New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) – Latter Rain – False Teachings
NEW APOSTOLIC REFORMATION & LATTER RAIN aka Kingdom Now & Kansas City Prophets / Dominion Theology / Manifest Sons of God (Joel’s Army) / Third Wave / Toronto Blessing – is all Heresy & is False Teachings regarding the Modern Day Prophet & Apostle Movement in the Church. Latter Rain brought forth other Unbiblical False Teachings such as the Manifested Sons of God. This whole movement was condemned by the Assemblies of God in 1949. Some of the main False Teachers in the movement: Bill Johnson (Bethel Church & Jesus Culture), the late William Branham, C.Peter Wagner (Vineyard), Rick Joyner, Bill Hamon, Mike Bickle (IHOP), Kim Clement, Paul Cain, Bob Jones, Sid Roth, Todd Bentley, Patricia King, Francis Frangipane…and more.
- GO BACK TO THE MAIN PAGE ON >> FALSE TEACHERS LIST – FALSE PROPHETS EXPOSED << OR MORE ARTICLES ON THIS TOPIC – HERE
- 2 Corinthians 11:13-15 (NASB) “For such men are FALSE APOSTLES, DECEITFUL WORKERS, disguising themselves as APOSTLES OF CHRIST. 14) No wonder, for even SATAN DISGUISES himself as an ANGEL OF LIGHT. 15) Therefore it is NOT surprising if HIS (SATAN’S) SERVANTS also DISGUISE themselves as SERVANTS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, whose END will be according to their DEEDS.“
- Galatians 1:6-13 (NKJV) “I marvel that you are TURNING AWAY SO SOON from Him who called you in the GRACE OF CHRIST, to a DIFFERENT GOSPEL, which is not another; but there are some who TROUBLE YOU & want to PERVERT the GOSPEL of CHRIST. But even if we, or an ANGEL from HEAVEN, PREACH ANY OTHER GOSPEL to you than what we have PREACHED to you, LET HIM BE ACCURSED.”
- 2 Peter 2:1-3 (NKJV) “But there were also FALSE PROPHETS among the people, even as there will be FALSE TEACHERS among you, who will SECRETLY bring in DESTRUCTIVE HERESIES, even DENYING the LORD who bought them, and bring on themselves SWIFT DESTRUCTION. And MANY will FOLLOW their DESTRUCTIVE WAYS, because of whom the WAY of TRUTH will be BLASPHEMED. By COVETOUSNESS they will EXPLOIT you with DECEPTIVE WORDS; for a LONG TIME their JUDGMENT has NOT been IDLE, and their DESTRUCTION does NOT SLUMBER.”
- 1 Timothy 4:1 (NKJV) “Now the SPIRIT expressly says that in LATTER TIMES some will DEPART from the FAITH, GIVING HEED to DECEIVING SPIRITS & DOCTRINES of DEMONS.”
- 2 Timothy 4:2-5 (NASB) “PREACH THE WORD; be READY in SEASON & OUT OF SEASON; REPROVE, REBUKE, EXHORT, with GREAT PATIENCE and INSTRUCTION. For the TIME WILL COME when they will NOT ENDURE SOUND DOCTRINE; but wanting to have their EARS TICKLED, they will ACCUMULATE for themselves TEACHERS in accordance to their OWN DESIRES, and will TURN AWAY THEIR EARS from the TRUTH and will TURN ASIDE TO MYTHS. But you, be SOBER IN ALL THINGS, ENDURE HARDSHIP, do the WORK of an EVANGELIST, FULFILL your MINISTRY.“
- Matthew 16:4 Jesus— “Only an EVIL, ADULTEROUS Generation would DEMAND a Miraculous Sign” [MORE: False Teachers Scriptures]
SUMMED-UP – WHAT IS THE NEW APOSTOLIC REFORMATION (NAR)?
The New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) is a movement pioneered by C. Peter Wagner. This is what charismatic and continuationist doctrine looks like when taken to its logical conclusion. The NAR claims that not only the gifts, but also the office of apostleship still continues today. And as so-called “apostles”, they pretend to speak for God and wield His divine authority—but it is all merely a pretense. [Source: GTY.org]
- The Church must be Restored & Equipped to rule by the five-fold ministries.
- It must come to Perfection & Complete Visible UNITY.
- Out of the purified church will come a Spiritual Elite Corps, a Corporate Christ who possess the Spirit without measure
- They will Purge the earth of all Wickedness & Rebellion
- They will Judge the Apostate Church
- They will Redeem a Creation, and Restore the Earth
- They will eventually overcome death itself in a Counterfeit of the Rapture
- The Church will thus Inherit the Earth, and Rule over it from the Throne of Christ.
