The antichrist's ability to receive worship hinges upon the belief by the masses that m an can be divine. New Age writers are fervendy feeding their flocks this fodder.
New Age
We are all 100% divine.22 Maharishi W e need a World Religion. . .based on Divine Essence in each person. Peace can only come when we recognize the divinity in each person.23 Lola Davis All men are innate divinity.24 Annie Besant The knowingness of our divinity is the highest intelligence. . .You know you are divine. But you must continually remember your Divinity. . .we had all forgotten we were each
Divine.25 Shirley MacLaine
The ancient Monophysites believed that Jesus had a "deified human nature."26 This idea led men like Athanasius of Alexandria to say, "He became m an that we might become divine." 2 7 New versions
fall back into what the Greeks called apotheosis— a belief in the divinity o f man. The KJV, on the other hand, presents the Trinity as distinct from man in both identity and nature.
NIV, NASB, et al. KJV
divine nature Rom.1:20 The Godhead
the divine being Acts 17:29 the Godhead
Now 'C hristian' and cultic blasphem ies bear a strong resemblance.
S E L F - E S T E E M D R E A M • 185
NEW AGE APOSTATE CHRISTIANITY
"[T]he revelation of the Divine in man realized in and through Christ. . .Man is divine. . .Every type of essential human excellence coexists in Christ. . . humanity has been raised in the Son of Man to the right hand of God.”31
Westcott "I was born of God and so I became a h u m an -divine being."32
Kenneth Hagin All of this blasphemy got a boost from new version editors, like W estcott, who said Psalm 8:5 helps "man recognize his divine affinity."
NIV, NASB, et al. KJV
Yet Thou hast made him a little lower than
God.
Ps. 8:5 For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels. Thou hast made him
for a little while
lower than the angels.
Heb. 2:7 Thou madest him a little lower than the angels.
T R E N D E I G H T
and they repented not to GIVE HIM GLORY Revelation 16:9
In man's mad march for glory he has gained no ground. The terrors o f the tribulation find his footing firmly fastened to the same spot. His pace has done little more than pound out a grave-size
”[T]he Christ nature is in every h u m a n
being'28
Alice Bailey "In his real nature man is divine."29
Maharishi "This is the purpose for which you and I are here—to bring the soul to a clear realization of its own divine nature."30
sepulcher in the sod. In the t r i b u l a t i o n , . .they repented not to give him glory." They have not budged since the beginning.
[W]hen they knew God, they glorified him not. . .and worshipped and served the creature more than the creator... Romans 1:21, 25
M artin L uther observed what he called, the "theology of glory," in his day. Evidently, this sin has always had advocates stom ping around in theological circles. Today R obert Schuller parades around his pulpit preaching what Hunt's Beyond Seduction calls, "a man centered theology to replace the traditional God-centered theology." Schuller states:
Every person's deepest need—one's spiritual hunger for glory .33
Moody's Agony o f Deceit cites seven signs o f a false prophet; one symptom listed is "They are m an -c en tere d."34 A ccording to Donald Bamhouse:
If you exalt man in any way God is thereby debased. But if you exalt God, as He should be, man thereby takes his true position of utter nothingness.35
In the process o f building a pedestal for m an, the new versions have not only chiseled away at Christ and jig-saw ed around Jesus' name, but have routed out references to God.
NIV, NASB, et al. KJV
He shall wipe away Rev. 21:4 God shall wipe away all tears
1 have come to do thy will
Heb. 10:9 1 come to do thy will, OGod
He who was revealed ITim. 3:16 God was manifest But when He (NASB) Gal. 1:15 But when it pleased
God
He is not Matt. 22:32 God is not
the head (NASB) Col. 2:19 the Head
S E L F - E S T E E M D R E A M • 187 Man's New Age 'divine' spirit has replaced 'God'.
NIV, NASB, et al. KJV
A man like this in whom is a divine spirit?
Gen. 41:38 a man in whom the Spirit of God is? But what is the divine
response (NASB)
Rom. 11:4 What saith the answer of God her divine majesty Acts 19:27 her magnificence a divine being I Sam. 28:13 gods
Thousands o f years ago the prophet Jeremiah pointed out the by-product o f pride in God's own people.
