The “prophet” had the crowd following every word he said, even
almost every movement he made, in fact, every sensation he felt in
his body!

     [Bob Jones] Hmmmm, witchcraft coming again…check that
     in Jesus’ name.  I feel pin pricks on me.  There’s
     witchcraft comin’…
 
Then the pastor, Mike Bickle explains to the crowd,

     When Bob feels pin pricks in his hand, that just show up,
     that means witchcraft is in this [place]…The phrase
     that Bob uses is his senses turn golden…His five senses
     are literally inspired by the Holy Spirit …He could
     tell what was happening in the spirit realm from the five
     senses…1 (See Jude 19)

     What’s going on here?  No, it’s not a psychic, it’s a full
gospel church service, featuring Mike Bickle and “seer” Bob Jones!
Bob Jones is “picking up” witchcraft by the pin prickly feeling in
his hand and Mike Bickle is asking him to elaborate on the whole
concept of “golden senses,” in which 20-30 different signs show up
in his physical body to help him divine the spiritual realm.  For
example, his hands turn different colors to indicate things,
(purple-royalty, red-intercession, etc).  Did the apostles ever
model anything even remotely like this?  Never mind, these men are
part of the new breed, they are so anointed that the apostles can’t
wait to meet them!  As Mike Bickle says,

     The saints in the New Testament would wait in line to
     greet the apostles coming from this generation![2]

Who Are the Kansas City Prophets?

     In following the trail of error that has led to this current
mysticized revival, we need to fully explore the role that the
company of men known as the Kansas City Prophets have to play in
it.  The controversy that surrounded them in the late 1980’s and
very early 1990’s seems to have died down since John Wimber came
forward to offer them a “covering” through affiliation with the
Vineyard Movement.  It is my contention that instead of truly
resolving the problems that were raised by these false prophets, a
band-aid was put over the whole affair.  The erroneous teaching and
ministry of Paul Cain, Bob Jones, John Paul Jackson, and others has
been promoted and circulated through the Body of Christ in the
years since Vineyard has been their covering.  Bob Jones, one of
the more obviously false prophets, finally was exposed, but not as
a false prophet, but for an ethical/moral failure.  His prophecies
have been cited several times, to my knowledge, as valid, at
Toronto Airport Vineyard.  The same people who heralded these men
as prophets are now heralding this spiritual drunkenness as a great
end times revival.  I wouldn’t even be surprised to find that
behind the scenes of this “latest move of the Spirit” you’d
probably find some of the same people offering their “prophetic
ministry.”  We are not talking about personality differences here,
nor about doctrinal hairsplitting, the men I’ll be discussing in
this chapter have presumed to speak prophetically, in the name of
the Lord, (as though God were talking) to the whole, universal
church!  They have made great claims, like “The Lord spoke to me
clearly…” or “I stood face to face before the Lord.”  And what is
in the message?  Sheer Manifested Sons, Latter Rain, last days
super church, church as manchild stuff, reheated, repackaged and
rehashed!

     In describing the Kansas City Prophets, for the sake of time
and space, I’ll zero in on three men, Mike Bickle, Bob Jones, and
Paul Cain.  I will briefly discuss some others, but these are the
three major players, in the Kansas City Prophets controversy.  It’s
also important, however, to take a fresh look at how the church
handled (or failed to handle with responsibility) the exposure of
false prophecy, for this has set the course which we are currently
on, and the same people who wouldn’t discern at that time, even
more so now, refuse to think critically.

Mike Bickle

     We must start with the pastor of a church in Kansas City,
Missouri, named Mike Bickle.  The church is now known as the Metro
Vineyard of Kansas City, but in the early 1980’s when it was
started it was called KCF for Kansas City Fellowship.  Bickle
originally had pastored in St. Louis.  In June of 1982, a man named
Augustine approached Bickle and told him that he had heard an
audible voice telling him to prophesy by the “spirit of truth” to
Bickle’s congregation.  Bickle allowed him to do this and was
impressed by the seeming accuracy with which he described the
condition of his church.  In September, the same year, Mike Bickle
himself heard an audible voice speak to him, while on a trip in
Cairo, Egypt.  The voice told him,

     I am inviting you to raise up a work that will touch the
     ends of the earth.  I have invited many people to do this
     thing and many people have said yes, but very few have
     done my will.[3]

     Shortly after this, on a “word from the Lord,” Bickle began a
new work in Kansas City, Missouri.  The church grew rapidly in a
very short time.  In 1986, Bickle and his elders formed an
organization called Grace Ministries, which they described as, “A
ministry team of men committed to seeing the church fully restored
to the glory described in God’s Word.”[4]  Now, Grace Ministries
and KCF are two distinct organizations.  Al Dager gives a good
description of the function of Grace Ministries,
 
     Grace Ministries is a parachurch organization that
     represents several men who engage in itinerant, allegedly
     prophetic, ministries…There are seven major facets to
     Grace Ministries: 1. Apostolic teams; 2. City churches;
     3. The House of Prayer; 4. The Joseph Company; 5. The
     Israel Mandate; 6. A Ministry training center; 7. Shiloh
     Ministries.[5]

     I won’t try to describe in detail each facet, as Al Dager did
in his helpful Media Spotlight Report, but I will highlight a few
aspects of two of the facets. 

     City churches, Bickle believes that every city really only has
one church, which may consist of several congregations, but must
come under one, citywide, eldership.  As Ministries Today reported,

     Bickle and his leadership team have promoted a concept
     advocating unity among all pastors in a geographic area.
     Bickle now says that the idea should have emphasized
     “unity through friendship” rather than “unity through a
     church government structure.”  Many pastors in Kansas
     City felt threatened by what they perceived to be an
     attempt to “swallow” other churches under KCF’s banner.
     “The way we used terminology created fear, division, and
     suspicion,” Bickle admits.[6]

      Shiloh Ministries was or is, the development of a prophetic
community.  A piece of land was designated and developed, where
prophets could live together, convene prophetic conferences, share
their insights, and train up other prophets.  The senior prophetic
authority recognized over Shiloh, was to be Paul Cain, a former
associate of William Branham.  Cain once called Branham, “The
greatest prophet who ever lived.”  (It is interesting to note that
there was, in Iowa, (might still be) a “prophetic” retreat and
community called Shiloh.  It was noted for its Manifested Sons of
God teaching.  But I don’t know if it’s directly related.)

     Though Bickle is the pastor of KCF and founder of Grace
Ministries, he at one point, seemed to back down from calling
anybody a prophet.  Here is an excerpt from an interview he had
with Al Dager.

