New article by Sandy Simpson
Pre Millennial And Post Millennial Doctrines Do Not Mix
by Sandy Simpson, 7/13/07
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Many Christians today (having allowed themselves to be diapraxed by false teachers on TV, in books, in seminars and on tape) have begun to accept a mixture of Pre Mil and Post Mil doctrines. Many claim they still hold to a Pre Trib Rapture (or another Pre Mil scenario) and at the same time would claim that Christians are in a great end times revival, that "Transformation" is taking place all over the world, and that our mandate is to retake dominion over the whole world including its businesses, social agendas and political arenas (a Post Mil scenario). But what many "Christians" today do not realize is: the mixture they have accepted is oxymoronic.
If you are truly a Pre Millennialist you hold to the fact that we are NOT in the Millennium but in a time of preaching the Gospel while a falling away from the Faith is taking place. Pre Mils believe that Jesus Christ will come back and establish His Kingdom in the Millennium and until then we are to carry out the Great Commission and be light and salt, therefore our mandate is NOT to take dominion over the earth.
If you are a Post Millennialist you believe that we are in a time of great revival because, figuratively (certainly not literally according to the Bible) we are already in the Millennium. Many of them believe that Satan is bound, that we can bind territorial demons (why they are roaming around when Satan cannot I do not know!) and that we can command the weather and retake dominion over the earth promised to Adam. Jesus Christ will then, according to Post Mils, come back at the end of the Millennial age we are currently in and then the old earth will be destroyed and the new heaven and new earth will begin. If you don't believe that this is what Post Mils believe, then read what Post Millennialists/Dominionists C. Peter Wagner and company are saying and doing.
Our theological bedrock is what has been known as Dominion Theology. This means that our divine mandate is to do whatever is necessary, by the power of the Holy Spirit, to retake the dominion of God's creation which Adam forfeited to Satan in the Garden of Eden. It is nothing less than seeing God's kingdom coming and His will being done here on earth as it is in heaven. (C. Peter Wagner, letter, May 31, 2007)
Following this pattern, our new paradigm for taking dominion includes a dual task: the evangelistic mandate (saving souls) and the cultural mandate (transforming society). ... During the 1990s, we knew very little about apostolic leadership. Neither did we know much about the church in the workplace. But now we do. In chapter 1, I tried to make a case for the church in the workplace, and in chapter 2, I argued that there are apostles in the workplace. We need to move beyond the 1990s and integrate these concepts into our social-transformation efforts. ... A very important role in social transformation is that of territorial apostles. These are apostles to whom God has assigned key apostolic authority over a certain geographical region. ... Let’s decide to move forward. Let’s take dominion now! (C. Peter Wagner, Let’s Take Dominion Now!, exerpt from the book Dominion!, InTheWorkplace, http://www.intheworkplace.com/articles_view.asp?articleid=22902&columnid=1935)
"The goal of this mission is to repent of those things that have defiled this circulatory system in the heart of America. This defilement has caused these waterway systems to become a vast network and communications base for the 'prince of the power of the air' and for the second heaven principalities to legally link into the earth. These teams will bring repentance for the atrocities and defilements of the past as well as uproot the work the Buddhist have been doing as of late. Our mission is to dismantle this demonic power grid and declare, decree, and set in place a new grid for prophetic fire to flow throughout the circulatory system in heart of America. We will also prepare the Way for the release of a 'NEW SOUND' and new rhythm in the heart of America on 07 07 07 in Nashville, Tennessee."Further details are listed below. On Saturday, May 5th, the River Teams complete the Journey together at Venice, Louisiana at the mouth of the Mississippi River. At 7:00 PM (EDT), 6:00 PM (CDT), and 5:00 PM (MDT), they will release a "ROAR" of worship over this circulatory system. James is specifically requesting that each of you support this culminating event by worshiping at the rivers in your region and "LIGHT THE PASSAGE" with them at this set time. (James Nesbit, in a memo from Chuck D. Pierce to the National and State Apostolic Team Members, Cc: Peter and Doris Wagner, Brian Kooiman, April 13, 2007)
Suffice it to say if this is not what the Bible teaches then Dominionists need to be taken away in a wagon with rubber walls. This stuff not only shows their involvement with the "save the planet" Globalists, but it shows that they need to have their heads examined.
