Bill Hamon states in his book: “…Theministries of apostles and prophets are foundational to the building of Christ's Church (Ephesians 2:20-22). They are a direct extension of the “Cornerstone,” Jesus, to give alignment and proper structure to God's building, the Church. So any local church which is established without an apostle or prophet ministry will not have a proper foundation.”(Prophets in Today's Church, Adapted from Prophets and Personal Prophecy, By Dr. Bill Hamon.)
Mormon Church- “We solemnly affirm that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is in fact a restoration of the Church established by the Son of God...that it is built upon a foundation of apostles and prophets, who are an extension of the foundational Cornerstone, Jesus... was restored under the hands of those who held it anciently....” (Proclamation to the World, the First Presidency, 1980)
Let’s condense in order to focus the above two statements here;
Hamon – “the ministries of apostles and prophets are foundational to the building of Christ’s Church… a direct extension of the “Cornerstone,” Jesus to give alignment… to God’s building.
Mormon – “it is built upon a foundation of apostles and prophets, who are an extension of the foundational Cornerstone, Jesus…
Both statements contradict Apostle Paul’s teaching that “no other foundation can be laid…”
Bill Hamon explains the “1980’s had a prophetic movement. 1990’s apostolic movement. And now in the year 2000 we’re trying to establish the prophet and apostolic around the world.” This will bring about the many membered prophetic movement.
Hamon says of C. Peter Wagner “… Peter Wagner and several other ministers in the United States are saying we won’t recognize the 21st Century Church compared to what we are today. Amen? The last day apostles and prophets that are alive today are going to take the Church through the transition from the dispensation of grace to the dispensation of the Kingdom, from the dispensation of the mortal Church to the dispensation of the immortal Church” (Transcript of Bill Hamon at ‘New Life Church’ Nov.13, 1997, entitled “Battle of The Brides”)
At the “International Gathering of Apostles and Prophets” in October 1999 Hamon ... “We are seeing prophets and apostles coming forth for a strategic reason. ….We are being positioned to lay new foundations ofa rhema for a new era all together, a foundation for the dawning of the new kingdom age.”
“We are preparing to move into the age of Kingdom rule and dominion where Christ Himself, and we His saints, with Him, will rule and reign IN THE EARTH. …So God is raising up apostles and prophets who are speaking some new and radical things; are setting the stage; are laying a whole new foundation of the Church for a new era. Not just patching up the Church foundation already existing, but preparing the church for a new dispensation! … We are about to move from the dispensation of grace to the dispensation of dominion.
Again, let’s condense and focus on a statement above:
Hamon – “God is raising up apostles and prophets who are speaking some new and radical things…laying a whole new foundation of the Church for a new era. Not just patching up the Church foundation already existing, but preparing the church… to move from the dispensation of grace to the dispensation of dominion.”
(According to scripture, the foundation of God, laid by the OT Prophets, Jesus Christ Himself, and NT Apostles, needs no patching up… nor does it need a new foundation laid other than the one laid by Jesus, the OT Prophets and the NT Apostles. -2Ti 2:18-19 KJV “Who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some. (19) Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure.”
Not unlike Hymenaeus, Alexander and Philetus, Hamon, Wagner, and the other leaders of the Apostles and Prophets Movement, believe in a totally different view of the end of this age, with no rapture, no Great Tribulation, and no antichrist (as you will read – they will defeat him for Jesus, sparing the earth of his horrendous reign and mark, 666) ministers who had gotten off into err, denying the rapture. Still, Paulemphatically declares that no matter what untruths the Church lets in, “the foundation of God stands sure.” Not what Hamon’s group believes… it is beyond “patching up,” and therefore needs the “laying of a new foundation.”
Bill Hamon explains this teaching in his book Apostles, Prophets and the Coming Moves of God (foreword by C. Peter Wagner).“These manifested sons of God will emerge ‘in one generation’ displaying all kinds of “signs, wonders and miracles” (Apostles, Prophets, p 11,13)
What the scriptures declare about the “manifested sons of God” –
Rom 8:23 AMP “Rom 8:19, 23 “ For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.And not only the creation, but we ourselves too, who have and enjoy the firstfruits of the [Holy] Spirit [a foretaste of the blissful things to come] groan inwardly as we wait for the redemption of our bodies [from sensuality and the grave, which will reveal] our adoption (our manifestation as God's sons.”
When does this take place? Hamon will go on to say, “When unity has come to the Church under the Apostles and Prophets “alignment.” At the point of perfect unity, we will go from the “mortal Church” to the “immortal Church,” and our bodies will be transformed.