     There’s no one in our midst that we give the title
     “prophet.”  The only one I would feel comfortable of
     giving that office would be Paul Cain, but he refuses to
     accept it.  So, I’d say both of them, apostle and
     prophet_I believe that in God’s purpose they exist, but
     we’re very hesitant to designate somebody as being one at
     this point and time.[7]

     But, on the other hand, in his lengthy interview with Bob
Jones on the tape, “Visions and Revelations,” Jones describes
numerous face to face encounters with the Lord.  Upon Bickle’s
encouragement, Jones tells the crowd what God supposedly said, what
he saw in the throne room, what he clearly “heard.”  If that is not
playing the role of the prophet, what is?  Semantically avoiding
the actual title “prophet,” but then delivering messages to the
church in the name of the Lord, seems hypocritical to me.  To avoid
the scrutiny of Deut 13 and Deut 18, they call themselves
“prophetic ministries” instead of “prophets.”  But, even the ones
who follow them know better, calling them “The Prophets.”

     I believe that Mike Bickle has been zealous, and well
intentioned.  I have read a book of his, Passion for Jesus,
which makes clear some beautiful teachings about the attributes of
God, the fear of the Lord, and knowing God.  But, I also believe
that through an unfortunate lack of discernment, he has promoted
false prophets, as well as the doctrines of Manifested Sons of God,
on an international scale.  This has helped pave the way for the
current mysticism.  The next person we will discuss is an excellent
example of this.

Bob Jones

     Bob Jones has been described publicly at KCF as a “resident
seer.”  This is unfortunate because he turned out to be one of the
most blatant examples of a false prophet, of them all.  How anyone
can listen to him for even 10 minutes and not completely reject him
as a prophet, is amazing to me.  And yet, Mike Bickle and KCF
thought enough of him to tape a lengthy interview with him called,
“Visions and Revelations.”  The blatantly false doctrine, and
occultic dreams and “revelations” found on this tape were enabled
to make their way all over the world in a relatively short time.
On the tape, Jones describes how he went from being a drunkard,
fornicator, and bar room brawler, to eventually land in a mental
institution, where he was regularly visited by demons who would
hold conversations with him.  Finally, Jesus Himself told Bob in
order to get his mind back, to either kill or forgive twelve people
he hated!  Jones goes on to describe his Christian life and
supernatural ministry.

     One unforgettable episode that Jones recounts is how he
received a visit from an angelic guide name “Dominus.”  “Dominus”
eventually turned out to be the Lord Jesus Christ Himself,
according to Jones.  Jones tells how, in an out of body experience,
he and Dominus sat above the KCF “in the Spirit,” on rocking
chairs, holding hands.  To confirm Jones’ “ministry” to Mike Bickle
and his brother in law and associate pastor Bob Scott, Dominus
revealed to Jones that he would visit the two men in their dreams.
Each man subsequently had a dream in which a friend they knew named
“Don” appeared (two separate Don’s).  When they asked Jones why Don
appeared and not Jesus, Jones impatiently replied,

     You guys are never going to learn the language of the
     Spirit, are you?…Jesus appears in thousands of
     different faces to portray something.  He was trying to
     say, “I’m your friend, I am your familiar friend and I’m
     going to show you all things so you can move in the power
     of the Spirit.”[8]

To be honest with you, I think this was a combination of the
working of a powerful familiar spirit and incredible naivete.
Bickle would later say of Jones, “He should have had a backstage
ministry.”[9]

The Shepherd’s Rod

     Bob Jones also contributed the Shepherd’s Rod Revelation to
the Body.  According to him, “Everyone must pass under the
shepherd’s rod once a year.”  It all started when, according to
Mike Bickle,

     Ten years ago, the Lord began to visit Bob and tell him
     that he would visit him on the day of atonement each
     year…The Lord literally stands before Bob and speaks to
     him…it’s a real holy thing before the Lord…[10]

     “The Lord” showed Bob Jones that on the day of atonement the
shepherd of the congregation must hold out his staff and all must
pass under it for a time of prophetic inspection.  If they are in
sin, it will be revealed prophetically to the leader.  Bob Jones
says this is a time where the Lord turns you upside down and looks
you over for blemishes.  Thus, through this blatant denial of the
cross, you have God’s people observing a distorted day of
atonement.

     It would take an entire book to catalog the heresy of this one
man, and that is not my purpose.  My burden in this chapter is to
remind us, where was the discernment?  We were so spiritual, so
full of “mystical” revelation and “cutting edge truth,” but look at
what we overlooked!  The emperor obviously has no clothes!  And
when it began to be exposed by Ernie Gruen, it was almost dealt
with as a matter of personal animosity and covered over.  These men
didn’t leave ministry, their tapes weren’t pulled.  They haven’t
missed a beat!  This is why we are so blind and intoxicated right
now.  Before there was a scandal, Mike Bickle said of Bob Jones,
“There is nobody in the natural that had a more integral role in
establishing our foundations in that kind of prophetic way, than
Bob [Jones]“[11]  After part of the controversy, Mike Bickle
expresses regrets, “I made the mistake of allowing Bob Jones to
step out from backstage into prominent, public ministry,” and “I
believe the Lord gave Bob Jones a backstage ministry, but I
promoted him on the front stage.”[12]  Backstage ministry?  I hope
not.  I’d rather have people like him out in the open than
influencing movements backstage.  Here are just a few of the
blatant errors promoted by the “backstage ministry.”
      When Bob Scott, associate pastor at KCF questioned Bob Jones
about being in a recent dream, Jones replied, “It was not a dream,
it was something other than a dream.”  He questioned Jones again,
“Was that a dream or a trance or a vision?”  Bob says, “Well, it
was neither, I was there…on occasions, I’m there, it’s not a
vision, it’s not a trance, I’m there.”[13]

      Bob Jones’ White Talking Horse_(Bob Jones) “The first time I
ever seen the white horse was when an angel called Gabriel was
riding.  I saw him a couple of times in the ’70’s, I didn’t
understand what it meant, I would just see the white horse…(Mike
Bickle interjects) (Mike Bickle) “The white horse always speaks in
Bob’s visions…In his vision it speaks of the corporate purpose
that God is bringing to pass…”[14]

     35 Super Apostles like unto Paul_Bob Jones saw and described
a vision in which, “The Holy Spirit took me to a place_this time it
wasn’t the Lord took me, it was the Holy Spirit.  He took me to a
place and I saw the Lord, high and lifted up, by some young men and
he set upon the golden ark…and I looked and there were men that
had hold of the ark and they had the ark upon their shoulders.  And
the government will be upon their single shoulders.”  Jones goes on
to explain how, by way of allegory, the Lord showed him he would
raise up 35 men, to be champions for Christ in the last days.
“…They will reign and reveal to the world that they truly are the
faithful and true leaders and the government that will be upon his
single shoulder.”  Mike Bickle comments, “I think there’ll be 35
like unto Paul…There would be 35 whom the Lord would separate in
the highest way.  The government rests on apostles and
prophets.”[15]

     What a perversion of Isaiah 9, in which Jesus is described as
Wonderful, Counselor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father and
the one on whose shoulder shall rest the government of the whole
earth!! Yet how typical of Manifested Sons heresy, to replace
the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, with the “corporate Christ”
concept.
 