How many others today have bought into Reconstructionist/Kingdom Now/Dominionist theology? I think you might be shocked. To lend some proof that the most influential leaders in Christianity today are promoting Dominionism, I will present quotes from a number of sources, some perhaps shocking to some of you. (Emphasis in bold added by Sandy Simpson.)
JAMES DOBSON (Alliance Defense Fund), MICHAEL FARRIS (Home School Legal Defense Association,
JERRY FALWELL (Deceased, Libety University) & MARVIN OLASKY (World Magazine)
Based in Powder Springs, Ga., American Vision also produces reams of material that push Christian Reconstructionism, a form of fundamentalism that argues for a re-writing of American history, dismantling secular democracy and constructing an America governed by "biblical law." Reconstructionists seek to impose the criminal code of the Old Testament, applying the death penalty for homosexuals, adulterers, fornicators, witches, incorrigible juvenile delinquents and those who spread false religions. Despite its overtly radical theocratic agenda, American Vision is allied with some of the Religious Right's most powerful outfits. This year's conference was cosponsored by the Alliance Defense Fund, a well-funded Religious Right lawyers' outfit that James Dobson and other religious broadcasters helped create; Michael Farris's Home School Legal Defense Association; the late TV preacher Jerry Falwell's Liberty University School of Law; and World Magazine, Marvin Olasky's influential evangelical Christian periodical. (Christian Reconstructionists Are Trying to Take Dominion in America -- and They Have Powerful Friends By Jeremy Leaming, Church and State, AlterNet, Posted July 2, 2007, http://www.alternet.org/story/55717/)
PAT ROBERTSON (CBN, 700 Club)
"...Now what do you do? What do I do? What do all of us do? We get ready to take dominion! We get ready to take dominion! It is all going to be ours - I'm talking about all of it. Everything that you would say is a good part of the secular world. Every means of communication, the news, the television, the radio, the cinema, the arts, the government, the finance - it's going to be ours! God's going to give it to His people. We should prepare to reign and rule with Jesus Christ." (Robertson, speech at Dallas '84., http://www.inplainsite.org/html/kingdom_theology_3.html)
CHUCK COLSON (Prison Fellowship/ECT)
"Redeeming culture is the never-ending mission of the church." (Chuck Colson, Breakpoint, KLHT Radio, 1/2/05)
"I was deepening my understanding of what we call the cultural commission, the command to the Church to take dominion and bring righteousness to our culture. (Chuck Colson, God's Inseparable Commissions, Prison Fellowship, 01/05/2005, http://www.pfm.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=PFM_Site&temnlate=/CM/HTMLDisplay.cfm&ContentlD= 15120)
"Today-some 30 years into my ministry-I have come to believe passionately that all Christians need to take their faith out of the pews and into the trenches. We've got to be faithful to the cultural commission to have dominion, to work for Christian values to arrest our worldview slide. (Chuck Colson, Prison Ministry and Worldview: A Match Made in Heaven, Prison Fellowship, 08/29/2004,
http://www.pfm.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=PFM_Site&template=/CM/HTMLDisplay.cfm&ContentlD=1 2515)
GARY NORTH (Christian Reconstructionist/Reformed Theology)
"Gary North, one of the movement's most vocal proponents, defines Reconstruction in this way: 'A recently articulated philosophy which argues that it is the moral obligation of Christians to recapture every institution for Jesus Christ." (http://www. libertymagazine.org/article/articleview/243/1/31)
RICK JOYNER (Kansas City Prophets/Latter Rain/NAR)
"What is about to come upon the earth is not just a revival, or another awakening, it is a veritable revolution. The vision was given in order to begin to awaken those who are destined to radically change the course, and even the very definition of Christianity." (Rick Joyner, The Harvest, "Joel's Army.")
EARL PAULK (Manifest Sons of God/Dominionist, recently involved in a sex scandal)
"Christ in us must take dominion over the earth.... The next move of God cannot occur until Christ in us takes dominion. (Earl Paulk, Held in the Heavens Until... 1985, p.234)
"The Church has been foreordained of God to become that people who will become so glorified that we can bring Christ back to the earth. This glorified church must make the earth God's footstool before Jesus can come again." (From The Wounded Body of Christ. Earl Paulk, quoted in Jewel Van der Merwe's book Joel's Army).
