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In regard to Christian doctrine, there are few absolutes and many variables as to what one might believe and still qualify as an authentic Christian. The absolutes are essential for salvation and the variables are not. Faith in the divinity of Jesus, His atoning death, and His physical resurrection for our redemption are among the absolutes. Views about the timing of eschatological events are among the variables. The “variable label” does not diminish their importance. To the contrary, our end-time aspirations influence every aspect of our lives, including our ability to flow in unity with fellow believers. For believers, matters pertaining to the Second Coming of the Lord are identified as “the blessed hope” (Tit 2:11-13).
Chutzpah
Few believers would have the audacity to openly question the concept that Jesus will have a Second Advent. However, many contemporary ministers are unwittingly blurring the glory of events connected with it. These deny the rapture, exaggerate the extent to which the Church can bring in the Kingdom, and minimize the Lord’s personal role in the full establishment of the Kingdom of God here on earth. Their proclamations are disconcerting. ”There will be no “great snatch” (rapture) to rescue the Church from the anti-Christ and the great tribulation. The Kingdom has already arrived and you can be one of the super saints who will enforce its rule in your locale. We are Christ. There is no need for Jesus’ literal personal presence. Together, solely through the Holy Spirit within us, we are going to subdue earthly governments and make the societies of this world better and better. This will be our glorious gift to Jesus if He happens to pay us a visit in the next 10,000 years or so.” My tone is crass, but it pales next to the egotistical boasts that many are making. Those who do so generally champion a theology known as Kingdom Now/Kingdom Theology. The presence of differing views about these variables is not a license to break fellowship one with another. We do have the responsibility to request that all ponder their assertions about end-time matters in the light of God’s Word. That is the purpose of this article. Any believer that is not circumspect in discernment can slip into a state in which, “they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm (1Ti 1:7 NIV).”
Tainted Mixture
Later in this article I will explain the period in which I was totally immersed in Kingdom theology. Through first hand experience and observations I can testify that the Kingdom Now camp continually makes innovative contributions to the Body of Christ. In the arena of music and worship they are unequalled. It could be said that they “write the songs that the whole world sings”. Their place in honoring the Holy Spirit’s restoration of spiritual gifts is exemplary. The entire Church has benefited from their emphasis on family values and character over charisma. It is my conviction that without their influence the Church would risk spiritual bankruptcy in numerous areas. Nonetheless, I believe that there are isolated areas in which they are tainting the mixture of their fruit. Therein their overstatements of biblical truths could escalate in momentum producing results that dishonor the Lord.
For the Record
It is my experience that believers, through the miraculous power of the Holy Spirit, can bring the Kingdom rule of the Lord into every aspect of life that falls within their respective spheres of authority. Our interpersonal relationships, vocations, avocations, and churches have a divine mandate to reflect His righteousness, peace and joy. However, in my opinion it is fruitlessly unscriptural to expect the unredeemed and secular governments to mirror our values. Nonetheless, I am persuaded that the world will see the glory of the Lord covering the earth as the waters cover the sea prior to the rapture of the Church. Gatherings of believers and our secular pursuits will exemplify evidences of the Kingdom of God in ways that will eclipse any previous period in history. Unprecedented signs and wonders will accompany us as we proclaim the coming Kingdom of God. Millions will submit to the Lordship of Christ. During this period the Church will serve as a light pointing the world to Christ. We will be His salt. By its nature light is distinctive only in the presence of darkness. Salt is a preservative used to hold off corruption. Both will be needed to stay off complete darkness and corruption until He comes. Our faith and miraculous exploits will incite the world to hate and persecute us even as they did Jesus. Many Christians will fall away from the faith. Those that remain faithful will be rescued by His appearing. The living and the dead who are in Christ will ascend with glorified bodies to meet Him in the air. God’s wrath will be poured upon the earth. Subsequently the redeemed will return with Him to reign with Him over the kingdoms of earth.
End-Time Events
Legitimate biblical eschatological topics would include: the mass engrafting of converted Jews into the Body of Christ and the complete restoration of Israel’s ancient national borders; the appearance of the anti-Christ who will incite a global governmental persecution against the faithful; the sounding of the shout of the Lord, the voice of angels and a trumpet blast; those who have died in Christ being raised from their graves to meet the Lord in the air with glorified bodies; living believers’ physical bodies will be gloriously transformed as they join their resurrected fellows in the heavens; an outpouring of God’s wrath upon the entire earth; the Millennial reign of Christ wherein the Man, Christ Jesus, will be physically present to establish and oversee the administration of His Kingdom throughout the world; Christians with glorified bodies serving as co-rulers with Him; at the end of the 1,000 year reign, the mortal subjects of the Kingdom having an opportunity to rebel against the Lordship of Christ and the authority of His co-rulers and the crushing of the rebellion; the rebels and all of the dead who were not previously resurrected standing before God at the Great White Throne Judgment; those whose names are not found in the Book of Life being consigned to eternal torment in the Lake of Fire; and the New Jerusalem, the eternal dwelling of the redeemed and all whose names are found in the Book of Life, descending through the new heavens to the new earth.
