Edited 4-7-2007 (Obsolete links to Third Day churches removed)
Worldly Terminology In The Church
“The Third Day” was a movie that came out in 1965, a suspense-thriller starring George Peppard. It wasn’t particularly popular.
Then there’s the Christian rock band “Third Day.” The five-man Georgia band won three Dove Awards and two Grammy nominations in 2001.
Evidently, the phrase “The Third Day” sparked somebody’s imagination as they read the Bible and encountered that same phrase in there more than several times.
This is similar to the “Third Wave” terminology. It started out as a secular classroom experiment having to do with behavior. The phrase was utilized by others to describe changes from man’s agricultural society, to industrial revolution to a technical, economic, social, cultural, moral and politically advanced state of civilization. It’s also been applied in a political sense to countries, primarily in Asia and Latin America, from non-democratic to democratic political systems.
“Paradigm shift” is another term picked up by those in the institutional church. It was originally a New Age term relating to “harmonic convergence,” meaning something quite different.
Then the institutional church system picked them all up and used them to describe (or attempt to cause) spiritual things.
Why does the institutional church system continue to imitate the things of the world? That’s salt and light in reverse, isn’t it?
Behind all of this imitation of worldly catch phrases is a desire by the false prophets and apostles to make God do “a new thing.” Question: Does the tail wag the dog?
“The Third Day Church” is a relatively new catch phrase going the religious rounds.
The concept of this “Third Day Church” reflects many of the old heresies and false teachings to be found in the many historic volumes that continue to champion the never-changing Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Third Day Church Teachings
Some of the current teachings on this “Third Day Church” thing mention the seven days of the Father, as distinct from the three days of Jesus Christ. This is very interesting as one has to really fracture the scriptures to come up with this distinction.
Jesus Christ created and upholds everything that exists. To attempt to relegate His importance and ministry to only the past 3,000 years is, at the least, dishonest.
Colossians 1:15-17:
15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
John 1:1-3:
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 The same was in the beginning with God.
3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
John 1:10:
10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.
A Key Scripture
This is a key scripture for the Third Day-ers:
Hosea 6:1-3:
1 Come, and let us return unto the Lord: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up.
2 After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight.
3 Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth.
They then go on to allegorically interpret these verses, using the idea of two and three days.
What Is The Biblical Understanding of Hosea 6:1-3?
To understand that passage it has to be taken in context. Hosea lived in the northern kingdom of Israel in the 8th century B.C. at a time Israel was losing a war with the Assyrians and were approaching anarchy. Hosea was sent as a prophet of God to rebuke Israel and its leaders for unfaithfulness to God, idolatry, and oppressing the poor among them. He called Israel to repentance and uses his family problems as an example that God will recognize their repentance if they do so, and will then again accept them as His people.
To understand Hosea chapter six we have to go back to Hosea chapter five and see what God is saying.
In Hosea 5:1-5 God speaks of His judgments on the priests, the people and the royal house of Israel for their sins.
Hosea 5:1-5:
1 Hear ye this, O priests; and hearken, ye house of Israel; and give ye ear, O house of the king; for judgment is toward you, because ye have been a snare on Mizpah, and a net spread upon Tabor.
2 And the revolters are profound to make slaughter, though I have been a rebuker of them all.
3 I know Ephraim, and Israel is not hid from me: for now, O Ephraim, thou committest whoredom, and Israel is defiled.
4 They will not frame their doings to turn unto their God: for the spirit of whoredoms is in the midst of them, and they have not known the Lord.
5 And the pride of Israel doth testify to his face: therefore shall Israel and Ephraim fall in their iniquity; Judah also shall fall with them.
In verses 6 through 13 God withdraws Himself from Israel, accuses them of idolatry, tells them to raise an alarm, says they will be desolate, laid waste, oppressed and broken in judgment, and He will pour out His wrath on their leaders and He will be like a moth to them, and like rottenness to the people. He reminded them of their unfaithfulness in seeking human help rather than Him.
Then, having said all that, this is what God says in verses 14 and 15:
Hosea 5:14-15:
14 For I will be unto Ephraim as a lion, and as a young lion to the house of Judah: I, even I, will tear and go away; I will take away, and none shall rescue him.
15 I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face: in their affliction they will seek me early.
Now we come to the response of the people of Israel to what God has said:
Hosea 6:1-3:
1 Come, and let us return unto the Lord: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up.
2 After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight.
3 Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth.
In these verses the people of Israel are stating that they clearly understand that their punishment for backsliding in the worst way is from God, and not from man. So we see the people of Israel exhorting one another to repent of their backsliding and to return back to God. They also understand that only God can heal them and repentantly appeal to His mercy for their healing. They are looking for a short national revival (“... after two days will he revive us ...”) so they may again be recipients of God’s favor (“... in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight.”)
In verse three the “Then” indicates a hope that God will recognize their repentance and again favor them as His people.
Notice the big little word “if.” Rather than being used as a condition to be met to exercise certain rights, it’s used as a positive declaration of affirmation to “... follow on to know the Lord ...” continuing the theme of exhortation of one another.
“... his going forth is prepared as the morning ...” The word “prepared” is better translated as meaning “firmly established.” The theme of exhortation to one another is continued.
The references to rain is from Deuteronomy:
Deuteronomy 11:14:
14 That I will give you the rain of your land in his due season, the first rain and the latter rain, that thou mayest gather in thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil.
