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Kingdom Triumphalism The 3rd WAVEMany Charismatic's and Pentecostals that espouse the Latter Rain teaching see a
sequential restoration starting from Martin Luther's time continuing through our day. They
see Luther as recovering the doctrine of justification by faith, Wesley had begun the holiness
movement. Tongues were given at the Azusa Street revival and the Spirit is now restoring
prophets and apostles to the church for a new government. This is supposedly to lead the
Church into her ultimate triumph of having dominion on the earth. George Warnock who was
influential in the Latter Rain movement had
explained the prophetic plan of the feasts in his book. He wrote that Christ fulfilled
Passover as our lamb, the outpouring of the Spirit was fulfilled at Pentecost by
the church and
eventually Tabernacles would find its fulfillment in the last days by the Church. The
Church would rule over the enemy as she has received all power just as Jesus received All
power from his Father in Mt. 28:18. According to some, this new thing came in waves. Paul Cain calls this the “Third
Wave” (as do Peter Wagner and others). There are various definitions to the waves. “The
first wave was known as the Pentecostal movement,(p.16) the second, the Charismatics
(p.17), and now “I see the Third Wave distinct from, but at the same time similar to the
first and second waves.”(p.18) Although Wagner says those in this new move have not
chosen to be identified with the either group, they are joined with them. (C. Peter Wagner
“The Third Wave of the Holy Spirit.”) Most of the participants agree it will “contain the good of all the previous moves (of
God) and much more.” This will be all encompassing and will cross all barriers. When God
“releases His mighty wave it's going to engulf everybody from the Baptists to the
Episcopalians and from the Episcopalians to the Catholics and every denomination on the
face of the earth” (Paul Cain, “God Speaking the Second Time,” Leadership
Conference, Grace Ministry, 1990) Rodney Browne, in his booklet “The Coming Revival” talks about revival waves and how
you need to learn to read the waves; otherwise if you stay with the wrong one you and your
board will end up smashed up on the sand.” (p.14) Cain says “Something's going to come
so strong to you that you won't even know that there be any baptism of the Holy Ghost
compared to the enormous baptism you're about to receive.” (Paul Cain, “Prophecy for
the Vineyard,” Anaheim Vineyard, 2/1989). Something that is beyond God’s gift to the Church,
which happens to be HIMSELF! What could replace the God of the Scriptures? What would be
greater? What kind of a tidal wave is so massive that we are only seeing the first waves of
its all encompassing affect? The concept of a new move of God goes back further than the modern Toronto and Pensacola
outbreaks. People have been taught to seek this “New Thing” since the Latter Rain
teaching was presented in 1948. In remission for many years it was birthed again in the
late 1980’s and early 90’s with a vengeance. Biblically what will happen in the future
will be a replay of what happened on the real day of Pentecost. But what we are seeing
today is not it! It will not be new in the sense of being different, but new to the people
at the time. It may be greater in magnitude but not different in quality. It is to bring
salvation to Israel in a very short period just as it did at the first Pentecost. It is for
Israel, although others will be affected. Instead this latter rain is for the saved Church
and it will clothe the participants with authority and power beyond anything ever thought
of ... so they say. Bill Britton, one of the early leaders of this movement, gives us the answer to what
Paul Cain is teaching. Jesus our High Priest was anointed of the Spirit without measure -
this same divine anointing of the fullness of the Spirit that came upon Jesus shall come
upon the entire Body, until every enemy shall become his footstool. This anointing does
not come upon babes in Christ as does the Baptism of the Spirit. This anointing comes at
the time of the Adoption.” (Bill Britton, “The Pattern Son” p. 23) It is this premise
of fullness and dominion that is now being promoted through numerous ministries today. A
recurring theme is that the Church makes the earth Jesus’ footstool. Notice the baptism
for the immature and the “new anointing” is something separate for the spiritually
mature. The unbiblical distinction of baptism and adoption is the general foundation for
the revivals we have all seen through the 90’s. Cain, who was formerly a Branham
disciple, would be familiar with this and other teachings that came from this era.
