JD Hall of Pulpit and Pen has something to say to Charismatics in regard to their propensity to dabble in mysticism or what he calls witchcraft. When two prophecies uttered by highly regarded men in the charismatic community failed to come to pass, JD concluded that “God has, in his Providence, chosen to use these astrological omen interpretations to bring judgment against America’s charismatics for their embarrassing naivety, abominable discernment, and systemic false prophecy…”
You don’t want to miss what straighter shooter JD Hall has to say to Christians who are caught up in charismania.
Two “significant” events (read that, rather ordinary, foreseeable and cyclical events that are predictable by the Farmer’s Almanac) recently brought God’s judgment – as expected and promised – by America’s prophets. That God used these “signs” to judge was not surprising, but who God ultimately judged was surprising.
Jonathan Cahn, who calls himself a Messianic Rabbi (whose credentials are dubious), wrote a book detailing ten signs present before Israel’s collapse, comparing them to ten signs now present in America, called The Harbinger. With the success of that book, Cahn springboarded into a new divination, this time pulling from the Old Testament ceremonial law the command in Exodus 20:11 that the ground lay fallow every seven years, which was both agriculturally astute and required the Israelites to trust God for their provision. Debts were also to be canceled during that year as well, which was one of a number of safeguards against the holding of longterm debt in Israel’s economy. This year was called the Shemitah, meaning a “releasing” (referring to release from debt), which Cahn has interpreted more ominously as a “shaking.” Doing the math, Cahn reveals that September 25 2014 to September 13 2015 is the Shemitah Year (source link).
Nope. Didn’t happen.
Then, enter Four Blood Moons.
The original Four Blood Moons author was Mark Biltz (pastor of All Nations Church) – who is credited with “discovering the four blood moons phenomenon” – and published his book with Worldnet Daily’s Joseph Farah. Not long after, prominent televangelist John Hagee launched his own book on the topic, borrowing from Biltz to such a degree that accusations Hagee “stole the idea from him” seem not only plausible, but inarguable.
Biltz, who was blitzed by Hagee (see what I did, there?), said this about the Four Blood Moon and its judgment…
The four blood moons “is a sign for today’s Christians as judgment always begins in the house of God…”
Darn right. Biltz is a prophet, after all.
Hagee was a little more insistent than Biltz that this would bring specific judgment in a specific way…
“God is trying to communicate with us in a supernatural way…I believe that in the next two years [from 2014], we’re going to see something dramatic happen in the Middle East involving Israel that will change the course of history in the Middle East and impact the whole world.”
Well…no. That didn’t happen. And if God is “trying” to communicate with us in a supernatural way, America’s charismatic prophets have proven not to be conduit of that communication. In fact, it’s hard to imagine prophets with a less accurate prophetic history than the kind of charlatans and swindlers found on TBN and Charisma Mag. Continue reading
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But, it is the end of the world. Of course we do not know the exact dates and that is foolishness. But it is also foolishness to sweep all ‘charismatics’ into the camp of heresy. There is much heresy and off the wall behavior in Pentecostal circles. But just being charismatic in and of itself is not heretical. There is nothing in the bible that states that the gifts are over. Rather, a close reading will reveal that the gifts are still in continuation… from the bible. In 1 Cor. 13 it says those things will cease ‘when that which is perfect has come.’ Some claim that this was the bible. But that is not supported by the bible. If you keep reading you will see that ‘that which is perfect…’ is when we see Him face to face, aka the kingdom of heaven has come. Any other interpretation violates all the rules of how to interpret biblical text. And as if that’s not enough, in Acts 2 we have the prophecy of Joel 2 fulfilled according to Peter (scripture interpreting scripture) which spans from Pentecost till the tribulation (blood moon sign at no other time) which states the gifts going on such as prophesy. So, that is biblical. Unfortunately, most lean on experience instead (the fact that they don’t have a gift, or haven’t undergone the baptism of the Holy Spirit). Anyway, being a charismatic does not link one with all this heresy and all these wolves. Please make a note of it.
P&P are hardcore Cessationist and are not watching Israel at all. In fact, I never read anything of Eschatology or how to view the events related to Israel and the Middle East through the lens of Prophetic Scripture. They can claim it’s not their ministry… but I dare say, they ignore 1/3 of the Bible out of ignorance.
Let’s leave the study and view of the Eschatology to those like Biltz (who never predicted anything, but showed the heavenly significance of those tetrads as they relate to Israel and the last days).
And there are other pastors like Jack Hibbs, JD Farag, Tom Hughes, Barry Stagner, and teachers like Amir Tsarfati that teaching and showing through the lens of scripture just HOW CLOSE we are to the soon appearing of Jesus… BECAUSE we watch Israel.
None of these are Charismatic.
So to lump all Eschatological (or prophetic) occurrences into “crazy charismania” is ad hominem.
And… you cannot say NOTHING HAPPENED in the Middle East as it relates to Israel when we have seen all the developments since this article was written, specifically how the PM Netanyahu has had to stand before the UN pleading for his people against the wicked Iranian regime like Esther!! And we’re seeing the nations that comprise Ezekiel 38&39 forge an alliance in Syria.
P&P are simply obtuse in this arena.