From hyper-grace to healing vibrations: how the NAR is leading charismatics astray.

*Longer article*

“Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground.” (Psalm 143:10)

At Prophecy Today UK, we believe that the Pentecostal movement of the early 20^th Century and the charismatic renewal movement of the 1960s and 70s were moves of God to equip his people with a greater understanding and appreciation of the Holy Spirit. We have often said that this equipping was intended for a specific purpose: to prepare the Church for effective witness in the 20^th and 21^st Centuries, during which time the global population has boomed and the religious map has changed dramatically.

However, we recognise the danger of such moves of God being hijacked and corrupted by human sin and satanic deception, and that this danger is no less today than it was in the days of the early Church. Then, the infiltration of the new-born Christian community by false teachers and false prophets led Paul and the other Apostles to speak often and passionately about the importance of guarding against deception.

It is in this context, and with regard for recent concerns surrounding David Hathaway’s January prayer day at Wembley Arena, that we feel a broader statement (perhaps the first of several) is also necessary on a particular movement infiltrating the Western charismatic Church.

We believe that this cluster of ministries, teachings, practices and attitudes, often referred to through the short-hand phrase ‘the New Apostolic Reformation’ or ‘NAR’, has the potential to steer charismatics completely off course. But what is the NAR, and how can we combat its teachings with biblical truth?

A Brief History

The NAR is today’s expression of the same teachings that birthed the Latter Rain Movement of the 1940s, the subsequent ‘Manifest Sons of God’ movement, the Kansas City Prophets, the Toronto Blessing (1994 on), events at Brownsville/Pensacola (1995-2000) and the Lakeland Florida ‘outpouring’ (2008).

During the mid-1990s, Dr Clifford Hill together with several other British church leaders joined to sound the alarm about events in Toronto, the outcome of which was the 1995 book ‘Blessing the Church?’, serialised in 2018 on Prophecy Today UK.¹ But though the alarm was sounded, the NAR movement has since only grown in reach and influence. Through the 2000s and 2010s, teachings that were once the domain of fringe itinerant revivalists filtered into the mainstream charismatic world.

The NAR today encompasses a loose collection of charismatic ministries, leaders and teachings without a central organising body or statement of beliefs, and defying traditional denominational categories. Many within it do not recognise the term ‘NAR’, though it was coined by one of the movement’s core founders, C. Peter Wagner.² It has also been termed ‘network Christianity’³ because of its nebulous, relational nature.

Today, NAR power-houses include Bill and Beni Johnson’s Bethel Church in Redding, California (formerly AOG, now independent), Hillsong Church in Australia (also formerly AOG, now independent), Catch the Fire in Toronto (formerly Toronto Airport Vineyard, now independent), Heidi Baker’s Iris Ministries and Rick Joyner’s Morningstar Ministries, amongst many others. You will find songs, teachings, books and events connected with these and other NAR ministries being promoted in most charismatic churches in Britain, at inter-denominational conferences, in Christian bookshops and on Christian TV and radio.

This ‘networking’ has been accomplished through a combination of music, literature, sympathetic publishing houses and media platforms,⁴ training programmes, social media use and platform-sharing/collaborations with well-respected ministries and leaders. The NAR now also has its own Bible ‘translation’ to boot.⁵

The global reach of this movement and the endurance of its core beliefs through time seem all the more insidious because of its lack of official organisation, prompting many to see a spiritual driving force behind it. So, what exactly do NAR proponents believe?

What are NAR Beliefs?

In many ways, the NAR borrows from biblical Christianity and most within the movement would still accept the basic tenets of the Gospel. It is evangelistic and charismatic; it believes the Bible is the inerrant Word of God. It also usually takes a conservative stance on moral issues, values prophecy, promotes social action and can encourage support for Israel. However, there are important aspects of the NAR which are inescapably unbiblical, which pollute and redirect genuinely-felt love for God.

Indeed, while we are not disputing the sincerity of ordinary believers caught up in the NAR movement, we believe that, followed thoroughly and consistently, it promotes ‘a different Jesus, a different spirit and a different Gospel’ (2 Cor 11:4).

The US General Council of the Assemblies of God wrote in their official denunciation of the Latter Rain Movement in 1949 that its theology “claims prerogatives to human agency which belong only to Christ”.⁶ This remains a good summary of the NAR movement today which, though now evolved beyond these roots, still bears similar hallmarks.

In short, the NAR movement encourages believers to claim for themselves things that belong only to our sovereign God and remain His to bestow as He wills: things such as power and authority, control and dominion, supernatural ability, blessing and success, health and prosperity. It is a Christianity that doesn’t know when or where to stop: an over-zealous movement of theological and spiritual excess characterised by a lack of biblical checks and balances.

With the caveat that the NAR is a loose movement that encompasses a lot of internal variation, and to which proponents may only subscribe partially or inconsistently, core NAR beliefs include:

1. The leadership of modern-day ‘apostles’ and ‘prophets’
   
2. Dominionism: the teaching that ahead of Jesus’ return, the Church will become all-powerful on earth and make it ready for the Lord⁷
   
3. The belief that unlimited divine power and blessing is available to believers to equip them for this task
   
4. An over-emphasis on the supernatural and extra-biblical revelation
   
5. An over-emphasis on power and human agency
   

In the remainder of this article, I will take these five NAR creeds and discuss briefly why each is attractive, deceptive and contrary to Scripture.

1. The leadership of modern-day ‘apostles’ and ‘prophets’

The NAR movement distorts Ephesians 2:20 to claim that God is raising up end times ‘super-apostles’ and prophets – equal to or greater than the original Apostles commissioned by Christ - who will lead the Church to this-worldly victory. The appeal of strong, charismatic leadership in an increasingly uncertain world, particularly to young people, should not be underestimated.

While Christians disagree about whether the biblical offices of Apostle and Prophet are still current today, what is certain is that an elitist movement of self-appointed, celebrity leaders claiming divine authority is thoroughly dangerous, as well as antithetical to Scripture.⁸ The cult-like focus on personality in the NAR has led some believers to travel the world in order to sit under the teaching of specific people, desperate to receive some personal blessing and accepting their words unquestioningly.

The highly concentrated power of this relatively small group of men and women – now commanding global influence and millions of dollars every year, while being treated as infallible superstars - can easily be (and has been) abused, as with the well-documented examples of Paul Cain and, more recently, Todd Bentley. Both of these men fell from grace spectacularly but were quickly ‘restored’ with a conspicuous absence of deep grieving and true repentance.

All this is a world away from the New Testament ekklesia, the community of faith built on one name alone: that of Jesus Christ. The original Apostles were team-playing ambassadors of the Gospel who placed high premiums on humility and servant leadership, not self-promotion and gaining a following (e.g. 1 Cor 3:4; 15:9). Their teaching emphasised the importance of weighing and testing all things (e.g. 1 Thess 5:21) and watching keenly for false teachers and prophets, as Jesus commanded (Matt 7:15-20). Those in positions of leadership knew they would be held to a higher standard because of their greater influence (James 3:1).