According to many Latter Rain teachers we can become everything that Jesus was. “Jesus
was God in the flesh. We must be as He was in the world, even greater in volume and
influence” (Earl Paulk, The Ultimate Kingdom,” 1986, p.121). The Bible says no servant
is greater than his master. It becomes a completely different interpretation to make a
believer who is to be a follower of Christ as a servant become more powerful than He. In this new wave today's denominations are being enticed to come under the leadership of
the new apostles and prophets for the church to enter this dominion stage. But if they
refuse they are accused of rejecting the “five-fold ministry” mentioned in Eph. 4. The
church in its infancy had God-appointed apostles to equip her and give doctrine that was
taught from Jesus. Today many want the same positions as those Jesus personally picked and
they make it necessary for the church’s survival. In 1949 “George Hawtin and his colleagues maintained that much of the problem was
rooted in unwillingness to recognize the validity of the ministry of apostles and prophets
... local churches (whose members presumably included apostles, prophets, teachers,
evangelists, and pastors) should set apart their workers, commission their own missionaries
and discipline their own members.” (George Hawtin, Church Government, 1949.) Today guilt is heaped on those who do not want be part of this new move. No one wants to
be classified as being a traditionally dead part of the old thing. Stephen Hill, who is a
key player in the new wave at Brownsville, states “The second mark of a God mocker is a
fear of confrontation and change. They are so stuck in religious tradition that they are
closed to new revelation.” (The God Mockers,
chapter 1, 1997 Stephen Hill) We are told that we must listen to the prophets for revelation of God, otherwise the
Church will not be renewed and have the life of Christ in it. Glenn Foster stated,
“I am
sending a whole generation of prophets to you. I am about to release prophecy on the church
as you have never seen it before... I have a secret plan, and that plan is being unfolded
here a little, there a little. Listen to the prophets — the little prophets, the big
prophets, listen to those who speak one line and to those who speak volumes” (Prophecy
published by the Sweetwater Church of the Valley, Glenn Foster, Life for the Nations, Oct.
7, 1994). One can only wonder how we survived for almost 1900 years without apostles and
prophets. But the new wave leaders demean the church through history saying it has failed
its commission and God’s best is saved for the last, and we are it. Those Christians who had come to believe that a period of lukewarmness and backsliding
in the Church would be a sign of the nearness of Christ's return were wrong - the era of
the apostle, not the day of apostasy was at hand” (Doing A New Thing? 1995 Brian
Hewitt, introduction). It is this change of what the last days will be like that gives the
apostolic Dominion Now movement its strength and validity. Instead of a falling away from
the faith they believe the Church is empowered to a level unseen before in history, greater
than its beginnings. I’m sorry, I just don’t see this in Scripture. Peter Wagner has written a book called the New Apostolic Churches which explains the new
Apostolic Spirit that is raising international leaders. Bill Hamon states “Christ is
activating His Prophets in the 1980's and His Apostles in the 1990's. Jesus is thrilled at
the thought that His prophets will soon be fully recognized by the church.” (Prophets and
Personal Prophecy. Page 28) Fuller Seminary held a National Symposium on the Post-Denominational Church was convened
by Dr. C. Peter Wagner, (May 21-23, 1996). Bill Hamon said that, “This was a historical
occasion in God's annals of Church history. It was prophetically orchestrated by the Holy
Spirit to fulfill God's progressive purposes of bringing His church to its ultimate
destiny. . . the consensus of the panelists was that there are still apostles and prophets
in the Church, and there is an emerging Apostolic Movement that will revolutionize the 21st
Century Church.” “What is about to come upon the earth is not just a revival, or another awakening; it
is a veritable revolution. The vision was given in order to begin to awaken those who are
destined to radically change the course, and even the very definition of Christianity.”