[Source: Apologetic Index]:
FALSE TEACHERS LIST OF THE: NEW APOSTOLIC REFORMATION (NAR) – LIST
MORE HERE: FALSE TEACHERS LIST
- Carol Arnott
- John Arnott
- Todd Bentley
- Mike Bickle – Founder of International House of Prayer (IHOP)
- the late William Branham
- Paul Cain
- Nolan Clark
- Randy Clark
- Kim Clement
- John Crowder
- John Dawson
- Joy Dawson
- Jack Deere
- Lou Engle – Founder of The Call
- Francis Frangipane
- Ted Haggard
- Bill Hamon
- Steve Hill
- Mike and Cindy Jacobs – Founders of Generals International
- John Paul Jackson
- Bill Johnson – Head Pastor of Bethel Church / Jesus Culture
- Bob Jones
- Rick Joyner – Founder of Morning Star Ministries
- John Kilpatrick
- Patricia King
- George Otis Jr
- Chuck Pierce
- Michael Pierce
- Sid Roth
- Dutch Sheets
- Ed Silvoso
- Tommy Tenney
- Richard Twiss
- C. Peter Wagner – Founder of Global Harvest Ministries
- John Wimber
- .. and many more!
FALSE TEACHERS VIDEO – SO4J-TV & JUSTIN PETERS
NEW! UPDATED 2017-2018 (8.5 HOURS on 2 DAYS) – JUSTIN PETERS – CLOUDS WITHOUT WATER II (A CALL FOR DISCERNMENT) SEMINAR DVD— is a Fair Biblical Critique of the Word of Faith Prosperity gospel / Charismatic Movement & the New Apostolic Reformation. 8.5 Hours on 2 DVDs, Produced by Justin Peters and SO4J-TV ®. Endorsed by SO4J-TV’s Pastors John MacArthur, Phil Johnson; and Mike Gendron, and many more, and Filmed at: Grace Community Church, CA in the Family Center. Clouds Without Water DVD – Produced by Justin Peters & SO4J-TV® // MORE INFO HERE or BUY: STORE.
VIDEO: FALSE TEACHERS EXPOSED: Word Of Faith / Prosperity Gospel – Justin Peters / SO4J-TV
WHAT IS THE NEW APOSTOLIC REFORMATION?
Video: Wretched: RUN from the N.A.R. (New Apostolic Reformation)
The New Apostolic Reformation, or NAR, is a loose collection of non-denominational and independent churches rallying around a particular set of biblical interpretations. The NAR approaches church leadership and biblical interpretation differently from mainstream Protestant denominations. Of particular distinction are the role and power of spiritual leaders, a literalist approach to spiritual warfare, and an overt interest in cultural and political control. Unfortunately, this has led to some unscriptural approaches to faith and spirituality. Growth in the NAR is driven primarily through small groups and church planting, often completely independent of a parent congregation. The movement is not centrally controlled, and many of its followers will not self-identify as part of it or even recognize the name. All the same, thousands of churches and millions of believers adhere to the teachings of the NAR. Popular teachers associated with the NAR include: C. Peter Wagner, Rick Joyner, and Kim Clement. The NAR teaches that God’s intended form of church governance is apostles and prophets, holding leadership over evangelists, pastors, and teachers. However, this has not been the case for the vast majority of Christian history. So, according to the NAR, God began to restore prophets and apostles over the last thirty to forty years. Only now, as the church is properly guided by the appropriate spiritual leaders, can it fulfill its commission. This commission is seen as more than spiritual, as it includes cultural and political control. In the NAR, apostles are seen as the highest of all spiritual leaders, being specially empowered by God. True maturity and unity, per the NAR, is only found in those who submit to the leadership of their apostles. According to this teaching, as the church unifies behind the apostles, these leaders will develop greater and greater supernatural powers. Eventually, this will include the ability to perform mass healings and suspend the laws of physics. These signs are meant to encourage a massive wave of converts to Christianity. These apostles are also destined to be recipients of a great wealth transfer (in the end times), which will enable the church to establish God’s kingdom on earth. Prophets in the NAR are almost as important as Apostles. These people have been empowered to receive “new” revelations from God that will aid the church in establishing dominion. According to the NAR, only prophets, and occasionally apostles, can obtain new revelations. Evangelists, pastors, and teachers cannot. The prophets’ new revelations are crucial to overcoming the world, and the success of the church depends on the apostles following through on the information prophets provide. Most of their prophecies are extremely vague and easy to re-interpret, and the NAR is willing to modify them, since they set no standard of infallibility for themselves. According to New Apostolic thinking, mankind lost its dominion over earth as part of the fall of Adam. So Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross not only resolved our sin debt, but it empowered mankind—specifically, Christians—to retake control of the earth. The NAR sees seven areas in which believers are supposedly empowered and expected to dominate: government, arts, finances, education, religion, family, and media. Of these, the NAR sees government as the most important because of its ability to influence all of the other facets of life. As a result, the NAR overtly encourages Christian control over politics, culture, and business. In some ways, this is nothing unusual, as people should be expected to vote and lobby according to their convictions. The NAR, however, is often accused of pushing for outright theocracy.Spiritual warfare, according to the New Apostolic Reformation, is meant to resolve worldly concerns. For example, economic troubles or health problems in a particular city are seen as the result of a demonic spirit’s influence. Prayer, research into the specific name of that demon, and other spiritual disciplines are then applied in an effort to combat this presence. This is necessary not only for the health of the region, but also because the church cannot take “dominion” over that area until the demonic control has been lifted.Biblically, there