TOMMY TENNEY (Former UPC/Antitrinitarian/NAR)
"God literally moves His throne from heaven. When this happens the church is building a chair, a seat, a place for God to come. When is the church going to arise and build a mercy seat according to the pattern of heaven? And He will literally set up His throne, and you will have a throne zone in the midst of the church and some group somewhere is going to build a seat for the glory of God, and the water that flows from that place will eventually cover the earth. The next wave of revival is not going to be like anything that you have ever seen. There will be nothing of man on it or God won't come to sit. He is tired of breaking chairs that we have built for Him. He is demanding now that we build a mercy seat." (Tommy Tenny, Rivermail Archives: Mar.-Apr. 1999, The Glory of God
VINSON SYNAN (Reconsctructionist/Reformed)
"In all revolutions there are noisy and dangerous times as the OLD ORDER is replaced by the new... after the dust settles, WE CAN PROCEED TO BUILD the beautiful kingdom that the Lord has purposed from the foundations of the World" - (Vinson Synan, Fullness, Jan. - Feb. 1990, p.24.)
FRED PRICE (Word-Faith)
"But God has to be given permission to work in this earth realm on behalf of man. You are in control! So if man has control, who no longer has it? God. When God gave Adam dominion, that meant God no longer had dominion. So God cannot do anything in this earth unless we let Him. And the way we let Him or give Him permission is through prayer." (Fred Price, "Prayer: Do You Know What Prayer Is.. .and How to Pray?", The Word Study Bible, 1990. p. 1178)
ERN BAXTER (associate of William Branham, a Latter Rain founder)
"God's people are going to start to exercise rule, and they're going to take dominion over the Power of Satan. They're going to bring diabolical princes down. The dark powers that hover over the Parliament buildings of the nations are going to be paralyzed by the corporate prayer of an authoritative community. As the rod of His strength goes out of Zion, He'll change legislation. He'll chase the devil off the face of God's earth, and God's people together, doing the will of God, will bring about God's purposes and God's reign." (Ern Baxier, Nailonal Men's Shepherds Conference, Kansas City, Missouri, September, 1975)
BILL HAMON (Latter Rain/Prophetic Movement/NAR)
"At that time the sons of God will be fully manifested on the earth. Widespread spiritual warfare will result with the Sons of God doing battle with Satan and company, the non-Christian nations of this world will also be defeated. Once the earth has been subdued. Jesus will come back to earth and be given the Kingdom that has been won for Him by this "manchild company." (Bill Hamon, Prophets and the Prophetic Movement)
FRANCIS FRANGIPANE (Latter Rain/Associate of Rick Joyner/NAR)
"All spiritual warfare is waged over one essential question: who will control reality on earth - heaven or hell? We must see that our prayers, attitudes and agreement with God as an integral part of establishing the reality of the kingdom of God on earth!" (Francis Frangipane, Mainstream. Spring 1994, p.10.)
KENNETH HAGIN (Word-Faith/deceased)
"Yes, sin, sickness and disease, spiritual death, poverty and everything else that's of the devil once ruled us. But now, bless God, we rule them -- for this is the Day of Dominion!" (Kenneth Hagin, "Rejoice! This Is the Day Which the Lord Hath Made!", The Word of Faith, p.16, 7/96)
C. PETER WAGNER (Head apostle of the NAR)
"The cultural mandate, which some refer to as Christian social responsibility goes as far back as the Garden of Eden. After God created Adam and Eve, He said to them: "Be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth and subdue it, have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing... Both the cultural mandate and the evangelistic mandate are essential parts of biblical mission, in my opinion. Neither is optional. There is a growing consensus on this point in Evangelical circles. This was not true as early as twenty-two years ago when the Berlin World Congress on Evangelism was held in 1966. One of the first Evangelicals to stress the cultural mandate in a public forum was Horace Fenton of the Latin America Mission at the Wheaton Congress on the Church's Worldwide Mission, also held in 1966. Following that, the social consciousness generated by the social upheavals of the 1960's brought the cultural mandate to prominence until it was given a relatively high profile on the platform of the International Congress on World Evangelization at Lausanne in 1974." (C. Peter Wagner, "On the Cutting Edge of Mission Strategy," Perspectives on the World Christian Movement, A Reader, Revised Edition (Pasadena: William Carey Library, 1981,1992), pp. D-45-46.)
