e-Newsletter

Volume Two, Issue Eight
3/99


Volume Two, Issue Eight
"DECEPTION IN THE CHURCH" Newsletter
3/99

Dear All,

Awaiting me upon my return from a truly wonderful ministry trip though
Micronesia was the latest edition of "The Plumbline" by Dr. Orrel
Steinkamp.  I highly recommend this publication.  I know this is the
second article from The Plumbline in a matter of months, but bear with
me.  It is worth the time invested to learn a lesson from history.

This issue deals with the false doctrines feeding the current "river" of
counterfeit revival that is sweeping the church.  Latter Rain, Manifest
Sons of God, Dominionism, Joel's Army and other Kingdom Now doctrines
are being consistently taught in Third Wave churches to a largely
unsuspecting group of people.  I have documented proof that these and
other false doctrines have been and are being taught at Brownsville A/G,
the Brownsville A/G School of Ministry as well as Fuller Theological
Seminary -- not to mention most Third Wave conferences, where you can
consistently find teachers being "blown here and there by every wind of
teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful
scheming."  Many Third Wave inductees and churches read and/or make
available MorningStar Journal, a publication that is at the forefront of
espousing Kingdom Now doctrines.

Were people who have jumped in "the river" to look into the false
doctrines behind the glitter of subjective testimonials and showy signs
and wonders they would realize the faulty foundation upon which the
entire Toronto/Brownsville riverbed rests.  These doctrines have had the
welcome mat rolled out for them in churches that have already allowed
"the river" in.  People who have been softened up with "slain in the
spirit" and "empty your mind" New Age techniques are being fed a steady
diet of the incredibly old tripe of Latter Rain.

Christians should ask themselves ... if a person like Paul Cain or John
Kilpatrick or Benny Hinn have falsely prophesied and never repented and
continue to teach false unbibilical doctrines, why would anyone assume
the "transferable anointing" they manifest and promote is from the
Lord?  The indwelling Holy Spirit of God is Truth with a big "T".  Those
who are truly followers of Christ and obedient to the Word do not
consistently teach false doctrines as Third Wave leaders do.

The following paper is a careful discussion of the history of the
doctrines that "the river" is winding through.  If they have made a home
in your church, maybe it's time to get back to the authority of the Word
of God before it's too late!

In Christ,
DITC


Assessing Current Teachings, Issues, And Events With Scripture
by Dr. Orrel Steinkamp, D. Min

A SECOND PENTECOST?

C. Peter Wagner is attempting to will into existence what he calls a "New Apostolic Reformation." He tells us in a book he has
edited called "The New Apostolic Churches" of the struggle he had with naming his new reformation.

"I needed a name. . . For a couple of years I experimented with 'Postdenominationalism.'. The name I have settled on
for the movement is the New Apostolic Reformation." [1]

Donald Miller a colleague of Wagner calls this movement "The New Paradigm Churches." [2] This is advertised as a
reformation greater in scale than the reformation of the 1500's.

It is suggested that this "new reformation" is something entirely new.  Wagner outlines his article with sections such as "new
name", "new authority structure", "new ministry focus", "new worship style", "new prayer forms" etc.  The centerpiece of this
new apostolic reformation is the launching of new apostles and prophets.  The restoration of modern day apostles and prophets
is promoted in the book "The Gift of Apostle" by David Cannistraci.  This book was offered to those attending a conference
organized by Wagner called "Churches in the New Apostolic Paradigm." Among the list of topics and presenters for the
conference was Bill Hamon. (Can we really refer to the Bill Hamon's teaching as new?) Bishop Hamon has been promoting
restoration and manifest sons of God teaching for decades.  Can it be argued that this "New reformation" is something that God
has just recently dropped new from heaven like the baby Superman from Krypton?  I suggest that there is nothing new here at
all and for anyone willing to do the study they will find it a mere cutting edge version of something at least 100 years old.  G.
Raymond Carlson, former General Superintendent of the AOG, had this to say regarding the new apostles and prophets:

"I saw it in the New Order of the Latter Rain in the late 40's and early 50's.  Before that, it made its presence felt in the
early days of the century among early Pentecostals." [3]

The only thing new about this movement seems to be the new personalities who are promoting it and their creative marketing
techniques.  It is interesting that those promoting this end of the age global revival visualize and allegorize it as a "Mighty River."
In the last Plumbline I asked the question if the "River Boat Captains" knew the direction the current river is flowing.  Now I
would like to ask further questions.  Do the gleeful riverboat passengers know where "the River" originated?  Do they know
that this river has been flowing for many years?  Do they know the original channel that still determines where the River will
eventually flow?  We all know that the source and the course of a river determines its direction no mater how many tributaries
may enter into it along the way.  So it is with what is currently called the "River of' Revival." Provided people think logically, the
underlying core paradigm will eventually play out according to the original vision much like the rules of chess determine what is
a valid move and what is not.