are major problems with the NAR. Claiming that Christians have access to certain spiritual gifts is one thing, but their distinctive approach to the role of apostles and prophets is a stretch from what is found in the Bible. More to the point, the office of apostle requires traits which are impossible today. For example, true apostles must be personal eyewitnesses of the risen Christ (1 Corinthians 9:1; 15:7–8), specifically designated as apostles by Jesus (Galatians 1:1; Acts 1:2; Luke 6:13), and already verified by miraculous signs (Matthew 10:1; 2 Corinthians 12:2; Acts 5:12). The idea of new revelations from God, especially those that come in the form of vague, easily reinterpreted mysteries, runs counter to the idea of a faith delivered “once for all” to mankind (Jude 1:3). The fact that NAR prophecies frequently turn out to be false suggests a false spirit behind those predictions (Deuteronomy 18:22).The same holds true for miracles: the ideological father of the movement, C. Peter Wagner, decreed the end of European Mad Cow disease in 2001—and the disease is still being diagnosed and treated some fourteen years later. The tendency of the NAR to treat spiritual warfare as a type of Christianized voodoo is not only unbiblical, but dangerous.Likewise, the emphasis on an earthly kingdom contradicts Jesus’ own declaration that the Kingdom of God was spiritual, not political (John 18:36). It places an unhealthy emphasis on political and worldly approval, rather than Christlike influence. Though it uses the word new, the NAR is actually a reworking of a very common, very old approach. Since the beginning of Christianity, various groups have claimed to have a “new revelation” from God to correct all of the errors of the present world. These movements contend that “real” spirituality or maturity or truth is found only by those who listen to their leadership. Some of these sects, such as the Jehovah’s Witnesses and Mormonism, endure and become religions in their own right. Others fade away. Much of what the NAR teaches has at least some basis in Scripture, albeit carried much further than the Bible intends. That, however, still makes those doctrines unbiblical, and Christians should flatly reject the New Apostolic Reformation’s teachings and those who choose to be associated with it. [Source: Got Questions]
Video: Modern Apostles? (WWUTT)
FIRST WAVE – started in 1906-1909 with the Azuza Street Revival; start of the Pentecostal Movement
SECOND WAVE – started in the 1960s thru the Charismatic Movement; moved into mainstream Churches
THIRD WAVE– started in the 1980s, and is very much alive today through TV & the Internet. C.Peter Wagner and the Vineyard Movement, Todd Bentley, Rick Joyner are a big part of the Third Wave.
The Roots & Fruits of the New Apostolic Reformation – NAR
ARTICLE: New Apostolic Reformation
A Warning About Latter Day Apostles
By Dr. Orrel Steinkamp
C. Peter Wagner is attempting to will into existence what he calls a “New Apostolic Reformation”. He tells us in a book he has edited called “The New Apostolic Churches” of the struggle he had with naming his new reformation. “I needed a name … For a couple of years I experimented with ‘Post denominationalism’. The name I have settled on for the movement is the New Apostolic Reformation.” (1) Donald Miller a colleague of Wagner calls this movement “The New Paradigm Churches”. (2) This is advertised as a reformation greater in scale than the reformation of the 1500’s.
It is suggested that this “new reformation” is something entirely new. Wagner outlines his article with sections such as “new name”, “new authority structure”, “new ministry focus”, “new worship style”, “new prayer forms” etc. The centerpiece of this new apostolic reformation is the launching of new apostles and prophets. The restoration of modern day apostles and prophets is promoted in the book “The Gift of Apostle” by David Cannistraci. This book was offered to those attending a conference organized by Wagner called “Churches in the New Apostolic Paradigm”. Among the list of topics and presenters for the conference was Bill Hamon. (Can we really refer to the Bill Hamon’s teaching as new?) Bishop Hamon has been promoting restoration and manifest sons of God teaching for decades. Can it be argued that this “New reformation” is something that God has just recently dropped new from heaven like the baby Superman from Krypton? I suggest that there is nothing new here at all and for anyone willing to do the study they will find it a mere cutting edge version of something at least 100 years old. G. Raymond Carlson, former General Superintendent of the AOG [USA], had this to say regarding the new apostles and prophets:
“I saw it in the New Order of the Latter Rain in the late 40’s and early 50’s. Before that, it made its presence felt in the early days of the century among early Pentecostals.” (3)
Video: Lakeland: The Movie (Feature-Length Film on Todd Bentley & the Florida Outpouring)
Video: Rick Joyner False Teacher – Church of Altered States
The only thing new about this movement seems to be the new personalities who are promoting it and their creative marketing techniques. It is interesting that those promoting this end of the age global revival visualize and allegorize it as a “Mighty River”. Do the “River Boat Captains” know the direction the current river is flowing and do the gleeful riverboat passengers know where “the river” originated? Do they know that this river has been flowing for many years? Do they know the original channel that still determines where the river will eventually flow? We all know that the source and the course of a river determines its direction no matter how many tributaries may enter into it along the way. So it is with what is currently called the “River of Revival”. Provided people think logically, the underlying core paradigm will eventually play out according to the original vision much like the rules of chess determine what is a valid move and what is not.
