Fire & Awe: The Pillar Over Lake Superior
Divine synchronicity, angelic presence, and a midnight pillar of fire — the first of three pilgrimages to the Northwoods
Before I begin this section it should be noted that it would be nearly impossible for me to document all of the strange, supernatural events that happened to me on any of my three pilgrimage trips...
In July of 2023, I set out on what I thought would be a long summer road trip with my wife — a blend of beauty, hiking, and rest. But what unfolded was far more than a trip. It was a pilgrimage ordered by Heaven, one that would mark me with signs, numbers, and encounters so precise I could not dismiss them.
Months earlier, I had received a vivid dream: my Range Rover's odometer would hit 57,000 miles at a moment of divine significance. I didn't know the meaning, but I sensed God's hand on it. Later, another dream showed a computer calendar repeatedly glitching to July 7. Heaven was circling a date, and I knew I was being summoned north.
"The Lord went ahead of them. He guided them during the day with a pillar of cloud, and he provided light at night with a pillar of fire."
— Exodus 13:21
But the clearest signal came on April 14, 2023. That night I dreamed that I was speaking with the CEO of a major company — whom I understood symbolically as God the Father. As the dream ended, He said to me:
"I will return in exactly 90 days."
Ninety days from April 14 was July 14. The precision stunned me. I knew this pilgrimage would unfold in a tightly timed window.
When the day came, I obeyed. My wife and I packed up and drove into the wilderness of the Upper Midwest, toward the vast waters of Lake Superior.
July 1 — The Ears to Hear
On or around July 1, my wife and I began a long-awaited vacation in Door County, Wisconsin—a serene and scenic peninsula known for its bluffs, harbors, and quiet beauty.
It felt like the perfect destination for a couples' getaway.
We checked into a charming lodge perched high above Green Bay, with balconies overlooking the blue shimmer of Lake Michigan.
Upon arrival, we did what every traveler does—unloaded luggage, carried bags up and down stairs, and began settling into our room.
That's when something unusual happened.
As I entered the bedroom, I noticed a small plastic case placed neatly on the bedspread. Inside was an ear-cleaning instrument—a simple tool I rarely use and certainly never travel with. I was startled to see it. I couldn't recall the last time I'd even touched it, nor could I remember where it was kept at home.
Puzzled, I asked my wife, who was sitting outside on the balcony enjoying the view, if she had brought it along or set it on the bed. She looked confused. "What are you talking about?" she asked.
In that moment, I was perplexed.
- Did I pack it by accident? Impossible.
- Could it have fallen out of a jacket or backpack? Unlikely.
As I stood there staring at the small object, I suddenly heard the unmistakable still, small voice of the Holy Spirit:
"Kraig, I am going to clean out your spiritual ears on this trip."
A jolt of awe ran through me. I was stunned—and yet deeply joyful. God had spoken with precision, using a simple, unexpected object to deliver a message: this trip would not merely be a time of rest, but a time of spiritual cleansing and renewal of hearing.
That was the first sign that something extraordinary was about to unfold.
Prophetic Reflection
God often uses simple, natural symbols to signal moments of spiritual preparation. What seems ordinary to the eye can carry extraordinary meaning when the Spirit breathes upon it. The unexpected appearance of that ear-cleaning instrument was not coincidence—it was a prophetic act, a divine metaphor. God was revealing His intention to remove spiritual buildup, to sharpen my hearing, and to tune my heart once again to His frequency. When Heaven speaks, even the smallest objects can become instruments of revelation.
Spiritual Application
- God Speaks Through the Ordinary: What seems like coincidence—a misplaced object, a lyric, a phrase—may carry divine intent when our hearts are tuned to listen.
- Hearing Begins with Humility: Before God sharpens our spiritual ears, He often first reminds us to slow down, quiet the noise, and make space for His whisper.
- Every Trip Can Become a Turning Point: Seasons of rest are often God's chosen settings for renewal. When we least expect it, He prepares to restore what routine has dulled.
