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Post by Sunnysnet on May 29, 2005 16:00:56 GMT -5
The "Great End-Times Revival / Harvest" - Another Last Days Delusion
Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; 2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; 1 Timothy 4:1-2
A recent attempt was made by Andrew Strom in his article " The Elijah Factor" to give forth the Scriptural - specifically New Testament - proofs for the end-time revival. In an answer to the question "Can anyone cite for me New Testament proofs of the coming revival being spoken of?
I, and many others, do not see revival coming...." , Mr. Strom says "To be honest, my experience with such questions is that those asking them often do not really want to consider even a reasoned reply. Their minds are already made up. But please try to keep an open mind." This is a tactic typical of so many in the present day prophetic movement.
While rebuking others - perhaps rightly - for their errant practices and doctrines, they hold on firmly to their own pet ideas. As it is said, "You can take the boy out of the country, but you cannot take the country out of the boy." Or, should we say "prophetic movement" instead?
The great end-time revival / harvest has long been a doctrine of the pentecostal / charismatic movement. but so has the 'prosperity' doctrine. That does not make it true.
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Post by Sunnysnet on May 29, 2005 16:03:17 GMT -5
The truth is, ANY doctrine or belief must ALWAYS be held up to the proof of the Scripture. And, like the "Elijah Company" fallacy we examined in "The Many and the Few", the "great end-time revival / harvest," as put forth in teachings and doctrine, is simply NOT supported by the Scriptures.
As is often the case today, the terms used in these errant doctrines have often been redefined to suit the purveyor's beliefs. Thus 'harvest' or 'restoration' becomes 'revival' as though the terms were synonymous. Let us, then, begin by defining terms. To 'revive' as in 'revival' is to return something dead, dying, or severely damaged to it's previous state of life / wellness. To 'restore' is similar, meaning to take something that has changed in some way and return it to its original state.
To 'harvest' is to take the usable portion grown on a plant off the plant and either use or store it for future use. Mr. Strom follows the common practice of the rest of the prophetic movement by equating the harvest of Matthew 13:19 with this supposed end-time revival saying, "Jesus said in Mt 13:39 that, "The harvest is the end of the age".
He was speaking here of the "harvesting" of the good and the bad - the wheat and the tares at the end of the age."
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Post by Sunnysnet on May 29, 2005 16:07:23 GMT -5
This idea immediately runs into major problems, however. Coming from the midwest, where agriculture is a large part of life, we have observed and participated in the harvest many times.
'Harvest' is NOT 'revival' The seeds are planted, they grow and mature until the fruit is ripe. Then the fruit is gathered, whether good or bad. After the harvest of the fruit, what is left is stubble and chaff. The residue is worthless. The chaff and stubble - and the tares - are burned, according to Jesus.
The fruit - which belongs to the Master - is gathered into His barns. There is nothing to 'revive' - the harvest is done, the crop is gone. What most mean by this 'revival' is that a large number of people will suddenly 'get it' and decide to become true followers of Jesus. But how do you 'revive' or 'restore' a person who has never believed? The Bible says those who are not saved are DEAD. Having never been spiritually alive, to what would they be restored?
To compare the harvest to evangelism is ludicrous. You cannot revive the lost to a state of being saved that they never were! Nor can you restore the lost to a state they have never been in - i.e. redeemed and converted.
In Matthew 13:3-9 Jesus tells the parable of the sower. In verses 18 through 23 of the same chapter, He gives the exact meaning of His words. His interpretation is clear and easy for anyone to understand. There are no hidden, esoteric meanings here.
Notice that some seed fell by the wayside, some fell on stones, some fell in thorns and some fell on good ground. That is ONE out of FOUR. It was only the good seed in the good ground that bore any fruit and had anything to harvest.
Now comes a simple question: Is the believer the fruit or is believer the plant that bears the fruit? (If you are having trouble with this, check Matt 13:24-30, 37-43 and John 15:1-8, 15-16) Jesus relates the same principle here that He speaks of in Matthew 7:13-14, about the narrow way that few find and the broad path that leads to destruction that many walk on.