Note that in Hosea the sequence is reversed with the latter rain being mentioned first: “... as the latter and former rain unto the earth.” This indicates the result of their repentance and God’s mercy in restoring Israel as they exhort one another, as “the latter rain” falls in the latter half of February, and during March and April, just before the harvest. The allegory being restoring fruitfullness and life to a spiritually dead Israel.
The rebuke and lament of the Lord is resumed in verse 4, continuing to describe the sins of Israel. In chapter 14 the prophet tells Israel that if they will return to God then He, God, will heal their backsliding and revive them indicating a return from Babylon and eventually regathering them from their dispersion.
Spiritual Canker
To pluck the verses from Hosea 6:1-3 and isolate them from their original biblical settings and context and then allegorically reinterpret them according to personal whim in order to create and generate a “new thing” is worse than poor scholarship and lack of biblical understanding. It shows a complete lack of scholarship and absolutely no biblical understanding, much less understanding of the heart of the Father. Worse, they cause many of those who name the name of Christ to “increase unto more ungodliness:”
2 Timothy 2:15-17:
15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
16 But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness.
17 And their word will eat as doth a canker: of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus;
In 2 Timothy 2:17 the word “canker” in the Greek is gaggraina.
Strong’s definition is: gaggraina, from graino (to gnaw); an ulcer (“gangrene”): KJV— canker.
Thayer’s Definitions: gaggraina, a gangrene, a disease by which any part of the body suffering from inflammation becomes so corrupted that, unless a remedy be seasonably applied, the evil continually spreads, attacks other parts, and at last eats away the bones.
Vine’s Expository Dictionary: gangraina, “an eating sore,” spreading corruption and producing mortification, is used, in (2 Tim. 2:17), of errorists in the church, who, pretending to give true spiritual food, produce spiritual gangrene (KJV, “canker,” RV, “gangrene”).
Be warned by understanding what you are hearing, reading and absorbing into your spirit, soul and body.
This scriptural adding, subtracting and multiplying the word of God instead of “rightly dividing the word of truth” has resulted in their seeking for some alleged new thing from God. Those who identify with this Third Day Church concept are also, unknowingly, scripturally identifying themselves with a people backsliden in the worst way who are unfaithful to God, idolatrous, oppressing the poor among them, relying upon human, rather than divine, assistance, exhorting one another to repent of their backsliding and hoping that God will recognize their repentance and again favor them as His people, relying upon God’s mercy to restore them if they do repent.
If the shoe fits, wear it.
Another Key Scripture
Another key scripture to the “Third Day”-ers is John 2:1:
John 2:1:
1 And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there:
Much is read into this passage as being so tremendously significant for a variety of reasons.
But what is this short account really saying?
What Is The Biblical Understanding of John 2:1?
In the book of John, starting with chapter 1, Jesus is described by the author of the gospel. John the Baptist is also discussed.
In verse 28, we find John the Baptist baptizing. In the verses that follow, the author of the gospel, John, tells about John the Baptist meeting Jesus. Then follows an account of the travels in the days following that, implied or mentioned in the number of days involved in the account.
John 1:28:
28 These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing.
Can we call this day one?
There follows an account of John seeing Jesus coming to him to be baptized.
John 1:29:
29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
Since this is the “next day” after day one it would be day two.
John 1:35:
35 Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples;
“Again the next day” means the day following day two, which is day three.
OK, this is the the real “third day.” What kind of allegorizing would anyone care to make of this verse? Puts an entirely different perspective on this whole farce, doesn’t it?
John 1:43:
43 The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow me.
“The day following” day three makes it day four.
John 2:1:
1 And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there:
“... the third day ...” added to day four makes this day seven.
John 2:12:
12 After this he went down to Capernaum, he, and his mother, and his brethren, and his disciples: and they continued there not many days.
This appears to be the end of this short journey of Jesus and the number of days involved.
The day identified as “the third day” in the biblical text is simply a sub-account of the number or days it took Jesus to get to Galilee. (Actually, it was a two day journey, but the account of the incident starts at His third day there.)
I understand that the “Third Day”-ers would like to make further imaginative allegorical analysis when and if they discover that the “third day” is actually the seventh day. But when is enough, enough?
For a more penetrating look into the Third Day Church allegorical interpretation of the biblical passage of John 2:1-11, go to Appendix 1.
What Is The Origin Of The Third Day Church Movement?
The origins of this movement can be traced back to a 12th century Italian monk by the name of Joachim of Fiore (1135-1202). He related prophecy to historical events and wove a complicated pattern of ideas somehow relating Father, Son and Holy Spirit to arbitrarily assigned periods of history with a “Third Age” which has become today’s “Third Day Church.” Also “Third Church” and, I guess, anything in the Bible which speaks of a “third” something—applied selectively, of course, to carefully put together unrelated verses to manufacture the “Third” something philosophical concept.
There is also some other bad mathematics going on here. Joachim of Fiore calculated “ages” to come up with his hypothesis of “Third Age.” These ages encompass more than just 1,000 year periods. But the calculation for the seven days of the Father and the “three days” of Jesus is based upon the premise of 1,000 years equals one day. So “Third Age” does not equal “Third Day.” As I said, when is enough, enough?
