APPENDIX D
APPENDIX D: SOME SOBER THOUGHTS.......
Finally, let us take a sober look at the
phenomenon of "Falling under the Power" from a Biblical
perspective. Appended below is an article which I wrote on this
subject:
"As an introductory statement, it is
essential for us to mention two important points. The first point
to note is that the phrase "slain in the Spirit" is not
Scriptural at all- in other words, it cannot be found anywhere in
the Bible. Secondly, the phenomenon of "falling under the
power" was never a normative experience in the ministries of
our Lord Jesus or His Apostles. Neither is there an explicit or
implicit statement in the Bible which says that a person
"falls" when anointed of the Holy Ghost. Having gone
thus far, perhaps it would be wise at this stage to examine some
Scriptures pertaining to the "falling down experience"
to help our readers form a conclusion for themselves.
First of all, let us take the following
passages from Luke's Gospel....
Luke 5:3-5
3 He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and
asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and
taught the people from the boat.
4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out
into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch."
5 Simon answered, "Master, we've worked hard all night and
haven't caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down
the nets." (NIV)
In verse 4 we have our Lord Jesus telling
Peter to put out into deep water for a catch. Peter was a
professional fisherman and here was a `novice' telling him how to
catch fish. To make matters worse, Peter had not caught anything
`professionally' after working hard the whole night. But at the
Word of the Lord, Peter agreed to let down the nets- an example
of simple faith being exercised (upon the Word of God). Notice
that Peter called Jesus "Master" and not
"Lord" at this stage.
Luke 5:6-7
6 When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish
that their nets began to break.
7 So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and
help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they
began to sink.
(NIV) Have you come across fishermen with such a big catch of
fish that their nets began to break and their boats began to
sink? If a fisherman's boat begins to sink, it is more likely to
have a hole at its bottom rather than such an overwhelming catch
of fish.
Luke 5:8
8 When Simon Peter saw this, he FELL AT Jesus' knees and said,
"Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!" (NIV)
Emphasis mine
Notice in verse 8 that Simon Peter, after
seeing the miraculous catch of fish, FELL AT THE KNEES OF JESUS.
Peter fell because of his "sinfulness" at the presence
of an awesome and Holy, miracle-working God. Unlike verse 5,
Peter now calls Jesus `LORD'.
Luke 5:9-11
9 For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of
fish they had taken,
10 and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon's
partners. Then Jesus said to Simon, "Don't be afraid; from
now on you will catch men."
11 So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and
followed him. (NIV)
Notice that there was a change in the lives
of Simon and his partners after the miraculous catch (and the
"falling down" experience).
Here are some more Scriptures....
Gen 17:3
3 Abram fell facedown, and God said to him, (NIV)
Josh 5:14
14 "Neither," he replied, "but as commander of the
army of the LORD I have now come." Then Joshua fell facedown
to the ground in reverence, and asked him, "What message
does my Lord have for his servant?" (NIV)
Judg 13:20
20 As the flame blazed up from the altar toward heaven, the angel
of the LORD ascended in the flame. Seeing this, Manoah and his
wife fell with their faces to the ground. (NIV)
2 Chr 20:18
18 Jehoshaphat bowed with his face to the ground, and all the
people of Judah and Jerusalem fell down in worship before the
LORD. (NIV)
Ezek 1:28
28 Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day,
so was the radiance around him. This was the appearance of the
likeness of the glory of the LORD. When I saw it, I fell
facedown, and I heard the voice of one speaking. (NIV)
Ezek 3:23
23 So I got up and went out to the plain. And the glory of the
LORD was standing there, like the glory I had seen by the Kebar
River, and I fell facedown. (NIV)
Ezek 44:4
4 Then the man brought me by way of the north gate to the front
of the temple. I looked and saw the glory of the LORD filling the
temple of the LORD, and I fell facedown. (NIV)
Acts 9:4
4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, "Saul,
Saul, why do you persecute me?" (NIV)
Did you notice the common denominator in
all of the verses above with the so-called "falling down
experience"? The common denominator is this- man's
sinfulness (see Isaiah 6:5) and reverential fear in the presence
of a Holy and Awesome God. Here are two more examples of
reverential fear (and falling down).........
Matt 17:5-6
5 While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and
a voice from the cloud said, "This is my Son, whom I love;
with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!"
6 When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the
ground, terrified. (NIV)
Rev 1:17
17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he
placed his right hand on me and said: "Do not be afraid. I
am the First and the Last. (NIV)
There are also several other points to note
regarding the Biblical "falling down" as seen in the
verses mentioned above.
1 The "falling down" is a
voluntary act on man's part.
2 The "falling down" experiences were not mediated
through a third party. In other words, nobody had the chance to
push anybody down.
3The majority of the "falling down" is face downwards.
The only instance of people falling backwards in the New
Testament was in John Chapter 18 when the enemies of Jesus were
confronted with the majesty of His "I AM".
John 18:6-7
6 When Jesus said, "I am he," they drew back and fell
to the ground. 7 Again he asked them, "Who is it you
want?" And they said, "Jesus of Nazareth." (NIV)
Two more instances of "falling
down" need be mentioned. In these two instances the
"falling down" were associated with deep sleep.
Gen 15:12-13
12 As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and a
thick and dreadful darkness came over him.
13 Then the LORD said to him, "Know for certain that your
descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and
they will be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years. (NIV)
Dan 10:9
9 Then I heard him speaking, and as I listened to him, I fell
into a deep sleep, my face to the ground.
Dan 10:14-15
14 Now I have come to explain to you what will happen to your
people in the future, for the vision concerns a time yet to
come." 15 While he was saying this to me, I bowed with my
face toward the ground and was speechless. (NIV)
Notice from the above verses that the
"falling down" experience and deep sleep were preludes
to great prophetic revelations regarding the Nation of Israel.
The experiences were only peculiar to Abram and Daniel. The Bible
never mentions "falling down" and deep sleep as a
general experiential principle."
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN
It is my sincere prayer that God's Word will speak to your hearts
and that His Word will drive you back to the Truth.......only
God's Truth can set a person free....
Then you will know the truth, and the
truth will set you free." John 8:32 (NIV)
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Last Updated: Tuesday, 05 March, 1996
