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ROCK MUSIC
WOLF OR SHEEP?
A THEOLOGICAL ANALYSIS
By William Frederick, M. Div.
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WILLIAM FREDERICK, M. Div.
CH R ISTIAN
ROCK MUSIC
WOLF OR SHEEP?
A THEOLOGICAL ANALYSIS
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©Copyright 2007, William Frederick. All rights reserved. No part of this
book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by
any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise,
without written permission from the author. All comments herein are
without malice or prejudice.
Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.
Take note that the name satan and related names are not capitalized. I
believe that he does not deserve that honor, even to the point of violating
grammatical rules.
ISBN: 978-1-4303-0644-3
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Dedication
I dedicate this book to all of God’s sheep who are seeking to follow the
Good Shepherd.
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Preface
What kind of music should a Christian listen to? Is there good and
bad music, or is music amoral? Are the words the determining factor in
evaluating music? How will different types of music affect me if at all?
Can music affect my body? These questions and others may have crossed
your mind in regards to music. In this book we will answer those questions
and more.
It is very important to know the answers to those questions. I have
been a Christian education minister for the last 18 years. In those 18 years
I have witnessed first hand the good, the bad, and the ugly effects of
Christian music in the lives of many people. It is an issue that needs
addressing. In this short expose we will make a scriptural determination as
to what kind of music a Christian should listen to.
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Contents
Introduction 9
Chapter 1: The Origin of Rock Music 15
Chapter 2: The Purpose of Rock Music 23
Chapter 3: The Affect of Rock Music 29
Chapter 4: Rock Music Evaluated 43
Conclusion 57
Addendum 63
Endnotes 78
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Introduction
I magine for a moment that you are a sheep in a large flock and suddenly
you hear a cry of WOLF! You would probably run to safety as quickly
as possible. But what if after you ran away you turned around and saw
what looked like a sheep coming toward you, and not a wolf. And then a
controversy arose; some of the sheep in the flock said it was not a wolf but
a sheep, yet others still maintained that it was a wolf. Some of the sheep
even though they were still a little wary went over to the approaching
animal and came back and said that it really was a sheep, and not a wolf.
Yet others insisted it was a very cleverly disguised wolf, it was a wolf in
sheep’s clothing. If you were one of those sheep what would you do? I
do not know about you, but realizing the potential danger of a wolf to
sheep, I would cautiously investigate the situation before risking possible
destruction.
An “animal” has approached the flock of God and some claim it is
a “sheep” while others are saying that it is a “wolf in sheep’s clothing.”
The “animal” that has approached the church is Christian rock music.
Some maintain that this “animal” is a “sheep” or that it is alright for a
Christian to listen to Christian rock, while others maintain that it is a “wolf
in sheep’s clothing” or that it is not alright for a Christian to listen to, and
that it could destroy a Christian’s life. This book is designed to provide
you with information whereby you can decide whether this “animal,”
Christian rock music, is a “sheep” or a “wolf.”
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In order to determine whether Christian rock and or any other form
of rock music is a “wolf” or “sheep” we will examine Rock music’s
origin, purpose, and affect, and then evaluate these aspects in light of
God’s word. Before I present the information I would ask you to seriously
and reverently evaluate the following discussion with an open mind and
prayer. For your agreement or disagreement with this book will have
eternal ramifications.
For purposes of our discussion we must first define what rock
music is. In recent years rock music is the term given to a particular form
of music with a heavy beat. It can be characterized by music where the
rhythm or beat is a prominent and or dominating part of the music or
where the music is discordant in its beat or chords. Therefore for purposes
of discussion in this article we will refer to music in which the beat is the
prominent or controlling part of the music, and or music which is
discordant in its beat or chords, as rock music. Tim Fisher in his book
entitled The Battle for Christian Music made this statement about the
composition of rock music.
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where they are virtually non-existent. By every good definition
of music, rap is not music! It is merely rhythmic entertainment
(pp. 77,78).
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Chapter 1
The Origin of Rock Music
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R ock music was first used thousands of years ago in demonic cults
and religions and continues to be used today. I am sure we have all
seen scenes of natives dancing around fires doing some kind of spirit
dance. These rituals have in many cases been performed for thousands of
years. The music that accompanies this type of ritual is music with a heavy
beat or music where the beat is the dominant part of the music. As we
have already discussed music where the beat is the prominent or
controlling part of the music has been defined as rock music. Thus the
origin of rock music or original use of rock music was to accompany
pagan and or demonic rituals for the purpose of invoking spirits.
Following is a quote that illustrates the connection between rock music
and these demonic cults and religions.
