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P.O. Box 1288 Costa Mesa, CA 92628 PART II - Section A --------------------------------- by Albert James Dager INTRODUCTION In Part I we examined the roots of today's
Kingdom Theology, and defined the movement in terms of its theological
and eschatological doctrines as well as some of its historic
proponents. We delineated the basic premise of the movement which,
simply stated, is that before Jesus can return, the Church must
establish the Kingdom of God on earth by taking control over
every aspect of life through the establishment of a theocratic
government. Before we proceed further, I feel it
necessary to point out that there is a legitimate "Kingdom
Theology" based upon proper exegesis of Scriptural prophecy.
Jesus will return at the end of this age to establish God's authority
over the nations of the earth. Until then, the Kingdom of God
continues to operate through the administration of the Holy Spirit
resident in the hearts of God's people. The Kingdom of God already
exists therefore, and will one day be manifested throughout the
earth during Jesus' millennial reign. To differentiate between God's legitimate
"Kingdom Theology" and man's attempt to bring it into
existence through his own efforts before Jesus' Second Coming,
we'll call man's attempt "Kingdom Now Theology," or
"Dominion Theology" (using these terms interchangeably).
This will help us separate the error from the truth. To accomplish the monumental task of
taking dominion, a significant number in the Church must come
into "unity" of thought and purpose to that end. While
the goal of the Kingdom builders is total unity, they realize
that partial unity may be all they can attain. Whatever the case,
the realization of any significant degree of unity necessitates
a single voice of authority: a hierarchical structure through
which individual believers will receive the necessary pronouncements
to exercise dominion. The voice of authority, it is believed,
will reside in certain latter-day apostles and prophets operating
in conformity to their own peculiar interpretation of Ephesians
4:11-12: "And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets;
and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the
perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the
edifying of the body of Christ." In order for the saints
to be perfected (made sinless) there must be a restoration of
the offices of apostles and prophets. It is a major prerequisite,
therefore, that the apostles and prophets be recognized by the
Church at large. (It's interesting that we are currently seeing
certain well-known Christian leaders referring to one another
as "apostles" and "prophets".) Once they are acknowledged, these apostles
and prophets will bring forth new revelations from God, which
will be the guiding principles in establishing the Kingdom. These
revelations will be given to the Church through the evangelists,
pastors, and teachers who accept the hierarchy's authority. One manner in which the apostles and
prophets will receive these new revelations will be through communication
with heavenly beings (angels and departed saints), as well as
with God - and specifically Jesus. It's expected that many of
these "new revelations" will be authenticated through
demonstrations of power in the working of miracles, signs and
wonders. Some also believe that for dominion
to be effected the world's wealth must be under the control of
the Church. Hence the emphasis on prosperity and "divine
health" as well as the ability to speak into existence things
that are not as though they are (God-likeness). After the Church has taken dominion,
its task will be to purge the earth of evil, which is defined
as lawlessness against God's moral laws and against the established
authority of the apostles and prophets. This accomplished, the
earth will be ready to be turned over to Jesus when He returns
(some say 'if' He returns). We will find as we continue our study
that at the heart of Dominion Theology is the belief that man
is a god and, as such, must exercise his godhood through dominion.
The current teaching that man is a god is essentially a theosophic
concept which can be traced to the beginning of man's history.
THE ETERNAL BATTLE The conflict of the ages upon which
the spiritual battle for men's souls resides is founded upon
this single truth: that God is supreme and His creation must
be subject to Him. In his rebellion, Satan ("Lucifer")
originated the scheme to establish oneself as an equal to God
(Isaiah 14:12-15). This was the nature of his temptation of Eve:
"...ye shall be gods, knowing good and evil" (Genesis
3:5). Satan's lie is not just that man 'is' God, as espoused
in Eastern mysticism, but that he could become 'like' God through
acquisition of certain knowledge. In essence, man is, or could
become, a god himself. This appeal to man's pride comprises
the essence of the esoteric religions which seek, by initiation,
to bring certain chosen individuals to perfection through obedience
to an unseen spiritual hierarchy. This hierarchy - known as "Ascended
Masters," among other titles - is allegedly comprised of
highly evolved men existing in the spirit realm who are leading
mankind through stages of evolution to higher planes of consciousness
which will eventually result in the attainment of godhood. Throughout history the ancient mystery
religions have taken many forms, from paganism and witchcraft
to humanism and some elements of psychology. Today they may be
classified under the general name of "theosophy" -
the blending of science and religion to create a universal brotherhood
of man under a one-world utopian state. The term "theosophy"
(lit. "Divine Wisdom" or "Wisdom of the Gods")55
has several synonyms, some of the more common being "the
Esoteric Philosophy," "the Wisdom-Religion," "the
Secret Doctrine," "the Ancient Wisdom," and "the
Esoteric Tradition."56 The esoteric ("hidden," "secret")
religions have many expressions throughout the world, and include
such notable movements as Freemasonry, Rosicrucianism, and Jewish
Kabbalism, among others. The basic beliefs of esotericism, as
well as the Eastern religions, form the basis for what has come
to be known as the "New Age Movement" - today's vulgar
expression for the masses of the "higher" mysteries.
