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Thursday 21 July 2016

jacob prasch moriel ministries: busted! presumptuous teaching about the restrainer: 2 Thessalonians

Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God. Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming. The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. (2 Thessalonians 2:3-12)

I take no pleasure in exposing Jacob Prasch's faulty eschatology. However, it is critical that the faithful church understands the 70th week of Daniel correctly rather than submit to JP's forceful personality and skewed eschatological teachings. When teaching about the 70th week of Daniel, JP frequently says authoritatively "PAY ATTENTION", as if he were speaking for God Himself. I strongly recommend that those who read this post study the scriptures for themselves and PAY NO ATTENTION to myths and the commands of people who turn away from the truth. (Titus 1:14; 1 Timothy 1:4; 2 Timothy 4:4), teaching as doctrines the commandments of men (Matthew 15:9).

We should consider with some trepidation the ramifications of identifying the Holy Spirit as the Restrainer. This view not only misrepresents God himself, since the Holy Spirit is omnipresent. It also precludes the Gentiles from hearing and receiving the Gospel during the 70th week of Daniel! The identity of the Restrainer is a non-essential question, so why does JP make it a "doctrine" i.e. "The Doctrine Of The Holy Spirit"? It is worth noting that prior to John Nelson Darby, no-one held this view of the Restrainer. What a masterstroke of Satan; he could not have chosen a better way of misleading God's people than by using a much trusted and respected teacher, who has, in recent times, overstepped the mark. 

Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! (Psalm 139:7-8)

I will quote JP verbatim in order to avoid any accusation of quoting him out of context:

JP: "The Restrainer is absolutely not an angel. The Restrainer is the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit who convicts the world of sin, of judgement and of righteousness. That's not going to happen during the last seven years of history. The things that restrain Satan will no longer operate the way they do now.... the age of grace comes to an end during those last seven years.... the age of grace comes to an end. God reverts to behaving the way He did in the Old Testament. Grace is over. Now he is the God of wrath and of judgement again. He begins doing the things that he did in the Old Testament again, you see a replay of the judgements of Egypt from the book of Exodus in the book of Revelation.....   the dispensation of grace is over, the covenant of grace no longer functions.  Now he goes back to dealing with fallen man the way he did in the Old Testament.....  the Holy Spirit will be taken from the world. He will no longer convict the world of sin the way He does now. Grace will come to an end. God reverts to this Old Testament wrath and begins refocusing towards dealing with Israel and the Jews" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQ0LEfWRBaM&feature=youtu.be

I believe I have now identified the source of the confusion with these teachings, which, by the way, JP has revised several times now. JP's maniacal handling of the 70th week of Daniel obscures the issues and attempts blind us all with science. He integrates the various time frames of the 70th week indiscriminately and jumps back and forth from birth pains to tribulation to wrath and judgement. In other words, he very cleverly merges the three periods and applies them to the entirety of the 70th week without making any distinction between them. For instance, the wrath and judgement of God DOES NOT begin until the seventh seal is opened (Revelation 8:1-13). We therefore cannot speak of God reverting to being a God of wrath and judgement during the 70th week, it is only during the Day of the Lord that this happens (Revelation 6:16-17; Revelation 8....).

When precisely is the Restrainer taken out of the way?

JP teaches that the Restrainer is taken out of the way "during" the 70th week. This repeated  use of the word "during" is very misleading! JP assumes a shift in the ministry of the Holy Spirit "during" the birth pains i.e. the first 3.5 years, but this is unsustainable:

The passage in 2 Thessalonians indicates that certain things must happen before the restrainer ceases to restrain i.e. the rebellion (apostasy) must occur first and then the Antichrist will take his seat in the temple of God proclaiming himself to be God. This happens at the mid point of the week. The man who is destined to become the Antichrist will be preparing to fulfil his vile destiny prior to the mid point of the 70th week, but not until the then will he become possessed by Satan, set up the abomination of desolation and be revealed (Daniel 7:25; 9:27; Matthew 24:15; 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4). Hence it is the mid point of the 70th week that the Restrainer is taken out of the way..... not during the entire 70th week as JP teaches!

Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, (2 Thessalonians 2:6)  This is a concomitant event... the Restrainer is removed at a specific point in time, and THEN AT THAT TIME, the lawless one will be revealed. At the beginning of the week the Antichrist will make a strong covenant with many for one week and Israel will enter into a covenant with death (Daniel 9:27; Isaiah 28:15,18). This event marks the beginning of birth pains (Revelation 6:1-8 Matthew 24). It is important to notice that the beginning of birth pains/the four horsemen are WORLD WIDE PHENOMENA, they do not apply specifically to the tribulation of the church and they are not connected to the removal of the Restrainer as JP teaches.

