If you think our world is becoming hellish, wait until the gates to Hell are wide open. Every day it appears that we sink a little deeper into the mire. The Bible is very plain that Satan is preparing to take control of the earth for seven years. Every possible preparation for his control is being prepared. It is almost impossible for someone to be converted because hardness against spiritual things grows daily. The only possible answer for what we see is that the end is at hand.

“And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the Lord. And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcasses of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh” (Isaiah 66:23-24).

Listen to the biblical warnings of these demons coming up out of Hell below to attack Earth’s population:

“And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men. And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them.  And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone. By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths” (Revelation 9: 15-18).

The Rapture is your escape before these dark creatures invade your life.  The saints will be out of here.

The great divide between the earth and its inhabitants and hell and its inhabitants has always remained a mystery. Upper Sheol in the First Testament was the abode of the righteous dead, and Lower Sheol and Hell fire was the abode of the wicked dead.  Even between these two separate locations, there was an impossible gap.  Abraham plainly told the rich man in Hell that none could pass between the two abodes.

“And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us that would come from thence” (Luke 16:26).

Jesus told this great story to teach the truth of man’s eternal destiny.  The gulf between the two abodes was very narrow compared to the gulf between Earth and Hell.  In fact, man is forbidden to ever consider communication with the dead across that gulf.

The Gates of Hell Will Soon Be Wide Open:

1. This cannot happen until after the Rapture.
2. The misery on Earth will be multiplied many times over.
3. It is recorded in Joel Chapter Two as well as Revelation Chapter Nine.
4. The hatred for Christianity is multiplying.
5. Trump is hated most greatly over his policies against the rebukes that are against Bible truth.
6. Roy Moore is under attack because his views are Bible-based.
7. Protesters are almost exclusively anti-Christ and anti-Bible.
8. You think this world is sick now, just wait until the Rapture has occurred, and you will see sick at a whole new level.
9. Very quickly the church theology is becoming anti-Rapture.
10. The Post-Tribulation crowd will die like flies under this barrage from Hell.

Scripture teaches us clearly that the abode of the wicked is in the heart of the earth. Upper Sheol no longer exists because Jesus Christ led the captives out of their captivity, and they ascended with Him to dwell in His presence.  They are awaiting the resurrection of their body.  The righteous dead in the Old Testament could not escape death and its bondage until Jesus Christ was crucified and arose from the dead.  Now, the gulf is only between Lower Sheol and the earth.  No one should attempt any contact with the location of Hell or the people that are damned.  Those in Hell are awaiting the White Throne Judgment, where they will appear to give account to the rejected Creator of this universe.

Hell is not just a place of wicked men and women, but also a place where fallen angels are already being judged. Jude spoke of this when warning the church about wicked men.

“And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. Even as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities about them in like-manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire” (Jude 1:6-7).

The apostle Peter also reminded us of the judgments of angels that had already begun. “For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;” (II Peter 2:4).

When the Son of God met demon-possessed individuals, the demons would beg not to be dismissed into the deep, clearly referring to Hell or the bottomless pit.  I believe humans can become so wicked that they are demons as surely as fallen angels are demons.  Jude gave reference to humans that had become beasts.

“Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities. But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves.  Woe unto them! For they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core” (Jude 1:8, 10, 11).

Calling humans “brute beasts” certainly suggests a dark state of character.  Hell is inhabited with the darkest of all fallen angels, and the godless and wicked throughout more than six-thousand years of human history.  They have festered in their vileness and grow increasingly wicked by the day.  Our Father and the Lamb are going to unleash a multitude of this wicked crowd right onto the earth.

Joel, an Old Testament prophet, gave a preview of this ninth chapter of Revelation.

“Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand; A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of many generations. A fire devoureth before them; and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them.

“The appearance of them is as the appearance of horses; and as horsemen, so shall they run.  Like the noise of chariots on the tops of mountains shall they leap, like the noise of a flame of fire that devoureth the stubble, as a strong people set in battle array.  Before their face the people shall be much pained: all faces shall gather blackness.  They shall run like mighty men; they shall climb the wall like men of war; and they shall march every one on his ways, and they shall not break their ranks: Neither shall one thrust another; they shall walk every one in his path: and when they fall upon the sword, they shall not be wounded” (Joel 2:1-8).

There is no possible interpretation of this passage but the truth before us.  Joel’s army is clearly paranormal, wicked, and set to destroy, the exact character of demons.  All future judgment and End-Time prophecies find their perfect fulfillment in this masterpiece of literature.

“Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision” (Psalm 2:1-4).

The chasm between Hell and the bottomless pit at the deepest extreme of Hell is about to be bridged to the earth for the Great Tribulation.  Satan and the Father will use every wicked resource: Satan will use them to work havoc, and the Father will use them to judge and destroy their own kind.

The devil’s history is full of the destruction of his followers.  The demon-possessed write of their own war with each other and the dangers, as a demon-possessed individual tried to climb the ladder of priesthood in their dark realm.  There is no doubt that Satan’s kingdom is in the realm of darkness and every aspect of their character is darkness and destruction.

“And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit. And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit” (Revelation 9:1-2).

The darkest place in God’s universe is about to open onto the earth.

Remember that Jesus Christ the Lamb opened the seventh seal; out from that seal appeared seven angels with seven trumpets.  This is the fifth of those angels sounding their trumpets.  And another angel, one of the seven Cherubim assigned to His churches, descended quickly from heaven.  Remember, an individual angel or cherubim was assigned to each church during the Church Dispensation.

The seven stars were the angels of the seven churches, which are now established in Heaven since the Rapture.  They are the defenders of righteousness in the earth, and that includes redemption and judgment.  This great star or Cherubim has a key to the bottomless pit.  No one, demon or human, that has ever been assigned to that pit was ever let out before.  The gate has never been unlocked on the exit side of this dark chasm.

Everything and everyone inside the bottomless pit is as wicked as they could possibly be.  They are corrupt with corrupting personalities and have longed for an opportunity to vent their fury.  If this crowd had not been held in captivity, this earth would have descended into an even darker and deeper vileness.  Their captivity has been part of God’s restrictive plan until the fated hour should arrive.

The Gates to Hell
When the great gate was opened, the smoke of this furnace quickly darkened the universe.  The sun and moon, plus the atmosphere, are covered and filled with the very spirit and darkness of this frightful abyss.  No doubt the smoke is but a conveyor of a stench and presence that darkens the mind of every soul it touches.  There will be no pure light until this open door to Hell is closed, and it will not be closed until this seal is finished.

“And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads. And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man. And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them” (Revelation 9:3-6).

These creatures are nothing less than demons with dark powers that Satan has trained and mobilized for his hour.

Hell and the bottomless pit is indeed a place of fire and brimstone, but it cannot devour spirits or souls.  It can only torment and create an atmosphere of misery.  In this abyss the spirits and souls will scheme, plan, and anticipate the day when they can spread their misery.  That day has come in this text.  Like locusts, hungry to devour, they have power like scorpions and inflict pain that will seem unbearable.

They will be commanded to hurt nothing of nature, but only the wicked that have rejected the God of Righteousness and do not have the seal of the Father and His Lamb in their forehead. They cannot kill these wicked souls but are commanded to torment them.  The torment lasts for five months with a pain that goes to the depth of human captivity.  The wicked have killed and maimed the righteous and God-honoring; now, the tide has turned.  This great multitude will seek to die and will make every effort to take their own life, but death will be beyond their reach.

“And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them” (1 John 4:3-5).

Revelation Chapter Eight started the period of God’s revenge on the godless that mercy could not touch. They cannot blame the Father or the Lamb, because mercy and forgiveness was held before this world for at least the first three and a half years.  Even now, the door is open to repent, but this multitude wants no repentance.  Now, the misery is too dark to see past.

“And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men. And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions. And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle. And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months” (Revelation 9:7-10).

The appearance given to these spirits and souls was planned to create the very atmosphere of the bottomless pit.  Misery loves misery; now, misery has invaded the world.

Their appearance is like horses, crowned with gold and having faces like men.  They have hair like women and teeth like lions.  They wear breastplates of iron and they have wings like many chariots racing to destroy.  Their tails are quick to inflict pain and torment.  It’s a scene of Hell on Earth, for indeed hell has invaded the earth.

These amazing creatures are servants of Satan and are venting his fury against his own worshipers. Satanism has never made sense because it is the opposite of a sane mind.  God the Father actually uses Satan to punish himself and his followers and to show that the very nature of evil is to destroy.  Evil does not have the ability to do good.  This Seven Years of Tribulation will reveal all that is evil for a final display of its nature.

“And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon. One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter” (Revelation 9:11-12).