Wow
Kingdom Theology sees the Second Coming of Jesus in two stages: first through the flesh of contemporary believers who embrace Kingdom Now concepts, and then in person to receive the perfected Kingdom, which they have established for Him. The basic premise of Kingdom Theology is that man lost dominion over the earth when Adam and Eve succumbed to Satan's temptation in the Garden of Eden. (That is true) God "lost control" of the earth to Satan at that time, and has since been looking for a "covenant people" who will take dominion back from Satan and will fully establish His Kingdom in the earth. (That is only partially true. God has never “lost” anything to Satan) This is to be accomplished through certain "overcomers" who, by yielding themselves to the authority of God's apostles and prophets for the Kingdom Age, will take control of the kingdoms of this world. These kingdoms are defined as all social institutions, such as the "kingdom" of education, the "kingdom" of science, the "kingdom" of the arts, and so on. Most especially there is the "kingdom" of politics or government. This implies that the Kingdom Now administrators will wield influence over military and police authorities.
The Things People Say
The following is a generic description of what is taught by those who espouse Kingdom Now theology. This description is a collection of the diverse themes found in their teachings. Not all would hold to every item mentioned.
God has no plans to restore the full allotment of land that He promised the patriarchs that He would give to Israel. All of God’s promises to the Jews and those about the nation of Israel are solely applicable to those whom they deem His “true Israel”, the Church. There is no rapture of the Church as the word and the concept are not biblical. The great tribulation concluded with the destruction of Jerusalem in 70AD. The 1,000-year reign of Christ is figurative for a long period of time. His reign over the earth through His Church began subsequent to Titus’ desecration of Herod’s Temple in 70AD. Satan is already completely bound. Terms like the anti-Christ, spirits of anti-Christ, the beast, and the false prophet are all symbolic language for the corrupt world system and cultures that the Church will transform for the glory of God. The extent of the Lord’s coming to His Church wherein “every eye” will see Him was initiated through the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. For subsequent generations, the Church imbued with Christ’s presence via the Holy Spirit is the only Christ that “every eye” will likely behold. The Lord’s Body, the Church, is one and the same as the personal presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. It will serve as His replacement in dealing with the affairs of men until the Kingdom is completely functional throughout the world. Christians that embrace Kingdom Now revelations will mature beyond the limits of ordinary believers. These will advance through childhood to son ship wherein they will graduate into a special company called the manifested sons of God. Through unique endowments of spiritual gifts, revelations and authority, this chosen company will subdue the local and national governments of this world for the Kingdom of God. It is asserted that flesh-and-blood people, without possessing resurrected/glorified bodies and the benefit of the Lord’s literal physical presence, will obliterate evil from the earth. At some undetermined point in the future they will reward Jesus/God with His due glory by turning their accomplishment of a perfect world over to Him.
Now, Now Children
Through personal observation, I have often noticed that those who espouse Kingdom Now views tend to express attitudes that do not reflect the meekness of the Spirit of Christ. Generally speaking, they are inclined to be esoteric, sharing the Spirit’s agenda only with those who have the capacity to receive higher light and deeper truths. Some scoff at those who hold traditional views, treating them as uninformed children that have not been privy to the revelations of their “present truths”.
Most of the concepts that they laud are not totally erroneous, as they find marginal precedents in the Scriptures. Nonetheless, they are hopelessly incomplete without the literal personal presence and hands-on involvement of the Man, the Lord Jesus Christ. I will now attempt to unravel the areas in which Kingdom Now theology is incomplete and/or grossly unscriptural. Their assertions, covered in my description of their teaching themes, will be rebutted by Bible-based logic. Please keep in mind that those whom I am addressing are zealous, valuable members of the Body of Christ. Apart from the excesses of their eschatological views, they have much to offer.
Been There - Got the T-Shirt
From 1968 through 1983, I gave my energies to support the leaders of the international Shepherding-Discipleship movement. I served as the senior pastor of one of their fountainhead churches, Good News Fellowship of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. My duties included membership on their international council of fifteen apostolic ministers and overseeing significant numbers of pastors and congregations affiliated with the group on two continents. Three of the movement’s five primary apostles were sent forth from my church. They were Derek Prince, Don Basham, and Bob Mumford.
International charismatic Christendom was presented with the illusion that these brothers flowed in unity of doctrine. This presentation was inaccurate. The arenas in which they differed were numerous, and they were least unified in regard to topics related to eschatology. Nonetheless, we mesmerized hundreds of thousands with a theology that was tainted with amillennial Kingdom Now influences. To our shame and my regret, we misrepresented the mind of Christ. Thousands squandered their spiritual hopes and financial fortunes on the belief that connection with us would position them as participants in bringing God’s righteous rule to the governments of this present age. The mentioning of end-time topics, such as the rapture, the restoration of Israel, the tribulation and the coming of the anti-Christ invoked glares of disapproval. We had kingdom businesses, a television station, New Wine magazine, pastors who claimed prophetic influence with local and national political leaders, a plan to revolutionize Washington, DC for the Kingdom and even a candidate for the presidency of the United States of America.
Chagrin
All was thwarted by God’s gracious hand of embarrassment on our humanistic kingdom strategies. Many of the businesses went bankrupt. Our team didn’t make a dent in Washington’s corruptions. Few of the pastors who boasted prophetic political influence are currently ministering in the cities they supposedly controlled. Our candidate for the presidency didn’t make it through the Vermont primary and was later discovered to be a womanizer. Our inept attempts at running the TV station had to be rescued by another Christian network mercifully buying it. We planted it, others watered it and God is giving the increase to those more humble than we. Our international periodical is no longer published. In grateful retrospect, God graciously allowed us to bless the Church with many other contributions, some were mentioned in the “Tainted Mixture” section. He simply would not tolerate our tampering with end-time matters that are reserved for His personal participation and pleasure.
