Prophetic Significance of The Hunger Games - Part 1
The more I watched, the clearer it became.
Several months ago, I noticed what I believe is a significant and relevant prophetic message that is hidden in plain sight in the storyline of the blockbuster Hunger Games film series. Until now, I’ve only shared this with one or two close friends. I wasn’t going to write about it at all, but the message of the second Hunger Games film, “Catching Fire”, seems to be playing itself out now in the headlines of our daily newspapers and in the lead stories of our nightly TV news broadcasts, and it is a call to action. Whether or not you have ever seen the films, or ever intend to see them, the message that is contained in the second Hunger Games film is an urgent call to action that the Christian Church must understand and act upon in order to protect and support what God has begun to do in America and in the world.
God’s message… in a secular film?
I don’t go to movies. My friends make fun of me because I am often the only person they know who has not seen the latest films that are popular with the kids these days. When The Hunger Games was released, I wrote it off as something that I would never choose to see because, from the little that I had heard about it, the film just sounded like a story about a bunch of young people who killed each other for sport.
But after I heard more about The Hunger Games, I thought that there might be something more significant in the story it presented. I rented the first film in the series, and as I watched it at home, what seemed to be a hidden prophetic message made itself more and more clear as I continued to watch each movie in the series.
But if God had a message to share with people, would He ever choose to deliver that message through a secular medium like a popular film?
A prophetic message… from Hollywood?
For centuries, God has used secular — and even ungodly — people and media to deliver true prophetic messages. Sometimes those messages have been intended for His closest followers, and sometimes those messages have been intended for nations, individuals or groups of people who did not even know God.
For example, before Jesus was crucified, Caiaphas, the high priest who conspired to kill Jesus, said something to his co-conspirators that the Bible acknowledges to be a true and accurate prophetic message in John 11:49-52 (AMP):
“But one of them, Caiaphas, who was the high priest that year [the year of Christ’s crucifixion], said to them, ‘You know nothing at all! Nor do you understand that it is expedient and politically advantageous for you that one man die for the people, and that the whole nation not perish.’ Now he did not say this [simply] on his own initiative; but being the high priest that year, he [was unknowingly used by God and] prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the nation, and not only for the nation, but also for the purpose of gathering together into one body the children of God who have been scattered abroad.”
Also, while Pilate, the governor, was considering a decision that could condemn Jesus to death, his wife received a prophetic warning that prompted her to send an urgent message to her husband:
“While he was sitting on the judge’s seat, his wife sent him a message that said, ‘Have nothing to do with that righteous man, because today I have suffered terribly due to a dream I had about him.’”—Matthew 27:19 (ISV)
There are many more examples of God giving true prophetic messages to people who were not following Him and did not have any relationship with Him at all.
In Genesis 20:3-7, God spoke directly to King Abimelech in a dream, giving him a stern warning of the consequences for taking Abraham’s wife for himself.
Laban the Syrian had a similar experience in Genesis 31:24. God spoke directly to Laban in a dream, warning him to be very careful what he said to Jacob, who would become one of the forefathers of the nation of Israel.
In the situation of Gideon, a judge of Israel, God gave a prophetic message to one of his enemies in a dream, and then allowed Gideon to be in the right place at the right time to hear the interpretation of that dream!
Gideon crept up just as a man was telling his companion about a dream. The man said, “I had this dream, and in my dream a loaf of barley bread came tumbling down into the Midianite camp. It hit a tent, turned it over, and knocked it flat!”
His companion answered, “Your dream can mean only one thing—God has given Gideon son of Joash, the Israelite, victory over Midian and all its allies!”
When Gideon heard the dream and its interpretation, he bowed in worship before the Lord. Then he returned to the Israelite camp and shouted, “Get up! For the Lord has given you victory over the Midianite hordes!”—Judges 7:13-15 (NLT)
God even opened the eyes of Balaam’s donkey in Numbers, chapter 22, and allowed the donkey to see a supernatural vision that stopped him in his tracks and saved Balaam’s life.
In the New Testament, God used a rooster to remind Peter of a prophetic message that Jesus Himself had given Him just a short time before.
We’re exhorted to “take a lesson from the ants, you lazybones. Learn from their ways and become wise!” (Proverbs 6:6 NLT)
God delivers powerful, important messages through believers, through non-believers, through animals and even through nature and inanimate objects!