Satan’s kingdom is organized. The Book of Ephesians shows four levels of the hierarchy of Lucifer. “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Ephesians 6:12).

The organization of evil is off the radar of human sight and understanding.  We fail to see how sinister it is in our normal world.  The Book of Revelation actually pulls the cover off and we can begin to catch a better picture.  This king over the bottomless pit is a destroyer.  He is one of Hell’s most powerful creatures.

“And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works” (Revelation 20:10-12).

Everything represented in every name one can find for Satan in Scripture shows that there is no capacity for good, even to their own.  This king has prepared his army well; they do their job under his leadership, and their only reward is more of Hell.

One woe is over, but two more are on the way.

“And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates” (Revelation 9:13-14).

A voice rings out from the very altar of God.  The sixth angel has blown his trumpet and the depth of judgment must be made manifest.

Satan has always been on a leash.  He can do only what he is allowed.  These four angels have been bound because of previous deceptions and dark deeds.  They are masterminds of evil and have, by necessity, been bound awaiting judgment here.  Their location of dwelling is in the Babylonian vicinity, because this is Satan’s stronghold.  They must be loosed to finish the task that wickedness demands.  It’s fitting that during Satan’s last rampages his powers will be concentrated out of his natural habitat.  Babylon will be fully rebuilt and occupied.  His Antichrist will rule from this city.  Evil will develop right out of Babylon and will spread out over the whole earth.

“And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men. And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them.

“And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone.

“By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths. For their power is in their mouth, and in their tails: for their tails were like unto serpents, and had heads, and with them they do hurt” (Revelation  9:15-19).

Hell’s fury will certainly arise from the center of the Beast’s kingdom.

There is certainly some connection between the first half of this chapter and this second horde of spirits.  They both issue from the earth or beneath the earth.  Their former dwelling place is Hell or the abyss.  They all serve the devil and his principalities.  Their period of destruction is one year, one month, one day and one hour.  They will make use of every minute, and one-third of earth’s population will be slain.

The size of this great demonic army is threatening to consider. Two hundred million trained, equipped, and vicious demonic spirits will go out from one geographical area to invade the earth.  Two hundred million suicide bombers all dressed in explosives could not do the damage this multitude will do.

John saw the vision and describes them.  He called them “horsemen” or half horse, half man with “breastplates of fire, jacinth and brimstone.” Their heads are like lions and they breathe out smoke, fire, and brimstone.  The very sight of this army is enough to cause the world to seek death before they even arrive.

Their power is both from their mouth and in the tail. They kill coming and going.  This kind of creature is being portrayed in mythology and has been trivialized until Revelation seems a joke.  When the national news shows this evil footage, the fun will disappear.

Demons have previously taken on the appearance of holy angels or an angel of light, but that capacity is no longer available.  When the angels of God cast Satan out of his second heavenly empire, he will be stripped of his powers to appear holy like holy angels.  His only appearance must derive from his character, and this vision is the result.  What you are really seeing in this vision is Satan and his demons exactly as they are in their culture.  Finally, Satan will look like the devil, and all of his horde of spirits will look the same.

“And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk: Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts” (Revelation 9:20-21).

Unimaginably, there is still a multitude that will not repent.

The call to repentance has not subsided.  Angels are always flying through the Heavens calling men to repent.  We will see that in future passages.

The flesh loves its gods of self, devils, idols, and wealth.  The sin of Adam was caused by the desire for things, especially things that touch the emotions.  God must have known that if man fell, it would be because He gave Him that wonderful creative ability to be emotional, to feel things, and to have emotions of desire, success, and triumph.  Man’s most beautiful creativity is his emotions, but they are also his downfall when the heart is deceived.

At this point, the world’s population is almost totally given to the lust of unbridled emotions. Nothing can help a man when his emotions are unchecked, and Satan will produce just that kind of world when God gives him free reign for the coming seven years of tribulation.

 

Genesis 1:26-28

“And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.”

The whole idea of a “One World Order” is an evil design that Satan has dreamed from the beginning. He wants a system under his control that no one can resist. The liberals in America have no idea of the foolishness this scheme really represents. Man was not made to be ruled by dictators and big government. You put most people in a position to control the lives of others, and they become controlling freaks.

Every man or woman is responsible for their own life and choices. You were created by God Himself to be godlike and to walk a responsible path. Study the Bible to learn of this satanic design. The Antichrist is Satan’s last effort to rule the world. This design wants to put you in his control, and he will give you liberties until he rules. Then he will destroy you. That’s his ultimate goal.

