THE UNUSUAL PROMOTION
OF AN END-TIME GENERAL

By Jim Bramlett

A supernatural event took place as the clock struck 11:45 a.m. Eastern time on August 14, 1999. Heaven opened. One of God's chosen entered.

After a long illness, my dear friend Pastor Michael Wayne Richmond (Mike) of Cocoa, Florida, age 60, was transferred from Earth to paradise to be with Jesus, his Lord whom he loved so much and served for so long. Mike knew that on the cross, Jesus had paid the price for his passage.

Normally, someone's passing from this world to the next is not particularly newsworthy. However, this event was unusual because prior to Mike's departure, God gave some amazing supernatural revelations to him, his wife Barbara, and others.

People around the world know Barbara Richmond from her ministry of For Your Glory, Inc., an international ministry recently in Israel, Europe, New Zealand, Africa and Brazil. She and Mike founded this ministry.

Mike had served the Lord for some 30 years. He was an outstanding teacher of God's Word, with excellent insights and the gift of communicating them in an understandable and interesting way. A copy of Mike's outstanding teaching tape about the Holy Spirit, "The Promise of the Father,"
is available through Barbara's Web site (see below).

Why was Mike "an end-time general"? I will explain in a moment. But in military terminology, along with Mike's promotion, this "end-time general" received a PCS, or permanent change of station. His address and "duty station" changed from planet Earth to heaven. And as with other military
promotions and relocations, Mike's responsibilities have greatly increased.  How do we know? Well, that's what makes this story so interesting!

BARBARA'S DREAM. In early June, 1999, Barbara had a dream about Mike. He was dressed in a military uniform, with five stars on his shoulders, the highest possible military rank. He was sitting at a desk, and issuing orders to angels who were coming and going. She shared the dream with
Mike, but neither knew what it meant. Barbara thought it had to do with Mike's long-term ministry of intercession. But that interpretation would soon be radically changed.

For some time Mike had not been well, but he kept working and fulfilling his duties at two churches. However, on June 17, 1999, Mike, who had been lying down, called Barbara from the kitchen. Barbara found him weeping, but with an inexplicable radiance on his face. He began to speak, "The Lord has just visited me, Barbara. He's called me home." Over the next few minutes he shared all that the Lord had told him, some of which he later shared with me.

FINAL INTERVIEW WITH MIKE. Exactly two weeks before Mike's departure from Earth, I was privileged to interview him in his home. He asked me to come over, telling Barbara, "Jim may be my last pulpit," knowing that I would honor his request and widely broadcast his message, as I am now doing. I recorded the following, which he wants shared. Obviously, to whomever may
be reading this: This message is to you from Mike.

He tearfully acknowledged that God had given him a very great honor and blessing, because before his departure, "He was giving me an opportunity to be like the patriarchs, to bless my children and my loved ones." Mike explained that God had given him the opportunity to write letters to each of
his children and bless them before he departed, like the patriarchs. He had spent the past several weeks doing that, getting his house in order, and getting ready.

Mike talked about his unusual June 17 encounter with the Lord shortly after Barbara's dream. He explained: "He (the Lord) told me that I had run my race and accomplished my purpose, and He was pleased." Mike knew he would be leaving soon. Many were ready to stand with Mike for his healing, but Mike said the Lord told him, "(This) has nothing to do with healing -- it has everything to do with my eternal purpose and call."

About Barbara's dream, Mike said, "He (God) explained the dream to me, pretty clearly." Mike said that God called him an "end-time general"! Mike explained, "Years ago, it was prophesied that I was an end-time general, but it didn't make any sense to me. A lot of these things you don't understand, and are understood only by hindsight. My initial attitude towards it was that it was really strange, because I knew me! I said to Barbara that if I am an end-time general, I feel sorry for God's army. I said, 'Wow, it must be worse than I thought it was!'" (Mike's typical humility and sense of
humor.) "I obviously didn't understand it," Mike said. But in this June 1999 visitation, he explained, "God said He had an assignment for me.

Mike continued, "He said I was an end-time general... and that He needed me in heaven." He explained again that the Lord was talking about the dream given to Barbara. He didn't know how many angels were involved but it was an angelic army. He said that God told him that heaven, "is not a place of idleness; it is the place of the highest level of ministry." Mike added, "Heaven is administrated by the saints, who are a very active part of what goes on."

ANGELS AND PEOPLE. Mike said that after this June experience with God, he and Barbara began to review angel references in the Scriptures, and their attention was drawn to several passages, one of which was in Revelation 19:10, where John is being given all the revelations of heaven. John fell down at the feet of the "angel" (some say) and worshipped him, but the presumed "angel" said, "Do not do that." Mike said that it is obvious from the wording that the being is a person, not an angel. The same is true for Revelation 22:9. In both, Mike points out that the being describes himself as "a fellow servant and your brethren"; and 22:9 adds, "and of your brethren the prophets" (NASB). "They (people in heaven) administrate," he said. "Study it for yourself and you'll see it... It is very clear. We have just not had eyes to see it."