Wherefore say my people, We are lords, we will come no more unto thee. Jeremiah 2:31
This parade o f personal power, pushing God to the side, presses from new version editors, to the pages o f their version, to the pulpits, and finally to the people. First we hear Westcott:
[T]he knowledge of Christ,.. .has its analogues in human power. . .the Son of Man gives the measure of the capacity of humanity. . .Nothing implies that the knowledge of the Lord was supernatural.m
NIV, NASB, et al. KJV
the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but divinely powerful
2 Cor. 10:4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty through God
This man is the divine power known as the Great Power. (NIV)
Acts 8:10 This man is the great power of God.
Finally the radio waves echo the esoteric 'divine' powers of man as Kenneth Copeland resounds the spiritual static of centuries past.
They mistakenly believe that Jesus was able to work wonders.. .because he had divine powers that we do not
have.37
Man's 'divine' powers preclude the need for God as new versions either omit 'God' entirely or show man 'helping him along'.
NEW VERSIONS KJV
as he hath prospered
ICor. 16:2 as God hath prospered him we might become
the righteousness of God
2 Cor. 5:21 we might be made the righteousness of God In him the families of the
earth shall bless themselves (RV)
Gen. 12:3 in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed
To your
descendants 1 will qive this land
Gen. 12:7 Unto thy seed will I give this land. (Gal. 3:16 identifies the correct version saying, "He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed which is Christ.)
with the help of the LORD I have brought forth a man
Gen. 4:1 I have gotten a man from the LORD
Jesus answered... We must work
John 9:4 Jesus answered. . .1 must work
was manifested in us.
I John 4:9 the love of God toward us.
stren gth which God supplies
1 Pet. 4:11 ability which God giveth
(New versions seem to reduce God's role here; ability includes, "physical, moral, intellectual capacity; skill or competence"; they limit his input to 'strength'.)
T E V KJV
What my Father John 10:29 My Father, which has given me is
g r e a te r th a n everything
gave them me, is greater than all. (The new version, Good News For Modern Man, tells man that
he not God, "is greater than everything." The NIV and NASB
S E L F - E S T E E M D R E A M • 189
NIV, NASB, et al. KJV
all its glory like the 1 Pet. 1:24 flower of grass
all the glory of man as the flower of grass.
(Having grafted God's glory on to man, new versions must now keep under wraps the verse which windows the withering of man's glory.)
They "esteemed him not" (Isaiah 53:3)
Self-esteem comes from a reservoir o f esteem stolen from God. Before m en can "claim the attributes o f God" (blasphemy), they must rob God o f his glory (blasphemy). Once God is stripped o f his glory, what remains is the amoral and impersonal god o f Hinduism who gives "instructions," then capriciously punishes and humiliates man. The wise God of scripture "commands," because he cares and is "grieved" when for purposes o f growth, he must chasten his children. New versions present a god whose despoiled character m atches the New Age version of God.
God is a consuming fire. Hebrews 12:29
NIV, NASB, et al. KJV
instruct Matt. 10:5 commanded
precepts Mark 7:7 commandments
God said Matt. 15:4 God commanded
respect Matt. 21:37 reverence
instructed Mark 6:8 commanded
prescribe ITim. 4:11 command
reverence I Pet.3:15 fear
areatness Luke 9:43 mighty power
"The Lord is great." Psalm 99:2
NIV, NASB, et al. KJV
news Matt.4:24,9:26 his fame
God 1 Tim.1:17 wise God
our God Rev. 19:1 the Lord, our God
"God is love." I John 4:8
OMIT Titus 1:4 mercy
I was angry Heb. 3:10 grieved
punished 2 Cor. 6:9 chastened
d is c ip lin e and instruction of the Lord
Eph. 6:4 n u rtu re and admonition God may humiliate 2 Cor. 12:21 humble me
stop clinging to me John 20:17 Touch me not
thorn bush Acts 7:30, 35 bush
T R E N D N I N E
And they REPENTED N O T .. .Revelation 16:
"The logic o f God loving us is that we must be lovable," says one supporter of the self-esteem dream.38 Only when we are in lullaby land or on the lines of the latest version does the likeness o f a lovable m an appear. Verses which m ar Narcissus' vision o f him self are missing. "Lovable" people, after all, when visited by their creator, do not strike him, accuse him, or constrain him.
NIV, NASB.et al. KJV
OMIT Luke 22:64 they struck him on the face