Just BELIEVE what it Says!!! Baxter, Misinformed? Latter Rain? You Decide!

While I was flipping thru channels last night, being bored with the Sunday night football game, I came across a program on so-called Christian television with a fellow by the name of Irvin Baxter and a website of http://www.endtime.com/ came up. I nearly rolled off the bed with laughter while listening to some of this biblical fantasy. I just can’t understand how people can come up with some of the stuff that they do, and still claim to study the Bible. If people would just take bible scripture literally, and only take a scripture as symbolic or figurative if it can’t be literal, of course still looking for the literal truth, then they wouldn’t come up with all this ridiculous stuff. It would also eliminate a lot of confusion. He was teaching from the Book of Daniel 7:4-7 (KJV)
4 The first was like a lion, and had eagle's wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man's heart was given to it.
5 And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh.
6 After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it.
7 After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns.

Describing the beast that came out of the sea, instead of teaching the interpretation of the beast by the angel, or even teaching the interpretation of Daniels dream of the same beast in Dan 2:31-43, he claims the lion (Babylon) is Great Britain, and the eagle wings was the United States, the bear (Medo-Persia) was Russia, and the leopard (Grecia) was actually Germany. He then jumps to the 7 headed beast of Revelation that the whore rides on. He doesn’t teach the 7 headed beast represents the 7 kingdoms that have oppressed Israel in the time of the gentiles, Rev 17:7-10 (KJV)
7 And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns.
8 The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.
9 And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.
10 And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.
Many teachers claim the 7 mountains of Mystery Babylon is the city of Rome. Here is what bible scholar Finis Dake says about that theory. Now this is pretty funny.

[1] “The very popular theory that Rome is the city of seven hills of Rev. 17 is truly unscriptural. In the first place, there is no mention of such a city in Rev. 17 or in any other scripture. As seen above, the seven heads on the beast of Rev. 17 refer to kingdoms, not literal hills on which Rome, Moscow, or any other city is built. If the seven heads referred to literal hills on which Rome is built we would have to believe and teach that five of these hills had already become flattened out before John wrote the Revelation, for “five are fallen” (Rev. 17:10). Rome would be on only one hill at the time John wrote Revelation, for only “one is” (Rev. 17:10). And, Rome would have to be moved from this, the sixth hill, to a seventh hill sometime after he wrote Revelation, for only “one is not yet come” (Rev. 17:12). From the seventh, which would continue “a short space” (Rev. 17:10) Rome would be moved on to an eighth hill (Rev. 17:11).
Such a theory is unreasonable. But when we understand the seven heads and the beast itself as referring to eight kingdoms, we do not have such a problem. These eight kingdoms that have persecuted and will yet persecute Israel in “the times of the Gentiles” are Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome, Revised Rome, and Revived Greece."
The beast of Rev. 13 and 17 was “like a leopard,” which in Dan. 7:6 symbolized the old Grecian Empire. This is the one of the five kingdoms that had fallen before John wrote Revelation, and when it is revived again, as predicted in Dan. 7:7-8, 23-24; 8:7-9, 20-25, it will become the eighth kingdom of Rev. 17:11. The seventh empire will be made up of ten kingdoms, and the eighth will be the same ten kingdoms only formed into one empire under the human Antichrist”.

Now you can see how silly this sounds when your actually break it down.

Some bible teachers claim that the demon locusts of Revelation 9 are: Revelation 9:1-11 (KJV)
1 And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit.
2 And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.
3 And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.
4 And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.
5 And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man.
6 And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.
7 And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men.
8 And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions.
9 And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle.
10 And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months.
11 And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon.

Some claim these to be Cobra helicopters with their min-guns on their tails. My first thought when I heard this one was, “How did they ever get all those helicoptors in the abyss in the first place? Who put them there, and what did they do to deserve being locked in the pit? Come on people, these are SUPERNATURAL beings, why can’t we believe that they are supernatural?

The NARzies (New Apostolic Reformation) have taken the 7 Mountain Kingdoms to be the 7 mountains of society that must be overcome…. Read this article that we posted earlier in the year. http://omegachurchdeceptions.blogspot.com/2011/05/7-mountain-mandate-ie-dominionism.html by Discernment Ministries. It will truly enlighten you.

Dave

[1] “The Rapture and the Second Coming of Christ” by Finis Dake page 40

JOEL’S ARMY

“Joel’s Army” heresy has not only crept into the Church in the last six decades, but in recent times has made leaps and bounds.  Of course the preachers and so-called apostles who preach in the pulpits don’t call it “Joel’s Army”, or “The Latter Rain” for that matter, because both of these have connotations of being associated in the past with New Age and the occult.  Although it was associated in the past with the occult and the New Age does not mean that it is not longer associated with these practices.  They are still there, stronger than ever.  Instead they call it “The New Apostolic Reformation”.  This has its more recent roots from the late 1940’s, which incidentally was about the same time Israel became a nation once again.  Is this a coincidence?  Perhaps, but I hardly think so.  Satan saw his time as getting shorter, so he had to come with more deception to steal a few more souls.  With his sights always on God’s chosen.

Much of the information presented here I culled from a booklet entitled “Joel’s Army” by Jewel Grewe.  As I can only present bits and parts of this information, in this short blog, you can buy her booklet for about $3.00 thru this website.  I highly recommend it to everyone.  http://home.etcable.net/hestervanboven/Books.htm  and please visit their website.  They are Discernment Ministries and their web address is:   http://www.discernment-ministries.org/

“Joel’s Army is only one name among many that is used to describe the same teachings.  Other names are “New Wave”, New Breed”, “Overcomers”, “First-Fruits”, “Elijah Company”, “The Bride”, “Manifested Sons of God”, “Phineas Priesthood”, “New Wineskin”, and of course “ The Latter Rain”.

In the Book of Joel 2:1-11 (KJV)
¹ Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand;
² A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of many generations.
³ A fire devoureth before them; and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them.
⁴ The appearance of them is as the appearance of horses; and as horsemen, so shall they run.
⁵ Like the noise of chariots on the tops of mountains shall they leap, like the noise of a flame of fire that devoureth the stubble, as a strong people set in battle array.
⁶ Before their face the people shall be much pained: all faces shall gather blackness.
⁷ They shall run like mighty men; they shall climb the wall like men of war; and they shall march every one on his ways, and they shall not break their ranks:
⁸ Neither shall one thrust another; they shall walk every one in his path: and when they fall upon the sword, they shall not be wounded.
⁹ They shall run to and fro in the city; they shall run upon the wall, they shall climb up upon the houses; they shall enter in at the windows like a thief.
¹⁰ The earth shall quake before them; the heavens shall tremble: the sun and the moon shall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw their shining:
¹¹ And the LORD shall utter his voice before his army: for his camp is very great: for he is strong that executeth his word: for the day of the LORD is great and very terrible; and who can abide it?

In the Book of Joel Chapter 2 we read about God’s mighty supernatural army.  The men who preach this believe they are this army.  But this army has to be supernatural as pointed out by Finis Dake in his Bible commentary: 

Seven Proofs that These People Are Supernatural

1. There have never before been any like them appearing on earth before (Joel 2:2).

2. Nor will there be any like them again for many generations -- until the end of the Millennium when Satan and his angels and demons will appear on earth in an effort to take it over, at which time God will send this army of heaven against them (Joel 2:2; Isa. 24:22; Rev. 20:7-10).

3. A fire will devour before them (Joel 2:3; Ezek. 38:17-21; 2Th. 1:7-10).

4. They will be riding horses or be in chariots (Joel 2:4). This is pictured several times of God's army (2Ki. 2:11-12; 6:16-19; Zech. 1:7-11; 6:1-8; Rev. 19:11,14,21).

5. They will not be hurt even if they fall upon a sword (Joel 2:8).

6. Different from men, they are able to climb walls; they will climb upon the houses and enter into the windows like a thief (Joel 2:9).

7. They are the Lord's army and He will be leading them personally (Joel 2:11). His army is definitely spoken of as being all the holy angels and the resurrected saints from heaven (Zech. 14:4-5; Mt. 16:27; 24:31; 25:31; 2Th. 1:7-10; Jude 1:14-15; Rev. 19:11-21).