“I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace, given me through the working of His power. Though I am less than the least of all the saints…” Apostle Paul, Ephesians 3:7-8

“He must become greater; I must become less…the one who is from the earth belongs to the earth, and speaks as one from the earth. The one who comes from heaven is above all.” John the Baptist, John 3:30-31

2. Dominionism: the teaching that ahead of Jesus’ return, the Church will become all-powerful on earth and make it ready for the Lord

Popular within the NAR movement are teachings like the Seven Mountain Mandate (the idea that Christians are supposed to take over the ‘seven mountains’ of culture in order to transform the world) and the concept of ‘bringing heaven to earth’, reclaiming society and Creation for the Kingdom.⁹

The biblical hope that believers will become bearers of light and blessing to their communities and nations through the transformative power of the Gospel and the Holy Spirit, and the understandable desire for revival, are extrapolated to such a degree that the responsibility for establishing a physical Kingdom of God on earth is transferred from Christ onto the shoulders of the Church.

The goal of re-establishing Christendom has obvious appeal to Christians in the West, who have hitherto watched their nations despise God and spin into terminal decline. But dig a little deeper and NAR Dominionism usurps Christ’s Lordship, wresting from him the mandate to redeem, restore and judge.

Indeed, the ‘Kingdom Now’ culture promises the victory of Christ’s return and the blessings of Heaven to believers in this life, creating false expectations that ‘things can only get better’ and that the next big revival is just around the corner. This stops people from truly seeking the Lord and understanding his purposes. It also blinds them to vast swathes of Scripture which speak of dreadful days of deception and persecution ahead of the Lord’s return.

When difficult times do come, or when wild predictions of revival don’t come true, expectations are disappointed and believers can be driven either into denial, or away from faith altogether.

“Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come” Jesus, Matthew 24:12-13

“But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Saviour from there, the Lord Jesus Christ” Apostle Paul, Philippians 3:20

3. The belief that unlimited divine power and blessing is available to believers to equip them for this task

Taking its cue from the Manifest Sons of God movement, NAR teachers emphasise that as God’s children destined to do great things in the world, believers can claim in faith lives of abundant blessing, health, supernatural power and infinite grace from God.¹⁰ Some, notoriously, have even argued that believers are ‘little gods’ who can attain to divinity and physical immortality.¹¹

The fleshly appeal of such promises of abundance is obvious (cf. Genesis 3:5). Deceptively, they take truths about the love, goodness, grace and blessing of God and blow them out of all proportion, well beyond scriptural boundaries. The life of faith is reworked around pursuing and ‘claiming’ this promised abundance, more than around growing in maturity and holiness. As such, NAR teaching de-emphasises concepts like discipline, judgment, sin and human weakness. It blurs the fundamental differences between God and humanity, exalting believers far above their given place.

Believers are told that illness and suffering are always consequences either of a lack of faith or of spiritual attack (rather than for any other reasons) while concepts such as repentance and denying one’s flesh are side-lined, as are scriptural injunctions to admonish, discern and warn.

The result is an entitled, spoilt Church culture – congruent with the consumeristic West at large. The NAR is known for its insatiable cry of ‘more!’

“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” Jesus, Matthew 16:24

“But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.” Apostle Paul, 2 Corinthians 4:7-10

4. Strong emphasis on the supernatural and extra-biblical revelation

The NAR movement puts a premium emphasis on an experiential relationship with God, including miraculous healings, the imparting of spiritual gifts/anointing through the laying on of hands, tangible experiences of God’s glory, words of knowledge, angelic visitations, supernatural manifestations and miscellaneous signs and wonders (notorious examples of the latter include the appearance of gold dust, gold teeth and feathers).

Biblical accounts of Jesus and the Apostles speak of miracles which are rarely seen in today’s unbelieving, hyper-materialist West. Ordinary Christians are understandably hungry for the supernatural – not only for proof of God’s existence but in order to ‘walk as Jesus walked’. However, this biblical desire for authentic New Testament Christianity is taken too far by the NAR, with cries of ‘relationship not religion’ quickly becoming a reaction against all forms of biblical authority, order and structure (save for the authority of the ‘anointed’ apostles and prophets!) and a privileging instead of the spontaneous, the ‘reckless’, even the ‘out of control’.

Such a postmodern theology of experience fits right in with millennials, but comes with a low regard for Scripture and the basic tenets of the Gospel, as somehow insufficient. Instead, a gnostic pursuit of the spiritual and of ‘new’ knowledge opens believers up to spiritual influences and grand prophetic claims that are simply not of God. In the name of faith, discernment is abandoned and thinking is suspended.

Unsurprisingly, the NAR movement has been marked from the start by strange manifestations, esoteric experiences and an abundance of provably false ‘prophetic’ words – all encouraged by a church culture predisposed to unquestioning acceptance, with criticism shut down as ‘judgmentalism’.

“Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” Apostle John, 1 John 4:1

“…there has emerged a famine of the Word of God…[which] has left large numbers of Christians without the capacity to judge for themselves from Scripture whether a thing is from God or not. They are defenceless from error, both in the form of doctrine and practice…” Peter Fenwick¹²

5. Therefore, given the above, the NAR places a strong emphasis on power and human agency

NAR-influenced church culture today emphasises the spiritual ‘authority’ of believers and NAR teaching often purports to help people ‘trigger’, ‘activate’ or ‘awaken’ blessing, revival and supernatural experience. NAR language is suffused with authoritative terminology such as ‘releasing’, ‘imparting’, ‘anointing’, ‘activating’, ‘breaking’, ‘declaring’ and ‘pronouncing’.

Being clear on the nature and limits of our authority in Christ is vital if we are to avoid usurping his role and claiming power for ourselves that is not ours to claim. In the NAR, this desire to wield spiritual power sometimes fosters a militant emphasis on spiritual warfare, particularly the practice of ‘taking’ territories for the Kingdom in prayer by engaging with territorial demonic spirits.¹³ Faithful proclamation of the Gospel is superseded by a dangerous desire to engage with spiritual principalities, while a concern to deal with sin is replaced by a pre-occupation with enemy activity.

Without discernment, these kinds of attitudes can worsen the ‘name it and claim it’ culture described previously and lead to all sorts of self-interested, unwise actions. Bethel Church in California provides plentiful examples of such behaviour: e.g. pacing around Temple Mount declaring ‘victory’ over the enemy, praying for a friend who fell down a cliff instead of calling the emergency services, and trying to stop the California fires by prophesying rain and commanding the wind.

We are not in any way denying the possibility of Holy Spirit-inspired declarations, or divinely-prompted acts of faith, or the power of intercessory prayer. However, NAR teaching wrests these things away from God and puts them solely in the hands of humans, as if the Holy Spirit is a force that man can learn to wield and bend to his will. This unhealthy attitude towards control, combined with the aforementioned preoccupation with the supernatural, opens a door for the New Age.

New Age terminology like ‘shifts’, ‘alignment’ and ‘destiny’ are common within the NAR, as are hypnotic music and mystical practices borrowed from the occult. One well-known example is The Physics of Heaven, a 2012 book by authors including Kansas City Prophets Bob Jones and Larry Randolph, with contributions from widely-followed NAR personalities Bill Johnson and Kris Vallotton.