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The Voodoo rite of possession by the god became the standard
of American performance in rock ‘n’ roll. Elvis Presley, Little
Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, James Brown, Janis Joplin, Tina
Turner, Jim Morrison, Johnny Rotten, Prince-they let themselves
be possessed not by any god they could name but by the spirit
they felt in the music. Their behavior in this possession was
something Western society had never before tolerated. And the
way a possessed devotee in a Voodoo ceremony often will
transmit his state of possession to someone else is by merely by
touching the hand; Western performers transmitted their
possession through their voice and their dance to their
audience, even through their records.
The fact that rock ‘n’ roll originated with satanic cults and
religions, and has been used for thousands of years by these satanic cults
and religions, and is continued to be used today is a well documented fact.
Even secular rock stars have acknowledged this fact. Here are some
comments made by rock star and icon Jimi Hendrix.
My true belief about Rock ‘n’ Roll--and there have been a lot of
phrases attributed to me over the years--is this: I believe this
kind of music is demonic. ... A lot of the beats in music today are
taken from voodoo, from the voodoo drums. If you study music
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in rhythms, like I have, you’ll see that is true ... I believe that
kind of music is driving people from Christ. It is contagious"3
These quotes clearly point out the fact that rock music came from
voodoo. This next story supports that fact that rock music originated in
voodoo and links Christian rock to that same origin.
One of the pastors asked me this question, “Do you mean to tell
us that this kind of music is played in your churches in
America?” I answered in the affirmative. His response was filled
with disgust and anger as he replied with another question.
“What are you doing allowing your church people in America to
call up the evil spirits with their music?” 4
Even the origin of the name ‘rock and roll’ has its roots in evil.
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Rock 'n' roll was a kind of fusion between rhythm & blues and
country & western music. Freed was one of the first white people
to play this new rhythm & blues/country combination on his
radio program, and was perplexed as to what to call it since it
obviously needed a new name. Freed had been receiving bizarre
reports concerning kids' reactions to this new music, so decided
to name it after a ghetto term that black people used for pre-
marital sex in the back seat of a car -- hence, the term "rock 'n'
roll" was coined.”5
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Chapter 2
The Purpose of Rock Music
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I n the last example the purpose of rock music was already
alluded to, namely that rock music’s main purpose is to “call up
evil spirits” which in effect allows him to influence and or gain
control of those who listen to it. The heavy beat of rock music not
only “calls” on evil spirits but also causes emotional and physical
responses, which are not righteous. Thus when people listen to
rock music in reality, whether they realize it or not, they are
inviting the forces of darkness to influence or control them and
they are harming their mind and body. The next quote from a
former satanist supports these facts.
The testimony of this former satanist clearly shows that the main
purpose of rock music is to invoke evil spirits. A Christian from
Zimbabwe, who had formerly been involved in demonic activities, after
visiting the U.S. also brings this fact to light.
These last two quotes not only tell us that rock music is used to call
evil spirits but that Christian rock does the same thing. See it’s the music
that has the greatest effect upon someone. And rock music regardless of
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what words are with it is still rock music and will have the same effect on
the listener. A former satanist high priest stated the following;
These quotes establish the fact that rock music in any form,
Christian or not, is used by satan for the purpose of influencing or gaining
control of someone inducing them to do evil. Thus when people listen to
rock music, in reality, whether they realize it or not, they are inviting the
forces of darkness to influence and or control them for evil. In fact rock
music is also being used by satan to prepare the world for the antichrist.
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Chapter3
The Affect of Rock Music
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T hus far we have examined the origin of rock music, and the purpose
of rock music, we will now look at its affect on people’s lives. Rock
music negatively affects people in many ways. For one, there is much
evidence to show that rock music and its derivatives are addictive and can
cause great harm to an individual. The medical definition of an addiction
is a “physical or psychological, or both, dependence”11 on that which is
not necessary for life. An addict is one who “devotes or surrenders himself
to something habitually or obsessively.’”12 Millions of people especially
teenagers display all the classic signs of an addiction in regards to rock
music. Dr. Alan Bloom, in regards to rock music, said in his book, The
Closing of the American Mind, “Nothing is more singular about this
generation than its addiction to music.” The characteristics of an addiction
are the following;
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lives of adults, teenagers, and children that I have ministered to over the
years. For example; I have witnessed “the compulsion to engage in the
addiction at any time” many times when I have seen the person respond to
a rock music song in their head, by moving to the beat uncontrollably. My
own personal experience has led me to conclude that rock music is
addictive. A Psychiatrist wrote the following about the addictiveness of
rock music;
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destructive behaviors and influences. They said in their report entitled
’Adolescents and Their Music’ published by the Journal of the American
Medical Association:
…if music can be shown to affect plants, then such effects have
to be due to the objective influence of the musical tones and
rhythms directly upon the cells and processes of the life-form
itself….not only did rock music stunt the growth of a wide
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variety of plants, but if played long enough, the plants actually
died. And even more startling were the findings of Dr. T.C.