     Bob’s revelation concerning prophetic accuracy.  Bob Jones, in
the tape “Shepherd’s Rod” told us that God had revealed to him that
the Rhema (spoken word) would be two-thirds accurate in the days to
come.  In other words, up to two-thirds of the time these prophets
would be “right on.”  Why not 100% of the time?  If you listen to
Bob Jones, you would be glad for inaccurate prophets!  Why?  God
showed Bob, supposedly, that if enough power was released to give
us 100% accuracy, we would have dead Ananias’ and Sapphirra’s all
over the place!  (How’s that for making people actually thankful
for inaccurate prophets?)  Jones says we shouldn’t worry about
inaccurate prophesies, for God told him that prophets are like guns
and prophecies are like bullets and inaccurate prophecies are like
blanks.  And he also says that God told him, “I’m loading the guns,
I’m putting the blanks in!”  Incredible!  Jones would have us
believe that God is responsible for innaccurate prophecies!
Supposedly, even when we shoot blanks, it scares the enemy!  Bob
Jones complains about people who “try to make us Old Testament
prophets” meaning to hold them to the standard of Deut 18.  He then
quotes I Cor 14, about giving prophecy in church and judging to see
if they are all right.  I must reply to this.

     There is a huge difference, I agree, in giving a prophecy, “To
edify, exhort, and comfort” the church, and in being a prophet, who
presumes to speak in the name of the Lord.  But, we aren’t trying
to make these modern “prophets” into Old Testament prophets, they
are.  They are the ones who emphatically say, “The Lord said this,”
or “I saw the Lord face to face, and He said thus and so…”
that’s a far cry from supernatural utterance to edify, exhort, and
comfort.  Standing up and making bold pronouncements to the church
universal in the name of God is a serious matter, New or Old
Testament.  Leading the church into error as a teacher is bad
enough, but to claim direct revelation while doing it is even
worse.  Bob Jones is a man who claims to have five to six visions
and revelations per day.  We are talking about a man who thought he
was a backslider when two days went by without a visitation from
Jesus.  He actually stands before the Lord on the day of atonement,
remember?  And Mike Bickle enthusiastically promoted it!
 
     The New Breed To Come, The Elected Seed – Bob Jones has much
to say about the actual bloodline of the great last days
overcomers.  Bob reports that the Lord told him, “From out of the
sands of time I have called the best of every bloodline in the
earth, unto this generation…Even the bloodline of Paul…of
David…of Peter, James and John, the best of their seed is unto
this generation.  They will even be superior to them in heart,
stature and love for me…”  What does bloodline matter to God,
who of one blood, made us all? Sounds more like some kind of
Eugenics cult than the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Jones goes on to
promise prophetically, the old Manifested Sons of God hopes that,
“They will move into things of the supernatural that no one has
ever moved in before.  Every miracle, sign and wonder that has ever
been in the Bible, they’ll move in it consistently.  They’ll move
in the power that Christ did…They themselves will be that
generation that’s raised up to put death itself underneath their
feet and to glorify Christ in every way…So that glorious church
might be revealed in the last days because the Lord Jesus is worthy
to be lifted up by a church that has reached the full maturity of
the God man!”[16]

     This is typical of the sheer Manifested Sons heresy promoted
by KCF and Grace Ministries.  Has anyone renounced this?  No, they
renounce the fact that they put Bob Jones out in “front stage” and
not “backstage,” but the heresy isn’t rejected.  Jones’ real
problem was that he openly promoted things that others realize the
church isn’t “quite ready for.”

     Several times while I have been there in Toronto in the
services at Airport Vineyard, the prophecies of Bob Jones were
discussed in a noncritical matter, as having been fulfilled in part
by this revival.  In a transcript of a meeting at Airport Vineyard,
Friday, October 14, 1994, Wes Campbell discusses Bob Jones’
revelation of an upcoming “civil war” in the church.  In this war,
the blue represents “revelation knowledge” people, fighting for
freedom in the Spirit.  “The gray” as in gray matter, those bound
to their minds, you know, critical thinking (of course they are the
ones keeping the church in slavery).  This “revelation” was
discussed as being credible and soon coming.[17]

     This failure to resolve to correct the obvious lack of
discernment, has cost us our spiritual eyesight, and led us deeper
into error.  Bob Jones can be an object lesson to us.  After all,
how could all of the “great prophetic company” fail to “pick up on
him?”  Truly, the emperor has no clothes.

     Rev 3:17-18  Because thou sayest, I am rich and increased
     with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not
     that thou are wretched, and miserable, and poor, and
     blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried
     in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment,
     that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy
     nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with
     eyesalve, that thou mayest see.

Paul Cain

     One of the most prominent and well received ministries
associated with KCF would be the ministry of Paul Cain.  The people
of KCF and Grace Ministries have held Cain in the highest regard.

     We [KCF] have recognized a mandate from the Lord to make
     a special commitment to follow the leadership of John
     Wimber and Paul Cain.  Grace Ministries believes that
     these two men are chosen vessels among others in the
     nation.[18]

     In the tape, “Visions and Revelations” in which Bickle
interviews Bob Jones, Cain is described by Jones as “the most
anointed prophet that’s in the world today.”  He is said to have
the “fear mantle on him,” and we are assured that “the enemy would
love to take him out before he [Cain] anoints this next generation,
before he writes upon your mind…before he imparts his anointing
into thousands of you.”[19]

     Paul Cain has an interesting background.  In his testimony, it
is reported that immediately before his birth, his mother was
nearly dead from four major conditions.  Breast cancer,
tuberculosis, heart disease, and three other malignant tumors, all
were afflicting her at the time she was to give birth.  But, an
angel of the Lord came to her and told her not to fear, she would
not die, but give birth to a male child.  The angel even told her
to name him Paul for he would preach the gospel as Paul did.  As
you can see, there are many similarities to the testimony of
William Branham whom Cain was to one day be an associate of.  Paul
Cain says that the angel of the Lord spoke to him at the age of 8
in an audible voice.  “I heard an audible voice and of course,
often the angel of the Lord_it might have been the Lord Jesus
Christ_but anyway, when He speaks it’s rather awesome.”[20]

Joel’s Army

     Paul Cain testifies of another unusual visitation which
occurred at the age of 19, which gave him a message that he
promotes to this day.  An angel appeared to him in glory and
magnificence, holding out a sword, pointing to a billboard.  The
billboard said, “Joel’s army now in training.”  When he asked the
Lord what it meant, the Lord took him through the book of Joel.
Joel’s army is described in Joel 2:1-11.  To Cain and others,
Joel’s army is that great last days church, that “New Breed” of
believers in whom the whole plan of God is climaxed in.  These are
the ones who take the world for Christ, are in perfect unity, are
invincible, even divine in a sense!  The idea of a Joel’s army of
invincible saints, executing judgement, is a huge expression of the
Latter Rain/Manifested Sons of God teachers.