The book purports to ‘reclaim’ practices from the New Age like vibrations, healing energies, ‘dolphin therapy’ and ‘quantum mysticism’ to reveal secrets about how to achieve ‘personal transcendence’.¹⁴

“Many who had believed now came forward, confessing and disclosing their deeds. And a number of those who had practiced magic arts brought their books and burned them in front of everyone.” Acts 19:18-19

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’” Jesus, Matthew 7:21-23

Conclusions

The above overview is not comprehensive, as anyone who has looked into these matters will know. However, it is intended to clarify Prophecy Today’s position on this movement. Our assessment is that it ducks and weaves through biblical Christianity, blending truth with dangerous distortions and downright falsities.

It is thus a prime example of a movement of ‘mixture’. Nobody is saying that NAR teachers don’t ever say anything true or worthwhile – that’s precisely the point. They sometimes do. It is extremely difficult to critique their material without appearing uncharitable towards the truth contained within it. More discerning Christians have therefore tended to be divided by the influence of the NAR - some see the good and are unwilling to throw out the baby with the bathwater. Others reject it completely as outright deception (2 Cor 11:4). Many are simply fearful of speaking out against a movement that may include things ‘of God’, in case they accidentally blaspheme the Holy Spirit.

As I said at the start of this article, we are not disputing the sincerity of believers caught up in the NAR movement. However, broadly speaking, when NAR teaching and culture is held up to the light of Scripture, it fails virtually every single test. The problem is that it has intermingled with and now suffuses mainstream charismatic Christianity in Britain, which is one reason why so many faithful charismatics find themselves unable to find a sound church fellowship.

The growth of the NAR must be weighed before the Lord, especially in the light of scriptures forecasting deception during the times of the end. I do not believe, however, that ‘retreat’ is the only option left for faithful believers. A systematic critique is desperately needed and we must search the scriptures carefully to find out the truth, and be ready to defend it, contending earnestly for the faith (Jude 3). If the NAR really is as deceptive as it appears, the future of the Western Church and its witness may just hang in the balance.

Paul’s instruction to Timothy is particularly pertinent for us today:

“In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.” (2 Timothy 4:1-5)

Our thanks to the many readers who have raised this issue with us.

References

1 Click here to read our serialised version, which provides a useful history of the whole movement.

2 Wagner, CP, 1998. The New Apostolic Churches. Regal, CA, p18.

3 See Christerson, B and Flory, R, 2017. The Rise of Network Christianity: How Independent Leaders Are Changing the Religious Landscape. OUP USA.

4 E.g. Destiny Image, Charisma Media, God TV and TBN.

5 The ‘Passion Translation’, though it is really a paraphrase. Read critiques here and here and note its NAR connections here.

6 See chapter by David Forbes in Blessing the Church?

7 There are other streams of Dominionist theology that transcend charismatic circles. Not all have the same perspective on the end times.

8 Some, like Bill Johnson, do not claim these things overtly. But neither does he stop people from claiming them for him.

9 This end goal of subduing the whole earth can precipitate some strange alliances, at great doctrinal cost.

10 This overlaps considerably with the ‘Word of Faith’ movement/the idea of ‘positive confession’ and has synergy with the prosperity gospel, also secular psychology.

11 This is a misappropriation of Psalm 82:6/John 10:34 and stems especially from Manifest Sons of God teaching. It can shade into New Age assertions about ‘the divine within’ and be coupled with a down-playing of Christ as the first of many sons, or as a human endowed with divine power, rather than THE only begotten Son of God, fully human but also fully divine.

12 Blessing the Church? p50.

13 We are not saying that prayer is not important or spiritually significant, nor that believers cannot be led by God to pray strategically – but this must be led by God and not assumed.

14 Bethel Church in California recently hit the news for supporting the use of Christianised tarot cards as a form of outreach, and are known for the practice of ‘grave-soaking’: visiting the graves of Christian heroes and physically trying to ‘soak up’ some of the ‘anointing’.

A summary of Latter Rain prophecies.

Dr Clifford Hill concludes his chapter of ‘Blessing the Church?’, first published in 1995. Read previous instalments of this series here.

Perhaps the charismatic stream that has been most influenced by Latter Rain and Manifest Sons of God teaching is 'Classical Restorationism', which picked up many of the elements of 'revelation' teaching, including the restoration of the offices of apostle and prophet, shepherding, discipleship, authoritarianism, the attainment of godhead and immortalisation.

These prophecies have been summarised below by Albert Dager. This shows the extent to which teachings which have no biblical foundation have become accepted in the charismatic movement through the influence of Restorationism.

Summary of Latter Rain Prophecies

1. In the latter days, the offices of apostle and prophet will be restored.
   
2. The prophets will call the Church to holiness and rejection of the world's influences found in the denominational churches. True sonship with God will come through stages of perfection: servant, friend, son, and ultimately, godhood itself;
   
3. The apostles will rule the Church through the establishment of independent churches, unaffiliated with the corrupt denominations. The exception would be denominational churches that leave their covering and join the movement;
   
4. Through signs and wonders wrought by the apostles and prophets, a worldwide revival will break out, and a majority of the world will be won to Christ. The signs and wonders will include blessings upon those whom the apostles and prophets bless, and curses upon those whom they curse;
   
5. The revival will come as the result of the Church defeating demonic spirits through prayer, fasting, and spiritual warfare conducted through intense worship and praise, and by rebuking demonic powers and territorial spirits. The restoration of worship and praise is known as the restoration of the Tabernacle of David, and includes dancing, singing, and exuberant praise in tongues;
   
6. Those who achieve a certain degree of holiness under the direction of the apostles and prophets will overcome all enemies, including death, and will become immortal. They will complete the conquest of the nations before Christ returns. The conquering will be done as Joel's Army, an army of immortal beings bringing judgment upon the ungodly and all who will not accept the authority of the apostles and prophets;
   
7. Some believe that the second coming of Jesus is in and through the Church: the Church will become Christ on earth and rule the nations with a rod of iron. Others believe that after the Church has taken dominion over the nations (or a significant portion of the nations), the Church, glorious and triumphant, will call Jesus back to earth and hand the nations over to him. Those who hold the latter view are willing to over-look the heresy of the former in the interest of unity with the purposes of realising their goal of conquest.¹

Dager’s summary shows the extent to which teachings which have no biblical foundation have become accepted in the charismatic movement.

Widespread Acceptance

The charismatic movement has witnessed an enormous number of prophecies over the last 25 or more years. These have been given in small house groups, church congregations, at celebration events and in many publications of all kinds.

They have come from believers exercising the gift of prophecy, or individuals giving prophetic messages to each other, or from well-known leaders and preachers at large gatherings.

Many of these prophecies have simply been received and forgotten, but others have had great influence. They have been passed from one to another, recorded on tape and published in magazines and books.

The prophecies which have exerted the most influence have not been warnings but have been the popular words promising 'revival' and great spiritual power. This influence can be measured objectively through the amount of publicity given and the number of leaders who quote them. Another objective measure is to note the concepts which come from contemporary prophetic 'revelation' and have become incorporated into doctrine - such as the 'Joel's Army', 'dread champions' or 'new breed' teachings.

The charismatic movement has absorbed all these and many more. They have been highly influential in giving direction to the development of the movement and especially in the formation of charismatic doctrine. The most popular belief to have come from this source is the expectation of a great spiritual revival and the emergence of a glorious, victorious, supernaturally empowered Church.