Pause & Reflect:
Have you noticed God trying to get your attention through something ordinary—an object, a phrase, a song, or even a coincidence that refused to feel random?
Journal Prompt:
Record a recent moment that felt like more than chance. Ask the Holy Spirit to show you whether it carried a message meant to tune your spiritual hearing or renew your awareness of His nearness.
Prayer:
Father, Thank You for speaking in ways that surprise me. Open my spiritual ears to hear You clearly—even in the smallest moments. Remove the buildup of distraction, pride, or unbelief, and help me recognize Your voice in all things. Let this season be one of cleansing, renewal, and deeper communion with You.
July 7 — The Fire on the Shore
After dinner on July 6, I spent the evening preparing for our road trip the next morning. I packed clothes, loaded the Range Rover, and finalized our route in the GPS. Then it struck me—tomorrow, July 7, my odometer would reach 57,000 miles. Remembering how unmistakably God had underscored this date in earlier dreams, I felt both anticipation and awe. Something about the timing carried divine weight.
After a good night's rest, we departed early the next morning—now July 7. While driving along a quiet county road in rural Wisconsin, I noticed two things: the outside temperature read 77 degrees, and the odometer would hit 57,000 miles within the next half hour. My wife slept peacefully in the passenger seat, but I was wide awake, my spirit humming with expectancy. My palms grew sweaty as the numbers aligned on the dashboard—symbols of a divine countdown I couldn't ignore.
At the exact moment the odometer turned 57,000, I spotted a tiny gas station in a one-stoplight town—so small it didn't even offer pay-at-the-pump service. You simply filled your tank, then walked inside to pay. I pulled up, left the meter reading exactly 57,000, and went inside to use the restroom, buy a cold bottle of water, and take a breath.
What happened inside that small, country gas station is something I still can't fully describe. I encountered what I can only call an angelic presence—a moment so strange and charged with power that even now, I struggle to understand it. But it was real. Heaven had broken into an ordinary moment on an ordinary road.
That evening, we arrived at our destination on 7-Mile Road, at exactly 7:00 PM. The dashboard still read 77 degrees. The alignment of numbers was no coincidence—it felt like the completion of a divine countdown. God had synchronized time, temperature, and geography to announce His presence.
Later that night, after my wife had gone to bed, I sensed a quiet prompting from the Holy Spirit:
"Stay awake until midnight."
So I obeyed. I sat on the balcony of our lodge overlooking the dark expanse of Lake Superior. The night was cold, damp, and utterly still. By 11:50 PM, shivering and weary, I nearly gave up. But deep inside, a whisper urged, Wait.
At 11:59 PM, it happened.
Across the distant shoreline, a pillar of fire appeared—brilliant against the black sky, pulsing with color and movement. It advanced slowly until it hovered just beyond the balcony—no more than a hundred feet away.
It was beautiful.
It was terrifying.
It was holy.
And then—in an instant—it vanished.
A Moment of Holy Terror
The moment the pillar disappeared, I felt my spirit lift from my body, as though I were being drawn into another realm. The sensation was powerful—like atmospheric pressure shifting all around me.
Terrified, I resisted. I don't know whether it was fear that pulled me back or mercy that restrained the experience. Within moments, it lifted. Trembling, I went inside, changed clothes, and fell into a deep sleep filled with dreams—too many to record.
Trembling, I went inside, changed clothes, and fell into a deep sleep filled with dreams—too many to record.
The Dreams of July 6
The next day, I realized that I had recorded twenty dreams from the early morning hours of July 6, the night before our departure. I hadn't yet taken time for prayerful, biblical interpretation of them. As I began reviewing, one theme stunned me.
Throughout the night, a rock song from the 1970s—"Lido Shuffle" by Boz Scaggs—had swirled in and out of my dreams. I barely remembered the song itself, so I looked up its meaning. To my astonishment, I discovered that the word "Lido" in Italian means "shore."