     In 1947, Paul Cain began a public healing ministry, he was 18
years old.  His contemporaries were William Branham, Oral Roberts,
A. A. Allen, Jack Coe, T. L. Osborne, etc.  As the healing revival
exploded and prosperity and popularity increased Cain saw greed,
pride, and self service begin to characterize himself and others he
knew.  He entered into a season of repentance of which he would say
after that God stripped everything away.  It was during that season
of repentance that he had another life changing visitation from the
Lord,

     God had told him that if he kept himself from corruption
     and remained content with living a humble life, marked by
     scripture study and prayer, one day he would be allowed
     to stand before a new breed of men and women leaders.
     These would be marked by simplicity, purity, and
     remarkable manifestations of power.[21]

     Thus began 25 years of extremely low profile for this
“prophet” of the Lord, whom the Lord had also called to be
celibate.  It wasn’t until April of 1987 that “the Lord ordained a
divine appointment for Paul with Mike Bickle and others from
KCF”[22]  “The KCF eldership instantly felt the Lord prompting them
to make a deep and permanent commitment to serve Paul Cain in
anyway possible for the rest of his days as the Lord
permitted.”[23]  Bob Jones, the “resident seer” at KCF went so far
as to say of Cain, “The Lord named Paul Cain’s ministry, “The
Terror of the Lord” or “The Jealousy of God.”[24]

     Terror of the Lord?  What is it about Paul Cain that causes
people to regard him so reverently?  Paul Cain has exhibited the
ability to tell people the details of their lives, hidden sins and
even things they have said in confidence to others.  There have
been reports of earthquakes and other natural disasters predicted
by him. 

     In January of 1989, Paul Cain told Jack Deere, a Vineyard
     pastor, that an earthquake would occur on the day Paul
     arrived for the first time to meet John Wimber at the
     church in Anaheim, California.  Another would occur
     elsewhere in the world the day after he left Anaheim.
     Cain said that the earthquake would be a confirmation
     that the Lord had a strategic purpose for the Vineyard
     Movement.  The first earthquake took place in Pasadena on
     the day Cain arrived.  He left Anaheim on December 7.
     The Soviet-Armenian earthquake occurred on December
     8.[25]

     Another reason that Paul Cain is highly regarded as a “Terror
of the Lord” could be the reported power surges of electricity that
occur at places where he ministers.  On one occasion in a church a
tremendous surge of electrical power blew out circuits and set off
fire alarms.  The fire department responded, only to find that
there was no fire, just a “prophetic meeting!”  In Anaheim,
California, even a battery operated video camera was short
circuited, and the telephone systems were “blown out!”  People have
attributed this to the “heavy prophetic anointing” on Paul Cain,
but does this sound like the Holy Spirit moving to you?

     Not every manifestation is heavy or frightening as Clifford
Hill points out in his review of Some Said It Thundered a
book defending the Kansas City Prophets.

     The main body of this book is an account of story after
     story of what I believe are best described as “paranormal
     experiences,” such as the following telephone
     conversation between Paul Cain…and Mike Bickle.  After
     the opening greetings Paul Cain said, “Why Mike, you’ve
     got a bit of a sniffle and you are all wet.  Your hair is
     standing up on the left side of your head.”  Bickle
     called his wife, Diana, to look at him.  “Sweetheart,
     Paul says I have a sniffle, I am all wet, and my hair is
     standing up on one side.  Am I all wet?”  “Yes,” she
     said, “You’ve just come out of the shower.”  “And is my
     hair standing up on one side?”  “Yes,” she replied, “on
     the left side!”  Paul Cain calls these strange
     experiences little tokens that the line is still open
     with the Lord.” (Page 29).   Why would the Lord Almighty,
     maker of heaven and earth give divine revelation to a
     prophet that his pastor had just taken a shower?  This
     kind of trivialization of prophecy does immense harm and
     causes confusion among the spiritually immature.”[26]

The New Breed, Joel’s Army

     As I said earlier, one of Paul Cain’s major messages seems to
be that there is coming a new breed in the church, of overcomers.
It is this company of end times people that the prophets have
eagerly anticipated.

     This army is also in the New Testament.  It’s referred to
     as “the manchild.”  I know some of you are going to
     disagree with this…Rev 12:25…Here it is this great
     army in the New Testament is the manchild.  Rev 12:5, the
     overcomers Rev 2 and 3, the 144,000 servants, Rev 7:3,
     the bride or the lamb’s wife, Rev 19:7 and 21:9, and the
     white horse, Rev 6:2, the first fruits, Rev 14:4, the
     precious fruits James 5:7, the wise virgins, Matt
     25:1-13, the Manifested Sons of God, Rom 8:19-23 and it’s
     certainly a remarkable fact that none of these names are
     expressions applied to the saints of God or at any other
     time in history.  But, all of them are in their context
     and promises showing undeniably that they belong to the
     end of time…To this present generation, Matt
     24:34…and God wants us to realize once again in closing
     that there’s going to be a great company of overcomers
     prepared for this mighty ministry which I call the prize
     of all the ages.  And again, God’s offering to the
     believers of this generation a greater privilege than was
     ever offered to any people of any generation at any time
     from ADAM clear down through the end of the
     millennium.[27]

Manifested Sons of God?

     Rom 8:19  For the earnest expectation of the creature
     waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.

     Unlike many others who espouse this doctrine, Paul Cain
doesn’t seem to balk at admitting to be a proponent of the
Manifested Sons of God doctrine.  The only problem that he seems to
have with it is people trying to manifest their sonship
presumptuously.