The essence of esoteric religion is
that man can attain godhood through knowledge and positive living.
From time immemorial man has fallen for this delusion, and has
sought spiritual power through mastery of so-called "immutable
laws" of Nature operative in the spiritual realm. The learning
and mastering of these laws allegedly work for man's purposes
and "validate" his position as a god. Though modern
theosophy, in all its forms, makes certain teachings of the ancient
mysteries available to the masses, these are only the exoteric
teachings. The deeper esoteric mysteries are reserved for those
initiated through secret rites, sworn to secrecy under penalty
of death. Those teachings permitted for the masses
have found their way into the Church. They have developed into
a form of "Christian" theosophy which has affected
many otherwise uncompromising Christians who, if they would keep
their heads about them, would suffer death to maintain the inviolable
position that deity is an attribute of God alone. There is a reason for Satan's emissaries
infecting the Church with the damnable heresy that we are or
can become gods. To the esotericist, bent upon establishing 'men'
as gods, all monotheistic religions are anathema and their adherents
must be converted or at least subjugated to the spiritual hierarchy
(the spirit beings guiding mankind). Since the Church alone has
the power of God to resist the deceptions of Satan, it 'must'
be made to believe his lies. If the Church can be corrupted or
neutralized Satan will have a clear path toward uniting the world
against God. Thus any opposition to deception in the Church must
be stifled under the pretense that such opposition sows discord
among the brethren and hinders unity. Satan's lies have found fertile ground
in the Church not only because many Christians lack knowledge,
but because they lack the necessary humility that can protect
them against deception. Seeking their own wills above God's will,
they are easy prey for deceivers who exalt men and/or the Church
to the status of godhood and promote Satan's lies within the
Church, lies characterized by the following teachings: - Men are gods; No doubt many who teach these things
would deny they are theosophists. In all probability they think
of themselves as true Christians who have received special revelations
from God. But whether they adhere to theosophical doctrines consciously
or are merely pawns in the battle of the ages is immaterial.
A child playing with matches needn't have knowledge of the damage
he can cause. It's evident from the recent emergence
of these aberrant teachings within the Church that - through
schooling and/or personal association - theosophy is having a
significant impact upon some of today's prominent teachers. I
believe some of these teachers, though sincere in their profession
of faith in Jesus, are themselves victims of esotericists who
knew how to use biblical and Christian terminology to gain their
confidence, or they learned from others who were victims. Esotericists have made special efforts
to merge their secret teachings with the basic tenets of the
Christian faith, resulting in some rather interesting esoteric
interpretations of Scripture. The major Christian doctrines - the
deity of Christ; His Virgin Birth, His sacrifice for sin, His
Resurrection, and His Second Coming - can be made to fit perfectly
well into the theosophical model of religion. But their aberrant
interpretations of these basic doctrines, unless openly stated,
will escape the average Christian and deceive him into placing
his trust where he ought not. As we look at these doctrines from the
standpoint of theosophy as opposed to that of Scripture, some
may find our expositions of interest; others will no doubt find
them tedious and may wish to pass over them. I've included them
for purposes of documentation, and to demonstrate how esotericists
might use certain terminology to convince Christians - even Christian
teachers - that they are brethren in Christ, specially "anointed"
to teach new revelations. I should add that it is not these interpretations
of essential doctrines with which I am concerned (any mature
Christian would reject them at the outset), but the inroads into
the Church of other teachings based on these interpretations.
Though there are few in the Church proper who would agree with
these interpretations, many have bought the rest of the package
which is bringing many in the Church into damnable heresies.
These are offered as a warning to learn as much as possible what
a teacher believes before accepting what he says. The Deity Of Christ Theosophists would agree that Jesus
is divine. But then so are all men, if not actually at least
potentially. It is therefore not inconsistent for theosophists
to speak of Jesus as "Son of God," "God in the
flesh," "truly God and truly man," and use similar
"Christian-sounding" phrases implying His deity. Nevertheless,
whereas Christians believe that God became man (exclusively in
the person of Jesus), theosophists believe that a man named Jesus
became a god. To most theosophists, Jesus was one
of many men who displayed an exceptional expression of the divine
nature. They include Him among such notables as Confucius, Buddha,
and Mohammed. To some, however, Jesus was unique among all men
in His expression of the divine nature; they would say that no
one has ever attained His status of spiritual enlightenment.
