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Part II - Section
B Written by Albert James
Dager Even older than the
Latter Rain Movement, Identity found fertile ground to propagate
its own brand of Kingdom Theology among the neo-Pentecostals
of the mid-twentieth century. Seeing the opportunity to cloak
itself with the respectability of the Church, Identity has aligned
with neo-Pentecostalism, and today presents the Anglo-Israel-Identity
Movement as "just as much a result of the work of the Holy
Spirit as the Charismatic renewal."80 Not all who believe
in British-Israelism are part of Identity. But on the basis of
little more than conjecture and hearsay, British-Israelism has
found credibility in the eyes of many otherwise sensible Christians.
Yet even if true, the
very nature of British-Israelism and the strife it engenders
is contrary to the warning of Scripture that we not be concerned
with endless genealogies (I Timothy 1:4; Titus 3:9). True Israel consists
of all who have come to God by faith in Jesus Christ, whether
Jew or Gentile (Romans 2:28-29). To God no one has any standing
except by His grace. In Christ there is neither Jew nor Greek,
rich nor poor, bond nor free, male nor female, but we are all
one in Him (Galatians 3:26-29). As Jesus said, God is able to
turn stones into children of Abraham (Matthew 4:9), so who is
anyone to boast of his ancestry, especially an ancestry built
on little more than fanciful conjecture? Charismatic Renewal One must be careful
when including the Charismatic Renewal in the list of Kingdom
Now movements, simply because a significant number of charismatics
do not have a definitive understanding of any such eschatological
viewpoint. In fact, many charismatics see the return of Jesus
as imminent. They believe in the "Rapture," whether
pre-, mid-, or post-Tribulation, and would reject the notion
that the Church must establish a theocratic rule before Jesus
can return. Yet if there is any
distinction between the charismatism of the mid- to late-twentieth
century and the Pentecostalism that preceded it, it's that charismatics
tend to lean more heavily on supernatural manifestations as conclusive
evidence that God is at work. They are also actively seeking
unity within the Body of Christ on the basis of those manifestations,
many times at the expense of biblical truth. The charismatic
ideal seems to have developed into this: in the interest of unity
we must overlook differences in doctrine as long as those with
whom we seek unity confess the name of Jesus and appear to exhibit
the gifts of the Spirit - particularly speaking in tongues. It's on these points
that Roman Catholic priests have been given platforms to teach
on Christian TV, and that Mormons have been welcomed into fellowship
among some charismatics. (And what could find more compatibility
between Mormonism and Kingdom Now Theology than the idea that
men are gods?) If there is any reason
or rhyme to this it is that many charismatics, having come out
of denominationalism, have lacked sufficient grounding in the
Word of God to be able to separate the true work of the Holy
Spirit from that of Satan. Having had little or no experience
with supernatural power in their denominations, they are sorely
lacking in discernment in that area. Still, many of today's most
prominent leaders in charismatism hail from Pentecostal backgrounds.
So whether traditional or Pentecostal, when one attaches more
importance to experience than to the rightly-divided Word of
Truth, the chance for error is greatly increased. Due to its interdenominational
thrust, charismatism presents especially fertile ground for the
propagation of Dominion Theology. The saying, "All roads
lead to Rome," isn't limited to the heyday of the Caesars
or to the papacy's former domination of western culture. It's
through the charismatic movement that Roman Catholicism has regained
much of its credibility among Protestants and other non-Catholics,
capitalizing on that credibility to make overtures for unity.
Because some Roman Catholics
speak in tongues and exhibit an attitude of acceptance toward
non-Catholic charismatics, it's been stated that Roman Catholicism
is changing - that there is now an opportunity to bring about
a unity which has been lacking since the Reformation. Besides the issue of
tongues, ecumenical charismatics point to the use of Christian
hymns sung at "charismatic masses" to the accompaniment
of modern musical instruments as evidence that differences are
minimal. This naiveté is being exploited by Catholic clergy
who, though professing "love" and "unity"
toward non-Catholic Christians, refuse them the elements of communion
on the basis that non-Catholics do not recognize the pope as
their spiritual head. Though some Roman Catholics,
even among the clergy, have undoubtedly been touched by the Holy
Spirit and are coming into a greater understanding of what it
means to have a personal relationship with God, Roman Catholicism
itself has not changed. It is still as strong a political system
as ever, ruled by a hierarchy whose intent has been from its
inception (and remains) to establish the Kingdom of God on earth
under the headship of the pope. The danger to the purity
of the Faith is a genuine reality. The Charismatic Renewal has
opened doors which it may find difficult to shut when Satan's
demonstrations of signs and wonders increase to the point where
spiritual life or death hang on the basis of one's discernment.
