Saturday, June 21, 2008

Todd Bentley claiming Jesus would come and set foot on the stage

Two weeks ago Todd Bentley publicly said these shocking words on stage that Wendy Alec from God TV told him. I believe that these words conflict with the Bible. You can see him saying it in the video here, and read some of the transcription below:



Let me tell you the prophetic word that, that Wendy gave me ...
...if you live in ... and you're local... and you can be here ... Sunday night...
The Lord just spoke to me and said, "This is what will happen tomorrow night. The King and the King's anointing falls tomorrow night. The 8th June the anointing of the King of Glory falls. Jesus said, 'I am coming in person.' The king is coming in person. I sense so strongly there will be a personal divine visitation of the lamb of God, the Lord Jesus Christ to the revival tomorrow night. He will come in the clouds in his chariot surrounded by a great angelic host ...the king of glory is coming to visit Lakeland to visit the revival...tomorrow the king of glory sets foot upon the stage in divine personal one to one visitation."
Todd Bentley


I believe that the Bible contradicts this message. I shall below outline some of my main thoughts off the top of my head. I'm sure that if you search the scriptures yourself, you will find plenty more reasons.


1) Todd Bentley is inviting people to be in that building to experience Christ coming. This is something that Jesus warned us to stay away from:
Matthew 24:23 Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or 'There he is!' do not believe it. 24 For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you beforehand. 26 So, if they say to you, 'Look, he is in the wilderness,' do not go out. If they say, 'Look, he is in the inner rooms,' do not believe it. 27 For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.


2) Todd (or Wendy Alec) inappropriately uses language that the Bible reserves for Christ's second coming:
e.g., "will come in the clouds," "surrounded by a great angelic host" and "I am coming" these phrases from Wendy Alec are too similar to:

Matthew 24:30 Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

2 Thessalonians 1:6 since indeed God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you, 7 and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels

Revelation 1:7 Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen.

Revelation 16:15 ("Behold, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake, keeping his garments on, that he may not go about naked and be seen exposed!")

Revelation 22:12 "Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay everyone for what he has done.


All of these verses refer to the 2nd coming, was Wendy saying that the second coming was going to come then?

Just when you're sure she's saying this, Todd stops reading out what she wrote, and then adds his own bit, saying that it will not be a physical flesh Jesus appearing. Well in a way its good to hear him say that - but then again it seems to make God confused. God writes in his word that Christ will return one day on the clouds, with his angels, and "I am coming soon". Then supposedly God speaks through Wendy Alec using the same language, now saying it will be June 8th - but as Todd clarifies, this will be a spiritual visitation. My question then is, why would God use the same language in a prophecy today that he has used in scripture, to talk about a totally different thing? Why didn't he clear this up in the prophecy? Why did he leave it sounding like the second coming, needing Todd to step in and explain?

3) Even if Todd's interpretation of Wendy's prophecy is to be considered - nowhere in scripture does it suggest Jesus is going to spiritually mimic his 2nd coming before the real thing.

4) The Bible clearly teaches that Christ is seated at the right hand of the Father (Acts 2:33), he made it clear to his disciples that he was leaving the world (John 16:28), and that when he left, the Spirit would function in his place (John 16:7-11). Then scripture tells us that one day he will return one day the same way that he left (Acts 1:11). In the meantime he is seated at the Father's right hand, and the Father has even told him to seat then until its time to consummate his kingdom (Heb 1:13). He is not going to be setting his foot on anyone's stage in the meantime.

5) Whilst it is true that the Apostle Paul saw Jesus - it does not say that Christ actually came down and set foot on the earth (not even in a spiritual sense). Rather it says that,
ESV Acts 9:3 Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.

Notice that a light flashes from heaven. It may be that this light was the glory of Christ. Paul's experience here is compatible with the rest of the scripture that says Christ is seated at the right hand of the Father, because Christ can still be there - and let Paul see him from the ground. Paul's experience is different to Wendy Alec's prophecy.

6) Some might think this so-called prophecy is backed up by Matthew 18:20, but the context there is church discipline (see Matt 18:16) and God's presence in judicial decisions, not a prayer meeting where Jesus suddenly turns up.

7) Jesus' words in Matt 28:20 show us that Jesus has always been spiritually present with his church (shown in John's gospel to be through the Holy Spirit). Therefore it would be incorrect to view Christ as suddenly turning up spiritually, as Christ has never left us spiritually.

I have tried my best here to respond to what I think is an unbiblical prophecy. Obviously blogging is an instantaneous even that lacks the thought and care that goes into bible studies and sermons. Please check what I have written with scripture, in case I have made mistakes. Search the scriptures, and know Jesus through them! And look forward to his real return!