Video: Latter Rain & Word of Faith – False Revival
Video: Does God Still Give Revelation? John MacArthur – Part 1 of 4
G. Raymond Carlson was right. This much publicized new paradigm can be traced to the Latter Rain movement of the 40’s and early 50’s. Even though the Latter Rain of the 50’s faltered and fell into disrepute with the death of William Branham and the repudiation by the Assemblies of God it was kept alive by certain survivors and reintroduced in a veiled manner into the Charismatic Renewal of the 60’s and 70’s. Few people have realized just how influential the Latter Rain movement was and how effectively Latter Rain concepts were introduced into the Charismatic Renewal. Ern Baxter who was instrumental in the Shepherding Movement, worked with William Branham during the 50’s Latter Rain. George Warnock, who wrote the only systematic teaching from the Latter Rain (The Feast of Tabernacles), was Ern Baxter’s personal secretary. In the midst of the Charismatic Renewal I remember well the teaching of the fivefold ministry and at that time assumed it was a new revelation to the church not knowing it had been imported directly from the Latter Rain. But is the mid-century Latter-Rain the headwaters of the current River of revival? Not really. Rather than the headwaters it is a major tributary. We must travel further upstream to find the actual source. Dr Raymond Carlson again is correct in asserting that some of the early Pentecostal pioneers of the turn of the century also were involved. Before we stop with the early Pentecostals, we must go back just a little further and find the headwaters in the Holiness movement of the late 1800’s.
Video: Jesus Culture:The Next Generation of Heretics
Video: False Prophet Bill Johnson from Bethel Church – Redding, California
Part 2 The Jesus Culture – Call for Discernment, same Jesus?
1 – The Holiness Movement
Holiness enthusiasts of the late nineteenth century searched the scriptures for reference to the revival they were experiencing. One popular scripture was Matthew 24:14, “And this gospel shall be preached in all the world… and then the end shall come”. Holiness teaching served as a prelude to missions and missions a prelude to the second coming.
They identified their holiness experience as the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and the enablement to take the gospel to every nation and then Jesus could return. Holiness preachers searched the scriptures for this worldwide revival and interestingly enough the best they could find was a teaching they called the “Latter Rain”. This Latter Rain allegory was pieced together from scripture references of the early and latter rains of the growing season. (Deuteronomy 11:10-21 and James 5:7-8). These rainfall patterns metaphorically became a sort of lens though which to view all of church history. The outpouring of the Spirit at Pentecost was seen as the early rain in which the church was planted and the end of age revival was the latter rain, a divine preparation of a last days harvest and the signal of the soon return of Jesus. Wesley Myland (1858-1943) who began his career as a holiness preacher was the first to put in writing the Latter Rain scheme, which he titled “The Latter Rain Covenant”. (4) He is also credited with writing the first Pentecostal hymn “The Latter Rain”. The Dictionary of Pentecostal and Charismatic Movements also refers to his book, “The Latter Rain Covenant” as the first definitive Pentecostal theology.
Video: Charismatics Criticizing Charsimatics
2 – Latter Rain And The Early Pentecostals
It was Charles Parham, a Methodist holiness preacher who broke with traditional holiness teaching and linked the Baptism of the Holy Spirit with a latter-day Pentecost. His new discovery was that tongues was both a sign of this Spirit baptism and also the signal of the end of the age.
The early Pentecostal pioneers initially accepted this Latter Rain motif. Spirit baptism was an end time repeat of the first Pentecost. Tongues were seen as an eschatological sign signifying that a second and final Pentecost was taking place, bringing the church into a new and final dispensation. This second Pentecost would bring a final world revival in which the nations would have one last opportunity to hear the gospel and then the end would come. Tongues were at first perceived as actual missionary languages to enable the gospel to be quickly preached throughout the whole earth. Indeed many at that time went to China assuming they had been given a Chinese tongue to announce the gospel. Most returned disillusioned. The term “Latter Rain” was used freely by the early Pentecostal pioneers as well as the term “apostolic”. The early Pentecostals were convinced that not only would there be a Latter Rain global revival but the last days’ church would be restored to the apostolic pattern. Joined to the Latter Rain teaching was a complementary truth called restoration.
Video: Kenneth Hagin & Kenneth Copeland’s Pentecostal Bedlam
Kenneth Hagin pretends he is about to preach; acts demon-possessed instead
3 – Restoring The Apostolic Church
The basic principle of restoration teaching is that there is a fundamental discontinuity, historical and spiritual, between the church today and the New Testament church. In the restoration agenda, God will end the church as He began it. Events, however, caused the early Pentecostals to dispense with restorationism and the Latter Rain motif. In 1914 and later the founding fathers of the AOG turned their back on Latter Rain Apostolic Restoration thinking and espoused the current premillennial eschatology. The Latter Rain motif then sat more or less dormant for decades until 1948. In Canada the Latter Rain paradigm erupted again. Impartation of spiritual gifts by the laying on of hands was instituted as well as traveling prophets giving personal prophecy.
This time there was added the restoration of the apostolic office gifts of apostles and prophets. Indeed to restore the apostolic church without restored apostles and prophets would be a limited restoration of the apostolic church.
4 – Restored Apostles And Prophets
Video: Are there Apostles in the Church Today? (Alan Cairns)
To Latter Rain teachers it seemed obvious that if there was to be a repeated apostolic Pentecost then apostles and prophets must be restored as well. These teachers then devised a historical scheme of restoration. Church history was understood as a succession of recoveries of lost or neglected truths. Luther recovered justification by faith, Baptists believers’ baptism, Wesley holiness, A.B. Simpson healing and the early Pentecostal pioneers the gifts of the Spirit. The recovery process was now extended further. The end time body of Christ must go on to maturity and restore the apostles and prophets and these restored ministries must lead the church to a new and final dimension of power and authority not only bringing in the final harvest but establishing the Kingdom of God upon the earth.