G. Raymond Carlson was right.  This much publicized new paradigm can be traced to the Latter Rain movement of 40's and
early 50"s.  Even though the Latter Rain of the 50's faltered and fell into disrepute with the tragic death of William Branham and
the repudiation by the Assemblies of God it was kept alive by certain survivors and reintroduced in a veiled manner into the
Charismatic Renewal of the 60's and 70's.  Few people have realized just how influential the Latter Rain movement was and
how effectively Latter Rain concepts were introduced into the Charismatic Renewal.  Ern Baxter who was instrumental in the
Shepherding Movement, worked with William Branham during the 50's Latter Rain.  George Warnock, who wrote the only
systematic teaching from the Latter Rain (The Feast of Tabernacles), was Ern Baxter's personal secretary.  In the midst of the
Charismatic Renewal I remember well the teaching of the fivefold ministry and at that time assumed it was a new revelation to
the church not knowing it had been imported directly from the Latter Rain.  But is the mid-century Latter-Rain the headwaters
of the current River of revival?  Not really.  Rather than the headwaters it is a major tributary.  We must travel further upstream
to find the actual source.  Dr. Raymond Carlson again is correct in asserting that some of the early Pentecostal pioneers of the
turn of the century also were involved.  Before we stop with the early Pentecostals, we must go just a little further and find the
headwaters in the Holiness movement of the late 1800's

The Holiness Movement

Holiness enthusiasts of the late nineteenth century searched the scriptures for reference to the revival they were experiencing.
One popular scripture was Matt. 24:14, "And this gospel shall be preached in all the world and then the end come." Holiness
teaching served as a prelude to missions and missions a prelude to the second coming.

They identified their holiness experience as the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and the enablement to take the gospel to every nation
and then Jesus could return.  Holiness preachers searched the scriptures for this worldwide revival and interestingly enough the
best they could find was a teaching they called the "Latter Rain." This Latter Rain allegory was pieced together from scripture
references of the early and latter rains of the Palestinian growing season. (Deut. 11:10-21 and James 5:7-8).  These Palestinian
rainfall patterns metaphorically became a sort of lens though which to view all of church history.  The outpouring of the Spirit at
Pentecost was seen as the early rain in which the church was planted and the end of age revival was the latter rain, a divine
preparation of a last days harvest and the signal of the soon return of Jesus.  Wesley Myland (1858-1943) who began his
career as a holiness preacher was the first to put in writing the Latter Rain scheme which he titled "The Latter Rain Covenant."
[4]  He is also credited with writing the first Pentecostal hymn "The Latter Rain." The Dictionary of Pentecostal and
Charismatic Movements also refer to his book, "The Latter Rain Covenant" as the first definitive Pentecostal theology.

The Latter-Rain and the early Pentecostals

It was Charles Parham, a Methodist Holiness preacher who broke with traditional Holiness teaching and linked the Baptism of
the Holy Spirit with a Latter-Day Pentecost.  His new discovery was that tongues was both a sign of this Spirit Baptism and
also the signal of the end of the age.

The early Pentecostal pioneers initially accepted this Latter Rain motif.  Spirit Baptism was an end time repeat of the first
Pentecost. Tongues was seen as an eschatological sign signifying that a second and final Pentecost was taking place, bringing
the church into a new and final dispensation. This second Pentecost would bring a final world revival in which the nations would
have one last opportunity to hear the gospel and then the end would come.  Tongues were at first perceived as actual
missionary languages to enable the Gospel to be quickly preached throughout the whole earth.  Indeed many at that time went
to China assuming they had been given a Chinese tongue to announce the gospel.  Most returned disillusioned.  The term
"Latter Rain" was used freely by the early Pentecostal pioneers as well as the term "apostolic." The early Pentecostals were
convinced that not only would there be a Latter Rain global revival but the last days church would be restored to the apostolic
pattern.  Joined to the Latter Rain teaching was a complementary truth called restoration.