However, they also believe that all men and women have the potential
to reach that same degree of spiritual enlightenment, i.e., to
be equal with Jesus. Some even go so far as to say that, theoretically
at least, we have the potential to be greater than He, by further
mastering the spiritual laws of Nature to do good for mankind.
Jesus' uniqueness, to them, lies not
in His person as the Word of God incarnate, but in His particular
anointing as "the Christ" to bring enlightenment and
truth for His time in history, just as Buddha and Mohammed did
for their eras. Though it is believed that there are exceptional
"Christs" for different stages of man's evolutionary
journey, we may all become expressions of the "Christ principle"
and thus achieve divinity. Theosophists, therefore, have no problem
with calling Jesus the "Son of God." As John H. Dewey,
the leading apostle of "Christian" Theosophy during
the previous turn of the century stated: "The law of FAITH as announced
by Jesus and exemplified in his life, is the supreme law and
method of all divine realization for man."57 "That he was fully and absolutely
human, the veritable "Son of man," no sane mind will
deny. That he was also fully and absolutely divine, the veritable
"Son of God," we with equal positiveness claim and
affirm."58 On the basis of these statements alone
Dewey might easily have been accepted into Christian fellowship.
But further on we find that he qualifies his remarks: "This incarnation of the Divine
in Jesus, however, but reveals and demonstrates the innate capacity
of our common humanity as the offspring of God, for receiving
into its unfolding life the full Spirit of the Father, and becoming
divine, as illustrated in the life of our great Exemplar [Jesus]."59
"The manifestation of God in one
man [Jesus], demonstrates the possibility of a like demonstration
in all men."60 Were these teachings confined to the
inner sanctums of the Masonic, Rosicrucian, and Mormon temples
- were they bandied about only among theosophists seated around
their tables of discussion - they would pose no genuine threat
to the Church. But we are now hearing from prominent teachers
in the Christian media that man was created with a divine nature
which was lost due to the introduction of sin. By being born
again by the Spirit of God we lose our sin nature and regain
our divine nature.61 There is no such teaching in Scripture.
Rather, it is based upon a theosophical interpretation of II
Peter 1:4 which, properly understood, tells us no more than that
the believer in Jesus Christ is a partaker of the divine nature
through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. But it is the divine
nature of the Holy Spirit, not ourselves, to which Peter was
referring. The quality of divinity belongs exclusively
to God, the Creator of the heavens and the earth. As the Word
of God incarnate, Jesus is divine, as is the Holy Spirit through
whom God accomplishes His purposes. The First Commandment of
God is, "I am the Lord thy God....Thou shalt have no other
gods before me" (Exodus 20:2-3). Some may beg the question
by stating that the word "before" qualifies the statement
to mean only that Jehovah is the God who must come first. But
the historically accepted meaning from the context is that we
are to have no other gods in His presence: none are to be before
His face. Yet many Christians today have bought
the lie that they themselves are gods, and perfectly legitimate
ones at that, whereas God has stated that there are no other
gods besides Himself (Deuteronomy 4:35). Therefore, whenever
the Scriptures speak of other gods, they are speaking of false
gods: demons, idols or men (Christian or non-Christian) who attempt
to usurp the rightful position of Jehovah. The Virgin Birth The various schools of theosophy generally
deny the doctrine of the Virgin Birth of Jesus. However, in an
attempt to spiritualize what the Scriptures plainly state as
applicable to the physical - i.e., that Jesus was born of a virgin
woman by the power of the Holy Spirit - there are those who might
say they accept the idea of the virgin birth. But their affirmation
would be qualified within their minds in the following manner:
"...[Jesus' virgin birth] was originally
a highly mystical and philosophical teaching, which became in
time a theologic dogma and legend....It is a mystical or symbolic
tenet referring to the birth of the Christ in man from the virgin-part
of one's being, i.e., from the spiritual or highest portions
of man's constitution. It also has a cosmical significance -
the Virgin-Mother of Space giving birth through the Child, the
Cosmic Logos, to her multitudes of children of various kinds.
