Extract: 1998. Vol. 10:2 ...Subs. $30 (AUS.p.a.+ postage overseas) payable in advance. (all material free Online)
Many church-goers are reading and spiritually devouring the book, “The Final Quest” by Rick Joyner. This strange book is based on the “visions,” “prophecies” and “dreams” of Joyner, who claims to have received these experiences since 1995 from “the Lord.”
The book is not Scriptural
at all, I didnot find even one Biblical verse (written entirely without
references)in the whole book, so naturally it isnot Biblical prophecy we
are dealing with here, merely extra-biblical ‘experiences.’ The contents
are so mystical,pagan and cabbalistic that one would hardly imagine that
Christians would accept any of it at all!
The book by Joyner contains
so many occult symbols, religious amulets, double-meaning com-ments that
it is hard to begin to do a critique.
The Images horrify-ing problems
of this book are:
THE STONES.
Joyner introduces the idea of “stones” or jewels being the Source of revela-tion, yet Christians surely know that the Bible is the book of God’s revela-tion to man, it is His Divine font of Truth.
On p.71, for example, we read from Joyner’s fiasco:
“I turned away from the door and retreated fast. There was a beautiful red stone nearby, which I almost lunged at to lay my hands on ... I jerked my hand away from the stone and fell to the floor in exhaustion. I wanted so badly to return to the blue or green stones....’What was back there?’ I asked. ‘When you touch the stones we are able to see a little of what you see, and feel a little of what you feel.’ said the angel. ‘We know that all of these stones are great treasures, and all of the revelations they contain are priceless....”
Now compare these beliefs from the New Age about stones:
“Today’s New Age is wrapped up in a theology of amulets, symbols, and talismans. The idea that such objects may contain residual powers was an important part of Babylonian thinking. Small bags of ingredients with spells spoken over them, crystals, magic shapes, words, or num-bers ... These shops also sell precious and semi-precious stones and crystals which are alleged to either contain or attract energy. One flyer lists stones and their magical properties. It claims, ‘Amethyst: reflects the amethystine love ray of the Aquarian Age. Wearing it at-tunes one to love energies. Promotes development of intuitive faculties.’ In this, the shop owner was fo l l owing Babylonian thinking, since the Babylonians extensively used precious and semi-precious stones in healing rituals...” (Ancient Empires of the New Age, by DeParrie and Pride, p.36).
Now look again at the book by Joyner, it is Babylonian in every degree:
“I did not know what to do with the angels so I just continued walking. I was attr acted to a large blue stone that appeared to have the sun and clouds in-side of it. When I touched it the same feelings flooded over me as when I had eaten the fruit of the Tree of Life. I felt energy unearthly mental clarity, and love for everyone and ever ything being magnified...the longer I touched the stone the more the glory increased, I never wanted to take my hand off of the stone...” (ibid p.68).
Now note the altered consciousness of the New Age as Joyner touches the green stone. He receives awareness of a pantheistic earth, just as adepts in occult mysticism experience:
“Then my eyes fell on a beau-t i f u l green stone ... As I touched the green stone I began to see the earth in rich and spectacular colours. They grew in richness the longer I had my hand on the stone ... I . began to see a harmony between all living things on a level that I had never seen before....” (ibid p.69.
THE LEVELS.
Joyner makes much of “levels”, “mantles” and “doors” which are simply witchcraft magic! The occultists have heavily infiltrated Images-line society with such games as Dungeons and Dragons and many computer games. In these we see the magicians’ and warlocks’ “levels”, “doors of enlightenment”, “magic mantles” and “swords.” If we look at the Joyner book it is easy to see it is nothing less than a Dungeons and Dragons “christian” magical quest, or crusade! The occultists give much credence to power animals, the Joyner book is filled with these magical beasts and birds, it is no different than a warlock’s book on magic!
