Opening the Gates of Heaven Perry Stone

Many years ago a noted television minister fell into a sin that was publicized to the world, devastating the body of Christ and shocking sinners. The fallout was so intense that thousands quit attending churches and many disappointed people said they would never watch another television minister again. I commented to my wife, “Would it have been better for the Lord to take this person on before this terrible sin developed in his life?” The event made me think of King Hezekiah, who was told he was going to die and then prayed for a life extension. God added fifteen more years to his life (Isa. 38:5). After he was healed, Hezekiah invited several Babylonian ambassadors to see all of the wealth in his house and the temple. He revealed God’s secrets to the enemy. Afterward Isaiah the prophet rebuked the king and informed him that in the future the Babylonians would invade and destroy Jerusalem, taking Hezekiah’s future seed (descendants) captive and seizing the golden treasures and sacred vessels of God’s house. (See 2 Kings 20.) I have pondered over the fact that if Hezekiah had died with the sickness, then the Babylonians would not have visited him, and the gold of the temple would have remained hidden from public eyes. Eventually, destruction would have come, but would it have been delayed? Was the extension of his life a negative result for Israel, opening the door to the Babylonians? It is a theological debate. I knew one minister who always said that he would prefer the Lord to take him on early rather than let him live