Jesus spoke, as recorded in Matthew 24, of this hour so dark that he called it “The Abomination of Desolation.” We already know what an abomination is, but to call it an “abomination of desolation” is a giant step further into despair and darkness. I do not believe there is one voice today declaring how horrible this hour will be. In fact, I’m not sure it is possible to truly explain this coming desolation.

It will begin when the Antichrist has so wooed the world that he produces a living statue of himself and then displays that statue in the Holy of Holies of the newly-built Jewish temple in Jerusalem. Not only will he display his image, but he will command the world to worship this image. The image will be given an identification (number or name) and all the kingdom of the Beast will gladly bow before this mighty person identified in the image. The Antichrist will not be satisfied to be worshiped by those that promote his kingdom, but will now require the whole world to surrender.

Daniel had called the new god that this abomination of desolation represents, “The God of Forces.” Remember the film series, Star Wars, and its emphasis on “the force.” All of the world is being prepared to worship this false image and the “force” that will quickly be displayed. It is still a mystery to us. We see a new religious world, and it is evidence that something is strangely different. It is biblically called, “god of forces.”

The Deep Sorrows of the Abomination of Desolation

1. There will be no mercy for anyone.
2. This new religion is far more vile that Muslim terrorism.
3. Children will be molested and viciously slaughtered in front of parents.
4. This Antichrist image will be a dark creature.
5. Anyone that is a Jew or a professing Christian will be hated and hunted for destruction.
6. There will be at least millions slaughtered every day.
7. Burial will be by bulldozers.
8. Sodomy will rule the world.
9. Children of unsaved parents will be the source of great sorrows.
10. Anyone rejecting the mark of the beast will be subject to horrible assault until they submit or else die.
11. Those who take the mark will be immediately possessed by demon spirits and a dark moral plunge into sodomy.
12. It will be like the bottomless pit has become the worldwide lifestyle.

THE GOD OF FORCES AND HIS ANTICHRIST ARE QUICKLY REPLACING JEHOVAH GOD IN SO-CALLED “CHRISTIAN” CIRCLES.

Man is at the center of this new theology. It is a synchronizing of New Age thought, psychology and theology. It is also a subtle change from the Western mindset of God acting in all His transcending sovereignty to an Eastern mindset where God is subject to human whims and man-centeredness. It’s God with a little “g” and man with a capital “M.”

Robert Schuller’s book, Self-Esteem: A New Reformation, was partially introduced by Dr. David Burns, Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania, with these words: “I have been reviewing with great interest your new book, Self-Esteem: The New Reformation…. It is surprising how our minds have come to a similar position—you have pursued a religious route, and I have pursued a scientific path, and we have both arrived at the same bottom line: Unconditional self-esteem, self-love that doesn’t have to be earned, because it is given. I believe that the vision that forms the core of most religious thinking has to do with joy. From a psychiatric point of view, I would say man’s deepest flaw is to mistrust himself and to withhold love and self-acceptance…”

Psalm 23

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.”

David Spangler, a name recognized in educational circles, has become a champion in the world of the psychologists and New Age thinkers. In his book, Revelation: The Birth Of A New Age, he presents this new deity and describes his action in the evolutionary process:

“The Christ is eternally the agent of rebirth throughout creation. He is the universal power and life that prevents stagnation, that invokes and nourishes growth and continuous unfoldment. He unites with the consciousness of what is and what has been, and through that union gives birth to the consciousness of what can be and shall be. The life of the new is the life of the old that has been transformed, through some degree of union with the Christ, into a greater fulfillment and expansion. In the presence of Christ, the past and the future become fused lovingly, creatively into the reality of manifestation in the living Now. Thus, the Cosmic Christ united with the consciousness of the Earth Logos, in which were sunk the foundations of Earth and its past development and future potentials” (Spangler, 1979, p. 130).

The teaching of the New Age personalities differs very slightly from the new leaders in charismatic and religious circles. They say the same things but use different terminology. In both camps God is treated with a little “g.” The center of thinking is man, and the “god” or “christ” in them is the basis of their theology or psychology. Please notice several words in Spangler’s statements. Both New Agers and the new religious leaders use the term, “freedom of expression.” Choreographed dancing is called “freedom of expression.” The terms, “greater fulfillment” and “expression,” are used equally by both groups. Instead of losing ourselves in surrender, which is the New Testament basis for discipleship, it’s now finding fulfillment in being “me.” As one well-known person wrote, “I’ve gotta be me!”

