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