Roots of Antiquity
The foundations for modern-day Kingdom theology are by no means new. It’s a form of Calvinistic utopianism that alleges that godly societies can be created through state churches controlling their respective state governments. Luther had a similar theology that deferred supremacy to the state and held it responsible to enforce the Church’s doctrinal policies.
Several things are worth noting. Luther and Calvin both perpetuated their own styles of the Church-State governmental concept of the Catholic Church. Every nation of Western Europe has been under varying intensities of a Catholic/Protestant mixture of Kingdom Now/Church-State government for hundreds of years. England, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland all have State Churches that are supported by the citizen’s taxes. Not one of them exemplifies anything remotely akin to a godly society.
The Roman Emperor Constantine introduced this sacral policy to Christendom in 300AD. Initially, his reasons for favoring the Church were political, not spiritual. Prior to his personal conversion to Christ, He instituted Christianity as the official religion of the Empire. He was an opportunist who saw Christianity as a tool to unite the Roman Empire by nullifying the divisions created by polytheism. Over the subsequent 1,200 years the Church maintained a militant sword-bearing policy of conquering nations for the Kingdom and utilizing persecutions as a means to bring about conversions. This was in direct disobedience to the Lord’s words that His kingdom was not of this world and that His servants were not to bear arms to extend its influence (Jn 18:36). The results were disastrous. Interestingly, a major tenet of Islam is that clerics dictate the policies of national governments. It compels Muslims to seek avenues to position Islam for dominion over the world. For detailed information read my book, The Muslim Masquerade. It is available through Booklocker.com and your local bookstore.
Kingdom Now Plans Foiled
Were it not for America’s divinely inspired Constitutional Amendments, the founding fathers of eleven of the thirteen Colonies would have succeeded in establishing permanent state churches. However, other New World factions came along that mirrored similar goals. The Mormons and a sect called the Manifested Sons of God have their respective brands of Kingdom Now doctrines. Much of what is currently being popularized is curiously reminiscent of these aforementioned cults. The pollutions of the Manifested Sons of God will be touched upon later in this article.
Rapture is in the Bible
Some of this generation’s most prominent Bible teachers espouse that “the catching up” of the saints is an ongoing process that occurs solely through Jesus’ presence via the Holy Spirit within His Church. It is their claim that there will be no rapture and that the word “rapture” is not in the Bible. This is only true of the English translation and those of a few other European languages. In 328AD Pope Damasus had the Greek Old Testament and New Testament translated into Latin. It was entitled the Vulgate identifying it as the current translation. Until Tyndale’s English translation came along in 1526, it was the primary Bible of churchmen in the European world for 1,200 years. Rapture is found in that translation. It also appears in some translations into Latin-based languages such as Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish. Modern translations of the French Bible use the word enlever. Its implications are the same as rapture. It is defined as to remove, to collect, take away, to abduct, and to kidnap. Halleluiah, the French got something right.
Rapture Conveys a Biblical Concept
The Greek word for the word translated as caught-up in modern versions of 1Th 4:17 is harpazo. It is defined as the following: to seize, catch up, snatch away — carry off. The Latin word used for it in the Vulgate version is rapiemur. In the Latin dictionary it carries the same definition as its Greek equivalent, harpazo. Our English word rapture is a legitimate term that is used to convey the same concept that harpazo does in Greek and rapiemur does in Latin.
The Greek word for coming in 1 Thessalonians 4:15 is parousia. Some Greek lexicons note that it infers a coming or an appearance after an absence. The Latin word for coming and appearance is adventus, from which we get the word advent. Note the way these words are used in the Latin Vulgate rendering of 1 Thessalonians 4:15 & 17: hoc enim vobis dicimus in verbo Domini quia nos qui vivimus qui residui sumus in adventum (Advent) Domini non praeveniemus eos qui dormierunt (17) deinde nos qui vivimus qui relinquimur simul rapiemur (Rapture) cum illis in nubibus obviam Domino in aera et sic semper cum Domino erimus
Rapture and Advent are legitimate biblical words that theologians have borrowed from the Latin Vulgate, rather than the Grk/Eng Bible, to convey the concepts of the catching up of the saints and a specific coming of the Lord. No matter what wording is used, caught up, seized, swept away, rapture, coming, appearing, or Second Advent, the implications are scripturally identical. The Lord will at some point appear in the heavens and send forth a shout that will cause living and dead believers to rise and join Him. His Church will be snatched from this planet and He will literally descend from the heavens in the same manner that He ascended into the heavens from the Mount of Olives forty days after His physical resurrection. Post these events, all who were previously redeemed, born-again Jews and Gentiles, will forever be physically in the personal, manifest presence of the Lord.