Based on Joachim of Fiore’s interpretation of the book of Revelation he taught there were three ages of the world. These “ages” corresponded to the three persons of the Trinity. The Father ruled the world through power and fear in the “First Age” (Old Testament). In the “Second Age” the Son ruled through wisdom and discipline (New Testament). He prophesied that the “Third Age” was nearing (to arrive around 1260). At that time the Holy Spirit would rule with universal love without the need for institutions. Then the church would be free from carnal and worldly things. A new religious order would be put in place to propagate these ideas and the world would be saved. Obviously, he did not believe in the concept of a rapture or the second coming of Jesus Christ. The work-around for the Latter Rain/Reconstructionsts/Kingdom and etc. folks is to have the Third Day Church elite persons transformed spiritually into super-apostles and super-prophets that ascend into the heavenlies to rule and reign with, well, if that happens, I don’t know who they will be affiliated with. The rest of us non-Third Day-ers and non-elite persons will apparently be raptured at a later date. Or something like that ...
Well, it’s 2004 as of the date of this article. That’s 744 years after 1260. As we look around at the world conditions today, does anyone recognize the Holy Spirit ruling with universal love? And did anybody notice that we don’t need (religious) institutions? Do we have a church free from carnal and worldly things? And, hey, where’s that new religious order that was supposed to put all these things in place? Is anybody foolish enough to think that the world has been saved for the past 744 years?
In a pathetic attempt to make this false prophetic invention come true, it’s been necessary to merge this idea in with more current false religious movements to bring it up to date. New dates and ideas have been inserted into this false teaching to validate it. That’s where the Latter Rain variations are introduced, more scriptures randomly chosen if they can squeeze them, and inventive imaginations are tapped for their originality. Isn’t that called “works of the flesh?” But they are passed off as new revelations by false apostles and false prophets as a “new thing” that God is doing. As I said, when is enough, enough? How long will nominal Christianity continue to buy into these lies? For just as long as you continue to pay them for their lies. Selah ...
In a late attempt (744 years late) to make Joachim of Fiore’s false and foolish writings and prophecies come to pass, we find “Third Day Churches” emphasizing their idea of “home church,” i.e., simply moving the institutional church system into someone’s home, complete with an illegitimate, paganized, Romanized, pope-modeled, traditional, man-made religious system that has violated the very will and purpose of God for His ekklesia. An authoritarian hierarchical structure that has no place in God’s economy other than as a spiritual Babylon from which the overcoming remnant bride of Jesus Christ will exit as they realize the truth of God’s eternal purpose. They are also teaching a thinly disguised Latter Rain/Reconstructionist/Manifested Sons of God/ad nauseam.
Joachim of Fiore said this “Third Age” “...would be one of love, joy, and freedom, when the knowledge of God would be revealed directly in the hearts of all men. The Age of the Spirit was to be the Sabbath or resting-time of mankind. Then the world would be one vast monastery, in which all men would be contemplative monks rapt in mystical ecstasy and united in singing the praises of God. And this new version of the kingdom of the Saints would endure until the last judgment.”
All of this was supposed to have started 744 years ago, huh? Most of us have 20-20 hindsight and have sense enough to know when something has happened or hasn’t happened. I'm not talking discernment, folks, just plain and simple common sense. Why are these people following the teachings and prophecies of so blatant a false prophet?
So, no more biblical revelations for this group of “Third Day Church” enthusiasts. They use the Bible only to single out their out of context verses to string together a home grown theology for themselves. God will reveal Himself “directly in the hearts of all men.” The Bible has been replaced by gnostic prophets who gladly prophecy the idols of men’s hearts. This concept is responsible for today’s “prophetic revelations” which are claimed to replace the authority of scripture. There is also an implied universalism, i.e., everybody, including the devil and his fallen angels, will be saved in the phrase “all men.” Do your own research on universalism ...
I don’t know how they get around the thought of “... one vast monastery, in which all men would be contemplative monks ...” But the part about “...rapt in mystical ecstasy ...” they have clearly embraced! The emphasis on unity at any cost and on organized and structured and prolonged corporate “worship” techniques is apparently how they interpret “... and united in singing the praises of God.”
Joachim of Fiore also falsely prophesied in 1190 that the Antichrist was already in the world, and that King Richard of England would defeat him. The Millennium would then begin, sometime before 1205.
It’s not difficult to see the stains of this false prophet on the teachings of the Latter Rain/Reconstructionist/you-name-it ideas that permeate nominal Christianity.
I’m including definitions of three words here so you can understand them when you read them when the article resumes. They are from Webster’s New Twentieth Century Dictionary Unabridged, Second Edition:
Gnosticism, def. — “a system of mystical religious and philosophical doctrines, combining Christianity with Greek and Oriental philosophies, propagated by early Christian sects that were denounced as heretical.”
