I am a serious history buff. My mom was a dynamic history and English teacher and all her love for history rubbed off on me. My mom did not just “teach”us history, she would “show” us history. She would load us in the family car and drive us to Boston, Philadelphia or Plymouth. She would take us to museums and historic sites. I “lived” history and to this day that is my approach.

My wife got got recently “hooked” on this TV series about treasure hunting in the ocean, turning up sunken ships and submarines and pulling treasure out of them. It is kind of ironic that today I found myself reading this headline. 1,000 Ounces Of Gold Recovered From 1857 Shipwreck. The second I saw the headline, things starting pinging on my “radar”. I knew there was something prophetic, something hidden. I began to do my research. When I saw the headlines, my mind began to to see the recovery of wealth that was coming.

1857, 157 years ago. There is nothing magical about the number. (Unless you are talking real life, 157 is a prime number. The next prime is 163 and the previous prime is 151, with which 157 form a sexy prime triplet. Taking the arithmetic mean of those primes yields 157, thus it is a balanced prime.)

Or is there? Why now? Why this year? There is something pretty unusual about this. The other day a friend told me there is more coin in the earth hidden, than in circulation. (I could only find one reference to that.) There are hidden things being revealed. More and more. Revelations, inventions, wonders. (Only yesterday I saw the article where a man said he found the “citadel of David”. True? Time will tell, but it is still treasure being unlocked and revealed.)

The panic of 1857
Let me share a little history on 1857, the ship and the events. In 1857 a financial crisis began. Financial panic came because of the declining international economy and over-expanded domestic economy of the US. Laws began to be passed in our country as well as others for gold to back money in circulation. That law creation set off panic in Britain. Grain prices were dropping. And then the sinking of the SS Central America added to the panic. As banks in New York awaited the ship’s delivery of gold, the ship sank with 30,000 pounds of gold . A bank run began. People panicked. Their investments were falling. (Many things would not resolve until after the Civil War.)

The ship that has been recovered is the SS Central America. 157 years later. (It had been found in 1988 but only now is the project being resolved. Corruption and theft accompanied the previous expeditions.) 1,000 ounces. (One thousand often speaks from a biblical perspective of divine completeness.)

We are in the midst of what the world calls economic crisis. But I believe the recovery of this gold is just the beginning of found “treasure”. That we are in the midst of move of God through His people in preparation for what the world will call amazing. It is clear to me that God has “hidden” away revelation until this time. He has allowed for a hiding away of people for this time. People will seemingly appear on a world stage with inventions and discoveries, solutions and cures. Right now we are in “treasure hunting” mode as a people, but soon we will see the fullness. And then operations and methods will change.

I have watched the Odyssey group uncover and pull from the sea as they pull from the wreckage of the SS Central America. The word “odyssey” can mean a spiritual wandering or a quest.

Today, God is revealing treasure to His people. Some of that treasure is found in people. Other treasure is found in the earth. Answers are coming to change nations. As it is said, “…for such a time as this.” Finances are important, but what is coming, what is being revealed is far greater, far more earth changing. Even as “new gold” is revealed in storms, so is new treasure revealed in crisis and the storms we have encountered.

Years ago, David Wagner said to me, “ you understand the mysteries of the histories” I believe this is one of them. Even as I began my walk yesterday and found a penny, I heard the words of the Carpenters. “We’ve only just begun…” I thought that sounded a lot like God. Today is your beginning, but it began a long, long time ago. The “we” is important. God is knitting the “me’s” to create “we’s”.

God is hovering over a darkened waters and He is bringing order…His order, to a faceless earth in you. He is begun a odyssey in you, to uncover the treasures of your life, that have lain dormant, without purpose. The purpose of these treasures in you is to create wealth in the metron or measure He has assigned you. All of creation is within you, all of heaven to be uncovered in you.

My heart is that you would undo the panic that surrounds you. (Perfect love casts out fear.) That you would seek the treasures that have been hidden. (God is the God of revelation or uncovering.) And that you would see you purpose in the earth. (God said He knew the plans He had for you. Not of destruction but of goodness.)

Page Smith in 1981 history, called this period before and after the sinking, “a time when the nation came of age”. A coming of age is a time when “boy becomes man” in Hebrew culture. All of earth is groaning for the appearance of mature “sons of God”. Perhaps in her groaning she is releasing the treasures of maturity….

Be on the look out for the headlines that “point” to God. They are on the increase!

Lee is on staff and leads the prophetic teams at The Village Church.