Date: 04-Jan-1995 10:54am
EST
Subject: David Wilkerson's sermon, "The Solomon Church!"
Rick, thank you very much for your message, and also for sending with it David Wilkerson's sermon, "The Solomon Church!" I'm glad you sent it because, even though I do receive David Wilkerson's sermons by "snail mail," I had only skimmed this one, and I hadn't read the very last portion of the sermon, in which he states that "most of the so-called spiritual revivals today are mere cardboard structures. They're all going to burn in the chaotic days ahead. What Christian will be laughing when our cities are in flames? Who will be giddy and foolish when the economy collapses?" and then, "when I think of the 25 million babies aborted in this country and all the lost people who are going to hell, I don't understand why multitudes of Christians are laughing. Why are millions of Jews weeping and millions of hellbound, disillusioned sinners crying themselves to sleep while charismatics are laughing? When the revival comes, the joy will be because of repentance and because of the ingathering of the last harvest of lost souls."
I believe that David Wilkerson is speaking in ignorance here, and I'm sure he would be very embarrassed at his statements if he knew more of the details of what God is actually doing in the current revival.
The answers to his questions, are of course, fairly obvious--the reason that multitudes of Christians are laughing is because satan has been defeated. We are laughing because we are all being delivered. In fact, all of creation is being delivered from oppression, sickness, and from all of the effects of the fall, through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. This is something that was provided for us at the cross, and deliverance has always been available, but God, for some reason, has chosen the present moment to bring about a shout of rejoicing about it in the camp! Perhaps this means that the full realization of the deliverance will be brought about shortly!
Have you ever seen the Star Wars film, THE RETURN OF THE JEDI? I do not subscribe to the dualistic theology of the Star Wars films (God does not have a "dark side," and any Christian should be fully aware of that), but the very end of that film shows everybody rejoicing with GREAT REJOICING because the powers of evil have been vanquished. Any idiot can see that when the powers of evil are vanquished, there will be great rejoicing!
It is incredible to me that anyone could think that Christians should not be ecstatic, in view of the fact that satan has been vanquisehd, and that redemption that has been purchased for us by Jesus Christ!
David Wilkerson is right that judgement is coming. But we, as Christians, are specifically told in the Scriptures that when these things happen, we are to lift up our heads [rejoice], because our redemption is drawing near (Luke 21:28).
It would not be at all surprising if we were living close to the time of the end, when that redemption does draw nigh. Is this not reason enough for us to lift up our heads and rejoice?
It is true that the judgements of God are sad, and sobering. In my opinion, this is why He is granting us the gift of laughter at this time--so that we can make it through the time of judgement without going crazy! The Scriptures state that, as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be at the time of the coming of the son of man. Well, although Noah was not judged, he sure witnessed the judgement. I'm sure that going through the ordeal of the flood was very, very stressful to him. In fact, when it was all over, he went out and got drunk. Maybe as we see the judgements of God being poured out over all the earth we need some sort of anesthesia to see us through it. Perhaps that is why God is now making so many of us drunk in the Spirit!
In any case, Wilkerson's critique is certainly not Scriptural. The Bible specifically commands us to "Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice" (Phil. 4:4), while Wilkerson seems to be asking us to do just the opposite.
Well, I guess I've said enough about Wilkerson's comments. You asked if any attempts had been made to answer the various criticisms of the revival. I've made two such attempts, and I'll send them to you.
May God BLESS you!
Richard M. Riss
RRISS@DREW.EDU