Keep in mind that Hamon’s group do not see this occurring at a “great resurrection and catching away to Heaven of the Church.” But what do the scriptures say?
Php 3:21 KJV Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.
1Co 15:51-53 AMP Take notice! I tell you a mystery (a secret truth, an event decreed by the hidden purpose or counsel of God). We shall not all fall asleep [in death], but we shall all be changed (transformed) (52) In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the [sound of the] last trumpet call. For a trumpet will sound, and the dead [in Christ] will be raised imperishable (free and immune from decay), and we shall be changed (transformed). (53) For this perishable [part of us] must put on the imperishable [nature], and this mortal [part of us, this nature that is capable of dying] must put on immortality (freedom from death).
1Th 4:15-17 AMP For this we declare to you by the Lord's [own] word, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord shall in no way precede [into His presence] or have any advantage at all over those who have previously fallen asleep [in Him in death]. (16) For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a loud cry of summons, with the shout of an archangel, and with the blast of the trumpet of God. And those who have departed this life in Christ will rise first. (17) Then we, the living ones who remain [on the earth], shall simultaneously be caught up along with [the resurrected dead] in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and so always (through the eternity of the eternities) we shall be with the Lord!
Later in this document, of this scriptural event Hamon says,”The Rapture teaching is one of the most faith deadening teachings ever preached. It has the most neutralizing affect on a Christian's aggressive growth process.”
Hamon: “The company of prophets will help restore the apostles back into their rightful place in the church. The full restoration of apostles and prophets back into the church will bring divine order, unity, purity, and maturity to the corporate Body of Christ.” (Prophets and Personal Prophecy, God’s Prophetic Voice Today” p. 53by Bishop Bill Hamon, Destiny Image Press,1987).
Bill Hamon describes: “We developed a manual for ministering spiritual gifts to teach, train, activate, mentor and mature and now we have trained over thirty eight thousand individuals in six continents of the world, nine thousand leaders and over a thousand prophets and prophetic ministers have been raised up and are now prophesying and flowing like a river…. Now, you see I could take this group right here and take trainers and in one week I could every one of you flowing like a river in the prophetic. We’ve done it with thousands” (National School of The Prophets Mobilizing The Prophetic Office Bill Hamon 5/12/00).
The error of this teaching is that it is beyond the “bounds of the New Testament scriptures.” The idea that “one who has the gift of prophecy is in control of when, where and how they prophesy is absurd. No individual believer is given “the gift of prophecy,” nor can individuals prophesy at will. The gift of prophecy, found in 1Co 12:8-10 comes in a momentary manifestation of the Holy Spirit to prophesy, and an individual member may (or may not) be used of the Holy Spirit in a specific instance (only if the Spirit of God determines it needful in a given situation). “For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; (9) To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; (10) To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: (11) But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.
The word “dividing,” in verse (11) holds the original Greek meaning, διαιρέω diaireō - “through or denoting separation, and hairéō (G138), to take, grasp, seize. To take from, divide, partition, apportion, assign.” One must first receive an assignment, momentarily separating them from other believers, apportioning to them their assignment (to prophesy, or minister a word of knowledge, or an utterance of tongues for public ministry, interpretation of tongues, etc.) as the Holy Spirit wills. Hamon and the Apostles and Prophets Movement, go beyond the scriptural boundaries of these gifts. Keep in mind that whether it is a momentary gifting of prophesy to minister as a believer to the congregation, or it is coming from a minister who is set into the Office of the Prophet in the Church, with prophesying a primary ministry, all prophesying is given for edification, exhortation and comfort, (only) for the Church, and does not bring with it, some type of authority over governments, ability to move nations, cities, etc. with Old Testament style power. The Old Testament Prophets were given authority in the nation of Israel to govern and protect them, and to speak prophetically for the laying of the foundation for the coming of Christ and the foundation of the Church.
Hamon’sgroup believe that the Prophets of the Church are given for greater authority than we see in the New Testament Prophets, i.e. Agabus. The powers of the NT Apostles were given for authority to lay and complete the foundation, upon which the Church is to build its structure.
Hamon says: “Church prophets function in all the ministries of the Old Testament prophets, as well as the New Testament gift of the Prophet standing in the role of Christ, the Prophet.” (“Prophets and Personal Prophecy God’s Prophetic Voice Today p. 52).
