Fresh Foundations Part One: "Authority"

Many people worldwide are greatly concerned, nay horrified, at the spread of the New Apostolic Reformation through the churches. Also here too there are a growing number of individuals who are waking up to the problem and beginning to question, and this is good. However our local false apostles are aware of a rising level of concern about their doctrines and activities, and have been attempting to deflect investigation and critique.

One way they have tried to do this is to present themselves as victims of persecution and harassment over a mere "difference of opinion", and by portraying those who voice their alarm as agents of Satan engaging in a campaign of lies (https://tribe.reviveisrael.org/scattering-the-sheep/).

If this matter were indeed something trivial, then, believe me, we would not be bothering to make an issue of it. Really, we have got better things to do than offer people opportunities to call us possessed or demonically energised.

The fact is, that we have spent a lot of time reading the material that Revive/Tikkun and those they associate and work with put out. We had to familiarise ourselves with the teachings, history and direction of this movement to which our false apostles belong. Sadly, this matter is not something trivial that can be overlooked, but the New Apostolic Reformation movement and its teachings represent a clear and present threat to the very foundations of the faith itself.

Just as Paul recognised the circumcision issue at Galatia so undermined the doctrine of salvation by grace alone through faith alone that it constituted a different gospel altogether. Even so the New Apostolic Reformation and its teachings represent a threat of equal magnitude that strikes against the central doctrines of the faith in such a way, that a completely different religion to biblical Christianity is the end result, and we hope to demonstrate that in this series of posts.

The level of spiritual authority that Tikkun apostles arrogate to themselves is deeply worrying. From Tikkun leader Rabbi Glenn Blank's notes from a past Tikkun conference we read the following:

“Topic: Roles of an apostle? Dan Juster’s propositions:
1. Apostles are what they were in biblical times, except for writing authoritative Scripture
2. Apostles may be chosen by other apostles (apostolic succession in historic churches)
3. Apostles may be chosen supernaturally by the Holy Spirit
4. Apostles provide governmental order and covering for five-fold ministry.” (1)

Foundational Authority
Blank specifically states that these are Dan Juster’s own propositions on the level of authority held by a restored apostle today. Juster claims that they are basically the same as the Twelve -apart from not being able to write authoritative Scripture. So they don’t mean just church-planters sent out from some congregation, but apostles in the sense of the Twelve and Paul; -in other words foundational authority; and indeed other material from within Tikkun confirms this:

"We are looking to re-establish foundations for the community of faith". (2)

"Bible teaching from the perspective of apostles within the body today is still greatly needed. They provide vision and foundation, anointing and authority, in a way which the other ministers do not." (3)

"The apostle has a different approach, focusing on the overall kingdom of God, foundations of the Church, the restoration of Israel, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, and the completing of the great commission." (4)

This is reflected in the teachings of Tikkun's covenant partner Mike Bickle:

"God Himself was communicated to me in a way I’ve never known before or since. The Lord simply said, “I will change the understanding and expression of Christianity in one generation”. (5)

When we talk of changing the understanding and expression of something, these are not merely cosmetic adjustments! These kind of changes will alter the very nature of the object itself. Clearly also, the Church, refers not merely to a local assembly but to the Body of Christ as a whole; thus these modern-day restored “apostles” desire to alter the very foundations of the Body of Christ itself, as the late Peter Wagner head of ICAL made quite clear:

“The New Apostolic Reformation is an extraordinary work of the Holy Spirit that is changing the shape of Christianity globally. It is truly a new day! The Church is changing. New names! New methods! New worship expressions. The Lord is establishing the foundations of the Church for the new millennium. This foundation is built upon Apostles and Prophets." (6)

Behind this foundation-replacing mission lies an astonishing level of presumption and a enormously inflated sense of their own importance as this quote from notorious false prophet Bob Jones reveals:

"The Apostle Paul will be more anxious to talk to the endtime apostles and prophets than the endtime apostles and prophets will be to talk to Paul, because what the prophets of this generation will do will be far greater than what he had done. The saints in the New Testament will wait in line to greet the apostles of this generation.” (7)

Bob Jones, by the way, is considered a recognised prophetic voice by both Dan Juster and Asher Intrater (8), and it is disturbingly clear from Juster’s own personal history of Tikkun that he holds this proven false prophet (who used a position of authority to persuade women to undress for him), in high regard. (9) Even apart from the other issues with Tikkun/Revive, such an appalling lack of discernment in one claiming spiritual leadership is sufficient cause for alarm in and of itself.

Rick Joyner of Morningstar Ministries echoes Jones:

“The most glorious times in all of history have not come upon us. You, who have dreamed of one day being able to talk with Peter, John and Paul, are going to be surprised to find that they have all been waiting to talk to you” (10)

We see then, that there is an influential opinion among today’s apostles and prophets that they actually possess, not merely equal, but greater authority and power than the original Twelve. An observation on some more of Rick Joyner's  shocking material confirms this:

"Joyner proposes that there are different levels of revelation.  Level one is prophetic "impressions".  Level two is described as "conscious illumination" which he says was the level the apostles used when they wrote the New Testament documents. Level three is an even higher level which he calls "open visions" which are viewed externally like the clarity of a movie screen.  Finally, the fourth and highest level he describes as the "trance".  It is on this highest level of inspiration that Joyner claims he received his dreams and visions.  In other words he claims a higher level of inspiration than the Apostles when they wrote the Gospels and Epistles. Joyner describes these levels of revelation in The Final Quest, pg 9-10." (11)

Tikkun and Revive do not make the same claim as Joyner explicitly; however, I think it can be demonstrated from their own materials and activities, that in effect, i.e. implicitly, their claim to not be writing authoritative Scripture is meaningless, and that in practical outworking there is no appreciable difference between them and Joyner.

Notes:
1) http://members.beitsimcha.com/s_ser/s_ser_0011.asp
2) Intrater, Asher. Alignment, Location 986. Revive Israel Media. Kindle Edition
3) Intrater, Asher (2015-03-24). All Authority: Biblical Principles of Spiritual and Delegated Authority (Kindle Locations 1893-1894). Revive Israel Media. Kindle Edition.
4) Intrater, Asher (2015-03-24). All Authority: Biblical Principles of Spiritual and Delegated Authority (Kindle Locations 1886-1887). Revive Israel Media. Kindle Edition.
5) Mike Bickle, “Growing in the Prophetic”, (Cited by Mitchell, in: “Spread the Fire”, October 1995), p.
6) (The organisers of the Apostles and Prophets Conference (APC) Brisbane - February 2000).
7) Mike Bickle and Bob Jones, “An Interview with Bob Jones,” Kansas City Prophets 1989.
8) See Intrater’s book Alignment, Kindle locations 761-795.
9) https://www.tikkunamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/TikkunInternationalStory.pdf
10 Rick Joyner, The Harvest p.9 MorningStar, 1990.
11) Steinkamp, Orell. Climbing Rick Joyner’s Gnostic Mountain. http://www.deceptioninthechurch.com/orrel10.html