A Thrilling Conclusion to “Prophecy Odyssey” in New York

There’s something especially thrilling about worshiping God with other devoted Christians, but that excitement is magnified when you realize you are part of something that is reaching people all around the world for Christ. Prophecy Odyssey was just such an experience for the nearly 2,500 people who attended the final weekend of meetings at the Manhattan Center in midtown Manhattan. 

Attendees came from all over the surrounding areas and as far away as Canada, Indonesia, England, and New Zealand to hear Doug Batchelor, president of Amazing Facts International, present the final meetings in the Prophecy Odyssey series. Their faith in God’s Word was reaffirmed through Pastor Doug’s powerful messages about end-time prophecy. Attendees were also treated to beautiful music presented by Jacqueline Jewel and Pastor John Lomacang. 

The audience thrilled as Pastor Bianel Lara, the personal ministries director for the Greater New York Conference, reported that there had already been 251 baptisms in connection with Prophecy Odyssey. (Since then, an additional 70 have been baptized or joined the church by profession of faith.) A Chinese church and a Spanish church have also been planted in Manhattan.

The excitement grew even further when Pastor Doug announced that the meetings had received 35 million views online (which have since increased to over 45 million), as well as having been broadcast live all around the world on 3ABN, Hope Channel International, and even TBN. 

A Massive Project

“From the outset, this project terrified me,” says Pastor Doug. “It was one of the most complicated and expensive programs Amazing Facts has ever taken on, so it was definitely a faith venture. But by God’s grace, Prophecy Odyssey went exceptionally well. I know that its success was in response to many prayers, careful planning, and hard work.”

Hosting an evangelistic series in New York City required extensive planning and a huge budget. Planning began over a year and a half ago and has involved marketing campaigns, preparing to record and broadcast in 4K, producing a new series of Bible studies, coordination with local churches, and more. It was a project that stretched every member of the Amazing Facts team. 

The marketing team put together strategic advertising that included targeted email blasts, promotion on social media, and placement of television and radio spots in New York City and the surrounding areas. They also enlisted the enthusiastic help of local church members. All the effort paid off in high attendance at the nightly local meetings. 

The media team’s planning yielded meetings that ran smoothly and were visually compelling. The huge LED screen created an engaging backdrop, and the use of augmented reality allowed life-size illustrations to magically appear on stage beside Pastor Doug. 

“The media team captured not just images but lives and emotions,” says Pastor Doug. “From the bustling streets of New York City to people’s expressions each night, the images they captured wove a visual tapestry that touched hearts. Their dedication, adjusting lights and sound, running cables, and managing effects and graphics transformed mere pixels into messages of hope.”

The live broadcasts in English and Spanish were sent via the internet to 3ABN, Hope Channel International, TBN, AFTV, YouTube, and social media, enabling millions worldwide to watch simultaneously. The meetings were also translated into 16 additional languages using artificial intelligence technology and are available at prophecyodyssey.com.

New York City to the World 

“We chose New York as the base for this global broadcast because it is the world’s most recognizable city,” explains Pastor Doug. “We felt that filming here would provide the perfect platform for reaching around the world.”

But New York is far more than just a great location for recording a series about end-time events. It is also a city deeply in need of Jesus. “New York City is such a melting pot of people from all over the world,” says Wayne Leman, Prophecy Odyssey producer. “We felt that God was leading us here because it was a place where we could reap a great harvest for the Lord.”

Adds Pastor Doug, “I grew up here in New York, so to come back here again and share the gospel in my hometown is really close to my heart.” Pastor Doug has preached in New York several times. He preached the Millennium of Prophecy series in 1999 and Day to Remember in 2001, just two months after the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center.

To ensure that Prophecy Odyssey reached as many people as possible in New York City, Amazing Facts worked with the local Sabbath-keeping churches to hire 18 individuals who gave Bible studies in the weeks leading up to the series. The Amazing Facts Center of Evangelism (AFCOE) also moved to New York for the duration of the meetings. AFCOE classes were provided free of charge to local Sabbath-keepers and anyone else who wanted to come learn how to share their faith effectively. About 100 people traveled to New York to be Manhattan Missionaries, joining the 26 AFCOE students in creative city evangelism. Their enthusiasm for sharing Jesus motivated a variety of outreaches, including prayer ministry, street preaching, and music ministry. 

God blessed their efforts with numerous divine appointments. Jeffrey Cook, an AFCOE student from California, was led to a street sweeper just moments after praying for God to lead him to the right person. “He was so grateful for prayer,” says Jeffrey. “He said he had never had anyone pray for him before. He started telling me his whole life story and how he had been planning to do something really bad to the guy his girlfriend was cheating with that night. It gave me goosebumps when he said that. I know God needed me there right then.”  

Just the Beginning of God’s Stories …

Space does not permit us to tell all the stories of how God used Prophecy Odyssey to touch individuals with His grace. But perhaps a few will give some idea of the impact these meetings are already having: 

• James, a security guard at the Manhattan Center, requested prayer to stop smoking near the beginning of the meetings. His desire for tobacco disappeared, and he requested Bible studies.

• Margaret came from England to bring her best friend to the meetings. “I realized I’d never shared the gospel with her,” she says.

• Wendy had a dream about rescuing people by the Statute of Liberty right before hearing about the Manhattan Missionary program. “I knew God needed me to come,” she says. “God definitely set up some divine appointments for me.”

• “It’s so exciting to be here,” says David, who attended the final weekend with his wife, Malena. “I was 17 when I came to Millenium of Prophecy 25 years ago. I was a rebellious teenager then, but Pastor Doug’s messages have been an anchor for me. We’re thrilled to be a part of what God is doing here.”

• Debbie learned about Prophecy Odyssey on Facebook. “I knew I had to come,” she smiles. “Pastor Doug makes it easy to understand the Bible.”

• Darien wandered into Times Square and was drawn in by the street preaching and music. He listened for an hour and then spent all afternoon with the missionaries before coming to the evening meetings. 

• Mark took a flyer from a Manhattan Missionary and immediately recognized Pastor Doug. “I used to listen to him all the time,” he said, “but I haven’t been to church in a long time. I know God is calling me back.” 

Pastor Doug says, “We know that God will continue to use Prophecy Odyssey to touch lives for years to come. We often hear stories of people who had our materials sitting around for years before they watched them and were converted. Now that Prophecy Odyssey is online, God will guide people to them and answer their prayers for truth through them.”

Thank you for your prayers and generous support of Prophecy Odyssey. Your devotion to God’s work is enabling the Holy Spirit to write tens of thousands of stories of healing and hope!

Archived broadcasts of Prophecy Odyssey are available at prophecyodyssey.com.