“New consciousness” is the key statement of New Agers and the new religious leaders. At a PTL conference just before the fateful fall, Rev. Tommy Reid, a leading Charismatic, said, “We have discovered a new world view, and we are not returning to the old views” (Paraphrased from a conference to discuss Dave Hunt’s book, Seduction of Christianity, PTL Conference Center, Charlotte, NC).

There are several other expressions in the short quote of Mr. Spangler that are parallel to the new theologies of our modern preachers. If your church is a new free-style congregation, check the next few sermons for similar words tucked throughout the message.

Faith teachers have raped one of the Bible’s most powerful words. “Faith” no longer means “the Faith” (sum total of all biblical truth) or “trust” in God’s promise, but man’s creative ability to produce miracles just like God performs them. Since man is a “little god,” they say, he is a creator also, and his faith can cause miraculous things to happen. Paul Yonggi Cho said, “You can incubate a miracle in your mind.” This is raw Hinduism and turns God into a puppet manipulated by man. This is the new “beast of a god” being readied for the Antichrist’s “One World Order.”

Worship Styles: New Age Seduction!

The new styles of worship filling our churches are straight from the New Age subculture. They have written the script. I visited a New Age setting in a Methodist church approximately 30 years ago and watched the choreographed dancers seduce the worshipers to this “new consciousness.” The human mind is a powerful part of our person and capable of transforming our entire system of thought by ingesting impulses, which unite ideas and emotions. It appears to me that this should be labeled soulical, and is the opposite of true spirituality. One is clearly limited to man and his environment, while true spirituality opens up our heart to communion with Jesus Christ, our Savior, and Jehovah God. The first is used by Satan to gain control of men’s lives, while the second is the center of man’s God-given spirit and can be the door to an indescribable relationship with Him.

There are numerous efforts to create all kinds of new experiences called worship, but the most prominent at this time is choreographed dancing, drama, and mime. Satan has always used human celebration connected with dance, art, drama, and music to break open the human psyche and then invade the personality with his influence and control. This was how the Babylonians made paganism a world religion and controlled the masses.

A recent article in Charisma Magazine (propaganda voice for radical Charismatics, Kingdom Dominion theorists, and other aversions from Classical Pentecostals) gave great coverage to Earl Paulk, Jr. (Harvester Church, Atlanta, GA. and presently fully discredited) and his effort to restore the arts of the church. This man, who lost his minister’s license in the Church of God for fornication, represents the most radical form of heresy in Charismatic circles. I guess it’s fitting that he is the voice for choreographed activity in our modern churches. These strange activities are introducing people to a new god unknown to the sheep, who are following these new mindless shepherds.

Proverbs 21:1-3

“The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will. Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the Lord pondereth the hearts. To do justice and judgment is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.”

Daniel described this new god 2,500 hundred years ago and warned that he would be the choice of this brutal beast:

“And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvelous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done. Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all. But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces: and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things. Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god, whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many, and shall divide the land for gain” (Daniel 11:36-39).

This new religion is not new at all but simply disguised in modern garb.

The new idol in charismatic circles is Benny Hinn of Texas. In a recent television program, I watched as he performed for his audience. One unsuspecting gentleman approached and asked for the power of God. As Mr. Hinn trembled with his right hand in distortion, he asked:

“Are you sure you want the power of God?”

“Yes,” came the reply.

“But are you sure?” he asked again.

“Yes!”

Mr. Hinn, with great emotion, flung his hand toward the man. There was no apparent contact. The gentleman appeared to be miraculously jerked up and flung to the floor with a great power. The atmosphere was charged with powers from the god of forces, fleshly titillation.

Discerning Between Fleshly Titillation and God’s Power!

Is this the power of God, or is it the “god of forces?” Only the Bible can really answer this question.

Paul stated, “And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power” (1 Corinthians 2:1-4).

What was the demonstration of the power in biblical days? There was great conviction of sin, of judgment, and an awesome turning from the world to godliness and a Christ-centered, cross-bearing lifestyle. There were also tremendous miracles, where sickness and evil spirits were broken from human lives. Great change was wrought in the people. However, none of the demonstrations we see in today’s mass televangelism was evident. Biblical precedence does not allow for the extreme emotionalism we are now witnessing. The difficulty, however, is that the line between great demonstrations of life-changing Holy Ghost power and cheap manipulation is not easy to discern.