It is not until the mid point of the 70th week that God focuses upon Israel. Even after that, the Gentiles are not forgotten: 

This will be your opportunity to bear witness. Settle it therefore in your minds not to meditate beforehand how to answer, for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict. (Luke 21: 14-1 cf. Luke 12:11-12)

During the Great tribulation the two witnesses will prophesy internationally for 1,260 days clothed in sackcloth. (Revelation 11:3-13)

And at that hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven. (Revelation 11:13)

At least one of the three angels in Revelation 14 preaches the gospel to the inhabitants of the whole earth: Then I saw another angel flying directly overhead, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people (Revelation 14:6 cf. John 16:8).

And another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink the wine of God’s wrath, poured full strength into the cup of his anger, and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night, these worshipers of the beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name.” (Revelation 14:9-11) 

And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come (Matthew 24:14).

JP's doctrine that tribulation is associated with the beginning of birth pains has necessitated further acrobatics. He has now invented a "seven year tribulation" of which the first 3.5 years of "birth pains" are "general tribulation" based on thlipsis John 16:21. John 16 refers to the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and the birth of the church. It is a complete fallacy to say that John 16 refers to the tribulation. I have debunked JP's argument about thlipsis in John 16:21 in my previous post: http://bewareofthewolves.blogspot.co.uk/2016/07/jacob-prasch-say-again-tribulation-is.html

Interestingly, close associate of JP, David Nathan of Bread of Life Ministries and Moriel South Africa, teaches categorically that the restrainer is not the Holy Spirit, but that he is the Archangel Michael. He explains the phrase: "At that time" Daniel 12:1 refers to Israel and the end times, and that Michael will "stand aside" (Hebrew amad): "That is who is restraining, it is Michael, the angel that God has set over his people Israel." David Nathan not only confirms the pre-wrath position, he also confirms that a seven year tribulation is definitely not found in the scriptures. 
Eschataology Part 7 (The seven seals) The Restrainer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmUbFG064X8

I also recommend:  

Joe Schimmel, Blessed Hope Chapel: 

The Revelation Series: The Amazing Mission of the Archangel Michael
https://player.fm/series/blessed-hope-chapel/the-revelation-series-the-amazing-mission-of-the-archangel-michael

Alan Kurschner, Eschatos Ministries:

http://www.alankurschner.com/2015/05/20/archangel-michael-the-restrainer-removed-

Jacob Prasch's aberrant intra-seal teaching is provably unscriptural. His earlier teachings were good as far as I can tell, but I would advise my readers to be very cautious about his later offerings.

15 comments:

  1. It is very interesting, you said; JP says ""Pay attention" as if he were speaking for God Himself." Then you go on to mention JP's making the subject of the Restrainer a "Doctrine of the Holy Spirit".

    JP, as you know, heavily identifies himself with the errant modern Pentecostal movement (albeit, he attacks what he calls the mad extremities of it) which believes in on-going revelation; that is those that would set themselves up as 'prophets' would have us believe God is actually speaking to/through them today! Hence you will find currently on Moriel's website this statement; "David Noakes who is endorsed by Jacob Prasch as a VALID prophetic voice." (my emphasis). Noakes then goes on to speak in the FIRST person-that is as "Thus saith the Lord"! Thus the Bible as it is written is not sufficient, in ALL matters, plainly contradicting Hebrews 1.1-2!

    So, we should NOT be surprised that JP teaches as he does in respect of the Holy Spirit-truly a slippery slope? As for me, I will stick with what he attacks-Calvinistic cessationism!
    God bless.

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  2. I was also part of the Pentecostal movement for a long time Colin... JP calls it "charismania". Whilst I do believe in the gifts of the Holy Spirit in 1 Corinthians 12, if they go BEYOND WHAT IS WRITTEN in the scriptures then they should be rejected (1 Corinthians 4:6)

    "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world." (1 John 4:1)

    There is no doubt that JP teaches his Restrainer "doctrine" prophetically... but he GOES BEYOND WHAT IS WRITTEN and it DOES NOT align with the scriptures!

    Once we start questioning the sufficiency of the scriptures, as you say, we are on a slippery slope!

    I did briefly acknowledge David Noakes because of JP's endorsement. However anyone who speaks in the first person of the Lord should be treated with extreme caution and I have now backed away from this prophecy.

    I have not had time to go into this but a lady named Pat Rogers has questioned JP's teaching about "A Woman's Covering". Apparently JP mis-uses the context of "covering" and "head". I will be very interested to go into this further.

    https://closingstages.net/2016/07/19/a-series-of-unfortunate-eventspt-2/

    JP's ministry of late appears to be quite damaging.

    God bless

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  3. I was thinking yesterday that Prasch was going beyond what has been written but I had the verse from 1 Corinthians mixed up with another verse. When I checked I was thinking of proverbs 30:6 Do not add to his words or he will reprove you and you will be proved a liar.