(Rick Joyner, The Harvest, “Joel’s Army.”) Does God want Christianity to
change? Is this a good thing? Was it not God who gave us Christianity? Joyner also says “It will be said of the apostles soon to be anointed that they have
turned an upside down world right side up.” (Rick Joyner, May/June 1988 The Harvest). Rod
Parsley agrees, “Don't look now but there's just about to be a revolution. Things are
about to get turned right side up.” (Breakthrough Jan. 7, 2000). I don’t want to make
too big a thing of this, but the Bible says that the people complained about the original
apostles because they turned the world upside down, does this mean the new apostles are
going to reverse what they did? (Just a thought). The promoters of this “New Thing” neglect to see what the Holy Spirit is doing in
the earth today is what He has been doing ever since Jesus left and went to heaven. As He
told us, “He (the Holy Spirit) is sent to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and
judgment.” One of the ways the Church can participate in his work is to preach the Word
in its truthfulness to see the same ancient results. However this is not what is happening
and it is certainly not where we are being led by the new leaders of this movement. The Immortals rule as little Christ’s Earl Paulk “The completion of the incarnation of God in the world must be in His
Church . . . Jesus Christ is the firstfruit, but without the ongoing harvest, the
incarnation will never be complete.” “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.”
(Earl
Paulk, Held in the Heavens 1985, p. p. 125) While there is no argument about the
Church being God’s body on earth to fulfill his will, Paulk interprets this
wrongly and goes much further than the
Scripture does in attributing to the believer something that is unique in Jesus. The rapture is mostly an unknown teaching in the Catholic Church today and many
Protestants are taking the same route. It is losing its importance for evangelicals who
become unbalanced in a earthly activism. The new focus is on an earthly inheritance for the
church, further demeaning the hope of being taken to heaven. The land of promise is heaven
which is our place of citizenship. It is the place Christ has gone ahead to prepare for
HIS Church. The 2nd coming is the great and blessed hope of the church, (Titus 2:13) however Peter
says that at the end they will say: “That you may be mindful of the words which were
spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us, the apostles of the Lord
and Savior, knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking
according to their own desires, and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming?
For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of
creation.” For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens
were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water,” (2 Pet 3:2-5) Here
are people familiar with the Scriptures they point to the fathers of the faith, then ignore
the fact of a judgment. They are oblivious to it. If Jesus was coming why has it not
happened already? This may be alluding to the Kingdom Now teaching we see today. He's not
here, so we need to take over for him. Where is Jesus? It’s always been the
same, we
need to do something or we it will not happen. Sam Fife, considered an apostle of the Manifest Sons of God, in his book One Corporate
Man, stated: “In this dispensation of the fullness of times, God is going to fulfill His
purpose to bring together into one, all things that are in Christ, both in the earth and in
heaven, … When He has finished preparing this many-membered man, He is going to purge the
earth of every other man by His Judgment Day, and there will come in a new age, and a new
earth, with a new man living in a new order, where every member is so dead to self that he
lives unto the rest of the Body, and that order shall perpetuate eternal life.” (Sam
Fife, One Corporate Man (The Body of Christ), p. 22) The similarities to those in the new age are striking. “Finally, you start the
transition. . . During the transition, millions of members of the body AWAKEN TO THEIR
POWER to be natural Christs, full humans in the model of the first person to manifest the
next stage in the development of humanity. . . .”(New Ager Barbara Marx Hubbard) According to some Dominionists, in order to effect this purging of the earth the
overcomers must attain immortalization, thus becoming immune to any physical resistance to
their program. Becoming immortal, and thus impervious to injury or death, will be the
result of having attained spiritual perfection through obedience to the apostles and
prophets. (Al Dager “Vengeance is Ours” p.96-97) Sam
Fife, a leading promoter of the Manifest Sons of God teaching,
taught that the aging process had stopped for him and when asked his age, he would simply
answer “I AM”. He assured people that he would never die but was in the process of
being changed into a incorruptible life. “Christ won't come for the church until you see Christ in the Church until the Church
looks like Jesus. PAPA (God) planted Jesus, He sowed Him down here in this earth to have a
whole nation of brothers and sisters that looked just like Jesus and he will have it. His
Son was a ALPHA SON, your children are the OMEGA sons and daughters.” (Bob Jones) The
Bible teaches Jesus was not only the Alpha, there is only one Alpha and he is also the
Omega, and we are certainly not Him. Jones cleverly switches the titles of Christ to us but
they come with our growth process, teaching that maturity in the believers growth is what
will bring Jesus back. The Bible says the opposite. We will not look like Jesus, until
Jesus actually comes back. “Each son becomes the expression and revelation of the Person of Deity. There is still
only one Person of God, but He shall eternally indwell a many-membered body of like ones
unto Himself, the extension and projection of His own Being. --- He says, “I will dwell
IN THEM, and walk IN THEM... and ye shall be My sons and daughters” (2 Cor. 6:16-18).