As Jewel Grewe points out in her booklet on page 2.  This false gospel shows no regard for:

1. Israel as an everlasting chosen nation of God, and their national repentance and restoration, both physically and spiritually, in one day at the 2^nd Advent of Jesus Christ. (There Messiah) (Gen. 17-7,13,19; Is. 66:7-8; Jer. 31: 35-37; Zech. 12-14; Rom. 11:1-2,25-27

2. The great outpouring of the Spirit on Israel (the Jewish nation) and on all flesh, Jesus Christ returns from heaven with His saints (the Church) at the end of the tribulation period.  (Zech. 12:10-13; Joel 2:28; Acts 2:16-21)

3. The Rapture – the catching away of both the dead and the living saints to meet the Lord in the air.  (1Thes. 4:16-18; 2Thes. 2:1; John 14:1-3; 1Cor. 15:51-56;)

4. The Judgment Seat of Christ (2 Cor. 5:10; Rom. 14:10-12);

5. The Seven-year tribulation (Dan. 9:24-27; Matt. 24:21-22; Jer. 30:4-7; Dan. 12:1; Rev. 6-19

6. The descent of Christ from heaven with His saints (His TRUE army) at the Battle of Armageddon.  (Zech. 14:5; Jude 14; Rev. 29:14)

All references pertaining to Israel, and the “Day of the Lord in the Book of Joel is “spiritualized” to mean the Church.  In the “New Apostolic Reformation” theology, everything God has promised to Israel is automatically referred to being the Church.  Some cases to such extremes that they have the Church deified.  Symbolism is used so extensively, that most have lost sight of the literal meaning of the Word of God.   They have certainly rewritten the Bible to the point of being “Gnostic”.  A 2^nd century way of interpreting the Bible, allegorical.  To me taking everything as an allegory would get to be very confusing…. Who is keeping track to what the allegorical interpretation is supposed to mean?  You may as well toss the Bible away if you believe this.  It’s all up for grabs.  Another question pops into my mind.  Are these people blaspheming the Holy Spirit, the unforgivable sin, by taking His inspired Word, and changing it to mean whatever they want it to?  The “Day of the Lord” (as taken from Jewels booklet pg 8) is re-interpreted by the false prophets to mean that Christ will come to His Church and incarnate (become God in flesh) an army of believers – thus giving them supernatural qualities to execute judgment on the Church.  “The Day of the Lord” is also misconstrued to mean a time of judgment starting with the church.  They love this scripture: 1 Peter 4:17 (KJV) ¹⁷ For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?  So what are we talking here, a new Spanish Inquisition?

Jewel continues on pg 8.  The “Day of the Lord” as seen through the eyes of the New Wave “prophets,” will be a time when Joel’s Army, led by these “prophets”, will pour out God’s wrath on the church!  Then, they claim, for the first time in two thousand years the “pure church” will come forth.  In other words, the blood of Christ did not avail, nor will it in the last days because this Joel’s Army and the “prophets” will do what Jesus Christ blood could not; i.e., “cleanse” the church.  If indeed it takes this Joel’s Army to purify the church, then all the preaching of the Cross from the early church to the present was in vain.  (End of quote)   I may ask, if this is all true, then why did Christ have to die on the Cross at all?  With the help of this army, we can do it all alone.  Sounds like salvation by “works” to me.  This heresy is nothing but “another gospel” It poses a real threat to unstable churches because it is another great deception beguiling the Church. 

Joel’s Army and Latter Rain have basically the same mindset.  Their claims of new revelation and deep insight lack substance other than expressing subjective feelings.  From page 12, Jewel mentions 4 things that hold their religious beliefs together.  They are: 1) personal experiences; 2) mysticism – understood only by the elite; 3) allegorizing scripture; and 4) preaching bases on intuition, feelings or perception (as opposed to Biblical Truth).   These subjective ingredients appeal to Christians who are unstable in the Word of God.  (Read Patti’s Blog entitled “The Spirit of Familiar Scriptures.)”

Jewel uses a great analogy for “Manifest Sons of God” doctrine.  She calls it “Jello Theoloy.” This doctrine is just like Jello, you can shape it in any mold you want, but it is still Jello.  It comes as “Dominion Theology” or Kingdom Now” teaching.  It can be called the “Bride” tomorrow, and the next day they may call it the “Phineas Priesthood” (those who executed judgment in the name of the Lord in Numbers 25.)

Bill Hamon in his book “The Eternal Church” from 1981.  (He has been preaching this heresy for over 30 years).  He states:

Each restorational advancement of the Army of the Lord has established denominational forts that are given responsibility to maintain the purity and power of that truth… New recruits are now being drafted and trained and older soldiers and generals are being put through intensified training for the next advancement of the Church Army.  They are being purified by the Baptism of Fire.. Are you ready?

So, what is ahead?  The Manifested Sons of God!  On pg 385 of the same book, Bill Hamon lays it out.

The Earth and all of creation is waiting for the manifestation of the sons of God, the time when they will come into their maturity and immortalization….  When the Church receives its full inheritance and redemption then creation will be redeemed from its cursed condition of decay, change and death… the Church has a responsibility and ministry to the rest of creation.  Earth and its natural creation is anxiously waiting for the Church to reach full maturity and come to full sonship.  When the Church realizes its full sonship, its bodily redemption will cause a redemptive chain reaction throughout all of creation.  (Paradigm Shift, I heard this many times on the pulpit of our last church)

Again, who is glorified here, not God or Christ Jesus.  It’s the “Church” or the “Manifested Sons of God.”  It’s easy to be deceived here because Bill sounds so “scriptural.”   But we have to remember that Bill Hamon is himself being deceived by seducing spirits. 

Has this false doctrine been around so long that we do not recognize error any more?  Is the church going to sit complacently by and allow the written Word of God to be corrupted?  The Christ that is being preached today is the “bloodless Christ.”  The Cross of Christ is not preached in most churches anymore because it “might offend someone” Most important to most of these preachers is to fill up the pews and the coffers.  

We must be all be cautioned that the Word of God has some very strong things to say about those who do not abide in the Doctrine of Christ.  2 John 1:7-11 (KJV)
⁷ For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.
⁸ Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward.
⁹ Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.
¹⁰ If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed:
¹¹ For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.

I want to wrap this up by using Jewels own words on page 32.  She tells us the three basic traits all these Apostate teachings have in common, including:  “Joel’s Army,”  “New Breed,”  “Manifest Sons,”  “Latter Rain,”  “Elijah Company,”  “Son of Man Company,” etc.  You can print this off and keep it for a reference, and start listening closely to what is being preached in your church. 

1. Discredit the Word of God

a. Wrest the fundamental doctrines “as they do also the other Scriptures” 2Pet.3:16

            b. Allegorize the truth away

            c. Deny the literal meaning of scripture.

            d. Compare the Bible to other books and irreverence the written Word.

            e. Place their revelations on a par with scripture.

            f. Emphasize their thoughts and ideas above Scriptures.

            g. Esteem the authority of the Church over the Scriptures.

2. Deify Man.

            a. “Change the truth of God into a lie, and worshiped….the creature more than the Creator.”

            b. The Church (man) is the ongoing incarnation of Jesus Christ, in other words, the Churth IS Jesus Christ come in the flesh.

            c. The believer is a god-man, i.e. A supernatural being.

            d. The focus of the “gospel” centers on MAN – his self love, esteem, glorification and dominion.

3. Disregard Israel (the Wife of God).  Israel is an outcast and has been replaced by the Church.

            a. “Ethnic Israel’s” rebirth depends on the “Son of Man company” (The Endtime “Prophets”) and not the Messiah (Jesus Christ) at His Second Advent.

            “Ethnic Israel’s” only hope of ever being restored is contingent on the prophetic word of the prophets and being birthed into the “One New Man Company” of the Church.

 The Church giving birth to Israel is a master deception by Satan.  He can kill two birds with one stone with this one.  Kill the belief that Israel is an everlasting people of God, and that Israel is to be saved and reborn spiritually in one day through the advent of their Messiah, Jesus Christ.  Time is getting short for Satan. 

Blessings…..  Dave

THE LATTER RAIN - Part 3

Before we get into Part III, we would like to make a statement regarding the precious written Word of the Living God.  Don’t we always?

When I was a teenager I really didn’t enjoy reading.  I just thought what could these authors have to say that would be worth my time?  I had things to do and places to go as a teenage girl.  Important things like go to the soda shop to meet friends and to the movies and to the pool.  But once I got into my sophomore year of high school, reading quality books by noted authors was mandatory.  Sigh.  Trapped like a rat.  The first book that we were assigned to read was "A Tale of Two Cities".  Once I had read the first chapter I was hooked.  It had everything.  Intrigue, danger, love, excitement, and sorrow was cleverly woven throughout every page.  But as I read, there were times when I wondered why the author wrote the things he did.  The book was written so well that I found myself thinking about the characters even when I wasn’t reading the book.  I felt that I knew them and in my opinion, perhaps they would not behave and think the way the author was portraying them.  My mind was filled with “what ifs”.  But by staying with the author to the end of the book, I understood his methods.  I understood his story.  And even though I didn’t like the terribly sad ending, it was still a fine book and one that I am glad that I read even until this day.  But even though, while reading this novel, I found pause with the author a few times, I never once dreamed of changing the story, not even in my mind.  That was not a possibility.  It was a finished work that is still read today.  Movies have been made of this book as well.  Even Hollywood kept the integrity of the author’s story.  I never submitted a “re-write”.  I have never told the story any other way than the way it was written.  Can you imagine the ridicule I would have received?  Can you imagine how the literary world would have attacked me?  And they would have been right to label me a thief and a fool.  Charles Dickens, the author of "A Tale of Two Cities," was long dead when I read this book.  But I still respected the tale he left behind and would never dream of attacking or altering this fine and finished work of a man.  I knew it was finished when I got to the last page and it said…The End.  Those words invite no more input.  And yet, down through the ages men and women, supposedly of God, have done just that to the Holy Scriptures!!  They continue to “add” by any means possible.  Do they feel a certain “ease” in doing this because the author cannot be seen?  I am not talking about Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Paul, or Moses, and of course many more, because they are dead, but of the Holy Spirit Who is God and is eternal and Who was the inspiration to the minds and hands of these earthly authors. 