According to the New Testament, an APOSTLE had to be:
- A physical eyewitness of the resurrected Christ (Acts 1:22; 1 Corinthians 9:1; 15:7–8)
- Appointed by the Lord (Mark 3:14; Luke 6:13; Acts 1:2; 10:41; Galatians 1:1)
- Able to authenticate his apostleship with miraculous signs (Matthew 10:1; Acts 2:43; 5:12; 2 Corinthians 12:12; Hebrews 2:3–4). [Source: GTY.org]
5 – “Kingdom Now” Teaching
Now we are introduced to another major feature of the current move namely Kingdom Now Dominionism. Previously Latter Rain teachers saw a second and repeated Pentecost as a final harvest of souls before Christ could come back. Now there is a major addition to the Latter Rain/Restoration concept. The restored apostles and prophets will lead a new and reconstituted body of Christ in conquering the kingdoms of this world and establishing the Kingdom of God upon the earth.
This dominion mentality is conceived as a gigantic end-time revival that will sweep the whole earth in its wake. Some even refer to a billion souls being swept in to the kingdom. An elite company of overcomers from out of the larger church will subdue all things and will be so endued with supernatural power that the first church apostles will be envious of the latter day apostles.
According to his view, summarized from the statements made by a number of its exponents, “the church isn’t going sit and take it any more. The church isn’t going to wait to be helicoptered out of the world in some rapture rescue plan. The church will stay right here and by its spiritual authority even defeat the principalities and powers in the heavenlies, dragging them to earth and putting them under their heel”. Paul Cain, a survivor of the Latter Rain (1950) is currently marketing a vision of an elite company of overcoming spiritual warriors called “Joel’s army”. This end-time spiritual army unit will be an invincible band, which leads the church in dominion on the earth. A purging of the wider church of those who will not follow the new order is necessary to constitute a unified global church.
Teachers of the new order tell us that all this has been prophesied. This is an end-time fulfillment of the Feast of Tabernacles. These teachers assert that Passover found fulfillment in the sacrifice of Christ on the cross. The Feast of Pentecost was fulfilled in the outpouring of Spirit, and now the only remaining feast is that of Tabernacles to be fulfilled in the last days’ church. It is a second Pentecost with restored apostles and prophets. This end time spiritual army will put all God’s enemies under its feet, yes even the last enemy, death itself. This introduces us to another added teaching of the Latter Rain (1950).
6 – The Manifested Sons Of God
New Apostolic Reformation Exposed – Mike Bickle (IHOP) False Teacher
Video: Escaping Bethel Church, Bill Johnson, and Jesus Culture by M’Kayla Kelly
The body of Christ coming to spiritual maturity will be able to defeat death itself. This teaching became known as the “Manifest Sons of God”. Taking childish cues from Paul’s teaching in Romans eight and misunderstanding them, they suggested that a company of overcoming believers “the sons of God” will be manifested upon the earth with never dying spiritual bodies before the return of Christ. This would have to be the ultimate in dominion teaching.
Bishop Earl Paulk has stated the Manifest Sons teaching very clearly without ever using that unpopular term. Listen to his unmistakable teaching:
“Jesus Christ, as the first-fruit of the Kingdom, began the work of conquering death on an individual basis, but we, as His church, will be the ones to complete the task. Jesus said (Matthew 28:18), “all power is given unto me in heaven and in earth,” and the church today has that same power. Death will not be conquered by Jesus returning to earth. It will be conquered when the church stands up boldly and says, “We have dominion over the earth”. (5)
Obviously the church has not yet matured to the place of defeating death. Bishop Paulk counsels Christians not to accept death unless they get a specific revelation from God otherwise. There is a companion truth that often accompanies the Manifested Sons teaching namely the birth in the church of a corporate Christ. This corporate Christ is said to be a fusing together of the spiritual Christ within His many membered body upon the earth. The end-time glorious church is supposed to give birth to this corporate Christ. Though it is not always stated this view assumes and some teach (not all) that the literal physical resurrected Jesus will not need to return as such. Rather His second coming will happen when He is spiritually incarnated into his church, which will then be able to conquer death itself. This teaching has been expressed in various ways.
“Jesus was God in the flesh. We must be as He was in the world, even greater in volume and influence.” (6)
“The completion of the incarnation of God in the world must be in His church… Jesus Christ is the first fruits, but without the ongoing harvest, the incarnation will never be complete.” (7)
“The living Word of God, Jesus Christ, was conceived in the womb of a virgin. The Word became flesh in the God-Man Jesus Christ (John 1:1). Likewise, the Word of God must be made flesh in the Church in order for us to bear witness to the Kingdom which God has called us to demonstrate.” (8)
“We are on earth as extensions of God to finish the work He began. We are the essence of God, His on-going incarnation in the world.” (9)
This is saying far more than the orthodox view that Christ indwells His church by the Holy Spirit. The question arises: how can Jesus, with his current resurrected body in heaven, be incarnated into the church that is still upon the earth? Some have seen this problem and solve it by adjusting their Christology.