What, then, are those clouds with which, and in which, the Christ comes again? Why, bless
your heart, WE ARE!” (Preston Eby “Coming With Clouds”) Alice Bailey a new age apostle said, “If God is God, then His divinity
will adapt itself to the emerging divinity of the sons of God.” Contrary to what these people teach, immortality will come to those who are living at
the same time the dead in Christ rise at the Lord's return to take His people from the
earth to a place he has prepared. (I Thess. 4:13-17, Jn.14). Then from heaven, he will pour
out his wrath upon the nations and many will repent. (The book of Revelation is about his
judgment). This immortality, the hope of our salvation, will occur suddenly and will take
effect throughout the Body of Christ, not just among a select few at individual times when
they attain their spiritual perfection. Earl Paulk has promoted the Latter Rain view for many years, “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.” “We have received the
earnest of the expectation through the baptism of the Holy Spirit, but we must move on to
the possession, which is overcoming the last enemy, death. Sometimes the interpretation has
been made that Jesus Christ conquered death, but if that were so, why would Paul's epistle
to the Corinthians, written at least ninety years later, say that the last enemy that shall
be destroyed is death (I Corinthians 15:26) Jesus Christ conquered death individually, but it
is left to the church to conquer death on a corporate basis. (Earl Paulk, “The Proper
Function of the Church”) Paulk asks, “Is it possible that there will be a people who so possess the authority
of Almighty God, as Elijah did, that they, as a group, will say to death, hell, and the
spirit of Satan, 'We will NOT die. We will stay here and be changed, and we will call Jesus
Christ to return to this earth as King of Kings and Lords of Lords'? Yes, that is what I
believe the church must do!” Jesus Christ had the authority to say 'No' to death on earth, and He is waiting for us
to come to that same authority He had so we can say, 'The last enemy - death - has been
conquered!' [Paulk then quotes I Corinthians 15:20-26.] “Jesus Christ, as the firstfruit
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.”
How else will God be able to show Satan a people for whom death holds no fear, over whom
death no longer has any power? When God can do that, Satan's hold on us will be broken
forever!” [Earl Paulk, The Proper Function of the Church p. 13) “We are God's people, called to do the will of God in the world today and to see the
King of Glory return to establish His Kingdom on earth! Jesus Christ had the authority to
say “No” to death on earth, and He is waiting for us to come to that same authority He
had so we can say, “The last enemy--death-has been conquered.” (Earl Paulk, “The Proper
Function of the Church”) The Scriptures Paulk is citing actually contradicts his belief that the Church will
conquer death and this is serious error. I Corinthians 15:26 says, “For he [Jesus]
must reign, till He (Jesus) has put all enemies under his feet. The last
enemy that shall be destroyed is death.” It is from Jesus' return that his enemies
will be put under His feet. He is the one who will soon crush Satan, not the Church prior
to His return. He must reign on earth for this to be accomplished. The Scripture teaches
that death will not be destroyed until after the Millennium, unsaved people will be
born mortal in the Millennium and will die, but the believers who already had their
resurrection will be immortal co-ruling and reigning WITH Christ.