The Manner of His Coming
In 2 Peter 1:16-18 the Apostle Peter testified of the manner in which Jesus will come again. He explicitly stated that it would be similar to His transfiguration. On that occasion three apostles saw Him in a cloud accompanied by two Old Testament saints. His person and clothing were glorious transformed. Moses and Elijah had the same glorified vestures (Mat 17:1-6). Peter’s depiction of the Second Coming was identical to the Bible’s descriptions of the Rapture. He assured us that what the apostles spoke of in relation to the miraculous manner of His coming was not a fable. He will appear to His disciples in a cloud accompanied by believers with glorified bodies like His. Our physical bodies will be gloried as we are received into that cloud and we will forever be with the Lord. Peter added that the inspired Word of God is even more reliable than his eyewitness account as to the manner of the Lord’s return (2Pe 1:19-21). The implications are clear, the Bible most definitely supports the concept of the Rapture of the saints.
Answers Needed
Those that embrace Kingdom Now theology need to find answers to some questions that these Bible references pose. 1) Believers of every generation are to encourage one another about the coming of the Lord (Act 1:9-11, 1Th 4:13-5:3). If the full extent of believers being caught up to the Lord occurs by disciples being filled with the Spirit, why would exhortations about that which we have already experienced be encouraging? 2) Every Christian who has a reasonable devotional life and functions in spiritual gifts experiences the presence of the Lord regularly in a spiritual sense. Such is vital and refreshing, but it in no way compares to that which 1 Thessalonians 4:13-5:3 refers. Our routine spiritual encounters with His spiritual presence do not compare with the bestowal of glorified bodies and the perpetual visible, tangible, personal, physical presence of the Kings of Kings. The context compares His Second Coming to the need to be watchful about a sudden robbery and birth pangs. If one has a new baby in his arms and a thief standing next to him in the house, why is there a need to anticipate the arrival of either?
Holiness?
A section of the Kingdom theology proponents have formed an ecclesiastical organization called the ICCC. It has an archbishop who oversees a college of bishops. Beginning in 1987, major Christian periodicals have published numerous reports of various women accusing the leadership of the archbishop’s home church of sexual misconduct. Due to the fact that new reports continue to come forth, it appears that the church has a history of attempting to cover up incidences of its clerics’ immoral behavior. The authors of the New Testament admonished believers to be circumspect about their lifestyles. At times these exhortations were offered in the context of the potential for the imminent return of the Lord. (Could it be that the failure of some to acknowledge the Rapture has given them the illusion that it is permissible to covertly stray from biblical holiness in their behavior?)
Inextricably Interrelated
Biblically, a number of end-time events are inseparably interrelated. Among these are the restoration of Israel, the mass engrafting of converted Jews, the catching up of the saints, the Great Tribulation and the Second Advent. All of these things will occur in a relatively close timeline. One proof for the interrelation of the Rapture and the engrafting of the Jews are the aspirations of the Apostle Paul. He was the Apostle to the Gentiles, yet he expressed a willingness to give up his own place in the Kingdom if it would help expedite the salvation of the Jews. As one whose inspired revelations exceeded those of all others, he perceived Jews as being an essential component of the completed Body of Christ. At the time of his ministry, far more Jews were in Christ than there are at present. This indicates that he saw their mass engrafting as a future event (Eze 20:33-37). Since this has not yet happened, there has been no mature expression of the Kingdom in its fullness. Nor will there be until it does. He stated in Romans 11:15 that their engrafting would precipitate “life from the dead”. This phrase infers the resurrection and rapture of the saints (1Co 15). The Bride that the Lord catches up will have a generous representation of Jews.
Parallel Restorations
In my estimation one of the primary errors of Kingdom Now doctrine is that it transfers key features of that which has been prophesied for Israel to the Church. Biblically speaking, Israel and the Church will have parallel periods of restoration prior to the coming of the Lord. A candid assessment would own up to the reality that neither is currently closer to exemplifying its prophesied restoration than the other.
Prior to Jesus’ ascension the disciples asked Him when He would restore the Kingdom to Israel (Act 1:3, 6-7). His reply was that the timing of that event was in the Father’s hands. Their inquiry and His reply reveal two important facts for those who discount natural Israel. In keeping with the prophecies of the Old Testament, His personally trained men expected its restoration. Secondly, He explicitly implied that the Father has never abandoned His plans to restore Israel’s kingdom.
Space does not permit an exhaustive apologetic for the restoration of the nation of Israel’s divinely promised borders. Suffice it to say, if God does not fulfill His ancient vows to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, we have no reason to believe that His other unfulfilled promises are reliable (Deu 1:7-8). The Promised Land’s northern boundaries extended from the Mediterranean on the west, eastward all the way to the Euphrates River. From the north to south, it covered the territory from the middle of Lebanon and most of present-day Jordan to the Nile River and Saudi Arabia. Post the destruction of Solomon’s Temple, Israel has never entirely possessed it. From that time until this day, the majority of the world’s Jews have been dispersed in other locales, and hostile forces have occupied their homeland.
The prophets declared that the Lord would gather Israel into her land for a second time (Isa 11:11). During that era she will dwell securely in national peace. Earth’s plant and animal life will be restored to their pre-Fall glory. Children will be able to safely intermingle with lions, venomous snakes and poisonous insects. This peace will be disrupted as the combined military forces of the nations of the earth gather to marshal a unified assault on Israel. The Lord will personally quell this onslaught. His feet will rest upon the Mount of Olives, and it will be split. Israel will never again need fear attack. Subsequently all the nations of the earth will bring their offerings for the Lord to Jerusalem (Isa 11 & Zec 14). These events are closely akin to Jesus’ words about eschatological events surrounding the Great Tribulation and His Second Coming that are found in Matthew 24 through 25 and Luke 21.