“He [Jesus] entered a higher realm of restoration and love by becoming an indwelling Spirit.” (10)
We must oppose this view. Jesus has not become the Holy Spirit. It is rather the Holy Spirit who indwells the believer. The resurrected Jesus is at the Father’s right hand and in His glorified resurrected body He will return bodily to the earth. Obviously an indwelling spirit would not need to return from heaven. It is on this basis that some Dominion teachers assert that Jesus can be an ongoing incarnation of God in His body (church) upon the earth. Consequently scriptures pertaining to Christ’s ruling on earth are often seen as referring to the church rather than to Jesus. The church is viewed as a kind of Virgin Mary who must give birth to Jesus the indwelling spirit.
Francis Frangipane teaches a similar message:
“When the Spirit of Christ comes into the physical world, He must enter through a physical body. When Christ first entered our world as a child, it was Mary whom God chose to give Christ birth. Mary’s life symbolized the qualities the church must possess to walk in the fullness of Christ. God is preparing us as He did Mary to give birth to the ministry of His Son. Even now, in the spiritual womb of the virgin church, the Holy purpose of Christ is growing, awaiting maturity, ready to be born in the power and timing of God. The virgin church is in labor and in pain to give birth (Rev. 12:5) even now hell trembles and the heavens watch in awe for I say to you, once again, the virgin is with child.” (11)
Latter-Rain teachers have long used Revelation 12, teaching that the woman in this passage is the church and the “Man child” to be born is a spiritual second coming of Christ into His corporate body. When Latter Rain Prophet Paul Cain describes, in passing, the church as the “Man Child Company” he has this teaching in mind.
Marc Dupont of the former Toronto Vineyard claims to have received a significant prophecy in which he states the following:
“This move of the Spirit in 1994 is not just a Charismatic and Pentecostal experience, concerning power and gifting. It is one thing to be clothed with power, it is another to be indwelt with the Person of God.” (12)
Old Testament scriptures are spiritualized to see this birthing as the return of the ark to the temple, that is the coming of Christ invisibly into His living temple the church. This will occur when the Feast of Tabernacles is fulfilled which celebrates the Lord dwelling among His people. “When this happens, no longer will it be the Head (Jesus Christ) in heaven and the body (believers) on earth – but one Perfect Man filling both heaven and earth”. (13)
This teaching of a spiritual second coming of Jesus into His body is rarely advertised. Rather the more palatable teaching of a final global revival and restored apostles and prophets is the public teaching most emphasized. How can the present Charismatic/Pentecostal church even entertain elements of this teaching that originated from such a small group that operated on the fringes of the Pentecostal movement in the early 50’s?
When the Charismatic Renewal exploded in the 60’s and 70’s certain Latter Rain remnants found a new and undiscriminating audience. Charismatic’s had never heard of the Latter Rain and received the new teaching as part of their new wine experience. Consequently Latter-Rain/Restorationism received a greater hearing within the Charismatic renewal than it ever did in the Classic Pentecostal tradition. Through the Charismatic Renewal, Latter Rain teachings were renamed and finally homogenized sufficiently so that today Latter Rain ideas float freely on “the river” without anyone detecting their true identity. Furthermore the Charismatic Renewal has been mainstreamed into wider evangelical circles through John Wimber and Vineyard conferences, signs and wonders teachings, etc. Indeed some of the more extreme parts of the paradigm are not put out front, nevertheless, little by little the wider church is coalescing around what, when thoroughly analyzed, are Latter Rain core beliefs. Without unwarranted employment of the Latter Rain allegory there is not even a hint in scripture of an end-time global revival and second Pentecost. Not everyone in the river uniformly accepts all the parts of the paradigm. But as time goes by more and more Latter Rain tenets exert a gravitational pull that draws participants to logically espouse more and more of the paradigm.
When Peter Wagner calls for and attempts to network a world wide apostolic reformation does he espouse the whole of the Latter Rain/Restoration paradigm? I don’t really know. In fact I doubt that he does. I do know, however, that by bringing Bishop Bill Hamon to speak at his conferences, he is bringing the whole paradigm mentioned above. There must be at least openness on Wagner’s part and many others because they without qualification recommend Bill Hamon’s books with its full-blown Latter Rain and Manifested Sons’ teaching. Wagner’s “New Apostolic Reformation” is nothing more than warmed up Latter Rain teaching. G. Raymond Carlson from his vantage point of history knew that all this has its source in a second end-time Pentecost, first articulated at the turn of the century and restated and expanded in the New Order of the Latter Rain 1950 and now imported and marketed into the wider church by means of the Charismatic renewal.
When much is made of a sweeping revival that will overflow the earth in the last days with billions of converts, you should be aware that this popular idea comes not from scripture but from a view of church history that has been running now for over a century. Take away the fraudulent allegorical use of the “Latter Rain” scheme and there remains no other biblical support for this elaborate view of the end-times. Rather it was Jesus Himself who asked the question: “When the Son of Man comes will He find faith upon the earth?” (Luke 18:8).