The prophecies which have exerted the most influence in the charismatic movement have not been warnings but have been the popular words promising 'revival' and great spiritual power.

So widespread is this belief that there can be few charismatics who know that it has absolutely no biblical foundation. It comes from Latter Rain prophecy and is actually contrary to Scripture. Yet it has been enthusiastically adopted by countless preachers and passed on to their people as though it were the word of God.

This is a measure of the deception in the charismatic movement, because even if the people do not know the Bible well enough to test doctrine and to recognise heresy, surely the preachers should be able to do so! Or is it a case of 'all we like sheep have gone astray'? If one well-known leader endorses it, all the other minor leaders accept it, and so the people are misled.

When the promises fail to be fulfilled some new, exciting and entertaining diversion is readily embraced with inadequate testing. It was the great expectations engendered by Latter Rain prophecies popularised by the Wimber team in 1990 which prepared the way in Britain for the ready acceptance given to the bizarre antics of the Toronto phenomenon.

Serious Implications

There is, however, something even more serious than engaging in strange behaviour and believing it to be inspired by the Holy Spirit. The most serious consequence of accepting false prophecy and believing false teaching is that it can cause blindness to the true word of God. It can also act as a major diversion from the purpose of God for his people at a particular time. If God is warning about an impending difficult time and the people are deceived into thinking good times are coming, they will be unprepared when the storm breaks.

The many prophecies of warning have been largely ignored in the charismatic movement, whereas the popular prophecies of good times have been received with joy. It is a sobering thought that in ancient Israel God never sent prophets to announce times of prosperity. It was the false prophets who came with these messages which were always popular with the people, while the true prophets were stoned.
Hundreds of generations later, we are prone to the same errors of judgment. The most popular sins are the sins of the fathers.

Next week: David Noakes begins our penultimate chapter, giving a personal and biblical perspective of renewal.

References

1 ‘Latter Day Prophets’. Special report by Albert Dager in Media Spotlight: A Biblical Analysis of Religious and Secular Media, Washington, USA, October 1990. 

Words of revival in the charismatic movement. Part 1 of 2.

After looking at words of warning last week, Dr Clifford Hill turns to the many words of revival that have been given through the charismatic movement.

This article is part of a series. Click here for previous instalments.

Promises of Revival and Blessing

We look now at prophecies which contrast strangely with the warnings considered last week. By far the most popular prophecies among charismatics have been those promising renewal and speaking of days when great power and prosperity would be enjoyed by the Lord's people.

These prophecies actually pre-date the charismatic movement and began in the Latter Rain Revival movement in North America (see also the part of this series written by David Forbes). It is relevant here to note their persistence over a period of more than 50 years. Concepts which have no biblical foundation, some of which were banned as heretical in the 1940s, have reappeared time after time in the charismatic movement. They have been popularised by charismatic speakers and uncritically accepted.

A prophecy by David Minor which was given to an assembly of the Lutheran Church in the USA had a wide circulation among charismatics reaching many countries. It conveyed a message with a promise of revival preceded by a time of cleansing and purification of the Church. These were described as 'winds'. It is a long prophecy but it is reproduced here in full because of its influence in the charismatic movement.

TURN YOUR FACE INTO THE WIND

The Spirit of God would say to you that the Wind of the Holy Spirit is blowing through the land. The church, however, is incapable of fully recognizing this Wind. Just as your nation has given names to its hurricanes, so I have put My Name on this Wind. This Wind shall be named "Holiness Unto the Lord".

Because of a lack of understanding, some of My people will try to find shelter from the Wind, but in so doing they shall miss My work. For this Wind has been sent to blow through every institution that has been raised in My Name. Those institutions that have substituted their name for Mine, they shall fall by the impact of My Wind. Those institutions shall fall like cardboard shacks in a gale. Ministries that have not walked in uprightness before Me shall be broken and fall.

For this reason man will be tempted to brand this as the work of Satan, but do not be misled. This is My Wind. I cannot tolerate My Church in its present form, nor will I tolerate it. Ministries and organizations will shake and fall in the face of this Wind, and even though some will seek to hide from that Wind, they shall not escape. It shall blow against your lives and all around you will appear crumbling. And so it shall.

But never forget this is My Wind, saith the Lord, with tornado force it will come and appear to leave devastation, but the Word of the Lord comes and says, "Turn your face into the Wind and let it blow." For only that which is not of Me shall be devastated. You must see this as necessary.

Be not dismayed. For after this, My Wind shall blow again. Have you not read how My Breath blew on the valley of dry bones? So it shall breathe on you. This wind will come in equal force as the first Wind. This Wind too will have a name. It shall be called "The Kingdom of God".

It shall bring My government and order. Along with that it shall bring My power. The supernatural shall come in that Wind. The world will laugh at you because of the devastation of that first Wind, but they will laugh no more. For this Wind will come with force and power that will produce the miraculous among My people and the fear of God shall fall on the nation.

My people will be willing in the day of My power, saith the Lord. In my first Wind that is upon you now, I will blow out pride, lust, greed, competition and jealousy, and you will feel devastated. But haven't you read, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven"? So out of your poverty of spirit I will establish My Kingdom. Have you not read, "The Kingdom of God is in the Holy Ghost?" So by My Spirit, My Kingdom will be established and made manifest.

Know this also, there will be those who shall seek to hide from this present Wind and they will try to flow with the second Wind. But again, they will be blown away by it. Only those who have turned their faces into the present Wind shall be allowed to be propelled by the second Wind.

You have longed for revival and a return of the miraculous and the supernatural. You and your generation shall see it, but it shall only come by My process, saith the Lord.

The church of this nation cannot contain My power in its present form. But as it turns to the Wind of the Holiness of God, it shall be purged and changed to contain My glory. This is judgment that has begun at the house of God, but it is not the end. When the second Wind has come and brought in My harvest, then shall the end come.¹

This prophecy became influential in the charismatic movement as much for its emphasis upon 'holiness' as for the reinforcing of the expectation of supernatural power. But the concept of 'holiness' it conveyed was not biblical. The Hebrew understanding of holiness was of separation from the world. Hence the prophets could speak of the 'wholly otherness' of God. The temple vessels and priestly garments were 'set aside' from common use for the exclusive service of God.

Concepts which have no biblical foundation, some of which were banned as heretical in the 1940s, have reappeared time after time in the charismatic movement.

But this popular charismatic concept of holiness does not speak of a people 'set aside' from the world for the exclusive service of God a people who have renounced the values and ways of the world. It concentrates upon personal morality; the elementary things which all people of goodwill who accept the Ten Commandments as the basic rule of life should be following. There is nothing special about turning away from 'pride, lust, greed, competition and jealousy' which the prophecy says will cause the Lord's people to feel devastated!

In testing this prophecy, we should ask, why should this make us feel devastated? But the prophecy was never subjected to biblical testing - it was simply uncritically accepted because it sounded good and made people feel good. So it was passed around charismatic churches across the world.

Nobody queried the phrase “Have you not read, ‘The Kingdom of God is in the Holy Ghost?’", the answer to which has to be NO! It's certainly not in the Bible! Yet it is subtly used here to introduce a promise of “a return of the miraculous and the supernatural. You and your generation shall see it”.