70AD Questions
Some Kingdom Now proponents say that the Great Tribulation concluded with Titus’ sacking of Jerusalem and the desecration and destruction of Herod’s Temple in 70AD. These date the beginning of the Kingdom Reign at the same juncture. Supposedly, all of this has been in progress through people that are still subject to mortality and without the benefit of the Lord’s literal, personal presence. 70AD was indeed a pivotal period. However, it does not meet the biblical qualifications to be labeled as the Great Tribulation and the beginning of the Kingdom reign.
- Prior to the Great Tribulation, Israel is to be in full possession of the Holy Land and dwelling securely in peace. (How could 70AD qualify? Prior and post, the Romans occupied Israel and its atmosphere was charged with hostilities.)
- Jesus explicitly stated the motivations for and proportions of the Great Tribulation. Christians will be specifically targeted because of their faith. Beginning in 66AD and ending in 70AD, Titus’ motivation for Jerusalem’s siege was not specifically intended to punish Christians. It was initiated to quench a rebellion incited against Roman rule by political elements within the Jewish population. In addition, the Great Tribulation is to be global. Jesus said that it would eclipse all previous and subsequent persecutions. Titus’ attack on Jerusalem was local, not global. 600,000 Jews were butchered, and 115,000 were deported as slaves. Some Messianic Christians died, and some were deported. Most survived the atrocities by fleeing as refugees to the city of Pella, which is located in present-day Jordan. Jews and Christians have subsequently experienced far greater periods of tribulation. The crusades, inquisitions, pogroms and the Holocaust eradicated over ten million Jews. It is estimated that at least that number of Christians perished in the Communist regimes of Eastern Europe and China. Under Communism, Christians were specifically targeted because of their faith. (In regard to the number of Christians, or Jews for that matter, persecuted and executed, where is Jerusalem’s 70AD destruction’s distinction as being the worst in world history?)
- The Word teaches that we have been saved to wait for God’s Son from heaven who will rescue us from the wrath to come (1Th 1:9-10). This presents two questions for Kingdom theology. - (If the Church is the full revelation of Christ, why should it wait for itself from heaven? From the conception of the Church until now, from what expressions of wrath has the Church been rescued?) Historically, the majority of the world’s Christians have always been subjected to the wrath of evil men. However, they will be exempted and rescued from God’s coming global reprisal against those who have persecuted His beloved (2Th 1:5-10, 2Pe 3:7-12).
- The Master declared that immediately after the Tribulation the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give light and that the stars will fall from heaven. The sign of the Son of Man will appear in the heavens prompting all of the earth’s citizens to mourn. Most importantly, all will see Him coming to gather His own to Himself. (How do you account for the fact that there is no objective evidence that any of these things happened in 70AD?)
- The book of Revelation was written in 95AD, 62 years post the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost and 25 years after the destruction of Herod’s temple. (If the Lord caught up the saints at Pentecost, why does Jesus declare 62 years later in Rev. 1:7-8 that it is a future event?) Revelation 12:10 indicates that the Kingdom is to come in increased fullness subsequent to believers overcoming Satan through their testimonies. (If the Kingdom reign was in full effect in 70AD, how could it be described as yet to come in its fullness 25 years later?)
- Some Kingdom Now teachers lead their constituents to believe that evil will be eradicated from the earth through our Kingdom authority prior to the Lord’s return. This is a significant departure from the teachings of Jesus. In His kingdom parable of the wheat and the tares He gave us a number of unalterable truths. The field in which good and bad seeds are sown is the world. Both will be growing simultaneously until the end of this age. The evil cannot be plucked out without endangering the good. Each will have its respective time of gathering into one of two distinctive bundles. The agents who gather the wicked will be angels, not Kingdom saints. Subsequent to this gathering the righteous will shine forth in the Kingdom (Mat 13:24-30, 36-43). (If the Kingdom age has been in process post 70AD, why are the wicked still active among us? If we are in the Kingdom/Millennial age now, just when did the angels gather the wicked?)
- Kingdom theology claims that Satan is already bound through kingdom authority. I’ve heard them reducing him to a “toothless pussycat” that can render no harm. Should this be an accurate assessment, the apostles Paul, Peter, and John were grievously misguided (Rom 16:20, 1Th 2:18, 1Pe 5:8-9, Rev 2:10, 12:12, 20:2,7,10). (Are we to believe the apostles or the armchair theologians of affluent westernized nations?)
- Throughout its history the Church has experienced many revivals and visitations that had many awesome demonstrations of God’s miraculous power. Even in these periods wherein elements within the Church have enjoyed the favor of God and man, none has ever permanently transformed any culture. If the Church has been fully equipped with Kingdom authority post 70AD, seemingly there would presently be some evidence of it somewhere on the planet. (If mere mortals can fully be the world’s demonstration of Christ, where is the proof that we to date have demonstrated an authority to transform nations for the glory of God?) The evidence of the Kingdom is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit (Rom 14:17). (What Christian nation has maintained those values over the past 2,000 years of alleged Kingdom reign? Don’t we have some hint that we will need resurrected, glorified bodies and the personal presence of Jesus for the task? Isn’t there ample evidence that “flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God”? 1Co 15:50)
- Post the Great Tribulation and during the full Kingdom reign, plant and animal life will be restored to its pre-Fall glory. Children will be able to safely intermingle with lions, venomous snakes and poisonous insects. (If the Kingdom is Now, where are the gardens exhibiting that measure of glory? Where are the petting zoos for children to play with lions, cobras and scorpions?)