So how do we know that the Bible is a finished work?  If you look at the last word in the Book of Revelation it says “Amen”.  In other words, so be it.  The Bible is a brilliant book that took over some 1600 years to write in totality.  And just as a copyright protects human authors from others tampering with their writings, the infallibility of God, the Holy Spirit, protects this divine book.  And just as there are severe penalties for men when they infringe copyright laws, so are there penalties for those who dare to tamper with the written Word of God.  In fact, as most know, this penalty is laid out in the Book of Revelation itself and it is not just speaking of that one book as some state.  Revelation 22:17-19 (KJV)
¹⁷ And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
¹⁸ For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
¹⁹ And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.  That warning is very clear as imparted by the Holy Spirit.  And the penalty is damnation!!  So those who believe in “once saved, always saved” must reconsider these words.  He clearly states, “God shall “take away” his (those who dare to alter the Word of God)  part out of the Book of Life, and out of the Holy City, and the things that are written in this book!! 

The glaring question is, why do men fear copyright laws more than they fear the wrath of the living God?  Why do men never even dream of “re-writing” any written and established paper or novel?  And why do some men not have the fear of God in them and DARE to tamper with His written Word?!  It has been this way down through the ages.  And any intelligent man knows that what is in the Bible today is exactly what God wants in there.  The Holy Spirit didn’t retire after the inspiration of this most holy book.  He continues to this day to look over and after God’s Word and God’s people.  The continued integrity of this holy book is of the utmost importance as it is the instrument by which God will judge His people.  We will not come before Jesus, or God forbid the Great White Throne Judgment, as saved Christians or unsaved heathens, and hear Him say, “Well, you were not aware of this issue because some folks back in the Dark Ages didn’t like this one point and took it out of my Word, but I am going to judge you by it anyway even though you were not aware of the repercussions”  People, we serve a just and mighty God Who is more than able to get His perfect Word in it’s totality to His people!!!  Of course you have to have Holy Spirit inspired faith, trust, and belief in God to come to this conclusion.  And if any “angel” or “messenger” or even a voice saying that he was God himself came to me and told me that even one word of the Holy Scriptures was not true or that some were missing, I would immediately say, “Get thee behind me Satan!”  Paul also issued a dire warning in Galatians 1:6-12 (KJV)
⁶ I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:
⁷ Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.
⁸ But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
⁹ As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.
¹⁰ For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.
¹¹ But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man.
¹² For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.  This scripture says it all and it comes with a stern and dire warning from Paul.  We MUST take time to learn what God has put into His “manual for living” and that is His Holy written Word!!!  If you follow the ramblings, ravings, and twisted scriptures of any man, you too will be accursed!!!  PLEASE…your very SOULS are on the line here people.  Take a stand and BOLDLY drive anyone away from you in the name of Jesus that tries to impart a false and twisted scripture to you.  We only have this one lifetime to get this right.  The next step is eternal.  Where will you spend your eternity?  We love you and pray for all our readers everyday.  God’s richest blessings to you all.  (And you will find all those blessings in the Bible!)

Okay, now back to the work at hand…the Latter Rain movement and our information for you on Joel’s Army.  Sadly, more “twisted scripture” is at work here.  Have you ever heard the saying, “where there is smoke there is fire”?  Well, get this saying deep into your soul.  “Where there is twisted scripture, there is demonic presence!”  Flee from it!

A vital doctrine of the Latter Rain is that there will be the “Manifest Sons of God”, or “Joel’s Army”.  The movement teaches that as the end of the age approaches (and according to a letter written by Bill Hamon to the Elijah List which was published on February 25, 2008, the “age” is now here.)  the “overcomers”, which are the Latter Rain’s version of what the Bible means by overcomers, will arise within the church (as all evil does).  There is some infighting within the ranks of the Latter Rain followers as to the extent of this “rising” but from what we have heard first hand from these people, they fully believe that they will become “transfigured” over a time (period of time is never given) into exactly what Christ Himself was while on earth.  I would like to point out here that the practice of “transfiguration” is a study and ritual of the New Age movement.  God is NEVER present during this blasphemy, but demons are.  So, to the Latter Rain folks…and that includes those who follow those tenets to this day (but have not the guts to openly claim their affiliation with the “Latter Rain” or the “Manifest Sons of God”…the “chosen”) claim they will actually come into the FULL STATURE OF CHRIST and will receive the Spirit without measure which will enable THEM to perform healings and miracles through special communication with the Holy Spirit and God Himself to establish Scriptural truth.  These men also claim that they have inherited what they call the “God-Man”.  They believe that “they” are the Church.  They believe that “they” share in all Christ had and will have including His DEITY!  This is blasphemy in its purest form.  And need I mention to anyone that the Word warns that the only unpardonable sin is that of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit?  If any of this was truth and if any of this would happen at the will of God, it would be in the Bible!!  The audacity of these people is stunning!!!  Not one of these men and women will perform miracles.  Not one of us that lays hands on people EVER is the healer or miracle worker.  When these things happen it is the Holy Spirit, and only the Holy Spirit working through us!  But these people with thinking that they will become like Christ say that they will also take part in and actually become deity just as Jesus was and is deity!!  Here they have not only taken their raving to the edge of the cliff, they have jumped off!!  They also believe that they will be capable of “astral travel” and will be able to travel from one place to another by thought.  This again is a teaching and exercise of the New Age.  They believe that the Holy Spirit will bless them with the ability to speak to anyone anywhere in their own language.  Listening to this tripe is ludicrous, and yet every Sunday, people sit in church and listen and absorb and worse yet, carry these wretched tales to others.  They think that if someone that has all this popularity says these things, then they must be true.  If your Pastor sings the praises of these men and women, you feel that they must be valid.  You must realize that these men and women, although they see themselves as “gods”, are mere men and women in the hands of demons and are issuing forth the doctrine of devils.  This was warned of in the Bible as well.  1 Timothy 4:1 (KJV)
¹ Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;

My husband Dave is going to continue writing on Joel’s Army.  It is really a message unto itself and if I were to include it in this message of the Latter Rain, of which it is a vital part, I would have to add at least two more parts to this writing.  So I will continue with the next topic we need to examine about the Latter Rain.

ECCLESIOLOGY

The “Sacrifice of Praise” and the restoration of the Tabernacle of David are important themes in the preparation of the Latter Rain (Reign).  They must have a totally devoted following with no dissention in their ranks.  They plan to take over the earth and bring it under their submission in the name of Christianity and Christ.  Every knee WILL bow and every tongue WILL confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.  But I just feel it in my spirit that if these people are this taken with themselves then in actuality, every knee WILL bow and every tongue WILL confess that they are God-man and Christ just as Jesus said that some would in those days.  Again the audacity is numbing!!

For this reason you will notice in these churches that you will hear instructions by either the apostle/prophet, or the worship leaders, that everyone must sing.  Everyone must lift their hands and give praise.  Everyone must come up to the altar.  Everyone must speak in tongues on a cue from them.  In the upper room we see that the Holy Spirit set a precedent as far as speaking in tongues.  He didn’t get a strangle hold on each one of them and order them to open their mouths, but the scripture says…Acts 2:4 (KJV)
⁴ And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.  “As the Spirit gave them utterance” means that they did not initiate this themselves, but that it was initiated by the Holy Spirit.  The same applies today...period.  We have been in a church, and while we were praising the Lord, no we were not leaping over the pews nor rolling down the isle, or barking like a dog, but in our own way, we were lost in our personal worship of our precious Jesus as were many others.  All of a sudden the apostle/prophet starting shouting, “STOP, STOP!” interrupting the Worship Service.  Well, we jumped about a foot straight up!  The apostle claimed that he could not feel the Holy Spirit and therefore we were to blame by our lackluster praise.  “Press in!” he ordered.  Well, we all know by now that the Holy Spirit can visit one person and not visit a person right next to him.  It is a very precious and personal thing.  But by doing this in services, the apostle/prophet or the Worship Leaders show their need to control not only the actions of those in the service, but also that of the Holy Spirit!  You will also notice that as you remain in one of these churches, and they can see that you are “falling into line” as ordered, you will be called up to the altar and told exactly what your gifting and ministry is.  Even though you cannot carry a note in a basket, you may be told that your voice will bless the church and you will join the choir.  (Of course after they hear you croak a few notes, they will have a NEW revelation and move you somewhere else quickly.)  They never claim error, only new revelation.  After all, if they are deity, mistakes would be impossible right?  They speak of taking cities, nations, and the World for the church. (Oh…yes…they throw in “for Christ” too in order not to be run out into the street just yet.)  They know that Jesus is being “held, captive so to speak” in Heaven by the Father until all of His enemies have been placed under His (Christ’s) feet by the new Dominion ordered by the New (Latter Rain) Apostolic Reformation.  Once they have subdued the earth, then “they” will tell Jesus that he can come back, with their permission and blessing, to rule and reign the world.  Is this not the most ludicrous thing that you have ever heard of!?  The scripture in my Bible says that Jesus at His second coming is King of Kings, and Lord of Lords.  A King does the bidding of no man.  He is summoned by no man.  He is not subject to any man.  A little common sense should tell you that your “revelation” of the scriptures is dead wrong and you should be questioning just who you are getting “revelation” from.  You see, when you think you are hearing from God, there is one way to determine this.  You go to the timeless Word of the Living God, and see what the “literal” meaning of what you heard is there.  If it is twisted from the text or worse yet, not even there, IT WAS NOT GOD, NOR THE HOLY SPIRIT, NOR AN ANGEL OF GOD YOU WERE TALKING TOO!  Nowhere in the Word does it tell us to use “revelation” to interpret the Word.  In fact the Word says that 1 Corinthians 1:17-20 (KJV)
¹⁷ For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.
¹⁸ For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.
¹⁹ For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.
²⁰ Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? And…

