There are many new “pop theologies” today that are just plain false that are still very popular. Chief among them seems to be a theology that goes by different names but believe a lot of the same things: Kingdom Now, Dominion Theology, Latter Rain, and Reconstructionism are among them. At the root with some variations is that man will take dominion over this earth and change it for the better. In fact, many who hold to these theologies say that the church will make the world perfect and then and only then can the Lord return. So in essence, we will return to nearly the Garden of Eden. The church will make the world a glorious planet and rid the world of evil and then the Kingdom of God will be ushered in.
Some will go as far as saying that Christ just cannot return until the church regains control of the earth. God's law must dominate all aspects of society BEFORE the Lord returns. These people do not believe in a Rapture of the church, a literal Battle of Armageddon, or a literal antichrist. There is absolutely no role for Israel present or future. The Lord will come back after a significant end-time revival which the Latter Rain folks particularly teach. The Bible says otherwise: That only during the Tribulation will the 144,000 Jewish evangelists (Rev. 7) lead quite a revival during the Tribulation and not before.
It sounds good for an aching planet but none of these theologies are all that biblically sound. When Jesus returns to rule and reign out of Jerusalem and establishes His Kingdom on earth, He will clean up the planet. He does not need the church or the help of any other organization or denomination. The Lord is already King over all the earth. His Kingdom rules over all. “Your Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations” (Ps. 145:13). Jesus says in John 18:36, “My Kingdom is not of this world…my Kingdom is from another place.” So why does any earthly entity feel THEY have to establish the Kingdom?
Are we anywhere near perfection? No, and additionally, the Bible says that the last days will be characterized by increasing evil and the decline of society as well as moral character (II Tim. 3). There is to be a great end-time apostasy, not a revival. These theologies are leading the sheep into dangerous territory.
Just as troubling is the fact that ecumenicity has a big role to play with these theologies as all denominations and belief systems must come together and work as one to pull off this Kingdom of Heaven on earth before the King Himself does it. A lot of this rests on human ability and wisdom, not on God's sovereignty. Don't we rely on the power of God and not on man's “greatness?” There is nothing man touches that he does not tarnish just because of the Fall. The Bible does not tell us to change mankind by social action and our own hard work. So empire-building arrogance can surround believers with these false teachings. They can cause one to be in love with the world and long less for our Lord's return and rule and even long less for Heaven itself.
The bottom line is that these theologies think they might create an atmosphere of such earthly perfection. Jesus is restricted to Heaven until the church restores the earth. Jesus' coming isn't an appointed time of God but rather appointed by the church.
To learn more, visit my Web site, www.olivetreeviews.org, then to the categories of “Spiritual Deception” and “Prophecy Watch.”
(Jan Markell is founder/director of Olive Tree Ministries. To learn more, receive her free, print newsletter or e-mail alerts, visit the Web site, www.olivetreeviews.org.)