Gnosticism believes that the fall of Adam, man, was caused by losing knowledge that kept him in a special spiritual place. The belief that Adam was originally androgynous, or hermaphroditic, and then separated into male and female comes from Greek mythology. It was syncretized with Christianity by Jacob Boehme during the Renaissance. Adam is said to “become whole” again by acquiring “lost knowledge”. The gnostics believed the soul is a “female principle” and “God,” the universe, the “male principle.” The search is for the soul to mystically unite with “God” through contemplative prayer. This meditative state is also known as “Quietism.” Gnostics that engage in quietism apparently do unite with a “higher power” but it is not God. Quietism, def. — “a form of religious mysticism that involves complete extinction of the human will, drawing away from worldly things, and passive contemplation of God and divine things: it was taught by the 17th-century Spanish priest Molinos.” Theosophy, def. — “(1) any of various philosophies or religious systems that propose to establish direct contact with divine principle through contemplation, revelation, etc. and to gain thereby a spiritual insight superior to empirical knowledge. (2) the doctrines and beliefs of a modern sect of this nature that incorporates elements of Buddhism and Brahmanism.”
The theosophists Jacob Boehme (1575-1624) and Jane Leade (1623-1704) believed that man could become “Christ” upon entering into the third “age” of Joachim of Fiore. These mystics had visions and dreams and the false doctrines derived from their experences were unacceptable to their fellow Protestants. Boehme is called “the father of Western Sophiology” because he revived the gnostic doctrinal errors. Jane and a man named John Pordage formed “The Philadelphian Society for the Advancement of Piety and Divine Philosophy” At one point in her life, Jane Leade received a vision of a lady who called herself Virgin-Wisdom who said, “I am God’s Eternal Virgin-Wisdom, whom thou hast been enquiring after.” The “Corporate Manchild” manifestation was prophetically declared by Jane Leade in 1697. Jane Leade is also the originator of the concept of restoration of apostles and prophets which has become today’s “New Apostolic Reformation.”
“Mystical union” and “dying to self” doctrines are directly linked to Jacob Boehme and Jane Leade. Shakers, Quakers, Mormons, Rosicrucians, and Freemasons embrace this doctrine, which is also known as Radical Pietism. They all teach that Jesus Christ is a “Pattern Son” to be duplicated and copied so that the spiritually elite gnostics are transformed into “Christ.”
The originators and proponents of the New Order of the Latter rain have based their foundational “theology” upon the false and gnostic doctrines of Joachim of Fiore, Jacob Boehme and Jane Leade.
Worldly Techniques In The Church
The sad part of this Third Day Church concept is that it attempts to woo and seduce those believers who are well aware of the deficiencies of the institutional church system of today. It also provides a false hope to those who are firmly entrenched in the institutional church system and who are seeking the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Unfortunately, it’s simply an attempt to remove people from the huge and not so huge local institutional churches where they are only another face in an anonymous crowd of people and “personalize” them in a small setting of exactly the same environment. Especially endangered are those who think a “home church” is the answer to the institutional church system authoritarian hierarchy, only to find out that the home church setting is mostly a mini-version of the institutional church system moved to another locale.
Quite frankly, the emphasis on prolonged “worship services” is frightening. First, there is no such precedent in the New Testament. There is no such thing as a “worship service” in the New Testament. Run a check on the word “worship” in the New Testament and see how many times it involves simply one individual and Jesus Christ in private moments. In 1 Corinthians 14 Paul the apostle is describing how the gifts of God will begin to operate when a group of believers is assembled together in a home.
In 1 Corinthians 14:26 Paul prefaces what he says by saying (in the original language) that if and when you all come together as an assembly, then each one has a spiritual gift to contribute. There is no idea anywhere that there is a “commandment” to meet together with stunning regularity, although the very early church did so for awhile.
The second thing about the Hollywood-type Disney-land fantasy called a“worship experience” being carefully staged is the emotional and psychological conditioning through subtle means which most of you probably aren’t aware of. The institutional church system itself is run by manipulation and intimidation to control you. You are told that God will punish you if you don’t tithe your money to them. The devil will get you if you leave their artificially manufactured “covering.” You are being disobedient if you don’t come to their building every time they open the door to the public. You are in rebellion if you don’t “Obey them that have the rule over you ...” (A very badly translated statement). So you think you have both God and the devil out to get you if you fail to obey their every dumb and stupid whim.
Then you go to their “worship service.” Because of the rhythmic beat, lights and other sounds (some of which may be piped in through the sound system, tape or CD, of which you are not aware) you will, I say will, enter into an eyes wide open alpha state of altered consciousness. This is a very dangerous state which can completely override your conscious choice to make free will decisions. That’s a sacred cow for many of you. However, after you read the information I have posted in the book “Prophets And Prophecy,” and the article, “Free In Christ!” you will understand why your will may not be your own any more. You can kick and scream and holler and hoot in defense of your cherished rituals, but they are robbing you of your own identity and your mind is not your own any more.
The meditative states and passive meditation required by gnosticism, quietism and theosophy lead a person into an eyes wide open alpha altered state of consciousness. While in this altered state of consciousness a person is 25 to 200 more times open to suggestion. Spending 90 minutes or more a day in meditation you will most likely remain in a fixed state of alpha consciousness for all the time that you continue your meditations. When used in excess or with other techniques there will come a time when all thought stops, which is a predictable physiological process. This is the nirvana the cults seek.
While in this meditative altered state of consciousness your mind will produce a substance in your body that is virtual opium and you will continue to seek this same state. You are like a drug addict seeking a “fix.”