    I've been guilty of this in my early walk but got soundly rebuked for it by the Lord I believe. We have to check everything. I think if Jesus plucked me up right now, set me before his throne and told me he was the way the truth and the life before sending me back he would still be pleased to see me pick the bible up and check this was right.

    Prasch calls other people liars I have seen on different sites but doesn't get it that anyone who adds to God's words is proved a liar. Mistakes are one thing but saying the restrainer is absolutely not an angel is adding to the Word. No question in my mind.

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  4. Proverbs 30:6 is a good verse Monopode - thank you.

    God bless

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  5. closingstages.net22 July 2016 at 07:16

    You are correct, I hold to the classic prewrath view, and I have never understood how Jacob could tie the Holy Spirit convicting the world to the restrainer, and he never really explains it clearly. I have discovered there is no a lot of exegetical application to much of his teachings. My wife and I are now dealing with his recent videos on women in ministry on my blog site. Its sad that a man with such knowledge can run into the ditch and then treat others as though they are ignorant and uninformed. Keep up the good work and God bless!

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  6. Thank you very much for your comment closingstages. I have had a quick look at your website and I shall be studying the details as soon as I can. It looks very interesting. I can't get over how rude JP has been - there is something very seriously wrong both with his doctrine and his behaviour. God bless

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  7. I have just re-read this post again, and I must take issue with Jacob's teaching about law and grace. I believe the Bible clearly teaches in NO uncertain terms that the "age of grace" is over at the PRECISE moment when Christ returns-not one second before! He first came to save His people (not one more, not one less) from their sins; on His return He comes as Judge, John 5.22, 2 Timothy 4.1, Acts 10.42, 17.31 etc. So for JP to dogmatically assert that the "age of grace" ends BEFORE the Lord Jesus returns, is against what the Scripture clearly teaches. Men and women (His elect, that is) were ALWAYS saved by grace ALONE in the OT dispensation, as indeed they are today. JP says the age of "grace is over, now He is the God of wrath and judgment again." He then goes to justify his theology by talking about the "judgments of Egypt from the book of Exodus." Well, some may ask "where was "grace" during the holocaust, when some 7 million Jews perished? This happened in the "age of grace". How many of those Jews hitherto 'kept' the Passover; God only knows; forget this; rather, how many were believers in Christ? I wonder, were any? These are deep things. Many Israelite's perished under God's wrath during the OT dispensation, as indeed many will perish in the NT dispensation, as also will many false Christians. God's saving grace is ONLY extended to His elect, if I have got my theology right.
    Certainly, you are very right to say that "Jacob has gone beyond what is written."
    I believe Jacob's theology has been increasingly infected by Disipensationalism/Darbyism.

    On another note, regarding the "Restrainer", it very interesting that Paul said to to the Thessalonians that they "KNEW the restrainer"! He had previously told them the identity thereof! I don't know how many Thessalonian believers he addressed, but one would think some oral or written tradition would have passed down to us today, shedding some light on this, but apparently not! Is there a book out there somewhere?
    God bless.

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  8. I considered Jacob Prasch to be one of the foremost prophetic voices in the world for many years Colin. I can't tell you how disappointed I am in him, not for my own sake, but for those he is deceiving. Here we have just another false teacher on the loose teaching as doctrines the precepts of men - Matthew 15:9. Apart from Joe Schimmel and one or two others, who is left? How very dangerous this teaching is for the final seven years of history. Many people think that God hates them anyway, and this teaching reinforces that lie and puts pay to the gospel. It is heartbreaking to think about it. I am not sure about the Calvinistic idea that only certain people are elect - that is if I understand you properly. I really do believe that God desires every person to be saved right up until the very end. God bless

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  9. Treena,
    I would remind your visitors to this blog of yours that until about four years ago, I had the very highest regard for JP/Moriel, literally did I believe everything he taught was true, sound and Scriptural. I KNOW that likewise; you also similarly held such high respect for him, until very recently; you came to the place where JP's/Moriel's teachings in critical places do NOT agree with the Bible. So what do we do-follow God in Christ's gospel or mans? (Please read Galatians 1.10).
    When I lived in south west England, I would (almost slavishly) attend his meetings and buy ALL of his books and teachings, listen to his on-line teachings on Moriel/Bridge Lane/Stroud Green, and others-I was almost a disciple of his! I would also literally hang on his every word as if it were from God Himself! So, I believe, likewise; you similarly take no pleasure in 'attacking' as it were a man you hitherto held in very high regard? A few short months ago, if I said anything that could be construed as negative toward JP's teachings, you would defend him to the hilt! You have most certainly NOT come to this present position lightly!

    We ought to "obey God rather than men" Acts 5.29?

