"The New Thing"
(Global Revival as the Key Element In Deception in Twentieth Century Pentecostalism)
The world and much of the Church is heading straight into the antichrist delusion. God wants you to survive. He does not want you to fall - that is why he appoints watchmen to sound the trumpet of alarm, and also why he offers you the tools for understanding the danger.
There are so many different aspects of this deception that we can only focus on one or two at a time. But in this four-part by Tricia Tillin an attempt is made to clarify the foundational errors that lead to all these things.
The topics of the four sections, together with the appendix, and PDF version for download, are found on the CONTENTS page. Alternatively, each section is briefly linked below:
Part One - The Gnostic Key |
Part ThreeA - The Ezekiel 47 Model Part ThreeB - Onwards to Glory Contents - of all sections |
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If you are looking for the "New Thing" article itself, please begin HERE
APPENDIX ONE: Brief History of Restorationism
John Alexander DOWIE (1847-1907)
"Full Restoration To Apostolic Christianity"
Dowie, an early faith healer, was very influenced by the Irvingites and their Apostolic Church. Around 1900 he set up a utopian city called Zion near Chicago on the banks of Lake Michigan. It was run strictly according to his ideas of how Christian should live, and around six thousand Christians lived there under Dowie's authoritarian rule.
Dowie became more and more eccentric, believing that he was the Elijah who was to come to herald the Restoration and the Millennium. He was, he said, the first apostle of the new order. Once again, the emphasis is on the apostles who are needed to restore the Church to perfection. After he died and the city declined many of his followers joined the various Pentecostal groups and contributed to the Pentecostal revivals.
Charles Fox PARHAM (1873-1929)
The Apostolic Faith Movement
Parham, one of the prime movers in the Pentecostal revival of the 1900's, believed fervently in the "new thing", ie, the return of the Holy Spirit in a new Pentecostal outpouring to purify the Church and win the world to God.
This teaching was in fact developed out of the Holiness teachings of the 19th century and their emphasis on the "new thing", the Latter Rain outpouring of Joel 2, expected to bring a worldwide revival.
Added to this, and in conjunction with it, was the need to raise up apostles, and return to apostolic faith. To the early Pentecostal pioneers, the sign of the return of the Spirit to the Church, to restore her to purity and power for her mission, would be the speaking of tongues. The importance of supernatural languages was to save the lost in other lands which they believed was the pre-requisite to bringing the Lord back to earth. Only worldwide revival and the bringing in of the last great harvest would fulfil the requirements for the Lord's return, thus they were desperate to produce the latter-rain that would create the harvest. This error has led so many astray. For example, the Swedish pastor, Ulf Ekman said, "we must have a revival or Christianity will fail."
Charles Parham set up a group called the Apostolic Faith Church, which had the two-fold function of restoration of the Church and full Christian unity. In 1901, the sign of tongues duly appeared in one of the Parham meetings. Later, William Seymour attended the tongues meetings and went on to be formative in the Azuza Street revival in Los Angeles in 1906. At this time Parham was at the height of his influence, with between eight and ten thousand followers. However, after the death of Dowie, Parham tried to establish the troubled Zion City as his Capital and in the process missed the Azuza Street outpouring. Other problems followed, and Parham eventually sank into the pages of history without accomplishing his dream of world revival.
Apostolic Church in the UK
One of the founders of the British Apostolic Church was the father of Cecil Cousen. This Church, like Irving’s fellowships, also believed in the restoration of the Church through apostles and prophets. Cecil Cousen was a member until he was forced to resign because of his Latter Rain beliefs.
Cecil Cousen went to Ontario and worked with Fred Poole who’d emigrated during the Second World War. There they attended meetings led by Ivan Spencer, (1949-51) where they picked up Latter Rain teachings and brought them back to the UK, in particular the impartation of gifts by the laying on of hands, which was one of the major points of difference between the Latter Rain and Pentecostals.
In 1951, Fred Poole and some other Latter Rain leaders came to the Apostolic Church with a proposal for adopting Latter Rain beliefs. They held a council meeting in Bradford and said "the people accepted the Latter Rain ministry with open hearts"Later, however, the Church officials publicly disassociated themselves from Latter Rain beliefs, and excommunicated Cecil Cousen. He went on to set up his own Fellowship in Bradford and to become one of the forces behind the Charismatic Movement in the UK.
John Poole, the son of Fred Poole,later took LR teachings into the heart of the shepherding movement, becoming the editor of "New Wine", at one time the most influential charismatic magazine available to the renewal groups.
(The development of the Renewal in Britain is covered in a separate article on this site.)
Ivan Spencer and the Elim Bible Institute
Ivan Spencer (1888-1970) received Baptism in Spirit in 1913, and joined the AoG in 1920. In 1924 he opened the Elim Bible Institute, New York.
