by Holy Pivec
(Former managing editor of Biola University’s magazine, Biola Magazine, and a former contributing writer to the Christian Research Journal. She has a master’s degree in Christian apologetics from Biola. She also operate the site http://www.fulfilledprophecy.com/.)
How can you get rich and build God’s kingdom at the same time?
By following the modern “apostles” and “prophets” — at least that’s what they claim. They say a “great transfer of wealth” is about to occur — from the wicked to the righteous.
If you want to be on the receiving end of the transfer, then you’d better get “properly aligned” with
them. What that boils down to is submitting yourself to them.
More than 30 so-called apostolic leaders taught people how to take part in the wealth transfer at the Financial K.E.Y.S. conference held earlier this month in Denver, Colorado. Speakers included Bruce Cook, Lance Wallnau, Os Hillman, Cindy Jacobs, Rick Joyner and C. Peter Wagner. See the full list here. The name of the conference — Financial K.E.Y.S. — refers to their teaching that money is the key to global transformation and establishing God’s kingdom on earth. As Wagner says in his book Dominion!:
“If you check back through human history, you will find that three things, more than any others, have produced social transformation: violence, knowledge and wealth — and the greatest of these is wealth! (page 181)
To make the wealth transfer happen, Wagner claims that God is raising up a special group of apostles called workplace apostles. He says they will have the ability to make investments that will yield extraordinary returns:
“They will not be traditional financial planners who are satisfied with annual returns of 5 percent to 20 percent or so. … I have faith that we will see the biblical standard of 100 percent returns or more become the norm” (Dominion!, page 196).
Wagner and company claim that their prophecies about a “great transfer of wealth” have a biblical basis. Yet, the Scriptures they quote in support of this teaching are taken out of context. Let’s take a quick look at the two verses Wagner quotes in his book Dominion!.
Isaiah 60:11 and Proverbs 13:22
The first verse Wagner quotes is Isaiah 60:11:
“Therefore your gates shall be open continually; They shall not be shut day or night, That men may bring to you the wealth of the Gentiles, And their kings in procession.”
The chapter this verse is taken from, chapter 60, is about the restoration of the nation of Israel during the millennial reign of Christ. It’s not about the Church. The other verses in the chapter make this clear. Verse 14, for example, specifically names Israel’s capital city, Jerusalem, when it refers to “the city of the Lord” and “Zion” (these are two other names for Jerusalem).
In light of the rest of the chapter, it’s clear that verse 11 is saying that the wealth of the Gentile nations (non-Israelite nations) will be brought to Israel during the millennium, after Christ’s return to earth. It has nothing to do with wealth being transferred to the Church, today, through so-called workplace apostles.
The second verse Wagner quotes as support for a “great transfer of wealth” is Proverbs 13:22:
“But the wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous.”
Actually, Wagner only quotes part of verse 22. He completely leaves out the first half of the verse without telling his readers that’s what he’s done. But the full verse sheds more light on its meaning. Here it is: “A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, But the wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous.”
So, this proverb is about inheritances and the lasting legacy left by the righteous versus the fleeting prosperity of the wicked. I don’t know how Wagner — someone with multiple theological degrees - could take a simple proverb about inheritances and legacies and turn it into a teaching about the end times, workplace apostles and a wealthy Church.
Apostles and Wealth
Many of today’s apostles insist that they must possess vast sums of money to defeat the forces of darkness and advance God’s kingdom. Yet, Peter and John — two of the original apostles — didn’t have much money and God used them mightily. They relied on something even more powerful than money — the authority of Christ.
Once, when a crippled beggar asked them for money, Peter replied:
“I do not possess silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you: In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene–walk!” (Acts 3:6)
Never once did the original apostles say wealth was a key to the Church’s success. Yet today’s apostles claim it is indispensable.
(Former managing editor of Biola University’s magazine, Biola Magazine, and a former contributing writer to the Christian Research Journal. She has a master’s degree in Christian apologetics from Biola. She also operate the site http://www.fulfilledprophecy.com/.)
How can you get rich and build God’s kingdom at the same time?
By following the modern “apostles” and “prophets” — at least that’s what they claim. They say a “great transfer of wealth” is about to occur — from the wicked to the righteous.
If you want to be on the receiving end of the transfer, then you’d better get “properly aligned” with
them. What that boils down to is submitting yourself to them.
More than 30 so-called apostolic leaders taught people how to take part in the wealth transfer at the Financial K.E.Y.S. conference held earlier this month in Denver, Colorado. Speakers included Bruce Cook, Lance Wallnau, Os Hillman, Cindy Jacobs, Rick Joyner and C. Peter Wagner. See the full list here. The name of the conference — Financial K.E.Y.S. — refers to their teaching that money is the key to global transformation and establishing God’s kingdom on earth. As Wagner says in his book Dominion!:
“If you check back through human history, you will find that three things, more than any others, have produced social transformation: violence, knowledge and wealth — and the greatest of these is wealth! (page 181)
To make the wealth transfer happen, Wagner claims that God is raising up a special group of apostles called workplace apostles. He says they will have the ability to make investments that will yield extraordinary returns:
“They will not be traditional financial planners who are satisfied with annual returns of 5 percent to 20 percent or so. … I have faith that we will see the biblical standard of 100 percent returns or more become the norm” (Dominion!, page 196).
Wagner and company claim that their prophecies about a “great transfer of wealth” have a biblical basis. Yet, the Scriptures they quote in support of this teaching are taken out of context. Let’s take a quick look at the two verses Wagner quotes in his book Dominion!.
Isaiah 60:11 and Proverbs 13:22
The first verse Wagner quotes is Isaiah 60:11:
“Therefore your gates shall be open continually; They shall not be shut day or night, That men may bring to you the wealth of the Gentiles, And their kings in procession.”
The chapter this verse is taken from, chapter 60, is about the restoration of the nation of Israel during the millennial reign of Christ. It’s not about the Church. The other verses in the chapter make this clear. Verse 14, for example, specifically names Israel’s capital city, Jerusalem, when it refers to “the city of the Lord” and “Zion” (these are two other names for Jerusalem).
In light of the rest of the chapter, it’s clear that verse 11 is saying that the wealth of the Gentile nations (non-Israelite nations) will be brought to Israel during the millennium, after Christ’s return to earth. It has nothing to do with wealth being transferred to the Church, today, through so-called workplace apostles.
The second verse Wagner quotes as support for a “great transfer of wealth” is Proverbs 13:22:
“But the wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous.”
Actually, Wagner only quotes part of verse 22. He completely leaves out the first half of the verse without telling his readers that’s what he’s done. But the full verse sheds more light on its meaning. Here it is: “A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, But the wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous.”
So, this proverb is about inheritances and the lasting legacy left by the righteous versus the fleeting prosperity of the wicked. I don’t know how Wagner — someone with multiple theological degrees - could take a simple proverb about inheritances and legacies and turn it into a teaching about the end times, workplace apostles and a wealthy Church.
Apostles and Wealth
Many of today’s apostles insist that they must possess vast sums of money to defeat the forces of darkness and advance God’s kingdom. Yet, Peter and John — two of the original apostles — didn’t have much money and God used them mightily. They relied on something even more powerful than money — the authority of Christ.
Once, when a crippled beggar asked them for money, Peter replied:
“I do not possess silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you: In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene–walk!” (Acts 3:6)
Never once did the original apostles say wealth was a key to the Church’s success. Yet today’s apostles claim it is indispensable.
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