Isaiah 55:7-9 (KJV)
⁷ Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
⁸ For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.
⁹ For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.  This says it all and the Lord Himself is saying it.  If we could ever do better than the Word exactly as it were written, then that would also be laid out in the Word of God, and it clearly is not.  But these men are blinded by their own ambitions and hunger for power and control.  They are practicing on their own congregations.  By now the Latter Rain should clearly be known to you as well, and long planned after “REIGN of terror” that will be perpetrated by the church on its own people first, and then the unbelievers.  They once again have misconstrued the scripture that says that “judgment will begin in the church” to mean that “they” will do the judging. 

Another belief of the Latter Rain (NAR/DOM) is that in the last days, the five fold ministerial rolls spoken of in Ephesians 4:11 (apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, teacher) would come into play again.  They believed that the fundamental roles of the apostles was lost in the Dark Ages, apparently along with the high secrets of God that “used to be” in the Bible and the restoration of these things is only being “revealed” to the “chosen” Latter Rain members in the last days.  In this belief lies the basis for the rise of the apostle and prophet, along with the other ministries but only as directed and determined by the “chosen” ones.  Did you know that one of the “chosen” ones, Bob Jones, along with Bobby Conner, go to Heaven every year, at the same time every year, and have a meeting with God to lay out these plans?  Did you jaw fall open yet?  The first time I heard this, mine did.  And these people believe it!  And thousands of Christians buy into this stuff.  We sat in the audience at a conference where these men were speaking and heard it first hand, and the audience went nuts!!  They clapped and cheered, and took money and put it on the altar and pieces of material for these men to touch because they have touched God Himself.  These so-called Christians are incredibly naïve, and give misdirected and blasphemous praise and honor to mere men.  To set the record straight, these five fold ministries mentioned in the Bible are not offices or man given authorities given to “chosen” men.  These ministries are functions available to the entire church as directed by the Holy Spirit. 

PNEUMATOLOGY

The Baptism of the Holy Spirit is something that believers in that gift seek after with prayer and sometimes fasting.  It is a gift given exclusively by the Holy Spirit alone as pointed out in this blog earlier.  However, once again the New (Latter Rain) Apostolic Reformation teaches and believes that it is something that man controls.  How many times can I say blasphemy here?!!  They believe that man can lay hands on other men and “impart” their gifts and anointing.  All you are getting for your dime here is the empty hands of self anointed and self appointed men.  Only the Holy Spirit can impart a gift or ministry!  These men will call out people from the audience that THEY feel are ready to be given a gift or ministry and then they will supply “prophecies” that will ensure the compliance of their “chosen” ones.  If they refer to God at all they will say that God chose to work through them to impart the “gift”.  Again, God the Holy Spirit does not need man to impart anything to man.  And this is how the youth of this movement are being trained to follow their “leaders” of this movement. And Christian parents willingly and blindly are turning their young people over to these “Christian Youth Lock Downs”.  Like I said in a previous blog…stay up late some night and catch The Ramp on TV.  Watch the aggressive behavior of these kids.  It is scary…very scary indeed. It is like the Nazi Youth movement.

 Sadly, the only open and strong opposition to the Latter Rain is from the fundamentalist of the Word of God.  And we are diminishing in numbers.  But there will be a revival.  A revival of truth and faith in Jesus Christ and the work He and only He did at the Cross of Calvary.  And we will all go in the Rapture, all labeled as “the evil ones” by the NAR/DOM and mark my words, they will take credit for that too!!

SHORT LIST OF FOUNDERS AND LEADERS

• Maria Fraser founded the Latter Rain Assemblies in South Africa
• Reg Layzell founded Glad Tidings church and author and influence of such books as “The Key of David” and Unto Perfection”.
• George Warnock wrote “The Feast of Tabernacles” (1951) which became know as the Latter Rain Bible.  It established the Latter Rain’s spiritual hermeneutic.
• George Hawtin and his brother Ern were the early movers and shakers who promoted the spread of the movment in the late 40’s and early 50’s.  They “took it on the road” so to speak and it caught on again after centuries of condemnation by the established church.
• A. Earl Lee was a father of this movement as it spread into California after his involvement with Aimee Semple McPherson.
• Myrtle Beall and her family ran the Bethesda Christian Church in Detroit, MI.  It was considered the first main line church to “openly” embrace the Latter Rain Movement.
• James Watt, one of the original “elders” of the Sharon Orphanage and school.
• J. Preston Eby was an early proponent who resigned under the pressure given him by the Pentecostal Holiness Church in 1956.  The Latter Rain was definitely not recognized or approved of by the church.
• Thomas Wyatt, a pastor from Portland, OR hosted the North Battleford men at a pastor’s conference and enabled this doctrine to be spread.
• Dick Iverson, founder of City Bible Church, formerly Bible Temple, and Portland Bible College, is the apostolic overseer of Ministers Fellowship International (MFI)
• Kevin Conner an influential Bible teacher who came out of the Latter Rain.  This gentleman has done more to “blend” the false doctrines of the Latter Rain with mainstream theology than any other man to date.  He has been the influence of many “TV evangelists” such as the well-known T.D. Jakes.
• David Schoch, a honorary member of the apostolic board of MFI, and the leader of the church now called City at the Cross in Long Beach, CA.  David died in 2007
• Violet Kiteley founded Shiloh Christian Fellowship in Oakland, CA.  Her son David is also a honorary member of the MFI leadership.
• Sam Fife and the Move also known as End-time Body-Christian Ministries.
• Maranatha Campus Ministries, a college campus outreach movement that was dissolved in 1989 and re-grouped in the 1990’s and is now know as Every Nation.
• The Living Word Fellowship, better know as “The Walk” founded by John Robert Stevens.  Another member of this group was Royal Cronquist a believer in the Latter Rain movement.  Well known and published author Francis Frangipane came out of Stevens’ “The Walk” ministry, but left before the scandals began.  A 1985 documentary was done by Anthony Cox which showed “The Living Word Fellowship” for what is truly was.
• The Assemblies of the Body of Christ.
• Bishop Bill Hamon of Santa Rosa Beach, Florida, has infiltrated and become a consistent player in the Charismatic movement, including being featured numerous times in Charisma Magazine.  Hamon’s book, The Eternal Church, outlines the movement and emphasizes his presence in it.
• Glenn Ewing and his son from Robert Ewing, of Waco, TX trained Jim Laffoon, leading prophet for Every Nation.
• Elim Fellowship and its college, Elim bible Institute in New York.
• Destiny Image Publications, founded by Don Nori who was a prophet in a Latter Rain church before founding the publishing house.  Published works by Varner, Joyner, Hamon and others of the Latter Rain Movement.
• The Independent Assemblies of God, International, organized by A.W. Rasmussen.
• Church of the Living God
• Body of Christ Movement
• Joel’s Church of Love
• The band known as “The Rainmakers”

I have ended this writing on the Latter Rain with this very short list of people and associations and churches in order to make you aware of “it’s everywhere” and beware.  The only way that you can be sure that you are not listening or being influenced by any false doctrine is to KNOW the Word, the TRUE Word of the Living God as inspired by God the Holy Spirit.  Please find time.  The biggest excuse for not reading God’s Word is “I just don’t find time”.  Let’s face it.  If someone came up to you with two free tickets to a major league Sports event or concert, you know that you would re-arrange your schedule and find time to go!!  Can you not tarry with Christ for just one hour?  Was this not His admonition to the apostles in the Garden of Gethsemane?  Matthew 26:40-42 (KJV)
⁴⁰ And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour?
⁴¹ Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

Blessings, Patti. 

THE LATTER RAIN - Part 2

The late 40’s was a time of spiritual hunger for the Pentecostals.  Unfortunately this hunger would lead some to leave the safe confines of the known and well established written Word of God.  (Any time we forget that God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow, and try to force our own growth in him or give him a newer, cooler, more modern look, we place ourselves at the mercy of the devil.  He will come in and fill you with what appears to be new and exciting “information” that comes from various types of “messengers”.  Herein lays the perfect platform for false doctrine.  To stay focused, we must rely on the Cross and what Jesus did there and the truth and validity of the Word of God.)