     There will be a manifestation of the sons of God.  And it
     won’t be this baloney that we’ve heard of in the past; I
     mean there’s been a few people tried to walk through a
     wall like this one over here and knocked their brain
     loose, but that’s not what I’m talking about.  I’m
     talking about a true manifested son of God; if anyone
     walks through this wall, over here, they’re not going to
     tell you about it, I mean, they’re just going to do it.
     And sons of God don’t tell you they’re sons of God,
     they’ll just show you!  Amen![28]

     Romans 8:17 is the scriptural point at which the Manifested
Sons of God proponents leap into error.  The scripture teaches that
the whole of creation indeed does await the time of manifestation
of the sons of God, (ie the glorification of the saints, the final
resurrection).  The contention is that we believe we shall be
glorified after the return of Jesus Christ bodily.  It is then that
He, Jesus, will put death underneath His feet.  Manifested Sons of
God teaches that there will be a company of supersaints who will be
glorified and immortalized, before the bodily return of Jesus, and
that we, the glorified, corporate Christ, will be the ones who put
death under our feet.  They also believe that only after that
happens can Jesus return bodily.  Clifford Hill summarizes it
nicely in his Prophecy Today publication.

     The opportunity of joining the “new breed” an elite group
     of believers endowed with supernatural power that would
     enable them to be a part of the army of dread warriors
     that God was said to be raising up in our generation.
     According to John Wimber this is a type of “Joel’s Army”
     who will overcome all opposition to the gospel and
     eventually subdue the nations.  This teaching is part of
     what is known as “dominion theology,” which teaches that
     an elite army of overcomers will either destroy or subdue
     all the enemies of Christ until they eventually gain
     power and authority throughout the world.  The government
     of the nations will be upon their shoulders and when all
     the secular authorities, governments, princes and kings
     have finally submitted to them, Christ will return and
     they will present the kingdom to Him.[29]

     This is the theology that has been promoted by the Kansas City
Prophets and their followers.  As I have said earlier, it is a
theology that emphasizes man in the place of Christ.  The
“corporate Christ” is still the church, not Christ.  It is Jesus
Christ who has destroyed death and will ultimately put it under His
feet, we don’t do it for Him.

The Challenge

     In January, 1990, Ernie Gruen a Charismatic pastor in Kansas
City for 27 years, of the Full Faith Church of Love, released a 233
page document listing erroneous prophecies, statements, doctrines,
and incidents involving the Kansas City Prophets.  “He accused KCF
of sending out false prophets; of prophesying area churches to
close down (and then join KCF) and of outright lying.”[30]

     As an example of the kind of “prophetic” response to these
charges, here is an excerpt from Rick Joyner’s Morningstar.

     KCF is just one of many new streams starting to flow in
     the body of Christ, each of which is destined to receive
     furious and unrelenting attacks for a season, much of
     which will come from those who may have a great influence
     on the church but have long ago lost the anointing.[31]

     Do you see how the Berean spirit is being strangled here?
When someone does raise some valid, specific criticism, “Well, it
must be jealousy, they have a Saul spirit and don’t like our “David
Movement.” “  One of most insidious and blinding concepts to come
to the church lately is the idea that all criticism is personal.
This idea is amplified by the emphasis on people who have the
Jezebel Spirit, fault finding spirit, or that old standby, the
accuser of the brethren!  The whole idea deflects people’s
attention away from the issues of false, destructive doctrine and
ministry to personality, “hurt,” so called division and phony
humility.

     Gruen and Bickle were headed toward a resolution of their
differences by a meeting of the Network of Christian Ministries,
which was supposed to occur in July of 1990.  But, in May, John
Wimber stepped into the situation, offering himself and the
Vineyard Movement as a “covering” to KCF and the prophets. 

     Wimber acknowledged that there were indeed “excesses” at
     KCF.  In a letter to Gruen, Wimber promised to address
     the errors and declared, “I am satisfied that we will not
     see these problems arising again in the future.”  The
     meeting with the NCM leaders was called off.[32]

     Why?  Didn’t the errors still need to be examined, discussed,
rejected or corrected?  Shouldn’t the Pentecostals at least have
insisted on the opportunity to publicly, formally renounce these
heresies?  By sweeping the problem into the “Vineyard House” and
not openly exposing and standing against it, we have sown the wind
and are reaping the whirlwind!  It was probably a great relief to
everyone that Wimber’s action saved us from another controversy,
but what’s the matter with controversy?  Wimber did offer some
correction and guidelines and I appreciate him for it, but for the
most part the Kansas City Prophets rolled right along.  The
erroneous teachings were made available through the Vineyard
Catalogs.  Bob Jones was asked to “limit his public ministry,”
instead of being rejected from public or private ministry.  John
Paul Jackson (See our appendix of KCF Quotes), a blatantly false
prophet was shipped out to California to minister there with
Wimber.  Paul Cain is in England now.  Mike Bickle is a popular
author, pastor and widely accepted Charismatic leader.  Bickle, in
looking back to 1990, told Charisma that he has learned four
lessons from the experience.

     1.   “We had an elite spirit.  That’s become more and
     more real to me — it’s so repulsive.”
     2.   “We promoted mystical experience in a
     disproportionate way and it was disastrous.”
     3.   “We were careless in the way we communicated
     prophetic words.  This was hurtful in a lot of cases.”
     4.   “We were wrong in the way we promoted the city
     church concept.  I still believe in it, but now I believe
     it’s a unity based on friendship.”[33]

     That’s good, but weren’t any of the prophecies, prophets, or
mystical experiences blatantly false?  What about false teaching?
Do you still believe in the city wide church?  Should Bob Jones
have been renounced as a false prophet?

     In all fairness, KCF and Vineyard Church did release a list of
errors they had discovered and were correcting.
 
     Lack of accountability for prophecies that do not come true or
do not bear witness to the person receiving the ministry.

     The attempt by some prophetic ministers to establish doctrine
or practice by revelation alone, apart from clear biblical support.

Dogmatic assertions in delivery of prophetic words.

Revealing negative prophetic words in public without first
confronting the individual.

Giving prophetic words that affect a movement or church without
going first to the appropriate levels of authority.
 
The use of prophetic gifting for controlling purposes.
 
     Manifesting an attitude of superiority through the possession
of a secret body of information.  Amos 3:7 is true surely the
sovereign Lord does nothing without revealing His plan to His
servants the prophets. But the prophetic people are not to wear
a garment of pride because of this knowledge.[34]

     In 1991, Jones finally did have his messages pulled from the
Vineyard Tape Catalog, after confessing to a moral failure.  He is
still cited as a credible prophet by many within the “prophetic
movement,” including many of those associated with the Toronto
Blessing.
 