There are thus two aspects of this mystical or symbolical doctrine:
there is, first, the Cosmical Virgin, and, second, there is the
mystical 'virgin-birth' of an initiate. An initiate is one 'reborn,'
or, as the saying goes, 'born a second time.' He is not born
of course in initiation from a physical father and mother, for
his body is born in the usual manner, but in initiation, the
'new man,' the inner man, the Christ-man, is born 'from himself'
because of his bringing out or unfolding into active manifestation
the divinity within him and over-enlightening him; and his 'Virgin-Mother'
is that part of himself which is the root of his being, the spiritual
soul in its spotless and unstained purity. From the Virgin or
Spiritual Soul is born the human Christ or the human Buddha,
without admixture of extrinsic elements of any kind, and without
other means than the man's own yearnings and strivings to become
the god within himself. "The Christian Church has interpreted
these very mystical doctrines physically and thus has largely
lost the far nobler and really profound symbolic sense...."62
Such esoteric interpretations of Scripture
are difficult to recognize without careful scrutiny. One may
say he believes in the virgin birth of Christ, but hold an entirely
different view from that of Christianity - in this case applying
an occult analogy to the Scriptures. This ploy of esoteric religion is becoming
increasingly evident in some circles of Christianity, most notably
among charismatics. The current penchant of some teachers to
cloud the simple truth of the Gospel with teachings that impress
the unlearned with man's wisdom is evidence of a new Gnosticism
based on salvation through knowledge springing up in our midst.
Paul warned of such in II Corinthians 11:3: "But I fear,
lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety,
so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is
in Christ. For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom
we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which
ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted,
ye might well bear [agree] with him." In light of today's deceptions, we would
be wise to see that the meanings applied by teachers to the doctrines
of the Church are clearly stated, and backed up by the whole
of Scripture. Atonement As in many other Christian doctrines,
Jesus' death as atonement for sin is given an entirely different
meaning by esotericists from that stated in Scripture. As Christians
we believe that Jesus' blood is the element that cleanses us
from sin, provided we come to God in faith and allow Him to apply
that blood to our own lives. As God incarnate and sinless - the
only begotten Son of God - only Jesus could pay the price for
our sins. No one else's suffering and/or death as a vicarious
sacrifice has any merit with God. The esotericist, however, holds
a different view: "If a man loves another greatly,
can he not save his friend from future sorrow by taking upon
himself his friend's karman [consequences of actions destined
to follow from reincarnation to reincarnation]? The question
is purely academic in a way, because when the last word is said,
the karman of the friend is the friend himself, and therefore
the answer in general is comprised of an emphatic negative; nevertheless,
there is a possibility, not indeed of taking upon oneself the
friend's karman, but of shouldering by means of a powerful will
and a high intelligence directed to that end, a certain portion,
be it large or small, of the consequences which in the normal
course of Nature, with heavy and perhaps crushing effect, would
fall upon the friend. The secret in such a situation lies in
allying one's own life intimately with the life of the one whose
heavy karman it is thus hoped to aid in carrying or exhausting...
"In those cases where such noble
and altruistic action be taken for the benefit of all that lives
or for the results which it is hoped will benefit a large portion
of mankind, it is a Buddha-like thing to do, it is a Christ-like
thing."63 The esoteric view of atonement does
make room for Jesus' sacrifice for mankind, but only to a point.
Any person whose motives are pure can take upon himself the consequences
of the sins of another through altruistic acts of piety and self-denial.
So the theosophist and other esotericists can say they accept
Jesus' death on the cross as atonement for "sin," but
their doctrine is faulty, and Christians who lack understanding
of this fact can be misled into thinking they are on the same
spiritual level. The efficacious sacrifice of Jesus which provides
for the taking away of sins for all who come to Him by faith
is actually denied by all schools of esotericism: "This doctrine of vicarious substitution,
both in form and spirit, is diametrically opposed to the positive
teachings of Jesus, which makes righteousness itself salvation,
obedience to the righteous law of God in the doing of the Father's
will in the personal and social life.... "These authoritative words of the
Christ, with the whole Sermon on the Mount, from which they are
taken, and the full tenor of all his teaching most unmistakably
emphasize the 'doing' of the Father's will, and unity with him
in a righteous life, as the only salvation possible or desirable
for mankind, while not a precept or parable of his can be brought
to sustain in the slightest degree this doctrine of substitution;
as though it were possible for the absolute justice and goodness
of the All-Father to demand or accept the punishment of the innocent
for the guilty, or could impute the righteousness of the sinless
to the sinner, or accept any as righteous who are not really
so. But as righteousness of life is secured only through personal
obedience to the law of right, no man can become righteous before
God, except by his own act of obedience. If this were possible
in the economy of God, then the very idea of justice would be
a delusion and a sham, and the thought and talk of a changeless
moral order a pitiable and unmeaning farce. "Surely salvation from sin in this
life, by lifting man above the power of temptation, as promised
by the Christ, and exemplified in his own life, would prevent
all consequences of sin in this world or any other. And this
is the only salvation worthy of the name. "How is this to be accomplished
but by the perfection of human life itself, through the unfolding
and bringing forth of the divine or spiritual nature in that
life."64 Through the clever manipulation of the
word 'atonement,' esotericists have devised the doctrine of "at-one-ment,"
which states in effect that once a person has attained mastery
over his physical nature he becomes "at-one with the Divine,"
and may exercise mental influence over the physical realm for
the effecting of healing and other manifestations of psychic
power: "The casting out of devils and
reforming the vicious, the reclaiming of drunkards and restoration
of the insane to soberness and reason, giving strength to the
weak and courage to the lowly and disheartened, and working "not
after the law of a carnal commandment but after the power of
an endless life," for the universal emancipation, enlightenment
and uplifting of mankind, become the easy and true work of life.