The scripture leaves no doubt that Jesus will return bodily, first to the air then to earth and when He does, at the first stage, His “body” upon the earth (the full complement of his church) will be raptured to meet Him in the air (I Thessalonians 4:17). It is then and only then that He will change our corruptible bodies in a twinkling of an eye. It is then (at the second stage) that Jesus will rule earth in His glorified and resurrected body. It is then that the Sons of God will be manifest. Rather than sensationalizing a false and unbiblical agenda, the church must occupy until He comes and His body is completed. Faithfully this gospel must be preached to every nation and then the end will come. Even so come quickly Lord Jesus.
Dr. Orrel Steinkamp Publishes “The Plumbline” which Critiques the Current Popular Revival and Prophetic Movements.
1 – C. Peter Wagner, The New Apostolic Churches (Ventura CA; Regal, 1998), p. 18.
2 – Donald E. Miller, New Paradigm Churches in 20th Cent. – Pasadena CA: Min. Adv, Vol 6, No 4, July/Aug 96
3 – G. Raymond Carlson, personal letter to Jewel Van de Mewre.
4 – Wesley Myland, The Latter-Rain Covenant (1910).
5 – Earl Paulk, The Proper Function of the Church (Atlanta: K Dimension Publishers, undated), p. 13
6 – Earl Paulk, The Ultimate Kingdom (Atlanta: K Dimension Publishers, 1986), p.121.
7 – Earl Paulk, The Wounded Body of Christ (Atlanta: K Dimension Publishers), p. 43.
8 – Earl Paulk, Held In The Heavens (Atlanta: K Dimension Publishers, 1985), p.60.
9 – ibid, p. 125.
10 – Earl Paulk, Thrust In The Sickle And Reap (Atlanta: K Dimension Publishers, 1986), p. 132.
11 – Fancis Frangipane, In The Presence Of God (New Wine Press 1994), pp. 153-157.
12 – Marc Dupont, Mantle of Praise (Alpha Magazine, 1994).
13 – Tricia Tillin, The Source and Goal of the Second Pentecost (UK: Banner Ministries, 1994)
QUOTE: “BEWARE of those whose FAITH is based on their own: IDEAS, FEELINGS, and what THEY THINK is right– RATHER than on what GOD’S WORD says!” TRUST in JESUS & in GOD’S unfailing WORD!” [Matthew 7:24-27]
- Matthew 7:15-16 (NASB) Jesus warns, “BEWARE of FALSE PROPHETS, who come to you in SHEEP’S CLOTHING, but INWARDLY are RAVENOUS WOLVES. You will KNOW THEM by their FRUITS..“
- Matthew 24:4-5 (NASB) Jesus warns: “See to it that no one MISLEADS (DECEIVES) you. For MANY will come in MY NAME, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will MISLEAD (DECEIVE) MANY.“
- Matthew 7:21-23 (NASB) JESUS says, “Not everyone who says to ME, ‘LORD, LORD,’ will enter the KINGDOM OF HEAVEN, but he who does the WILL of MY FATHER who is in HEAVEN will enter. “MANY will say to ME on that DAY, ‘LORD, LORD, did we not PROPHESY in YOUR NAME, and in YOUR NAME CAST OUT DEMONS, and in YOUR NAME PERFORM MANY MIRACLES?‘ “And then I will declare to them, ‘I NEVER KNEW you; DEPART from ME, you who PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.”
- Matthew 16:4 Jesus says— “Only an EVIL, ADULTEROUS Generation would DEMAND a Miraculous Sign”
- Matthew 24:11 (NKJV) Jesus warns, “MANY FALSE PROPHETS will RISE UP and DECEIVE MANY.”
- Matthew 24:24 (NASB) Jesus says ““For FALSE CHRISTS and FALSE PROPHETS will ARISE and will show GREAT SIGNS and WONDERS, so as to MISLEAD, if possible, even the ELECT.”
- Mark 13:22 (NASB) Jesus warns, “FALSE CHRISTS and FALSE PROPHETS will ARISE, and will show SIGNS and WONDERS, in order to LEAD ASTRAY, if POSSIBLE, the ELECT.”
- Revelation 2:2-3 (NASB) Jesus says, “I know your DEEDS and your TOIL and PERSERVERANCE, and that you CANNOT TOLERATE EVIL MEN, and you put to the TEST those who call themselves APOSTLES, and they are NOT, and you found them to be FALSE; and you have PERSERVERANCE and have ENDURED for MY NAME’S SAKE, and have NOT grown weary.”
- Acts 20:28-32 (NASB) “Be on GUARD for YOURSELVES and for ALL the FLOCK, among which the HOLY SPIRIT has made you OVERSEERS, to SHEPHERD the CHURCH of GOD which HE PURCHASED with HIS OWN BLOOD. For I know this, that AFTER my DEPARTURE SAVAGE WOLVES will COME IN AMONG YOU, NOT SPARING the FLOCK. Therefore be on the ALERT, remembering that NIGHT and DAY for a period of THREE YEARS I did NOT CEASE to ADMONISH EACH ONE with TEARS. And now I commend you to God and to the word of HIS GRACE, which is able to BUILD YOU UP and to give you the INHERITANCE among ALL THOSE who are SANCTIFIED.”