Manifested Sons Of
God One of the most militant
movements attempting to establish the Kingdom of God on earth
is the Manifested Sons of God. This aberration came out of the
Latter Rain Movement under the "apostleship" of John
Robert Stevens, a William Branham disciple whose church in Redondo
Beach, California, operated for a number of years as the headquarters
for the movement. The Manifested Sons
of God teachings are perhaps the most definitive among Kingdom
Now doctrines. They have all the elements of classical dominion
theory: immortalization, restoration of the offices of apostles
and prophets, absolute authoritarianism, attainment of godhood
- you name it, the Manifested Sons of God have it. The Manifested Sons
of God Movement suffered massive dissipation as the result of
many scandals that attended the extreme cult status to which
it had attained. Nevertheless, its devotees, fervent in their
beliefs, covertly continue to spread its doctrines to other churches. Because association
with the Manifested Sons of God Movement has proven a source
of extreme embarrassment, there are few today who would admit
they are Manifested Sons of God devotees. Much as a communist
would deny his affiliation with the party because he doesn't
carry a card, Manifested Sons of God adherents deny they are
what they are. The test is what they believe and teach, however,
not whether they are "officially" members of a Manifested
Sons of God church. Central to Manifested Sons of God doctrine is the idea that sonship comes through higher revelation. The Christian life is fragmented into stages of maturity: the first step is that of servant of God; the next step is to become a friend of God; following this is to become a son of God and, ultimately, gods ourselves. Yet the Scriptures demonstrate that we are already all three: servants (Galatians 3:10), friends (John 15:14-15), and sons (I John 3:1). Yet there is nothing in Scripture to support the idea that Paul or any apostle or prophet ever put aside his servanthood to attain sonship (many epistles begin with the salutation by the apostle identifying himself as a servant of God), or that they ever believed they would become gods themselves. Apart from John Robert
Stevens's disciples, there are many whose teachings would qualify
them as Manifested Sons of God, the essential ingredient being
a peculiar interpretation of Romans 8:19-23: "For the earnest
expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of
the sons of God. "For the creature
was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him
who hath subjected the same hope, "Because the creature
itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption
into the glorious liberty of the children of God. "For we know that
the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until
now. "And not only they,
but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit,
even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption,
to wit, the redemption of our body." As a doctrine crucial
to the Manifested Sons of God, perfection (success in living
sinlessly) will result in incorruptibility. This will qualify
those who "overcome" as worthy to rule in the Kingdom
of God. Whether Jesus will return
at the beginning, during, or after the Millennium is open to
conjecture. Some who have been touched by the Manifested Sons
of God influence even believe He will not return physically,
but rather that Christ and the Church are becoming one in nature
and essence, and that the Church, as the incarnation of God,
will manifest Christ on earth. There are even those
who believe that they have already attained perfection and, as
a result, will never die. They have attained a higher degree
of spiritual evolution, so to speak. For all the elaborate
surmisings with which these people have deluded themselves, a
careful reading of Romans 8:19 will show that the "manifestation
of the sons of God" alluding to the redemption of our bodies
(verse 23) cannot be properly understood apart from I Corinthians
15:51-52, which states that we shall all be changed, "In
a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for
the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible,
and we shall be changed." From these verses it
is clear that the "manifestation of the sons of God"
- immortality - will take place at the last trump. First Thessalonians
4:15 makes it even clearer that this will not occur before the
resurrection of the dead at the coming of Christ: "For this we say
unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and
remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent [go before]
them which are asleep. "For the Lord himself
shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the
archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ
shall rise first: "Then we which
are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in
the clouds to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever
be with the Lord." The teachings of most
Kingdom Now groups can be traced to the Manifested Sons of God.
And not only do they come from the Manifested Sons of God, they
must ultimately return to the "pure" Manifested Sons
of God doctrine: man need not die; by taking hold of secret knowledge
he can become like God. Whether or not the Manifested
Sons of God will ever make a comeback as an organized segment
of the Christian community only the Lord knows. But their influence
has been more far-reaching through undercover proselytizing than
it would have had there been no breakup. And they continue to
affect more and more Christians who are sufficiently naive to
think they can become immortal by acting spiritual. The grandiose
promise of ruling over the world as implementers of God's righteousness
holds special appeal for the prideful, "god-consciousness"
persons who perceive authority as rulership rather than servanthood.
