Super Bowl 52 filled with prophetic messages

God imparted many prophetic messages through Super Bowl 52 to those able to hear them.

It was a story of David against Goliath, an unknown second string quarterback, Nick Foles, against a superstar, five-time Super Bowl winner, Tom Brady. Even at age 40, Brady still led the NFL this season with 4,577 passing yards. Meanwhile, Foles only played in three games, replacing Eagles starting quarterback Carson Wentz after he was injured in game thirteen.

The Eagles had never won a Super Bowl before, while the Patriots had won five times, so the Eagles weren’t expected to win the game and their quarterback wasn’t expected to win the Super Bowl MVP Award, but they did and he did after he completed 28 of 43 passes for 373 yards, including three touchdowns.

In the Bible, eagles represent the prophetic ministry because of their keen eyesight, seeing things clearly from far away. Just as the Eagles arose to win the Super Bowl, the prophetic ministry is now arising in the earth to the place God intended, as foundations of the Church as recorded in Ephesians 2:20. The ministry of apostles and prophets were given by God as foundations for His house because they’re founded upon the solid rock of revelation, insights revealed to them directly by God, not just the written Word of God, but that’s the very thing that makes them seem spooky and weird to much of the Church, which is why they often get treated like outcasts.

It took 52 Super Bowls before the Eagles finally won one, but their long drought finally ended. In the same way, many of God’s people have patiently endured a long dry season of many losses and disappointments, filled with waiting and hoping, but not seeing the fulfillment of promises given to them by God long ago. Their story closely parallels the career of Eagles quarterback Nick Foles. After being drafted to play for them in 2012, he found himself falling way short of his NFL dreams, standing on the sidelines instead of on the field. By 2016, he had lost his love for the game and seriously considered quitting, as he explains here.

“A year ago. I wanted to retire from the NFL, and I really struggled. I couldn’t pick up a football for about eight months. I had no love for the game, and it was tough. I kept reading scripture, I kept praying, I kept asking God — and so many of us ask God for signs, we ask God, ‘Hey, please just put it on the wall, like, I want to know,’ but that’s not how it works. He’s not always going to do that. He was shaping me. He was bringing me down to my knees.”

He believes God said to him, “Hey, just take a step of faith. You’re either going to stop playing the game of football and you’re going to go onto a different area of your life and I’m going to be with you, I’m going to be the most important thing in your life, or you’re going to step back into football and you’re going to continue to play and I’m going to be with you every step of the way and you’re going to play to glorify me.” (Source: cbssports.com)

Looking back on his decision to return to football, he calls it “the greatest decision I ever made because of what I went through.” Out of those struggles, he returned with a “completely reinvigorated outlook on the game.”

Many of God’s people have felt like giving up, like their dreams were never going to be fulfilled, like God’s promises to them were just lies because they waited far longer than they ever imagined, yet it looked like nothing was happening and as far as they could tell, nothing was ever going to happen. Their faith level waned and their passion for God’s word grew cold, but now God has started doing a new thing, shifting the winds to blow in their favor, causing hope to arise in them once again. Like Nick Foles, their outlook is being completely reinvigorated.

Nick Foles was an unknown player, like so many who have answered the call of God, enduring His long training season. They’ve been hidden away from the eyes of the world, standing on the sidelines, because it has not been time yet for them to enter the game and run their plays. Nick Foles’ sudden promotion to starting quarterback late in the season represents the sudden promotion many of God’s people will receive in these last days. Their days of waiting patiently on the sidelines are soon coming to an end. Soon, God will put them in the game and when He does, they will find they have been well prepared.

Many expected Nick Foles to be rattled by the enormous spotlight of the whole world watching, but he was not rattled. Instead, he was focused on the game, even in the most crucial moments. In the same way, when God puts His people into their new positions, they will find God has trained them well. Their surroundings might change, but through it all, they’ll just keep doing what they’ve been doing all along, walking closely with God, holding His hand each day, only now they will hold more tightly than ever as their love for Him and their dependence on Him grows far beyond anything they’ve known before.

Like Nick Foles, they’ll look back on all they’ve endured and see how God was shaping them, bringing them to their knees, and they’ll know the only reason they’re still in the game is for His glory, to bring honor to His name.

Each team made one attempt to pass the ball to their quarterbacks in trick plays. The Patriots tried first and their veteran superstar Tom Brady was wide open, but he dropped the ball. Later, the Eagles ran a similar play, but Nick Foles did not drop it. He caught it and scored a touchdown. In the same way, many of the biggest names in the Church have dropped the ball by putting their ministries ahead of God. They’ve learned how to do church without Him, but God will not allow their mega churches and mega ministries to continue going their own way and doing their own thing. He is sending His holy fire to the earth in these last days and it will consume whatever stands in its’ way.