The people who are in charge of your religious “Third Day” and related alleged doctrines know this and will keep you charged with excitement, anger or nervous tension of any type. Your fasting, (or the other extreme of lots of sugary drinks, cookies, ice cream—anything that will overload your body with sugar to adversely affect your nervous system) physical discomforts during these times of “worship,” excessive talking in tongues—under these conditions (it becomes a “mantra” at that point), their new awesome “revelations,” and lighting and sound designed to thrust you deeper into an alpha state makes you powerless to judge what is happening. (Some of those in charge may not be aware of the specific and individual techniques they are using, but they are very familiar with the results of utilizing such techniques).
Pure and simply, you are being brainwashed. You will then parrot their teachings, practices and lifestyles regardless of how wrong they are. (Think of those who have killed themselves and their families in following these types of personalities. Selah ...). No one who has ever been brainwashed knows it, or will admit to it. No one.
They will continue with ways to induce fear in you, make you feel guilty, excited and in suspense as to what is going to happen next.
The more anxiety they can generate the more the chances are of causing a malfunction in your nervous system. As physical and mental fatigue set in from standing for long periods of time and the tension and uncertainty at the meeting is increased the more your coping mechanism will deal with the stress by you going into an alpha state of consciousness.
New slogans, new phrases, new terms will spur you deeper into your alpha state. You now feel like you are with the “in” crowd. After many, many hours and/or many, many such “worship” sessions there will come a point of celebrating the “victory” and rejoicing and other “feel good” techniques that will put the last nail in your free will coffin.
Some of you may begin to recognize what is happening to you. Some of you may get very angry and begin to resist what you understand. But the more you get angry and the more you resist what you know is happening to you, the more successful will be their maneuvering to get you to that mental flat point of being a zombie.
Once you have crossed the line in this alpha state experience, then the very next time you go to their meeting, all it takes is a few beats of a rhythmic pattern, or one look at the lights, or one song phrase or one particular sound and you are back into the eyes wide open alpha state of consciousness. And so the spiral continues to go down, down, down. And the spiral is you.
What I have described above is only a small portion of what these people are doing to you.
There are many conversion, persuasion and brainwashing techniques that are documented as being proven highly effective. When these techniques are used in conjunction with voice, sound and lighting methods to produce altered states of consciousness, the effect on individuals is such that it robs them of their ability to correctly perceive, analyze and interpret the effects of what is happening to them.
Whatever you are told then becomes a virtual command—regardless of how ridiculous and illogical it is. How do you think we got to such a low point in church history?
Believe it or not, there are professional people who solicit churches to install lighting and sound systems (through which they can produce many sounds of different vibrations for desired effects on human beings) and they guarantee that their systems will increase tithes, offerings and attendance. And they are very successful in doing so.
That’s just the tip of the iceberg. The “Stockholm Syndrome” is where most people in the institutional church are at. I talk about this in the article “Personal Power Of Christ Or Corporate Power?-An Open Letter To Those Who Name The Name Of Christ.” I also talk about this man-made prison in the article “Love God and His eternal purpose for freedom in Christ Jesus.” I mentioned “logical fallacies” in the article “Words Control Emotions, Thinking, People, Family and Church.” Logical fallacies is a fascinating study on how clever people use words to confound logic. Combine that with neuro-linguistics—a subject with much secrecy hiding it from public view—and you are a robot.
Add to that the “herd instinct” of every human being and the tremendously powerful “peer pressure” we humans are subject to, and it leaves us extremely vulnerable, doesn’t it?
In the article “Free Indeed” (and several others) I attempt to explain how to get out of this situation.
There’s really nothing new in the world of apostate Christianity, is there? It just keeps being repackaged with a new name, and then recycled through the ranks as some kind of “new thing.”
Why A Third Day?
We know that a false prophet started the “Third Day Church” concept. But why a “Third Day?” There are 48 verses in the Bible that contain the phrase “third day” 60 times.
But there are also 48 verses in the Bible that contain the phrase “seventh day” 62 times! Wouldn’t it make more sense to go with the greater number of occurrences that you can take out of context and string together to create a “new thing?”
With all these bright and inventive perverted little minds working overtime to invent their “new thing” why not find a way to interweave both the “third day” verses and the “seventh day” verses for twice the impact? Since they have the time to do the crime of twisting the scriptures, why not go for a bigger payoff? The penalty won’t be any worse than for what they’ve already done. Eternity in hell is no longer for being twice as deceiving, is it?
(For information purposes there are also 47 verses in the Bible that contain the phrase “first day” 61 times. The phrase “second day” appears 15 times in 15 verses, “fourth day” appears 8 times in 9 verses, “fifth day” appears 9 times in 9 verses and “sixth day” appears 6 times in 6 verses.)
With all those numbers there is more fertile ground for those false prophets who arbitrarily assign numbers some special mystical meaning to fit their purpose.
The Third Day Church—A New Religious Movement?
From what I can dig out about this “Third Day Church” thing, Latter Rain/Reconstructionists/Kingdom/plus, plus, plus mindsets have incorporated it into their concept of philosophy. Or, maybe it’s the other way around. Or a mix of the two. Others have different ideas, some incorporating additional concepts into their idea of “Third Day Church.”
I think the most charitable thing to do is to relegate the whole “Third Day Church” mess into the category of “New Religious Movement” which is a euphemism for a cult. It has emerged, it has been embraced by enough people to be called “The Third Day Church Movement” and there are differences of opinion as to what constitutes the doctrine and practice of this movement.