This promise is certainly not in the Bible. Nevertheless, promises like this appeal strongly to Western Christians who long for power and prestige in a world where they feel powerless and lacking in social acceptance.

Rick Joyner’s ‘Harvest’

Another prophecy which had considerable influence in the charismatic movement was published as a small booklet entitled 'The Harvest' by Rick Joyner.² In this he predicted a time of worldwide revival and great spiritual awakening.

This was fully in line with the expectations and hopes of charismatics. It was a popular word that was eagerly received and passed on from one to another. It helped to reinforce the belief that a great and glorious, supernaturally-endowed Church was about to be raised up by God.

This belief was picked up and passed on by many charismatic leaders, who incorporated it into their teaching so that it became part of the accepted body of doctrine in the charismatic movement.

Rick Joyner’s ‘Harvest’ prophecy helped reinforce the belief that a great and glorious, supernaturally-endowed Church was about to be raised up by God.

John Wimber and Vineyard

Undoubtedly the prophecies which have had the greatest influence in directing the development of the charismatic movement have been those coming from the Vineyard/KCF ministry. The Vineyard group of churches was founded by John Wimber in 1981 and in 1989 the Kansas City Fellowship of six churches was incorporated. Their major emphasis was upon prophetic revelation.

Wimber recalls that in 1987 he himself was at a low ebb in his spiritual life. He told his congregation that he hadn't heard from God for about two years.³ Nothing was going right in his ministry. David Watson, with whom he had become firm friends, had died of cancer despite Wimber's confidence that he would be healed. Up to that time he had been saying that they were seeing a considerable proportion of healings amongst those prayed for, including the healing of cancer. He has since confessed that that was not true and they actually saw very few healings.

Wimber's cup of bitterness was compounded in 1987 by the discovery of adultery and immorality among his leaders. He struggled to rectify these things during the next year and then he records, “On December 5th 1988 Paul Cain visited me in Anaheim. Paul was living in Dallas, Texas, at that time, and he had a proven, mature prophetic ministry on a level of which I had never heard before…”⁴

Paul Cain had been out of ministry for 30 years since the death of William Branham and his days as a Latter Rain Revivalist preacher. He says that God told him to attach himself to a man with an established ministry in order to promote his teaching about an end-time 'new breed' of men anointed with supernatural power. He could hardly have chosen a more appropriate moment to approach Wimber whose ministry appeared to be on the wane and who was in a highly vulnerable condition. Cain also accurately predicted a minor earthquake in California which convinced Wimber that God had sent him.

Paul came with reassuring words that God was with us. He said, ‘God has told me to tell you in the Vineyard, grace, grace.’ He said that if we repented God would spare us from judgment for our sins. Further, I was admonished to no longer tolerate low standards and loose living in the Vineyard, and to discipline and raise up a people of purity and holiness. My role, he said, would be significantly altered more authoritative and directive…Paul Cain (and others) also introduced a new dimension of ministry and God's working to the Vineyard…We have produced few people with a prophetic ministry…quite honestly, I didn't take prophecy too seriously. All that has now changed. During this past year I have had to look at prophecy seriously for perhaps the first time in my life.⁵

Undoubtedly the prophecies which have had the greatest influence on the charismatic movement have been those coming from the Vineyard/KCF ministry.

Paul Cain was introduced by Wimber as a prophet of extraordinary spiritual power and insight. He was presented to the British churches as the herald of a new breed who would be the end-time people of God possessing extraordinary spiritual power. In the write-up prior to his public meetings in Britain it was reported,

Today it isn't unusual for Paul to call out twenty or thirty people by name in meetings and to know the most intimate details of their lives (family relationships, birthdays, secrets of their hearts, prayers, where they live) and then bring prophetic direction regarding repentance, forgiveness, calling, gifting, and ministry.

However, the most satisfying aspect of Paul Cain's ministry isn't his remarkable prophetic insight into people's lives, although naming people and knowing intimate details of their lives does catch one's attention. More significant is his clarion call by word and example to live holy lives that are submitted to God, and thus join the new breed of men and women whom God is raising up in the 1990s.⁶

This promise of a 'new breed' was central to Cain's teaching. There can be no doubt that Wimber saw Cain as a divine messenger to give revelationary confirmation and support to his own teaching of 'power evangelism', power healing and power for signs and wonders and miracles.

Speaking on Wimber's platform in Anaheim in 1989, Cain said that there was going to be a worldwide spiritual awakening and the Gospel was going to reach every part of the earth. It's going to:

...reach every cavern, every cave, every foxhole, every land, every tongue, every nation...God is going to reach them with the supernatural, with the power evangelism that John Wimber so eloquently speaks about. It is the power evangelism that's going to do it...⁷

I tell you we're in a crisis stage right now where the church is going to be forced to pray and forced to believe for the prophetic ministry because that's our only salvation. If God doesn't raise up apostles and prophets and power evangelists and pastors and teachers, then we've had it because the church is going to fade into oblivion...⁸

This 'prophecy' was based upon Latter Rain teaching and the expectation that the restoration of the offices of Apostle and Prophet would be the key to raising a glorious end-time Church to rule the world. Cain continued:

God has reserved a day after due process and after preparation. God is going to raise up a people out of a people and they're going to be a bunch of nobodies from nowhere. They may not have a lot of degrees and they may not have a lot of clout and they may not have a lot of PR, they may not have a great vocabulary, they may not even be able to do any more than groan in the Spirit, but if that's all they do, it's going to be power. It's going to be powerful and it's going to accomplish more than all the beautiful words of oratory in the world...the Lord is doing his new things in these last days. The gospel of the kingdom is not just the word, it is the word and power. The word will do you no good.⁹

It is hard to imagine what Cain meant by the phrase 'the word will do you no good' as he did not elaborate it, but when such phrases slip out it indicates something basically wrong with the preacher's attitude to Scripture. Cain's prediction that ordinary people with little education and no special status were going to be given supernatural power was a highly popular prophecy received with great acclamation.

Next week: Prophecies of revival contd.

References

1 This prophecy was given by David Minor on 6 April 1987.

2 Joiner, R, 1989. The Harvest. Distributed by Morning Star Publications, N Carolina.

3 Pytches, D, 1990. Some Said It Thundered. Hodders, London, p52.

4 'Introducing the Prophetic Ministry', article by John Wimber in Equipping the Saints, special UK edition/Fall 1990, Vineyard Ministries International.

5 Ibid pp5-6.

6 Springer, K. Paul Cain: A New Breed of Man. Ibid p12.

7 Paul Cain, speaking at 'School of Prophecy', Anaheim, Vineyard Ministries International, November 1989. Transcript of tapes published by Holly Assembly of God, Missouri; Session 7, Part 1, p6.

8 Ibid p7.

9 Ibid p7.

After the Latter Rain movement.

After charting the outbreak and growth of the Latter Rain Movement, David Forbes now examines how it declined – and what happened next.

 This article is part of a series. Click here to read previous instalments.

The Movement in Decline

The influence of the Sharon group soon began to wane, largely because of the increasing criticism of their methods and practices. As early as November 1948, The Sharon Star contained an article by Ern Hawtin which appeared to be in response to the growing unease and in it he complained that “whenever God sends a revival, the enemy, who is the author of confusion, will move, either to hinder its progress, or force its followers into some extreme, that its power might become a reproach to the world or the Church”.

