Down through the ages few things have captivated the minds and
hearts of mankind as GOLD. What is it about this shiny, golden substance
that causes such a stir?
The obvious answer is wealth and power. But even so, gold has
yet another strange and alluring attraction that has been with us from
the beginning of time and that is the association of gold with deity.
A study of the Tabernacle in the wilderness reveals that the
gold represented deity. Beaten gold foreshadowed the sufferings of Christ
as well as the process many Christians go through as God refines them.
Jesus said to the Laodicean church, I counsel thee to buy of me gold
tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich Revelation 3:18a. The Apostle
Peter wrote:
"The trial of your faith being much more precious than gold
that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise
and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ" (1 Peter
1:7).
In the church today, however, we are witnessing a different
type of obsession with gold. Reminiscent of historic gold rushes to
Alaska's gleaming peaks or California's golden shores, this gold rush
is taking place wherever the glory cloud manifests.
Tales of real gold falling from heaven coupled with the magical
appearance of gold teeth has captured the imaginations of countless
sign-seekers. In spite of the fact that laboratory analysis of the gold
dust refutes that it is indeed gold, (it is some sort of plastic),
nevertheless, people insist it is the real thing, straight from God.
And, what about those shiny, gold fillings and crowns? Research
reveals that the majority of these miracles were teeth that had been
either previously filled and/or capped by a dentist, or that the metal
was not pure gold.
While many may want to snicker at another display of ridiculous
religious extremism, discerning believers need to take a closer look.
Where is all of this leading us? To answer that question we need
only sweep aside the veil of biblical and historical ignorance to view
the entire landscape. In other words, we need to see the whole picture,
past, present future in light of biblical prophecy.
Signs and wonders are nothing new. They are as old as mankind.
In Moses day magicians and sorcerers with their ability to perform miracles
were commonplace in Egypt. The same holds true of the great Babylonian
and Chaldean empires. In every civilization, including our own, ruling
authorities have employed sorcerers, magicians, astrologers and psychics.
We may consider ourselves civilized and modern but superstition
abounds on every level. Be not deceived! Increase in knowledge is never
a guarantee of increase in wisdom. Usually the opposite is true because
"knowledge puffeth up but charity edifieth" (1 Corinthians
8:1). Perhaps that is why pride is increasing in this day of technological
advancement while the love of many is decreasing.
Therefore, let us be wise and consider that the signs and wonders
supposedly occurring in certain charismatic circles today have always
been manifested in the Roman Catholic Church.
The Catholic church emphasizes superstition, relics and idols.
Are Christians oblivious to the fact that the many visions of Mary seen
around the world also speak of signs and wonders identical to the ones
we are seeing today in charismatic churches and even in the cults such
as Unity?
Here is a comment of Michael Freze in his book, Voices, Visions
and Apparitions: "On June 24, 1987, one lady stated that
her rosary had turned gold while she was visiting Medjugorje (a major
Marian site of Visitation). This same woman claims that over a forth
of the people whom she ministered to have had their rosaries turned
to gold. This phenomenon is not at all unusual, thousands have come
back from Medjugorje testifying that their rosaries turned to gold the
chain or beads often turn to gold immediately during a prayer service
in the presence of hundreds of witnesses" [Page 61].
In Conyers, Georgia, gold dust has also been seen upon the worshippers
of Mary. There are signs in the sun that accompany this gold phenomena
making the link between gold and the sun too obvious to miss (A study
of Roman Catholicisms occult symbols and relics reveals worship to the
sun god who is also worshipped today in different guises by Masonry,
Illuminist groups, false religions and cults). However, the Toronto
and Brownsville revival has contributed to this gold rush.
Discerning Christians worldwide have rejected the Brownsville
and Toronto events as false. Nevertheless, in spite of doctrines of
demons, bizarre manifestations, unruly conduct, exaggerated fruit and
division among churches, Christians continue to rush to the gold.
Shouldn't we be asking why a holy God would stoop to fill teeth
with gold when there is ungodly disorder and false doctrines? Should
we not ask why there are no recorded dental miracles in the Bible? And
why would a God of love fill peoples teeth with gold when they may be
dying of cancer, heart disease, diabetes or any number of other disorders
such as deafness, blindness and so forth?
Furthermore, according to health experts, such as Dr. Hulda Clark,
ANY metal in your mouth, gold or otherwise, is detrimental to your health!
(Author of THE CURE FOR ALL DISEASES).
People do perish for lack of knowledge--knowledge of the true
God, His attributes, character and ways for He changes not. Malachi
3:6 says, "For I am the LORD, I change not."
The problem with countless people today who call themselves Christians
is that they have never been properly discipled (made students or followers
of Christ). They have been molded into conformity to church creeds,
dogmas and religious ideologies, but they lack understanding and knowledge
of the real Jesus. Sadly, in His place are many unscriptural false Jesus's
made up of people's vain imaginations, perceptions and ideas that smack
of Disneyland fantasies.