Let us examine Joyner’s seductive little gnostic tome, as he presents the secrets of magic to the initiates. Lest you imagine that this example is one of a kind, I can assure you that there are many mentions of levels, doors, power animals and birds and swords:
“‘When you first came to the mountain you did not stay on this level long enough to look around,’ he [a spirit] answered. He continued, ‘I wanted badly to follow you then, I had been on this level for so long that I needed a change. I just could not leave all of the lost souls that I was still trying to lead here. When I finally committed myself to doing the Lord’s will, whether it was to stay or go, Wisdom appeared to me and showed me this door. He said “It was a shortcut to the top. That is how I got to the top before you did. There I was changed into an eagle.’ I then remembered that I had seen doors like this on a couple of the levels.” (ibid p.65).
What about the “mantles?” Magic mantles are common in “quest”, “crusade” occult games. These have to do with warlocks, witches and initiates also. In this Joyner quote you will note that his “mantle” or magic cloak has completely taken over from the armour which is ours in Christ, as men-tioned in Ephesians six. This false teaching is so dangerous because it presents a fake way of spiritual protection and safety, which is totally alien to the Scriptures. This gives false hope. Do not be misled by the com-ments which may appear godly, in a sense, Satan is coming through the book as an angel of light:
“‘How can we keep from
being attacked like this?’ I asked. ‘Stay close to me, inquire of the Lord
before making major decisions, and keep that mantle on. Then the enemy
will not be able to easily blind side you as he did those.’ I looked at
my mantle. It looked plain and insignifi-cant. I felt that it made me look
more like a homeless person than a warrior. Wisdom responded as if I had
been speaking out loud.’ ‘The Lord is closer to the homeless than to kings.
You only have true strength to the degree that you walk in the grace of
God, and ‘he gives His grace to the humble.’ No evil weapon can penetrate
this mantle, be-cause nothing can overpower His grace. As long as you wear
this mantle you are safe from this kind of attack.’ “ (ibid. p.55).
Quotes from Tom Hardwicke (TH), concerned Christian, will be added here, throughout this section of the critique, as Despatch proceeds through the book from start to finish:
T H:
“Rick Joyner’s first
chapter is called “The Hordes of Hell are Marching”.
He has dreams and visions,
apparently from the Lord and sees hordes of demons marching on Christians
and attacking them.
On page 20 he says:
‘The darkness from the cloud of vultures made it so hard for these prisoners to see that they naively accepted every-thing that happened to them as being from the Lord. They felt that those who stumbled were under God’s judgement. The only food provided for these prisoners was the vomit from the vultures. Those who refused to eat it simply weak-ened until they fell ... After drinking the bitter waters they would begin to vomit on the others. When one of the prisoners began to do this, a demon that was waiting for a ride would climb up on him, and would ride him up to one of the front divisions. Even worse than the vomit from the vultures was a repulsive slime that these demons were urinating and defecating upon the Christians they rode.’
This vision of people suffering shows an underlying spiritual doctrine that these demons are attacking people with disaster and hardship. This concept has been taught in some Pentecostal churches at least since the beginning of the twentieth century but has no real basis in the Bible or spiritual reality. Unless a person reads the Bible they might be inclined to think the above is Biblical reality. Demons in the Bible are evil spirits or the result of spiritual defilement or curses. These spiritual powers or au-thorities in the unseen or heavenlyrealm often come upon people as the result of sin.
For example, ...a child molester will have demons or evil spirits as will those involved with witchcraft, murder and those who make religious or mythological pictures or images, give reverence to them or simply possess them.
DESPATCH:
The Joyner book, “The Final Quest” has an “angelic” being depicted which appears throughout, this being is simply called “Wisdom.” This title is highly significant as the New Agers consider that the Goddess Sophia is shown in the Biblical Scriptures every time the word “wisdom” is seen, as Sophia in Greek means “wisdom.” Joyner even calls “Wisdom” the Lord God Himself! “ ‘I am with all who go forth to do the will of My Father,’ Wisdom answered. ‘You’re the Lord!’ I cried.”(ibid p.55). What is this being “Wisdom” in the New Age? The Goddess Sophia, who is the black Goddess of the Roman Catholic Pope!