Restoration Inherent to all Kingdom
Now Theology is the idea of "Restoration." The premise
of Restoration is that since the first century, the Church has
not functioned as God planned, and must therefore be "restored"
to its original purpose of achieving dominion. This involves
the "restoration" of the offices of apostles and prophets,
the "restoration" of the Tabernacle of David (signified
by the restoration of worship and praise), and the "restoration"
of power (signs and wonders). As a less cultic form
of Manifested Sons of God, the Restoration Movement believes
in immortalization through perfection. Thus Restoration's emphasis
on purifying the Church through repentance and holy living. Certainly no one can
find fault with repentance and holy living. But at the heart
of Restoration is the goal of establishing the Kingdom of God
on earth in the physical absence of Jesus. Holy living, forgiveness,
and unity of the Body of Christ are essential to the attainment
of that purpose. Restoration preachers
appear to be among the humblest of God's servants, confessing
their own sins before the people and presenting themselves as
examples of how Christians should examine their own hearts. One of the Scriptures
most often quoted by Restoration preachers is Matthew 7:1: "Judge
not, that ye be not judged." In their view, it is especially
imperative that the people not judge teachers, regardless of
doctrine. We are to let the Holy Spirit judge them. I believe many Restoration
proponents are truly humble men who have unwittingly opened themselves
to error. But so, too, many of those who cry "Touch not
God's anointed," or "Judge not," do so out of
fear that their own doctrines might come under close scrutiny.
They totally ignore the context of Matthew 7:1, which implies
hypocritical judgment, not the judgment necessary to preserve
the purity of the Faith. We are often exhorted in Scripture to
judge, not those outside the Body of Christ, but those in the
Body of Christ (I Corinthians 5:12, 6:5; John 7:24). In Romans 14:10-13,
one of the strongest Scriptures about judging, we find that the
context reveals we are not to judge a brother for what he eats
or drinks. But we are to judge stumbling blocks that others put
before the brethren. Certainly false doctrine would fall into
that category. We are not to judge men's hearts, but we are to
judge actions and teachings that lead others away from God's
truth. Why those who cry against judgment propagate error, and
why, contrary to their own teachings, they condemn those who
judge those errors is between them and the Lord. Again, there is nothing
wrong in holy living, or in unity with brothers in Christ. These
we should desire. But what Restoration and Dominion Theology
in general seek is not so much unity of the faith as uniformity
of the dictates of self-proclaimed apostles and prophets. Reconstruction More than any other
movement, Reconstruction is the intellectual arm of Dominion
Theology. Offering articulate and intelligent arguments for the
Church to establish theocratic rule by taking dominion over politics,
economics, science, the arts, and every other expression of human
social structure, Reconstruction attracts thinking people who
see God's laws as the only answer to the present chaos. No right-thinking
Christian would deny that this is true. However, unless Jesus
is present to administer the affairs of that theocracy, human
fallibility, no matter how well-intentioned, would ultimately
result in religious totalitarianism. Now, I'm one who believes
that Christians should become involved in politics and in every
other area of civic life in order to be a light to the world
and salt to the earth. If we are to win souls and influence people
for Christ, we cannot cloister ourselves from the world. But
we are deluding ourselves if we think we can establish any man
or religious group of men as saviors of the world. Reconstruction's noble
ideas of bringing about a transformation of society through which
righteousness will be manifested are doomed to failure. But that
does not mean we cannot use the information on politics and other
fields of human endeavor that notable Reconstructionists provide.
Their analyses of world affairs from a Scriptural perspective
are often intelligent and well-documented, and can be of significant
help to Christians who wish to be informed on current events.
(Just beware the leaven.) Nor does it mean we
shouldn't continue to wage spiritual warfare and take authority
wherever God grants it to us. But a theocracy administered without
the benefit of Jesus' physical presence begs for subjective reasoning
based on the intellectual whims of man's faulty wisdom. Yes, the Holy Spirit
can keep such a theocratic rule in line. But He won't if it exists
apart from the will of God. And based on His Word, no such theocracy
will be established by God without Jesus present. Should any
such theocracy be established, it would not be a true theocracy,
but a totalitarian state of man's own making. God's Word is clear
that before Jesus returns tremendous evil will encompass the
governments of the world (Matthew 24, Mark 14, Revelation 6 &
7). We might not like that prospect, but God's Word is without
error. The question is whether Reconstruction seeks to impose
the will of man in the name of God. This, I believe, is the direction
in which Reconstruction, like all Dominion movements, is headed.