Singh, head of the Botany Department at Annamalai University,
India. His experiments demonstrated that not only did certain
forms of music and certain musical instruments (specifically,
classical music and the violin) cause plants to grow at twice their
normal speed, but that later generations of the seeds of musically
stimulated plants carried on the improved traits of greater size,
more leaves, etc.!17
The Sound and Music of Plants (De Vorss and Company, 1973)
documents research on the effects of various types of sound and
music on the growth and health of plants. A monotonous tone
played for several hours was totally destructive of plant life, as
was rock music. Western classical music had mixed effects.
When Gandharva Veda was played, the plants responded most
positively—they flourished. (Traditional Veda music is
melodious using instruments such as the flute, violin
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harmonium, and veena.)
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A research scientist doing work in the area of harmonic resonance
had this to say about the negative effect of rock music;
These devices are being made even smaller and more powerful,
marketed to adolescents, so they will be constantly exposed to
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the inherent evils of rock music, made worse by the staccato bit
streams which pulse it into their minds.
The monotone chant, like the drums of rock music, drive down
the spirit of the chanters, weakening them to the message, which
is typically negative or nihilistic.
I had never listened to this type of music before and was eager to
be a part of whatever would strengthen my spiritual life. Most of
the songs were familiar hymns that I had sung in church, but
they had been ‘livened up’ to make them more exciting.
There was only one song on the tape that had a strong rock beat.
The more I heard this song, the more I wanted to listen to it.
After several weeks, instead of listening to the entire tape, I
would just listen to this song with the beat.
As soon as the song was over, I would rewind the tape and listen
to the same song again and again. Even when I wasn’t playing
this song, it seemed to keep playing in my mind. Each day as I
put this tape on, I wanted to turn it up a little louder. Soon, I was
playing it at full volume. It was as though I was addicted to this
song.
The words to the song were ‘Shine down Your light on me....’ It
would seem that with the encouragement of this message, I
would have become a greater witness for Christ. In reality, the
contrary became true. Looking back, my spiritual life was taking
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a rapid downward turn that was characterized by compromise,
apathy, and sensuality.
The worst thing is that I didn’t even notice the growing darkness
that was overtaking my life. The steady drone of the rock beat
was a powerful anesthesia that deadened my spiritual senses
and thus ushered in a host of tragic decisions. Like a patient
that is being operated on, I had no sense of spiritual pain.
Years have passed since that time, and God has shown me the
deadly poison of the rock beat in any type of music. It took
months of daily time in God’s Word to regain the spiritual
sensitivity that was lost during that season of my life. I grieve
over the destruction that satan brought to me through the rock
beat. Please don’t make the mistake I did by allowing this music
into your life!21
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....I saw that rock music, rebellion and immorality were hooked
together, and that only when you get rid of the wrong music can
you get rid of the immoral desires and wrong feelings to which I
was in bondage.22
My old desire for the ‘beat’ was satisfied again, but the things
that it required of me waged a war within my soul. It seemed as
though there was always a conflict between my family and me.
Thoughts of suicide came to me during this period of time. I had
a deep desire to follow the Lord, yet I could not understand why
I had no victory in my life.23
More than any other form of the misuse of sound, it is rock with
which we must deal today. ... It is a global phenomenon; a
pounding, pounding destructive beat which is heard from
America and Western Europe to Africa and Asia. Its effect upon
the soul is to make nigh-impossible the true inner silence and
peace necessary for the contemplation of eternal verities. ... How
necessary is it in this age for some to have the courage to be the
ones who are 'different', and to separate themselves out from the
pack who long ago sold their lives and personalities to this
sound. ... I adamantly believe that rock in all its forms is a
critical problem which our civilization must get to grips. ... if it
wishes long to survive.24
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Chapter4
Rock Music Evaluated
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S ome Christians disagree with the reasoning that says that rock
music in any form is evil, and they say that only secular rock
is bad, but Christian rock is good. They come to this conclusion by
assuming that music is amoral and because Christian rock has good
lyrics, the good lyrics make the song good also. They also attempt
to judge music by how it makes them feel. This is an invalid
argument based on a false assumption. That argument is based on
the assumption that the music is neutral or amoral and it is the
words that make a song good or bad. Music is not neutral or
amoral, individual musical notes are amoral but not music. This
is also the case with words and pictures. Words and pictures are
not amoral, that is they can either be good or bad. Letters, lines,
and colors are amoral. So just as one can put letters, lines, and
colors together to make evil words, stories, and pictures so one can
put notes and sounds together to make evil music. So the
assumption that music is neutral is a false assumption. This fact
was brought to light thousands of years ago in the writings of
Plato.
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world’s method and it resulted in death. God has specifically told us in His
word what type of music He wants us to listen to; melodious music,
“singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.”27 The Lord’s
Prayer also eludes to this when it says ”Thy will be done on earth as it is
in Heaven.” I can guarantee that there will not be rock music in heaven.