If you continue to read in Matthew 7, you see that many who think that they are serving Jesus (casting out demons, prophesying, etc.) will hear Jesus say He never knew them.
They have no good, eternal fruit, in spite of their claims. They are TARES, not wheat. Of all the seed sown in the parable, 25% never believes, 25% fall away, 25% never bear any ripe fruit, and 25% is good seed that bears fruit. 75% 'many and 25% 'few' - the pattern holds. Now many will balk at that and will claim that God is not a 'loser' and He will not let satan mislead enough men to stop God from having a majority - at least 51% - of people in the Kingdom of God.
The idea sounds good at least to human egos, but it is unscriptural. How many people were saved from the flood, out of all the men on earth? Eight people. How many nations did God choose out of all the nations of the earth? One - started by one man with one son.
"But three thousand people were saved all at once on Pentecost!" they cry. Consider this: A million or more Jews lived in the Roman world at that time. All adult male Jews (over bar mitzvah age) were required to go to Jerusalem for three major feasts, one of which was Pentecost. Jews had large families.
Let's say one in eight Jews was an adult male. That comes to 125,000 men. According to some sources, the norm, despite the official law, was that the adult males tried to make at least one feast of the three.
That would mean that there were about 41,600 Jewish men from out of town in Jerusalem at Pentecost. 3,000 is only 7% or so of that number. Not as many as it sounded at first, is it? Now, you can quibble with our numbers, but they are most probably low, not high - which make the percentage even smaller.
Few men got saved that day, really, compared to the total audience. The idea of many, or a majority following God is a lie. God does not force people to love Him. He sent Jesus to die for the sins of all the world, but He forces NO ONE to accept that sacrifice.
All who spend eternity in the Lake of Fire will go there because they rejected the blood of Jesus as a covering for their sins. The Father searches for those who will worship Him in Spirit and in Truth, and Jesus made it clear that those are few. God does not number the people, that is man's measure of success and it was a grievous sin to God. (2 Samuel 24) It has never been about numbers.
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Post by Sunnysnet on May 29, 2005 16:10:54 GMT -5
While a great revival is not mentioned, a great falling away is. "Well, there you go," they cry, "there is the revival. Those who fall away will be restored." Wrong again.
4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, 5 And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, 6 If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame. 7 For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God: 8 But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned.
Hebrews 6:4-8 (see also Heb 10:26-31) Now, we are not saying that no one can get saved or repent in the end-times / latter days. Both things will happen, and sometimes to large groups of people. But they will be few in comparison to the many who will reject God to the end.
The Book of revelation is written TO THE CHURCH, not the world. So how did the modern church fall victim to this happy fiction of a "great end-times revival" in the first place? It's another case of men that claim to be speaking for God leading the many of the church into doctrines of men and demons. They change truth into a lie and a lie into the truth.
Like the pre-tribulation rapture, this is another 'feel-good' idea to scratch the itching ears and pacify the flock while they are fleeced and fattened for the slaughter. If you honestly search the Scriptures for references to the latter days / end-times, you will find warnings of how much trouble and tribulation is in store for the people of God until Jesus returns. There will be glorious things as well, but at a very high cost - "And they overcame him [satan]by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death."
In 2 Thessalonians 2, Paul speaks of the great falling away that comes in the last days, because the so-called church does not love the Truth.
Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Because the supposed people of God do not really love Jesus, the Truth, but are enamored of a Jesus made in their own image, GOD HIMSELF sends the many strong delusion, that they would believe a lie.
Any teaching that makes claims to 'revelation' that is contrary to the plain word of Scripture is part of the deception - no matter how good it sounds. Yet some will go to great lengths to defend this idea of a great revival or harvest, even if it means violating Scripture. They will dance around the lack of plain language, calling their supposed knowledge of this revivial 'revelation.'
For example, Bill Somers recently wrote in an article called " Stumbling Blocks to Maturity" the following: "For example, we have many visions and prophesies about end time revival and harvest. The critics will throw these out, claiming that the bible makes no mention of end time revival and harvest.