Note: that male and
female are becom-ing meaningless in the new Age “god” or “goddess” ideas
cf. p.7 column 3 at top re “statue section”.
The Joyner book plays up a kind of spiritual journey through “levels’, with various “jewels,” and a “mantle” is given to him. All of these concepts are like the spiritual journey that occult initiates take, but this journey is unknown in real Christianity. We have already arrived in Christ Jesus, you see, we are already seated in heav-enly places with Him and in Him (Ephesians 1). We need no “levels” for we share the Life of Christ already, who can go higher than that? The book shows a false hierarchy, a status gained by self’s faithfulness and self’s “experiences.” Of course Joyner regards himself as being on a high level, with “modesty” expressed of course. “Christian” Gnosticism predominates in the weird “prophecies.”
THE WHOLE BOOK DEALS WITH COMMUNICATION WITH THE DEAD!
T H comments:
“This eagle (dead man) says
to Joyner that on earth he had wanted to follow Rick Joyner and says that
`Wisdom’ (God?) showed him a short cut so he could get to the top before
Joyner.
He then says: “There
I was changed into an eagle”. This sounds [just] like reincarnation,
or the fictitious [New Age] story of Jonathan Livingstone Seagull. Most
of the book bears no resemblance to Biblical truth. God does not change
people into eagles....
Joyner then supposedly goes on toward the Judgement Seat of Christ. Although Joyner’s former acquaint-ance continues talking to him from the dead, Jesus said a great gulf is fixed and no-one can pass to tell people what is on the other side - see the story of the rich man and Lazarus. Christians know that communication with the dead is forbidden by God and is therefore something He would not organise or condone.
DESPATCH:
The fact that Rick Joyner considers himself to be a prophet and apostle of God should make alarm bells start clanging! The Word of God was written by the Prophets and Apos-tles, but now the Canon of Scripture has closed there are no more apostles and prophets which speak out or write the infallible Word of God. In fact, if any person pretends that they can add to the prophecies of the Scriptures a CURSE is laid upon them by the Lord God Almighty (see Revelation 22:18). The utterances of the Biblical Prophets and Apostles were the Word of God, which in its written form is a com-pleted Canon.(I Thessalonians 2:13; Ephesians 3:5). II Peter 1:19-21 - we have a SURE WORD of prophecy, which we must take note of, to ignore it in favour of a Gnostic, mystical “prophecy” from a self-styled “apos-tle” is sheer spiritual disaster.
T H comments:
On page 91
Joyner is on the outer fringes
of heaven.He looks over the great host of foolish virgins. (In the Bible
the foolish virgins are purely a story parable of Jesus to warn us to be
ready for His return). He then says that he is one of the foolish vir-gins
but Jesus said at Matt. 24:11 “I don’t know you” and wouldn’t open the
door for them. In reality the foolish vir-gins do not get to heaven but
in the theology from Joyner, the foolish vir-gins still get in but go to
the outer fringes of heaven.
DESPATCH:
Sadly, this kind of aber-rant doctrine has crept even into solid teaching ministries in our day. We heard recently of a Dr.Y. who teaches a message almost identical to the Rick Joyner version of the Ten Virgins parable, all of which is seen in the book itself! Could this preacher have read the Joyner book, or accessed New Age Teaching elsewhere? Dr.Y. is to all intents and purposes a funda-mental preacher, this is not fundamen-tal teaching.
T H comments:
On page 98
Joyner is told that his
experience there with the dead “foolish virgins” will give him far more
wisdom and discernment. Surely having the Holy Spirit with us on earth
can give us all wisdom and discernment. Jesus said the Holy Spirit will
reveal all things to us (Jn.14:26). Does Rick Joyner actually get something
extra that the Holy Spirit of God can’t give to those who are close to
him? [A] dead great reformer has been allowed to talk to Joyner and give
him wisdom, but in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus Jesus shows
that the conversation that Joyner believes he’s having is not possible.
No-one can pass from one side to the other, let alone communicate and give
wisdom.
