Kingdom Now - - Dominion Theology

I have just concluded listening to a series of recorded messages from a 2006 conference featuring several prominent teachers Christian leaders who also profess an understanding of Israel and her place in prophecy. Principal among their teachings was instruction relevant to bringing forth the kingdom of God upon the earth. The teachings fall into the category called the "Kingdom Now" doctrine. The conference speakers included teachings and exhortations by Mike Bickel who is at this time heads of the IHOP ministry in Kansas City. Bickel's ministry is enormously influencial and growing. Populations of charismatic churches around the country and the world are falling under IHOP's influence. Additional speakers were Asher Intrater, Raleigh Washington, Dan Juster, and Jim Maher. I do not doubt that every one of these brothers are well studied in scripture and zealous in fulfilling the ministries they believe God has called them to.

Zeal alone does not validate the truth and zealous men or women may be "according to knowledge" or not.
(1 Corinthians 10:2- -For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.)
The apostolic -prophetic message is being promoted zeaously world wide. This message promotes a hierarchy of leadership. It grows its influence by continuously absorbing ministries approved within their 'associations.

Yet, conclusions drawn by the Dominion or Manifested Sons Christian world view deliver a roster of doctrines that are hard to reconcile with any plain sense of voluminous scripture addressing the issue of 'end times.' Prophetic Old Testament teachings are repleat with reverences to "The Day of the Lord," and God's ultimate judgment upon rebellious and ungodly humanity. Scriptures in both O.T. and the Gospels are filled with The Kingdom and the final (second) return of Jeshua to rule and reign upon the earth. This question was the focus of the disciples when they questioned the resurrected Jesus. Their hopes and expectations were that the time was at hand for Jesus to sit upon the throne of David, thus bringing in the kingdom. Here is the scripture that addresses this: Acts 1:7 6So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7He replied, “It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. 8But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Bearing witness is not the same as "taking dominion."

Kingdom Now theology teaches that Jesus Christ commissioned his own disciples, and those who would follow thereafter, to become agents of bringing in God's righteousness to the whole world. Fulfillment of the commission would succeed in de-throning Satan in his present efforts. The activating power of the Holy Spirit was given along with authority for the disciples and apostles to act on behalf of Jesus on the earth. This allowed the gospel of Salvation and along with the promise of becoming an adopted son of God to be spread accross the world. To go beyond this commission saying Christ's followers be fully responsible for bringing the kingdom of God to earth was and is outside of the great commission.

Essentially, Dominion theology is another name for Kingdom Now. The central task in Kingdom now teaching is to take dominion over the whole world. Thus it would fulfill the mission of taking the Christian Gospel to all nations. With this charge the goal in organization and outreach is to overcome and purge the world of its evil influences. The properly ordered "church" has both the authority and power to achieve this end. Meanwhile, Israel and any prophetic destiny is essentially replaced by the church and plays no significant role in the end time scenario. Any study of the book of Revelation renders it as mostly symbolic not chronological or predictive of a certain time to come.

Along with the basic exhortations for all believers to fully implement the great commission; making disciples of all nations, Matthew 28.; there was also the recurrent emphasis that the Church is responsible for bringing the rule of God upon the earth, subduing opposing ideologies and political systems until the Gospel is welcomed and accepted by all the nations. They also declare that the doctrine of the rapture is scripturally incorrect and out of accord with the Lord's purposes for an overcoming believer. We are told that believers in the rapture hold an escapist theology who hold that they can "bail out" when faced with the increase of ungodliness rather than doing their part in establishing kingdom authority in the world. To these teachers, the rapture doctrine is called a satanic deception. Believers in it are deluded who only serve to derail and inhibit the implementation of the Lord's charge to his Body (the Church) to take dominion and subdue all things; including the devil's kingdom, placing him under our feet.

All of these brilliant Bible teachers hold strongly to the doctrinal mission of establishing the Kingdom of God upon the earth through strategic five fold ministry gifting utilizing the enablement of the heavenly powers granted to believers. Dominion, lost to humanity, is regained by subduing God's enemies, controlling the world's governments and making righteous all nations of the world. Thereafter, Christ would return for the seating on the Throne of David and being the sovereign of this planet. Satan would demure and back out when the people of earth no longer serve him.

Listening to these messages, I felt a greater and great sense of distress and hopelessness. The end times tribulations are to be endured along with Israel. There is no "Blessed Hope", only the sense of obligation to submit to the growing authentic heirarchy of religio-political rulership and frustration that it is we ourselves who must properly execute judgment and justice as individuals and as a body of Christ on earth.

What are the fundamental Bible principles that establish Kingdom and Dominion theology?

Edenic Authority, Genesis
1. Adam and Eve were given autonomy to maintain and have dominion within a perfect world - - God's perfect earthly Kingdom. They were not subject to the conditions of the fallen race. Theirs was wisdom, power, and glory. Theirs was eternal life and freedom from want and limitations. This was and remains God's desire for his church (the Body of Christ) today.
Numbers, Spies in the land of promise
2. The people of Israel were commanded to go into the land of promise, (Numbers 13) There were inhabitants in well-fortified cities in these lands who were great and powerful but God said to Subdue them. It was an evil heart of unbelief that caused 10 of the 12 spies to say, " - we are unable to take possession - -" paraphrased.
Authority of believer in the new covenant and prophetic references
3. The born-of-the-Spirit beliver is a true son of God, with the mind of Christ and the exousia (authority to act as Christ in the world)
Satan is dethroned and rules on temporary basis until the knowledge of this fact is concluded
4. Lucifer (Satan) is defeated and no longer authority in the earth so long as the believer knows this he is powerless to affect us for harm. All power in heaven and earth are given unto me, as Jesus stated.
5. Proof texts of the authority of believers abound in old and new testaments.
6. 1 Cor: 15: 23But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming. 24Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. 25For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. 26The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.