Needed History Lesson
I personally believe that some Kingdom Now proponents live in a vacuum that does not take word history into account. Anyone that is cognizant of what the Church has done over the past two millennia could not possibly assert that Kingdom rule has been remotely functional.
- 476-1400AD - In the Dark and in the Middle Ages the Church was steeped in bizarre forms of superstition and mysticism. It incited crusades and inquisitions. Millions of the Lord’s ethnic kinsmen, the Jews, were slaughtered. The Gospel of grace was seldom preached and Old Testament modeled theocratic-state governments ruled Christendom.
- 750-1000AD - The Christian world drastically decreased in influence and size. Israel, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, and Christianized countries all the way from Egypt to Morocco were all Islamized. Mosques replaced most of the Gospel preaching churches of the first century’s apostles.
- 1492-1900AD – The Church-State governments of Europe sent forth armies to subdue the earth for the Kingdom of God. The aborigines of the Caribbean discovered Columbus, they were not lost, he was. Conservative estimates of the pre-Columbus population of Native Americans in the United States, was 10-12 million. By 1900, 400 years later, the national census indicated the number of Indians had decreased to less than 250,000 Indians. Those responsible had daily prayer in their schools and the Bible was their primary textbook. The same people used the Bible to rationalize slavery and racism.
- 1906-2003 – Impressive revivals in Brazil, Argentina, Columbia, Canada, America, England and Wales. Not one of those nations currently exemplifies the righteousness, peace and joy of the Kingdom of God. In Europe less than 5% of the population ever attends church for any reason. In America the divorce rate among professing Christians now exceeds the rate of unbelievers. I am a world traveler and it is my habit to question unchurched people about the revivals that are occurring in their nations. To date, I’ve not encountered a soul that was aware of what God was doing in the churches. The revivals are genuine. Nonetheless, the societies of the earth remain in darkness.
Manifested Sons of God
Kingdom Now theology asserts that a special company will evolve to become “the manifested sons of God”. They correctly quote Romans 8:19-22 as they declare that the world will have and is waiting for such a company. What they fail to mention is that no one can become a manifested son of God until they undergo “full adoption”. This transformation cannot occur until the redemption of the body that is mentioned in 1 Corinthians 15:12-34 and Romans 8:23-25. Until then, the Spirit of God within every spirit-filled believer, along with the entire natural creation, groans in dissatisfied anticipation of this event. Satisfaction will come through the redemption of our bodies/rapture/resurrection. It requires the Lord’s catching up, seizing of His Church and its members’ bodies being transformed in a twinkling of an eye.
In connection with this the Kingdom Now camp has another faulty assumption. For them, Christ in us as the hope of glory is solely espoused as Christ’s coming in His church for its work prior to His return (Col 1:27). It should be noted that Paul said that if in this life only that we have hope in Christ; we are to be pitied (1Co 15:19). In other words, we are pitiful if our highest aspirations are prosperity, healthy bodies, peaceful homes, dynamic church services and efficient civil government administrations. Apparently Paul thought that something far greater for the Church would occur after death, the resurrection and the transformation of our bodies.
Analogies
In Matthew 24 and 25 Jesus spoke about eschatological events. Most of the authors of the New Testament were Jews that wrote in Greek but thought in Hebrew. They related spiritual concepts in idiomatic terms that would resonate with their audiences. Unless one is familiar with ancient Jewish weddings, it is difficult to understand how the analogy in Matthew 25:1-13 about the wise and foolish virgins connects with the coming of the Lord. The audience of Jesus understood the wedding customs and therefore got a complete picture of how the Lord will come. Most westerners miss the implications of His analogy. In parentheses and italics, I will offer the ways in which it relates to the rapture and the coming of the Lord.
- Courtship began at the initiative of bridegroom’s father and by the girl dropping a handkerchief to signify that she was ready for marriage. (The Father sends the Spirit to draw us to Jesus and we must demonstrate willingness to follow Him.)
- The prospective groom would come to her house with a special ornate satchel that contained three items. 1) An expensive gift for the prospective bride, which he had spent years making, or purchasing. (Jesus presents us with salvation and gifts of spirit.) 2) The Katuba – The groom’s vowed intentions for his future bride. She would read them during the period of the engagement to remind her of how life would be with her future husband. (Jesus has given us the Bible. It is His Katuba for His future bride. It contains promises that encourage us about our future life with Him.) 3) A wine goblet - If the girl and the family accepted the groom’s gifts and Katuba, they would drink wine together. (Jesus gave us the Lord’s Supper as a sacrament. We are to share it until He comes. If He has already come, solely within His Church via the Spirit, there would be no need for Communion.)
- The groom departed from the prospective bride’s home to return to his own land to build a house for them. His parting words were closely akin to: “I go to prepare a place for you but I will come again and receive you to myself”. The groom would not return for her until the construction was completed. His father oversaw the home’s construction, and only his father could tell him when it was ready. Most of the time it was an addition to the father’s house. (Only the Father knows the hour of Jesus’ return.)