Restoring the Apostolic Church

The basic principle of restoration teaching is that there is a fundamental discontinuity, historical and spiritual, between the
church today and the New Testament church.  In the restoration agenda, God will end the church as He began it.  Events,
however, caused the early Pentecostals to dispense with restorationism and the Latter Rain motif.  In 1914 and later the
founding fathers of the AOG turned their back on Latter Rain Apostolic Restoration thinking and espoused the current
premillennial eschatology.  The Latter Rain motif then sat more or less dormant for decades until 1948.  In Canada the Latter
Rain paradigm erupted again.  Impartation of spiritual gifts by the laying on hands was instituted as well as traveling prophets
giving personal prophesy.

This time there was added the restoration of the apostolic office gifts of apostles and prophets.  Indeed to restore the apostolic
church without restored apostles and prophets would be a limited restoration of the apostolic church.

Restored Apostles & Prophets

To Latter Rain teachers it seemed obvious that if there was to be a repeated apostolic Pentecost that Apostles and Prophets
must be restored as well.  These teachers then devised a historical scheme of restoration.  Church history was understood as a
succession of recoveries of lost or neglected truths.  Luther recovered justification by faith, Baptists believers baptism, Wesley
holiness, A.B. Simpson healing and the early Pentecostal pioneers the gifts of the Spirit.  The recovery process was now
extended further.  The endtime body of Christ must go on to maturity and restore the apostles and prophets and these restored
ministries must lead the church to a new and final dimension of power and authority not only bringing in the final harvest but
establishing the Kingdom of God upon the earth.

Kingdom Now Teaching

Now we are introduced to another major feature of the current move namely Kingdom Now Dominionism.  Previously Latter
Rain teachers saw a second and repeated Pentecost as a final harvest of souls before Christ could come back.  Now there is a
major addition to the LatterRain/Restoration concept.  The restored apostles and prophets will lead a new and reconstituted
body of Christ in conquering the kingdoms of this world and establishing the Kingdom of God upon the earth.

This dominion mentality is conceived as a gigantic end-time revival that will sweep the whole earth in its wake.  Some even
refer to a billion souls being swept in to the kingdom.  An elite company of overcomers from out of the larger church will
subdue all things and will be so endued with supernatural power that the first church apostles will be envious of the latter day
apostles.

The church isn't going sit and take it any more.  The Church isn't going to wait to be helecoptered out of the world in some
rapture rescue plan.  The Church will stay right here and by its spiritual authority even defeat the principalities and powers in the
heavenlies, dragging them to earth and putting them under their heel.  Paul Cain, a survivor of the Latter Rain (1950) is
currently marketing a vision of an elite company of overcoming spiritual warriors called "Joel's army." This end-time spiritual
seals unit will be an invincible band who lead the church in dominion on the earth.  A purging of the wider church of those who
will not follow the new order is necessary to constitute a unified global church.

Teachers of the new order tell us that all this has been prophesied.  This is an end-time fulfillment of the Feast of Tabernacles.
These teachers assert that Passover found fulfillment in the sacrifice of Christ on the cross.  The Feast of Pentecost was fulfilled
in the outpouring of Spirit, and now the only remaining feast is that of Tabernacles to be fulfilled in the last days church.  It is a
second Pentecost with restored apostles and prophets.  This endtime spiritual army will put all God's enemies under its feet, yes
even the last enemy death itself.  This introduces us to another added teaching of the Latter Rain (1950).

The Manifested Sons of God

The body of Christ coming to spiritual maturity will be able to defeat death itself.  This teaching became known as the "Manifest
Sons of God." Taking childish cues from Paul's teaching in Romans eight and misunderstanding them, they suggested that a
company of overcoming believers "the sons of God" will be manifested upon the earth with never dying spiritual bodies before
the return of Christ.  This would have to be the ultimate in dominion teaching.