Hamon uses many “pet scriptures” to justify his Kingdom Dominion doctrines, however, he speaks a word of strong intimidation: anyone who disagrees with him appears to be cursed:
“The Holy Spirit must be allowed to deliver us from self-righteous, narrow-minded, argumentative attitudes. We must allow Him to deliver us from the theological and philosophical reasons which we have used to justify our divisive, exclusive, and separatist actions and attitudes. We have slipped by in times past and God has winked at our ignorance and immaturity, but not any more. God is demanding manhood of his ministers. Many will become sickly and die an early death because they will not rightly discern the Body of Christ, nor work for its unity.” (“Eternal Church” pp. 315-316)
It is obvious, of course, that the unity of which he speaks in agreement with His prophetic new foundations being laid by the Apostles and Prophets Movement.
Hamon explains, “Unity will bring about the resurrection life and result in the immortalization of the Church.” (“Eternal Church” p. 332)
Again of course, this blatantly contradicts New Testament Scripture. We shall all be changed from morality to immortality, no matter how mature or immature we may be at the time of the rapture. (1 Thess. 4:16-17) Paul also explains this in 1 Cor. 15:52-54: “in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: "Death is swallowed up in victory."
“With the birthing of the Saints Movement we have learned that every believer is called to be a five-fold minister in their sphere of influence, whether that is the church, marketplace, government, etc. One pivotal ministry in the body of Christ is that of the watchman prophet.” (April 2011 Christian International ministries).
Again the Apostle and Prophets Movement err… The five-fold ministry is for the leadership of the Church to bring us to maturity. The “five-fold” is not for believers’ personal ministry or life, but for those ordained of God to lead the Church to the likeness of Christ. Again, in laying a new foundation for this new “dispensation” of which they speak, they have changed the foundation from “God has set some in the Church…” to something (not revealed in scripture) called, The Saints Movement,” in which all believers are called into the five-fold ministry of leadership. Brother Kenneth E. Hagin says of those who believe this doctrine, “You can call yourself a donkey, but that doesn’t make you a donkey!”
“During these final years of the mortal Church, there will be great restoration and revival….Christian groups will establish Christian communities.…Some of these communities will evolve into small Christian cities which will be a prelude and prototype of the Kingdom to come. Christians will invent many things which will make their cities self-sufficient and independent of government control….There will be greater miracles of quality and quantity performed than have ever been recorded in church history. This will cause hundreds of millions to turn to Christ.”(Bill Hamon, The Eternal Church 1986, pp. 388–89.)
It is true that God has called for a great move of God to empower us with His glory. Where Hamon errs again is in his beginning introduction of the “final years of the mortal Church.” If taken in light of the Rapture, at which the Church receives immortality, then there would be no error in this statement per se. Unfortunately, however, this is just the root of another theological new foundation he will use to lay that the Church will achieve immortality through the ministry of the Apostles and Prophets Movement, through perfection of doctrine, not in the catching away of the saints at the final resurrection of the Church.
“The majority of denominational ministers willnot recognize the greatest sign of the century, the Elijah COMPANY OF PROPHETSthat theHoly spirit is raising up to make the proper preparation for the coming of our King Jesus and His dominion over all the earth “ (“Prophets And Personal Prophecy” p.23)
Again we have error. Hamon goes beyond the scripture in establishing this “sign” of the end times. There is nothing to indicate a “great company of Elijah Prophets being raised up to usher in the coming of the Lord and his dominion over all the earth. There is on the other hand a New Testament Prophecy of a great company of false Prophets raised up within the Church to deceive many: Matt 24:11 “Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.”
Once they depart from the scriptural foundation, anything goes. Numerology becomes prominent in their establishing authority for many of their prophetic words:
Bill Hamon: The Word of the Lord for 1999 - We have never had one-nine-nine-nine before. Nine is the number of the Holy Spirit. One is unity. With one, unity/God and triple Holy Spirit or Godhead, there will be something good in this year!”(message by Dr. Bill Hamon on December 31, 1998 - “The Church Aligned in 1999 To Arise and Shine In God's Appointed Time” )
Then there is their new foundation for this Kingdom era regarding angels. Again error comes from crossing over beyond scriptural boundaries:
Speaking at the National School of Prophets, Hamon spoke of a vision encounter with Michael the archangel:
“I was walking up towards the throne of God and I saw Jesus there and this gigantic, big angel and as I walked up it seemed like I moved over here and I listened and I heard the Lord say “Michael, this is General Hamon. General Hamon, this is General Michael.” And I watched as we strategized and God says “From this day forward I give you authority. When you call for Michael, he will bring a legion of angels and they will fight and war and I give you comradeship and I give you cooperation, and I'm anointing you to join angelic hosts and the army of the Lord of the saints to win my battle.”