DESPATCH:
The Joyner book presents a chilling version of the current apos-tasy which is anti- biblical in nature -i.e. that we can gain wisdom and knowledge by “spiritual” revelation apart from the written, infallible Word of God. This is a form of Gnosticism, from the Greek word “gnosis” mean-ing “knowledge.” Joyner gets ALL his “knowledge” of spiritual matters it seems outside of the Holy Scriptures. Here a simple analysis of what Gnostics believe about spiritual knowl-edge would be helpful. Those who have read the Joyner book should recognise that all the elements of Gnosti-cism appear in “The Final Quest”:
BEWARE THE “CHRISTIAN GNOSTIC”
A quote from the book “Strange Fire” by J Van DeMere will enlighten us further:
“A ‘Christian Gnostic’ is easily identified by his show of piety and especially by his air of humility. The more mystic he appears or sounds, the more spiritual he feels. He takes great pleasure in believing he has attained to a high spiritual level and sees himself as being a member of a special breed of people.” (p.66).
NOTE: now Joyner’s book, p. 82. He has a power animal, this time an eagle, tell him he has “faith,” “wisdom,” “authority in the kingdom,” “great honour,” “you have been faithful,” “made a ruler over many more,” etc. Joyner’s pride is massive, he sees himself as a mighty man of God. (Remember, he wrote or journaled or channelled the book himself, it is not just a dream or vision).
NOTE: he has the eagle say that HIS (Joyner’s) FAITH “released many souls,” instead of the Holy Spirit’s drawing has released souls. These souls come to “the mountain” for salvation, not to Christ’s Cross. Eagle addresses Joyner:
“By climbing the mountain you were also demonstrating faith, and wisdom, which does also release authority. Your faith freed many souls, so that they could come to the mountain for salvation. You, too, received many wounds, but your authority in the kingdom has come more from acts of faith than suffering. Because you have been faithful in a few things you will be given the great honour of going back to suffer, that you may be made a ruler over many more....”
T H comments:
On page 103
of Joyner’s book he is told:
“All the relationships that you have on earth are continued here.” That
is that married couples are still together.(as husband and wife) Jesus
said that this does not happen; there is no giving and taking in marriage
for we will be like the angels.
Near the end of p. 103 a wife of a dead saint says of her marriage: “Now our relationship is con-tinuing in much greater depth”. When Jesus was questioned about a woman who was married many times to see whose wife she would be in the resurrection, he made it clear that the marriage relationship does not con-tinue in heaven.
On p.104
Rick Joyner has a great
love for this dead wife of the great Chris-tian foolish virgin man, and
the wife says his attraction is OK.
“It is the attraction between male and female that was given in the beginning, which is always pure in its true form.”
This dead wife says that if it were not for God’s glory where they are, Rick Joyner would be gripped with lust for this old dead woman from the past. This is a lie as a man filled with God’s Holy Spirit can be free from lust here on earth.
The woman tells Joyner that
‘To the degree that you are free of lust on earth, to that degree you will begin to ex-perience heaven.’
Now Joyner is writing a new teaching to experience heaven that is not in the Bible. Should we take in sup-posed great spiritual truths from a dead wife supposedly in heaven when God says He will tell us all we need to know. Do we now need Rick Joyner because he is allowed (against God’s Word) to talk to the dead.
On p.106
she goes on to say that
if she and her husband had served each other on earth they would “be sitting
next to the King now”. This is another new way to get close to the King
that also is not in the Bible. What about getting close to Jesus Christ???
He is rarely mentioned. This teaching sounds a bit like Purgatory,where
you might finally make it into the presence of God....
Joyner says:
‘I had already absorbed
more understanding than I felt like my many years of ministry on earth
had given me.’
I don`t think he was ever close to the Lord Jesus or the Bible because we can get far more understanding than what he gets from these spirits.
On page 107,
another dead man from the
lowest part of heaven says ‘You are being given this ex-perience now because
you will write the vision, and those who read it will understand it.’ This
seems to put Joyner above the Lord Himself, who the Bible says will reveal
all things to His close follow-ers personally [through the Holy Spirit].