    I have alluded in various places on your blog why I gradually came to distrust JP, and discovered the 'old paths' of the Reformation. At the human level, I G-R-E-A-T-L-Y despise the theology of Calvinism with every bent of my body! But it matters not what I think or want to believe; is Calvin's theology biblical (does it agree with the Bible-is THAT not the ALL important question? ( Calvinism (so-called-that is pre-destination/election, was first expounded by Augustine); I discovered for myself that Calvin's soteriology agrees perfectly with Scripture; absolutely; I don't like it, but there we are.

    God has an elect people, and the Saviour came to save THEM-remember, He WAS slain from the "foundation of the world" Revelation 13.8. I realise that the flip side of all of this is the "doctrine of reprobation", not very nice; most unpleasant, I know. But what does God say? "You thought that I was one like yourself" Psalm 50.21 ESV.

    You say that God "desires EVERY person to be saved up until the very end"? (I did send you AWP's teaching on this (1 Timothy 2.4) which agrees with those that went before him; If we both believe that the Most High God is omnipotent, omnipresent and omniscient (as we both surely do), then we really have no worries, do we? His will be done! Or not?

    God bless you.

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  10. I have shocked myself to now hold these views about JP's teaching, despite the fact that I have been struggling with his restrainer view for some time. Even though you and I do not always see everything eye to eye, I very much look forward to reading your comments and I have learned a lot from you. God bless you Colin.

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  11. I am not as intellectual as some of the commenters but let me start off by saying Calvin was a monster. He tortured and was instrumental in having people burned who did not agree with him. So many of the people that are revered as early fathers of Christianity were cruel people. Just a point, the book of revelation was not the last book written even though it is the last book in the bible. Also, I think the bible was complied 700 years after Christ was on the earth. I think. This is why there are some discrepancies. Christ is the living word of God. So much of the bible, and especially revelation was talking to the people of that time. Things that were to come upon them shortly. Telling them what to watch for. The great tribulation was 70 A.D. when animal sacrifice and all points of the old covenant was destroyed, including the temple. Jonathan Crosby does one of the most intelligent teachings on it from letgodbetrue.com. He too can be offensive about women but this teaching is good. Also, his teaching on Christ being the living word of God. In 70 A.D. Jerusalem was destroyed and the people in Jerusalem suffered terribly. The believers got out in time and fled to the mountains because they remembered what Christ had told them. It was that generation, 40 years after Christ. I'm not sure but I think the restrainer was one of the rulers of that time that eventually gave way to the popes, who as we know considered themselves God on earth etc. ajc

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  12. Hi Anonymous.

    I would not call Calvin an "early church father" since he came on the scene long after Luther. He was a second generation reformer in the 16th century. The early fathers were people like Justin Martyr, Clement of Rome, Polycarp of Smyrna etc. I am not a Calvinist and I am no fan of Calvin.

    The Book of Revelation has been dated around 96AD around the end of the first century. Some preterists contend that Revelation was written around 68 or 69AD, in an attempt to try to prove that the book relates to the impending destruction of Jerusalem in 70AD. 70AD is significant, but it is not the "great tribulation" written about in Matthew 24:21.

    I disagree with much of what you say.

    God bless you.

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  13. I used to think Revelation was all in the future because that is what was taught in the church. But now I read it and see that some of it, perhaps a lot of it was talking to the people of that time. I am not a preterist. Did not know there were all these different Christian sects until I got a computer. Don't know if that is a good thing or not. I do know that being a believer was purer and nicer before I ever knew about all the conflicts. I now do not go church, watch so called Christian t.v. or go into Christian book stores. I get my bibles at the goodwill. John wrote at least one of his other books after revelation. Read Rev. 22:7 and Rev. 18 Is Babylon Tyre or Jerusalem Rev. 17 Rome????? We don't have kings anymore but the most important is Rev. 1:1 - which must shortly come to pass-. If you have time read the witness of 70 AD by letgodbetrue. I have to be careful not to get drawn into argument and am trying not to. It does not bring people to Christ if we have no peace and argue. Thanks for responding to my comment. Please read The witness of 70 AD even if it is just to disallow it. On the Babylon question - who killed all the prophets, Jerusalem, Rome or the old system of Judaism???? If you read the language (words like kings etc.), it is an aid to know who is being spoken to. The description of the plague of locusts in revelation (climbing over walls etc.) has already happened. Read up on what a real plague of locusts is like. Thanks ajc

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  14. Someone told me (I don't know if it is true as I don't know where to look it up) that when 70 AD happened, there were only 6 of the 7 churches mentioned in revelation left. That is why they think revelation had to be written before 70 AD. ajc

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  15. matthew 24:21 Then who is it in Judea that is supposed to flee to the mountains. Only the Jews back then could not take flight on the holy day. Matthew 24:20 and Matthew 24:34this generation shall not pass (40 years) I understand the preterist thing but 70 AD wiped out the temple, sacrifices and the jews were (I think) not even allowed back into Jerusalem. ajc

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