Bishop Earl Paulk has stated the Manifest Sons teaching very clearly without ever using that unpopular term.  Listen to his
unmistakable teaching:

"Jesus Christ, as the first-fruit of the Kingdom, began the work of conquering death on an individual basis, but we, as
His church, will be the ones to complete the task.  Jesus said (Matthew 28:18), "all power is given unto me in heaven
and in earth," and the church today has that same power.  Death will not be conquered by Jesus returning to earth.  It
will be conquered when the church stands up boldly and says, "We have dominion over the earth." [5]

Obviously the church has not yet matured to the place of defeating death.  Bishop Paulk counsels Christians not to accept
death unless they get a specific revelation from God otherwise.[6]  There is a companion truth that often accompanies the
Manifested Sons teaching namely the birthing by the church of a corporate Christ. This corporate Christ is said to be a fusing
together of the spiritual Christ within His many membered body upon the earth.  The end-time glorious church is supposed to
give birth to this corporate Christ.  Though it is not always stated this view assumes and some teach (not all) that the literal
physical resurrected Jesus will not need to return as such.  Rather His second coming will happen when He is spiritually
incarnated into his church which will then be able to conquer death itself.  This teaching has been expressed in various ways.

"Jesus was God in the flesh.  We must be as He was in the world, even greater in volume and influence." [6]

"The completion of the incarnation of God in the world must be in His church...Jesus Christ is the firstfruit, but
without tile ongoing harvest, tile incarnation will never be complete." [7]

"The living Word of God, Jesus Christ, was conceived in the womb of a virgin.  The Word became flesh in the
God-Man Jesus Christ (John 1:1).  Likewise, tile Word of God must be made flesh in the Church in order for us to
bear witness to the Kingdom which God has called us to demonstrate." [8]

"We are on earth as extensions of God to finish the work He began.  We are the essence of God, His on-going
incarnation in the world." [9]

This is saying far more than the orthodox view that Christ indwells His Church by the Holy Spirit.  The question arises: how can
Jesus, with his current resurrected body in heaven, be incarnated into the church that is still upon the earth?  Some have seen
this problem and solve it by adjusting their Christology.

"He [Jesus] entered a higher realm of restoration and love by becoming an indwelling Spirit." [10]

We must oppose this view.  Jesus has not become the Holy Spirit.  It is rather the Holy Spirit who indwells the believer.  The
Resurrected Jesus is at the Father's right hand and in His glorified resurrected body He will return bodily to the earth.
Obviously an indwelling spirit would not need to return from heaven.  It is on this basis that some Dominion teachers assert that
Jesus can be an on-going incarnation of God in His body (church) upon the earth.  Consequently scriptures pertaining to
Christ's ruling on earth are often seen as referring the Church rather than Jesus.  The Church is viewed as a kind of virgin Mary
who must give birth to Jesus the indwelling spirit.

Francis Frangipane teaches a similar a message:

"When the Spirit of Christ comes into the physical world, He must enter through a physical body.  When Christ first
entered our world as a child, it was Mary whom God chose to give Christ birth.  Mary's life symbolized the qualities
the church must possess to walk in the fullness of Christ.  God is preparing us as He did Mary to give birth to the
ministry of His Son.  Even now, in the spiritual womb of the virgin church, the Holy purpose of Christ is growing,
awaiting maturity, ready to be born in the power and timing of God.  The virgin church is in labor and in pain to give
birth (Rev. 12:5) even now hell trembles and the heavens watch in awe for I say to you, once again, the virgin is with
child." [11]

Latter-Rain teachers have long used Rev. 12, teaching that the woman in this passage is the church and the "Manchild" to be
birthed is a spiritual second coming of Christ into His corporate body.  When Latter Rain Prophet Paul Cain describes, in
passing, the church as the "Manchild Company" he has this teaching in mind.

Marc Dupont of the former Toronto Vineyard claims to have received a significant prophecy in which he states the following:

"This move of the Spirit in 1994 in not just a Charismatic and Pentecostal experience, concerning power and gifting.
It is one thing to be clothed with power; it is another to be indwelt with the Person of God." [12]

Old Testament scriptures are spiritualized to see birthing as the return of the ark to the temple, that is the coming of Christ
invisibly into His living temple the church.  This will occur when the Feast of Tabernacles is fulfilled which celebrates the Lord
dwelling among His people. "When this happens, no longer will it be the Head (Jesus Christ) in heaven and the body (believers)
on earth - but one Perfect Man filling both heaven and earth." [13]

This teaching of a spiritual second coming of Jesus into His body is rarely advertised.  Rather the more palatable teaching of a
final global revival and restored apostles prophets is the public teaching most emphasized.  How can the present
Charismatic/Pentencost Church even entertain elements of this teaching that originated from such a small group that operated
on the fringes of the Pentecostal movement in the early 50's?