Following : a summary of one web writer's research in the Dominion Theology viewpoint
NOTE: I do not suggest that the above named presenters at the Israel Prophetic conference hold to these doctrines. http://www.rapidnet.com/~jbeard/bdm/Psychology/cor/dominion.htm

More specifically, what does Dominion Theology (DT) teach? Here are the highlights:
(a) The Old Testament (OT) Law is our rule of life for today. Although DT teaches that keeping of the Law is not a condition for salvation, it is a condition for sanctification. (However, some of the COR's official statements appear to specifically condition salvation upon OT Law-keeping!);
(b) In addition, the OT Law is to govern over society as well. Since we are called to subdue the earth (Gen. 1:28), DT teaches that God's Law should rule (or dominate) all aspects of society. This view is known as Theonomy (or God's law), and is described by Greg Bahnsen as: "The Christian is obligated to keep the whole law of God as a pattern for sanctification and that this law is to be enforced by the civil magistrate" (Theonomy, p. 34). This would mean that Christians would be obligated to keep the whole OT Law except in a case in which the New Testament (NT) explicitly cancels a command, such as the sacrificial system;
(c) A central piece of DT is its belief in covenant theology. As a result, it makes no distinction between the church and Israel (i.e., the church has become "spiritual Israel"). However, DT goes beyond traditional covenant theology and teaches that the church is to be governed by the same laws, is subject to the same curses, and is promised the same blessings as Israel;
(d) DT teaches a high level of social and political activism. If the Kingdom of God is to gradually take dominion over the earth, it only makes sense that Christians should be attempting to change society through the changing of laws and through social action;
(e) Followers of DT, like many charismatics, especially the Latter Rain Movement, look for a great end time revival in which the masses will turn to Christ. As a result, DT does not believe in the rapture of the church. According to DT, the world should be, and is becoming, a better place through the efforts of Christians (cf. 2 Thes. 2:1-12);
(f) As with many others who follow the teachings of George Ladd, DT believes that - -
we are in the Kingdom age, but the Kingdom in another sense is yet to come. We are in the Kingdom, and have Kingdom authority, but on the other hand, we are ushering in the Kingdom through our efforts. "The Kingdom is now, but not yet," is a popular DT slogan;
(g) DT is postmillennial in its eschatology. It is believed that as a result of the reconstruction of society by Biblical principals, that the final aspect of the Kingdom of God will be established on earth. Christ cannot return until a certain amount of dominion is achieved by the church. It is believed that the curse will slowly be removed as the world is won over. Even disease and death will be all but eliminated before Christ returns to the earth;
(h) DT is preterist in its interpretation of prophecy. This means that they teach that virtually all prophecies which most Christians believe are still future, have in fact been fulfilled already, mainly between the years A.D. 30 and 70. In David Chilton's book, Days of Vengeance, he says that the book of Revelation, "is not about the Second Coming of Christ. It is about the destruction of Israel and Christ's victory over His enemies [during the first century]" (p. 43); and
(i) DT uses an allegorical hermeneutic, especially in reference to prophecy. So we find that the Great Tribulation took place at the fall of Israel in A.D. 70; the Antichrist refers to the apostasy of the Church prior to the fall of Jerusalem; the Beast of Revelation was Nero and the Roman Empire, etc.;

What I believe to be the strongest proof texts in Scripture to Support the Rapture of believers

MATT: 25:32 -- ARGUMENTS TO SUPPORT PRE TRIBULATION RAPTURE

For my own edification and peace founded upon hope, I find these Scriptural principles as the most relavent to discerning false doctrine.

1. Old testament typology of Noah's Ark of safety and the references to Sodom and Gomorra. (Jesus Gospel teaching - Olivet discourse.)

2. Jesus teaching parable of the tares: Matt 13:27 Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? 28He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? 29But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. 30Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn. Matt 13:36 " --saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field. 37He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; 38The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; 39The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world (age) ; and the reapers are the angels. 40As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. 41The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; 42And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 43Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear - "

3. The apostle Paul in his first letter to Thessalonica: Clearly identifies the mystery of the transformation of the dead and living believers who are be resurrected or transformed (the righteous dead are resurrected, the righteous living are translated and caught up) to be caught up (harpazo=snatched away forcefully) (raptare- Latin vulgate) to meet Christ in the air.

4. The apostle Paul in his second letter to Timothy: Chapter 3: 1This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. 2For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, 4Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; 5Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. 6For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, 7Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. 8Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith. 9But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was. 10But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience, 11Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me. 12Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. 13But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. 14But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;

From the above, you may clearly see that those who teach Restoration (Kingdom-now or Dominion theology) completely ignore these guiding principles of Scripture and become part of a group who over estimate their role as believers in the body of Christ to completely destroying the works of the enemy in this world by proxy thus bringing in the wealth, the government, and reign of righteousness upon the earth.