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Post by Sunnysnet on May 29, 2005 16:15:35 GMT -5
Now if these visions, etc, are correct, they constitute direct revelation by the Spirit. This is where the critic will jump in and come against the very idea of revelation knowledge.
Critics will argue that God has nothing new to say; he said it all in his word; and the word must be sufficient. And they will maintain this without offering any scriptural proof."
We have, indeed, offered Scriptural proof. What is interesting about his argument is that HE offers NO Scriptural proof, but demands it from 'critics.' And he also implies that, if you do not believe in this fallacious harvest, you "come against the very idea of revelation knowledge." Yet, notice that he says "IF these visions, etc. are correct ..." [emphasis ours] He also admits that this was a "keystone of what is called Pentecostal Theology."
It sounds more like 'latter rain' or 'dominion theology' actually. Regardless of the source, does the fact that it is a doctrine with any denomination automatically make it true? How can we know, if not by the Word of God??
We do not come against revelation of the Holy Spirit. We do, however, question any 'revelation' that plainly contradicts what God has already said in His Word.
As for his statement "Critics will argue that God has nothing new to say; he said it all in his word; and the word must be sufficient.", we offer Ecclesiastes 1:9 - The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun. And also
Isaiah 46:9 Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, 10 Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:
Mr. Somers further says: "Let’s put it another way. Where some look in the bible and see end time revival and harvest others only see end time falling away, [apostasy] and judgment. Well as the skeptics argue, end time revival and harvest is just not there. That is unless the Spirit shows it to you, it’s just not there.
But once you receive it as divine revelation, then it becomes obvious." Again, he gives no Scripture, he simply asserts that the Holy Spirit revealed it - somewhere. In other words, if you don't see this supposed harvest, you are, in his words, immature and cannot hear revelation from the Holy Spirit.
The problem with this idea is that anyone can claim 'divine revelation' of a particular doctrine and find some verse to twist to 'prove' their revelation.
Mr. Somers admits as much himself :"We mentioned that someone can always find an alternate explanation for a bible passage. People have used the bible to prove just about anything." So, we must conclude that you are simply to take his word for it that he is right and you are wrong.
You apparently can't, according to him, trust the Holy Spirit and the plain words of the Bible, you need to get new 'revelation knowledge' - presumably from someone 'mature' like he is.
Like the rest of the self-appointed prophetic elite, he puts forth a teaching he claims is from the Holy Spirit while insulating himself from any possible correction by making it clear from the beginning of his article that he considers anyone who dares to argue with him immature and childish.
This is the way the deception is propagated. In the modern prophetic paradigm, those who set themselves up as some kind of teacher or expert in discernment expect us to accept that they have the revelation of the Holy Spirit at a level we small fry cannot expect to have. These false teachers / prophets / apostles set themselves up as the Holy Spirit for the masses, and no one is allowed to question or disagree, no matter what Scriptural backing they have, without being labeled immature, divisive, accusers of the brethren, demonized, etc.
They make the Bible into a mysterious, esoteric tome with levels and layers that only the 'anointed' or 'mature' or 'five fold ministers' can interpret for the poor dumb sheep.
Yet those same arrogant people will defend their false revelations by quoting 1 John 2:27, which was written to the 'regular' believers - But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.
The truth is that the end times - which are already here - are going to be difficult and unpleasant for everyone. Jesus said "But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved."
(Matt 24:13) and "For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened." (Matt 24:21-22)
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Post by Sunnysnet on May 29, 2005 16:20:21 GMT -5
It is most likely that for most of us we will be pressed to "... having done all to stand. Stand therefore ..." (Eph 6:13-18) We are admonished to keep the faith till the end. We overcome by the blood of the Lamb, the word of our testimony, and not loving our lives unto the death. Jesus said that in THIS WORLD we would have tribulation. If you carefully read Matthew 24 and Rev 14:14-20, you will find that the coming of the Lord comes AFTER the tribulation that we will all go through.