On p.109
a dead Christian says to
Joyner
'Please war n my disciples of their impending doom if they do not repent.'
God allows him to talk to Joyner, but God shows this is not possible. At Luke 16 we read of someone who wanted the same sort of warning sent back for his five brothers, but we read: ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’
Another dead writer says to Joyner that if he had sought the Lord in life (p.114) it ‘would have resulted in many more millions being here now.’ When the Bible says that no-one comes to the Lord unless he is drawn by God, how can this lying evil spirit talking to Joyner, claim that he could have brought many millions into the lowest heaven simply by seeking the Lord in life? If HE had sought the Lord in life he probably would not be part of Joyner’s demonic dream.
DESPATCH:
ONLY THE VERY PROUD will accept a comment that they are “humble.” We who are truly saved all know that we are sinful, selfish, foolishly proud and in need of forgiveness every day, yet Joyner seems to accept as his due the lies and flatteries of the demons.
Note: how Joyner accepts
HIS own throne, right next to, ATTACHED TO, the Creator’s! What proud blasphemy!
T H writes:
On page 118
the ‘Lord’ tells Joyner
that he has the MANTLE of HUMILITY required to sit on one of the thrones
attached to His. The Bible which is the truth does not have a requirement
for such a mantle to sit on a throne attached to the Lord’s.
p.121.
The Lord says to Joyner
‘You must know both my kind-ness and severity or you will fall to deception.’
If this ‘Lord’ had been Jesus then He would have directed Joyner to the Bible to know God’s Word or he would fall to deception, as he obviously has.
On page 122
Jesus has ‘stood up’ for
Rick Joyner from His throne in heaven and
‘now will not sit down again until the last battle is over.’
Joyner’s time with the Lord must be of paramount importance because from that time legions of angels that were standing ready since the night of His passion have from this point been released upon the earth. ‘The hordes of hell’ have also been released. This is the time for which all creation has been waiting? It seems amazing that of all the Christians on earth, past and present, that Rick Joyner is the one who is chosen by God to talk and meet with so many dead people (something God does not allow) and to bring Je-sus to His feet from His throne in heaven, not to sit again until the final battle is over. Legions of angels and all of creation have apparently been waiting for this very time when Rick Joyner meets Jesus at His throne. This battle appears to start from this very time which was prior to publish-ing [The Final Quest] in 1996.
DESPATCH:
From the book “Strange Fire” by Traverse and Jewel van der Merwe, we read:
“The ‘Christian Gnostic’
religion is a mystical form of godliness experi-enced intuitively and all
too often is construed to represent the Presence or Voice of the Holy Spirit.
The peril of this concept relegates the inspiration of the Scriptures to
a subordinate position to personal ‘inspiration’ or to ‘private interpretation’
of Scripture ... Christians hooked on ‘hear from God’ without regard to
Holy Scripture are not only open to serious error, but also disposed to
strong delusions. This could lead to a self-centred ‘cult-like’ religion
at the expense of God’s pre-cious written Word. (p.101).
NOTE: the shocking
anti-biblical teaching in this area of the book by Rick, pray for this
man’s soul, he is being used by the devil.
T H writes:
On p.126
Joyner says:
‘His (the Lord’s) judgements set me free, and His judge-ment of the world will set the world free,’
but God says in the Bible
something totally opposed to this:
‘the present heavens
and ear th are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgement and
destruction of ungodly men’ (2Peter 3:7)
God says His judgement will
destroy people not set them free.
On p.126
Joyner says:
‘When God’s judgement day comes it will bring the final deliverance of Adam from his hiding place. This will be the final liberation of Adam.’
This new teaching about Adam does not match the Bible -
The Apostle Paul (??) from the Bible says on pages 131-5 in Joyner’s book:
Paul has said much to Joyner but then says:
DESPATCH:
BLASPHEMY abounds in this book!
Here Joyner has himself become
the “hope” and the one who can “build upon the foundation” of Paul’s writings
in Holy Scripture!
