"THE NEW THING" Appendices
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!
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