1 Cor. 15:22-26 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made
alive. But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are
Christ's at His coming. Then comes the end, when He delivers the Kingdom to God the
Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign till
He has put all enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be destroyed is death.”
This last enemy “death” is dealt with by Christ himself who in Rev. 20:14 are thrown in
the Lake of Fire from his judgment at the white throne all taking place after the 1,000
year reign on earth. The dominionist's take Scriptures pertaining to the 2nd coming and the
Millennium and apply them to themselves in the present age. But the problem is they are
like square pegs in a round hole, they just don't fit if one studies Scripture carefully.
As Al Dager points out “What the immortalization theory fails to explain is how, if death
is the final enemy to be conquered, there will still be other enemies left to be conquered
by those who have conquered death.” Think of it, they still need to conquer nations and
unconverted people even after they are immortal. Yes a little logic certainly does split
the clouds of confusion on this matter. James makes it clear 5:7-8 “Therefore be patient,
brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious
fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. You
also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.” There are two conflicting and competing concepts. It is the new trend to think of the
Church in a powerful way and this is not going away. Biblically the Church is not going to
be triumphant over the world but individuals will be. God has promised individuals victory
in their lives (to he who overcomes) but never collectively in the sense of ruling. There
is a faithful remnant that stands for the truth and overcomes by their faith despite what
the fallen world is throwing at them. None of this is surprising as Paulk was one of the
first to espouse what the faith teachers say. “Just as dogs have puppies and cats have
kittens, so God has little gods ....Until we comprehend that we are little gods and we
begin to act like little gods, we cannot manifest the Kingdom of God.” (Earl Paulk
“Satan
unmasked”1984 pp. 96-97) I guess when you think of yourself as a little God you can change
into an immortal anytime you want and take authority. Waiting for What? Not the Return of Christ
but for the Church to Rise up! From this new move the focus of the church’s worship and service shifted from the
words of Scripture to statements about the Church’s victory and power. We became all
important for the initiating of the Kingdom, it depended on us. Instead of looking for our
coming Savior we look to ourselves to solve the problems of planet earth. God’s glory now
replaces the physical Son of God coming back. The devil is too smart to influence the Church with an out and out lie. He will present
a truth and have it out of context, such as wrong timing in this case. Imagine a teaching
that could affect how people believe what will take place in the future and affect how they
live today. This is what we have with the Kingdom Now teaching. Christ won't come for the church until you see Christ in the Church until the Church
looks like Jesus. PAPA (God) planted Jesus, He sowed Him down here in this earth to have a
whole nation of brothers and sisters that looked just like Jesus and he will have it. His
Son was a ALPHA SON, your children are the OMEGA sons and daughters.” (Bob Jones).