- Romans 16:17-18 (KJV) “MARK THEM which cause DIVISIONS & OFFENCES CONTRARY to the DOCTRINE which you have learned; and AVOID them. For they that are such SERVE NOT our Lord Jesus Christ, but their OWN BELLY (personal interests); and by GOOD WORDS and FAIR SPEECHES (smooth talk, flattery) DECEIVE the HEARTS of the SIMPLE (i.e. innocent, unsuspecting, naive, undiscerning).”
- Titus 1:9-16 (NASB) “HOLD[ing] FAST [firm] to the FAITHFUL WORD which is in accordance with the TEACHING, so that he [you] will be able BOTH to EXHORT in SOUND DOCTRINE and to REFUTE those who CONTRADICT. For there are MANY REBELLIOUS men, EMPTY TALKERS and DECEIVERS… who MUST be SILENCED because they are UPSETTING whole FAMILIES, TEACHING things they should NOT TEACH for the sake of SORDID [greedy, filthy, shameful] GAIN. 12) One of themselves, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always LIARS, EVIL BEASTS, LAZY GLUTTONS.” 13) This testimony is true. For this reason REPROVE them SEVERELY so that they may be SOUND in the FAITH, 14) NOT paying attention to Jewish MYTHS and COMMANDMENTS OF MEN who TURN AWAY from the TRUTH. 15) To the PURE, ALL things are PURE; but to those who are DEFILED and UNBELIEVING, NOTHING is PURE, but BOTH their MIND and their CONSCIENCE are DEFILED. 16) They PROFESS to KNOW GOD, but by their DEEDS they DENY HIM, being DETESTABLE and DISOBEDIENT and WORTHLESS for ANY DEED.”
- 1 Timothy 6:3-10 (NASB) “If anyone ADVOCATES a DIFFERENT DOCTRINE and does NOT AGREE with SOUND WORDS, those of our LORD JESUS CHRIST, and with the DOCTRINE conforming to GODLINESS, 4) he is CONCEITED and UNDERSTANDS NOTHING; but he has a morbid interest in CONTROVERSIAL QUESTIONS and DISPUTES about WORDS, out of which arise ENVY, STRIFE, ABUSIVE LANGUAGE, EVIL SUSPICIONS, 5) and CONSTANT FRICTION between men of DEPRAVED MIND and DEPRIVED of the TRUTH, who suppose that GODLINESS is a MEANS OF GAIN. 6) But GODLINESS actually is a means of GREAT GAIN when accompanied by CONTENTMENT. 7) For we have brought NOTHING into the WORLD, so we cannot take anything out of it either. 8) If we have FOOD and COVERING, with these we shall be CONTENT. 9) But those who want to GET RICH fall into TEMPTATION and a SNARE and MANY FOOLISH and HARMFUL DESIRES which PLUNGE MEN into RUIN and DESTRUCTION. 10) For the LOVE OF MONEY is a ROOT of all sorts of EVIL, and some by LONGING FOR IT have WANDERED AWAY from the FAITH and pierced themselves with MANY GRIEFS.”
Links – More Articles
Below are some of the Many Articles by CRITICAL ISSUES COMMENTARIES about the Latter Rain / New Apostolic Reformation movement. Search CIC’s Articles in the above link for these below CIC Articles
- Issue 107 – Mike Bickle & International House of Prayer (IHOP) Latter Rain Redividus
- Issue 107B – Mike Bickle’s Romantic Jesus – Latter Rain – IHOP’s Bridal Paradigm
- Greater Works Than These – (Healing’s & Miracles, etc)
(Biblical Proof That John 14:12 Does Not Predict the Church Will Do Greater Miracles than Christ) - Issue 103 – The Roots and Fruits of the New Apostolic Reformation: Exposing the False Teachings of C. Peter Wagner and Bill Hamon
- Issue 71 – Colossian Heresy – Part 3
(How Kenneth Hagin & Rick Joyner’s Claimed Visit to Heaven is an Example of Colossian Heresy) - Issue 78 How Deliverance Ministries Lead People to Bondage: A Warning Against the Warfare Worldview
- Issue 66 Apostles and Prophets and the Foundation of the Church: Bibilical Exegesis that Proves that Only the New Testament Apostles are Authoritative
- Issue 67b – The Pitfalls of False Prophets: Why the Predictions of Errant Prophets are Worthless
- Issue 67 – John the Baptist and Prophets to Nations: Bibilcal Evidence that Between John the Baptist and the Two Prophets in Revelation there are no Prophets to Nations
- Issue 68 – Generational Curses: Biblical Answers to Questions Raised by the phrase “visit the inquities to the third and fourth generation – Unbiblical Teachings
- Issue 102 – True and False Binding and Loosing: How False Teachings Add to or Substract From What God Has Said
- Issue 1 – Binding and Loosing, Part 1: False Spiritual Warfare Teachings
- Issue 2 – Binding and Loosing, Part 2: False Spiritual Warfare Teachings
- Issue 47 – The Gifts of the Holy Spirit: Showing That Spiritual Gifts are Not for New Revelations and Have Not Ceased
- GO TO: FALSE VISITS TO HEAVEN & HELL – BOOK REVIEWS, ARTICLES, AUDIO – SO4J.com
(Many in the Latter Rain Movement have said they’ve visited Heaven & Hell)
“NEW APOSTOLIC REFORMATION MOVEMENT” – LATTER RAIN
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