Page 111 - Way of Life Encyclopedia of the Bible Christianity. Based on the King James Bible

CHARISMATIC MOVEMENT

say, “See, sons and daughters will prophesy and young throughout the age. The Spirit of God warned that “evil
men will see visions and old men will dream dreams,” men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving,
but this verse is ripped from its context. and being deceived” (2 Ti. 3:13). Ultimately this
“But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; progression of error will blossom into the final apostasy
And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I described in Revelation 17-18.
will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons The Bible warns that the end of this age will be
and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young characterised by false miracles. Consider the following
men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream Scriptures:
dreams: And on my servants and on my handmaidens I
will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall “And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive
prophesy: And I will shew wonders in heaven above, many” (Mt. 24:11).
and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and “For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets,
vapour of smoke: The sun shall be turned into and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch
darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very
and notable day of the Lord come.” elect” (Matthew 24:24).
First of all, Peter says the Joel prophecy was fulfilled in “And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the
his day with the events of Pentecost. Peter explained to Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and
those gathered before him on the day of Pentecost that shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: Even
the events they were witnessing, the tongues whereby him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with
“every man heard them speak in his own language” (Acts all power and signs and lying wonders” (2 Th. 2:8-9).
2:6), was prophesied by Joel. Peter tells us in this “And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the
passage that the prophesying was fulfilled in his own means of those miracles which he had power to do in
the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the
day, at the beginning of the church age. The earth, that they should make an image to the beast,
prophesying of Acts 2:17-18 was connected directly which had the wound by a sword, and did live” (Re.
with the tongues and the prophesying that occurred on 13:14).
the day of Pentecost and the ministry of the apostles. The Lord Jesus Christ said an evil generation seeketh
The rest of the New Testament confirms this. Paul after a sign (Mt. 12:39; 16:4).
explains that tongues were a sign for the unbelieving 2. WE REJECT THE PENTECOSTAL-CHARISMATIC
Jewish nation (1 Co. 14:20-22). As a nation they MOVEMENT BECAUSE IN PRACTICE IT EXALTS
rejected the sign of the tongues and were dispersed in EXPERIENCE OVER SCRIPTURE.
A.D. 70 by the Roman armies.
Though Pentecostals and Charismatics pay lip service
Second, there are two parts to the prophecy that Peter to the sufficiency of the Bible, in reality experience and
cited: first the prophesying and second the signs in the “personal revelation” are commonly the higher
heavens. The signs in the heavens are said to be in the authorities.
future (“I WILL shew wonders in heaven...”), and we
know from other Scriptures that the last half of Joel’s Some even admit this. Tommy Tenney, author of the
prophecy will be fulfilled at the Lord’s coming. These popular book The God Chasers, says: “A true God chaser
things will not occur until the time of the Tribulation is not happy with just past truth. He must have present
and the return of Christ. The heavenly signs are truth. God chasers don’t want to just study from the
described in the book of Revelation. moldy pages of what God has done; they’re anxious to
Third, the “last days” is a period of time that began in see what God is doing.” Henry Frost says, “We are not to
say, therefore, that the word is sufficient” (Miraculous
the days of the apostles and that extends throughout this Healing, p. 110). Michael Harper says the world is tired
present church age and includes the events surrounding of “the airy-fairy doctrines of theologians” and “awaits a
the lord’s return. It begins with true signs and revelation fresh manifestation of Christ” (A New Way of Living,
from God, and it ends with false signs and revelation from 1973, p. 12). Larry Christenson says: “... the baptism
the devil. The apostle John said, “Little children, it is the with the Holy Spirit is not a theology to be discussed
last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, and analyzed. It is an experience one enters
even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know into” (Speaking in Tongues, 1968, p. 40).
that it is the last time” (1 John 2:18). John taught that
there will be an antichrist, singular, who will arise at the In his book Rise and Be Healed Benny Hinn describes
end of this age, but that there are also antichrists, his alleged intimate relationship with the Holy Spirit
plural, which will operate throughout the age. This and says: “You may ask, ‘Was it the result of a systematic
describes the general course of the church age which is Bible study?’ No, it happened when I invited the Holy
described in the New Testament. Apostasy, a turning Spirit to be my personal friend” (Rise and Be Healed, p.
away from the apostolic faith has increased and spread 48).

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