In 1947 a group of students from the Pentecostal Bible College in Saskatoon, Canada, gathered to participate in the preparation of the buildings for the opening of the newly formed Sharon Bible College.  At the time the Sharon School consisted of three buildings located at the North Battleford Airport. The leadership of the small group of discontent Pentecostals were former Pastor’s of the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada.  They were George Hawtin, (who would become known as the father of the Latter Rain Movement) Ernst Hawtin, George’s brother, Percy Hunt, and later were joined by George Hawtin’s brother-in-law, Milford Kirkpatrick, and Herrick Holt who was a Pastor of the Four Square gospel in North Battleford, Saskatchewan, Canada.  The initial 70 students that attended the opening of the Sharon school came with Hawtin and Hunt from Bethel Bible Institute in Saskatoon where both had been on the teaching staff.  Hawtin had been asked for his resignation for lack of cooperation with the Institute in Saskatoon and Hunt resigned in protest and sympathy of Hawtin’s release.

Prior to the Sharon school’s opening, the group of prospective students along with working by day to prepare the new schools classrooms, gathered nightly for intercessory prayer, fasting and prophecy, with some of the students fasting anywhere from 3 to 40 days.  On February 11, 1948 a young woman prophesied about an open door that God had set before the students and was asking them to “enter in”.  This was followed by another prophecy that said the open door was a doorway into the gifts and ministries in the Body of Christ.  In extended chapel services over a period of four days, a procedure emerged of “calling out” members of the audience and imparting a spiritual gift to them by the “laying on of hands” accompanied by a suitable prophecy.  The authorization and direction of these activities was a series of vocal prophetic utterances by the students and their teachers.  (You may ask what is wrong with this?  Nothing, if the utterance is being directed by the Holy Spirit and not man.  Only the Holy Spirit can “impart” the spiritual gifts.  We as Christians can lay hands on each other and pray for the gifts to come, but the “laying on of hands” of man does NOT impart that gift and therein lies the danger.  We start turning to man whether they be Pastor’s, members, or elders of the church for gifts instead of the author of those gifts, which is God the Holy Spirit!)

In the Spring of 1948, Easter weekend, special services were held at the Sharon School.  These services were called “Feast of Pentecost”.  Many came to North Battleford and attended the services out of curiosity.  This influx of people was labeled the “First Camp Meeting” from July 7-18, 1948.  the crowds grew into the thousands.  The teaching at this revival revived the seemingly banished “Latter Rain” movement, although it was “all new” to those in attendance.  (This doctrine of devils was brought back into a world that now had become distracted by war and upheaval.  Although people attended church, their lives were busy and hard and time taken for family Bible and church Bible study had waned.  Satan is a very patient adversary.  He never considers himself as defeated, just put off for a bit.  Like the Terminator, he’ll be back when the timing is right.  We must never allow our spirit man to sleep.  He must ever be alert.)

The revived movement quickly spread throughout Canada and infiltrated into the United States and eventually around the world.  There was deep opposition from denominational leadership, late in the spring of 1948.  The teachings and practices of the movement were severely questioned.  Resolution 7 of the 1949 General Council of the Assemblies of God USA, made the following declaration:  “We disapprove of those extreme teachings and practices, which being unfounded spiritually, serve only to break fellowship of like precious faith and tend to confusion and division among members of the Body of Christ, and be it herby known that this 23^rd General Counsel disapproves of the so-called “New Order of the Latter Rain”

George Warnock, former personal secretary to Ern Baxter, who was associated with William Branham’s Healing ministry, took up residence at the Sharon Schools in the Fall of 1949 in order to support the movement.  Warnock wrote a book titled “The Feast of Tabernacles” in 1951.  This book discussed the role of Sharon Schools and other affiliated groups in living out the completion of God’s feasts for Israel through perfection of the saints and their “dominion” over the earth.  The Jewish feasts of Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles were considered in the book to “pre-figure” and typify the whole church age beginning with the death of Jesus on the Cross and consummating in the “Manifest Sons of God” wherein the “overcomers” will step into IMMORTALITY (These people do NOT believe in the Ratpure in as much as it is not for them as the “chosen overcomers”!) and establish the Kingdom of God on Earth. (The Dominionist and the New Apostolic Reformers…i.e. holding the same beliefs as the Latter Rain and for all intents and purposes are one in the same, hold these beliefs to the letter!  As an example, these beliefs are defined in Bill Hamon’s book Prophets and Personal Prophecy and other books he has written.  I single out this man time and again not out of any personal grudge or hate in any form.  This man’s soul is as important to the Father as much as anyone else’s soul.  Jesus died for Bill Hamon as He did for all.  But he has strayed in the deepest sense from the true written Word of God and we pray for his return to Christ and the Cross daily!!  However, this man along with his followers, are doing more in this day and age to further the heretical teachings of the Latter Rain than any others.  They twist, refute and defile the precious Word of God.  To do so labels the Holy Spirit as some feeble minded part of God and He is NOT.  Just as God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow, so is the written Word of God as it stands and has stood for centuries.  I love the fact that the King James Version of the Word of God is so near perfect to the original transcripts.  King James was a wise man because he chose to have scholars, men trained and prolific in the Greek and Hebrew languages translate the Word.  These men had no agenda for any individual church or denomination.  They just dealt with the words.  I feel it is the purest translation of the Bible in the world today.  

Many of the followers of Hamon are actually learned men and women that have attended accredited and legitimate Bible colleges. (We have met and spoken with them) And yet they have chosen to serve man and have turned their back on the scriptures as written and make them dance to the tune of man and his doctrines of devils.  What makes all this so much more unpalatable is that they will say that the written Word of God is complete and is in no need of additions nor subtractions.  But by their preaching they exhibit their self appointed right to twist that Word into whatever suits their needs.  They say that they have “divine insight” given to them by God.  Once again I say, why would a loving God give special insight to one or a few men when all man is to be judged by the Word?  And whatever happened to all the poor folks who died prior to this “movement” rearing its head again?  In reality, the Word of God actually explains itself without contradiction.  If you follow closely the doctrine preached by these people, you will find one contradiction after another to what they say is being preached from the Word.)

BELIEFS

The Latter Rain sees Pentecostalism or any other established religion as dry and stagnated.  These people see themselves as movers and shakers for the modern church.  They must abhor Isaiah 40:31 which states Isaiah 40:31 (KJV)
³¹ But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. From their inception, the Latter Rain has had no patience for the Word of God and its timelines.  They know better and intend to do God’s work for Him to move things along.  I don’t know why they are in such a hurry as they only think that those who do not follow them will be going in the Rapture.  To state their beliefs as they do….only the “wicked” that will stand in God’s way will be raptured.  Well, this is one “wicked” one who cannot wait to go home to my Jesus!  These people seem so benevolent now.  But things will change when they “take over”.  That is their real purpose for the 7 Mountains Mandate.  They fully intend to see that every knee WILL bow and every tongue WILL confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.  When Jesus was preparing to leave this earth he left a mandate for us to love one another.  John 13:34-35 (KJV)
³⁴ A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
³⁵ By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

Only the Holy Spirit can touch a heart and melt it for Christ.  No one can FORCE or “compel” any human being into submission to God!!  Those tactics are no better than the ones being employed by the Muslims!  God Himself gave man “free will” and freedom of choice.  Who are these men to employ such tactics, and who are these men to assume the work of restoration of the earth?!  This will clearly be the honor of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords when He returns to earth!!  He died for that honor!!  Revelation 17:14 (KJV)
¹⁴ These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful. 

The Latter Rain has changed the focus from Christ to the “works of man” as they claim that they have been ordered by God to do.  They changed doctrinal and practical changes in the Pentecostal churches.  This has made the Latter Rain movement very distinct and it is the wise Christian that sits in any church that listens closely to the doctrine being preached, and gets up and leaves when this false doctrine is preached.  God will not accept the phrase, “but God, I didn’t know they were preaching false doctrine!”  You will be judged by the Word of God….you need to invest time in it, and then put it into practice for the sake of your own soul!  Jesus clearly says that the Father will erase those names from the Book of Life who have followed the doctrines of the Great Whore which is all the churches of the earth who have preached false doctrine and have added to and subtracted from the written Word of the Living God!  Revelation 22:18-19 (KJV)
¹⁸ For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
¹⁹ And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

For specific examples of “beliefs” and Eschatology of the Latter Rain movement, please make sure to catch Dave’s blog being posted, July 6, 2011.  He uses some quotes of scriptural beliefs of the Latter Rain and Post-millennialists which are one and the same as that of the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) and the Dominionists (DOM) in their foundational beliefs.  Again we remind you that they do not publically admit to any association with the Latter Rain because of its mingling with New Age and even the occult and mysticism. 

