The END of the Charismatic Movement? A Prophetic Wakeup Call from R.T. Kendall
As Vice President of Publishing for Destiny Image and Harrison House, and as one who has been a leader in the alleged “Charismatic Movement” for over 20 years, I am disturbed by what is playing out before our eyes right now in the church. Make no mistake, shaking is healthy for the body of Christ, but shaking should not lead to total destruction. We want the bad out, but we do not want to throw out Scriptural Truth in the process. God's holy fire ultimately leads to refining. Yes, we went impurity, immortality and falsity exposed and expunged. But also, we need a clear vision of what we are moving towards.
This is why, a few years ago, I personally asked R.T. Kendall to take his controversial message about Receiving the Isaac Promise and develop it into a book. The word "prophetic" is often thrown around liberally. I find that, often, the most "prophetic" messages are often not labeled as prophetic. This word from R.T. is truly a insight to help lead and guide us into a bright, Jesus-honoring, Holy Spirit-filled future.
I encourage you to watch and read with an open heart. R.T. is not setting out to destroy anything. He honors what God has done, but also provokes us to recognize that what we have is not enough.
Larry Sparks
Vice President of Publishing
The charismatic movement is Ishmael, but Isaac is coming.
Receiving the Isaac Promise: Position Yourself for the Fullness of God's End-Time Outpouring
R.T. Kendall
This was the focus of the message I gave on October 16, 1992, at the Wembley Conference Centre in London. Taking my text from Genesis 17, I thought it would be thrilling—a big hit! I was wrong.
Twenty-five hundred people came from all over London that day to the first Word and Spirit conference. Chaired by Lyndon Bow- ring, the late Paul Cain (1929–2019) and I were the speakers. Each of us spoke three times. I was billed to represent the Word, Paul the Spirit. Graham Kendrick wrote a hymn for us, “Jesus Restore to Us Again”—a tremendous song.
Only a few appreciated the message, including Rev. Colin Dye, the respected senior pastor of Kensington Temple, the flagship church of the Elim Pentecostal Church. The auditorium was filled largely with Charismatics and Pentecostals. “You call us Ishmael,” some of my best friends and most distinguished charismatic leaders reminded me.
“Yes,” I agreed. “But Isaac is coming.”
But that—then—did not diffuse them. They were indignant by being referred to as Ishmael. I fully understood that; many of them had indeed paid a great price—being persecuted, marginalized, isolated, and rejected by traditional Christians because of their stand for the direct witness of the Holy Spirit and the availability of the spiritual gifts. They were in no mood to be compared with Ishmael, Abraham’s firstborn son. They were not ready in those days for any teaching that said the greatest awakening in the history of the Church was mostly future. Many Charismatics sincerely believed—some still believe—that the charismatic movement is the final work of God in the last days before the second coming. That an awakening apart from them was coming down the road was not appealing to some of them.
I was surprised, therefore, when Destiny Image asked me to write this very book. But I still hesitated. I cautioned them that I had already put in print in at least two or three places my conviction that the charismatic movement is Ishmael. I feared readers would not be interested in hearing of my experiences and views again. But the publisher knew that and encouraged me to share my conviction about the charismatic movement and what I believe is coming—soon: the greatest move of the Holy Spirit in the history of the Christian Church.
There has been another shift in some people’s thinking in the last several years—precipitated by two things. First, the awareness that in 1947 Smith Wigglesworth (1859–1947) evidently had prophesied the same thing as I did on October 16, 1992—which I knew nothing about at the time—has caused some people to rethink their prejudices. But there is more. An ever-increasing number of charismatic leaders are now saying in so many words, “If what we have now is all there is, we are in pretty bad shape.” Indeed, one of the major British charismatic leaders, Gerald Coates (1944–2022), founder of Pioneer, a network of “new” churches, who had been very upset when he first heard my address on October 16,1992, has since expressed this to me personally.
You will see that I refer fairly often to my chief mentor, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899–1981). He was the minister of Westminster Chapel for thirty years. He put me there in 1977. I refer to him often in my book Holy Fire (Charisma House), which is my refutation of “cessationism,” the view that purports the gifts of the Spirit are not available today. He was highly esteemed by Pentecostals and Charismatics in Britain. Probably the greatest preacher since Charles Spurgeon (1834– 1892), the “Doctor,” as he was called (he was a medical doctor before entering the ministry), was like a father to me.
These things said, I urge you to consider prayerfully the burden of this book. This book is not meant to be a criticism of the charismatic movement—of which I am a part—but meant to be an encouragement for those who may have lost hope that God has a definite plan and purpose for the future. Some people call me a Reformed Charismatic. Please do not let any theological disagreement you may have with me put you off. I am not motivated to change your theology. I have written this book in my old age (87) to encourage you and give you hope—great hope.
God has a will of His own. He works all things “according to the counsel of his will” (Eph. 1:11). Not only does nothing take Him by surprise, but He sees the end from the beginning. He chose Abraham, knowing exactly what Abraham would do. The God of the Bible does not change (see Mal. 3:6). Indeed, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Heb. 13:8).
The future is bright. Things may look dark at the moment. Very dark. But the best is yet to come. The very best. How long will it be? Not long.
This book is based on a metaphor, a figure of speech. It is a kind of parable. An allegory. Isaac is a symbol of the greatest revival in the history of the Church. I am not a prophet. I am a Bible teacher. But this book could be a prophetic book. Only time will tell.
Experience an Unprecedented Outpouring of Holy Spirit Fire, Power, and Miracles
Have we experienced the pinnacle of Holy Spirit power? Has the Lord poured out the full measure of His presence on the earth? Is what we’ve seen all there is?
The devil wants you to think so. And just like he did with Abraham, he’s working hard to stop you short of God’s miracle promise. He wants you to settle for an “Ishmael” when your supernatural “Isaac” awaits.
In his most prophetic book yet, R. T. Kendall—one of the most respected and reputable Bible teachers of this generation—exposes the dangerous deception preventing you from experiencing more of the Spirit in your life and shows you how to stop striving and instead position yourself for the coming outpouring that’s beyond anything the Earth has ever seen.
This prophetic wake-up call is a burning exhortation from one who cherishes the movement of the Spirit, equipping you to join the company of people who, like Abraham…
Break out of spiritual confinement
Believe and agree with His Word
Contend for the fullness of what’s available
Position yourself to receive His supernatural promise
Experience an unprecedented outpouring of the Holy Spirit
Stop settling for a foretaste of glory. Stand in faith that the best is yet to come and help usher in a sweeping supernatural awakening and end-times revival unlike anything the world has ever seen.
