There were also manifestations during the First Great Awakening of the 1730s and 1740s. The "prophets" and "apostles" of the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) are quick to draw on Jonathan Edwards since many of these manifestations occurred at his revivals. However, Edwards denounced them and even says they were a major reason for the revival's demise.
Here are a couple of quotes from Hank Hanegraaff's
Counterfeit Revival. They show how the NAR tries to revise history using Jonathan Edwards.
"One of the most brazen examples of historical revisionism comes from the lips of [John] Arnott. At an international pastors’ conference, Arnott tried to dupe devotees by denouncing the theology of John Calvin while in the same breath affirming the theology of Jonathan Edwards. Arnott was attempting to refute 'cessationists,' whom he believes were 'shutting down the Holy Spirit' by questioning the practice of 'acting like lions and oxen and eagles and even warriors.' His basic argument was that since 'God himself has no hesitation of comparing himself to an animal,' we shouldn’t either. Thus, according to Arnott, Calvinists and cessationists would be 'far better advised to refer to Jonathan Edwards and his theology on discernment.' " (John Arnott, Pastors' Meeting, Toronto Airport Vineyard, 19 October 1994, audiotape)
I guess Arnott forgot to mention that later in life Edwards himself became a Calvanist and cessationist.
"The most disturbing deception of all is that the leaders of the Counterfeit Revival have coopted one of the church's true spiritual giants and dishonestly claimed him as their own. In the words of [William] DeArteaga, 'The Lord has already chosen the predominant theologian of this revival. It's not me! It's Jonathan Edwards.' " (William DeArteaga, "What is Heresy?" Toronto Airport Vineyard, 13 October 1994, audiotape)
Here's what Edwards says:
"If we look back into the history of the church of God in past ages, we may observe that it has been a common device of the devil, to overset a revival of religion; when he finds he can keep men quiet and secure no longer, then he drives them to excesses and extravagances. He holds them back as long as he can; but when he can do it no longer, then he will push them on, and, if possible, run them upon their heads. And it has been by this means chiefly that he has been successful, in several instances, to overthrow most hopeful and promising beginnings. Yea, the principle means by which the devil was successful, by degrees, to overset the grand religious revival of the world, in the primitive ages of Christianity, and in a manner to overthrow the Christian church throughout the earth, and make way for the great Anti-Christian apostasy , that masterpiece of all the devil's works, was to improve the indiscreet zeal of Christians, to drive them into those three extremes of enthusiasm, superstition, and severity toward opposers; which should be enough for an everlasting warning to the Christian church. (Edwards, Works of Jonathan Edwards, vol. 1, 397-398, emphasis in original)
This all goes to show the character of some of the leaders of the NAR. I won't call them liars but I'll let their own words speak for them. How can a person take people like this seriously?
Something from the Edwards quote really stands out to me. He says the way the devil paves the way for "Anti-Christian apostasy" is to increase "the indiscreet zeal of Christians." I believe the Counterfeit Revival today is bringing in its wake the end time anti-Christian apostasy.
Something else that strikes me is "
severity toward opposers." In charismatic and NAR circles you constantly hear, "you must not touch God's anointed," with warnings of dire consequences. In another thread, "Is it too late?" I posted a video clip that switches between Francis Chan and Benny Hinn making veiled and not so veiled threats on the lives of those who would dare speak against Gods' "anointed." See here:
https://christianchat.com/threads/is-it-too-late.200271/post-4605075.
The similarities between what Edwards said all those years ago and what's happening today are sobering.