenly, she pulled away from me and retreated into the throng of people.
I saw another man watching me from farther up the river
and was startled by his intense gaze. He looked desperate. I realized then that there was desperation spreading through the people that seemed to multiply before my eyes.
I could see the man was completely immobile
by what surrounded him. He could not move, but I watched him as he floated by me, pushed by the mob in the river. He was saying something to me, but I could not hear it. I saw only his lips mouthing the words, "Help
me!"
Instantly, my heart jumped to attention and my mind raced to think of what I could do to rescue the man. What did he need saving from? Indeed, though he led so many to the forgiveness he craved, I saw he
could not forgive himself. I saw the years that he had spent in the pastorate fleeing from the discovery of his hidden life. Indeed, his double life - the life he did not want to live and the life he longed to truly
live.
He was taken captive by a large demonic creature of lust and perversion that had complete control of him. It sat on his shoulders like a proud, disgusting mass. The creature was prideful of his prize, this poor
defeated pastor, whose wife defined sweetness and adored him so much. She prayed with all her heart for God to touch him and make him again into the man she once knew.
"Help me!" I saw him say again. My
heart was gripped with compassion for him and I cried to the Lord. "Oh, Jesus," I cried. "Can't we help that poor man? Jesus, help him, please."
Before Jesus could answer me, the river
suddenly came alive with activity. Over my cries to the Lord for help, the creatures in the water began to scream in unintelligible shrieks and howling. The sounds rippled through the water like waves and seemed to be
calling something.
Suddenly, from the sky across the river I saw a massive flying creature. It was enormous and flew with great speed directly at the river. The creatures in the river grew louder and louder with
their noise and seemed to be chanting something as they saw it approaching. They were greedy with excitement. The sound of them made me sick.
The creature flew across the river with a large rock in its tentacles, and
suddenly I realized what was about to happen. Anguishing fear gripped me, but there was no time to react.
I was filled with anger at the creatures in the river who were hungry for destruction. I watched as the
disgusting, winged creature flew directly at the pastor and launched his weapon at the man. The man did not even see it - his head was turned toward me as he continued to cry his mournful plea for help.
I screamed a
guttural cry from deep inside me as I saw the creature release the stone and watched as it struck the man directly in the head. In a flash he was gone... under the water... I did not see him emerge again.
Below is
the continuation of this vision...
This is a chapter out of Victoria Boyson's very popular and anointed book, Awakening: The Deep Sleep.
Also available is the second book in this exciting series, Revolution: The White Horse Rider.
 
The River's End
Victoria Boyson
www.victoriaboyson.com
Though you were once despised and hated, with no one traveling through you, I will make you beautiful forever, a joy to all generations. -Isaiah 60:15 NLT
Beloved continued, I sat for a moment, unable to breath, paralyzed by the scene I had witnessed. The river seemed to ripple with unholy howls and dark, gleeful jeers. The trees of the forest only a few feet away
from us seemed to laugh at me. The wicked flight of the flying creature made them bolder in their contempt. The strong gusts of wind caused by the flying creature blustered through the trees, giving them the
appearance of power.
I grew fearful as I watched them but, without saying a word, Jesus held out His hand and the trees instantly
stopped. Looking to Him for guidance, He seemed to be unmoved by the shocking scene we'd just witnessed. I was puzzled by His reaction, or lack thereof.
The more forlorn and despairing the river grew, the more intently Jesus looked out over the horizon at the rising sun. I wondered what it was He saw there.
As I looked to see what had captured His gaze, I saw what He saw. Far off, away in the distance, I saw the rays of the sun peaking out over the horizon. Though it was still only a dim glow, it seemed almost
smothered by a dark mist somehow emanating from the river, as if it were trying to dim the brightness of the sun's rising.
It was still very dark where we were and the light, at this point, only succeeded in reflecting faintly over the thick membrane of death that covered the river.
The Lord continued His intense watch of the horizon as the water looked nearly crammed with seemingly lifeless, hopeless people held captive by a horde of demonic creatures.
With the light of the sun, I felt the most fearful I had yet; with the sun's rays, I could see what was really in the water. An almost overwhelming hopelessness filled my heart now as I saw clearly the condition of the
people in the river.
I saw face after face of hopeless longing as they watched us pass by them in the water. Occasionally, a
demonic creature, seeing me, would grab onto the boat and try to climb in. But then, seeing the Lord with me, the creature slithered back down into the water.
Transfixed by the skyline ahead of us, Jesus was not afraid and did not even seem to notice the water or the activity around us.
The water in the river at this point was barely visible due to the massive throng of people wedged in it. They were packed together, carried along by the force of the crowd and the demonic creatures that held
them captive. The water was moving faster now and the people were pressed together mercilessly, all the time watching me with longing in their eyes.
At this point, the fog was lifting off the river and the people appeared to have a greater awareness of their surroundings. As we passed by, it looked like a greater number of the river's inhabitants were beginning to
sense danger ahead for themselves. It was as if the numbness they had felt gave birth to a sense of foreboding for the coming reality soon to follow.