    In conclusion, there is a severe judgement for following and
supporting false prophets.  I believe it was the acceptance and
“covering” of these “prophets” that immediately accelerated this
revival of spiritual drunkenness.

     Jer 23:16  Thus saith the Lord of hosts, Hearken not unto
     the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you: they
     make you vain: they speak a vision of their own heart,
     and not out of the mouth of the Lord.

     Ezekiel 13:1-9  And the word of the Lord came unto me,
     saying, Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of
     Israel that prophesy, and say thou unto them that
     prophesy out of their own hearts.  Hear ye the word of
     the Lord; Thus said the Lord God; Woe unto the foolish
     prophets, that follow their own spirit, and have seen
     nothing!  O Israel, thy prophets are like the foxes in
     the deserts.  Ye have not gone up into the gaps, neither
     made up the hedge for the house of Israel to stand in the
     battle in the day of the Lord.  They have seen vanity and
     lying divination, saying, The Lord saith: and the Lord
     hath not sent them: and they have made others to hope
     that they would confirm the word.  Have ye not seen a
     vain vision, and have ye not spoke a lying divination,
     whereas ye say, The Lord saith it; albeit I have not
     spoken?  Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Because ye
     have spoken vanity, and seen lies, therefore, behold, I
     am against you, saith the Lord God.  And mine hand shall
     be upon the prophets that see vanity, and that divine
     lies: they shall not be in the assembly of my people,
     neither shall they be written in the writing of the house
     of the Israel, neither shall they enter into the land of
     Israel; and ye shall know that I am the Lord God.

End Notes

1. Audio Tape.  “The Shepherd’s Rod.”  Mike Bickle, Bob Jones.
Fall, 1989.
2.  Audio Tape Transcription.  “Visions and Revelations.”  Mike
Bickle and Bob Jones.  Fall, 1989.  Page 74.
3. Audio Tape.  “The Prophetic History of Grace Ministries.”  Mike
Bickle.
4. “Latter Day Prophets.”  Media Spotlight.  Page 3.  Al Dager.
5. Ibid.
6. “Resolving the Kansas City Prophets Controversy.”  Ministries
Today.  Lee Grady.  Sept/Oct 1990.
7. “Latter Day Prophets.”
8. “Visions and Revelations” Audio Tape Transcript.  Page 60.
9. “Resolving the Kansas City Prophets Controversy.”
10. “The Shepherd’s Rod.”
11. “What’s the Problem?”  Ernie Gruen.
12. “Resolving the Kansas City Prophets Controversy.”
13. “Visions and Revelations.”
14. Ibid.
15. Ibid.
16. Ibid.
17. Wes Campbell.  October 14, 1994.  Toronto Airport Vineyard.
18. “Grace City Report.”  December, 1989.
19. “Visions and Revelations.”
20. Audio Tape, “The New Breed.”  Fall, 1989.
21. “Paul Cain: A Personal Profile.”  Terri Sullivant.  “Grace City
Report.”  Page 13.
22. Ibid.
23. Ibid.
24. Ibid.
25. “Latter Day Prophets.”  Media Spotlight, PO Box 290, Redmond,
WA 98073-0290.
26. Clifford Hill.  “Kansas City Prophets.”  Prophecy Today
Magazine.
27. Audio Tape, Paul Cain.  “Joel’s Army.”  KCF’s Southside
Meeting.
28. “The New Breed.”
29.  Clifford Hill.
30. “Resolving the Kansas City Prophets Controversy.”
31. Ibid.
32. Ibid.
33. “Kansas City Churches Reconciled.”  Charisma.  Lee Grady.
July, 1993.
34. “Making Corrections.”  Ministries Today.  Sept/Oct, 1990.
 

It was inevitable, therefore, that the Church would categorically reject Sola Scriptura and every other concern the Reformers based upon the Bible and would damn them to hell for daring to question its dogmas. That stance has been consistently maintained to this day. We have recently documented in these pages, however, that evangelicals have done something worse: they have deliberately changed the meaning of the text itself in paraphrases and new “translations” such as Eugene Peterson’s The Message. No less evil is the denial of divine inspiration by a host of “evangelical scholars” such as in Richard Foster’s Renovaré Spiritual Formation Bible.

Satan is a very clever strategist. Much Catholicism (infant baptism for salvation, real presence of Christ in the Eucharist, replacement theology, etc.) clung to the Reformers and remains to this day in most Reformed churches (Lutherans, Presbyterians, etc.). “Protestant” state churches replaced Roman Catholic state churches in various areas, and the existence of state churches plagues Europe today. There, large cathedrals of both persuasions see more action from tourists than from members, and “Christianity” is taken seriously by hardly anyone. The marriage between church and state, imposed by the popes and carried into the Reformation by their critics, has been deadly. This successful satanic strategy is not confined to “Christianity” but is found in other religions as well, including Islam.

We saw what happened in Afghanistan. It was the same satanic ploy of a state church all over again. We gave billions of dollars to the Mujahadeen (jihad “freedom” fighters) to repel the Soviets -but when the jihadists took over, they proved to be even more ruthless enemies of freedom. We rescued the Afghan people from Communist totalitarianism only to subject them to an even more vicious and restrictive Islamic dictatorship under the Taliban. Afghanistan became a breeding ground and training center for a terrorism that spread its violence worldwide and had to be stopped. Eventually, the Taliban used its weapons against the very “friends” who had supplied them.

The same double-cross had already happened in Iraq; yet we had not learned our lesson. We gave billions of dollars to Saddam Hussein to fight against Iran and its Shi’ite government. Then we had to fight Saddam, and, of course, he aimed at us the weapons we had supplied.

The gravest danger in Iraq today is that after all the blood that was shed to bring “freedom,” we may find that we have merely traded Saddam’s secular dictatorship for an equally ruthless Islamic Shi’ite government. The plague of the “state church” is endemic to Islam-nothing else is allowed. That fact makes the establishment and survival of genuine democracy in either Afghanistan or Iraq almost impossible. It will take a miracle of God if it occurs.

Something similar happened during the Reformation. In Geneva, under Calvin, a new form of “Protestant” totalitarianism replaced the Catholic hierarchy that had controlled even the secular world. Calvin is known in history as Geneva’s “Protestant Pope.” Calvinist Reconstructionists take Geneva as their model of the world they intend to create “for Christ.” The open survival of true biblical Christianity (scarcely established by the Reformation) in the Western world seems at this hour as doubtful as democracy’s survival in the East.