We are told in Psalm 19 that:
“The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship. Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known. They speak without a sound or word; their voice is never heard. Yet their message has gone throughout the earth, and their words to all the world.” (NLT)
Do you remember the wise men who came to honor the newborn Jesus? They were guided to His birthplace by a star! (Matthew 2)
“The heavens proclaim his righteousness”—Psalm 97:6 (NLT)
Job exhorts us in Job 12:7-8 (NLT):
“Just ask the animals, and they will teach you. Ask the birds of the sky, and they will tell you. Speak to the earth, and it will instruct you. Let the fish in the sea speak to you.”
It’s perfectly within the realm of God’s communication that He would use secular media like blockbuster movies to deliver true prophetic messages. God can and sometimes does, use any vessel of His choosing to deliver accurate prophetic messages. It does not have to be pure, holy or godly. There are vessels to honor and vessels to dishonor, but all can be vessels used by God for His purposes. (2 Timothy 2:20; Romans 9:21)
Jesus told us clearly in the book of Luke that if His people do not speak when God prompts them to, then God can even use rocks to deliver His message.
Some of the Pharisees said to Jesus, “Teacher, tell your followers not to say these things!”
But Jesus answered, “I tell you, if my followers don’t say these things, then the stones will cry out.”—Luke 19:39-40 (ICB)
God can use anyone and anything at any time to deliver His messages. Ordinary people who do not even have a close relationship with God can be used by God to deliver powerful, accurate prophetic messages. In the Old Testament, Saul experienced this more than once! The first time he experienced this, the prophet Samuel described exactly how it would happen to him in 1 Samuel 10 (NLT):
“When you arrive at Gibeah of God, where the garrison of the Philistines is located, you will meet a band of prophets coming down from the place of worship. They will be playing a harp, a tambourine, a flute, and a lyre, and they will be prophesying. At that time the Spirit of the Lord will come powerfully upon you, and you will prophesy with them. You will be changed into a different person. After these signs take place, do what must be done, for God is with you. Then go down to Gilgal ahead of me. I will join you there to sacrifice burnt offerings and peace offerings. You must wait for seven days until I arrive and give you further instructions.”
As Saul turned and started to leave, God gave him a new heart, and all Samuel’s signs were fulfilled that day. When Saul and his servant arrived at Gibeah, they saw a group of prophets coming toward them. Then the Spirit of God came powerfully upon Saul, and he, too, began to prophesy. When those who knew Saul heard about it, they exclaimed, “What? Is even Saul a prophet? How did the son of Kish become a prophet?”
And one of those standing there said, “Can anyone become a prophet, no matter who his father is?” So that is the origin of the saying “Is even Saul a prophet?”
After He became king, Saul experienced this again! And this time, several men in his army experienced the same thing!
So David escaped and went to Ramah to see Samuel, and he told him all that Saul had done to him. Then Samuel took David with him to live at Naioth. When the report reached Saul that David was at Naioth in Ramah, he sent troops to capture him. But when they arrived and saw Samuel leading a group of prophets who were prophesying, the Spirit of God came upon Saul’s men, and they also began to prophesy. When Saul heard what had happened, he sent other troops, but they, too, prophesied! The same thing happened a third time. Finally, Saul himself went to Ramah and arrived at the great well in Secu. “Where are Samuel and David?” he demanded.
“They are at Naioth in Ramah,” someone told him.
But on the way to Naioth in Ramah the Spirit of God came even upon Saul, and he, too, began to prophesy all the way to Naioth! He tore off his clothes and lay naked on the ground all day and all night, prophesying in the presence of Samuel. The people who were watching exclaimed, “What? Is even Saul a prophet?”—1 Samuel 19:18-24 (NLT)
Can God really use anybody at any time to deliver His messages? Is it really possible to hear true messages from God that are delivered through ungodly, secular media?
Not only is it possible, but God promised us that this would happen! Look closely at what the Apostle Peter said in Acts 2:17 (ERV):
“God says: In the last days I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your young men will see visions. Your old men will have special dreams.”
The real question is not “Will God speak to us this way?”, but “Will we hear God when He speaks?”