The only instrument ever listed as being in heaven is the harp. The harp is
an instrument used primarily for melodious music. Attempting to use the
world’s method of rock music to accomplish God’s purpose, will have the
same end as those who wanted to move the ark by cart, it will result in
destruction. Here is a quote which further elaborates on the foolishness of
this logic.
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promote, perform, or listen to Christian rock are; Christian rock is a very
destructive force in the lives of many Christians, and has caused great
harm to the church. It is a true “wolf in sheep’s clothing.”
Yet another fallacious argument used by many Christians to
illogically defend Christian rock is that they say, “nowhere in the Bible
does it say that it is wrong.” I admit that in the Bible nowhere does it
mention the words “rock music”, but the Bible does not mention the word
cigarette either. However by principle the Bible does condemn both rock
music and cigarettes a thousand times over. The principles that Christian
rock violates have already been expounded upon in this paper. Here is a
list of some of those principles.
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4. A Christian is to live on “earth as it is in Heaven.” “Thy
kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in
heaven.” (Mt 6:10)
The devil has made a deadly attack on the Church of God through
secular and Christian rock music. He has already destroyed many with it,
and will unfortunately destroy many in the future. Christian rock music is
truly a “wolf in sheep’s clothing!” The evil in Christian rock has even
become apparent to the secular world. Here is a quote from a July 16,
2001 Newsweek article entitled “The Glorious Rise of Christian Pop” that
brings this fact to light.
“Are you ready to rip the face off this place?” screams the lead
singer of Pillar (a Christian rock band). A hyped-up crowd of
teens—6,000 strong—goes nuts. The aggressive rap-rock band
launches into a pummeling kickoff number, the surly singer
pounding the stage with his steel toed boot, sweating right
through his baggy army fatigues and black bandana. He gestures
like a member of some vicious street gang as he screams and
roars into the mike, his arm swinging low as if on the way to the
requisite crotch grab. This crude move is as integral to rap-rock
as the blown kiss is to a lounge act, and is usually accompanied
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by an explosion of expletives. The singer’s hand slaps down hard
on his thigh-and stays there. Gripping his pant legs with
conviction, he screams, “Jesus Christ!” Pause. “Is He in your
heart?”
The actions described here are far from Christ-like, even the
secular writer brought that out when she described their performance with
words such as “surly,” and “gestures like some member of a vicious street
gang.” As a result of watching this performance and others at a Christian
rock festival she concludes,
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Lollapalooza and Ozzfest. …Contemporary Christian music is
now the hottest genre in the entire music industry. If Christian
pop used to connote sappy lyrics, lacquered hairdos and soft-
focus videos, it now means the boy band Plus One, the Latin
cross-over singer Jaci Velasquez and even the arty underground
Danielson Family. “CCM” has become an umbrella term for
anything with faith-based lyrics, from Twila Paris’s inspirational
hymns to Audio Adrenaline’s squealing feedback.
…Occasionally, the music crosses over: CCM stars such as
crooner Michael W. Smith and the roots-rock outfit Jars of Clay
get play on VH1, and the metal bands P.O.D. and Lifehouse are
embraced by MTV.
This excerpt brings out the fact that Christian rock is crossing over
to secular rock and vice versa and the two are becoming indiscernible. The
mere fact that it is being “embraced” by MTV should send up warning
signals.
As already discussed one of the justifications used for Christian
rock music by those who promote it is that they say it can be used for
evangelism. Here is what the secular writer said about the “evangelism”
she witnessed at the concert.
As the sun goes down, special guest Anthony Walton hits the
stage and preaches to the fresh-faced crowd about the
inevitability of death, …The kids listen, but it’s hard to
concentrate on pain and suffering when a motorcycle daredevil is
getting ready to jump over a school bus right in front of you.
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Sounds like an effective way to preach the gospel, I wonder if
anyone got saved? Maybe if they just focused on how some of the
attendees were acting it would bring them to salvation. Here is what the
author witnessed,
But in the mosh pit, spiky haired boys do a fine job of knocking
the bejesus out of one another, stopping midslam only to let a
bunny-hopping conga line slip through.
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results of Christian rock do not justify its use. We have also shown several
Biblical principles which Christian rock violates.
It is my prayer that for your own good, the good of those in your
family, the good of your brothers and sisters in Christ, and the glory of the
Lord that you will abstain from listening to and or having in your
possession rock music in any form. Furthermore I call on Bible believing
Christians everywhere to take a stand against the assault that the devil has
made through Christian rock music. Let us band together denounce it, and
abhor it just as a group of pastors in Russia did. This is what they wrote to
American Christians.