Spencer was another leader who depended on the guidance of the inner light, rather than scripture. He accepted questionable prophecies and "words" and feelings, without testing the spirits. He also taught that certain perfected believers would attain immortality and be born as the Manchild company.
Many at the Elim Institute were fanatical, and drew criticism for their extremes. After visiting Myrtle Beall’s Bethesda Temple (from 1947) in Detroit, Spencer adopted the Latter Rain teaching, and it was later also promoted by Ivan’s son, Carlton Spencer, (born in 1914).
Carlton Spencer was much involved in the Shepherding and Restoration Movements, and was on the planning committee of the first Conference on Charismatic Renewal (1977) in Kansas City.
A Special Footnote
Was there secret Roman Catholic input into both the Latter Rain and Charismatic revivals? This is difficult to prove, yet certain evidence exists. For the sake of brevity I would just point out the known facts, that the Roman Catholic leaders Ralph Martin and Steve Clark joined with the Fort Lauderdale Shepherding group, and set up in 1974 a Council to work together for world revival.
Thereafter, Charismatic events were ecumenical. Also in 1974 (probably not a coincidence) a split appeared in the British leadership. Those who still believed that the historical denominations should not and could not be restored parted company with the group who decided to work for ecumenical unity.
During a pilgrimage to the Holy Land in 1977, the Council met and agreed to work with Cardinal Suenens. They drafted a statement, which said:
"We, the Council, are committing ourselves to work together with the Cardinal for the restoration and unity of Christian people and world evangelisation in projects to be mutually agreed upon."
Shepherding, whatever else it became, was a form of the Roman Priesthood. Thus the method adopted for restoring the churches - submission to a pyramid structure of elders - and also a-millennialism could have been introduced by the Catholics.
APPENDIX TWO: A New 'King David' for the New Temple?
In the time of the first Jerusalem and Temple, the people had David as king over them. Now that the Ark (the Shekinah glory) is about to return to New Jerusalem and endtimes Temple, it would seem there is likely to be, also a new "david" as king of the earth. If believers continue to allegorise the scriptures, here is the result:
The new Temple to be built, has a priesthood, and also a PRINCE. This Prince is clearly not Jesus because he has to be purified with sacrifices - he's a man, but the anointing high priest at that time. and possibly a king - a new king David.
David was anointed as the king of Israel, and made his home in Jerusalem. So will the New Jerusalem have to have a new king - a man, anointed by the new anointing - a man who is christed to the utmost degree, an ascended master of the highest order to lead the initiates of the new Body?
Conclusion: Are we soon to see the emergence of a satanically-energised human being, a new "david"?
APPENDIX THREE: The Endtimes Scenario according to Latter-Rain teaching:
The Church must follow the 'Pattern' of Jesus Christ - because Jesus is the 'Pattern Son'. He had a three-year ministry, a death, resurrection and glorification - and the Church must follow in his steps.
Thus the last seven years shows this pattern, and it is also the pattern of the Book of Revelation. We can learn about what such believers expect if we look at this pattern: A baptism in the Spirit that leads to an anointed three-year miracle ministry, under increasing persecution from the Religious "pharisees", The persecution intensifies to the extent that the "christ" believers are put to death or imprisoned. However, like Jesus, they are publicly vindicated by being raised by God to transformed bodies, and placed in positions of rulership "in the heavenlies" - ie, having spiritual dominion and authority to judge the earth.
The Final Three-and-a-half Years
You have to know what happens in that final 3-1/2 years! WRATH! It is believed that, after the overcomers are raised up, they do battle with the evil powers and principalities, casting them out of their places of power. This leads to a dreadful Tribulation, a horrible purging for the world and for the Church, when antichrist forces will be let loose to completely destroy society; and all the while the Manchild will be smiling down on us from their Rapturous position as spiritual Rulers, presiding over the slaughter of God's enemies
This is how they will purge the Church of any who disagree with them - basically by being in league with the devil as he tortures and destroys all who cleave to the One True God!
IMPORTANT COPYRIGHT INFORMATION:
(c) Tricia Tillin 2001
It is not my intention to hinder anyone who has a LEGITIMATE use for this material. Indeed, this material is so important that I want it to reach everyone who needs it.
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- This article and those that follow it are produced for the specific purpose of informing and supporting genuine believers in their fight against the current apostasy. This information is therefore not aimed at those already committed to the Revival, whether leaders or ordinary members of the churches involved.
© 1995-2013 Tricia Tillin of Banner Ministries. All rights reserved. Cross+Word Website: http://www.banner.org.uk/ This document is the property of its author and is not to be displayed on other websites, redistributed, sold, reprinted, or reproduced in printed in any other format without permission. Websites may link to this article, if they provide proper title and author information. One copy may be downloaded, stored and/or printed for personal research. All spelling and phraseology is UK English.
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