As time goes on I’m sure there will be many more variations that sprout up in different places. The important thing to understand is that the whole “Third Day Church” thing is simply an invention of the imaginations of many different people, which is why there are so many different versions of it. As I said, apparently the phrase “Third Day Church” causes some people to think there is yet another “new thing” from God and only the gnostic elite are in on it. Statements by people who think they are Third Day-ers—which is evidently their claim to higher spirituality—who talk about this and relegate us non-Third Day Church, non-gnostic, non-elite persons as still being in the “Second Day Church”reflect their continuing spiritual ignorance. What they really mean is the imaginary “second age of Joachim of Fiore.” When looked at in this way it really makes the “Second Day” statement not only laughable, but ridiculous, just as the whole movement is.
The “Third Day Church” junk is so much an integral part of so much false teaching that you’ll continue to run across different variations on the same unbiblical theme as history repeats itself.
The bottom line is that the Third Day church routine is simply yet another variation on a theme of the institutional church system. It is an attempt by those at the high end of the hierarchical authoritarian structure to make it more appealing to those still in bondage to it and to those who have the sense to flee from it. Their income and ego demand that people continue to pay them so they can have a better lifestyle than those who give them their money.
ADDENDUM
(APPENDIX 1 FOLLOWS THIS ADDENDUM)
Below is a list of the 48 verses in the King James Bible which contain the phrase “the third day” 60 times.
If you attempt to incorporate each and every verse into a theme, you’ll discover that no theme exists. The only way to weave a theme of your liking is to select some of them and skip over the other ones.
It’s also impossible to honestly utilize all of these verses and come up with a theme upon which you can form the basis of some alleged biblical doctrine to start a new religious movement [read: cultl].
The only thing you can do is to add selected verses to some existing doctrine or pseudo-doctrine and attempt to apply those that you think will somehow support your pet doctrine.
I think it was Abraham Lincoln who said something to the effect that you can fool some of the people all the time, and all of the people some of the time but you can’t fool all of the people all of the time.
So some people will continue to be fooled, and all of the people may be fooled some of the time, but the final analysis is that you can’t continually fool us all. Genesis 1:13:
13 And the evening and the morning were the third day.
Genesis 22:4:
4 Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off.
Genesis 31:22:
22 And it was told Laban on the third day that Jacob was fled.
Genesis 34:25:
25 And it came to pass on the third day, when they were sore, that two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brethren, took each man his sword, and came upon the city boldly, and slew all the males.
Genesis 40:20:
20 And it came to pass the third day, which was Pharaoh’s birthday, that he made a feast unto all his servants: and he lifted up the head of the chief butler and of the chief baker among his servants.
Genesis 42:18:
18 And Joseph said unto them the third day, This do, and live; for I fear God:
Exodus 19:11:
11 And be ready against the third day: for the third day the Lord will come down in the sight of all the people upon mount Sinai.
Exodus 19:11:
11 And be ready against the third day: for the third day the Lord will come down in the sight of all the people upon mount Sinai.
Exodus 19:15:
15 And he said unto the people, Be ready against the third day: come not at your wives.
Exodus 19:16:
16 And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled.
Leviticus 7:17:
17 But the remainder of the flesh of the sacrifice on the third day shall be burnt with fire.
Leviticus 7:18:
18 And if any of the flesh of the sacrifice of his peace offerings be eaten at all on the third day, it shall not be accepted, neither shall it be imputed unto him that offereth it: it shall be an abomination, and the soul that eateth of it shall bear his iniquity.
Leviticus 19:6:
6 It shall be eaten the same day ye offer it, and on the morrow: and if ought remain until the third day, it shall be burnt in the fire.
Leviticus 19:7:
7 And if it be eaten at all on the third day, it is abominable; it shall not be accepted.
Numbers 7:24:
24 On the third day Eliab the son of Helon, prince of the children of Zebulun, did offer:
Numbers 19:12:
12 He shall purify himself with it on the third day, and on the seventh day he shall be clean: but if he purify not himself the third day, then the seventh day he shall not be clean.
Numbers 19:12:
12 He shall purify himself with it on the third day, and on the seventh day he shall be clean: but if he purify not himself the third day, then the seventh day he shall not be clean.
Numbers 19:19:
19 And the clean person shall sprinkle upon the unclean on the third day, and on the seventh day: and on the seventh day he shall purify himself, and wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and shall be clean at even.
Numbers 29:20:
20 And on the third day eleven bullocks, two rams, fourteen lambs of the first year without blemish;
Numbers 31:19:
19 And do ye abide without the camp seven days: whosoever hath killed any person, and whosoever hath touched any slain, purify both yourselves and your captives on the third day, and on the seventh day.
Joshua 9:17:
17 And the children of Israel journeyed, and came unto their cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon, and Chephirah, and Beeroth, and Kirjath-je’arim.
Judges 20:30:
30 And the children of Israel went up against the children of Benjamin on the third day, and put themselves in array against Gibeah, as at other times.
1 Samuel 20:5:
5 And David said unto Jonathan, Behold, to morrow is the new moon, and I should not fail to sit with the king at meat: but let me go, that I may hide myself in the field unto the third day at even.