More and more, a sense of fear took hold of them. Their dark captors increased in their arrogance over what they had accomplished through the grasp of the river's shame.
As fear mounted, the river's masses became even more frantic and watched us intently with agonized yearning. I watched them, too, wanting so much to help them but not knowing how. Our boat was moving
faster than the current, however, and we soon passed by them.
My heart was overwhelmed with the gravity of their plight, people being goaded along by demonic
creatures bent on their destruction. I tried to scream at them and tell them that they should fight back and get away, but the shame hanging over them perverted my screams into accusations of anger. They looked
terrified of me and tried to move away, but they were powerless.
We traveled some distance on the river when the small boat we rode in stopped and raised itself at the
Lord's command to stand near the river's edge and rest in the air over the river's path.
I watched the river of people as they continued to travel under the water's control. At length, the river was
overwhelmed by the magnitude of people in it, all wanting deliverance but not believing it was possible.
My heart was heavy - I could see an empty hunger in each heart and could feel the horror overtaking them.
As I looked across the sea of faces one by one, I was burdened by the emptiness in their eyes. Their life-stories all held similar burdens, with hopelessness running through them. Shame held them captive.
In actuality, the dark creatures possessed no great power to hold the people captive. But the masses were bound by the shame they had experienced, and they felt helpless to fight it.
I knew that if they could know Jesus as I did, they would be filled with His joyous love like I was. If they could understand the mysterious love of God, their lives would be full of His purpose for them and the
shame would be vanquished. Every terror they'd endured would be used for the glory of the kingdom of heaven.
As I tried to show them Jesus, in their despair they were frightened of Him. They thought He would hurt them; they could not look at Him without shame and remorse generating terrible pain.
The chilling winds blowing through that wretched forest made it nearly impossible to help them because of the fear that hung in those damp, black branches. I could see the fear overtake them and freeze cold the
sparks of love that flickered in their hearts.
I cried out again to the Lord and asked, "Oh, Jesus, what can we do to help these people?"
I was almost angry with Him now, because I didn't understand why He'd brought me to this place if I could not help the people. I knew there must be a purpose and that He must want me to help them somehow, but
how? "Why wasn't He stopping and helping them," I wondered in my heart.
The intensity of His countenance almost frightened me as He continued to stare toward the horizon. I felt
that He was directing my attention to follow His gaze. I began to look ahead to see what He was seeing.
I watched and as I did, my focus was urgently captivated by what I thought I saw up ahead. I stood
paralyzed, unable to believe what my eyes were seeing.
"Noooo!" I cried.
My heart, once alive with willingness to help, was now drowning in a sense of overwhelming helpless panic
- I saw the river's end.
The end of the river was much more shocking than the river itself. People, masses of people, were being
hoarded together and shoved relentlessly over a massive cliff to a bloody, rocky ravine below. Death was the goal.
It wasn't enough that the enemy was stealing their lives from them, he wanted to assure their eternal death - he wanted their souls.
Causing them to sin, then enslaving them to shame, he was able to imprison them in a cycle of fear and condemnation in which they were continually abused and ridiculed by those who held them captive and
used them like playthings.
Again and again they were unrelentingly violated until they were numb to the conditions they were living in
and the dark forces that could do as they pleased with them, doing all, not just to steal their joy but their very souls. Eternal death was a game to them and they enjoyed playing it.
I looked back at the river as those nearing the edge watched those at the edge plummet thousands of feet to their deaths. Panic gripped them when they realized there was no way they could escape the same fate.
They were doomed to death without deliverance - terror striking yet another blow, without hope.
Leaving the boat, I ran away from Jesus and back to the river's edge to those I could reach. I began to
scream at them - "Wake up! Stop! Get out!" Anything I could think of to get their attention, but they turned from me frightened even more by my aggressive, panicked countenance.
I panicked as I tried to think of what could be done for them. I looked to Jesus and He watched me with a look filled with thankful emotion.
I saw a small crowd of people on the other side of the river. I thought maybe they could help me reach these people, so I hollered to them to get their attention. However, when they looked toward the river, they
were filled with disgust at the sight of it. They seemed unconcerned by the condition of the people held captive and were angry with me and even cursed at me.
Pious revulsion stood before helpless depravity and I watched in disbelief.
Suddenly, I stepped back and my heart was filled with understanding. This was it! This was the reason
Jesus brought me here, why He made me feel the river's darkness and the forest's deception. I knew then the only way I could help the people was to awaken His bride. Without that, there was very little I could do.
The deep sleep had blinded the bride of Christ, catching them on a wheel of unending routine governed by the concerns of their own heart leading them nowhere.
It was then that I heard an echo in the wind and felt the warmth of the Lion's fire flow through me as I heard Him speak. "Awaken, My beautiful ones!" He whispered in joy-filled relief.
Again and again He spoke a word resounding through my being, "Awakening," again and again, just "Awakening," as if the universe joined Him in this historical exhortation.
Be sure to pick up Victoria Boyson's very popular and anointed book, Awakening: The Deep Sleep.
Also available is the second book in this exciting series, Revolution: The White Horse Rider.
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NEW Book by Victoria Boyson