We were in prison for fifteen years and eleven years for Christ’s
sake. We were not allowed to have Christian music, but rock
music was used as a weapon against us day and night to destroy
our souls. We could only resist with much prayer and fasting.
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We call this music from hell. We urge all Americans to stop
giving money for the organization of such concerts in Russia.
We want only traditional Christian music in our churches. This is
the unanimous decision of all our leaders.29
The tragic truth is that most Christians judge the effectiveness of music
based upon the yardstick of the flesh, rather than the yardstick of the
Spirit. If a song thrills us, we like it. If it doesn't excite us, we don't like
it. Too often our opinion of a song is not based on the musical, textual, or
even biblical worth of it -- but rather on how it makes us feel. As in so
many other areas of life, we take a sensual approach to music.30
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Conclusion
F or God’s glory and the furthering of His kingdom and for your sake
and the sake of future generations let us stop listening to any form of
rock music, remove it from our homes, and take a stand against it. I call on
pastors and churches to stand up for what is right and denounce this evil
practice. Many churches are bowing their knee to the god of rock music to
gain numbers. Here is what Rick Warren of the “purpose driven” church
says about music.
The style of music you choose to use in your services will be one
of the most critical (and controversial!) decisions you make in
the life of your church. It may be THE most influential factor in
determining who your church reaches for Christ and whether or
not your church grows. You must match your music to the kind
of people God wants your church to reach….We’ve often been
referred to in the press as “The flock that likes to rock.” We use
the style of music the majority of people in our church.32
Woe to the church that brings in the worldly beat to its worship
services and caters to the fleshly desires of people to get a bigger crowd.
This does not glorify God and God will bring judgment upon those
churches that have fallen into this “error of Balaam.”
Scripture admonishes us to flee evil things.
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righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.
Fight the good fight of faith. (I Tim 5:11-12a)
Let us not only get rid of rock music but let us replace it
with good.
Let us put off the “old man” with its evil rock music, and
put on the “new man” with its melodious good music.
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Rock music is evil, abhor it and flee from it before it destroys you
and your loved ones. It is a true wolf in sheep’s clothing.
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About the Author
William Frederick has been teaching and preaching God’s Word
for 18 years as a Christian Education Minister. He is also the Sunday
School Superintendent in the local Independent Fundamental Baptist
church he attends.
William has written another book entitled The Coming Epiphany;
Because You Need To Know The Truth About The End Times. William’s
book lays before the reader, in an easy to understand format, essential
spiritual truths about the end times and brings light and clarity to many
hotly debated prophecy topics. Most importantly he presents a formal
logic proof that proves which rapture theory is correct. He also answers
daunting questions such as; when in the 70th week will WWIII and the
financial collapse occur? Why is America the end times Babylon of
Revelation 18? These and many more pertinent questions are answered in
this great teaching book. For more information about this book go to:
www.thecomingepiphany.com. We had some extra space in this book so
we included a free sample of The Coming Epiphany for you to read.
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THE
COMING
EPIPHANY
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Preface
T homas angrily pounded his fist on the table saying, “You are crazy,
the world is flat! If you sail too far, you will fall off!”
Christopher responded, “No, you are wrong. The world is round, and
I will not fall off!”
I can easily imagine this type of argument between Christopher
Columbus and one of his peers. We all know who was eventually proved
right; but at the time, because of the limited knowledge many possessed,
the topic of whether the world was round or flat was a heated topic of
debate. Today, there is another heated and complicated topic of debate:
biblical prophecy and especially the timing of the rapture. The information
presented in this book deals with this complicated topic.
There are many books on the market that deal with biblical prophecy.
Why is this book different? Why listen to me? Who am I to say what is
right or wrong? Should you listen to me because I have been involved in
preaching and teaching God’s Word on a daily basis for the last 20 years,
or because I have memorized and meditated on scripture every day for the
last 23 years, or because I have a Master of Divinity degree from a
conservative fundamental Christian university, or because I have fasted
and prayed over this book? No, even though credentials have their place,
you should not listen to anyone because they have “credentials.” You
should only listen to me or any Bible teacher or preacher because what
they say agrees with the Word of God. We all have the responsibility
before God to go to the scriptures ourselves and see if what we are being
taught agrees with all of scripture just like the Bereans did. “These
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[Bereans] were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they
received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures
daily, whether those things were so” (Acts 17:11).
Scripture and scripture alone is the standard by which everything
must be judged. Unfortunately, many approach end-times scriptures with a
predetermined theological mindset and then try to make scripture fit into
their theology. What sets this book apart from all the rest is that it attempts
to approach the topic with all of scripture, and scripture alone, as its basis.
A theological belief is then formed on the basis of what all of the
scriptures dictate.