- The bride would choose virgin bride’s maids. She would keep a lamp burning in her window at all times. When the groom’s father signaled that the home was nearing completion, the groom would send his groomsmen to check out the girl’s city and locate the bride’s maids’ homes. As strangers were sighted the bride’s maids would also leave lighted lamps in their windows. (Signs of Second Coming and preparedness for the same.)
- At the father’s signal, the groom and his company would sweep down on the girl’s village and kidnap her. She and her maids would go to the groom’s village for a party. (Thos is the Rapture as Jesus returns as a thief in the night to receive His own unto Himself).
- Afterward, the entire bridal company returned to the bride’s home for 6 more days of celebration. (The marriage supper of the Lamb and the Millennial reign of peace.)
Patriarchs Anticipated Resurrection
All of the Old Testament’s patriarchs looked forward to the appearing of the Lord. They all anticipated the privilege of being resurrected from the dead, having their bodies glorified like the Lord’s and participation in the Messiah’s reign over the kingdoms of the world. Jacob, Joseph, Job, and David alluded to this hope in various passages of Scripture (Gen 47:29-31, Job 19:25-27, Heb 11:22, Psa 17:15, Heb 11:16,40). Jacob and Joseph demanded burial in a close proximity to Jerusalem. The purpose of their requests pertains to the proto-type of the rapture and the resurrection from the dead that occurred when Christ was resurrected (Mat 27:52-53). Simultaneous to His resurrection their bodies were raised in like manner from their graves. Clothed with glorified bodies they appeared to many people in Jerusalem. Forty days later, as 500 disciples watched, they ascended with Jesus and disappeared into the heavens (Act 1:9). At the rapture and they will come with Him and subsequently will join Christians in the millennial reign.
An Important Consideration
The patriarchs and Jesus were the firstfruits of the initial phase of what is called the first resurrection (1Co 15:22-23). It has a total of three phases: the resurrection of Jesus and the Old Testament saints; the rapture at the Second Advent of Christ; and the resurrection subsequent to the tribulation (Rev 20:4-6). Each of these three phases will be completed before the millennial reign of Christ. Anyone that is a participant in any phase of the first resurrection will have the privilege of reigning and ruling with Christ during the Millennial Kingdom Reign. All others will be raised in the second resurrection, which takes place subsequent to the Kingdom Reign (Rev 20:11-15). Those who miss the first resurrection may be rewarded with a heavenly home, but they will have no part in the ruler-ship of the Kingdom.
The focus of the Apostle Paul’s life and ministry was to attain to the first resurrection of the dead and to apprehend its rewards (Philip. 3:10-15). In other words, his goal was to be part of the Kingdom rule of this planet. To this end he exhorted all to live soberly, knowing that one can be disqualified from receiving the highest rewards (1Co 9:24-10:6). He wanted all to receive the crown of righteousness and to become participants in the millennial reign of Christ. Consider the implications if Kingdom Now theology is correct in its assumption that there is no rapture and that the Kingdom Reign began in 70AD. Paul labored in vain if the fullness of the Kingdom is now. He missed the very thing for which he gave his life. (If there is no rapture/resurrection before the Millennium, when is he, and millions like him, to take part in reigning and ruling with Christ.) The Spirit Has Liberty
Those who embrace the theology in question often infer that the Holy Spirit limits His influences to the auspices of enlightened Christians. This is a significant misrepresentation of biblical and historical facts.
On one hand, believers and churches have the responsibility to pray for an increase in their personal and corporate anointings. Our zeal for the Lord and commitment to various spiritual disciplines can unquestionably enhance the anointing. On the other hand, there are a number of factors that indicate that the divine council of the Godhead has never obligated nor restricted the Holy Spirit to manifest solely from within believers. The wind of the Spirit still blows wherever He wishes (Jn 3:8). There are very strong scriptural and historical indications that He independently falls upon people and locations from the external realm. When He chooses to do so, the results are distinctive from the optimum results that individuals previously experienced or anticipated. In addition, when He lifts His external manifest presence there is a definite change in the atmosphere. Surely, believers often subsequently operate with increased anointings that have been gleaned from His manifest presence. They flow in restored understandings of spiritual gifts etc. However, even with believers operating at optimum spiritual levels the subsequent fruit seldom equals that achieved during external encounters. The indications are that we need the Holy Spirit internally and externally.
- Historical facts to consider – Not one revival of Church history has been sustained through successive generations. The salvations of the lost dramatically decreased. The frequency of notable miracles diminished. The favorable notoriety that the Church enjoyed with secular societies vanished. No matter how sincere Christians have been, without His manifest presence they have proved powerless to maintain the momentum of revival. In addition, when periods of refreshing have come they ushered in unanticipated and unfamiliar spiritual phenomena. That is to say, that which came was not generated by man’s efforts, as they did not have a clue as to what would be experienced. Most often, they had to search the Scriptures to offer apologetics for what was happening in their midst.
- Here in America, the 1740’s Great Awakening in New England, the visitations of 1806 in Kentucky and 1906 in California all had short term influences on geographical sites were meetings were held. Curious sinners, cynics, and secular opponents found themselves shaking with outcries of repentance and staggering as though drunken as they drew within a close proximity to the visitation sites. They did not invite what they got and the believers present were oblivious to their approach. In each of these visitations the believers remained, but the awesome presence eventually abated. When He did so, He was sorely missed. Those sites currently have no distinctiveness. I have personally been involved in two visitations. I, and my leaders, suffered no loss of enthusiasm for that which the Holy Spirit was doing. There were no sin issues etc. that caused the Spirit to be grieved. The Wind simply stopped blowing. Our zeal for the future was refurbished. Our successes in attempts to duplicate the fruit of His manifest Presence from within our selves were minimal.