The confirmation was breathtaking. Less than twenty-four hours earlier, I had stood on a balcony overlooking the shore of Lake Superior and watched a pillar of fire descend upon the water at midnight.
But that wasn't all. In another dream from the early hours of July 6, I had seen angels approach me with a fragmented phrase:
"Tent of Meeting."
The next day, as I searched the Scriptures, the pieces fell into place. The Pillar of Fire by night and the Pillar of Cloud by day—together with the Tent of Meeting—were visible manifestations of God's presence that guided Israel through the wilderness after their exodus from Egypt.
The pattern was unmistakable. God was announcing His presence, His guidance, and His covenant faithfulness—just as He had with Moses and the people of Israel.
Prophetic Reflection
This encounter echoes Hebrews 12:18–24, where Mount Sinai trembled with fire, yet points forward to Mount Zion, where that same divine fire now dwells among the redeemed. The same holy flame that once signaled separation now signals invitation—a call into deeper communion and consecration. God still manifests His presence to awaken His people, to restore reverent fear, and to confirm that He is guiding us by His own light.
Spiritual Application
God confirms His word through layers of meaning. What began as numbers, mileage, and temperature unfolded into Scripture, dreams, and visible fire—each echoing the same message: "I am with you." The convergence was not coincidence but confirmation.
He still speaks through the natural to reveal the supernatural. A song lyric, a number sequence, or a forgotten dream can carry divine intelligence when illuminated by the Spirit. What seems trivial to the flesh can thunder with meaning to the awakened heart.
Obedience opens the window to encounter. If I had gone to bed that night instead of waiting until midnight, I might have missed the moment entirely. God's invitations often arrive quietly, disguised as simple instructions: "Wait."
Prophetic moments require stewardship. Recording, praying, and discerning are vital. Revelation matures only when it is written, revisited, and aligned with Scripture.
The Lord went ahead of them. He guided them during the day with a pillar of cloud, and he provided light at night with a pillar of fire. This allowed them to travel by day or by night. And the Lord did not remove the pillar of cloud or pillar of fire from its place in front of the people.
— Exodus 13:21-22
Pause & Reflect:
When has God used something ordinary—a lyric, a number, or a coincidence—to whisper His presence to you? Did you treat it as random, or did you lean in and listen?
Journal Prompt:
Recall a recent moment of subtle divine alignment. Write it down. Ask the Holy Spirit to show you whether it carried an instruction, a comfort, or a warning.
Prayer:
Father, open my eyes to the ways You speak—through creation, through patterns, through dreams, and through Scripture. Teach me to pause when You whisper and to wait when You say "Wait." Cleanse my ears to hear You clearly, and purify my heart so I can steward revelation with humility and awe. Let every encounter, large or small, lead me closer to the fire of Your presence.
July 14 — Apostolic Restoration
Exactly 90 days after the April 14 dream, I realized that our next lodging stop placed us near the Apostle Islands. At that moment, the Spirit whispered:
"I am restoring the full offices of My Church — apostle, prophet, pastor, teacher, evangelist."
The precision of the April 14 dream now struck me in full. What I thought was coincidence was, in fact, prophetic geography. God had not only spoken about timing — He had ordered the location.
This pilgrimage was not random sightseeing. It was a prophetic rehearsal of God's intent to restore apostolic order to His Body.
July 21 — Signs on the Journey Home
Even on the return trip, Heaven's fingerprints did not fade.
58,700 Miles: At a random glance at the odometer, I caught this exact number — another reminder that God was still counting my steps with precision.
Mt. Horeb, Wisconsin: Passing through this small town unexpectedly, I exploded with joy and Holy Spirit anointing. It felt like a nod to the biblical Mount Horeb, where God revealed Himself to Elijah in the whisper after wind, earthquake, and fire.
Prophetstown, Illinois: Later the same day, I passed through Prophetstown. Again, joy and the Spirit surged through me. I thanked God quietly that my wife, asleep in the passenger seat, did not have to witness my unusual, enthusiastic response.