In this book scripture will be interpreted according to the following
principle: “When the plain sense of scripture makes common sense, seek
no other sense; therefore, take every word at its primary, ordinary, usual,
literal meaning unless the facts of the immediate context, studied in the
light of related passages and axiomatic and fundamental truths, indicate
clearly otherwise.”33 In other words, scripture will be interpreted literally
unless it is evident that a symbolic interpretation is warranted by the text.
Theological systems will then be evaluated in light of what the Bible says
and not the other way around, as many books on this topic do.
Many end-times books also are based solely or partly on various
extra-biblical ancient and modern-day prophecies. It is apparent that many
of these prophecies are man-made or even demonic in origin, and even
though they may contain some truth, they do not contain all truth and thus
cannot be trusted. The only sure foundation that we have for faith and
doctrine is the Word of God. When this book uses extra-biblical sources, it
is only to support a point that has already been made from the scriptures.
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In this book, I will endeavor to present what the whole of scripture
says with regard to prophetic events and not necessarily what any
theological system dictates. I ask that you would prayerfully compare what
I present with scripture. If I have been accurate in presenting the truth of
God’s Word—and these pages represent the truth of what is to come—then
all of scripture will agree with what I am stating. And in all of your
prophetic study, whether through this book or any other, let me remind you
of one of God’s wonderful promises: “If any of you lack wisdom, let him
ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall
be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering” (James 1:5–6). I
pray that this book will be a blessing to you
A proper understanding of biblical prophecy is extremely important
and is essential to the life of the believer (or unbeliever, for that matter).
Without it, regardless of your spiritual background, you could be caught
off guard and be unprepared for what is going to take place on the earth in
the near future. Should this occur, you would most likely place yourself in
spiritual and or physical jeopardy. If the rapture occurs and you are left
behind, you will most likely suffer a terrible fate. Thus, I beseech you to
take very seriously the information presented in this book, for it will be of
such profound importance that I liken it to the importance of Christopher
Columbus saying that the world is round.
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Table of Contents
Introduction 9
Chapter 1: A Dream I Had 15
Chapter 2: The Essence of the Day of the Lord 21
Chapter 3: The Signs of the Day of the Lord 35
Chapter 4: The Beginning of the Day of the Lord 45
Chapter 5: Who’s Right? 75
Chapter 6: Why Does it Matter? 97
Chapter 7: The Great Day of His Wrath is Come 111
Chapter 8: The Millennium and Beyond 133
Chapter 9: A Chronology of the Seventy Weeks 153
Chapter 10: Be Prepared 189
Chapter 11: What About America? 221
Chapter 12: The New World Order 241
Chapter 13: The Son of Perdition 293
Chapter 14: Jehovah Jireh 317
Chapter 15: The Interpretation 329
Conclusion 337
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Introduction
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The epiphany that will come upon mankind at the Day of the Lord
will be part of a larger series of events that will occur during the seven-
year end-times period known as the 70th week of Daniel or, as some call it,
the “tribulation.” This period constitutes the last seven years on earth
before Jesus Christ returns and establishes His millennial reign. The most
incredible series of events yet experienced on the earth will take place
during the 70th week. These events will span seven years of 360 days
(based on the ancient Jewish “prophetic” year), for a total of 2,520 days.
Some of these events will be so cataclysmic that men will try to hide
themselves in crevices of the earth, their hearts will fail, and they will cry
out for fear.
The reason that the Day of the Lord is so cataclysmic is that it is a
period of time in which God pours out His wrath upon the world. This
event culminates with the Lord Jesus Christ’s return to earth to rule and
reign over the whole world. This book will focus in on the event known as
the Day of the Lord. We will examine what will occur before, during, and
after that Day. We will also examine several related aspects associated
with the Day of the Lord and give practical spiritual applications. The Day
of the Lord, as outlined by scripture, has profound theological
implications, and these will become evident as we go along in our
discussion.
The understanding of prophecy and formulating correct prophetic
beliefs is much like putting together the pieces of a complicated jigsaw
puzzle. In doing so, one first examines all the pieces, then selects the
border pieces and starts to assemble the border. After the border of the
puzzle is completed, one works on filling in the center. As we know, to
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complete the puzzle, we must fit every piece perfectly with its surrounding
pieces. When every piece is fitted in, the picture is complete.
The pieces of the “prophecy puzzle” are the numerous prophetic
verses found throughout the Bible. The border pieces are the prophetic
principles set forth in scripture, such as the principle that God will not
allow His children to be subject to His wrath (1 Thess. 5:9). In attempting
to formulate a correct prophetic view of future events, one must put all the
pieces within this framework so that all the pieces fit together perfectly. In
other words, one must establish a prophetic belief system that is in
agreement with all of the prophetic principles and all of the prophetic
scriptures so there are no contradictions. We can check any theological
position for its correctness by comparing it to all of the scriptural
principles and truths found in the Bible. If it contradicts any of them, that
theological position is in error. The theological position presented in this
book has undergone the scrutiny of such an analysis. Do not take my word
for it. Go to the Lord and the scriptures, and prove to yourself that what is
being presented is agreement with all scripture.
