BY HANK HANEGRAAF
1997 Dallas: Word, 316 pages
A Book Review by Joseph Ng
November 2002
Ever been tempted to reach out to the TV screen for a mighty healing, call that toll-free number for a vial of “holy water,” roll down the aisle with thousands in “holy laughter,” be baptized and “slain in the Spirit,” have your dentures changed to gold, receive the “word of knowledge” on your business prospects, or rebuke evil spirits troubling your home or city – all “in Jesus’ name”? Isn’t this the work of the Holy Spirit? Dare we even question the revivals going on today, from Toronto to Pensacola and Johannesburg? So many churches and pastors couldn’t be wrong about the Holy Spirit, could they?
Today, Christianity is faced with the twin threats of Charismatism, a movement that emphasizes miraculous signs such as healing and “tongues,” and Ecumenism, a movement to unite Christianity with Roman Catholicism. Charismatism and Ecumenism attack a Bible-based faith in emphasizing, on the one hand, intangible “faith” experience, and, on the other hand, tangible, visible unity. The clearest example of Charismatism today is the “Word-Faith” movement, which appears on television and in megachurches in the form of eloquent preacher dispensing what seem to be miraculous signs to thousands. Given its popularity and financial success, the movement is considered both an epidemic and an industry.
This book is to the Word-Faith movement what chemotherapy is to cancer. Author Hank Hanegraaf is the successor of Bible Answer Man Walter Martin and the President of the Christian Research Institute (www. equip.org). An expert in apologetics and cults, Hanegraaf has also authored the bestseller Christianity in Crisis.
Counterfeit Revivals comprises five parts and 25 chapters:
1. Fabrications, Fantasies, and Frauds (Chapters on “The Holy Ghost Bartender” and “The Runway in Toronto”);
2. Lying Signs and Wonders (“Animals, Animation, Advertisements, and Athletics,” “A Great Apostasy”);
3. Endtime Restorationism (“Endtime Restoration of Tongues … Super Prophets and Apostles”);
4. Slain in the Spirit (“Suspect Slayings,” “Seven Scriptural Pretexts”); and
5. Hypnotism (“The Arrival of the Mesmerists,” “The Exploitation of Expectations,” “The Subtle Power of Suggestion”).
The book traces the beginnings of the modern “tongues” movement that begat different waves of Charismatic influence and ends with a study on hypnotism and mesmerism, tactics that have been used by spiritual gurus, modern showmen, and televangelists alike to control their audiences. There is an excellent seven-page Subject Index, providing reference to characters like John Arnott, Paul (David) Cho Yonggi, Jack Deere, David du Plessis, Kenneth Hagin, Oral and Richard Roberts, John and Carol Wimber.
Throughout the book, Hanegraaf provides helpful direct quotations of what these leaders teach, such as:
In The Father’s Blessing, Counterfeit revival leader John Arnott conveys a conversation he had with Jesus Christ. During the dialogue, Arnott asked the Almighty what he would like to do when they met. Christ allegedly responded, “Oh, John, I just want to wash your feet” (p. 104).
[Says Benny Hinn, another revivalist:] I’m sick and tired of hearing about streets of gold. I don’t need gold in haven, I gotta have it now! I mean, when I get to glory, all my bills will be paid, brother. I won’t have bills in glory! I won’t need to worry about bills in glory. I gotta have it here! You say, “Well, Benny Hinn, isn’t it wonderful to have streets of gold in heaven?” Well, of course, but if I hear the thing one more time of how it will be and how it was, I’m gonna kick somebody! (p. 106)
[Rodney Howard-Browne, “laughter” evangelist:] Would you listen to me? If your praying had helped, it would’ve helped you; now get laughing … Now people in the lines, wait for me to come and lay hands on you, and don’t pray, please don’t pray … People come trying to be all serious and praying. No! This is not the time to pray. This is not a prayer meeting; get in the joy; you can pray on the way home.”
Also useful is Hanegraaf’s reexamination of seven Scriptural “pretexts” coopted by Charismatic leaders to justify their tactics. These are: Gen 2:21; 17:3; Mt 28:4; Jn 18:6; Acts 9:3-4; 10:9-10; Rev 1:17.
This book is easy narrative reading and attacks the charismatic Word-Faith Movement on its own turf—showmanship. Hanegraaf, in discussing one of the most influential and affluent religious movements of our day, does not shrink from engaging in his own theatrics (witness the chapter headings), with an O-Henryesque “Before You Begin” introductory chapter. He also pulls off such riveting (if mocking) acronyms such as FLESH (for Fabrications, Fantasies, and Frauds; Lying Signs and Wonders; Endtime Restoration; Slain in the Spirit; and Hypnotism) and APES (Altered States of Consciousness; Peer Pressure; Expectations; and Suggestions of Hypnotists and Holy Ghost Bartenders).
While Hanegraaf does an effective job in exposing the mesmerists, he seems less critical towards theologian J.I. Packer, Campus Crusade leader Bill Bright, and “Billy Graham associate” Robert Coleman (pp. 103-4). All three are involved in the ecumenical movement seeking to lead Christians back to the Roman Catholic Church, and none of them are known to be clearcut in their position against the Charismatic counterfeits.
Notwithstanding these imperfections, Hanegraaf’s documentation and exposure of the vanguard of Charismatism is a valuable and timely eye-opener to the Christian public. It is not a popular thing to pick out wolves in sheep’s clothing (Mt 7:15) in our religiously “tolerant” world these days. It will be the ministry of this book to tell sheep to stop “looking for God in all the wrong places.”
Al Seckel. 1987. Science and the Paranormal Magazine. God’s Frequency Is 39.17 Mhz: An Investigation of Peter Popoff (http://www.peterpopoff.org/). With additional video footage of the fraud at http://www.bible.ca/tongues-popoff-39-17Mhz.htm
Cephas Ministries’ Index of Third Wave Televangelists: http://www.cephasministry.com/evangelists_2.html
Leap of Faith (video). 1992. Starring Steve Martin and Debra Winger. A comedy with penetrating insight into the world of the “healing” epidemic.