"Man then becomes one in spirit
and purpose with the divine, and is led, governed and crowned
with wisdom, sympathy and power. It is the Christ or God-anointed
life; the true at-one-ment of man with God, the human with the
Divine, Christianity as Christ taught and lived it."65 "...when man has thus learned to
specifically direct the force of life in the control of the elements
in his own organism, he may then accumulate power within himself
to master and control the elements and forces of the world outside
himself; but as this is to be acquired through cooperation with
divine power, he can attain absolute control over himself and
that which is below only by first becoming at-one with the Divine,
which is within and above him."66 This esoteric view of "at-one-ment"
- coming into the expression of godhood in order to control the
elements of nature - is a major tenet of mind science. Though
expressed in different terms, it has crept into the Church through
the Positive Confession teachings which declare that man is a
god, and "faith is a force" that God used to create
the universe, and that anyone can use for his own purposes.67
The Resurrection The Resurrection of Jesus following
His death as sacrifice for our sins is a primary focus of the
Christian faith. For if He had not been resurrected we would
still be lost in our sins (I Corinthians 15:12-26). The esotericist does not believe in
resurrection, but in reincarnation - the evolutionary process
by which souls are allegedly perfected by working out their karmic
consequences from one lifetime to another. Yet the term "resurrection"
does find its way into esoteric philosophy, specifically in relation
to reincarnation, and its use can be misleading: "No sane man, it is to be supposed,
today can or does believe that the physical body, as regards
its physical elements - or rather when once its elements have
been returned to earth - shall be gathered together again into
one component and perfect whole at some future period which Christians
call the Judgment Day; when the 'last trump' shall be sounded,
according to the quaint imagery of older times....Yet back of
this idea of the 'resurrection of the body' there actually is
a most beautiful truth or fact of Nature. This truth may be expressed
in two forms; or, as the mathematicians say, it is expressible
in both a general and in a special case. "This special case involves a mystery
- a teaching of the ancient Mysteries; but hinted at, it might
be phrased thus: When a man has received his final degree of
initiation he is said to be 'raised' to Masterhood in the same
physical body. This point need not be elaborated further here. "The general case, however, is
to be explained by the reassembling of the life-atoms in the
manner described in preceding paragraphs. These life-atoms are
man's own offspring, at least most of those which build man's
constitution are; inbuilt into his body during the physical life
which he leads on Earth, although they are not derivative from
outside but spring forth from within himself. Therefore they
are psycho-magnetically attracted back to the Reimbodying Ego
on its return journey to the new earth-life, and the Reimbodying
Ego can no more avoid or escape receiving these life-atoms again
into itself than it can avoid or escape being itself. To it they
are again drawn because out from it they formerly went. They
too, these life-atoms, during the Reimbodying Ego's term of devachanic
rest and peace, have had their own wonderful adventures - adventures
in the different spheres and on the different planes of the seven
globes of the planetary chain; and thus when the 'descending'
individual or Reimbodying Ego reaches the grades of our physical
plane, and the baby-body is finally born, its growth thereafter
is assured by and through and because of the aforesaid magnetic
attractions and repulsions, and by the body's receiving into
it and expulsion from it of these its former life-atoms. These
are continuously attracted to and built into the physical body,
as it passes from babyhood into childhood into youth, and from
youth into manhood - the very life-atoms which had made the Reimbodying
Ego's physical body on Earth in the last earth-life. Thus it
is that the body of the former earth-life is resurrected - is
'arisen.'"68 This fanciful account of reincarnation
has no basis for proof and is in direct opposition to God's Word:
"It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the
judgment: For Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many;
and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time
without sin unto salvation" (Hebrews 9:27-28). Jesus died only once; and we will die
only once. There is no reincarnation by which we may eventually
attain spiritual perfection through works of our righteousness.