The main accusations being made against the Sharon group concerned their authoritarianism, their insistence that only they, or those appointed by them, had the right to lay on hands for the reception of spiritual gifts, and also their growing tendency to try to influence fellowships and individuals through directive prophecy. They were also accused of allowing novices to prophesy, and general spiritual fanaticism.

However, others who had attended the Sharon meetings in North Battleford took the Latter Rain message to many of the North American cities during 1948 and 1949. Many pastors left their denominations as a result and independent churches began to spring up across the continent. It is interesting to note that in 1950 George Hawtin, who by this time was no longer a major figure in the movement, wrote, in the September issue of The Sharon Star, “A few weeks ago I was presented with a list of almost one hundred LATTER RAIN CHURCHES. I do not know where the list came from, though my own name was upon it...this is fundamentally and foundationally and scripturally WRONG”.

As the 1950s progressed the Latter Rain movement began to lose its high profile, although undoubtedly many continued to follow its various beliefs and practices in independent churches across the North American continent. Its influence did move outside North America, largely perhaps because at a convention held in October 1950 in Toronto, leaders were encouraged to take the 'Latter Rain' message abroad. As a result, various leaders visited India, East Africa, Ethiopia, Japan, New Zealand, and various countries in Europe.

A main accusation against the Sharon group concerned their authoritarianism.

It is difficult to gauge how far the Latter Rain movement impacted the Church in England beyond its introduction into the Apostolic Church. Cecil Cousen and George Evans, pastors in the Apostolic Church in the UK, had gone to North America in 1949 where they both became involved. However, Cecil Cousen appears to have been wary of the Sharon group since, while stating that “the Latter Rain was a real move of the Spirit”, he also said that “the Hawtin brothers very quickly got into very strange doctrines”.¹

Fred Poole, who was an Apostolic Church pastor who had emigrated to North America from South Wales during World War II and had become superintendent of the Apostolic Church in the United States in 1947, also became an active proponent of the Latter Rain movement. Cousen, Evans and Poole all returned to England during the course of 1951 and ministered at a Council Meeting of the Apostolic Church in Bradford. Cecil Cousen's report on that meeting was that “the people accepted the Latter Rain ministry with open hearts…People were baptised in the Spirit, many were healed and filled with the Spirit and demons were cast out, and the blessing of the Lord was there”. Fred Poole recorded that:

The brethren had heard many things about this Latter Rain visitation, but as we gave them first-hand news of what God…has done in our own hearts, there was a melting, a breaking and a crying, as the Spirit witnessed to our simple word of testimony...Latter Rain choruses...were quickly learned and sung, both in council and public services, the Spirit bearing testimony to the precious truths of this 'end-time' visitation.

There was much controversy in the Apostolic Church as a whole over the Latter Rain, which led eventually to Cecil Cousen being asked to resign as an Apostolic pastor. He went on to become a prominent leader in the charismatic renewal movement in Britain and wielded considerable influence within the Fountain Trust.

The Manifest Sons of God Movement

Increasingly many Latter Rain followers went underground as some of the leaders began to promote more and more spiritual excesses. Much of the excess had to do with the Manifest Sons of God movement.

As the 1950s progressed the Latter Rain movement began to lose its high profile.

First set out by George Warnock in his book The Feast of Tabernacles, it was obviously being taught much earlier by some of the Sharon group. In fact, at the beginning of 1949, James Watt felt he had to leave North Battleford as a result of what he described as “teaching, revelation and practice” that was departing from the Scripture, specifically “an extreme position on the manifestations of the Sons of God...”.² However, as the 1950s went by, the doctrine of the 'manifestations of the Sons of God' was carried to ever-increasing extremes by, for example, Bill Britton.

Britton was an Assemblies of God pastor who embraced the Latter Rain movement in 1949 and became one of its aggressive advocates. His teaching focus was very much upon the Manifest Sons of God and the Man Child company of Revelation 12 theories. He believed that the Man Child company represented the end times overcoming Church and was quite scathing that any who did not receive this revelation were doomed as belonging to 'Babylon'.

To become part of this ‘overcoming Church’ one needed to become a 'son' which involved a process of maturing in character, in spiritual gifts and in ministry. This led to immortality as one became a 'manifested son'. Britton wrote many pamphlets and sent out a regular newsletter Voice of the Watchman from his headquarters in Springfield, Missouri. Through these publications Britton influenced many in the Pentecostal and charismatic movements for over 30 years with his promises of a victorious, perfect Church on earth. In a booklet titled The Branch, he writes:

All mankind and all creation is on tiptoe, waiting to see right here on earth the manifestation or the revealing of the sons of God, a church without spot or wrinkle. We will see a perfect church on earth. Can we live for ever? The subject of immortality has disturbed the heart of man for many ages, but only in Christ is this realm of life possible. Fountain of youth, vitamins, water baptism and all other gimmicks to obtain immortality can only fail. He came and overcame, he alone could open the book of life. He alone has immortality, but as joint heirs with him this is our inheritance. This mortal [body] must put on immortality and this corruptible [body] must put on incorruption. We must go after it. We must press towards the mark, defeating the enemy, putting down every spirit that would deter us. This earth must have a witness of this goal being reached. God will put his people on exhibit. People who cannot die, cannot age and against whom no disease can have effect.³

Many found the seduction of believing such powerful and attractive promises more than they could resist.

The 'manifest sons of God' movement promoted teaching eventually attaining to immortality on this earth.

By the time the 1950s ended and the 1960s began, the Manifest Sons of God movement, which had taken in many hundreds of churches and thousands of Christians in America particularly, began to be hit by a number of scandals of one sort or another. The result of this was that many of its adherents simply stopped actively teaching and sharing their beliefs and went underground.

However, most of them did not forsake what they believed and many people who were part of both the Latter Rain movement and the Manifest Sons of God movement surfaced years later in the charismatic renewal movement. They had not changed their beliefs and their teaching but brought them lock, stock and barrel, into the charismatic movement.

Infiltrating the Charismatic Movement

Richard M Riss who wrote what may be described as the definitive history of the Latter Rain movement, and whose research I have used as a primary source, records that “various beliefs and practices of the Latter Rain found their way into the charismatic renewal, including spiritual singing and dancing, praise, the foundational ministries of Ephesians 4:11, the laying on of hands, tabernacle teaching, the Feast of Tabernacles, and the foundational truths of Hebrews 6:1-2. In addition, elements of various eschatological views of the Latter Rain movement were adopted by many charismatics throughout the world.” He then lists 19 ministries in the United States which flourished in the charismatic renewal and openly espoused Latter Rain teaching.

Although the Latter Rain movement may have started as a sincere desire to see God move in revival and it would be wrong to say that, amongst all that went on, God did not touch people's lives deeply, it and the Manifest Sons of God movement were characterised by considerable spiritual excesses. This included:

• experience-orientated theology based upon a false interpretation of Scripture,
  
• an over-emphasis on the gifts of the Spirit - especially prophecy and 'words of knowledge' which were used in directive and manipulative ways both in the lives of individuals and churches,
  
• authoritarianism,
  
• a 'signs and wonders' Gospel,
  
• over-realised eschatology.
  