1 Samuel 20:12:
12 And Jonathan said unto David, O Lord God of Israel, when I have sounded my father about to morrow any time, or the third day, and, behold, if there be good toward David, and I then send not unto thee, and shew it thee;
1 Samuel 30:1:
1 And it came to pass, when David and his men were come to Ziklag on the third day, that the Amalekites had invaded the south, and Ziklag, and smitten Ziklag, and burned it with fire;
2 Samuel 1:2:
2 It came even to pass on the third day, that, behold, a man came out of the camp from Saul with his clothes rent, and earth upon his head: and so it was, when he came to David, that he fell to the earth, and did obeisance.
1 Kings 3:18:
18 And it came to pass the third day after that I was delivered, that this woman was delivered also: and we were together; there was no stranger with us in the house, save we two in the house.
1 Kings 12:12:
12 So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king had appointed, saying, Come to me again the third day.
1 Kings 12:12:
12 So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king had appointed, saying, Come to me again the third day.
2 Kings 20:5:
5 Turn again, and tell Hezekiah the captain of my people, Thus saith the Lord, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will heal thee: on the third day thou shalt go up unto the house of the Lord.
2 Kings 20:8:
8 And Hezekiah said unto Isaiah, What shall be the sign that the Lord will heal me, and that I shall go up into the house of the Lord the third day?
2 Chronicles 10:12:
12 So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day, as the king bade, saying, Come again to me on the third day.
2 Chronicles 10:12:
12 So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day, as the king bade, saying, Come again to me on the third day.
Ezra 6:15:
15 And this house was finished on the third day of the month Adar, which was in the sixth year of the reign of Darius the king.
Esther 5:1:
1 Now it came to pass on the third day, that Esther put on her royal apparel, and stood in the inner court of the king’s house, over against the king’s house: and the king sat upon his royal throne in the royal house, over against the gate of the house.
Hosea 6:2:
2 After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight.
Matthew 16:21:
21 From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.
Matthew 17:23:
23 And they shall kill him, and the third day he shall be raised again. And they were exceeding sorry.
Matthew 20:19:
19 And shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him: and the third day he shall rise again.
Matthew 27:64:
64 Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last error shall be worse than the first.
Mark 9:31:
31 For he taught his disciples, and said unto them, The Son of man is delivered into the hands of men, and they shall kill him; and after that he is killed, he shall rise the third day.
Mark 10:34:
34 And they shall mock him, and shall scourge him, and shall spit upon him, and shall kill him: and the third day he shall rise again.
Luke 9:22:
22 Saying, The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day.
Luke 13:32:
32 And he said unto them, Go ye, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures to day and to morrow, and the third day I shall be perfected.
Luke 18:33:
33 And they shall scourge him, and put him to death: and the third day he shall rise again.
Luke 24:7:
7 Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.
Luke 24:21:
21 But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, to day is the third day since these things were done.
Luke 24:46:
46 And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:
John 2:1:
1 And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there:
Acts 10:40:
40 Him God raised up the third day, and shewed him openly;
Acts 27:19:
19 And the third day we cast out with our own hands the tackling of the ship.
1 Corinthians 15:4:
4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
In Revelation 19:7-9 we read:
7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.
8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.
9 And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.
The sequence of events is not clearly stated in these verses. It sounds as if the marriage ceremony and the marriage supper of the Lamb has taken place. However, it’s not until Revelation 21:2,9,10 and 22:17 that there is a consummation in the sense that the new Jerusalem and the bride, the wife of the Lamb are announced. It would be after this time that the wedding supper of the Lamb, the Bridegroom, takes place in the new heaven and new earth.
If this is so, then the marriage of the Lamb mentioned in Revelation 19:7 speaks of a preparedness on the part of the betrothed bride (verse 8), not the marriage and consummation.
Nelson’s Bible Dictionary, in these excerpts, comments: “In biblical times, a betrothal for marriage was a binding agreement that set the young woman apart for the young man. The agreement was voided only by death or divorce; one could not get out of the betrothal in any other way.” ... “Once at the groom’s house, the couple was ushered into a bridal chamber. The marriage was consummated through sexual union as the guests waited outside. Once that fact was announced, the wedding festivities continued, with guests dropping by for the wedding feast. Usually the wedding party lasted for a week.”
The overcoming remnant saints who have died during the 1,000 year period will, and must, complete the genuine body, the bride, of Christ in the new heavens and new earth before the marriage can be consummated at the Bridegroom’s house (Hebrews 11:16,40).
Hebrews 11:16: “But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.”
Hebrews 11:40: “God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.”
Under the law other provisions were made about the marriage and the consummation:
Deuteronomy 20:7: “And what man is there that hath betrothed a wife, and hath not taken her? let him go and return unto his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man take her.” This would not apply to Jesus because He could not “die in the battle.”
Deuteronomy 24:5: “When a man hath taken a new wife, he shall not go out to war, neither shall he be charged with any business: but he shall be free at home one year, and shall cheer up his wife which he hath taken.”
This would apply, which is another reason the marriage to the bride is not consummated just before they go into battle.
Jesus fulfilled the law and would not violate His own commands.
Some commentators try to synchronize end-time events with traditions of a New Testament Jewish wedding and/or Old Testament feasts. Jesus utilized many such examples to convey a clear meaning to His hearers, but it doesn’t necessarily mean they are exact parallels.
Since the consummation of the marriage and the subsequent wedding supper takes place in the new heavens and the new earth, it would make sense that “they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb” would be the nations and their kings (and their citizens, or subjects) mentioned in Revelation 21:22-27.