It is only the precious blood of Jesus that cleanses us from
sin and provides for our salvation if we trust in Him by faith.
The Second Coming On April 25, 1982, many were surprised
by the appearance of full-page ads in some twenty major newspapers
worldwide, proclaiming that "THE CHRIST IS NOW HERE."69
These ads, placed by a New Age organization known as Tara Center,
declared that the Christ had come to lead mankind into an era
of peace and brotherhood. The Christ, according to these ads,
is Lord Maitreya, an Ascended Master whose message of hope was,
and still is, conveyed by an Englishman named Benjamin Creme
(Krehm). Creme contends that Maitreya had embodied himself somewhere
in the Himalayas, and is currently living in London awaiting
the opportune moment to emerge and be recognized by the population
of the world as the Christ for the New Age.70 Maitreya is said to be the embodiment
of the aspirations of the world's major religions. According
to the newspaper ads, "He is known to Christians as 'the
Christ,' to Hindus as 'Krishna,' to Jews as 'the Messiah,' to
Moslems as 'Imam Mahdi,' and to Buddhists as 'the fifth Buddha.'"
The Christ for the New Age is not Jesus. Jesus, it seems, has
been reincarnated and will stand with Lord Maitreya to convince
Christians that they, along with the rest of humanity, must follow
their new spiritual leader.71 While Maitreya waits in the wings for
the consciousness of humanity to be sufficiently raised to make
us worthy to receive him, the resultant media exposure has fanned
an interest among many who are expectantly awaiting a "man
of peace" to come along and solve the world's ills. Creme claims that the emergence of Maitreya
as "the Christ" will be validated by demonstrations
of miracles, signs, and wonders.72 In Matthew 24:24 Jesus warned
of such demonstrations of power by God's enemies: "For there
shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew
great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible,
they shall deceive the very elect." Whether or not Maitreya really exists
no one can say at this time, but we can learn from this that
when the esotericist speaks of the Second Coming, it is certain
that he is not speaking of Jesus' Second Coming. He is speaking
of the coming of "the Christ" for the New Age. According
to Creme and other New Agers, Jesus was the Christ for the age
of Pisces, and Maitreya is the Christ for our age, the age of
Aquarius.73 This is to be the "Golden Age" of utopian
bliss to begin around the turn of the century. It is the New
Agers' version of the millennium - the Kingdom Age - run by men
who have attained godhood. Since the office of "Christ"
is not considered by esotericists to be exclusive to Jesus, they
do not affirm 'His' Second Coming. Rather, they make mention
of the "Coming of Christ," or even "Second Coming
of Christ." This is because they separate the "Christ
'principle'" from the 'person' of Jesus, and apply it to
all men. In the broad sense, therefore, they
teach that the "Second Coming" of "Christ"
will take place through the raising of humanity's consciousness
to the point where a significant number will believe that 'they'
are the embodiment of the Second Coming. Then the world will
be prepared to receive the "Christ" who will lead the
nations into the New Age of peace and brotherhood. The central
figure of the "Spiritual Hierarchy" (the "Ascended
Masters") will represent the full manifestation of the office
of Christ for that age. In Dominion Theology, this teaching
has a parallel which states that the Church is the "ongoing
incarnation" of God. Yes, Jesus is Christ, but so is the
Church as the body of Christ. Therefore, the Church is Christ.74
An Esoteric 'Statement of Faith' A clear definition of terms is essential
for a proper understanding of the theological stance of those
who teach us. Though holding erroneous interpretations of any
or all the doctrines represented, one may make a declaration
of faith like this: "I believe that Jesus is the Son of
God, true God and true man, God incarnate, virgin born, that
His death was an atonement for my sins, that he has been resurrected,
and that Christ is coming again." And on the basis of this
confession, that person may gain the confidence of Christians
to fill their minds with other teachings that will sway them
from the truth essential to their salvation. The teachers with
which we deal in this study might not be theosophists on these
important points of doctrine, but there is sufficient evidence
to suggest that they have been infected by esoteric philosophies,
possibly by having been exposed to wolves in sheep's clothing
themselves. The various schools of theosophy that
grew out of the Gnostic traditions and other apostate "Christian"
sects have found their way into the Christian media, greatly
diluting the strength of the true Gospel and polluting the thinking
of many in the Church. Some A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE HERESY Scripture chronicles man's attempts at godhood: the rebelliousness that led to the flood and the tower of Babel, and the sorcery and witchcraft that dominated not only pagan cultures, but God's chosen people Israel. Jewish Kabbalism, thought by some to be a phenomenon of the Middle Ages, is really a blending of apostate Judaism with the Egyptian mystery religion learned while in captivity. The resultant paganism of Israel was the source of revolt against God's prophets. When the Church was established, the same spirit of rebellion was immediately at work to destroy the simplicity and purity of the Gospel. Heretics led many away from the truth into errors which either demeaned the person of Christ or exalted the position of the believer - or both. During the Church's early years the
Gnostic "gospels" and Essene teachings mixed the ancient
mystery traditions with Christian teaching, and provided esoteric
interpretations of Scripture that remain with us today. One of the earliest heresies declared
that the resurrection of the saints had already taken place.