We have no shortage in America (even in high places in both the secular and religious areas) of those who claim to be Christians but who betray the Christ whom they call Lord by unholy alliances with His enemies who, by the way, cleverly pose as His friends. President Bush’s persistence not only in the lie that “Islam is peace” but in calling this pagan and viciously anti-Israel and anti-Christian religion “the faith of Abraham,” and calling the Qur’an and its author Muhammad “inspired of God,” cast almost conclusive doubts upon his profession to be a Christian. We have had reason to question the similar claims of three previous “Christian” presidents: Nixon, Carter, and Reagan.

Christians have forgotten Christ’s very clear and uncompromising declaration, “If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you…if they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you…” (Jn 15:19-20). Jesus never suggested that the world would vote any of us into high political office. He drew a clear line of separation between church and state when He said, “Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s”
(Mt 22:21). The two cannot be partners.

Evangelicals have become increasingly involved in the world. Earning a living is one thing; entering into unequal yokes in violation of Scripture (2 Cor 6:14-18), no matter how good the cause, is something else. As The New York Times insightfully said, it was the unequal yoke of working together with unbelievers of various religions in social and political action in order to improve the world that set up evangelicals for a religious partnership with Rome. Sadly, Rick Warren’s P. E.A.C.E. plan does exactly that!

We credit Rick with compassion for Africa’s victims of poverty, hunger, AIDS, and other diseases. But Jesus not only healed the sick and fed the hungry but preached the gospel to the poor (Lk 7:22). That is difficult to do when joined in partnership with Muslims, Catholics, et al., as Rick does. Could he be partial to Peterson’s The Message because it so often focuses on improving this earth rather than being ready for heaven? For example, in The Message, “that the world through him might be saved” (Jn 3:17) becomes, “He came to help, to put the world right again.” It sounds like the political and social action of the old social gospel, a major emphasis for Rick. “Hath called us unto his eternal glory” (1 Pt 5:10) becomes “will have you put together and on your feet.” Rick shows little concern for correcting false doctrine. Instead, he says he is working for a “new Reformation” based not upon doctrine but deeds.

One recalls the fervent zeal of the 15,000 evangelicals who met together at the “National Affairs Briefing Conference” in Dallas in September 1980. Reagan had just accepted the Republican nomination for president with an inspiring speech at the national convention on July 17. There was confidence that the new president would fill Washington with Christian appointees, abortion would be overturned, and America would soon become a Christian country. Of course, it didn’t happen-and it won’t.

Present at the Conference was Reconstructionist Gary North, who boasted, “the word ‘rapture’ was not used once.” The focus had subtly turned from heaven and rescuing souls from the wrath to come, to making a better world for our grandchildren to inherit. In their zeal to “Christianize” the secular world, even those who believed in the Rapture began to live as though they had forgotten that they were citizens of Heaven.

The phrase “a new Reformation” exploded enthusiastically from the lips of many. After 450 years, will the Reformation, which in many places like Geneva and in Luther’s area of Germany had replaced one state religion with another, finally create one new state religion worldwide? Will an ecumenical blend of Catholicism and Protestantism cooperating together (and even with Islam) to make a new world of peace eventually prepare the world for the final unity of all religions under Antichrist? We are gathering momentum in that direction.

www.thebereancall.org

Let me begin by noting that, in the first place, I do not know how anyone could credibly claim to be postmillennial and hyper-preterist, nor do I understand how he could claim to be Reconstructionist, while maintaining his hyper-preterism. If all prophecy was fulfilled in the first-century events, then who is to say it is the will of God for the gospel to exercise world-wide victory? There is no remaining word of prophecy to inform us of such. Furthermore, the hyper-preterist position cannot be theonomic in that in its view the Law came to fulfillment in the passing away of the Jewish order ( Mt. 5:17-19 ). So a hyper-preterist cannot be a Reconstructionist (theonomic postmillennialist) on exegetical grounds (although his heart might wish for the Reconstructionist world view).Furthermore, there are numerous exegetical and theological problems I have with the hyper-preterist viewpoint. I deem my historic, orthodox preterism to be exegetical preterism (because I find specific passages calling for specific preterist events); I deem Max King and Ed Stevens’ views to be theological preterism or comprehensive preterism (they apply exegetical conclusions drawn from several eschatological passages to all eschatological passages, because of their theological paradigm).

Let me quickly list some of my present objections; it is hoped that I will later find time to sit down and work on this whole issue (since dispensationalism is in such radical transition and I have a ministry toward dispensationalists, I have tended to focus any spare time I can afford on dispensationalism). Creedal FailureFirst, hyper-preterism is heterodox. It is outside the creedal orthodoxy of Christianity. No creed allows any second Advent in A. D. 70. No creed allows any other type of resurrection than a bodily one. Historic creeds speak of the universal, personal judgment of all men, not of a representative judgment in A. D. 70. It would be most remarkable if the entire church that came through A. D. 70 missed the proper understanding of the eschaton and did not realize its members had been resurrected! And that the next generations had no inkling of the great transformation that took place! Has the entire Christian church missed the basic contours of Christian eschatology for its first 1900 years?Biblical PerspicuitySecond, hyper-preterism has serious implications for the perspicuity of Scripture. This viewpoint not only has implications for the later creeds, but for the instructional abilities of the apostles: no one in church history knew the major issues of which they spoke — until very recently! Are the Scriptures that impenetrable on an issue of that significance? Clement of Rome lived through A. D. 70 and had no idea he was resurrected! He continued to look for a physical resurrection (Clement 50:3). Jude’s (supposed) grandsons still sought a physical resurrection (cf. Eusebius, EH 3:24:4). Whoever these men were, they came right out of the first generation and in theland ofIsrael — with absolutely no inkling of an A. D. 70 resurrection or a past second Advent. See also the Didache 10:5; 16:1ff (first century); Ignatius; Trallians 9:2; Smyrnaens 2:1; 6:1; Letter to Polycarp 3:2 (early second century); Polycarp 2:1; 6:2; 7:1. See also Papias, Irenaeus, Justin Martyr.Berkouwer rightly notes that the reason the resurrection found early creedal acceptance was because of the clear emphasis of the New Testament. The hyper-preterist view has serious and embarrassing implications for the perspicuity of Scripture — and despite the fact that we are now (supposedly) in our resurrected states and have the outpoured Holy Spirit and his gift of teachers who were to protect us from every wind of doctrine ( Eph. 4 )! No CanonThird, the hyper-preterist system leaves the New Covenant Christian (in our post-A. D. 70 era) without a canon. If all prophecy was fulfilled prior to A. D. 70 and if the entire New Testament spoke to issues in the pre-A. D. 70 time frame, we do not have any directly relevant passages for us. The entire New Testament must be transposed before we can use it. Hermeneutic FailureFourth, hyper-preterism suffers from serious errors in its hermeneutical methodology. When a contextually defined passage applies to the A. D. 70 event, the hyper-preterist will take all passages with similar language and apply them to A.D. 70, as well. But similarity does not imply identity; Christ cleansed the temple twice and in virtually identical ways; but the two events are not the same. Furthermore, we must distinguish sense and referent; there are several types of “resurrection” in Scripture: the dry bones of Ez. 37; spiritual redemption in John 5:24; physical redemption at the grave in John 5:28; Israel’s renewal in Christ in Rom. 11:15; and of the Beast in Rev. 13:3. I hold that passages specifically delimiting the time-frame by temporal indicators (such as “this generation,” “shortly,” “at hand,” “near,” and similar wording) are to be applied to A. D. 70, but similar-sounding passages may or may not be so applied.Resurrection ErrorsFifth, there is a serious problem with the removal of the physical resurrection from systematic theology. Christ’s resurrection is expressly declared to be the paradigm of our own ( 1 Cor. 15:20ff) . Yet we know that his was a physical, tangible resurrection ( Lk. 24:39 ), whereas ours is (supposedly) spiritual. What happens to the Biblically defined analogy between Christ’s resurrection and ours in the hyper-preterist system?Anthropological ErrorsSixth, there are numerous other theological and exegetical problems with a spiritual-only resurrection. For one thing, the hyper-preterist view tends to diminish the significance of the somatic implications of sin: Adam’s sin had physical effects, as well as judicial and spiritual effects; where are these taken care of in the hyper-preterist system? Death’s implications are not just judicial and spiritual, but also physical ( Gen. 3:14, 19; Rom. 6:23 ).