(2) Jesus turned water into wine at the marriage which represents new wine and a new anointing that will be poured into the Third Day-ers as new wineskins, which will be, or are, the temple that the Holy Spirit will indwell.
In the Old Testament the Holy Spirit was spoken of as coming upon a person. An exception is Ezekiel who said in Ezekiel 2:2: “And the spirit entered into me when he spake unto me, and set me upon my feet, that I heard him that spake unto me.” For the most part, however, the Holy Spirit is spoken of as “came upon” a person.
However, Jesus made it very clear that Father, Son and Holy Spirit now abide, i.e., live in the believer. This is what makes us the temple of God.
Since the death and resurrection of Jesus it should be understood by what Jesus said, that the “Anointed One” lives within us. When someone speaks of a “Joshua anointing” or a “Gideon anointing” or whatever biblical person they say, or a “new” anointing that doesn’t make sense.
The believer has the Anointed One, Jesus Christ, and the Father and the Holy Spirit living within them. Why would anyone want a “new” anointing or a lesser human anointing? Selah ...
Luke 11:13:
13 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?
John 14:6-7:
6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
7 If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.
John 14:15-23:
15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.
16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.
19 Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.
20 At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.
21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
22 Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?
23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
(3) The stone water pots represent man, six being the number of man, who was created on the sixth day. The water in the pots is a type of the Holy Spirit, which when changed to wine represents the blood of Jesus. The stone heart of man will be changed to a flesh heart so that we will love Him.
This statement allegorically says the Holy Spirit can be “changed.” Say what? It goes on to equate the Holy Spirit of God as being the Blood of Jesus Christ. Are they getting a little wild here?
The “stone heart” changed to a “flesh heart” comes from Ezekiel 11:19,20. This is almost laughable if it weren’t so pathetic, as it is again taking a verse out of context and attempting to apply it allegorically to another story in the Bible that has nothing to do with the verse.
Ezekiel was a prophet of the captivity of Israel in Babylon. What he says in chapter 11, verses 19 and 20 has to be understood in context of his message.
He is here prophesying what God has to say to the backslidden exiles of Israel who went into captivity in Babylon. God is reminding the people of their sins, yet at the same offering these backsliders hope, if they will repent.
God is saying, through His prophet, that he will return them to the land of Israel. If ... “they shall take away all the detestable things thereof and all the abominations thereof from thence ...” then He will “... give them one heart ...” and put a new spirit within them. Then God will “... take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh ...” Why? So they will walk in God’s statues, and keep His ordinances, and do them. Then ... “... they shall be my people, and I will be their God.” God then warns the people of Israel in verse 21: “But as for them whose heart walketh after the heart of their detestable things and their abominations, I will recompense their way upon their own heads, saith the Lord GOD.” Read this in context, please!
Ezekiel 11:16-21:
16 Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Although I have cast them far off among the heathen, and although I have scattered them among the countries, yet will I be to them as a little sanctuary in the countries where they shall come.
17 Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will even gather you from the people, and assemble you out of the countries where ye have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.
18 And they shall come thither, and they shall take away all the detestable things thereof and all the abominations thereof from thence.
19 And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh:
20 That they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God.
21 But as for them whose heart walketh after the heart of their detestable things and their abominations, I will recompense their way upon their own heads, saith the Lord GOD.
I said before: “Those who identify with this Third Day Church concept are also, unknowingly, scripturally identifying themselves with a people backsliden in the worst way who are unfaithful to God, idolatrous, oppressing the poor among them, relying upon human, rather than divine, assistance, exhorting one another to repent of their backsliding and hoping that God will recognize their repentance and again favor them as His people, relying upon God’s mercy to restore them if they do repent.
“If the shoe fits, wear it.”
God promised the new covenant through the prophet Jeremiah which states the end result in the inward parts and hearts of those who will chose to be His people:
Jeremiah 31:31-33:
31 Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:
32 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the Lord:
33 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.
(4) The earthly ministry of Jesus Christ concluded on resurrection day, a third day, and his earthly ministry was completed when His flesh body was resurrected and glorified.
How many know that Jesus is not finished with us earthlings? Take me back to where I was reading when I clicked to read this Appendix.
If you’re dissatisfied with today’s institutional church scene, and recognize that it continually repeats the false doctrinal errors and movements of past history, then invest your time in reading related articles:
•"True And False Prophecy-true prophecy is the testimony of Jesus" Jesus, as God, and His testimony, is the true spirit of prophecy. False prophecy doesn’t have the revelation of Christ. This is what the Bible teaches.
•"Warning!-Beware, a prophetic voice not from God will deceive" The prophetic voice today will deceive if you do not discern the prophecy as from God. Test it as false or not from His word. False prophets deceive.
•"God, Jesus Christ, Holy Spirit, Bible have taught the truth" Advisory! God, Jesus Christ, Holy Spirit, Bible have taught the truth of love life and liberty for the church not fear, angry bitter hurt from a miserable devil.
•"A New Thing-just a former thing in the written word of God!" New things by God are the former things written in scripture to declare what God was doing then, not what shall be in our future as some new thing from God.
•"Joel’s Army ... Predator Or Protein ... Come Let Us Reason Together" God and Christ are not doing a new thing. Bible teachings of doctrine are His eternal will. The locusts of Joel are instruments of God’s justice, not saints
