JOEL RICHARDSON: IDENTIFICATIONAL REPENTANCE IS A FALSE TEACHING

(33) Daniel's Four Visions: Chapter 9 - YouTube

Identificational Repentance

Identificational repentance is the technical term for repentance on behalf of others. This false teaching was introduced via the neo-charismatic Third Wave Movement and forms part of the intercessory warfare model of false NAR teachers. False "apostle" C Peter Wagner alleged that "identificational repentance" was one of the "ten Major Prayer Innovations of the 1990s". 

Alleged 10 Major Prayer Innovations of the 1990s

1. Strategic-level spiritual warfare. The idea of taking authority over high-ranking principalities and powers assigned by Satan to keep social networks of various kinds in spiritual darkness was the focus of the Spiritual Warfare Network starting in 1990. Key authors included Cindy Jacobs, Dick Eastman, and C. Peter Wagner.
2. Identificational repentance. The body of Christ began to learn that it is possible to heal the wounds of the past through identificational repentance and thus to weaken strongholds that Satan has built. The key author was John Dawson.
3. Prayer evangelism. Prayer has ordinarily been an add-on to evangelism, but now we know that prayer itself, when intelligently strategized and focused, can be a direct force for winning people to Christ. The key author was Ed Silvoso.
4. Personal intercession for leaders. For pastors and other Christian leaders, identifying and relating positively to personal intercessors can mean the difference between success and failure in ministry. Key authors included John Maxwell, Terry Teykl, and C. Peter Wagner.
5. Two-way prayer. Prayer is not just speaking to God, but also hearing directly from Him. Derivatives of this include prophecy, the office of prophet, and prophetic intercession. Key authors included Cindy Jacobs and Chuck Pierce.
6. On-site praying. Prayer began to move out of the church and into the community through praise marches, prayer expeditions, prayer journeys, and prayerwalking. Key authors included Graham Kendrick, Steve Hawthorne and C. Peter Wagner.
7. City transformation. Through prayer, the kingdom of God can move out of the church and penetrate all levels of society, thereby transforming cities and other territories. Key authors included George Otis, Jr., Ed Silvoso, John Dawson, and C. Peter Wagner.
8. The AD2000 United Prayer Track. A vehicle for mobilizing prayer for the lost at a level never before seen in church history. Key authors included Luis Bush, Beverly Pegues, and Dick Eastman.
9. Commitment to the land. Spiritual authority of pastors and other leaders increases proportionately to their commitment to the territory in which God has placed them. The key author was Bob Beckett.
10. Spiritual mapping. Spirit-guided research can help target our prayers and produce informed, and thus more effective, intercession. The key author was George Otis, Jr. {1}

Biblical repentance necessitates a deep awareness of the wickedness of personal sin and turning away from it. Repentance involves sorrow, contrition, confession, faith, and obedience to God's revealed will. In the Old Testament, every individual was responsible to turn from his evil way. (Jeremiah 18:11; 26:3, 36:3; Leviticus 5:5; 26:40-42; Ezekiel 14:4-6, 18:30, 33:11). In the New Testament, the key term for repentance is metanoia. The call to repent was addressed to every person who heard the message of the gospel. And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:38 cf. Matthew 7:24-26).

Given the scriptural directives above, it is not possible for anyone to repent for sins they have not personally committed. It is likely that we will suffer the damaging effects caused by the sins of our ancestors or our contemporaries and we should not ignore/deny them. Nevertheless, it was/is the responsibility of the individuals committing those sins to repent, not ours. 

The rationale for identificational repentance is rooted in Old Testament passages such as Daniel 9:1-15 and Nehemiah 1:5-7. Richardson bases his argument on the premise that an individual can identify with, confess and repent for the corporate sins of a particular group he/she identifies with, even though he/she has not committed those sins. This teaching is highly problematic because it re-connects believers to secular groups that are not redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ. Israel was chosen out of all the nations to be His treasured possession (Deuteronomy 14:2). Today God calls people out of the world to repent individually. God does not call believers to re-identify with secular groups belonging to the world. (2 Corinthians 6:17). The realm of the world is under the influence of the god of this age/the prince of this world. (2 Corinthians 4:4). For believers to re-identify with a particular nation or city inverts the scriptural command to be separate from the world. 

They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. (John 17: 14-16 cf. 2 Corinthians 6:17; 1 Peter 2:9).

Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.”

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper,f to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. (John 14:16-17 cf. 1 John 4:5; John 17:16).

Identificational repentance is linked to other "innovations" promoted by Wagner, involving unbiblical activities such as prayer walking, spiritual mapping and spiritual warfare. These activities sidestep the gospel of Jesus Christ and the commission given to the church to make disciples of all nations. (Matthew 28:19 cf.1 Timothy 2:1-6; Ephesians 6:19). 