The "end-time" harvest, according to the book of Revelation, is twofold. The first is the reaping of the harvest of the earth, when the grain is gathered, as Jesus said, into His barns, and the tares are not.
The second harvest will gather the grapes of the vine - Not the TRUE vine, but the vine of the Earth - and throw them into the winepress of the wrath of God.
Isa 5:1-9 speaks of this vine, planted by the Beloved, but bringing forth 'wild grapes' - the apostate people of God. Isa 63 paints a vivid picture of the one who treads out the wine press. Many claim this event, with the blood up to the horses bridles, as a part of the battle of Armageddon, but that battle is not mentioned here.
It is far more likely, given the context, that this is the judgement of God against the apostate church.
Many in the church today have learned doctrines and ideas from men that are simply lies. These lies distort and mislead people about the true nature of God.
God IS love, but He is also holy and just. He must judge unrepentant unrighteousness and sin or He violates His own nature. The same God you read about in the Old testament that hates sin and iniquity has not changed. As He judged Old Testament Israel, so He will judge New Testament Israel - the Church.
The day has come when God is saying "it is enough." And as it was in ancient Israel, many will be destroyed while God keeps His remnant by His hand and His power. Man's methods will not serve God's plans.
What is needed is not another movement with an new name and a new message, but the same old methods - conferences, programs, institutions, etc. John the Baptist did not hold conferences.
He did not travel around to suit the needs of the people. He went where God told him to go, and the people came to him. Jesus was not moved by the needs of the people or the desires of the masses. He did what He saw the Father doing.
The apostles were sent by God, they didn't just put their heads together and make up a conference schedule. The believers were drawn together by the Holy Spirit. They were led, day by day, in the simple living of life in Jesus, fellowshipping as they were led of the Spirit.
Can God not do this any more?? If God wants a revival, can He not bring it to pass? Must the Almighty use man's technology and ideas to do His will?? Must men now organize, label and guide the move of God??
And, one must ask, when they do, does it remain a move of God - or become a move of men? The Church, like old Israel, has become a harlot, described in Revelation 17.
If you are one of God's people you are told to "come out of her." Jesus said the tares are 'bundled together.' In a time when we are warned that we will be hunted by the emissaries of satan, are we truly called to start a movement to gather together in imitation of the Whore's gatherings?
Or are we to each follow the Good Shepherd where he leads us, and be with His flock as He brings us together? Beloved, heed the words of Jesus: "Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in My name, saying I am Christ; and shall deceive many."
These deceivers come in Jesus' name. They claim the 'anointing' of Jesus Christ. Their message sounds good, their methods are pure Babylon.
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Post by Sunnysnet on May 29, 2005 16:23:19 GMT -5
Our King warns us of the coming end, and the tribulations and persecutions we can expect.
And in those end times, Jesus says, "Then, if any man shall say unto you, Lo here is Christ [the anointing] or there, believe it not. for there shall arise false Christs [anointings] and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders [supernatural things, too]; insomuch that, if it were possible, [and it IS possible] they shall deceive the very elect.
Behold, I have told you before. [You have been forewarned.] wherefore, if they [the false ones] shall say unto you, Behold he [the anointed one] is in the desert; go not forth; behold he [the anointed one] is in the secret chambers; believe them not."
Jesus promises that He is always with us, and the Holy Spirit dwells in us, if we are truly His. We have no need - in fact are told NOT to - chase after meetings, conferences, or movements to find God and His will for us.
We need only be obedient to His commands. If you really want to know what God would have you to do, ask HIM - not some person, regardless of who it is.
He will give you the guidance you need. If He sends you, go. If He calls you to stand up on a street corner and preach, do it. If He brings you new lambs to help, cherish them.
Leave the results to Him - He knows what He is doing and is more than able to accomplish it.
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Post by Sunnysnet on May 29, 2005 16:25:57 GMT -5
This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. 2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
6 For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,
7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
8 Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.
9 But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was.
10 But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience,
11 Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me.
12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.
14 But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;
15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
2 Timothy 3:1-17
In the Fear of the Lord, Makkehelah & Seraphah
makkehelah@mail.com
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