Members of the Latter Rain broke with the dispensationalism which is entrenched in Pentecostalism.  It appeared too pessimistic in the opinion of the Latter Rain movement.  Their personal “spin” on the Word of God gives them an absolute victorious outcome no matter what they do or say.  The truth is that we as Christians ONLY have complete victory through Christ and what He did at the Cross!!  The term “latter rain” comes from scripture found in Jeremiah 3:3, 5:23-25, Joel 2:23, Hosea 6:3, Zechariah 10:1 and James 5:7.  The idea of a “latter rain” is not new to Pentecostals.  That is why it “sounds” familiar.  (Please see our previous blog on “The Spirit of the Familiar Scriptures”).  And when scripture “sounds familiar”, many, many, many, sit and foolishly listen to the ramblings of the enemy spoken through Latter Rain taught, and NAR bought preachers.  Bought with the price of their own souls and now they are after the souls of those ignorant of the Word of God.  Could this be you?  Are you really ready to release your young people to these men and women?  Think long and hard.  Remember they say “latter rain” but these people mean “LATTER REIGN” at any price.

In actuality the Holy Spirit makes the former and latter rain clear in Joel.  Joel 2:23-27 (KJV)
²³ Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month.
²⁴ And the floors shall be full of wheat, and the fats shall overflow with wine and oil.
²⁵ And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you.
²⁶ And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the LORD your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you: and my people shall never be ashamed.
²⁷ And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the LORD your God, and none else: and my people shall never be ashamed.   I have highlighted verse 23 of this scripture because this is as far as the Latter Rain and the Dominionist’s go in this scripture to make their claims!  Never think that comments like this are speculative on our part.  We have sat in more than one church in south central Texas and others in other parts of the country and listened to this doctrine of devils!!  These folks believe that where ever Israel is spoken of in the Bible, it is them, (the Latter Rain believers) that the Holy Spirit is speaking about.  When the Holy Spirit is talking about Israel He means literal Israel.  If he meant the Latter Rain Movement, or the NAR or the DOM, He would have said just that!  These folks also believe that they have replaced Israel and that Israel has been cut off.  In David Chilton’s book Paradise Restored, Biblical Theology of Dominion(ists) (my insert) this point is made VERY clear.  I have to respect Mr. Chilton’s publications only from the standpoint that he was not afraid of stating exactly what he meant and believed. (Mr. Chilton was struck down at the age of 45 by two heart attacks.  The one in 1997 killed him.)  I find the “I am just a big old teddy bear that would never dream of taking you into the woods to make a snack out of you” approach of C. Peter Wagner, Bill Hamon, Rick Joyner, Lance Wallnau, John Kelly, and the list goes on and on, very underhanded, cowardly, and evil way of preaching and teaching.  They seem to say…”Look at me, I am just like you all!  Here is my lovely wife and my children and we always keep you posted on what we all do and of all the births in our family.  See we are just like you.  Loving Jesus, and His Word as written.”  If you have an agenda and you believe in it…stand up straight and just state your business.  Does it not make you wonder what they have to hide?  We as Christians need to stand up too and ask questions.  After all this is our souls and the souls of our children and family that we are talking about here!!  Ugh…But I digress.

The term “be glad then ye children of Zion” refers to Israel as it will be restored  as the premier nation of the world which will occur shortly after the Second Coming of Christ.  The “former rain” and the “latter rain” refers to the two rainy seasons in Israel.  The first or “former rain” occurred in October and promoted the germination of the seeds already sown and the “latter rain” that occurred in April, which matured the crops and prepared them for harvest.  Spiritually speaking, the “former rain” speaks of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost and of its anointing and power given to those of the early church.  The “latter rain” is believed to have begun shortly after the turn of the 20^th Century and that will continue on through the Millennial Reign of CHRIST.  Verse 9 goes on to say that the unjust judgment of fellow Christians is NOT of God.  The Latter Rain fully intends to do that in their “Latter REIGN”.  Verse 9 says also that the judge stands before the door, and that my dear brother’s and sister’s in Christ is unmistakably Jesus Christ alone!  It goes on to point out the PATIENCE of the “former” prophets who were the most long suffering of all.  It speaks of the PATIENCE of Job and of the long suffering of our Jesus Himself.  In patience is testing which builds healthy spiritual strength and character, both physical and spiritual, and gives us ultimate victory through Christ Jesus!

Another Scripture that is twisted in the Latter Rain, NAR, DOM, teachings is James 5:7 as they quote it.  They take it to mean the “take over” by man of the earth!  But if you read the entire scripture, James 5: 7-11 this is what is being stated by the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit through this scripture instructs us to be PATIENT until the return of the Lord.  Nowhere does it tell ANYONE to take matters in their own hands to steer things along!  It goes on to clearly say that the LORD will THEN RESTORE ALL THINGS.  Pretty clear isn’t it?  It also says that we should establish our hearts (NOT THE EARTH) and draw close to the Lord for strength against the evils of this present world.  God the Father nor the Holy Spirit have aged and become doddering old men now unable to function and rule and reign.  Nor has our Jesus.  They DO NOT now nor have they ever needed man to intercede for them.  It is the other way around!!  That is why our Jesus came!  That is why He died on the Cross!  That is why He sits at the right hand of the Father as our Advocate!  AGAIN…IF “MAN” WAS EVER ABLE TO BEAT THE SIN NATURE AND RESTORE THE EARTH TO ITS PREVIOUS GLORY, JESUS WOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN KNOWN TO US, LET ALONE HAVE COME AND DIED ON THE CROSS FOR US!!!   This is NOT rocket science here.  When ANY man starts talking of “taking over” whether it is his own neighborhood or the 7 MOUNTAINS, in the name of or on behalf of, or by the “private” instructions” of God or a “messenger” then he is a FOOL to himself and is greatly deceived.  At that point man is elevating himself ABOVE GOD, and makes himself an idol to be adored and followed by other deceived and foolish men.  This is the Great Whore of Revelation.  This is the “religious system” that will lead men astray and away from Christ crucified and the Cross and the mighty and eternal work done there!!  DO NOT FOLLOW THESE MEN!!!  And yet they dare to label us as the modern day Pharisees, and they label us as having the “spirit of religion” and being the Laodicean church spoken of in Revelation.  Well, again, if following the Word of God to the letter as inspired by the Holy Spirit is evil and “religious” then evil are we.  But when the NAR/DOM twist scripture and dare to tell us that some things were “lost” in the Dark Ages from the Word, and tell us that only “they” have received the truth, then they are saying the Word, as it has stood for multiple centuries is a lie.  And if one word of the Word is a lie, then the whole Word is a lie.  This is utter nonsense and the church better wake up before it is too late!!   Tell these men to set up “boldly” their own churches and preach their own gospel as do the Mormon’s and the Jehovah Witnesses.  Tell them to keep their twisted scripture out of our churches and to quit using our dollars and the pure and true written Word of God to promote their own evil agendas!!  If they have something to do, then they should stand up as grown men and go do it, but stop trying to use our churches, money, and our precious youth to accomplish their goals.  If they are so sure of it, then they should believe that God is behind them and they don’t need us, our money, or our manpower, to see it through!!!!!  In other words, we too need to stand up like men and women of God and say it!!  If these men and women wish to perish, and we are entitled to our opinions, then have at it, but stop trying to drag the children of God with you!!!  However, in all fairness, no one is hog- tying and dragging the children of God anywhere are they?  People are blindly and sometimes out of shear ignorance following these men.  And this is the saddest statement for the church today!!

I again must state our passion for the true and flawless and COMPLETE Word of the Living God.  When anyone comes against the majesty of our King of Kings and Lord of Lords this passion spews forth like a fountain.  We experience both anger and deep sadness for both the perpetrators and those that follow them.  Our heart aches for their souls and the souls of their children.  Are we intense in our writings sometimes?  Well, yes.  But this does not now, nor will it ever mean that we do not pray for everyone involved in the snares of the enemy of us all and that is Satan himself.  It is never our intention to offend.  Only to provide the truth of the Word as it stands, and to try and protect the precious sheep of God to the best of our ability through our blog.  Monday, we will present Part III which will include an extensive look into “Joel’s Army”.  Blessings…Patti and Dave

ESCHATOLOGY OF DOMINION: A SUMMARY

While Patti writes a several parts series on the “Latter Rain”, it was put on my heart to reproduce this summary in a blog of my own.  It appears as Appendix A in a book by David Chilton called “PARADISE RESTORED, A Biblical Theology of Dominion” starting on page 223.   This man seemed so learned, he was only 45 years old at the time of his death.  I can’t fathom how he was able to misrepresent scripture the way he did in this book. Oh yes, he claims to be a Post-Millennialist.  He had to change literal scripture and change it to symbolic to line up with his beliefs.  He pretty much ignores the Epistles of Paul, especially the letter to the Galatians, where it was specifically pointed out that the Law and the Old Covenant was replaced by the New Covenant at the Cross.   He claims in Point 32 that Revelation isn’t futuristic, but was written for first century readers, but may I point out that Revelation wasn’t revealed to John until the first century was pretty much over? (circa. 96 A.D.),but later he wrote a book on Revelation, called “The Days of Vengeance: An Exposition of Revelation”.   After some of his 45 points given by Chilton, I will give my own comments in blue print in retort based on what the bible actually says before twisting the meaning by man, and taking obviously literal scripture and changes it to symbolism to fit his own manmade beliefs.    Chilton calls this his “Theses on Hope.”  (I’m sure I’ll have some fun here)

1.      The Bible teaches us to have hope, not despair: to expect victory and dominion for the gospel, not flight and defeat. (Dominion for the gospel ????)