God is raising up a new generation of servants who are willing to follow Him wherever He goes. Unlike the old guard, they won’t be big name superstars. Their names will not even be known, but when the ball is thrown to them, they won’t drop it. They’ll catch the fire from heaven, the dreams, visions, words of knowledge, and promptings from the Holy Spirit, and by doing so, they will reap great rewards for God’s kingdom.

Late in the fourth quarter, the Eagles were losing. Trailing by one point, 32-33 with only 5 minutes left, they put together a game winning drive that nearly stalled at mid-field when they came up short on 3^rd down and were forced to go for it on 4^th down. They made it and went on to score the touchdown that put them ahead for good. In the same way, God’s righteous remnant won’t be moved by the way things appear to be, even when it looks like they’re in danger of losing. They’ll persevere until the end when the cross the goal line.

They won the game by exactly 8 points, 41-33. In the Bible, the number 8 represents new beginnings. For example, the 8^th day marks the start of each new week and 8 people were on Noah’s Ark. I believe the Eagles’ 8-point margin of victory confirmed this is the start of a new season, a new beginning for the prophetic eagles who will now begin to soar and also for those called to a Joseph ministry, as confirmed by the final score, 41-33. The modern-day Josephs are now arising, like Joseph did in Genesis 41:33.

Now let Pharaoh look for a man discerning and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt. (Genesis 41:33)

As the supreme leader of Egypt, Pharaoh represented God setting Joseph over the land of Egypt, sending him ahead of his brothers to make provision for them during a great famine. God is doing the same thing in this final generation, making provision for His people because a great famine is coming before He returns. Just as God prepared Joseph, putting him through many hardships for many years in preparation for his assignment, God has been preparing many trusted servants in our generation to step into similar roles as trusted stewards over a great wealth transfer, which is soon coming for the advancement of His kingdom, as recorded in scriptures such as Exodus 12:35-36, Proverbs 13:22, Isaiah 60:4-5, and Haggai 2:6-9.

Nick Foles was not his coach’s first choice. He was second string because another was more talented than he was. In the same way, many of those whom God is raising up in these last days were not His first choice. Many more distinguished, more intelligent, more charismatic, more successful people were called by God to serve Him, but they failed to answer the call, so the gifts God planned for them were given to others less qualified because they were willing and obedient to do what He asked them to do.

The Super Bowl victory ended the long drought for the Eagles and redeemed their 2004 loss in Super Bowl 39. They waited 14 years for a second chance to play in the Super Bowl against the team who beat them before, the New England Patriots. God often works in our lives in seven-year seasons and fourteen is seven times two, double sevens. Seven represents completion, so double sevens is a double completion, showing it is fully established, the old season has passed and the new has begun. For example, consider Abraham, the father of our faith. After trying on his own strength to fulfill God’s promise to him, his son Ishmael was born, but God’s promise was not fulfilled through Ishmael. Ishmael was 14 years old when Isaac, the son of the promise, came forth supernaturally from 90-year old Sarah whose womb had been dead many years.

Even though the Eagles were underdogs, they didn’t play like underdogs. They played like they expected to win, taking the game from the Patriots fearlessly and aggressively. For example, with just 38 seconds remaining in the first half, after driving all the way down to the one-yard line, they faced fourth down. Most teams would have played it safe and settled for a 3-point field goal, but the Eagles went for it with a trick play, throwing a one-yard touchdown pass to quarterback Nick Foles. After the game, commentator Chris Collinsworth said, “This play was for me what turned this football game around.”

When no one else believed, they still believed. A lot of people were surprised, but they weren’t surprised. In the same way, God has been preparing a people for Himself who will believe Him even when no one else does. By faith, they will receive the winning plays God has for them and will fearlessly and aggressively execute them exactly like He drew it up, not shrinking back in fear or doubt, but believing they can do it, and they’ll do it. Fears that bound them in the past, causing them to suffer losses, will not bind them any longer. All fear of man will be gone because they will seek to please God alone.

After the big victory, the Vince Lombardi trophy was presented to the Eagles.  When Coach Doug Pederson was asked about the game, he replied, “I can only give the praise to my Lord and savior, Jesus Christ.”

Next, they interviewed wide receiver Zach Ertz because he caught the winning touchdown pass. His answer was similar, “Glory to God first and foremost. We wouldn’t be here without Him.”

Finally, they brought up Nick Foles. Like his teammates, the first thing he said was, “All glory to God.”

For the first time ever, the Eagles are Super Bowl Champions. God is doing a new thing and it is happening now. (Isaiah 43:19)

Author: James Bailey

James Bailey is an author, business owner, husband and father of two children. His vision is to broadcast the good news of Jesus Christ through blog sites and other media outlets.

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