It’s All About Dominionism, Kingdom Now, and the New Apostolic Reformation, Part 3

Theology and Politics from a Conservative, Biblical Perspective

Aside from what appear to be obvious distortions of biblical truth within Dominionism, it is disconcerting that so many of those involved in it actually deny they are involved in it. This alone should cause people to see it for what it is: a complete deception.

The sad reality is that it seems that many proponents of Dominionism (using whatever label you choose), are working to reclaim the world for Jesus so that He can return sooner than later. It’s that simple and based on what many have stated in books, articles, audios, and videos, it would seem that they are working toward that but they don’t want people to know that this is what they’re officially doing.

Let’s take a look at what some leaders within the movement have been quoted as saying. This is from C. Peter Wagner, author of a ton of books, most dealing with spiritual warfare and church growth. He also published one book titled Dominion!

…We have now shed our inhibitions over theologizing about taking dominion. Dominion theology is not a flashback to Constantinian triumphalism, but it is a new call to action for a triumphant Church.

Actually, I believe Dominionism is more than a flashback to Constantine’s attempts to conquer people who were not Christian. The only difference is that today’s Dominionist, unlike Constantine, doesn’t kill others who stand in the way of Dominionist progress. Today’s Dominionist has political, business, and societal ways of brushing these people aside and running over them if necessary, figuratively speaking.

C. Peter Wagner again…

…Satan has polluted the land and cursed it. Satan has deployed high-ranking demonic powers to darken the spiritual atmosphere over society and to block the freedom of heaven flowing to earth. Both of these arenas need to be and can be cleansed spiritually. We have the tools to do it, we have the gifted personnel to do it and we have the power of the Holy Spirit to do it. It will be done!

Imagine being in that crowd when he stated those words. Can you heard the cheers, the applause, the howls of delight? It would be deafening, wouldn’t it? This is what Dominionists love to here because it is exactly what they believe. Dominionists believe that we – the Church – have been given the authority and power (because Jesus resides within us via the Holy Spirit, therefore we are “partakers” of the divine nature), to cleanse this world spiritually. The problem of course, is that Wagner is not talking about evangelizing the lost, you know, the job we were/are commissioned to do by Jesus Himself in Matthew 28. Wagner is talking about ridding the world – the various systems throughout society; political, educational, etc., – of demonic powers and principalities.

Yes, Satan has corrupted this earth to a point. But let’s not forget that God Himself placed a curse over the entire earth (cf. Genesis 3), not Satan as Wagner declaratively states. God cursed the ground so that it would only give forth fruit and vegetables after Adam worked hard for it. That was actually for our benefit so that our muscles wouldn’t atrophy and our health decline sooner. In our effort and sweat we would maintain our health at least to some degree though death would eventually come to everyone.

Animals also came under this curse so that they would become afraid of humanity in order to survive. Had they not, they would have all been killed eons ago. The earth would be without animals. Consider the ramifications of that. God placed the curse as a form of protection as well as limitation. It will be lifted (Romans 8:22) at some future point because that curse was also conquered at the cross.

In Daniel 10, a high-ranking angel tells Daniel what is to come toward the end of the age. He also tells him that a more powerful spiritual being kept him away from Daniel for 21 days, the same amount of time that Daniel had been praying, which is why the response to Daniel’s prayer was delayed that long.

Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia. Now I have come to explain to you what will happen to your people in the future, for the vision concerns a time yet to come, (Daniel 10:12-15).

Please notice that the angelic messenger was resisted by the “prince of the Persian kingdom.” This was a spiritual being, not a human king as some argue. This spiritual being had the power to keep one of God’s angelic messengers at bay until Michael arrived to help. Why did God do this and more importantly, why do we know about it? Clearly, it was to confirm numerous things.

1. The situation was used to strengthen Daniel’s faith because Daniel had to wait and remain faithful
2. It provided a small peak behind the curtain that hides the heavenly realms from our physical eyes
3. It shows us that there is an entire line of lesser to more powerful spiritual beings on Satan’s side as well as God’s
4. In the end, God vanquishes whoever stands in His way and in this case, He used Michael
5. It proves that God does not have to get directly involved because He has princes – powerful spiritual beings – who carry out His tasks perfectly
6. It proves God is absolutely and without doubt in full and total control

Please notice that Daniel prayed and then he waited on God. He continued requesting of God the meaning of the vision he had seen. Notice also that God did not destroy the prince of Persia though He easily could have. He simply sent Michael to deal with him and clearly Michael was able. We don’t know what eventually happened to that soldier of Satan. But we can rest assured God has dealt or will deal with him once and for all. Done deal.

God is not waiting for us to somehow remove Satan’s power in society, something only God has the power to do and will not do that through us, but will take Satan on directly when He returns. He’ll deal with it. This is also the case when Jesus walked this earth when the demons who had been cast out of the demoniac begged not to be cast into the “pit,” but were instead allowed to go into a nearby herd of pigs. Jesus could have sent them to the pit, but did not (cf. Matthew 8; Mark 5). God is Sovereign and fully in control. He is limited neither by man or spiritual being.

In Daniel 10:20 we read the following.

Soon I will return to fight against the prince of Persia, and when I go, the prince of Greece will come…

Ultimately, the messenger is talking about the fact that the prince who protected Persia for Satan’s purposes will be put out of commission because the Persian Empire would fall and historically, we know that it did. It was followed by the Grecian Empire led by Alexander the Great (which was followed by the mighty Roman Empire and has several phases, the final version of which the world has not yet seen). Notice that the Grecian Empire would also have its spirit protector, the prince of Greece, whom we can assume was also a very powerful demon. I’m sure Michael could handle him as well.

People like C. Peter Wagner do not appear to understand why things are unfolding as they are unfolding in the world. I believe the reason has to do with an erroneous focus of Scripture. These folks see the Great Commission as a tool to increase the Lord’s Army in order to take the world back for God. They do not necessarily see the Great Commission as an end in and of itself, one that brings tremendous glory to God as more lost souls are brought into the heavenly kingdom via salvation.

Because of this, they wrongly assume, based on what appears to be their exegetical lack, that it is the Church’s job to “fix” the earth so that Jesus can return. Does it appear to you from just this one passage in Daniel 10 that God lacks control or authority over all things? Do you get any sense that God is worried, concerned, or unable to continue to be sovereign? I don’t. I’ll remind you that God felt no need to deal with the prince of Persia Himself directly. It was too small a task. He sent Michael instead, the one who protects Israel.

The timing of full cleansing for this earth is in God’s hands. He Himself will do it, not when we get things ready for Him, but when His timing is right. The idea that God’s hands are tied until and unless we do something to help is so ludicrous, it’s laughable.

We’ll continue this next time.

Theology and Politics from a Conservative, Biblical Perspective