2.      Biblical Prophesy is written in both literal and symbolic language.  The choice is not between “literalism” and “symbolism,” but between a Biblical and a speculative method of interpreting the bible.  Wow!  Speculation, no wonder they come up with so many different meanings for scripture.  The truth is:  Scripture should be taken as literal as possible, and when something can’t be literal, then is must be symbolic or figurative, but it will always have a literal truth.  God certainly didn’t purposely hide the truth from us.  How could he be an honest God if he purposely kept us in the dark of the very things we will be judged on at the final judgment. 

3.      Salvation is re-creation.  In redemption, Jesus Christ restores man to the image of God.  (How many times do you hear someone say?, “Well we are all just little Gods”.  This is “New Age”.   When I accepted Jesus, I don’t remember being able to create a new universe.  All I know is that I am redeemed and thru the work Jesus did at the cross, I can have communion with the Father, with Jesus being our advocate.

4.      Salvation and its blessings are presented in the Bible as definitive, progressive, and final.  (HUH???)  At the cross Christ said “It is finished”

5.      We are not saved out of our environment; rather salvation works to restore the earth as a whole.  God’s Holy Mountain (the Garden) will grow until it fills the entire world.  Where did he come up with this?  This is nothing more than “new age” psycho-babble.  Are you reading this, Al Gore? 

6.      God blesses obedience and curses disobedience; this pattern will become dominant as history progresses.

7.      Through generations of obedience, the godly will increasingly become competent and powerful, while the ungodly will grow weak and impotent.  Chilton wrote this book in the early 80’s, certainly not seeing what the 21^st century would bring.  Just look at the evil in Washington D.C, not to mention Hollywood and the rest of the world.  Chapter 6 of the Book of Romans deals with the sin nature.  If it was possible for man to be obedient on his own, Jesus would never had to make the ultimate sacrifice on the cross. 

8.      The wicked are “raptured” first (i.e.,driven out of the earth and disinherited), as the righteous increasingly come into possession of all things.  For all of us Blood bought Christians, this means we will be kicked off the earth.  1 Thessalonians 4:15-17 (KJV)
¹⁵ For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
¹⁶ For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
¹⁷ Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.  The Latter Rain and Dominionists don’t believe they will go in the rapture.  It’s only conjecture on my part, but if you read the 17^th Chapter of Revelation, it tells about the “Great Whore”, which is obviously a religious system in place during the Great Tribulation.  If the Church is raptured by Rev. 4:1, then who is left?

9.      Jesus Christ came as the Son of Man (the Second Adam), to set up God’s Kingdom on the earth.  In the Gospels, especially in Matthew, Jesus taught a “spiritual kingdom”, not a physical kingdom, where every person will “be compelled” to be a part of it… What ever happened to free will?

10.  The Biblical prophecies that Christ would reign as King were fulfilled in Christ’s enthronement at His Ascension.  I have noticed that the Dominionists and Latter Rain ignore the Book of Revelation.    Revelation 20:4 (KJV)
⁴ And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

11.  Daniel’s prophesy of the Son of Man “coming in the clouds” was fulfilled in the Ascension of Christ.  (I always thought that ascend meant to rise up.  To me ‘coming and going’ have the opposite meaning.

12.  Jesus Christ definitively defeated and bound Satan and the demons in His Atonement, Resurrection and Ascension.  Jesus defeated “sin and death” at the Cross, but satan is allowed to roam the earth seeking who he can “devour, kill and destroy” He won’t be bound until the Millenium Reign of Jesus Christ.  We still have free will to accept the sacrifice of Jesus, or continue in sin.   Revelation 20:1-2 (KJV)
¹ And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
² And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,

13.  The Kingdom was established during the First Advent of Christ (including the judgment of A.D. 70); it is now in progress and will increase until the end of the world.  Here again, Chilton ignores the Book of Revelation.  Chapter 20.  Christ sets up his Millennial Reign. 

14.  Ethnic Israel was excommunicated for its apostasy and will never again be God’s Kingdom.  This is probably the dumbest thing I read yet.  Not only does Jesus reveal in Revelation of the 1^st fruits of Israel in the Great Tribulation as the Manchild, (the 144,000).  They will definitely be a part of the “Bride of Christ” from Revelation 21.  This is not just the ‘Church” as these jokers will try to get you to believe, but it’s the Holy City with all the redeemed saints, the raptured saints, the Manchild, the Tribulation saints, and Old Testament saints.  Also in the Book of Ezekiel 37:3-6 (KJV)
³ And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord GOD, thou knowest.
⁴ Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the LORD.
⁵ Thus saith the Lord GOD unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live:
⁶ And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am the LORD.  This definitely sounds like a promise from God that Israel will live again.

15.  The Kingdom is now made up of all those (Jew and Gentile) who have been redeemed by Jesus Christ.

16.  The Church is now the Temple of God, having been indwelt by the Holy Spirit at Pentecost and fully established at the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70.

17.  The Olivet Discourse (Matt 24, Mk 13, and Lk 21) is not about the Second Coming of Christ, It is a prophesy of the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D 70. Some of these I just don’t have to comment, they are so ridiculous.   Just wait until you read the next one.  

18.  The Great Tribulation took place in the Fall of Israel.  It will not be repeated and thus is not a future event (although Christians in every age have had to endure suffering for the faith.  How do these Dominionists then explain the fact that the Book of Revelation didn’t come about until the year 96 A.D.,some 26 years after the Fall of Israel.  Here again, they can’t explain away (or don’t want to), the Book of Revelation. 

19.  The Bible does not prophesy any future literal Temple or sacrificial system to be set up in Jerusalem.  The Biblical prophesies of the Temple refer to Christ and His Church, definitively, progressively, and finally.  Revelation 11:1-2 (KJV)
¹ And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein.
² But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months. 4. The future Jewish temple in the days of Antichrist (Dan. 9:27; 11:45; 12:7; Mt. 24:15; 2Th. 2:3-4; Rev. 11:1-2)  If you check out these scriptures, it makes it very clear that indeed a temple will be rebuilt.  Matthew 24:15 (KJV)
¹⁵ When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)  If there is no temple, then where does the anti-christ stand, in the local Baptist or Lutheran church?  Or the local mosque?

20.  Although Israel will someday be restored to the true faith, the Bible doesn’t tell of any future plan for Israel as a special nation.  Read Revelation 21.  I would say that when God sets up his headquarters in the New Jerusalem, I’d say that will be pretty special.

21.  The Biblical language of de-creation (the “collapsing universe”) is symbolic of God’s judgment, especially reminiscent of the Flood and the plagues on Egypt at the Exodus.  I went back into the chapter that this guy was explaining all this, and I’m as clueless here as anyone.  Your guess is as good as mine, even after he explained it, and backed it up with twisted scripture, it was still a mystery to me.

22.  Antichrist is a term used by John to describe the widespread apostasy of the Christian Church prior to the Fall of Jerusalem.  In general, any apostate teacher or system can be called “antichrist”, but the word does not refer to some “future Fuhrer.”  The first part of his statement is partially true.  But my question is: Why was the church any different after the fall of Jerusalem?  And denying the anti-christ existence as the “son of perdition, as written in Zecchariah, Ezekiel, Daniel, and Revelation, and the Great Tribulation, is absolutely ludicrous.  They build there foundational beliefs on only certain scriptures, and the rest of the Bible they deny. 

23.  The “Great Apostasy” happened in the first century.  We therefore have no Biblical warrant to expect increasing apostasy as history progresses; instead, we should expect the increasing Christianization of the world.  I wonder what Chilton calls his book, and I wonder what the Dominionists and Latter Rain call their movement if it isn’t apostasy and heresy.  

24.   The Last Days is a Biblical expression for the period between Christ’s Advent and the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D.70: the last days of Israel.  (Oh Pollleezze!!!)

25.  Before the Second Coming of Christ, the vast majority of Jews and Gentiles will be converted to the Christian faith.  25 years after this book was written, we don’t exactly see this happening either.

26.  All of Christ’s enemies are gradually being subdued under His reign from heaven.  He will remain in heaven until all enemies have been defeated.  The last enemy, Death, will be destroyed when He returns.  The “Manifest Sons of God” believe that they will become immortal.  Why then do they need Jesus to come back at all?

27.  Jesus Christ will return on the last day, when the Resurrection and the Last Judgment will take place.  Revelation 20:11-12 (KJV)
¹¹ And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
¹² And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.  If you take a peek at Revelation 20, you will read that the “Great White Throne Judgment comes after the Millennial Reign.  Maybe they figure Jesus won’t need to be around for the Millennial Reign, after all, won’t they be immortal and like God?