He is being told in essence
by an evil spirit who claims to be Paul the Apostle to add to the words
of Scripture by his own writings!!!! Yet, the Bible is a closed Canon,
this man Joyner has terrible “plagues” upon his life! What unbe-lievable
religious arrogance is this? Revelation 22:18,19; I Corinthians 2:7-15.
The Bible alone is the Oracles of God, the Word of the Lord, the Word of
Life, the Word of Christ, The Word of Truth, and the Word of Faith. God’s
glorious Word is our inspiration, not the dreams and trances of a medium
like Joyner! Romans 3:2; Luke 8:11; Acts 13:48; Philippians 2:16; Colossians
3:16; Ephesians 1:13; Romans 10:8.
T H writes:
On page 141
the
Lord (?) says as “Wisdom” to Joyner
‘You have asked me to judge
you, so you are receiv-ing it.’ God’s judgement to the Corin-thians in
the Bible was in the form of weakness, sickness ..., but an unbiblical
judgement is given to Joyner by taking him to heaven and sending him back
to earth in a vision.
On page 144`
`Wisdom’
says: ‘To be entrusted with my words is to be entrusted with the
power by which the universe is held together.’ It appears that Wisdom is
God,perhaps the fourth person of the Godhead, speaking to Joyner [???].
Although he says some wise things and seems to be like an angel of light,
he obviously is not.
...On p.147
the
Lord (?) seems to give a new profound teaching to Rick Joyner as He supposedly
says
‘All
of your failures will be the result of this one thing, self-centredness.
The
only way to be delivered from this is to walk in love.’
The Biblical way to be delivered
from all sin however, is to repent, confess and renounce...(I John 1:9)
we are told that if we judged ourselves we would not come under judgement.
Writes T H:
Page 148
shows that Rick Joyner must
be pretty special.
Even before the World was
created and before God made man, He called and said things to Rick Joyner.
‘I said that to you before the creation of the world when I called you.’
Rick possibly wants us to
glorify him as he must have been with God before He created the world,
and therefore before he created the first man, Adam.
Rick says on
p. 149
‘My armour contained
the same glory that surrounded Him’(The Lord).
On page 154
Joyner is hugged by another
dead Christian and says
‘When he finally released me I was staggering as if I were drunk.’
(This reminds me of those who get uncon-trollably drunk in the ‘spirit’, and the word of God in the Bible about false prophets in Isaiah 29:9-13....)
I am firmly convinced from the concepts and teachings contained in this book that Rick Joyner is a false teacher and false prophet (that Jesus warned would be among us Matt.7:15 & 2 Peter 2:1-9]) and is not a disciple of Jesus Christ at all. There are so many errors and things totally opposed to Biblical truth in his book, that I believe his visions and the book to be of the devil. These words, conversations and teaching may have come to Rick Joyner while he was asleep and dreaming, but I am certain they did not come from God. A man, called Joseph Smith, has also written a book of spiritual revelation, and so started the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormons), but in that case also, many people are being led astray. The simple plain truth that all can read in the Bible has stood the test of time and shows man what God wants him to know.
FINAL COMMENT FROM DESPATCH:
The book by Rick Joyner finishes
with the words and the “door” that “Wisdom had led me to.” This is most
certainly the spiritual entity Sophia, “Wisdom” of the New Age. ( Whether
male or female entity is refered to, it is the same purpose, cf. p.7 column
3, this issue) Joyner says he has no choice but to go through the
“door,” “I had to
go through it” he writes.
These teachings from demonic
angels from the pit, who are deluding Rick Joyner, are not over yet, for
the book ends with
“To be continued...”
May God have mercy on the deceived readers of the next volume of this man’s black ravings!
YOU do not have to go through that Satanic “door” into hellish lies with Joyner, repent now if you have erred in any way by accepting the delusions of this book, and avoid the next one like the plague it surely is. God Almighty is a Holy God. depth, and see for themselves as the Bereans would do. Get the Sword of the Word sharpened beloved of God, you need to KNOW what God says, and to understand that Pawson, and other false teachers, are NOT teaching the things of God and His Word.
despatch@mail.cth.com.au