About the angels, Mike said, "The army is waiting. Those are my boys. I don't know how this works as I have never done it before, but I figure every army should have a name, so I will call them 'Mike's Marauders!' We're going to kick some demon butt!" (Mike laughed through his great pain,
along with Barbara and I.)

A GROWING JOY. "The closer it gets, the more joy I feel on the inside," Mike said. "Obviously, it is very difficult in the natural. I don't underestimate that or put it down at all. It is very difficult, for me and for Barbara. But that's not all the time, just some of the time. At other times, it is great joy. The flesh is a difficult thing. Our greatest problem is the flesh, not the spirit."

Emotionally, Mike said, "He told me my mother was waiting for me, and my three kids (whom he and Barbara had lost many years ago). All my boys are waiting for me. I can't wait to see them."

A SHORT SEPARATION. In the June 17 encounter, the Lord had revealed to Mike that time was short, "Meaning my time, and time," he explained. He meant the end of the age as described in the Bible. The Lord said to Mike, "Truly I say to you, Earth's time is extremely short. Much is to be done in a very brief time as Earth measures time. You will see your wife and children again quite soon for I come quickly." I asked Mike for more insight. He replied, "He said it would be like a mission trip. Short. A lot will be accomplished in a short time."

I jokingly asked, "Did He give you a date?" Mike laughed heartily and exclaimed, "I knew you would ask that!" We all laughed. (The joy of the Lord was abundant even though Mike was in great pain and only had 14 days to live.) He added, "All I know is that things are very busy in heaven.
Very, very busy. It will be a short time."

In our conversation, Mike had suddenly digressed to make a very pointed remark to me personally. He looked at me with a glint in his eye and whispered very softly, "Keep doing what you are doing." Surprised, I said, "Huh?" He repeated it, this time out loud. The words were electrifying. I knew they were from the throne of God. At that time, Mike had one foot in glory and was hearing from God very clearly. This was very moving to me, because in 1993 God called me to actively proclaim the soon return of Christ, which I have been fervently doing ever since. In fact, that is how Mike and I met a few years ago. He had read one of my reports. Now, with this exhortation through Mike, God was confirming my calling and saying that time is, indeed, short, and for me to keep proclaiming.
By God's grace, I shall.

Let me reiterate here that Mike only had a few days to live. Not long after I left, he was sedated and unconscious almost constantly, and at the end lapsed into a coma. I had the rare privilege of speaking with this great saint of God in his few final conscious moments, on the very edge of
eternity, just before he would see the Lord Jesus face to face in all the Lord's glory. And I was able to audiotape his words! Later, as I am now reviewing the tape and typing this, I sense that Mike is actually speaking to me from heaven. I believe he is, in his now timeless dimension with God.

MIKE'S FINAL WORDS. "The ministry here on earth," Mike said, "is like that! (snapping his fingers), compared to the ministry in the millennium. My kids', our kids', main ministry is in the millennium, not here. This is preparation. It's ministry, but it's training , and preparation... We
always think that sanctification and training are just for the judgment and rewards, and it is, but what are the rewards? Jesus said it." Mike then quoted Jesus in Luke 19:14, where He says, "Because you have been faithful in a very little thing, be in authority over ten cities."

Mike continued, "Well, I'm totally blown away by God's way of picking people and, you know, preparing. It just doesn't fit. Like I said, if I'm an end-time general, God's army has got a problem. But, we judge after the flesh. We really can't see. We are going to be quite surprised.  It's the condition of the heart."

About his departure, Mike said, "I've had confirmations from all over the place." He explained how the Lord had shown others that he was going home even before he knew, although they did not tell him until afterward. He said that he had felt for a long time that he just didn't fit anywhere, and
the Lord showed him that this was his spirit -- that his spirit knew that this is not where he belongs, and that he was sensing in the spirit realm that he had another assignment, but he didn't interpret it properly. "My spirit was excited about that," Mike said, "but my flesh wasn't." Mike and
I discussed how a similar feeling is shared by all those who are looking for the Lord's return.

Mike mentioned that God's timing is always perfect, and how things have beautifully fallen into place for him recently. He was able to see his son recently get married; they were able for the first time to have a family photograph made; and other things have fallen into place. We spoke of how
hard it is for scattered families to get together, as he said, "to bring them all home." Mike ended the thought with one word: "Amazing."

These were Mike's last words to me. The interview ended abruptly due to Mike's sudden weakness and pain.

Mutual friend Pastor Mike Clayton had told me that he had never had a "vision" before. But he had his first one at Mike's memorial service on August 17, 1999. He saw the Lord Jesus and Mike overlooking and watching the service. Jesus had His arm around Mike. But when the congregation
began worshipping, he saw Mike back away so Jesus could receive all the honor.

Before he left, Mike told his dear wife, Barbara, "All I ask is that when I'm gone, you will devote yourself more than ever to preaching His Word throughout the world for time is short and there's much to do for the Kingdom of God." Barbara says, "We prayed together, yielding to the call
and will of the One to Whom we had committed our lives and Whom we pledged to serve together when we married nearly 29 years earlier."

"Thank you, Jesus, for Mike Richmond. We look forward to seeing him soon."

For the Web site of Barbara's ministry, "For Your Glory, Inc., Click here.