Paul wrote to Timothy that this teaching was overthrowing the
faith of some (II Timothy 2:18). Consider that, if the resurrection
had already occurred, then there was no hope that Jesus would
return to establish His Kingdom on earth. It follows, therefore,
that that task would have to fall to the Church. This was essentially
the first postmillenial teaching. Kingdom Now proponents are correct in
stating that postmillenialism is a teaching as old as the Church.
But that doesn't make it a true doctrine. It was just one heresy
among many that found acceptance among some in the early Church.
The age of a teaching is not a criterion for its truth. Only
its conformity to the strict and clear Word of God validates
it. The Roman Catholic Church is an example
of one of the earliest attempts within the Church to establish
the Kingdom of God on earth by human effort. With the Reformation
came not only freedom for many from the bondage of Rome, but
there also arose attempts by some radical sects to establish
themselves as the "only true Church," destined to overcome
sin and usher in the Kingdom. The history of the Church, though obscure
in many areas regarding its early stages, demonstrates how religious
men, not content with God's rule over them, dissatisfied that
they may die before the Kingdom of God was manifested on earth,
chose to believe the lie that they could become immortal and
establish the Kingdom themselves. This dissatisfaction continues
among today's Dominion proponents. I suspect that such are really
afraid of death. Lacking the faith necessary to trust God, they
wish to work their way to immortality rather than pass through
the valley of the shadow of death. Recent history has seen the rise of
certain cults out of Christianity which purport to teach the
true "gospel of the Kingdom": Mormonism, Jehovah's
Witnesses, Sun Myung Moon's Unification Church (Moonies), the
late Herbert W. Armstrong's Worldwide Church of God (not to be
confused with The Church of God), and other, lesser-known groups,
are seeking to establish themselves as the only true Church,
destined to reign over earth's governments and people. A premise upon which some build their
case is that there are two gospels: the Gospel of Jesus Christ,
and the Gospel of the Kingdom. They maintain that no one has
preached the Gospel of the Kingdom before they themselves came
on the scene to proclaim that their church (not Jesus) will usher
in the Kingdom of God. Paul tells us there is only one Gospel,
and he delineates it in I Corinthians 1:5. The entire chapter
is a retelling of the complete Gospel through the Second Coming
of Jesus. Nowhere does Paul separate the Gospel of Christ from
the Gospel of the Kingdom. Nor does he indicate that the church
will institute the Kingdom of God on earth before Jesus returns.
The teachings with which we deal in
this study are, therefore, not new, but centuries old, most traceable
to certain groups that sprang from the Radical Reformation as
opposed to the Reformation proper; some go further back to primitive
Christianity's early heretical groups, and even to the dawn of
man's history. All these teachings reside in man's
prideful refusal to accept his station in life in humble obedience
to his Creator. Yes, those who remain true to Christ
will one day be glorified; we will be exalted to rule with Him.
But if we will be glorified - if we will be exalted - let God
glorify us; let Him exalt us. We must glorify and exalt only
Him. And if we are to boast in anything,
let it not be in our 'position' in Christ, but in Christ himself.
TODAY'S MOVEMENTS There are many ways by which men within
the Church are attempting to establish the Kingdom of God on
earth. They are not always in agreement on the methods to attain
that end; nor are they necessarily in agreement as to the philosophical
direction that should be taken to accomplish their purpose. One
area in which most if not all are in agreement is that the Church
must be united in a dominion mindset. Of a certainty, some branches of the
Kingdom Now Movement are more militant in their stance, and/or
more zealous in the propagation of their particular brand of
Dominion Theology. As we outline the more prominent of these
movements we'll see how they work together, often without conscious
collaboration, to establish the dominion mindset within the Church.