this represents the Latter rain beliefs of many of the false prophets promises
to the church today. The
Bible teaches there is only one Alpha and he is also the Omega, and we are certainly not
Him. Jones cleverly switches the 2nd coming with our growth process, teaching
that maturity in the believers growth is what will bring Jesus back. The Bible says the
opposite that we will not look like Jesus until Jesus actually comes back. Rod Parsley launches from the scripture to teach the cooperate Christ of the Latter Rain “Are you listening. In Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, it's God in Christ”- no problem with that …, “how many of you believe that, it was God in Christ. But when you get to the book of Acts you take that great theological leap. (he does anyway) and its no longer God in Christ where you can’t get through the second chapter vs.4 until the God in Christ is now become the Christ in you. Now if Christ is in you and God is in Christ than the Christ in you is the God in Christ in you, and in you can dwell the fullness” (Breakthrough 9/19/2000). The conclusion if we have the fullness then who needs a return of a unique Son of God? “Cast aside traditions and hear what the Spirit of God is trying to say to the
Church.... Don't expect the rapture” to rescue you! ... If you want to bring Christ
back to earth, YOU can do it ... WE CAN DO IT! ... Take the time to contact us. God is
mobilizing His army” (“Harvest time” June 1984 p.2) “The greatest task ever given to mankind-the establishment of the Kingdom of God on
earth” (Earl Paulk, “Thrust in the Sickle” p. 141.) In Matthew 24:14, Jesus clearly says that He cannot return for His Bride until she has
demonstrated the Gospel of the Kingdom to all the nations of the earth. Until the church
can demonstrate the alternative Kingdom, Jesus cannot come again. God no longer has
the authority to send Christ back to earth, because He will not circumvent His eternal
plan. While no man knows the day or the hour, I can say with the authority of God that Christ
cannot and will not come back until we have demonstrated the Gospel of the Kingdom to the
nations of the earth. That task demands a mature church, which will have become an
alternative to the kingdoms of the world. That is what the church is all about and Jesus
Christ's return is up to us.” (Earl Paulk “The Great Escape theory,” p. 14 ) Paulk says we bring Jesus back; it’s dependent on us. God's purposes are blamed on our
failure to accomplish his mission. Paulk has stated: “Christ in us must take dominion
over the earth.... The next move of God cannot occur until Christ in us takes dominion.
(Earl Paulk, “Held in the Heavens Until... 1985, p. 234) The next move of God will unite His Son in marriage. The marriage supper of the Lamb,
the completion of establishing the Kingdom, the eternal rule of God, will finally take
place.” (Earl Paulk, “Held in the Heavens Until” (Atlanta: K Dimension
Publishers, 1985), p. 234, 235) We see that Paulk believes the marriage supper of the Lamb cannot take place until after
the Church (“Christ in us”) has been manifested and we take dominion on the earth.
Paulk does not mean that Jesus will have already returned and will be with us in order for
the church to take dominion under his leadership. Otherwise he would have said that the
next move of God is for Jesus to come back and then for the Church to take dominion under
His kingship. And he would not have used the term “Christ in us.” In his case he
employs its use in that Jesus will take dominion through the Church while He remains
in heaven. This is new age theology and is fast becoming the norm for a Church already
operating under a new (fresh) anointing. One only needs to look at the Scripture to see
that the marriage of the Lamb occurs in Rev 19:7: “Let us be glad and rejoice and give
Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.”
This happens just before the end of the Tribulation when the Lord comes with the saints
from heaven to earth. This is not an accurate teaching to say it is the next move of God. You can study books about going to heaven in a so-called “rapture” if that turns you
on. We want to study the Bible to learn to live and love and bring heaven to earth. (David
Ebaugh in Monarch. Oct./Nov. 1986, p. 3.) Can the world ever be transformed to be like
heaven without the person of Christ the king of heaven here? What they are proposing is a
Kingdom without its King but instead many prophets and apostles in his place. “The doctrine of the Rapture was a great and effective ruse of the enemy to implant in
the Church a retreat mentality ... already this yoke has been cast off by the majority in
the advancing church, and will soon be cast off by all.” (THE HARVEST, Rick Joyner) Want
to advance, forget the rapture (which is the same event as the resurrection) that will
change your body to immortality. Instead what is being offered in its place is that you can be immortal
without it. The rapture becomes an object of scorn. We hear over and over again God is
going to fill his temple (the Church) and we will be empowered as never before. Some teach that the rapture is taking us into a higher realm, a spiritual realm; that it