Also an elevation of particular men (i.e. God's new apostles and prophets) to positions of great power and influence amongst God's people, and division and schism in the mainline denominations and sects leading to the setting up of independent churches.

It would be wrong to say that amongst all that went on, God did not touch people's lives deeply, but both movements were characterised by considerable excesses.

Of course, not everyone in these movements believed everything to the same extent but undoubtedly everyone was to some degree party to these excesses. It is, therefore, very sobering to reflect in retrospect that since many Latter Rain and Manifest Sons of God adherents automatically signed up for the charismatic renewal movement, variations of these aberrancies became part of charismatic doctrine and practice from quite early on.

For example, the Restoration stream within the British charismatic Church was founded on the principle of its leaders being the apostles and prophets 'anointed and appointed' to carry the Church forward to its victorious destiny of the end times. This was the root cause behind the tragedy of 'Shepherding/Discipleship' which decreed that no Church fellowship moved without the direction having been indicated by its 'prophet' and no individual believer made any decision regarding how to live his life without the agreement of the Church 'apostle' or his designated subordinate.

Next week: David Forbes moves on to the 1980s and the emergence of the Kansas City Prophets.

References

1 Riss, R, 1987. Latter Rain. Honeycomb Visual Productions Ltd, Ontario, p95.

2 Watt, JA, 1972. A Historical Analysis of the Development of Two Concepts of "'Presbytery". Seattle, p4.

3 Britton, B. The Branch. Springfield, p4.

The rain descends.

As we continue to republish the 1995 classic volume ‘Blessing the Church?’, David Forbes turns from the Latter Rain Movement’s early precursors to the movement’s outbreak and spread.

As stated last week, the Sharon group were much affected by the teaching of Franklin Hall on fasting. Ern Hawtin wrote in his account of the beginnings of the 'Latter Rain Revival':

The truth of fasting was one great contributing factor to the revival. One year before this we had read Franklin Hall's book, entitled 'Atomic Power with God Through Fasting and Prayer'. We immediately began to practise fasting. Previously we had not understood the possibility of long fasts. The revival would never have been possible without the restoration of this great truth through our good brother Hall.¹

However, he failed to give any biblical reasoning or explanation of 'this great truth' and how it brought revival.

So having returned from the Branham meeting they decided to put Franklin Hall's teaching into practice and according to George Hawtin, “Some fasted for 3 days; some for 7 days; some fasted for 10 days; some 2 weeks; some for 3 weeks; some fasted for 30 days; and one man fasted for 40 days”.

It was not however until February 1948 that the long-awaited revival arrived. On 11 February, one of the Bible School young ladies prophesied “saying that we were on the very verge of a great revival, and that all we had to do was open the door, and we could enter in”. When she had finished prophesying, George Hawtin rose and prayed “beseeching God and telling him that he had informed us that we were on the very verge of a great revival, and all we had to do was enter the door but George Hawtin said, ‘Father, we do not know where the door is, neither do we know how to enter it’”.

The following day, 12 February, was described by Ern Hawtin as follows in his report How this Revival Began:

…I shall never forget the morning that God moved into our midst in this strange new manner. Some students were under the power of God on the floor, others were kneeling in adoration and worship before the Lord. The anointing deepened until the awe of God was upon everyone. The Lord spoke to one of the brethren, 'Go and lay hands upon a certain student and pray for him'. While he was in doubt and contemplation one of the sisters who had been under the power of God went to the brother saying the same words, and naming the identical student he was to pray for. He went in obedience and the revelation was given concerning the student's life and future ministry.

After this a long prophecy was given [by Ern Hawtin] with minute details concerning the great thing God was about to do. The pattern for the revival and many details concerning it were given. To this day [his report was written 1 August 1949] I can remember the gist of the prophecy, “These are the last days, my people. The coming of the Lord draweth nigh, and I shall move in the midst of mine own. The gifts of the Spirit will be restored to my church. If thou shalt obey me I shall immediately restore them. But Oh my people I would have you to be reverent before me as never before. Take the shoes off thy feet for the ground on which thou standest is holy. If thou dost not reverence the Lord and his House, the Lord shall require it at thy hands. Do not speak lightly of the things I am about to do for the Lord shall not hold thee guiltless. Do not gossip about these things. Do not write letters to thy nearest friends, of the new way in which the Lord moveth, for they will not understand. If thou dost disobey the Lord in these things take heed lest thy days be numbered in sorrow and thou goest early to the grave. Thou hast obeyed me and I shall restore my gifts to you. I shall indicate from time to time those who are to receive the gifts of my Spirit. They shall be received by prophecy and the laying on of hands of the presbytery.”

Immediately following this prophecy, a sister who was under the power of God gave by revelation the names of five students who were ready to receive. Hands were laid upon them by the presbytery. This procedure was very faltering and imperfect that morning but after two days searching the word of God to see if we were on scriptural grounds, great unity prevailed and the Lord came forth in greater power and glory day by day. Soon a visible manifestation of gifts was received when candidates were prayed over, and many as a result began to be healed as gifts of healing were received. Day after day the glory and power of God came amongst us. Great repentance, humbling, fasting and prayer prevailed in everyone.²

Ern Hawtin's prophecy stated that “the gifts of the Spirit will be restored to my church”. Although one of the main marks of the advent of Pentecostalism at the turn of the century was the manifestation and operation of the gifts of the Spirit, there had been a general falling away of the use of these gifts amongst the Pentecostal churches, and this lack had been recognised. It was this lack that brought the events at North Battleford into the limelight.

There had been a falling away of the use of spiritual gifts in Pentecostal churches, and it was this lack that brought events at North Battleford into the limelight.

Because the North Battleford brothers were successful in imparting spiritual gifts by the laying on of their hands, people came from all across Canada and the United States to their meetings so that they, too, might partake of these spiritual gifts for which many of them had long been praying.

As mentioned last week, the leadership of the Pentecostal denominations were not prepared to accept that the baptism and gifts of the Holy Spirit could be imparted by the laying on of hands. For nearly 50 years they had clung to the methodology of the Azusa Street revival in which 'tarrying' or waiting for the coming of the Holy Spirit on one's life was practised (Acts 1:4). Ernest S Williams, who was General Superintendent of the Assemblies of God at that time, said, “Concerning the nine gifts spoken of in 1 Corinthians 12, if you will carefully read the account I think you will discern that they each come directly from God's sovereign bestowment; I do not find any record where they are to be bestowed by means of an intermediate channel”.

Of course if one reads the record of the Acts of the Apostles we find that no one methodology was used as far as receiving the baptism in the Holy Spirit is concerned (Acts 2:4, 8:17, 10:44). However, we need to remember that the question of formulae and methods in ministry, including the use of the laying on of hands, has never been adequately resolved in the charismatic movement.

The Movement Spreads

In keeping with the injunction in the prophecy over publishing news of the 'revival', the March issue of The Sharon Star contained no news of what had happened, but an editorial on the subject appeared in the April issue. This published report undoubtedly played a large part in attracting a larger-than-usual number to the 1948 Annual Feast of Pentecost camp meeting. Its front page had also carried headlines reporting 'Two Modern Miracles' involving healing at Sharon Bible College.