Positive Confession If there is one teaching
of Dominion Theology that has come to characterize the Positive
Confession Movement of late, it is the deification of man. While
most of the aforementioned movements employ this theme, Positive
Confession is coming to the forefront. This is a paradox of
sorts because there are many in Positive Confession who are not
consciously linked to Dominion Theology, looking instead for
the imminent return of Jesus, whether pre-, mid-, or post-Tribulation,
and do not see man's efforts as the answer to anything. They
would reject the idea that they are or can be gods, even though
in their acting out the Positive Confession scenario they are
acting out the role of God. This by their insistence that they
can speak into existence things that aren't as if they are. But it isn't the conscious
adherence to Kingdom Now Theology that makes Positive Confession
so compatible (though there are many who do adhere consciously
to Kingdom Now Theology). It's the strong dominion mindset and
the increasingly prevalent teachings on the believer's alleged
"god-likeness" that will eventually draw a great bulk
of Positive Confession people into the Kingdom Now camp. Reconstructionist Gary
North, in his book 'Unholy Spirits,' demonstrates how the reconstructionists
have influenced the charismatics and, most specifically, the
Positive Confession Movement, without their being aware of the
historicity of Dominion Theology: "Some of the charismatic
groups believe in tightly knit church convenants. The reconstructionists
have been the major theologians of the biblical convenant. Other
charismatics have preached personal financial victory and health
through prayer and by obeying God's 'principles.' The reconstructionists
have been the major defenders of the continuing legitimacy of
God's law in New Testament times. Some of these 'positive confession'
charismatics (also called 'word of faith') have begun to preach
that the optimism which God offers to individuals also applies
to God's other convenanted associations: families, churches,
and civil governments. This represents a major break with the
traditional pessimistic eschatology of fundamentalism, called
dispensationalism. These charismatic leaders have not self-consciously
made the break from premillenialism to postmillenial optimism,
but the term 'dominion' implies it. Again, the reconstructionists
are the only Protestant theologians to have forthrightly preached
postmillenialism after 1965. (R.J. Rushdoony was the pioneer
here.) Thus, the ideas of the reconstructionists have penetrated
into Protestant circles that for the most part are unaware of
the original source of the theological ideas that are beginning
to transform them."81 The concept of dominion
fits the Positive Confession mold. If all that's necessary for
the Church to take dominion is to speak and act "in faith,"
then the only problem is to get enough Christians to do so. Positive Confession's
belief in faith as a "force" into which anyone can
tap is a tenet of witchcraft. It places God at the disposal of
anyone who can learn the formulas (or "principles")
of "faith," and tries to force Him to work on their
behalf regardless of His will. Positive confession
is not prayer; it's not communication with God. Rather, it's
mental affirmation of what the person "confessing"
wants accomplished with little or no practical consideration
of what God's will might be. While Positive Confession
has no definitive eschatology, it has established certain teachings
that prepare Christians to accept Dominion Theology. Shepherding-Discipleship
The Shepherding-Discipleship
Movement which attained its greatest impetus during the 1960s
and 70s exemplifies the extreme authoritarianism which would
probably be necessary to implement and sustain any attempted
theocracy. In spite of extreme abuses against personal freedom
in Christ, the thought control that characterized that movement
continues to rear its ugly head among Kingdom Now groups. Former
leaders of that movement have gained new respectability among
other leaders within charismatism. They have much to offer in
the way of instruction on how to bend the wills of others to
their own - a talent vital to any human attempt to set up the
Kingdom of God. There is no doubt that
a great need exists within the Church for 'scripturally-based'
discipleship and authority. Such must be founded on the concept
of authority as servanthood, ministered in love and humility
by those mature in the faith. Shepherding-Discipleship
as the movement it became, however, is nothing less than spiritual
child-abuse. Through intimidation by the instilling of fear and
unfounded guilt, it bludgeons babes in Christ into obedience
to the wills of the "shepherds" in authority. And not
only babes, but many "mature" Christians have fallen
prey to this evil due to the misuse of Scripture to establish
"coverings" over every member. Ephesians 5:11-14 is
used to convince the unwary that in order to be perfected they
must submit to those in authority, regardless of what that authority
requires of them. Thus, abuses are rampant in Shepherding-Discipleship. In extreme Shepherding-Discipleship
many are compelled to live a communal lifestyle in total obedience
to their "shepherds." They may not marry, work, minister,
buy or sell, or exercise their own wills in any matter without
their shepherd's approval. They live in strict conformity to
religious and temporal duties within their communal society.