We will begin our discussion of prophetic truths by first establishing
a framework of prophetic principles. The first piece in the framework is to
define or examine the essential nature of the Day of the Lord. Before we
do that, I would like to tell you about an experience that I had that helped
drive me to examine prophetic scriptures more intently and helped me to
have my epiphany. An epiphany will come to all! Have you had your
epiphany yet?
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Chapter 1
A Dream I Had
S eptember 11, 2001 is a day that will live in infamy. Those horrific
images have been burned into our hearts and minds forever. What
happened on that day gave me an overwhelming sense in my spirit that we
were close to the final days before the return of the Lord. This catastrophe
was obviously an action of satan allowed by God. But a nagging question
swirled in my mind. If God allowed this disaster to happen, what else
might God allow to occur before He returns? That question drove me to
my knees, at which time I cried out to God to show me what was going to
happen in the time leading up to His return. In response to that earnest
plea, God answered my prayer and opened my eyes to end-times scriptural
truths in His Word as never before. Something else happened in my life
that increased my desire to know what scripture says with regard to the end
times. I had a dream which I believe foretells future events in my life
leading up to the time in which Christians will be raptured.
It was a complete surprise to me to receive a prophetic dream from
God. Yes, I trusted Him and believed the Bible, which I eagerly taught to
others. Yet, like most Christians, I had never had an experience like that
before. In fact, I wasn’t sure that anything like that was possible. I believed
that these things had passed away with the apostles, or maybe that “it only
happened to other people.”
Can God still communicate to people through dreams today? Some
would argue no, saying that since we have the complete Word of God, we
have no need for dreams. I disagree; for scripture will be present during
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the end times and God has specifically told us that He will use dreams to
communicate to His children during that time.
But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; And it shall
come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit
upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall
dream dreams…And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and
signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:
The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood,
before that great and notable day of the Lord come. (Acts 2:16–20)
The road kept going, though I was the only one on it. It was
initially pavement; but shortly, it turned into rough gravel. Up
ahead, I noticed a huge ditch across the road in front of me. I
braked hard and hit the ditch with a jolt. My SUV made it across
the ditch without crashing, and we made it to the other side safely.
After stopping, I got out and looked around. The SUV was not
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damaged. I was standing on extremely wet, soggy sand, which
prevented me from driving any further. Looking back, I saw many
people traveling down the detour route to the right—the detour the
policeman had wanted me to take back at the intersection. It now
had a guard rail alongside the road that prevented others and myself
from gaining access. I felt a keen sense of embarrassment from
having gotten into this predicament.
Water seeped out of the sand I was standing on and flowed down
into a stream. As I was walking, I looked to the left and saw a large
pond with very clean water and sea creatures and fish in it. I had a
feeling that this pond was down south somewhere, and I felt very
safe and calm being there. I remember thinking that there was food
there to eat that could sustain us. On the other side of the stream
was a large cement wall about 30 feet tall. Beyond the wall were
some very nice houses. Although I could see windows in the
houses, no one had seen me, and I had a sense that this was a good
thing because I was not supposed to be there. The sand road I was
on made a 180-degree turn to the right at the stream. I walked
around the bend in the road and looked down the road. It had lush
vegetation growing along each side and it seemed to go on for a
long ways, although I could not see that far down it.
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Chapter 2
The Essence of
The Day of the Lord
T he sun is suddenly darkened, the moon glows the color of blood, the
ground shakes violently, the sky splits and rolls away like a scroll,
and the stars fall. Grown men run frantically to and fro, screaming like
babies, trying to find somewhere to hide, while others just faint from
terror.
It is at this time that all the people of the world will have an
epiphany. The epiphany will occur at the yet future event known as the
Day of the Lord, which is mentioned many times in scripture. It is even the
subject matter of the entire book of Joel. Many parts of scripture have
whole paragraphs devoted to the topic. Understanding the Day of the Lord
is foundational to a proper understanding of all biblical end-times
prophecy. In this chapter, we will examine the essence, reason for, and
duration of this Day.
First, we need to come to an understanding of the essential nature of
what this future event entails. Renald Showers describes its essence
beautifully.
The Day of the Lord refers to God’s special interventions into the
course of world events to judge His enemies, accomplish His
purpose for history, and thereby demonstrate who He is—the
sovereign God of the universe.35
Enter into the rock, and hide thee in the dust, for fear of the Lord,
and for the glory of his majesty. The lofty looks of man shall be
humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the
Lord alone shall be exalted in that day. For the day of the Lord of
hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon
every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low…and the
loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men
shall be made low: and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day.