The false teachings of Wagner and his cohorts are also employed to confuse believers regarding generational curses and spiritual healing that has already been accomplished by Jesus Christ on the cross. These teachings are rooted in dominion theology and the false beliefs of the NAR. Whilst Richardson is not overtly NAR, he has historic associations with Paul Cain and other charismatic deceivers. {2} His theology is replete with errors and he subtly inserts many perverted doctrines into his teachings. (1 Timothy 4:1). 

Daniel 9

In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, by descent a Mede, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans— in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, perceived in the books the number of years that, according to the word of the LORD to Jeremiah the prophet, must pass before the end of the desolations of Jerusalem, namely, seventy years. 

Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and ashes. I prayed to the LORD my God and made confession, saying, “O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, we have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly and rebelled, turning aside from your commandments and rules. We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land. To you, O Lord, belongs righteousness, but to us open shame, as at this day, to the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to all Israel, those who are near and those who are far away, in all the lands to which you have driven them, because of the treachery that they have committed against you. To us, O LORD, belongs open shame, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against you. To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against him and have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God by walking in his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets. All Israel has transgressed your law and turned aside, refusing to obey your voice. And the curse and oath that are written in the Law of Moses the servant of God have been poured out upon us, because we have sinned against him. He has confirmed his words, which he spoke against us and against our rulers who ruled us by bringing upon us a great calamity. For under the whole heaven there has not been done anything like what has been done against Jerusalem. As it is written in the Law of Moses, all this calamity has come upon us; yet we have not entreated the favor of the LORD our God, turning from our iniquities and gaining insight by your truth. Therefore the LORD has kept ready the calamity and has brought it upon us, for the LORD our God is righteous in all the works that he has done, and we have not obeyed his voice. And now, O Lord our God, who brought your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and have made a name for yourself, as at this day, we have sinned, we have done wickedly. (Daniel 9:1-15).

Although Daniel and Nehemiah confessed Israel's sins before God, they did not actually repent. Daniels's intercession was based specifically on the word of God to Jeremiah that Israel would return to the land after seventy years. (Daniel 9:2). The judgment that had been administered by God for the sins of Israel was about to come to an end. Daniel expressed sorrow, regret, and remorse, and because he was part of the covenant people of Israel he identified with them. The specific word of God concerning the world is that it perishing and under judgement. (John 12:31; 1 John 2:17). The future for the nations is well stated in the book of Revelation, and it does not involve wholesale revival as Richardson claims. (Revelation 13:12).

Discernment Group: "It is significant that this article cited above, attributed to the book Deliver Us from Evil: An Uneasy Frontier in Christian Mission (World Vision, 2002), was connected with the Lausanne movement. These spiritual warfare doctrines went mainstream into the global mission world via the Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization which held a "Deliver us from Evil Consultation" in Nairobi, Kenya in 2000. Its purpose was to focus on 'spiritual warfare with the principalities and powers of evil who are seeking to overthrow the church and frustrate the task of evangelization.' Again, notice that the underlying doctrine is faulty -- that Jesus didn't defeat Satan at the Cross and He has 'unfinished work'. {3} 

The prophet Ezekiel demonstrates that repentance is individual rather than corporate.

Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying, “What do you people mean by quoting this proverb about the land of Israel: ‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the teeth of the children are set on edge’? As surely as I live, declares the Lord GOD, you will no longer quote this proverb in Israel. Behold, every soul belongs to Me; both father and son are Mine. The soul who sins is the one who will die..

But if a wicked person turns away from all his sins that he has committed and keeps all my statutes and does what is just and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die. None of the transgressions that he has committed shall be remembered against him; for the righteousness that he has done he shall live. Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked, declares the Lord GOD, and not rather that he should turn from his way and live? But when a righteous person turns away from his righteousness and does injustice and does the same abominations that the wicked person does, shall he live? None of the righteous deeds that he has done shall be remembered; for the treachery of which he is guilty and the sin he has committed, for them he shall die. (Ezekiel 18:1-4,21-24). cf. Acts 3:19;

Fathers shall not be put to death because of their children, nor shall children be put to death because of their fathers. Each one shall be put to death for his own sin. (Deuteronomy 24:16).

Prayer for secular authorities 

Christians are instructed to pray for all people including secular authorities, but identificational repentance is never mentioned in the scriptures. 

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. (1Timothy 2:1-3). 

Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons.. (1 Timothy 4:1).

1. Summary Report: AD2000 United Prayer Track
2. WOLVES IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING: FALSE PROPHETS AND BIBLE TEACHERS IN THE LAST DAYS: JOEL RICHARDSON ENDORSES PAUL CAIN # CHARISMANIA! (bewareofthewolves.blogspot.com)
3. Identificational Repentance (crossroad.to)