If Christians now are fulfilling the resurrection expectation of Scripture, then the gnostics of the early Christian centuries were correct! The physical world seems to be superfluous, in the hyper-preterist viewpoint. The anthropology of hyper-preterism is defective in this, not allowing the theological significance of the body/soul nature of man ( Gen. 2:7 ). This can also have implications for the person of Christ and the reality of his humanity.Piercing QuestionsSeventh, regarding the teaching of Christ and the Apostles, we must wonder why Paul was mocked by the Greeks in Acts 17 for believing in the resurrection, if it were not a physical reality. We must wonder why Paul aligned himself with the Pharisees on the issue of the resurrection ( Ac. 23:6-9; 24:15, 21). We must wonder why we Christians still marry and are given in marriage, since Christ said in the resurrection we will not marry ( Lk. 20:35 ). We must wonder why the apostles never corrected the widespread notion of a physical resurrection, which was so current in Judaism (cf. Josephus, Talmud, etc.). We must wonder why we “resurrected” Christians must yet die; why should we not leave this world like Enoch and Elijah? Furthermore, where and what is the resurrection of the lost ( Jn. 5; Rev. 20 )? Paul considered Hymenæus and Philetus as having made ship-wreck of men’s faith by saying the resurrection is past ( 2 Tim. 2:17-18 ). A wrong view of the resurrection is a serious matter to Paul.  Effects of the ResurrectionEighth, practically I wonder on the hyper-preterist view what the difference our resurrection makes in this life? We get ill and are weak on the same scale as those prior to the A. D. 70 resurrection. Did this glorious resurrection of the “spiritual body” have no impact on our present condition? A hyper-preterist analysis might leave us to expect that Paul looked to A. D. 70 as an agent of relief from the groanings and the temptations of the flesh ( Rom. 7:25 ), yet we still have such — despite the supposed resurrection.  Christology ImplicationsNinth, Acts 1 clearly defines Christ’s second Advent in terms of his ascension, which was physical and visible. For example, in Acts 1:8-11 Luke is careful to say the disciples were “beholding” him as he ascended; he was received “from the eyes of them” (v. 9b); they were “gazing” as he was “going” ( v. 10); they were “looking” ( v. 11); they “beheld” ( v. 11). Clearly his ascension was a visible and glorious phenomenon involving his tangible resurrected body. And there was an actual visible cloud associated with it ( v. 10). The angelic messengers resolutely declare “this same Jesus” (i.e., the Jesus they knew for over three years, who is now in a tangible resurrected body) will “so come in like manner as you saw him go into heaven” ( v. 11). The Greek on tropon literally means “what manner.” The Greek phrase “never indicates mere certainty or vague resemblance; but wherever it occurs in the New Testament, denotes identity of mode or manner” (A. Alexander, Acts, ad loc.).

Consequently, we have express Biblical warrant to expect a visible, bodily, glorious return of Christ paralleling in kind the ascension. The hyper-preterist position goes contrary to this clear teaching of Scripture.  A Brief MillenniumTenth, if A. D. 70 ends the Messianic reign of Christ (cf. the hyper-preterist view of 1 Cor. 15:24, 28), then the glorious Messianic era prophesied throughout the Old Testament is reduced to a forty-year interregnum, whereas by all accounts it is a lengthy, glorious era. A problem with premillennialism is that it reduces Christ’s reign to 1000 literal years; hyper-preterism reduces it further to forty years! The prophetical expressions of the kingdom tend to speak of an enormous period of time, even employing terms that are frequently used of eternity. Does Christ’s kingdom parallel David’s so that it only lasts for the same time frame? History and Church ErrorsEleventh, hyper-preterists eternalize time, by allowing history to continue forever. This not only goes against express statements of Scripture, but also has God dealing with a universe in which sin will dwell forever and ever and ever. There is no final conclusion to the matter of man’s rebellion; there is no final reckoning with sin. Christ tells us that the judgment will be against rebels in their bodies, not “spiritual” bodies ( Mt. 10:28 ). The hyper-preterist system does not reach back far enough (to the Fall and the curse on the physical world) to be able to understand the significance of redemption as it moves to a final, conclusive consummation, ridding the cursed world of sin. The full failure of the First Adam must be overcome by the full success of the Second Adam. Ecclesiastical LaborTwelfth, hyper-preterism has serious negative implications for ecclesiastical labor. Is the Great Commission delimited to the pre-A. D. 70 era, due to the interpretation of “the end” by hyper-preterists ( Mt. 28:20 )? Is the Lord’s Supper superfluous today, having been fulfilled in Christ’s (alleged) Second Advent in A. D. 70 ( 1 Cor. 11:26 )

Kenneth L. Gentry holds several degrees in theology, including a Th.D. from Whitefield Seminary. He is pastor of Reedy River Presbyterian Church inConestee, South Carolina, and has written several books and numerous essays. He can be contacted at 46 Main St., Conestee, SC29636, or KennethGentry@CompuServe.COM.