I’d you want to dig a little further into the New apostolic Reformation teaching on Dominion Theology and the Seven Mountain Mandate then a good place to start is “Invading Babylon:The Seven Nation Mandate” by Lance Wallnau, Bill Johnson and others. This multi-author work in effect sets out the NAR manifesto.
Johnson begins the first chapter by saying:
“We have been given authority over this planet. It was first given to us in the commission God gave to mankind in Genesis (see Gen. 1:28-29) and was then restored to us by Jesus after His resurrection (see Matt. 28:18).”[1]
Restoring the Creation mandate
The starting point for Dominion Theology is that the Great Commission is a continuation or restoration of/return to the Cultural mandate of Genesis 1. Humans were given dominion over creation but the Fall impedes that sovereignty. Jesus’ arrival, ushering in God’s kingdom through his death, resurrection and ascension means that those who belong to his kingdom are called to fill and to subdue the earth, to exercise godly dominion again.
Johnson does insist that this dominion is different to normal human expectations. It is an authority not to “lord it over” but to serve.
18). But Kingdom authority is different than is typically understood by many believers. It is the authority to set people free from torment and disease, to destroy the works of darkness. It is the authority to move the resources of Heaven through creative expression to meet human need. It is the authority to bring Heaven to earth. It is the authority to serve.[2]
This is a theme that will be repeated through his chapter.
The Church is sometimes known for its willingness to serve, but usually with well-meaning spiritual agendas as the ultimate goal. It almost sounds blasphemous, but serving simply to get people saved is a religious agenda. As pure and noble as it may seem to us as believers, it is manipulative to the world and is viewed as impure service. The world can smell it a mile away. We put them on the defensive when we carry such reasons for serving into their sphere of responsibility.[3]
It is important to recognise this. Johnson will use a variety of examples to argue that we do best when we come in not to be seen to be taking over but rather to help those within the system. This may not fit with our expected image of Christian Nationalism and may look different from a lot of what we have seen in the US culture wars. There are still though a couple of questions around the approach. First of all, one may counter that whilst there is a nuance here, the aim is still to ultimately take control. Indeed if our concern is ultimately to have that control then isn’t that just as manipulative as doing things to get people saved? Indeed, aren’t we seeking their well being when we prioritise their salvation over our influence?
The other question raised at this point is one of over realised eschatology. Many Christians will recognise the connection between the Cultural Mandate and the Great Commission. However, reformed evangelicals would also recognise that our current experience is “now and not yet.” We look forward to the day when Jesus is seen as the one, coming with the clouds, receiving authority from the Ancient of Days and so coming to reign as judge and king. Revelation portrays the new Jerusalem coming down to earth, Creation is restored, renewed, perfected into its ultimately glory but that is then, when he returns. In the meantime the focus of Matthew 28 is on making disciples and teaching them to obey Jesus. Whilst some have suggested that it is the nations that are collectively discipled giving Christians political power, that it is after baptising disciples that we then teach them to obey makes it clear that the authority Jesus gives his followers is a spiritual authority for the church.
Storming the gates of hell
Wallnau in his chapter recounts how Loren Cunningham and Bill Bright had claimed to have received the “seven mountain mandate” as a direct revelation from God at about the same time. He quotes Cunningham as follows:
First, we take territory from satan in the place of prayer, with the power of the Holy Spirit, through the mighty weapons available to us. We know that spiritual warfare involves pulling down strongholds of false reasoning. We pray against the enemy’s influence in whatever area we are aware. Our prayers should be specific. Listening to the Holy Spirit in our minds, He will tell us how to pray. Regional and local matters should be part of our specific focus. Second, after we have prayed for a specific sphere of influence, be it government, a school system, an area of the media, or whatever, God may then choose to use us in the very sphere for which we have been praying. He may call us to penetrate that influential place for Him, placing us, like Daniel or Joseph, in a place of authority.[4]
Wallnau is in agreement with Cunnigham that spiritual strategies are required. For him, this is about Jesus’ promise that:
“…I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it” (Matt. 16:18 NKJV)[5]
However, this becomes an explicitly offensive strategy. It’s not just that Hell will not be able to overcome the church, we are to take over the gates of Hell themselves. The so called Seven mountains” of family, religion, culture, media, education, business, technology and politics are seen as those gates or gateways by which Hell and Satan seek to exercise their dominion. So that these become kingdoms with kings, mountain kings, each “with a significant sphere of authority.”[6]
He argues that this means Jesus instruction to his disciples in Matthew 10 to find the person of peace was not about finding the nicest rabbi but finding the person who has authority. The “wolf king.”
In fact, if the wolf will cooperate, he will find that the One King who rules over all men and judges nations will help that wolf king succeed. This all-powerful One will drive out the influence of the powers of “spiritual wickedness,” that fester and thrive off of the chaos and control they exercise in that king’s domain. When wolf kings honor the King of glory, they do not become weak kings. Quite the contrary, they become truly great, and more so, they have authority to reveal the glory hidden within their sphere of authority.[7]
This is perhaps one of the most bewildering sections in the book and seems to be based on a confusion over what Jesus means when he says that he sends us out as sheep among wolves. The vivid imagery of our vulnerability in an evil world is over interpreted as an overt strategy to reach the wolves. This is confusing because Scripture presents wolves not as those to be served and co-opted but rather those that we are to lay down our lives to protect the church from. Perhaps this helps us to understand betters some of the political strategies and tactics that we are currently seeing on both sides of the Atlantic.