Some have even attained cult status among many Christians. Whether
one ascribes to the radical element or the passive, or rests
somewhere between the two, is not as important as the overall
threat to the Church that these movements present through their
aberrant teachings. Yet in spite of these dangers, I'm convinced
that there are many true and sincere Christians who have become
involved in these movements because they are fed up with the
increase of the sinful actions and perverse attitudes of society.
They long for a world with a more sane and moral social structure,
and are easily led to believe that if Christians can only take
control, God's righteousness will reign on earth. How His righteousness
will be implemented - whether by legislation, coercion, example,
or by a miraculous move of the Holy Spirit upon the hearts of
all men - is not fully agreed upon even among the leaders in
the Kingdom Now movements. Nevertheless, close scrutiny reveals
that all hold certain elements in common, making it difficult
to discern one from the other. For example, some Manifested Sons
of God teachings are indistinguishable from some of the teachings
of Restorationism. We are more concerned, therefore, with
the teachings themselves and the men who promote them, than we
are with the movements, which are little more than a networking
of various individuals and groups. Yet it is important to this
study that we briefly outline these movements and deal with some
of their peculiarities. Identity The Identity Movement teaches that the
Anglo-Saxon race and their kin (Scandinavians, Irish, Welsh,
Scottish, etc.) are the "lost tribes" of Israel, who
are destined as God's chosen people to rule the world. The full
name of Identity is "Anglo-Israel-Identity Movement."75 It is believed that, as God's chosen
people whose king (or queen) sits on the throne of David (the
British throne), and whose lineage can be traced back through
the Jewish patriarchs to Adam, the Anglo-Saxon race has special
favor with God.76 "Israel-America" (comprised
of Anglo and related descendants in the United States)77 has
a special anointing. The nation of Israel that exists today
in the Middle East is considered a pretender to the name of Israel,
being allegedly comprised of certain Asian peoples known as "Kazars."
Thus any biblical references to God's prophesied dealings with
Israel in the last days are believed to have been fulfilled.
Daniel's seventieth week has come and gone, as has anti-Christ,
and now we must look forward to the establishment of Yahweh's
Kingdom on earth. This is to be administered through the Anglo-Saxon
Christians who have come to recognize their unique destiny. Though Identity is overtly anti-Semitic,
its proponents claim that those who are against them are the
true anti-Semites. But there is a deeper reason for the anti-Israel
stance taken not only by Identity, but by other dominion-oriented
movements. Should national Israel remain established,
the belief that God is going to save a remnant of Jews to be
a witness for Jesus in the last days would be validated. Hence,
the Church will have to be taken out of the world before Jesus
sets His feet upon the earth, and before God's wrath is poured
out upon rebellious mankind (Matthew 24; Mark 13; Revelation
6 & 7). If this is true, then the dominion theory falls apart:
the Kingdom of God will not be established on earth until Jesus
returns with His saints to destroy the anti-Christ's kingdom.
While we who are outside the Kingdom Now Movement understand
that Jews, like all men, are lost until they come by faith to
recognize Jesus as their Messiah, we also recognize that the
nation of Israel does have a purpose in God's plans for the last
days. Identity's hatred is not limited to
Jews, however. Blacks and other non-whites are looked upon as
inferior beings who may be allowed to enjoy the benefits of the
kingdom as long as they remain subject to their Anglo-Saxon superiors.
They cannot hold positions of significant authority, however,
because the promises to Israel belong only to the "true"
Israelites: the Anglo-Saxon believers. The snag in Identity's plans for America
is the tremendous influx of non-white immigrants whom they see
as parasitical and detrimental to the establishment of God's
white-dominated world government. The fewer non-whites that are
left to enter the Kingdom, the better, as far as Identity is
concerned. As a side note, there is a black counter
to Identity known as the Yahweh sect. This cult believes that
American blacks are the true descendants of the biblical tribe
of Judah, living in the land of the "white devil."78
Maybe the black Yahweh sect and white Identity are both right.
Perhaps they're related and don't know it. In view of Identity's racial policy,
it isn't surprising that radical racist groups such as the neo-Nazis
and the Ku Klux Klan have joined.79 For all their error and their
attacks against non-whites, these groups are zealously moralistic
(by their convoluted standards). Although Identity's members
consider themselves Christians their ideology is more akin to
salvation by race than salvation by grace. They welcome Aryan
pagans into fellowship while mounting hate campaigns against
Christian Jews, blacks, and other non-whites. This isn't to say that all Identity
People are overtly racist, but their philosophy reflects a dangerous
mindset that threatens to exacerbate an already tense situation
between races. Their para-militarism and rebellion against constituted
authority combine to create a volatile situation that could someday
erupt into fullscale racial warfare. |