The Heresy Hunter

You're About To Receive the Wealth of the Wicked!

Rick Joyner's latest post states:

UNPRECEDENTED PROSPERITY IS COMING TO GOD'S PEOPLE--OUR OBEDIENCE IS KEY"

One of the most often repeated teachings in recent times has been centered on the Biblical prophecies which state that "the wealth of the wicked will be given to the righteous." The prophecies actually go further than this and state that the wealth of the nations will be brought to the righteous. Because these are Biblical prophecies, we know that they will come to pass. This is about to begin, and we must be ready for it.

I realize that this may sound like just another reciting of the prosperity teachings, which is a good thing to many, and a bad thing to others. However, as we proceed, you will find that what I am sharing with you is different from what you have heard before. If we believe the prophecies, we know that unprecedented prosperity is coming to God's people.

He goes on to warn about the dangers of having so much money. He also says:

Last year I was told by a friend that looked up my name on the internet, that there were about 50,000 references to me, and most of them were bad! This did not surprise me. In fact, it encouraged me. I was shown many years ago that this would be the result of my obedience.

If that was the measure of obedience to God Hugo Chavez must be nearing sainthood! Could it be possible that discerning Christians are warning others about him? Naaaah!!!

Health and Wealth teachers often quote the passage that says the wealth of the wicked will be given to the righteous. But what does this really mean? I had a hard time finding any Prosperity website that gave its readers the location in Scripture of this verse. It comes from Proverbs 13, and verses 21-22 say,

21 Misfortune pursues the sinner, but prosperity is the reward of the righteous.
22 A good man leaves an inheritance for his children's children, but a sinner's wealth is stored up for the righteous.

This doesn't sound much like the wealth of the wicked being transferred to the righteous at some point in the prophetic future. From the context it is apparent that Solomon was talking about the here and now.

We know that misfortune doesn't always pursue the sinner - many non-Christians live very successful lives and die with plenty of money and plenty of friends. We also know that prosperity does not always accompany the righteous. Ask the Apostle Paul. Ask Martin Luther. Ask the countless Christians who have been martyred throughout church history. I doubt that these Christians were able to leave a financial inheritance for their children either. Does that mean they weren't Christians?

But in God's justice, misfortune ultimately finds the sinner when he dies and the righteous, upon their death, inherit a prosperity they never imagined in their lifetime.

• Psalm 49:10 "For all can see that wise men die; the foolish and the senseless alike perish and leave their wealth to others."

• Psalm 49:16, 17 "Do not be overawed when a man grows rich, when the splendor of his house increases; for he will take nothing with him when he dies, his splendor will not descend with him."

PS. I understand that we are all sinners and that no one is righteous apart from Christ, but for the purposes of this argument I use "sinners" to represent non-Christians and the "righteous" to represent Christians, since this is what Word Faith teachers mean.

posted by Bob Hunter @ Tuesday, February 06, 2007