Finally, read what C. Peter Wagner claims is the new agenda for the churches as of 2004:
See, the problem is, is that Satan has had too much of his way in our society because he has a government! And the only way to overthrow a government is with a government. It won’t happen otherwise. So therefore the government of the church has to get into place in the extended church just like we do have it very well in place, we haven’t reached our goal yet, but it’s very well established in the nuclear church. ... These apostles in the workplace are the ones that are going to come into the picture and with them we’ll be open these gates, without them we can have all the prayer meetings we want, all the marches for Jesus we want, all the prayer walking we want, the gates aren’t going to be opened. Because it takes a government to overthrow a government. Gate number one, letter A, the gate of social transformation, the gate of social transformation. ... This gate will be opened when we understand about the church in the workplace, that the church has a government, that it takes a government to overthrow a government, and when we understand this, if we renew our minds, if we embrace this paradigm shift, if we see, if we hear what the spirit is saying to the churches, if we recognize ministry in the extended church and government in the extended church, the revival we’ve been praying for is just around the corner. We will see it. ...And now I pray for every individual here, before you, who is in the workplace, who tomorrow and in the days to come will be going out to their ministries in the workplace, and I impart to them an anointing, I impart to them an anointing for not seeing a job, but seeing a ministry in the workplace. And I impart an anointing to them and to this whole community to recognize and raise up apostles who will set the church in the workplace in order so that our cities, our communities, our states, and our nations will be transformed for Your glory, in Jesus’ name. (C. Peter Wagner, Arise Prophetic Conference, Gateway Church, San Jose, CA, 10-10-2004)
JIM LAFFOON (Apostle of the NAR)
Jim Laffoon, another "apostle" of the NAR recently stated this:
I'm utterly convinced, as I stand here tonight, that God has raised up this family in the earth to reach "every nation in our generation." But the ultimate purpose of God is not for us to reach every nation, it is to raise up a generation long after my generation is gone who because they have reached nations can begin to rule nations! ... As I look at this nation, as I look at the nations of the world, I'm here to tell you, that before we're done, we'll not merely plant a church in every one of the world's nations, we will study, analyze, and penetrate the cultures that control her. ... Before I die, I expect to see an incredible apostolic center in every nation in the earth. Before my children die, I expect they'll begin to see every culture in those nations begin to change.... We're raising up a generation of children who I believe if my generation is faithful to reach nations, the next generation can begin to rule nations. It is my passion. (Jim Laffoon (with Rice Broocks), "To Reach and To Rule", Morning Star Jnternational, Every Nation Churches and Ministries, 2004 World Conference: Every Leader - Every Church - Every Nation, July 15, 2004)
I could give you countless other quotes from today's leaders in Christendom, but as you can see these doctrines have penetrated almost every church and denomination. Many of the above are outright heretics, but some like Colson and North are well respected in evangelical circles. Yet they espouse the false teaching of Dominionism.
So how can "Christians" today mix the two opposing Eschatologies of a PreMillennial rapture and Dominionism? It is because they have not used discernment or thought through the ramifications. Either Rev. 1-3 is addressing the early church exclusively and the rest of Revelation already happened in the past, or Revelation was written to all generations and particularly to the last one. If you are a true Pre Millennialist you will understand that the warnings to be "overcomers" in a time of great persecution and tribulation leading up to and (possibly) including the Great Tribulation is a time when we must hold fast to the Faith till the end because there is a great apostasy already taking place. Either you believe there is a falling away and the antichrist comes first, or you believe that this is a time of worldwide revival where Christians can even command the natural elements. Though the Bible says we can move mountains with our faith, that faith has to be justified by obedience to God, His Word and His purposes. If this is not a time where we are to take dominion back in the earth, then any commanding of natural forces to take dominion is without the permission of God, and thereby without His power.
Christians need to clean up their theology. Either believe the ridiculous edicts of the false apostles and false prophets and buy solely into Dominionism, or come back to sound doctrine and believe what the Bible has to say. Those who love the Lord obey His commands and His Word.
Joh 15:10 If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love.
Joh 14:24 He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.