And the idols he shall utterly abolish. And they shall go into the
holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, for fear of the
Lord, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake
terribly the earth…To go into the clefts of the rocks, and into the
tops of the ragged rocks, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of
his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth.
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The pouring out of God’s wrath during the end times is only part of
the Day of the Lord. The Day of the Lord will also include the pouring out
of His blessings during the millennium.
The future Day of the Lord will have at least a twofold nature.
First, it will be characterized by darkness and a tremendous
outpouring of divine wrath upon the world (Joel 2:1–2; Amos
5:18–20; Zeph. 1:14–15; 1 Th. 5:1–11). Amos 5:18–20 emphasizes
that this will be the total nature of the Day of the Lord for God’s
enemies. It will bring no divine light or blessing to them. This will
be the nature of the Day of the Lord during the 70th week of Daniel.
Second, the Day of the Lord will also be characterized by light, an
outpouring of divine blessing, and the administration of God’s rule.
The Prophet Joel, after talking about the darkening of the sun,
moon, and stars and God’s Day of the Lord judgment of the armies
of the nations gathered in Israel (Joel 3:9-16), foretold great divine
blessing “in that day” (Joel 3:17–21).36
So even though the portion of the Day of the Lord that occurs before
the millennium will consist of the wrath of God being poured out on a
sinful world, after that aspect of the Day of the Lord is finished, then
blessings will be poured out during the Millennium…
To read the rest of the book go to www.thecomingepiphany.com
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Endnotes
1
Michael Ventura, “Hear That Long Snake Moan,” Whole Earth Review, Spring
1987, pp. 28 - 43.
2
David Henderson, ‘Scuse Me While I Kiss the Sky, pp. 250,251.
3
Little Richard, quoted by Charles White, The Life and Times of Little Richard,
p. 197).
4
The testimony of Rev. Joe Meyers, Tacoma, Washington, printed in; “What
the Bible has to say about... ‘Contemporary Christian’ Music,” Institute in Basic
Life Principles, 1990, p. 8.
5
“Christian” Rock Music, Christian or satanic?
http://www.rapidnet.com/~jbeard/bdm/Psychology/rockm/satanic.htm
6
David Tame, The Secret Power of Music, 1984. p.189,90.
7
The testimony of a twenty year old man, verified by Dr. Jim Logan,
International Center for Biblical Counseling, printed in; “How to Conquer the
Addiction of Rock Music,” Institute in Basic Life Principles, 1993, pp. 49-51.
8
The testimony of Stephen Maphosah, Zimbabwe, Africa, printed in; “What the
Bible has to say about... ‘Contemporary Christian Music,’ p.8.
9
ibid. p.7.
10
Cutting Edge News Article #1758.
http://www.cuttingedge.org/news/n1758.cfm
11
Taber’s Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary, 16th Ed., F.A. Davis Co., 1989, p.36
12
Webster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Inc., 1989,
p.55
13
How to Conquer the Addiction of Rock Music, p.5.
14
Verle L. Bell, M.D., Psychiatrist, printed in; How to Conquer the Addiction o
Rock Music, pp. 81-85.
15
David Tame, The Secret Power of Music, 1984. p.136-7.
16
“Christian” Rock Music, Christian or satanic?
http://www.rapidnet.com/~jbeard/bdm/Psychology/rockm/satanic.htm
17
Tame. p141-5.
18
http://maharishi-programmes.globalgoodnews.com/vedic-music/research.html
19
ibid.
20
Personal correspondence from research scientist Joel McClain.
21
Testimony of Matthew Mears, age 24, printed in; ibid. pp. 8-9.
22
Testimony of David Hill, age 26, printed in; ibid. p. 21.
23
Testimony of Kathy Voyer, age 23, printed in ibid. pp. 15-17.
24
Tame. p 204.
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25
Ibid. p 189.
26
II Sam 6:1-10.
27
Eph 5:19.
28
http://home.hiwaay.net/~contendr/ 8/15/99.
29
How to Conquer the Addiction of Rock Music, pp.23-24.
30
Tim Fisher, The Battle for Christian Music, 1992. p 109
31
Testimony of twenty year old man, verified by Dr. Jim Logan, International
Center for Biblical Counseling, printed in; How to Conquer the Addiction of
Rock Music, pp.50-51.
32
Warren, Rick. Selecting Worship Music. July 29,2002
http://www.pastorport.com/ministrytoday.asp?mode=viewarchive&index=18
33
The Golden Rule of Interpretation, by David L. Cooper.
34
Webster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary (Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-
Webster, Inc., 1985).
35
Renald E. Showers, Maranatha, Our Lord Come (Bellmawr, NJ: The Friends
of Israel Gospel Ministry, 1995), 38.
36
Showers, Maranatha, Our Lord Come, 32–33,39.
77