PUBLISHED MONDAY NOVEMBER 17, 1997
Copyright 1997 The Pensacola News Journal. All rights
reserved
Authors: Prophecies aim to silence critics
Kilpatrick predicts downfall of others
By Alice Crann
News Journal staff writer
PENSACOLA - The Rev. John Kilpatrick's pronouncements
of dire divine judgment on those who dare to question the Pensacola Brownsville
Revival have caused quite a stir nationwide.
Luther Edwards, the pen name of an Assembly of God pastor
in the Midwest, calls Kilpatrick's actions: "The Silencing of the Lambs."
That is the title of a paper Edwards submitted this year
to Contemporary Pentecostal Issues an Internet forum in which Pentecostal
and charismatic Christians can discuss and debate issues of their faith,
doctrines and practices.
"A prophecy is an inspired utterance," Edwards said in
an interview with the News Journal. "In Pentecostal circles, we differentiate
between primary revelation, which is the Bible and which we consider infallible,
and secondary revelation prophetic utterances that we do not consider infallible.
"The purpose of prophecy 1 Corinthians 14 is edification,
exhortation and comfort. The use of prophecy is not supposed to be for
what Kilpatrick did to make a prophecy for the downfall of other people.
It is not in the best tradition of Pentecostal history."
Kilpatrick made his prophecy about Hank Hanegraaff at
Brownsville Assembly of God in a televised revival message on April 6.
Hanegraaff is president of the Christian Research Institute
in Southern California and host of the nationally syndicated radio show
"Bible Answer Man."
He was on the April 4 episode of "Larry King Live" talking
about his book "Counterfeit Revival: Looking for God in All the Wrong Places"
and about how some Christian denominations use sociopsychological techniques
to manipulate followers.
Kilpatrick, who said he did not see this "Larry King Live"
episode, said he became angry after someone who saw the show told him that
Hanegraaff compared the revival to the Heaven's Gate cult.
On April 6 he made this prophecy against Hanegraaff:
"I want to say something this morning to Hank Hanegraaff:
"You better back off, because I am going to prophesy to
you that if you don't, and you continue to put your tongue in your mouth
on this move of God, within 90 days the Holy Ghost will bring you down.
"I said: Within 90 days the Holy Ghost will bring you
down!
"And I speak that as a man of God. ... This is a move
of God and you better leave it alone."
Hanegraaff told the News Journal: "Kilpatrick wildly distorted
what I said, and he is making pronouncements under the auspices of the
Holy Spirit.
On June 18 -- 72 days after he prophesied that the Holy
Spirit would smote Hanegraaff -- Kilpatrick recanted and apologized.
Kilpatrick recently told the News Journal that looking
back, he thinks he showed poor judgment.
"I was wrong with Hank Hanegraaff -- I called him and
apologized," said Kilpatrick during a recent interview at his home in Seminole
Landing in Baldwin County, Ala.
"What I said was not a prophecy."
Kilpatrick's change of heart is good and bad, Edwards
said.
"He is admitting that he spoke falsely in the name of
the Lord, that he spoke presumptuously. The fact that he has apologized
is laudable.
"But when he says he wasn't really making a prophecy --that
is disingenuous. The transcript shows he did."
Christian critics also are concerned about some other
remarks Kilpatrick made during that April 6 service.
Saying that he was addressing "Hanegraaff, and all other
devils, Kilpatrick made a number of what he termed proclamations. They
included:
-
"No weapon that is formed against me or Steve Hill or this
major outpouring of the Holy Spirit shall prosper.
-
"I'm not worried about no bomb ... I'm going to make this
proclamation in the ears of God: Let 'em wire one. Let 'em get 'em Hertz
or U-Haul and put it up outside in the front with fertilizer and all that
mess. It won't go off ... I'm saying this in the ears of God: Father, let
some heathen, let some devil-possessed person load up a truck of explosives
or put a bomb in a bag. Let 'em do it ... I make a proclamation, Lord,
it shall never, ever go off in the name of Jesus.
-
"The church known as Brownsville Assembly of God shall maintain
its integrity and anybody that the devil tries to bring into this congregation
for the wrong purpose shall fall away and never be heard from again and
will have no effect whatsoever on this church in a negative way.
-
"The supernatural, divine, Holy Ghost healings and deliverances
and signs and wonders begin to drastically increase as to leave no doubts
that God is still in the miracle-working business."
Hearing those statements, Edwards said, he cannot keep silent
about what he called Kilpatrick's false prophecies and threats.
Edwards, who has studied the sermon transcript, said:
"The implication is clear: Those who voice criticism of any kind are the
enemy and could face dire consequences."
As an Assembly of God pastor, he said, "I am concerned
that some of what is happening at Brownsville is not representative of
Pentecostalism.
He said he was not attacking the Assemblies of God leadership
or the revival but was raising questions about "the tendency to stifle
dissent -- the whole idea that if you question this revival God is going
to get you."
Edwards, who identified himself to the News Journal, said
he prefers to write under a pen name because he is concerned about retaliation
from the national organization, which has endorsed the revival.
"To go against church leadership would be viewed by them
as disloyal and divisive," said Edwards, and that could cause a pastor
or church member to be ostracized.