It’s important that we don’t rule out genuine excitement and spiritual worship while we identify the extremes. As a pastor, I would never touch, nor desire to touch, anything in human expression that isn’t honorable, sincere, and truly praises the Lord. But, anything that focuses attention on an actor performing for the people or on a type of mass hysteria, where emotions are inflamed by cheap psychology, must be rejected and stamped out.

There is unquestionably a fine line between the work of the Holy Spirit and the work of deceiving spirits. The gift of discernment was given to the church to forever maintain the difference. We must use the wisdom and discernment imparted by that gift without fear or embarrassment. I’m sick of hearing these impostors in Pentecostal and Evangelical circles being protected in the name of Christian unity. It is not Christian unity to protect “false prophets;” it is “biblical irresponsibility.”

Revelation 2:14-15

“But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication. So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, which thing I hate.”

Religious Leaders Corrupted By Flattery!

Prophets of God have always been men who have obeyed God without compromise. What the world states about them may hurt their heart, because they care about souls; but it doesn’t intimidate them. They won’t bend, bow, or burn. Daniel warned that this season of Antichrist influence would be evident by covenant breakers, who would sell their souls for a mess of pottage. He said, “And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits” (Daniel 11:32).

Satan’s henchmen are ever ready to confirm the individual who starts apostatizing in his new freedom. They will flatter you with every imaginable compliment. Anytime worldly Christians or unconverted people start bragging on you, something is wrong. If you don’t reject it immediately, you will be hooked by its influence.

Very few ministers or laypersons appear to be willing to stand up against this religious crowd. They are intimidating, to say the least. While they spout openness, you will notice that this openness does not include us uncompromising Fundamentalists. Bible-believers are a threat to their control and their “new consciousness.” The very spirit of this mindset is satanic, and any person who opposes them will be marked. First, they will seek to change you by “flatteries.” The pressure that will be directed toward an outspoken fundamentalist is indescribable. If flattery doesn’t work, then efforts will be made to destroy his or her character. Lies and distortion are acceptable tools if these can accomplish their goal. I know because I have been through both stages.

Paul the Apostle described this scenario for our warning, “Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.

And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness” (2 Thessalonians 2:3-12).

Please notice several key things in Paul’s warning. He admonishes us to not be “deceived by any means.” He then states that the Antichrist will oppose and exalt himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.” He does it by deception. He replaces God with himself without the people realizing what’s happening.

How does he do it?

He replaces the God of biblical reality with the “god of human forces.” Paul states, “Even him whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved”(2 Thessalonians 2:9-10).

The words “power, signs, and lying wonders” are expressive of this new god. But, notice these “forces” are set in contrast to the words, “because they received not the love of the truth.” Simply, they love fleshly titillation, an exciting display of signs and wonders, more than they love truth. A minister with a big display of so-called miracles will draw thousands, while godly ministers of truth will be preaching to a remnant of the faithful. You may want to notice that the miracles in these mega centers are always the kind that cannot be confirmed. The real supernatural miracles are still happening quietly in inconspicuous places.

“And for this cause, God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie” (2 Thessalonians 2:11).

When you enter a New Age-style church, you take your spiritual life into your own hands. These churches are entertaining and present enough fun things to do to completely inoculate you. They will first “deliver” you from all past “restrictions.” One of the first steps in freeing people from convictions of godliness and holiness is to label them as legalistic and regressive. “You have been in bondage,” they will say, but “Jesus (the new Jesus) wants you free.” Remember the words of David Spangler, “freedom of expression” and “new consciousness.” Everything that feels good and okay to you is permissible in this new environment.

According to these new prophets, standards of the Bible were cultural and, therefore, not relevant to today–God/god wants you to be everything you can be by freeing you from all past fetters. It’s amazing to see the real results: adultery filling churches, effeminate men and masculine women on the organ bench and in the choir and singing groups, cigarette smokers servings as ushers, and every expression of the world in the church.

There is one thing, however, that this new god cannot produce: holiness and righteousness are beyond his capacity. He will create a contrived substitute high on smiles and the Dale Carnegie personality, but woefully lacking in the selfless lifestyle of the “cross of Christ.” Missing also will be the unspeakable joy that is evident when someone walks in unhindered discourse with the Lord Jesus Christ. I have found the “pearl of great price” and desire no other.