28.  The Rapture and 2^nd Coming will occur at the same time together.  The Church is not mentioned in the Book of Revelation after Chapter 4:1.  Greek: meta (GSN-<G3326>) tauta (GSN-<G5023>), after these things (note a, Jn. 5:1). This Greek phrase is used at the beginning and at end of this verse thus: "After these things (after writing the things concerning the churches of Rev. 2 -- Rev. 3) I looked ... a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice ... said, Come up hither, and I will show thee things which must be after these things," that is, after the churches (Rev. 4:1). This confirms and settles the question as to the time of the fulfillment of all the events of Rev. 4 -- Rev. 22. They must be after these things of the churches, or after the rapture of the church. The church is no longer on earth when the events of Rev. 4 -- Rev. 22 take place. Dake's Annotated Reference Bible.

29.  There will be one Resurrection of all men; the righteous will be raised to everlasting life, and the wicked will be raised to damnation.

30.  The primary concern of prophesy is ethical conduct: obedience to God’s commands.  Perhaps in the Old Testament this statement is somewhat true, but Paul’s letter to the Corinthians doesn’t agree.  1 Corinthians 14:3 (KJV)
³ But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort.

31.  The Canon of Scripture was closed in A.D. 70, when the Old Covenant passed away.  Gee, I always believed that the Old Covenant ended at the Cross…. Jesus said, “It is finished”. 

32.  The Book of Revelation is not to be interpreted “futuristically”; for it’s first-century readers, it’s message was contemporary, and the time of it’s fulfillment was “at hand.”  Here again I reiterate, If John didn’t receive the Revelation from Christ and it wasn’t written until about the year 96, how do you suppose the writing of this was for the 1^st century Christians?

33.  The “Beast” of Revelation was a symbol of both Nero in particular and the Roman Empire in general.  See Point 22 above where he says there will be no futuristic “fuehrer”.   Also I must point out that Nero died in 68 A.D., some 28 years before the Book of Revelation was written. 

34.  The “False Prophet” symbolized the Jewish religious leadership.  (LOL) Revelation 16:13 (KJV)
¹³ And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.

Revelation 19:20 (KJV)
²⁰ And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.

Revelation 20:10 (KJV)
¹⁰ And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

35.  The “Harlot” symbolized apostate Jerusalem, which had ceased to be the City of God.  I guess if you don’t believe that the Book of Revelation is futuristic, you can come up with all sorts of wild twisting of scripture.  Read Revelation Chapter 17.  It’s made clear to the reader that the “Harlot” is a religious system that will be destroyed by the anti-christ.  If God’s church has been raptured by Rev.4:1, then who is left?  Obviously it will be the remaining church, the church that hasn’t been raptured.   The apostate church. 

36.  The “Millennium” is the Kingdom of Jesus Christ, which he established at His First Advent.  In Point 38 below, Chilton claims a thousand years is symbolic, not literal.  Does he believe that God doesn’t know what a thousand is?  Revelation 20:1-4 (KJV)
¹ And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
² And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
³ And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.
⁴ And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

37.  The “First Resurrection” is a Spiritual resurrection: our justification and regeneration in Christ.  Revelation 20:5-6 (KJV)
⁵ But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
⁶ Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.  Here again, Chilton ignores the literal Word of God and decides to make it symbolic and come up with his own meaning. 

38.  The “thousand years” of Revelation 20 is symbolic for a vast number of years, most likely many thousands.  See my notes for Point 36 above.  There is no reason not to take the scripture literally, why make it symbolic?  If God said a thousand, he means a thousand. 

39.  All Christians are priests in this age; all Christians are now seated in the heavenly places in Christ.   Revelation 1:4-7 (KJV)
⁴ John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne;
⁵ And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,
⁶ And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
⁷ Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen. The scripture points to Jesus’s Millennial reign, Chiltons spin on it is “kingdom now”

40.  The New Creation has already begun:  The Bible describes our salvation in Christ, both now and in eternity, as “a new heaven and a new earth.” Revelation 21:1-2 (KJV)
¹ And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
² And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. This is the only place in the bible that that quote, “a new heaven and a new earth” appears.  And it’s at the end of the Book of Revelation.  But Chilton claims that Revelation is not futuristic. 

41.  The “New Jerusalem,” the City of God, is the Church, now and forever.  Does this sound like just the Church to you?  Revelation 21:2-4 (KJV)
² And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
³ And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
⁴ And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

Twenty-one Other New Things in Rev. Chapter 21 -- Rev. Chapter 22

1. New city on earth (Rev. 21:2-3,10-27)

2. New and visible presence of God the Father on earth (Rev. 21:3-7; 22:3-5)

3. New earth conditions (Rev. 21:4-7)

4. New water of life for all people on earth (Rev. 21:6; 22:1,17)

5. New realization of eternal inheritances for all mankind (Rev. 21:7)

6. New segregation between godly and ungodly (Rev. 21:8-27; 22:15; Isa. 66:22)

7. New and eternal relationship (Rev. 21:3-10,24-27; 22:1-5)

8. New eternal generations of natural people (Rev. 21:3-7,24-27; 11:15; 22:4-5; Gen. 8:22; 9:12; 13:15; 17:7,19; Ex. 3:15; Dt. 5:29; 29:29; 2Sam. 7:24-26; 1Chr. 23:25; Ps. 45:17; 72:5; 89:4; 102:12,24; 106:31; 145:13; 146:10; Isa. 9:6-7; 51:8; 59:21; Jer. 31:35-36; 32:38-40; Ezek. 37:24-28; 43:7; Dan. 2:44-45; 7:13-14,18,27; Lk. 1:32-33,55; Heb. 12:28)

9. New traffic in the new city (Rev. 21:24-27)

10. New river on earth (Rev. 22:1)

11. New food for the new natural people (Rev. 22:1-2,14)

12. New and eternal health (Rev. 22:1-14)

13. New earth inhabitants -- the resurrected people residing in the new Jerusalem (Rev. 21:2,9-10; 22:1-5)

14. New location for the capital of the universe (Rev. 21:2,9-10,24-27; 22:4-5)

15. New method of living forever (Rev. 22:2)

16. New kinds of fruit (Rev. 22:2)

17. New and eternal King and kingdom on earth (Rev. 21:3-7,24-27; 22:3; Eph. 1:10)

18. New unity between heaven and earth (Rev. 21:3-7,24-27; 22:3; Eph. 1:10)

19. New and eternal responsibility of man in carrying out the original plan (Rev. 21:3-7,24-27; 22:1-5; Isa. 45:18; Gen. 1:26-28)

20. New future for natural and resurrected people (Rev. 21:3-7,24-27; 22:1-5; Eph. 2:7)

21. New and eternal realization of God's plan for man fulfilled (Rev. 21:2-7,24-27; 22:1-5)

Dake's Annotated Reference Bible.

42.           The center of the Christian reconstruction of the world is the Church.  The essence of Biblical religion, and the source of Christian culture, is the worship of God.  Read the 21 points above, does it sound like God needs the churches help to reconstruct the world?  The only mandate given by Jesus was the “Great Commission”,   Mark 16:15-16 (KJV) ¹⁵ And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. ¹⁶ He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.   John 13:34 (KJV) ³⁴ A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

43.  The Church’s worship and government are officially recognized in the heavenly Court.  When the Church pronounces lawful judgments, they are executed on earth, in history, through God’s providential administration of the world.  If you believe in Post-Millennialism as Chilton does, you may be able to understand this one.  It reminds me of the Infallible Doctrine of the Pope in the Catholic Church.  

44.  The Christian goal for the world is the universal development of Biblical theocratic republics, in which every area of life is redeemed and placed under the lordship of Jesus Christ and the rule of God’s law. In Misunderstanding of the Hope #2, pg 227.  They believed that Christians would… [bring] about the Kingdom of God on earth through their own efforts.  Chilton explains, “This is one of the most commonly heard objections to the Hope.  The dominion outlook is equated with the liberal “Social Gospel’ movement of the early 1900’s.  Such an identification is utterly absurd, devoid of any foundation whatsoever.  The leaders of the Social Gospel movement were evolutionary humanists and socialists, and were openly hostile toward Biblical Christianity.”  Today, 2011, we see exactly this happening.   You can order the teaching tapes of C. Peter Wagner, and the “7 Mountain Mandate”.  My old pastor in the church we used to go to preached on the “7 mountains of society.  Believers of “Joels Army” believe that Christians will be compelled to join the kingdom of God.  This is no better than Islam who force people to become Muslim. 

45.  The Christian standard for ethics in every area-for individuals, families, businesses, and governments-is Biblical law.  The Christian cannot be satisfied with “pluralism,” or his calling is to work for the dominion of Jesus Christ and His Kingdom throughout the world.  Prosperity for the world will come from Jesus Christ, and from Jesus Christ alone.  This doesn’t exactly sound like the ‘Great Commission” or the Kingdom that Christ taught in the Book of Matthew and Luke?  Every mention of the Kindom in these two Gospels and others refer to a Spiritual Kingdom, not a physical kingdom that the Dominionists teach.  Paul said it best in his letter to the Romans 14:17 (KJV)
¹⁷ For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.   How much clearer can you get than that?

I will end this by adding a scripture from the Book of Revelation since Chilton was so free with misquoting and twisting the scriptures, here is a good scripture for all of us to remember: 

 Revelation 22:18-19 (KJV)
¹⁸ For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
¹⁹ And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.