1Jo 2:5 But if anyone obeys his word, God’s love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him:
Jesus Himself put to rest any idea that the Kingdom of God would come apart from His second coming. Kingdom Now theology, which includes Dominionism, is soundly denounced by Jesus and we are told to run away from anyone who says the Kingdom has come.
Luke 17:20-37 Now having been questioned by the Pharisees as to when the kingdom of God was coming, He answered them and said, "The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed; nor will they say, 'Look, here it is!' or, 'There it is!' For behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst." And He said to the disciples, "The days will come when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. They will say to you, 'Look there! Look here!' Do not go away, and do not run after them. For just like the lightning, when it flashes out of one part of the sky, shines to the other part of the sky, so will the Son of Man be in His day. But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation. And just as it happened in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: they were eating, they were drinking, they were marrying, they were being given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. "It was the same as happened in the days of Lot: they were eating, they were drinking, they were buying, they were selling, they were planting, they were building; but on the day that Lot went out from Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. "It will be just the same on the day that the Son of Man is revealed. "On that day, the one who is on the housetop and whose goods are in the house must not go down to take them out; and likewise the one who is in the field must not turn back. Remember Lot's wife. Whoever seeks to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it. "I tell you, on that night there will be two in one bed; one will be taken and the other will be left. There will be two women grinding at the same place; one will be taken and the other will be left. Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other will be left." And answering they said to Him, "Where, Lord?" And He said to them, "Where the body is, there also the vultures will be gathered."
Let's dissect this passage with a view towards what is being "said" today about the Kingdom of God already being here and that we need to take dominion over the earth.
(1) The Kingdom of God will not come with signs to be observed. Those who tell stories about alleged miracles, signs and wonders, trying to prove that we are establishing the Kingdom of God on earth, are not being honest. Jesus told the Pharisees, the religious elite of His day, that they missed the Kingdom because they missed the King! The King was to come and suffer first. When the Kingdom of God comes in the end times, it comes when the King returns, not before.
(2) Just as in the time of Christ there are many today who say "look there, look here" for signs of Christianity taking over the world. They claim there is "transformation" happening all over the earth which is supposed to be part Christianity taking back lost dominion. They continually prophesy that a great end times revival is here, or is coming soon. They claim that we must take over the businesses (Anointed For Business by Ed Silvoso) and governments of the world (Dominion! by C. Peter Wagner). Yet Jesus said we are not to go away and run after people who make these claims.
(3) As in the days of Noah and Lot so shall the shock of the second coming be for those unprepared. Most Dominionists, who are Preterists at heart, believe that we live in some post Revelation age and that there is no falling away, Antichrist, Tribulation or Millennium to come. So they continue with their lives (eating, drinking, getting married, etc.) unaware of the apostasy and delusion they have bought into which the Bible clearly warns us about. When Jesus Christ comes to establish His Kingdom on earth for a millennium they will be caught unaware.
(4) Judgment from God at the end of the Tribulation will leave many dead. Those who are building themselves an earthly "kingdom" claiming they are going to give the earth back to God, in perfection, when He returns will be in shock. Then they will look back on the earthly kingdom they established with their fancy mega-churches just as Lot's wife looked back with longing at Sodom. The moment they turn back to their false kingdom of "goods and fields" they will be destroyed. Those who lay up treasure in Heaven by obeying God's commands and continuing to carry out the Great Commission instead of trying to build a kingdom now will be kept from God's wrath.
So have you bought into the dominion delusion? If you get in your car and follow me home you will end up where I end up ... at my home. If you are following false apostles like C. Peter Wagner then you will end up where he is going. Are you falling away? Instead of falling away, run away from these people!
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Important other articles to read on this subject:
Dominionism and the Rise of Christian Imperialism by Sarah Leslie, 12/05
The Dominion Mandate and the Christian Reconstruction Movement by Bob DeWaay, Critical Issues Commentary, 12/05
Dominionism Exposed compiled by Sandy Simpson, 2/2/06
Dominionism and Kingdom Now Teachings by Discernment Research Group, Herescope, 2/23/2006
Dominionism: The New Christian Fascism? - Is it ultimately that different from Islamic Fascism? by Sandy Simpson, 6/29/07
The Doctrines of Dominionism by Herescope, 7/9/07 - also read Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 & Part 4.
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