The early leaders of the Manifest Sons of God, such as Franklin Hall,
believed in fine gold and silver dustings as being the attainment of
Immortal Substance. This substance, according to Hall, would come upon
the believer who feeds upon it from within Christ's now body. A study
of Hall and his aberrant teachings reveals heavy occult activity.
The Manifest Sons believe in a Spiritual coming before [or instead
of] the physical return of Jesus Christ to this earth. This is known
as the Shekinah glory which is now supposedly appearing in church after
church throughout the world. They believe the glory will eventually
permanently dwell with his people as the manifest Christ on earth. The
idea behind the gold dust falling in some churches today is that it
is a visible manifestation of this glory. This is totally unscriptural;
a doctrine of demons accompanied by demonic lying signs and wonders.
Religion will always set you up to be deceived, deluded and destroyed
because religion does not originate with God, the true Giver of life.
Today we are witnessing a shallow brand of Christianity that
gives lip service to the Bible, God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit but the
attitudes, lifestyles, obsessions and fruit belies that there is any
true knowledge of Jehovah God whatsoever. In fact, what we are experiencing
is a revival of Spiritism or communion with demons and sorcery, which
is a practice of the hidden arts.
In the book, EARTHS EARLIEST AGES (1876) G. H. Pember
writes:
"The grand aim of Satanic miracles is to bring men under the
influence of demons. The Devil would by no means destroy, but rather
increase, a belief in the supernatural; he would, however, point out
Satan, and not Christ, as the head of thrones, dominions, principalities
and powers, and hasten the time when one shall sit as God in the temple
of God showing himself that he is God (2 Thess. 2:4). To this end is
all the teaching of his signs and wonders directed, however carefully
they may be disguised, and whether they be appearances of aerial forms,
visions, oracles which seldom afford real help, and often lure men on
to destruction by the ambiguity of their response, soothsayings sometimes
strikingly verified, but never reliable, spirit-writing, voices of the
unseen, magnetic healings, or any other exhibition of his power. Nor
can we examine the many superstitions confirmed by these miracles without
astonishment at the skill with which they are adapted to the purpose
of enthralling mankind. For is not this the obvious intent of spirit-communications,
auguries, omens, tokens, lucky and unlucky days and seasons, purifications,
holy water, spells, potions, amulets, charms, fetishes, relics, images,
pictures, crosses, crucifixes, and all the countless prescriptions of
demoniacal systems?" (Page 154).
"Now all idolatrous worship is inseparably connected with magic
and the exercise of supernatural power. For it is only by a continual
display of such power, or at least by a fixed belief in it, that the
human race can be held in the grievous bondage of demon-service"
(Page 153).
"An example of spiritism in scripture is the Philippian damsel
who had a Pythonic spirit. This familiar [spirit] was a subordinate
of the great power worshipped under the name of Apollo, the Sun-god,
and the inspirer of the Delphic oracle. But this inference is entirely
obscured in our version by the inaccurate substitution of a spirit of
divination for a Pythonic spirit" (Pages 171, 172).
"We need to be reminded of how very real and powerful the demonic
realm is, and how easy it is for Satan to deceive even the most committed
and astute believer.
"Tertullian divides the demons who are connected with magic
into three classes:
- Parabolic spirits which throw men on the ground;
- Paredral spirits which keep ever at their side; and
- Pythonic spirits which cast them into trances.
"If this be a true classification, the Philippian damsel must
have been a clairvoyant or trance-medium." (Page 172)
Sound familiar? (Note: By these manifestations we are able to
see Satan's ability to counterfeit the gifts and workings of the Holy
Spirit.)
The gold rush today is dangerously similar to the practice of
alchemy. The aim of alchemy was to transmute base metals into gold.
Even though this was attempted as a chemical process, alchemy was satanic
by nature and the real meaning behind it was a spiritual transformation
of flesh into divinity. There are actual recorded accounts of alchemists
being enabled by demons to transmute metals (See EARTHS EARLIEST
AGES by Pember).
Christians need to stop and consider that gold is a powerful
symbol for New Agers, occultists, astrologers, Gnostics and many in
religious cults.
Man's eyes may be upon the gold that perishes, but Gods eyes
are upon the trial of our faith and the gold that endures:
"The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments
of the LORD are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are
they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and
the honeycomb. Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping
of them there is great reward" (Psalm 19:9-11).
Thus we are reminded in our arrogance and exclusivity that supernatural
occurrences and bizarre manifestations are nothing new. As our generation
becomes more self-possessed, the duller our intellects become to the
great events, blunders and truths that the sacred scriptures as well
as both ancient and recent history would teach us. In our willing and
self-imposed blindness, we stumble ever closer to the brink of destruction.
Perhaps in the future one word will sum up the legacy of this age: FOOLS.