These return-trip signs confirmed what the entire pilgrimage had been about: God was speaking through time, numbers, and geography, weaving a thread of prophetic markers from beginning to end.
Immediate Impact
The fiery cloud seared itself into my spirit. I could not explain it, but I could not forget it.
The trance reminded me that I live much closer to the unseen realm than I often realize. The Apostle Islands revelation showed me that God's prophetic order is rising again in His Church. And the return-trip markers reassured me that the same God who met me on July 7 and July 14 was still speaking all the way home.
Heaven was not random. Heaven was precise.
The 90-Day Prophecy
Dream of CEO (God the Father) saying 'I will return in exactly 90 days' - pointing to July 14.
Spiritual Ears Cleaned
Mysterious appearance of ear-cleaning instrument with Holy Spirit's message about cleansing spiritual hearing.
Dreams of 'Lido Shuffle' and Tent of Meeting
Twenty dreams including recurring song about 'shore' and angelic message about Tent of Meeting.
The Pillar of Fire
Odometer hits 57,000 miles at 77 degrees. Pillar of fire appears over Lake Superior at midnight. Near-translation experience.
Apostle Islands Revelation
Exactly 90 days after April 14 dream. Revelation about restoration of fivefold ministry offices.
Return Journey Signs
Odometer at 58,700 miles. Passing through Mt. Horeb and Prophetstown with Holy Spirit confirmation.
Prophetic Reflection
This pilgrimage revealed truths I had only begun to grasp:
God exists outside of time. He not only knows the past, present, and future — He witnesses them all at once. Time is His servant, not His master.
Numbers can be prophetic. The 57,000 and 58,700 odometer markers were more than mile counts. Arriving at my destination on 7-Mile Road at exactly 7:00 PM and 77 degrees was significant. They were reminders of His precision.
Geography can be prophetic. The Apostle Islands pointed to the restoration of fivefold ministry. Mt. Horeb recalled God's whisper. Prophetstown reminded me of His prophetic voice still guiding.
Wilderness is sacred training ground. Just as Moses met God on Sinai and Elijah encountered Him in the desert, my wilderness journey became my own "Tent of Meeting."
God still reveals Himself in fire. From the burning bush to Pentecost, fire has marked His presence. This cloud of fire was not metaphor. It was manifestation.
The near-translation was training. The veil between Heaven and Earth is thinner than we think. God was preparing me for a lifestyle in which divine transportations and supernatural encounters would no longer be theory but possibility.
As I reflected on the fiery cloud, the numbers, and even the near-translation, the Spirit reminded me: these were God's acts. Awe-inspiring, yes — but not the end. Like Moses on Sinai, God was calling me beyond the fire into His ways. The real miracle was not the cloud I saw, but the intimacy He was inviting me to walk in.
Reflection Box: Beyond the Fire
The fiery cloud, the sevens, the trance — these were God's acts. But like Moses at Sinai, the Spirit was whispering: "Do not stop at the fire. Press into My ways."
The real miracle was not what I saw, but what He was inviting me to know.
Spiritual Application
Pilgrimage #1 teaches us that:
God orchestrates with breathtaking precision. Pay attention to times, numbers, and alignments.
Obedience opens encounter.
Fear can limit what God wants to do.
Geography can preach. Even place-names may carry prophetic meaning.
Wilderness seasons are not delays. They are appointments.
Encounters often exceed what can be recorded. Sometimes the sheer scale of God's activity is meant not to be catalogued but to leave us in awe.
The Body of Christ is being restored to full maturity — apostle, prophet, pastor, teacher, evangelist.
What began on that first pilgrimage left me trembling. The fire, the numbers, the near-translation — it was more than signs, it was revelation. God is not random. He is holy, terrifyingly near, and utterly precise. But as overwhelming as that summer was, it was only the beginning. The journey of pilgrimage was not a one-time event. God was drawing me into an unfolding curriculum. If 2023 was about His Presence in fire, the next chapter would reveal His voice in prophecy.