Indeed, this links to an overall theme that arises out of such confusing. Scripture doesn’t focus on us seeking to occupy hells’ gates. That’s not our interest. Nor is the idea of invading Babylon really present. Babylon, both literally during the exile and figuratively in Revelation represents a worldly power which we have no choice to live under the rule of. Danile and his friends did not invade Babylon. They had not option but to serve the emperor because they were taken as exiles, as hostages. They no more were invading than Nicolas Maduro has invaded New York.
The theme of taking the gates of hell is continued in Alan Vincent ‘s chapter. The Seven mountains strategy is not just about exercising influence through gifting, wisdom or clout but is about spiritual warfare through prayer, fasting and exorcism taking on territorial spirits.
Kingdom prosperity, financing the war
C Peter Wagner poses a question:
The question in the minds of many who are bold enough to probe beneath the surface is: Why haven’t we seen more of the reformation that we’ve been talking about?[8]
It’s a good question and you might expect a number of possible responses. Could it be that there has been a lack of faith, or sin in the camp? Whisper it quietly but might it be that they’ve got their understanding of the Gospel and of God’s mission wrong? No, Wagner’s answer is money. He says:
We will not see measurable, sustained transformation of our cities or states or nations if those who are providing strategic leadership do not have access to large sums of money. Throughout human history, three things have contributed toward the reformation of society more than anything else, namely, violence, knowledge, and wealth. And the greatest of these is wealth![9]
This statement should shock us but it has either been missed or accepted. Wagner unquestionably pushes us towards worldly strategies for accomplishing kingdom aims. For Wagner, the role of apostolic figures includes stewarding and directing financial resources towards ministries and networks.
There are two kinds of distributors, Narrow-Band Distributors and Wide-Band Distributors. If the link was divided in two, the Narrow-Band Distributors would be toward the right, in direct contact with the Field Marshals. Ché Ahn, John Arnott, Bill Johnson, and Heidi Baker would be Narrow-Band Distributors because they each oversee networks of Field Marshals.[10]
So, network leaders/apostles are the narrow band distributers whilst he offers himself ans an example of being a wide band, possibly the wide band distributer able to resource and command across networks with international reach.
When we realise that the aim is to fund an agenda and specifically to fund the leaders and their agendas then it also begins to make sense as to why there has been a prosperity gospel undertone to the concept. Wagner says:
Prosperity is the will of God, while poverty is the will of satan. The spirit of poverty is satan’s agent assigned to infiltrate the Church with the pervasive notion that there is something very suspicious about prosperity.[11]
Conclusion
Dominion or seven mountain mandate theology as expressed through the New Apostolic Reformation movement should be setting off some red lights. Coming through in the teaching is an over realised “kingdom now” prosperity Gospel. This significantly misunderstands Scripture. It is also exactly the kind of teaching that is catnip to those promoting a Christian Nationalist agenda.
[1] Wallnau, Lance; Johnson, Bill. Invading Babylon: The 7 Mountain Mandate (p. 21). Destiny Image, Inc.. Kindle Edition.”
[2] Wallnau, Lance; Johnson, Bill. Invading Babylon: The 7 Mountain Mandate (p. 21). Destiny Image, Inc.. Kindle Edition.
[3] Wallnau, Lance; Johnson, Bill. Invading Babylon: The 7 Mountain Mandate (p. 26). Destiny Image, Inc.. Kindle Edition.
[4]Cunningham cited in: Wallnau, Lance; Johnson, Bill. Invading Babylon: The 7 Mountain Mandate (p. 55). Destiny Image, Inc.. Kindle Edition.
[5] Wallnau, Lance; Johnson, Bill. Invading Babylon: The 7 Mountain Mandate (p. 56). Destiny Image, Inc.. Kindle Edition.
[6] Wallnau, Lance; Johnson, Bill. Invading Babylon: The 7 Mountain Mandate (p. 58). Destiny Image, Inc.. Kindle Edition.
[7] Wallnau, Lance; Johnson, Bill. Invading Babylon: The 7 Mountain Mandate (p. 60). Destiny Image, Inc.. Kindle Edition.
[8]Wallnau, Lance; Johnson, Bill. Invading Babylon: The 7 Mountain Mandate (p. 99). Destiny Image, Inc.. Kindle Edition.
[9] Wallnau, Lance; Johnson, Bill. Invading Babylon: The 7 Mountain Mandate (p. 100). Destiny Image, Inc.. Kindle Edition.
[10] Wallnau, Lance; Johnson, Bill. Invading Babylon: The 7 Mountain Mandate (p. 106). Destiny Image, Inc.. Kindle Edition.
[11] Wallnau, Lance; Johnson, Bill. Invading Babylon: The 7 Mountain Mandate (p. 101). Destiny Image, Inc.. Kindle Edition.
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