Disobedience, and even weariness common to such a stringent lifestyle,
meet with strong disciplinary action. There have even been reports
of physical abuse to keep the "sheep" in line. In such a scenario the
individual's personal relationship to God is subordinated to
the corporate structure of their religious society. One is not
allowed to hear from God directly, because God only speaks to
them through their shepherd. Should a person leave the "covering"
of his shepherd to pursue his freedom in Christ, he is threatened
with reprisals from the hand of God: loss of salvation, sickness,
divorce, financial ruin. He is shunned by the community of which
he was a part, and spoken of as a servant of Satan or in some
other derogatory way. Even the marriage relationship
is subordinate to the relationship of the shepherd with his disciple.
Broken homes and divorces are not uncommon among those marriages
where one spouse develops a stronger bond to the shepherd than
to his or her mate. All these abuses exceed the parameters of
disciple- ship intended by Jesus, and establish the babes in
Christ as disciples of men rather than disciples of Christ. The Shepherding-Discipleship
mentality is such that self-prideful humanity finds it appealing.
Those disciples who obey are rewarded by being made shepherds
over others. Thus is propagated a brutal and demeaning society
governed by fear and guilt. Though these are the
extreme abuses of Shepherding-Discipleship, the mentality is
the same throughout the movement. Such a mentality is critical
to Kingdom Now Theology. For how can a significant portion of
mankind be made to conform to the dictates of the apostles and
prophets except through the instilling of fear and guilt? No
one wants to miss out on what appears to be a move of God. Ignorance
on the part of those who are unsure of their relationship to
God breeds indecision which, in turn, results in acquiescence
to authority at the expense of their personal relationship to
Christ. Inherent Fear And
Guilt The use of fear and
guilt to bring people into line with the dictates of self-appointed
authority is not the exclusive property of Shepherding-Discipleship.
Were we to analyze each movement germane to Kingdom Now Theology
we would find strong elements of such fear and guilt at the core
of their structures. They all subordinate the individual's relationship
to Christ to the dictates of the religious leaders. To illustrate,
let's take the other movements with which we've already dealt
and briefly see how fear and guilt play a part. Identity: Fear and guilt are essential
ingredients in any racist, authoritarian structure - especially
where the use of para-militarism is utilized to foment hatred
and threaten bloodshed. Manifested Sons of
God: Extreme
fear and guilt for those who do not move forward to perfection
in order that the Kingdom of God may be established. Restoration: A strong condemnation of utilizing
judgment breeds guilt in those who question the teachings of
others, resulting in fear that God's displeasure will be the
consequence. This applies even to the righteous judgment of sin
and doctrinal error. Reconstruction: Guilt results from not becoming
involved in attempting to establish the Kingdom of God through
politics and other societal strategies. Charismatic Renewal: Guilt is instilled in those
who balk at attempts to meld them into unity with others whose
doctrines are seriously in conflict with Scripture. This results
in a fear of God's displeasure for hampering unity, and fear
of men's reprisals for speaking out against error. Positive Confession: Fear that if one doesn't act
and speak in a prescribed manner God will not answer. Guilt that
one's faith is deficient should his prayers not be answered to
his satisfaction. These are sketchy but
accurate assessments of how religion based on fear and guilt
has encroached upon the modern Church. The individual relationship
of the Christian with his Savior is a sacred trust to be nurtured
and strengthened by the teaching and counsel of the elders in
his church. While the corporate expression of faith is vital
to the life of the Church, that life is only as strong as the
strength of the individual links in the corporate chain. The subordination of
the individual to the corporate body at the expense of individuality
actually weakens the Church in its ability to stand against deception
and, ultimately, even against the overt evil influences of the
world. Coming Up In our next installment
we'll detail the various teachings within Kingdom Now Theology,
quote those who hold those teachings, and name the particular
movement or movements with which they are associated. Hold on
to your hats. NOTES 55. G.dePurucker, 'The
Esoteric Tradition,' 2 Vols.(Point Loma, CA: Theosophical University
Press, 1935),p.24. |