does not mean being taken to heaven at all. On p.147 in Al Dager's book “Vengeance is
Ours” he quotes Linda Bonnville who expresses a rapture and change for individuals at
different times, which is clearly Manifest Sons of God teaching that is foreign to the
Scripture. “Now this is true. Only the Father knows when He'll send the Son of Man back
to any individual person, And it's different for different people. I went through it in
1983; some people went through it in ‘84; some people went through it in '85; some went
through it in '86; some are just now coming into it. All the Word has already happened. Its
a matter of our faith-receiving for ourselves what's already been done as the Spirit of God
reveals it to us . . . the whole Word of God has been done in and through people since
2,000 years ago-since His first coming. It's been made available. We just have to enter in
at the time that the Father says it's your turn and sends the Son to you, or you hear the
message and you say, I want the Second Coming of the Lord for me now.” (Linda Bonville
video tape of small group meeting in hotel room Mar. 10, 1990, quoted in Vengeance is Ours
by Al Dager) Various other alternative interpretations are used in place of a literal taking of the
Church. “But you say that we have already received that anointing when we received the
glorious infilling or Baptism of the Holy Ghost. No, my friend, we only get the earnest of
our inheritance. The anointing of the Two Witnesses is when the glory of God (Jesus) fills
the entire Temple of God (Body of Christ, the Overcomer) ...suddenly He appears! Not to
everyone but to those who are looking for him. And he appears unto full salvation...to
anoint us and fill us with His glory and power and the fullness of his spirit. And by the
act of his appearance this group of people are made into one body.” (Bill Britton, “The
Pattern Son P.23) Keri Jones writes, “We will see the church filled with glory in a greater way than
anything seen previously. How can this be? Malachi prophesied “see, I will send my
messenger who will prepare the way before me, Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will
come to his temple, the messenger of the covenant whom you desire, will come.” … the
church as it lives out the word, will arise to conquer all its opposing forces: the world,
the flesh and the devil.” (Covenant News newsletter) It appears that he interprets the
Church as the temple that Jesus is coming to. However this was fulfilled in his first
coming. The implication is that the Church will be filled with power to do what? Conquer
anything that opposes it. (Joel's army etc.) This would include all that is operated from
their influence as well. Hardly a biblical model without the King reigning here on earth. Benny Hinn states Hab. 2:14: “for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory
of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea. This is happening around the world today”
(July 17, 2000)
.This
promise is to the King of Babylon and the Babylonians who built their city with blood.
(Babylon is a type of the world who serve self and not God) One day this will all change
when the Lord comes to set up his kingdom that he will be acknowledged by everyone. But
Many are saying this is actually happening now through the gospel and the Church’s
influence. Some seem to think the thousand year reign has started already. Tommy Tenny
says “God literally
moves His throne from heaven. When this happens the church is building a chair, a seat,
a place for God to come. ” (RiveWhen is the church going to arise and build a mercy seat
according to the pattern of heaven? And He will literally set up His throne, and you
will have a throne zone in the midst of the church and some group somewhere is going to
build a seat for the glory of God, and the water that flows from that place will
eventually cover the earth. The next wave of revival is not going to be like anything
that you have ever seen. There will be nothing of man on it or God won't come to sit. He is
tired of breaking chairs that we have built for Him. He is demanding now that we build a
mercy seat.rmail Archives: Mar.-Apr.1999 -The Glory of God - Tommy Tenny) Nowhere does the Bible teach we build him a mercy seat, God’s mercy seat was the
cross. This is just bad teaching in its rawest form and will lead people to a
misunderstanding of the last days and the 2nd coming. It is Christ coming
physically that will fulfill what is being referred to by Tenny and others. Zech. 6:12-13:
“Then speak to him, saying, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts, saying: “Behold, the Man
whose name is the BRANCH! From His place He shall branch out, and He shall build the
temple of the LORD; Yes, He shall build the temple of the LORD. He shall bear the
glory, and shall sit and rule on His throne; so He shall be a priest on His throne, and
the counsel of peace shall be between them both.” Jesus made this clear when this
would occur “...in the regeneration, ( when things are restored) when the Son of man
shall sit on the throne of his glory, you also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the
twelve tribes of Israel” (Mt 19:28).
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