When the Charismatic Renewal exploded in the 60's and 70's certain Latter Rain holdovers found a new and undiscriminating
audience.  Charismatics had never heard of the Latter Rain and received the new teaching as part of their new wine
experience.  Consequently Latter-Rain/Restorationism received a greater hearing within the Charismatic renewal than it ever
did in the Classic Pentecostal tradition.  Through the Charismatic Renewal Latter Rain teachings were renamed and finally
homogenized sufficiently so that today Latter Rain ideas float freely on "the River" without anyone detecting their true identity.
Furthermore the Charismatic Renewal has been mainstreamed into wider evangelical circles through John Wimber and
Vineyard conferences, signs and wonders teachings, etc.  Indeed some of the more extreme parts of the paradigm are not put
out front, nevertheless, little by little the wider church is coalescing around what, when thoroughly analyzed, are Latter Rain
core beliefs.  Without unwarranted employment of the Latter Rain allegory there is not even a hint in scripture of an end-time
global revival and second Pentecost.  Not everyone in the River uniformly accepts all the parts of the paradigm.  But as time
goes by more and more Latter Rain tenants exert a gravitational pull that draws participants to logically espouse more and
more of the paradigm.

When Peter Wagner calls for and attempts to network a world wide apostolic reformation does he espouse the whole of the
Latter Rain/Restoration paradigm?  I don't really know.  In fact I doubt that he does.  I do know, however, that by bringing
Bishop Bill Hamon to speak at his conferences he is bringing the whole paradigm mentioned above.  There must be at least an
openness on Wagner's part and many others because they without qualification recommend Bill Hamon's books with its full
blown Latter Rain and Manifested Sons teaching.  Wagner's "New Apostolic Reformation" is nothing more than warmed-over
Latter Rain teaching.  G. Raymond Carlson from his vantage point of history knew that all this has its source in a second
end-time Pentecost, first articulated at the turn of the century and restated and expanded in the New Order of the Latter Rain
1950 and now imported and marketed into the wider church by means of the Charismatic renewal.

When much is made of a sweeping revival that will overflow the earth in the last days with billions of converts you should be
aware that this popular idea comes not from scripture but from a view of church history that has been running now for over a
century.  Take away the fraudulent allegorical use of "Latter Rain" scheme and there remains no other biblical support for this
elaborate view of the end-times.  Rather it was Jesus Himself who asked the question: "When the Son of Man comes will He
find faith upon the earth?" (Luke 18:8)  The Scripture leaves no doubt that Jesus will return bodily to earth and when He does
His "body" upon the earth (the full compliment of his church) will be raptured up to meet Him in the air (I Thess. 4:17).  It is
then and only then that He will change our corruptible bodies in a twinkling of an eye.  It is then that Jesus will rule earth in His
glorified and resurrected body.  It is then that the Sons of God will be manifest.  Rather than sensationalizing a false and
unbiblical agenda, the church must occupy until He comes and His body is completed.  Faithfully this Gospel must be preached
to every nation and then the end will come.  Even so come quickly Lord Jesus.


1.  C. Peter Wagner, The New Apostolic Churches (Ventura CA; Regal, 1998).  p. 18.
2.  Donald E.  Miller, New Paradigm Churches in the Twentieth Century (Pasadena CA: Ministry Advantage , Vol. 6, No.
4, July/Aug 1996.
3.  G. Rayomond Carlson, personal letter to Jewel Van de Meere
4.  Wesley Myland, The Latter-Rain Covenant (1910)
5.  Earl Paulk, The Proper Function of the Church (Atlanta: K Dimension Publishers, undated p. 13
6.  Earl Paulk, The Ultimate Kingdom (Atlanta: K Dimension Publishers, 1986, p.121.
7.  Earl Paulk, The Wounded Body of Christ (Atlanta: K Dimension Publishers, p. 43.
8.   Earl Paulk, Held In The Heavens (Atlanta: K Dimension Publishers, 1985, p.60
9.   lbid, p. 125.
10. Earl Paulk, Thrust In The Sickle And Reap (Atlanta: K Dimension Publishers, 1986, p. 132.
11. Fancis Frangipane, In The Presence Of God, New Wine Press 1994, pp. 153-157.
12. Marc Dupont, Mantle of Praise, Alpha Magazine, 1994.
13. Tricia Tillin, The Source and Goal of the Second Pentecost (UK: Banner Ministries, 1994)


The Plumbline
74425 County Road 21 Renville, MN 56284
Published by Orrel Steinkamp D. Min.
Tel. 320 329 3874
Email Address: anst@tds.net

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