There were many testimonies from pastors across the country as to how God had empowered them during their time at the camp meetings so that it had revolutionised their home churches and by May 1948, parallels were already being drawn with the earlier Pentecostal revival of 1906. George Hawtin suspected that “revival is breaking out among small groups all over America and no doubt in other countries as well”. There were certainly reports from Norway that some kind of revival was taking place among Pentecostals at that time.

The question of formulae and methods in ministry, including the use of the laying on of hands, has never been adequately resolved in the charismatic movement.

Hawtin also noted that the restoration of the gifts of the Spirit was the result of God giving “new revelation” of truth from the Scriptures. He wrote that “great revivals always are accompanied by some present truth when old light is rediscovered...”.³ It soon became a prominent idea in the movement and created an expectation that the Lord would continue to reveal new truth from the scriptures.

This belief in a new wave of the progressive revelation of scriptural truth through prophecy became widespread and has continued to be a pervasive influence in charismatic churches, thousands of which have adopted various ideas that became prominent in the ministry of the North Battleford brethren.

Points of Controversy

As in the case of Branham and the healing evangelists, the Sharon group were keen to stress their concerns for unity. Reg Layzell, who was one of seven men 'ordained' by the Sharon leadership to exercise an 'apostolic ministry' on behalf of the 'Presbytery' but who subsequently became disillusioned to the extent that he disassociated himself from them, said following the camp meeting of July 1948, “The great message that stirred all souls was first the message of the Body of Christ coming together”,⁴ and George Warnock noted in the preface to the first edition of The Feast of Tabernacles, that “God came forth in answer to the prayer and fasting of his children, poured out the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and revealed the fact that now at this time He would bring His body together, and make His Church one glorious Church without spot or wrinkle”.⁵

However, the problem was that 'unity' always appeared to depend upon an acceptance of the teachings and practices which they as God's specially anointed apostles and prophets were now revealing. This of course was not biblical. The scriptures plainly teach that the foundation of our unity lies in our relationship by faith with the Lord Jesus. It is maintained by our daily obedience to the precepts and teachings recorded for us in the scriptures. Paul refers to this in his first letter to the Corinthian believers (1 Cor 11:2) and Jude exhorts us to “contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints” (Jude 3).

Another point of controversy that arose at that time between the North Battleford group and the leaders of the Pentecostal denominations was the former's insistence that the Church had present-day apostles and prophets. The first indication of this controversy appeared in the 1 June 1948 issue of The Sharon Star when George Hawtin wrote: “When one starts talking about prophets and apostles being in the Church in our day, the poor saints are shocked half to death. They raise their hands in holy terror and cry, ‘heresy, heresy!’".

However, the point of controversy with the Pentecostal denominations was not simply the question per se of 'prophets and apostles being in the church in our day'. There is undoubtedly a vital place in the Church for the ministry of apostles and prophets as mentioned in Ephesians 4:11, but the issue was, and remains, whether this or any other Scripture allows us to conclude that God has now raised up within the Church 'special' apostles and prophets through whom he gives extra-biblical revelation and the power of extraordinary signs and wonders to guide and direct his people in these 'last days'.

The belief in a new wave of the progressive revelation of scriptural truth through prophecy became widespread and has continued to be a pervasive influence in charismatic churches.

Also appearing in the June issue of The Sharon Star was the statement that “no church exercises or has any right to exercise authority or jurisdiction over another, its pastors or members”. This statement did nothing to help the Sharon group's growing estrangement from the main Pentecostal denominations and would have been more helpful had Hawtin applied it to the excesses of authoritarianism and elitism that later developed in connection with the 'travelling presbytery' from North Battleford, of which he was a part and which was accused of exercising considerable authority over people in other church situations by means of directive prophecy.

The Teaching of George Warnock

During 7-18 July 1948, thousands of people throughout the North American continent, having heard of the North Battleford awakening, flocked to the Sharon Camp Meeting held there at that time.

It had been preceded by a week of fasting and prayer from 27 June to 4 July which had also been widely attended. Among those attending was George Warnock, who had earlier, for two or three years, been personal secretary to Ern Baxter. It was at this time that he heard James Watt, one of the teachers at the Camp Meeting, casually mention that the third of Israel's great feasts, the Feast of Tabernacles, had not yet been fulfilled.

According to Warnock: “I somehow never forgot that, and over the period of a year or more following this, the message seemed to grow on me as I read the Scriptures…James certainly dropped a seed in my heart when he spoke of the Feast of Tabernacles…”.⁶

In July 1951, Sharon Publishers printed George Warnock's book, The Feast of Tabernacles, which became a major doctrinal work of the Latter Rain movement.

Warnock's thesis was that the three great annual feasts of the Lord in Israel's worship, which are set out in considerable detail in Leviticus and Deuteronomy, pre-figure and typify the whole Church age, beginning with the Cross and consummating in the manifestation of the sons of God (explained further next week) and the glorious display of God's power and glory.

There is of course truth in much of Warnock's work, because there is a real sense in which we can see Israel's feasts as a pre-figure of events in the New Testament. For example, Pentecost and the coming of the Holy Spirit and obviously Passover and the death of Jesus. But what about the Feast of Tabernacles?

Warnock's proposal was that the Feast of Tabernacles is analogous to what he called “the manifestation of the sons of God” (Rom 8). He taught that the Church needed to be restored. The Church was weak, the Church was diseased, the Church was totally defeated, the Church was ineffective and needed restoration.

According to Warnock, that restoration would be done in one particular way. He stated clearly that all the orthodox understanding about restoration should be discarded. Restoration would not come through reading the Bible, would not come from praying, and would not come through fasting. It would only come through the aegis of God's apostles and prophets.

Warnock taught that the Church needed to be restored through the aegis of God’s apostles and prophets.

This of course was one of the assertions of the Hawtin brothers. God would restore his Church through his newly-appointed apostles and prophets, who of course included themselves. In similar vein they were also the presbytery through whose hands God's new blessings of power and gifting were to be received. Warnock therefore taught that God was raising up new apostles and prophets and that they would restore the Church; they would bring the Church into perfection, and they would bring the Church into - he never actually used the word 'immortality' - but said they would bring forth a Church which would never know disease, which would never die, and so on. This of course brings us back full circle to Franklin Hall.

These teachings were from the 'new revelation of truth' stream which became so prominent in the Latter Rain movement and which has continued to dog the charismatic movement throughout its history. No honest examination of the biblical text can substantiate these eschatological extravagances. Acts 1 records that the Lord Jesus will physically return to earth as he physically left it and the Apostle Paul made it quite clear that he would be released from “this body of death” only at the Lord's return. It would be then that he would change “our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body” (Phil 3:21). Likewise, the Apostle John tells us that “when he appears, we shall be like him” (1 John 3:2).

Next week: The movement declines and reforms.

This article is part of a series. Click here for previous instalments.

References

1 Riss, R, 1987. Latter Rain. Honeycomb Visual Productions Ltd, Ontario, p60.

2 Warnock, G, 1951. The Feast of Tabernacles. Sharon Publishers, N. Battleford, pp3-4.

3 Riss, R, Latter Rain (see 1), p70.

4 Ibid, p74.

5 Warnock, G, The Feast of Tabernacles (see 2), p3.

6 Riss, R, Latter Rain (see 1), p74.