- Scriptures to consider – Acts 10:44 and Acts 11:15 both use the same Greek word for “fell” in relation to the Holy Spirit. In the latter text, Peter said that this “falling of the Spirit”, was identical to that which happened to the disciples on the day of Pentecost. Pentecost definitely featured a unique external, tangible, presence. Interestingly, 10 of the disciples had previously received the inbreathed Holy Spirit through Jesus 50 days prior to Pentecost (Joh 20:22). Peter had no inklings of what would happen in Cornelius’ home. His religious prejudice made him doubt that Gentiles could receive divine attestations. The “falling” of the Holy Spirit totally surprised him. Therefore, it is highly unlikely that what occurred was generated solely from within Peter apart from the assistance of the independent will and operations of the Holy Spirit.
- Greek word to consider – This is the definition of the word “fell” found in Acts 10:44 and 11:15 - epipipto, Greek 1968, Strong’s, from Greek 1909 (epi) and Greek 4098 (pipto); to embrace (with affection) or seize (with more or less violence; literal or figurative) :- fall into (on, upon), lie on, press upon.
- The reference to the Spirit being “poured out” upon all flesh in the last days directly implies that He comes down upon the recipients (Act 2:17). Instances wherein the disciples experienced infillings of the Spirit post their initial baptisms in the Holy Spirit indicated that the source of the replenishment was external (Act 4:31, 15:32). A human vessel can be available for such, but cannot replenish his supply of the Spirit from within himself.
In relation to the things covered in this section, I think that there are Kingdom Now folks who have reason to be cautious. If any group of Christians attempts to put the Holy Spirit in a box, He inevitably pops out. Normally when He does so, He chooses vessels that put no restrictions on the mode of His influences.
Oneness?
Kingdom Now teachers curiously avoid references to the coming of the anti-Christ and the presence of spirits of antichrist. Keeping in mind that some proclaim, “we are God”, “we are Christ”, “we are Him” there are two things that we need to explore. The first is the extent to which believers are literally “one with Christ”. The other is the etymology of the word anti-Christ.
In the Scriptures, “one” is used to describe unity between separate individuals. Husband and wife are called one, yet they are distinctively different individuals in their sex and function (Eph 5:31). Their oneness applies solely to the marriage relationship. Mrs. Jones would not introduce herself as Mr. Jones. 1 Corinthians 6:17 relates that those who are joined to Jesus in the faith are one with Him in spirit. 1 Corinthians 7:1 says that we are to cleanse ourselves of all filthiness of spirit. If the aforementioned oneness in spirit indicated identical identities—becoming literally one—it would imply the unthinkable. It is impossible for Jesus to have filthiness in His Spirit. We can only conclude that the phrase “one spirit with Him” refers to unity in specific functions as opposed to identical identities. I seriously doubt that any Kingdom theology proponent would claim, “I am Jesus”, “I am Christ”, if questioned about their identity. However, their teachings often allude to this frightening claim. There are multiple recordings of such in which the speakers put no perimeter qualifications around their statements. Regardless of their genuine devotion to the Lord, this puts them in jeopardy of attracting spirits of antichrist.
The Spirit of Antichrist
The prefix anti of the word antichrist does not singularly mean against. It also means in place of. The word Christ is defined as the anointed one of God. Therefore, a reasonable expanded definition of the word antichrist might read, a person who refers to himself as Christ (Heb 1:1-3 & 1 Joh 4:1-3).
The apostle Paul said that he was concerned about those who would come preaching under the inspiration of a spirit that was different from the Holy Spirit. These would declare a different Gospel that would feature another Christ (anointed one of God). His concern was that many would be deceived into departing from authentic faith in Christ by listening to the doctrinal lies of demons (2Co 11:1-4, 14 & 1Ti 4:1-2).
All of this could carry serious implications in regard to some Kingdom Now teachings. These would be those that proclaim that the Church is Christ in a manner that blurs the uniqueness that solely belongs to Jesus of Nazareth. In this there is a danger that they are inferring a different Christ or anointed one. The hint is that their message is “better news” for mankind than the biblical end-time Gospel of Jesus and His apostles. (The word Gospel means “good news”.) Is it possible that in their zeal, they have fallen prey to deceptive, divisive spirits of the anti-Christ? No conscientious Christian should take offense at my suggesting the potential for this. The New Testament is resplendent with apostolic admonishments of the same nature.
Conclusion
I would classify the excesses within some of their teachers’ sermons as spiritual humanism. In this they convey an exaggerated sense of man’s exaltation of man wherein all things revolve around the spiritual abilities/attributes of man. It is man giving in to the weaknesses of both Adam and Satan, the desire to be gods. It is exalting the creation to the same level as the Creator. Christians are to glorify the Lord, not the position of the Church in the Lord. If there is even a remote possibility that my concerns are legitimate, serious repentance from spiritualistic humanism is in order. Any Christian that espouses Kingdom Now theology who cannot answer the questions posed in this article within his own heart, to his own satisfaction, might need to reevaluate his views.
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